 Hunter
Source Advanced Class Guide pg. 26
Hunters are warriors of the wilds that have forged close bonds with trusted animal companions. They focus their tactics on fighting alongside their companion animals as a formidable team of two. Able to cast a wide variety of nature spells and take on the abilities and attributes of beasts, hunters magically improve both themselves and their animal companions.
Role: Hunters can adapt their tactics to many kinds of opponents, and cherish their highly trained animal companions. As a team, the hunter and her companion can react to danger with incredible speed, making them excellent scouts, explorers, and saboteurs.
Alignment: Any neutral.
Hit Die: d8.
Parent Class(es): Druid and ranger.
Starting Wealth: 4d6 x 10 gp (average 140 gp).Class SkillsThe Hunter's class skills are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skill Points at each Level: 6 + Int modifier.Class Features| | Spells Per Day | | Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | | 1st | +0 | +2 | +2 | +0 | Animal companion, animal focus, nature training, orisons, wild empathy | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | | 2nd | +1 | +3 | +3 | +0 | Precise companion, track | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | | 3rd | +2 | +3 | +3 | +1 | Hunter tactics, teamwork feat | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | | 4th | +3 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Improved empathic link | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | | 5th | +3 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Woodland stride | 4 | 2 | - | - | - | - | | 6th | +4 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Teamwork feat | 4 | 3 | - | - | - | - | | 7th | +5 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Bonus trick | 4 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | | 8th | +6/+1 | +6 | +6 | +2 | Second animal focus, swift tracker | 4 | 4 | 2 | - | - | - | | 9th | +6/+1 | +6 | +6 | +3 | Teamwork feat | 5 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - | | 10th | +7/+2 | +7 | +7 | +3 | Raise animal companion | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | - | - | | 11th | +8/+3 | +7 | +7 | +3 | Speak with master | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | - | - | | 12th | +9/+4 | +8 | +8 | +4 | Teamwork feat | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | - | - | | 13th | +9/+4 | +8 | +8 | +4 | Bonus trick | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | - | | 14th | +10/+5 | +9 | +9 | +4 | Greater empathic link | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | - | | 15th | +11/+6/+1 | +9 | +9 | +5 | Teamwork feat | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | - | | 16th | +12/+7/+2 | +10 | +10 | +5 | — | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | | 17th | +12/+7/+2 | +10 | +10 | +5 | One with the wild | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | | 18th | +13/+8/+3 | +11 | +11 | +6 | Teamwork feat | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | | 19th | +14/+9/+4 | +11 | +11 | +6 | Bonus trick | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | | 20th | +15/+10/+5 | +12 | +12 | +6 | Master hunter | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Spells Known| Level | 0 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | | 1st | 4 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | | 2nd | 5 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | | 3rd | 6 | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | | 4th | 6 | 4 | 2 | - | - | - | - | | 5th | 6 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - | - | | 6th | 6 | 4 | 4 | - | - | - | - | | 7th | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | - | - | - | | 8th | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - | | 9th | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | - | - | - | | 10th | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | - | - | | 11th | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | - | - | | 12th | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | - | - | | 13th | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | - | | 14th | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | - | | 15th | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | - | | 16th | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | | 17th | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | | 18th | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | | 19th | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | | 20th | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A hunter is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields).
Spells: A hunter casts divine spells drawn from the druid and ranger spell lists. Only druid spells of 6th level and lower and ranger spells are considered to be part of the hunter spell list. If a spell appears on both the druid and ranger spell lists, the hunter uses the lower of the two spell levels listed for the spell. For instance, reduce animal is a 2nd-level druid spell and a 3rd-level ranger spell, making it a 2nd-level hunter spell. Likewise, detect poison is a 0-level druid spell and a 2nd-level ranger spell, making it a 0-level hunter spell.
The hunter can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, a hunter must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell’s level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a hunter’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the hunter’s Wisdom modifier.
A hunter cannot use spell completion or spell trigger magic items (without making a successful Use Magic Device check) of druid spells of 7th level or higher. Her alignment may restrict her from casting certain spells opposed to her moral or ethical beliefs; see Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells below.
Like other spellcasters, a hunter can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table 1-6: Hunter. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score (see Table 1-3 of the Core Rulebook).
Unlike druids and rangers, a hunter’s selection of spells is extremely limited. A hunter begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of her choice. At each new hunter level, she gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table 1-7: Hunter Spells Known. Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a hunter knows is not affected by her Wisdom score; the numbers on Table 1-7 are fixed.
In addition to the spells gained by hunters as they gain levels, each hunter also automatically adds all summon nature’s ally spells to her list of spells known. These spells are added as soon as the hunter is capable of casting them.
