There is a beastlord in the Everquest book, but I wasn't really happy with it (and it doesn't mesh easily with normal d&d), so I came up with this alternative. A beastlord is a bit like a druid, except less spellcasting and more animal companion (with a bit of monk thrown in as well).
This contains some house rules (I don't use class skills, +1 skill points to all classes, etc.).
craftyrat
Beastlord (Alternative Core class)
Beastlords are primitive warriors, in tune with the natural forces in ways more civilized people can’t understand. They develop a close bond with a spirit of nature, as manifest in one particular animal. This animal, called a warder, becomes a friend and companion to the beastlord. Beastlords themselves are filled with the power of nature, becoming both capable fighters and significant spell casters.
Alignment: Beastlords can be any alignment, but most are some form of chaotic.
Hit Dice: d8
Skill Points: 5 + Int modifier
Weapons and Armor: all simple weapons, light armor
Base Attack Bonus: As Monks. Beastords gain the benefit of the Improved Unarmed Strike feat. Beastlords do unarmed damage as a monk of their level minus one (minimum 1st level). They do not gain flurry of blows (or any other monk ability, unless specifically noted).
Armor Class: In any armor more restrictive than leather, beastlords lose their unarmed attack abilities and armor class bonuses. As with a monk, their unarmed combat requires both hands. In light armor or less they add their Wisdom bonus to their armor class (as a Monk).
Ki Strike: Beastlords gain this ability, at the same levels as a monk, except they do not gain the lawful ability.
Spell Casting: The Beastlord uses the bard spell casting table. Spell casting is based on Wisdom. They are not subject to arcane spell failure in light armor, but are in medium or heavy armor. Beastlords gain the Infuse Warder, Spirit of Nature and Warder Healing spells as bonus spells. In addition, they have access to all druid spells (bard spell table, but with druid (not bard) spells).
Fortitude: Low, Reflex: High, Will: Low
1st Animal Speech: As the Speak with Animal spell, except this is an extraordinary ability and is in continuous effect. It only effects animals of the same type as the beastlord’s warder.
1st Animal Skills: The beastlord has a natural affinity for the Handle Animal skill. They gain a free +1 rank to this skill at 1st level, and additional +1 for every two levels (+2 at 2nd level, +3 at 4th level, etc.). These ranks count towards their total maximum ranks.
1st Wild Empathy: as a druid, but with a –4 penalty to the check.
New Spells:
Infuse Warder
These spells are similar to the Spirit of Nature weaves, in that they enhance the fighting capacity of the warder. Only one of these spells can be active on a warder at any one time. They share the following characteristics:
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Target: Warder
Duration: 10 minutes/level
1st: Spirit of Sharik (grants the warder a +2 dodge bonus to AC, +1 to hit and damage)
3rd: Spirit of Kahliz (grants the warder a +2 dodge bonus to AC, +1 to hit and damage, damage reduction of 5/+1, and elemental resistance of 5)
5th: Spirit of Keshuval (grants the warder a +4 dodge bonus to AC, +2 to hit and damage, damage reduction of 5/+1, and elemental resistance of 10)
Spirit of Nature
These spells infuse the warder with the destructive power of nature. They essentially work as an additional critical. They threaten on a threat roll of 17-20 off the warder’s primary attack. The critical must then be confirmed for the effect to happen. This is in addition to the normal physical critical (double criticals are confirmed with a single roll). There is no saving throw to avoid the damage, but the appropriate damage resistance or immunity still applies. Only one of these spells can be active on a warder at one time, but they do stack with the Infuse Warder spells. These spells share the following characteristics:
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Target: Warder
Duration: 1 hour/level
1st: Spirit of Destruction: 1d6 acid damage
2nd: Spirit of Lightning: 2d6 lightning damage
3rd: Spirit of Blizzard: 3d6 cold damage
4th: Spirit of Inferno: 4d6 fire damage
5th: Spirit of Scorpion: 5d6 poison damage
6th: Spirit of Vermin: 6d6 disease damage
Warder Healing
These spells cure the beastlord’s warder. They are otherwise identical to the Cure Light Wounds line of spells.
