Beastmaster
In
short:
A Beastmaster has an affinity towards animals and has a form of limited
telepathy with them. The Beastmaster can befriend an animal so it
will no longer attack and can try to induce them to become a follower.
Once the animal follows him, he can communicate mentally with the
animal over any distance and may see what it sees. He gains animal
lore with respect to the animal and when the Beastmaster goes up in
level, all of his animal followers gain an additional hit point. At
9th level, the Beastmaster can summon an animal horde (which takes
one week).
He gains +5% to Hide in Shadows. When one of his animals is wounded,
the Beastmaster feels the pain and suffers a -2 penalty on all rolls
in the next round. If the animal is killed, this penalty lasts for
24 hours. The beastmaster suffers a -1 reaction penalty with NPCs,
-2 if they are civilized aristocracy.
Description:
A wanderer, the Beastmaster has a natural affinity for animals;
in fact, he has a limited form of telepathic communication with them.
This is often the result of a magical bond with the animal kingdom,
formed either at the time of his birth or upon reaching young adulthood.
Unlike other adventurers, the Beastmaster does not command, train,
or control his animal companions, rather they are his friends and
comrades in arms. Misunderstood and feared by nobles and common folk
alike for his unnatural abilities with animals, the Beastmaster seldom
stays in one place for long, nor is he comfortable in civilized lands.
Beastmasters
tend to walk alone, accompanied only by fierce natural beasts that
are their friends and allies. Traveling the fringes if settled lands,
the Beastmaster has small use for the trappings of civilization, but
even less for the minions of evil, particularly those of a magical
or priestly nature. Thus, a Beastmaster will often find himself aiding
the oppressed or enslaved, and pitted against the cruelties of evil
priests or wizards and their allies.
Weapon
Proficiencies: A Beastmaster starts only with
weapons he can make himself: axe, club, dagger, dart, javelin, knife,
quarterstaff, sling, or spear.
Armor/Equipment:
Beastmasters start only with leather armor and weapons they have made.
Special
Benefits:
Stealth:
The Beastmaster has a +5% chance to hide in natural surroundings.
Animal
Henchmen: Although a Beastmaster has no special
followers at high level, he can acquire normal or giant animals as
henchmen. He may acquire them at any level, and their number depends
on his charisma.
Animal
Telepathy: The Beastmaster can establish telepathic
communication with any normal or giant animal within 30', if he does
nothing else in that round. The animal must have a minimum intelligence
of 1. This has the following benefits: The Beastmaster can communicate
to the creature that he desires its friendship. If the offer is sincere,
the creature can be calmed and will not attack unless it is attacked.
The Beastmaster can recruit an animal he has befriended as a henchmen
if he is not at his limit and if the creature fails a saving throw
vs. rods. The save is penalized by -1 for every 3 level of experience
of the Beastmaster.
Animal
Bonding: The Beastmaster forms a mental bond
with any animal he recruits as a henchman. There is no distance limit,
but this ability does not cross planar boundaries. This bond has the
following effects: He can see though the eyes of the animal by concentrating
on the mental link. Each time the Beastmaster gains a level, all of
his current henchmen gain an additional hit point.
Animal
Horde: At 9th Level, the Beastmaster can summon
a horde of wild animals to fight for him. They must come from a land
he controls, and it takes one week to gather them. They can only be
brought together for some great purpose that can be explained simply.
Up to 100 hit dice of animals per level of the Beastmaster will come.
The horde will stay together for 1 week per level of the Beastmaster.
There is no record of a Beastmaster summoning a horde more then once
per year.
Special Hindrances:
Empathetic
Shock: The Beastmaster feels great pain when
one of his henchmen is wounded, suffering a -2 to all hit rolls in
the next round. If he is linked with the animal when it is killed,
he suffers a -2 to hit for the next 24 hours.
Unruly
Allies: The Beastmaster's animal henchmen are
free to come, go, or act as they will. Any attempt to restrict or
regulate their freedom, or ignoring their needs and desires, will
result in resentment, sulkiness, and possible abandonment.
Outcast:
The Beastmaster suffers a -1 to his reaction roll by common NPCs,
and a -2 when dealing with a civilized aristocracy. Further, his maximum
effective Charisma when dealing with his own race is a 15.
No
Fortress: At no time will the Beastmaster build
a fortress, though at 9th level he may establish himself as the protector
of an area of land equal to a barrony.
Source:
The Complete Ranger's Handbook
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