At 5th level and at every 3 levels thereafter, a hunter can choose to learn a new spell in place of one she already knows. In effect, the hunter loses the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged. A hunter may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that she gains new spells known for the level. She cannot swap any summon nature’s ally spells.
Unlike a druid or ranger, a hunter need not prepare her spells in advance. She can cast any spell she knows at any time, assuming she has not yet used up her spells per day for that spell level.
Orisons: Hunters learn a number of orisons, or 0-level spells, as noted on Table 1-7: Hunter Spells Known. These spells are cast like any other spell, but they do not consume any slots and may be used again.
Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells: A hunter can’t cast spells of an alignment opposed to her own or her deity’s (if she has one). Spells associated with particular alignments are indicated by the chaos, evil, good, and law descriptors in their spell descriptions.
Animal Companion (Ex): At 1st level, a hunter forms a bond with an animal companion. A hunter may begin play with any of the animals available to a druid. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the hunter on her adventures. This ability functions like the druid animal companion ability (which is part of the nature bond class feature). The hunter’s effective druid level is equal to her hunter level. If a character receives an animal companion from more than one source, her effective druid levels stack for the purposes of determining the companion’s statistics and abilities. A hunter may teach her companion hunter’s tricks from the skirmisher ranger archetype (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player’s Guide 128) instead of standard tricks. The animal companion can use skirmisher tricks when commanded, a number of times per day equal to half its Hit Dice plus its Wisdom modifier.
If a hunter releases her companion from service or her animal companion perishes, she may gain a new one by performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours of prayer in the environment where the new companion typically lives. While the hunter’s animal companion is dead, any animal she summons with a summon nature’s ally spell remains for 1 minute per level instead of 1 round per level. A hunter cannot have more than one summon nature’s ally spell active in this way at one time. If this ability is used again, any existing summon nature’s ally immediately ends.
Animal Focus (Su): At 1st level, a hunter can take on the aspect of an animal as a swift action. She must select one type of animal to emulate, gaining a bonus or special ability based on the type of animal emulated and her hunter level. The hunter can use this ability for a number of minutes per day equal to her level. This duration does not need to be consecutive, but must be spent in 1-minute increments. The hunter can emulate only one animal at a time.
The hunter can also apply one of these aspects to her animal companion. Unlike with the hunter herself, there is no duration on the animal aspect applied to her animal companion. An aspect applied in this way does not count against the hunter’s minutes of duration per day-it remains in effect until the hunter changes it. The companion’s aspect can be the same aspect the ranger has taken on or a different one. The hunter can select or change the animal foci on both herself and her animal companion as part of the same swift action.
If the hunter’s animal companion is dead, the hunter can apply her companion’s animal focus to herself instead of her animal companion. This is in addition to the normal one she can choose, and (as with a companion’s focus) remains in effect until the hunter changes it instead of counting against her minutes per day.
See the Hunter Animal Focuses section for a full list of Focuses from all sources.
Nature Training (Ex): A hunter counts her total hunter level as both druid levels and ranger levels for the purpose of qualifying for feats, traits, and options that modify or improve an animal companion.
Wild Empathy (Ex): A hunter can improve the initial attitude of an animal. This ability functions as a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person (see Chapter 4 of the Core Rulebook). The hunter rolls 1d20 and adds her hunter level and her Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.
To use wild empathy, the hunter and the animal must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
The hunter can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but she takes a -4 penalty on the check.
Precise Companion (Ex): At 2nd level, a hunter chooses either Precise Shot or OutflankAPG as a bonus feat. She does not need to meet the prerequisites for this feat. If she chooses Outflank, she automatically grants this feat to her animal companion as well.
Track (Ex): At 2nd level, a hunter adds 1/2 her level to Survival skill checks made to follow tracks.
Hunter Tactics (Ex): At 3rd level, the hunter automatically grants her teamwork feats to her animal companion. The companion doesn’t need to meet the prerequisites of these teamwork feats.
Teamwork Feat: At 3rd level and every 3 levels thereafter, the hunter gains a bonus teamwork feat in addition to those gained from normal advancement. The hunter must meet the prerequisites of the selected bonus teamwork feat.
As a standard action, the hunter can choose to learn a new bonus teamwork feat in place of the most recent bonus teamwork feat she has already learned. In effect, the hunter loses the bonus feat in exchange for the new one. She can change only the most recent teamwork feat gained, and must meet the prerequisites for the newly selected feat. A hunter can change her most recent teamwork feat a number of times per day equal to her Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). Whenever she gains a new teamwork feat, her previous teamwork feats become permanent.
Improved Empathic Link (Su): At 4th level, the hunter gains an empathic link with her animal companion. This functions like an empathic link with a familiar, except the hunter can also see through a companion’s eyes as a swift action, maintaining this connection as long as she likes (as long as the companion is within 1 mile) and ending it as a free action. The hunter is blinded while maintaining this connection.