0: Cure Minor Warder Wounds: heals 4 hit points
1st: Cure Light Warder Wounds: heals 2d8+1 per level (maximum +5)
2nd: Cure Moderate Warder Wounds: heals 3d8+1 per level (maximum +10)
3rd: Cure Serious Warder Wounds: heals 4d8+1 per level (maximum +15)
4th: Cure Critical Warder Wounds: heals 5d8+1 per level (maximum +20)
6th: Heal Warder Wounds: as the Heal spell
Warders
Warders are much more intelligent than normal animals. Beastlords can speak with their warders freely, but do not share a telepathic bond. The infusion of the nature spirit into the animal changes its type into magical beast. Thus, the warder is not affected by spells that only affect animals (either harmful or beneficial). All warders share a similar progression as the beastlord advances in levels. If a warder is killed, the beastlord is stunned for 1d6 rounds, and must wait a week before summoning it again (the warder is the spirit of the creature, not the physical body).
Advancement: 1 hit dice per level, plus Con bonus; +1 natural bonus to AC per 2 levels (2nd, 4th, etc.); Slippery Mind at 8th level; Improved Initiative at 10th level; +1 to all saving throws per 2 levels; overcome damage resistance (attacks treated as magic at 4th level, adamantine at 16th level); BAB rise by +1 per level; skills rise by +1 per 2 levels; Constitution rises by +1 every 2 levels; Intelligence rises by +1 for every 4 levels (does not affect skill points)
(1st level advancements are included in the base warders)
Warder (level 1)
Medium Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 2d8+6
Speed: as per individual creature
Armor Class: 15 (+2 Dex, +3 Natural)
BAB: main attack +1 melee, secondary attack –3 melee
Damage: as per individual creature, plus Str bonus
Special Qualities: Low-light vision
Base Saving Throws: Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +2 (not adjusted for ability scores)
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 9
Skills: as per individual creature
Bear (Black, Brown or Polar)
Speed: 40 ft
Attacks: 2 claws (main), 1 bite (secondary)
Damage: claw 1d4, bite 1d6
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/5 ft
Skills: Climb +4, Alertness +4, Sneak +1, Swim +5, Survival +1
Polar bears gain +6 to Sneak in snowy climates, -6 to Sneak otherwise
Strength rises +1.5 per level (round down)
Dexterity rises +1 per 6 levels
1st: Scent
1st: Improved Grab: To use this ability the bear must hit with a claw attack
5th: claw damage 1d6, bite damage 1d8
5th: Cleave
7th: Rend (if the bear hits with both claws, then it immediately inflicts rending damage equal to 2xbase claw plus 1.5 strength bonus)
9th: Speed rises to 50 ft
10th: claw damage 1d8, bite damage 1d10
11th: Evasion
15th: claw damage 1d10, bite damage 2d6
15th: Great Cleave
Boar
Speed: 40 ft
Attacks: 1 Gore (main)
Damage: Gore 1d8
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/5 ft
Skills: Alertness +6, Sneak +1, Swim +1, Survival +1
Strength rises +1.5 per level
Dexterity rises +1 per 6 levels
1st: Scent
1st: Ferocity: A boar is such a tenacious opponent that it continues to fight without penalty even while disabled or dying.
3rd: Weapon Focus (Gore)
4th: Weapon Specialization (Gore)
5th: Gore damage 1d10
6th: Evasion
7th: Improved Critical (Gore)
9th: Speed rises to 50 ft
10th: Gore damage 2d6
14th: Improved Evasion
15th: Gore damage 3d6
Crocodile
Speed: 20 ft, Swim 30 ft
Attacks: Bite (main), Tail Slap (secondary)
Damage: Bite 1d8, Tail Slap 1d12
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/5 ft
Skills: Sneak +6, Alertness +6, (+4 bonus to Sneak checks while submerged)
Improved Grab
Strength rises +1.5 per level
Dexterity rises +1 per 6 levels
1st: Grants Beastlord a +8 bonus to Swimming, and the ability to swim at ½ speed on a move-equivalent action, and full speed as a full-round action
5th: Bite damage 1d10, Tail Slap damage 2d8
9th: Speed rises to 30 ft, Swim 40 ft
10th: Bite damage 2d6, Tail Slap damage 2d10
12th: Evasion
15th: Bite damage 3d6, Tail Slap damage 3d8
Lion
Speed: 40 ft
Attack: 2 Claws (main), 1 Bite (secondary)
Damage: Claw 1d4, Bite 1d8
Skills: Balance +7, Sneak +5, Alertness +4, Jump +5, (+4 bonus to Sneak in tall grass)
Improved Grab, Pounce, Rake
Strength rises +1.5 per level
Dexterity rises +1 per 6 levels
5th: claw damage 1d6, bite damage 1d10
9th: Speed rises to 50 ft
10th: claw damage 1d8, bite damage 2d6
11th: Evasion
15th: claw damage 1d10, bite damage 3d6
Tiger
Size: Large (-1 to AC and attacks)
Speed: 40 ft
Attack: 2 Claws (main), 1 Bite (secondary)
Damage: Claw 1d8, Bite 2d6
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 10 ft/5 ft
Skills: Balance +6, Sneak +6, Alertness +3, Swim +11 (+2 bonus to Sneak in tall grass)
Improved Grab, Pounce, Rake
Strength rises +1.5 per level
Dexterity rises +1 per 6 levels
5th: Claw damage 1d10, Bite damage 2d10
9th: Speed rises to 50 ft
10th: Claw damage 2d6, Bite damage 3d8
12th: Evasion
15th: Claw damage 3d6, Bite damage 3d10
Wolf
Speed: 50 ft
Attack: Bite (main)
Damage: Bite 1d6
Skills: Sneak +4, Alertness +4, Survival +1 (wolves receive a +4 bonus when tracking by scent)
Trip: A wolf that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip the opponent as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to the wolf.
