The Hunter-Base Class

[Dryad]

I wondered about the role of the Ranger in a party. Sure, she's the best hunter in the core classes, but the animal companion is a bit weak, compared to that of the druid, which is strange, since the druid is a full caster...

So this is my try at an animal-companion class; kind of like a ranger, only.. Different. Anyway; tell me what you think, and how I can balance things out a bit.

HD: d6
Skill points: 6+int/lvl. (X4 at first level)
Class skills: Hide, Move Silently, Climb, Swim, Jump, Tumble, Craft, Knowledge: Nature, Survival, Profession, Use Rope, Handle Animal, Knowledge: Geography, Spot, Listen, Search, Balance.
Weapon and armor proficiencies: Light Armor, no shields. Dagger, Spear, Longspear, Shortspear, (composite) longbow, (composite) shortbow, Javelin, Bolas, Net, Short Sword.

The Hunter
{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+2|Track, Animal Companion, Precise Shot.

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+3|Prey 1d4

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+3| Fast Movement: +10ft

4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+4| Shot on the Run

5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+4| Prey 2d4

6th|
+6/+1|
+5|
+2|
+5| Weapon Specialization

7th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+2|
+5| Prey 3d4

8th|
+8/+3|
+6|
+2|
+6| Augment Animal Companion

9th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+3|
+6| -

10th|
+10/+5|
+7|
+3|
+7| Prey 4d4

11th|
+11/+6/+1|
+7|
+3|
+7| Magic Fang

12th|
+12/+7/+2|
+8|
+4|
+8| Prey 5d4

13th|
+13/+8/+3|
+8|
+4|
+8|Fast Movement: 20 ft

14th|
+14/+9/+4|
+9|
+4|
+9|Bestial Ferocity 1/day

15th|
+15/+10/+5|
+9|
+5|
+9|Prey 6d4

16th|
+16/+11/+6/+1|
+10|
+5|
+10| Great Beast

17th|
+17/+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+5|
+10|Prey 7d4

18th|
+18/+13/+8/+3|
+11|
+6|
+11|Thick Hide

19th|
+19/+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+6|
+11| Prey 8d4

20th|
+20/+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+6|
+12| Gift of Detection [/table]

1st lvl: Track, as bonus feat, Precise Shot, as bonus feat, Animal Companion, as Druid.
2nd lvl: Prey 1d4. Whenever the Hunter’s Animal Companion is in Melee combat with an opponent, the Hunter may declare a Prey attack. A hunter may only make one prey attack per hunter level per day. If she declares a Prey Attack, she deals extra damage, starting at 1d4 at second level, up to 8d4 at 19th level. A Prey Attack may only be made with a ranged weapn.
3rd lvl: Fast Movement. As long as the Hunter wears light or no armor, and no shields, she may add her fast movement number to her normal overland speed.
4th lvl: The hunter gains Shot on the Run as a bonus feat, even if she doesn’t meet the prerequisites.
5th lvl: The Hunter’s Prey Attack increases to 2d4 bonus damage.
6th lvl: Weapon Specialization: The Hunter gains Weapon Specialization as a bonus feat in one chose weapon she is proficient with. She must have the weapon focus feat for the weapon of choice. If she does not meet this prerequisite, this special ability will take effect as soon as the character takes the Weapon Focus feat.
7th lvl: The Hunter’s Prey Attack increases to 3d4 bonus damage.
8th lvl: Augment Animal Companion: Treat the Hunter’s Animal Companion as if under the effect of the Augment Summoning feat. The Animal Companion gains all the benefits granted by this feat as if it were a summoned creature.
9th lvl: -
10th lvl: The Hunter’s Prey Attack increases to 4d4 bonus damage.
11th lvl: Magic Fang: Treat the Animal Companion’s natural attacks as constantly affected by the Magic Fang spell. This ability cannot be dispelled.
12th lvl: The Hunter’s Prey Attack increases to 5d4 bonus damage.
13th lvl: The Hunter’s Fast Movement increases with another 10ft, totalling 20 ft fast movement.
14th lvl: Bestial Ferocity: Once per day, the Hunter’s Animal Companion may be commanded to enter a rage, similar to a Barbarian’s Rage. If the Animal Companion already possesses the Rage ability, it may enter a rage one extra time per day, and may, from this moment on, be commanded to enter a rage, instead of entering whenever being dealt damage.
15th lvl: The Hunter’s Prey Attack increases to 6d4 bonus damage.
16th lvl: The Great Beast: The Hunter’s Animal Companion advances one size category.
17th lvl: The Hunter’s Prey Attack increases to 7d4 bonus damage.
18th lvl: Thick Hide: The Animal Companion gains +5 natural armour.
19th lvl: The Hunter’s Prey Attack increases to 8d4 bonus damage.
20th lvl: Gift of Detection. A hunter may use ‘Detect’ as the Detect Animals spell at will, on any type of creature. A hunter may not target more than one type of creature at the same time with this ability.