Woodland Stride (Ex): At 5th level, a hunter and her animal companion may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at their normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment.
Thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion will still affect the hunter and her animal companion.
Bonus Tricks (Ex): At 7th level and every 6 levels thereafter, a hunter’s animal companion learns a bonus trick (in addition to the bonus tricks gained from the hunter’s effective druid level).
Second Animal Focus (Su): At 8th level, whenever a hunter uses her animal focus ability, she selects two different animal aspects for herself instead of one, and can assign two aspects to her companion instead of one. As with the companion’s previous aspect, the second one does not count against the minutes per day a hunter can take on an aspect.
If the hunter’s animal companion is dead and the hunter has applied the companion’s animal aspect to herself, that aspect does not count toward her maximum of two aspects at once. The hunter can still apply only one of her dead companion’s aspects to herself, not both.
Swift Tracker (Ex): At 8th level, a hunter can move at her normal speed while using Survival to follow tracks without taking the normal -5 penalty. She takes only a -10 penalty (instead of the normal -20) when moving at up to twice normal speed while tracking.
Raise Animal Companion (Sp): At 10th level, a hunter gains raise animal companionUM as a spell-like ability; this is not restricted to raising only her own animal companion. Using this spell-like ability gives the hunter a permanent negative level. This negative level cannot be overcome in any way (including by restoration), but automatically ends after 24 hours. At 16th level, this functions as resurrection instead of raise dead, but otherwise operates as normal.
Speak with Master (Ex): At 11th level, a hunter and her animal companion can communicate verbally, as if they were using a common language. Other creatures cannot understand the communication without magical aid.
Greater Empathic Link (Su): At 14th level, the range of the hunter’s empathic link with her animal companion increases to 10 miles. If the animal companion is within 1 mile, the hunter can communicate with it telepathically.
One with the Wild (Ex): At 17th level, the hunter and her animal companion are respected or even feared by other animals, so long as the animals are approximately of the same type as any of the hunter’s current animal foci: bat for bats, tiger with felines, falcon for birds, snake for reptiles, and so on. No animal in this category (including dire varieties) willingly attacks the hunter or her companion unless magically compelled to or if the hunter or companion attacks it first.
The hunter and her companion can attempt to demoralize animals in the appropriate category as a swift action, rolling 1d20 and adding the hunter’s level and her Charisma modifier to determine the Intimidate check result.
Master Hunter (Ex): At 20th level, a hunter becomes a master hunter, able to track down foes with ease. She can always move at full speed while using Survival to follow tracks without penalty.
Additionally, each day when the hunter regains her spell slots, she chooses one animal focus to be active on herself for the entire day. This focus is in addition to using her animal focus class ability (including the additional focus ability she is able to use on herself if her animal companion is dead).
Alternate CapstonesSource Chronicle of Legends pg. 28
When a character reaches the 20th level of a class, she gains a powerful class feature or ability, sometimes referred to as a capstone. The following section provides new capstones for characters to select at 20th level. A character can select one of the following capstones in place of the capstone provided by her class. Some capstones are for specific classes, while others are for a range of classes that qualify for them. In some cases, a capstone specifies what ability it replaces. A character can’t select a new capstone if she has previously traded away her class capstone via an archetype. Clerics and wizards can receive a capstone at 20th level, despite not having one to begin with.
Deep Magics (Su)Source Chronicle of Legends pg. 31
At 20th level, the character’s repertoire of spells deepens dramatically. She gains an additional spell known for each spell level she can cast. A character of any class with spells known can select this capstone.
Great Beast (Su)Source Chronicle of Legends pg. 31
At 20th level, the character’s animal companion is a paragon of its kind—a hero and legend in its own right. The animal companion’s Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom scores each increase by 4. This capstone is available to any class with an animal companion.
Huntmaster (Ex)Source Chronicle of Legends pg. 28
At 20th level, the hunter learns to control all manner of beasts. The hunter gains a second animal companion. Her level is considered four lower for the purposes of her second animal companion. The hunter can use her animal focus feature to grant each animal companion a different animal aspect.
Perfect Body, Flawless Mind (Ex)Source Chronicle of Legends pg. 31
At 20th level, the character’s endless training and study has resulted in an unmatched mastery of the self. The character increases her ability scores by a collective total of 8. For example, she can increase one score by 8, or one score by 5 and another by 3, or four scores by 2, and so on. Characters of any class can select this ability.