Strength rises +1 per level
Dexterity rises +1 per 2 levels
1st: Weapon Finesse (Bite)
1st: Scent
3rd: Weapon Focus (Bite)
4th: Evasion
4th: Weapon Specialization (Bite)
5th: Bite damage 1d8
7th: Improved Critical (Bite)
9th: Speed rises to 60 ft
10th: Bite damage 2d6
14th: Improved Evasion
15th: Bite damage 3d6
Wolverine
Speed: 30 ft, burrow 10 ft, climb 10 ft
Attack: 2 Claws (main), 1 Bite (secondary)
Damage: Claw 1d4, Bite 1d6
Skills: Climb +15, Alertness +6, Survival +1, Sneak +2
Rage (as barbarian, 1/day plus 1/day for every 4 levels gained)
Strength rises +1 per level
Dexterity rises +1 per 2 levels
1st: Scent
1st: Weapon Finesse (Bite)
5th: claw damage 1d6, bite damage 1d8
7th: Evasion
9th: Speed rises to 40 ft, Burrow 20 ft, Climb 20 ft
10th: claw damage 1d8, bite damage 1d10
15th: claw damage 1d10, bite damage 2d6
17th: Improved Evasion
craftyrat
This contains some house rules (I don't use class skills, +1 skill points to all classes, etc.).
craftyrat
Beastlord (Alternative Core class)
Beastlords are primitive warriors, in tune with the natural forces in ways more civilized people can’t understand. They develop a close bond with a spirit of nature, as manifest in one particular animal. This animal, called a warder, becomes a friend and companion to the beastlord. Beastlords themselves are filled with the power of nature, becoming both capable fighters and significant spell casters.
Alignment: Beastlords can be any alignment, but most are some form of chaotic.
Hit Dice: d8
Skill Points: 5 + Int modifier
Weapons and Armor: all simple weapons, light armor
Base Attack Bonus: As Monks. Beastords gain the benefit of the Improved Unarmed Strike feat. Beastlords do unarmed damage as a monk of their level minus one (minimum 1st level). They do not gain flurry of blows (or any other monk ability, unless specifically noted).
Armor Class: In any armor more restrictive than leather, beastlords lose their unarmed attack abilities and armor class bonuses. As with a monk, their unarmed combat requires both hands. In light armor or less they add their Wisdom bonus to their armor class (as a Monk).
Ki Strike: Beastlords gain this ability, at the same levels as a monk, except they do not gain the lawful ability.
Spell Casting: The Beastlord uses the bard spell casting table. Spell casting is based on Wisdom. They are not subject to arcane spell failure in light armor, but are in medium or heavy armor. Beastlords gain the Infuse Warder, Spirit of Nature and Warder Healing spells as bonus spells. In addition, they have access to all druid spells (bard spell table, but with druid (not bard) spells).
Fortitude: Low, Reflex: High, Will: Low
1st Animal Speech: As the Speak with Animal spell, except this is an extraordinary ability and is in continuous effect. It only effects animals of the same type as the beastlord’s warder.
1st Animal Skills: The beastlord has a natural affinity for the Handle Animal skill. They gain a free +1 rank to this skill at 1st level, and additional +1 for every two levels (+2 at 2nd level, +3 at 4th level, etc.). These ranks count towards their total maximum ranks.
1st Wild Empathy: as a druid, but with a –4 penalty to the check.
