Base Class Contest XXXI - Consumption of the Masses [3.5]

[sengmeng]

Big Game Hunter


Photo c1908, credit to Chris Watt

There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter.
--Ernest Hemingway

A big game hunter lives to stalk, kill, and eat the most dangerous beasts the world (and perhaps the planes as well) has to offer.

Adventures: Big game hunters are characterized by approaching adventure as a hobby.

Characteristics: Big game hunters are gentleman adventurers, who specialize in long-range killing. They also excel at finding and tracking their prey, and wilderness survival.

Alignment: Big game hunters may be any alignment, but as dispassionate killing is their main skill set, good ones are rare.

Religion: Big game hunters may worship a god of hunting, or most often, none at all. Rarely, they worship nature gods or nature itself.

Background: Big game hunters are often aged aristocrats who hunt as a hobby. Less well-off ones are rare, and may call themselves "poachers."

Races: Humans are by far the most likely race to produce idle rich enthusiasts of sport hunting. Elves have all the requisite skills and abilities, but their personalities are so opposed to this behavior that there has never been one, though it is not technically impossible. Other races producing big game hunters is all but unheard of.

Other Classes: Big game hunters can be very useful in stealth, scouting, or assassination situations. However, they clash in motivation with most other classes, and rangers find them especially abhorrent for the same reasons elves do, and their skills overlap a great deal, adding to their rivalry.

Role: Scouting, tracking, and long-range killing.

Adaptation: A big game hunter could be refluffed as a military sniper, a poacher, a professional hunter, or a replacement for the scout class if an aristocratic hunting enthusiast makes no sense in a given campaign.

GAME RULE INFORMATION
BIG GAME HUNTERS have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Dexterity is by far the most important stat for a big game hunter. Constitution makes them a little more durable, but their hit dice is not poor and they can stay out of combat for the most part. Strength can help them get a little more damage with a composite bow, Intelligence helps with their skills, and charisma has very little to do with their role, but their aristocratic background gives them the opportunity to learn diplomacy if they choose. Wisdom helps mediate their poor will saves.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8
Starting Age: As Wizard.
Starting Gold: 10d4x10 gp.

Class Skills
The BIG GAME HUNTER's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Wis), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (nobility and royalty)(Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Rope (Dex)

Skill Points at First Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

CLASS NAME

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+0	+2	+2	+0	Ranged Sneak Attack +1d6, Consume Prey, Adept Sniper, Hunter's Trick 1
2nd	+1	+3	+3	+0	Expert Marksman, Sniping +5', Track
3rd	+2	+3	+3	+1	Ranged Sneak Attack +2d6, Hunter's Trick 1
4th	+3	+4	+4	+1	Woodland Stride, Sniping +10'
5th	+3	+5	+5	+2	Ranged Sneak Attack +3d6, Hunter's Trick 2
6th	+4	+5	+5	+2	Swift Tracker, Sniping +15'
7th	+5	+5	+5	+2	Ranged Sneak Attack +4d6, Hunter's Trick 2
8th	+6	+6	+6	+2	One Shot One Kill, Sniping +20'
9th	+6	+6	+6	+3	Ranged Sneak Attack +5d6, Trick 3
10th	+7	+7	+7	+3	Trackless Step, Sniping +25'
11th	+8	+7	+7	+3	Ranged Sneak Attack +6d6, Hunter's Trick 3
12th	+9	+8	+8	+4	Camouflage, Sniping +30'
13th	+9	+8	+8	+4	Ranged Sneak Attack +7d6, Hunter's Trick 4
14th	+10	+9	+9	+4	Expert Sharpshooter, Sniping +35'
15th	+11	+9	+9	+5	Ranged Sneak Attack +8d6, Hunter's Trick 4
16th	+12	+10	+10	+5	Reaper's shot, Sniping +40'
17th	+12	+10	+10	+5	Ranged Sneak Attack +9d6, Hunter's Trick 5
18th	+13	+11	+11	+6	Hide in Plain Sight, Sniping +45'
19th	+14	+11	+11	+6	Ranged Sneak Attack +10d6, Hunter's Trick 5
20th	+15	+12	+12	+6	Baleful Shot, Sniping +50'

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the BIG GAME HUNTER.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Big game hunters are proficient with light armor, bucklers, simple weapons, shortbows, longbows, composite shortbows, composite longbows, heavy crossbows, and light crossbows.

Ranged Sneak Attack: Ranged sneak attack is identical to a rogue's sneak attack ability, except it does not function with melee attacks or ranged attacks made against adjacent opponents. Like sneak attack, it must be made within 30' to be effective, but as the big game hunter advances in level, he adds to the distance at which he can perform ranged sneak attacks.