Edit: Screwed up on the table, and don't know how to fix it..:smalleek:

[Neftren]

Remember that Hunters are also melee fighters if they take the two weapon proficiency feat.

You dropped a [ bracket on the Center and /Center script.

[Lord_Gareth]

An option you may wanna consider is adapting the Hunter from the WoW D20. I'll comment on -this- version when I have more time later - just tossing thsat out there.

[Neftren]

Also, there are plenty of Ranger Variants out there that do generally the same thing... while not exact, you seem to have shifted your focus away from melee combat and turned it into something more like the Hunter from World of Warcraft where your pet is a tank and you're the machine gun type.

[Dryad]

You're right; it's a very good class, overall. It's just that she gets her Animal Companion at fifth level, and she can't use her stings to the max, in most occasions.
On the other hand, when you reach 14th lvl, you can have a pet that flings spells. (magical beast HD -2 Hunter level, +2 bonus HD, + specials, +... Lots.)

It's in WoW d20, page 73-77.
But I really wanted something that got an animal companion at first level, and was a bit more dependant on it.

[Neftren]

If you want an animal companion, I suggest instead getting a familiar or playing a Druid instead. You can use the Unearthed Arcana Variant (See the d20 SRD) which trades some Druid things for some alternative bonuses.

Also, if you're overly dependent on an animal companion... when or if it dies, you must make a DC 15 Fort Save or... well... splat. Not fun to lose XP.

[Dryad]

That's the downside. The upside is that through teamwork, planning and tactics, you have better maneuverability, and a reasonable damage output. That, and you can be at two places at the same time, like what I already do with my druid, who's pet has most HP of the party, a good damage output, and tricks that allow for some tanking/guarding, while the druid is doing the spellcasting.

I understand why this might not be the ultimate thing. I mean; take a druid, grant her bow-proficiency, like an elf, or something, give her point-blank shot, rapid shot and precise shot, and you're already on to something dreadful, if you do it right. But that takes a lot of levels, and in the mean time, you get Wild Shape, which makes every druid want to take it up close and personal.

What I wanted to know is: This class isn't overly unbalanced, is it? And if it is, how should I fix it?

[Neftren]

No. It's not really unbalanced but I think making any changes to a perfectly fine Ranger build is just... pointless. Right now it's the Fighters and the Monks who need some fixes. If this is just so that you can suit yourself and get whatever you want by going, "I want an Animal Companion at 1st Level" type thing, then no, I would not support you. This class was designed for YOU in mind, not for the general populace. Yes, it may have some stuff for everyone but I suggest that if this is what you want, then speak with your DM and find out a way to compromise, house rule it and get your animal companion at 1st level.

Yes I realize I'm running you through a Meat Grinder here. But hey, that's what good peer reviewers and good editors do. They make ya think.

[Dryad]

And here is me thinking both the monk and the fighter are perfectly okay, while the ranger is a combatant rather than a hunter. Why play a ranger when you could also play a barbarian with the track-feat, if a wilderness warrior is what you want? I didn't want to fix the power, and I didn't want to fix the rules. I wanted to fix the roleplaying-part. It's a different approach, but hey.

[Neftren]

The Monk suffers from extreme stat imbalancing since they need four of six of the ability scores to function... As for the fighter, it's loaded with tons of bonus feats... you can only go so far with feats... everybody gets feats.

A Barbarian with Track would be pointless... that would be adding Wisdom to the basic Strength and Constitution that a Barbarian needs. See, that's why there's a handy mechanic known as multiclassing. As for a barbarian with track... just... no... doesn't really fit the idea. Track is more of a wilderness thing, not a smash something to bits type of thing.

[Slash_712]

It looks cool, but to meet the prerequisites for Weapon Spec. You need levels in Fighter so you might want to switch that.

[Dryad]

Right; I've changed it! Thanks.