New Spells:
Infuse Warder
These spells are similar to the Spirit of Nature weaves, in that they enhance the fighting capacity of the warder. Only one of these spells can be active on a warder at any one time. They share the following characteristics:
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Target: Warder
Duration: 10 minutes/level
1st: Spirit of Sharik (grants the warder a +2 dodge bonus to AC, +1 to hit and damage)
3rd: Spirit of Kahliz (grants the warder a +2 dodge bonus to AC, +1 to hit and damage, damage reduction of 5/+1, and elemental resistance of 5)
5th: Spirit of Keshuval (grants the warder a +4 dodge bonus to AC, +2 to hit and damage, damage reduction of 5/+1, and elemental resistance of 10)
Spirit of Nature
These spells infuse the warder with the destructive power of nature. They essentially work as an additional critical. They threaten on a threat roll of 17-20 off the warder’s primary attack. The critical must then be confirmed for the effect to happen. This is in addition to the normal physical critical (double criticals are confirmed with a single roll). There is no saving throw to avoid the damage, but the appropriate damage resistance or immunity still applies. Only one of these spells can be active on a warder at one time, but they do stack with the Infuse Warder spells. These spells share the following characteristics:
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Target: Warder
Duration: 1 hour/level
1st: Spirit of Destruction: 1d6 acid damage
2nd: Spirit of Lightning: 2d6 lightning damage
3rd: Spirit of Blizzard: 3d6 cold damage
4th: Spirit of Inferno: 4d6 fire damage
5th: Spirit of Scorpion: 5d6 poison damage
6th: Spirit of Vermin: 6d6 disease damage
Warder Healing
These spells cure the beastlord’s warder. They are otherwise identical to the Cure Light Wounds line of spells.
0: Cure Minor Warder Wounds: heals 4 hit points
1st: Cure Light Warder Wounds: heals 2d8+1 per level (maximum +5)
2nd: Cure Moderate Warder Wounds: heals 3d8+1 per level (maximum +10)
3rd: Cure Serious Warder Wounds: heals 4d8+1 per level (maximum +15)
4th: Cure Critical Warder Wounds: heals 5d8+1 per level (maximum +20)
6th: Heal Warder Wounds: as the Heal spell
Warders
Warders are much more intelligent than normal animals. Beastlords can speak with their warders freely, but do not share a telepathic bond. The infusion of the nature spirit into the animal changes its type into magical beast. Thus, the warder is not affected by spells that only affect animals (either harmful or beneficial). All warders share a similar progression as the beastlord advances in levels. If a warder is killed, the beastlord is stunned for 1d6 rounds, and must wait a week before summoning it again (the warder is the spirit of the creature, not the physical body).
Advancement: 1 hit dice per level, plus Con bonus; +1 natural bonus to AC per 2 levels (2nd, 4th, etc.); Slippery Mind at 8th level; Improved Initiative at 10th level; +1 to all saving throws per 2 levels; overcome damage resistance (attacks treated as magic at 4th level, adamantine at 16th level); BAB rise by +1 per level; skills rise by +1 per 2 levels; Constitution rises by +1 every 2 levels; Intelligence rises by +1 for every 4 levels (does not affect skill points)
(1st level advancements are included in the base warders)
Warder (level 1)
Medium Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 2d8+6
Speed: as per individual creature
Armor Class: 15 (+2 Dex, +3 Natural)
BAB: main attack +1 melee, secondary attack –3 melee
Damage: as per individual creature, plus Str bonus
Special Qualities: Low-light vision
Base Saving Throws: Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +2 (not adjusted for ability scores)
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 9
Skills: as per individual creature
Bear (Black, Brown or Polar)
Speed: 40 ft
Attacks: 2 claws (main), 1 bite (secondary)
Damage: claw 1d4, bite 1d6
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/5 ft
Skills: Climb +4, Alertness +4, Sneak +1, Swim +5, Survival +1
Polar bears gain +6 to Sneak in snowy climates, -6 to Sneak otherwise
Strength rises +1.5 per level (round down)
Dexterity rises +1 per 6 levels
1st: Scent
1st: Improved Grab: To use this ability the bear must hit with a claw attack
5th: claw damage 1d6, bite damage 1d8
5th: Cleave
7th: Rend (if the bear hits with both claws, then it immediately inflicts rending damage equal to 2xbase claw plus 1.5 strength bonus)
9th: Speed rises to 50 ft
10th: claw damage 1d8, bite damage 1d10
11th: Evasion
15th: claw damage 1d10, bite damage 2d6
15th: Great Cleave
Boar
Speed: 40 ft
Attacks: 1 Gore (main)
Damage: Gore 1d8
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/5 ft
Skills: Alertness +6, Sneak +1, Swim +1, Survival +1
Strength rises +1.5 per level
Dexterity rises +1 per 6 levels
1st: Scent
1st: Ferocity: A boar is such a tenacious opponent that it continues to fight without penalty even while disabled or dying.