The Boss (Ex)Source Chronicle of Legends pg. 30
At 20th level, the character has become more than just a lone hero—she has become one of the senior figures of her field, with powers and responsibilities to match. The character becomes one of the leading figures in some manner of group or organization, as appropriate to the campaign and the setting. A wizard might become the dean of an arcane university or mages’ guild, a fighter could command a mercenary army or a city guard, a cleric might lead a major temple or her own sect, and so forth. The player and the GM should work together to determine the specifics. The character gains the Leadership feat if she does not already have it, and the number of followers that the feat grants is multiplied by 10 (although depending on the campaign and setting, the position may grant other powers as well). If multiple characters in a party select this capstone, the GM may consider pooling them to grant the players a particularly large and powerful organization, such as a small kingdom. Characters of any class can select this ability.
With This Sword (Ex)Source Chronicle of Legends pg. 31
At 20th level, the character’s blade has become as well-known as the character herself. The character selects one item she has—preferably something iconic and significant, such as a weapon or arcane bond. The item becomes a minor artifact and gains 100,000 gp worth of new powers. The player and the GM should work together to select the new powers, with an eye towards making something memorable yet campaign-appropriate. Characters of any class can select this ability.
Won’t Stay Dead (Ex)Source Chronicle of Legends pg. 31
At 20th level, the character becomes a paragon of resilience. Once per week, if the character is killed, petrified, or otherwise removed from play, the character manages to survive by some dint of skill or luck and returns at the end of the combat or the scene (GM’s discretion). The player and the GM should work together to ensure that the method of the character’s survival is at least vaguely plausible, if unlikely. Characters of any class can select this ability.
Favored Class Options Catfolk (Blood of the Beast pg. 4): Gain 1/6 of a bonus teamwork feat.
Dwarf (Advanced Class Guide pg. 69): Gain a +1/2 bonus on wild empathy checks the hunter makes to influence animals and magical beasts that live underground.
Elf (Advanced Class Guide pg. 69): Choose a weapon from the following list: longbow, longsword, rapier, short sword, shortbow, or any weapon with “elven” in its name. Gain a +1/2 bonus on critical hit confirmation rolls made while using that type of weapon (maximum bonus +4). This bonus does not stack with those gained through Critical Focus and similar effects.
Fetchling (Blood of Shadows pg. 7): The hunter’s animal companion gains DR 1/magic. Each additional time the hunter selects this benefit, the DR increases by +1/2 (maximum DR 10/magic). If the hunter ever replaces his animal companion, the new animal companion gains this DR.
Ganzi (Plane-Hopper's Handbook pg. 19): The hunter’s animal companion is specially trained for extraplanar expeditions and gains a +1 bonus on Stealth and Acrobatics checks while on a plane other than the Material Plane.
Gathlain (Ultimate Wilderness pg. 10): The hunter’s animal companion gains DR 1/cold iron. Each time the hunter gains another level, this DR increases by 1/3 (maximum DR 5/cold iron). If the hunter replaces this animal companion, the new companion gains this damage reduction.
Ghoran (Ultimate Wilderness pg. 16): Add 1 skill rank to the hunter’s plant companion. If the hunter replaces her plant companion, the new plant companion gains these bonus skill ranks.
Gnome (Advanced Class Guide pg. 70): Add DR 1/magic to the hunter’s animal companion. Each time the hunter gains another level, the DR increases by 1/2 (maximum DR 10/magic). If the hunter replaces her animal companion, the new companion gains this damage reduction.
Half-Elf (Advanced Class Guide pg. 70): Add 1 foot to the hunter’s companion’s base speed. In combat, this has an effect only for every five increases in base speed.
Halfling (Advanced Class Guide pg. 70): The hunter’s animal companion gains a +1/4 luck bonus on saving throws. If the hunter replaces her animal companion, the new animal companion gains this bonus.
Half-Orc (Advanced Class Guide pg. 71): Add 1 hit point to the hunter’s animal companion. If the hunter replaces his animal companion, the new animal companion gains these bonus hit points.
Human (Advanced Class Guide pg. 71): Add 1 skill rank to the hunter’s animal companion. If the hunter replaces his animal companion, the new animal companion gains these bonus skill ranks.
Kitsune (Blood of the Beast pg. 12): Gain 1/6 of a new Magical TailARG feat. Any kitsune character can choose this bonus upon gaining a level in her favored class.
Ratfolk (Blood of the Beast pg. 20): Add 1 skill rank to the hunter’s badger, dire rat, or riding rat (Pathfinder RPG Monster Codex 177) animal companion.
Strix (Pathfinder #101: The Kintargo Contract pg. 73): Add 1 hit point to the hunter’s animal companion. If the hunter replaces her animal companion, the new animal companion gains these bonus hit points.
Tengu (Blood of the Beast pg. 24): Add 1 skill rank to the hunter’s animal companion. If the hunter ever replaces her animal companion, the new companion gains these bonus skill ranks.
Vanara (Blood of the Beast pg. 28): Add 1 minute to the number of minutes per day that the hunter can use animal focus.
|