[3.5 Base Class, the Land of Alvia] The Hunter

[PumpkinEater]

Okay, this is an old class I've put up before, but I can't find it, sooo... new topic time! (I edited it a little too since then).

The Hunter

Hit Dice: d8
Weapon Proficiencies: Hunters are proficient with all simple and two other weapon groups.
Armor Proficiencies: Hunters are proficient with light armor and all shields.
Skill Points: 5 + Intelligence Modifier (x 4 at first level)
Class Skills: Ten + Intelligence modifier + Craft, Move Silently, and Survival

Table: The Hunter
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+0|
+0|
+2|
+0|Favored Enemy I, Track, Nonlethal Strike +1d6

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+3|
+0|Poison Use

3rd|
+2|
+1|
+3|
+1|Evasion

4th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+1|Nonlethal Strike +2d6

5th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+1|Favored Enemy II, Trapsense +1

6th|
+4|
+2|
+5|
+2|Swift Tracker

7th|
+5|
+2|
+5|
+2|Debilitating Strike

8th|
+6 / +1|
+2|
+6|
+2|Nonlethal Strike +3d6

9th|
+6 / +1|
+3|
+6|
+3|Trapsense +2

10th|
+7 / +2|
+3|
+7|
+3|Bane of Enemies, Favored Enemy III

11th|
+8 / +3|
+3|
+7|
+3|Bonus Feat

12th|
+9 / +4|
+4|
+8|
+4|Nonlethal Strike +4d6

13th|
+9 / +4|
+4|
+8|
+4|Trapsense +4

14th|
+10 / +5|
+4|
+9|
+4|
---

15th|
+11 / +6 / +1|
+5|
+9|
+5|Favored Enemy IV, Bonus Feat

16th|
+12 / +7 / +2|
+5|
+10|
+5|Nonlethal Strike +5d6

17th|
+12 / +7 / +2|
+5|
+10|
+5|Trapsense +5

18th|
+13 / +8 / +3|
+6|
+11|
+6|
---

19th|
+14 / +9 / +4|
+6|
+11|
+6|Bonus Feat

20th|
+15 / +10 / +5|
+6|
+12|
+6|Nonlethal +6d6, Favored Enemy V[/table]

Favored Enemy (Ex) A hunter may select a creature from the Ranger’s list of Favored Enemies. Due to his extensive study of his chosen type of foe and training in the proper techniques for combating such creatures, the hunter gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against creatures of this type. Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon damage and attack rolls against such creatures. These bonuses increase by 2 every five levels. At tenth level, a hunter may choose a second Favored Enemy. The hunter receives the same bonuses against the new chosen enemy as he does with the previous one.

Track A hunter gains the Track feat as a bonus feat.

Nonlethal Strike (Ex) If a hunter can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from his attack, he can deal nonlethal damage to the target at no penalty. Basically, the hunter deals nonlethal damage any time her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the hunter flanks his target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and it increases by 1d6 every four hunter levels thereafter. Should the hunter score a critical hit with a nonlethal strike, this extra damage is not multiplied. This ability is unusable with ranged weapons. A hunter can’t strike with deadly accuracy from beyond that range. Any creature that is immune to critical hits is not vulnerable to nonlethal strikes. A hunter cannot nonlethal strike a creature with concealment.

Poison Use Hunters are trained in the use of poison and never risk accidentally poisoning themselves when applying poison to a blade.

Evasion (Ex) At 3rd level, hunters gain the ability to dodge magical and supernatural attacks with unusual swiftness and agility. If a hunter makes a successful Reflex save against an attack that would normally deal half damage on a successful reflex save, the hunter instead takes no damage. A helpless hunter (unconscious, paralyzed, etc.) does not gain the benefit of this ability.

Trapsense (Ex) At 5th level, a hunter gains an intuitive sense that alerts her to danger from traps, giving her a +1 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps. These bonuses increase by 1 every 4 levels.

Swift Tracker Beginning at 6th level, a hunter can move at his normal speed while following tracks without taking the normal –5 penalty. He takes only a –10 penalty (instead of the normal –20) when moving at up to twice normal speed while tracking.

Debilitating Strike (Ex) At 7th level, hunters gain the ability to inflict crippling effects upon their victims at the cost of nonlethal damage. For the purposes of Ambush feats, treat the Nonlethal Strike ability as if it were Sneak Attack ability. Hunters receive one of these feats as a bonus feat at 7th level. Hunters may select an additional feat from this list every 4 levels thereafter.

Bonus Feats A hunter can only select an ambush feat as a bonus feat.

Bane of Enemies (Ex) Whenever a hunter would successfully deal damage to a favored enemy, he or she may apply her Nonlethal Strike damage.

[PumpkinEater]

*Ahem* So uhh... does this look any good? (Blatant bump =D)

[Cieyrin]

So you made two versions of Rangers for your world, the Hunter and the Ranger, making the Ranger more scoutish and the Hunter more martial.

It would probably be best to list Bonus Feats as Debilitating Strike on the table and limit them to Ambush feats, which is the official name of those feats that let you exchange Sneak Attack dice for special effects.

I don't think it's very thematic to have both poison use and nonlethal damage specialization in the same class is appropriate, as they seem counterproductive to one another.

It's also, shall we say, dead in the later levels, so maybe some new minor abilities may be in order to fill in there.

Them's my 2 coppers. Take as you will.

[PumpkinEater]

So you made two versions of Rangers for your world, the Hunter and the Ranger, making the Ranger more scoutish and the Hunter more martial.

It would probably be best to list Bonus Feats as Debilitating Strike on the table and limit them to Ambush feats, which is the official name of those feats that let you exchange Sneak Attack dice for special effects.

I don't think it's very thematic to have both poison use and nonlethal damage specialization in the same class is appropriate, as they seem counterproductive to one another.

It's also, shall we say, dead in the later levels, so maybe some new minor abilities may be in order to fill in there.

Them's my 2 coppers. Take as you will.

Haha, that's very odd about the Ambush feats, I was thinking of coming up with a type for them, and uhh... I thought of Ambush. You're right though, I have to specify the Bonus Feats.

Well, not ALL poisons kill. There are poisons that cause unconsciousness, paralysis, and others that reduce strength and dexterity. (Both of which, when at 0, causes the target to become disabled). It would be bad if, say, the Hunter accidentally paralyzed himself, no?

I'm bad with the dead levels, haha. I can never seem to think up of enough abilities to fill them. I'll see what I can do about them.

[Cieyrin]

In the matter of poisons also, you have to consider that the core game considers poison use an evil act, which would put any hunter using them on that dark descent. I personally consider it more a chaotic action but this isn't the thread to go over poison ethics, so I'll leave that consideration to you, as to whether there is a significant number of evil poison using hunters running about or not.

[PumpkinEater]

In the matter of poisons also, you have to consider that the core game considers poison use an evil act, which would put any hunter using them on that dark descent. I personally consider it more a chaotic action but this isn't the thread to go over poison ethics, so I'll leave that consideration to you, as to whether there is a significant number of evil poison using hunters running about or not.

Um... I never thought of using poison as an evil act, although I recall it being said somewhere that the selling of poison was illegal. Well, either way, I think I'll keep the poison use ability. I'll probably make it legal to sell poisons only to people with a proper license or something.