3rd: Weapon Focus (Gore)
4th: Weapon Specialization (Gore)
5th: Gore damage 1d10
6th: Evasion
7th: Improved Critical (Gore)
9th: Speed rises to 50 ft
10th: Gore damage 2d6
14th: Improved Evasion
15th: Gore damage 3d6
Crocodile
Speed: 20 ft, Swim 30 ft
Attacks: Bite (main), Tail Slap (secondary)
Damage: Bite 1d8, Tail Slap 1d12
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/5 ft
Skills: Sneak +6, Alertness +6, (+4 bonus to Sneak checks while submerged)
Improved Grab
Strength rises +1.5 per level
Dexterity rises +1 per 6 levels
1st: Grants Beastlord a +8 bonus to Swimming, and the ability to swim at ½ speed on a move-equivalent action, and full speed as a full-round action
5th: Bite damage 1d10, Tail Slap damage 2d8
9th: Speed rises to 30 ft, Swim 40 ft
10th: Bite damage 2d6, Tail Slap damage 2d10
12th: Evasion
15th: Bite damage 3d6, Tail Slap damage 3d8
Lion
Speed: 40 ft
Attack: 2 Claws (main), 1 Bite (secondary)
Damage: Claw 1d4, Bite 1d8
Skills: Balance +7, Sneak +5, Alertness +4, Jump +5, (+4 bonus to Sneak in tall grass)
Improved Grab, Pounce, Rake
Strength rises +1.5 per level
Dexterity rises +1 per 6 levels
5th: claw damage 1d6, bite damage 1d10
9th: Speed rises to 50 ft
10th: claw damage 1d8, bite damage 2d6
11th: Evasion
15th: claw damage 1d10, bite damage 3d6
Tiger
Size: Large (-1 to AC and attacks)
Speed: 40 ft
Attack: 2 Claws (main), 1 Bite (secondary)
Damage: Claw 1d8, Bite 2d6
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 10 ft/5 ft
Skills: Balance +6, Sneak +6, Alertness +3, Swim +11 (+2 bonus to Sneak in tall grass)
Improved Grab, Pounce, Rake
Strength rises +1.5 per level
Dexterity rises +1 per 6 levels
5th: Claw damage 1d10, Bite damage 2d10
9th: Speed rises to 50 ft
10th: Claw damage 2d6, Bite damage 3d8
12th: Evasion
15th: Claw damage 3d6, Bite damage 3d10
Wolf
Speed: 50 ft
Attack: Bite (main)
Damage: Bite 1d6
Skills: Sneak +4, Alertness +4, Survival +1 (wolves receive a +4 bonus when tracking by scent)
Trip: A wolf that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip the opponent as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to the wolf.
Strength rises +1 per level
Dexterity rises +1 per 2 levels
1st: Weapon Finesse (Bite)
1st: Scent
3rd: Weapon Focus (Bite)
4th: Evasion
4th: Weapon Specialization (Bite)
5th: Bite damage 1d8
7th: Improved Critical (Bite)
9th: Speed rises to 60 ft
10th: Bite damage 2d6
14th: Improved Evasion
15th: Bite damage 3d6
Wolverine
Speed: 30 ft, burrow 10 ft, climb 10 ft
Attack: 2 Claws (main), 1 Bite (secondary)
Damage: Claw 1d4, Bite 1d6
Skills: Climb +15, Alertness +6, Survival +1, Sneak +2
Rage (as barbarian, 1/day plus 1/day for every 4 levels gained)
Strength rises +1 per level
Dexterity rises +1 per 2 levels
1st: Scent
1st: Weapon Finesse (Bite)
5th: claw damage 1d6, bite damage 1d8
7th: Evasion
9th: Speed rises to 40 ft, Burrow 20 ft, Climb 20 ft
10th: claw damage 1d8, bite damage 1d10
15th: claw damage 1d10, bite damage 2d6
17th: Improved Evasion
craftyrat
