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View Full Version : Optimizing the Hunter's Frenzy Feat



ATHATH
2016-03-11, 11:03 AM
In the back of Dragon Magazine #342, hidden away in the Class Acts section, is a very interesting feat called Hunter's Frenzy. Its fluff is that you've been hunted by (or joined in a hunt with) a group of priests dedicated to the TN-but-really-should-be-CE god of the hunt, and have been so traumatized by the experience (or enjoyed it a lot) that you can use a use of one of your Turn/Rebuke Undead attempts to switch your mentality to that of a psychopathic hunter for a number of rounds based on the number of HD of undead that you could have turned if you had used that turn attempt to turn undead. You immediately search for non-allied things to hunt, and attack them with physical attacks, preferably ranged ones. You CANNOT CAST SPELLS (important) or do things that require concentration while in this mode, and you can end it with a successful Will save that's based on the number of rounds left in your frenzy.

Why would you ever handicap yourself in this way, you may ask? Well, while frenzying, you get a +4 enhancement (boo) bonus to your Dexterity score and to spot/listen checks. If that was all this feat offered, it would be terrible. Luckily, it offers one more ability that completely redeems it: while in a frenzy, your BAB IS EQUAL TO YOUR CHARACTER LEVEL. Yes, I know that Divine Power does this better, but Hunter's Frenzy costs only a feat instead of 7 levels of Divine Spellcasting.

So, what classes can really take advantage of this feat? For the purpose of this thread, getting temporary BAB doesn't qualify you for any prestige classes (I don't want to open that can of worms). My current ideas are as follows:
A Binder who binds Tenebrous can keep up a Frenzy all day until he needs to rebind Tenebrous. With the Tenebrous Apostate prestige class, you can keep up the Frenzy 24/7.
Rogues and Monks (and Psychic Warriors, if you aren't using the Psionics-Magic transparency rules) can really benefit from this feat if they can find a source of Turn Undead.
A Druid ACF (I think its name has something to do with Autumn) in a different Dragon Magazine gives them turning in exchange for their Animal Wildshape being limited to Carnivorous or Omnivorous forms (basically the only forms you'd take anyway). A Master of Many Forms build (which doesn't use spellcasting much anyway) can use this feat to become an even better beatstick. Plus, the flavor fits for a Druid sect that basically just stands around people asking, "Is your time up yet? How about now? Now?".

Does anyone here have any more ideas?

Zaq
2016-03-11, 04:18 PM
AFB right now—is War Hulk worded in such a way that would prevent you from using this feat with it? I mean, War Hulk is the very definition of a one-trick pony, but it's still fun to take a War Hulk and slap full BAB on them.

Extra Anchovies
2016-03-11, 06:08 PM
This is a nice find. Binder is definitely the best choice for it - I'm definitely itching to play a Binder/Knight of the Sacred Seal/Tenebrous Apostate with Hunter's Frenzy and a few other divine feats.

Because the duration scales with effective cleric level and it blocks spellcasting while in effect, there aren't many other builds this would work well on - unless you're boosting your Charisma for some reason (which not many noncasters do), there's a pretty much even chance that you'll waste the turn attempt by getting a zero-round duration.

@Zaq, it works fine with War Hulk AFAIK.

Troacctid
2016-03-11, 06:31 PM
If it doesn't prevent you from using psionic powers, it seems worth taking on a Divine Mind.