Consume Prey: The big game hunter absorbs power called animus by consuming the flesh of enemies he kills, and uses it to fuel special abilities called hunter's tricks. He only needs to consume a single bite (traditionally the heart); it's mostly a symbolic gesture. This requires a full-round action which provokes attacks of opportunity and a fortitude save based on the creature type and hit dice of the slain enemy. The big game hunter must have killed the creature himself, or he receives no benefit. When he successfully uses consume prey, the big game hunter receives 5 temporary hit points, and one animus point per hit dice of the consumed prey, however he can only hold one animus point per level of big game hunter. He can still gain temporary hit points when his animus pool is full. Temporary hit points gained this way fade at a rate of 1 per hour. If the big game hunter fails the fortitude save provoked by consuming his prey, he is sickened for one round per hit dice of the foe he attempted to consume, and receives no animus points or temporary hit points. Animus points are not gained in any way except by consuming prey, and they are not lost in any way except by being used.

Spoiler: Save DC by creature type

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Creature Type	Fort Save DC
Dragon	10 + .25HD
Aberration	10 + .5HD
Ooze	30 + .25HD
Construct	25 + .25HD
Undead	10 + HD
Animal	HD
Humanoid	HD
Giant	10+ .25HD
Monstrous Humanoid	10+ .25HD
Magical Beast	10+ .25HD
Outsider	15 + .5HD
Elemental	20 + .5HD
Fey	15 + .25HD
Shapeshifter	HD
Vermin	10 + .5HD
Plant	.75HD

Adept Sniper: Normally, hiding after making a ranged attack incurs a -20 penalty. A big game hunter reduces this penalty by 1 per level of big game hunter.

Hunter's Trick: Wherever it says "Hunter's Trick" on the class table, the big game hunter gains a special ability called a Hunter's Trick, chosen from the list at the end of the class description. When it says Hunter's Trick 1, the big game hunter may choose a single trick from the level 1 list. Where it says Hunter's Trick 2, he may choose either a single trick from the level 2 list, or two tricks from the level 1 list. When it says Hunter's Trick 3, he may choose 1, 2, or 3 tricks whose levels add up to 3, and so on. A big game hunter can spend his entire store of Animus points in one round if he wishes.

Expert Marksman: A big game hunter of second level or higher adds double his dexterity bonus to ranged attacks, but the bonus from expert marksman can not exceed his levels of big game hunter (i.e. if his dexterity is 18 and he is level 2, he adds +4 as normal, then another +2 from expert marksman. At 4th level, he will add +4 as normal, and another +4 from expert marksman).

Sniping: The big game hunter adds 5 feet to the range he can use ranged sneak attack at second level, and another 5 feet every even level. If he has another effect which multiplies or otherwise extends the range at which he can sneak attack, add the extra distance from sniping afterwards. Sniping only affects the distance the big game hunter can use ranged sneak attack; normal sneak attack is still subject to the normal distance limitations.

Track: At second level, the big game hunter gains Track as a bonus feat.

Woodland Stride: Starting at fourth level, a big game hunter may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at his normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion still affect him.

Swift Tracker: Beginning at sixth level, a big game 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.

One Shot One Kill: At eighth level, a big game hunter can choose to make a single attack as a full-round action when he uses ranged sneak attack. If his attack hits, roll damage as normal (including ranged sneak attack damage). Then, roll ranged sneak attack damage again. If this number is higher than the target's remaining hit point total, the target dies instantly. If it is less than the target's current hit points, nothing happens.

Trackless Step: Starting at tenth level, a big game hunter leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. He may choose to leave a trail if so desired.

Camouflage: A big game hunter of twelfth level or higher can use the Hide skill in any sort of natural terrain, even if the terrain doesn’t grant cover or concealment.

Expert Sharpshooter: At fourteenth level, the big game hunter's bonus from Expert Marksman increases to 1.5x his dexterity bonus, rounded down. The total bonus he can receive is still limited by his levels in big game hunter.

Reaper's Shot: At sixteenth level, the big game hunter's One Shot One Kill ability upgrades to the Reaper's Shot. The Reaper's Shot works just like One Shot One Kill, but adds double the big game hunter's ranged sneak attack damage to the initial damage.

Hide in Plain Sight: While in any sort of natural terrain, a big game hunter of eighteenth level or higher can use the Hide skill even while being observed.

Baleful Shot: At twentieth level, whenever a big game hunter modifies a ranged attack with any type of shot augment, that attack overcomes all hardness and damage reduction, including epic and -.

Spoiler: 1st Level Hunter's Tricks

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Energized Shot
Trick Type: Shot Augment
Action: Free
Effect: Add 1d6 + 1/BGH level energy damage to a single ranged attack.
Cost: 1 Animus point

As a free action as part of an attack, you imbue a single piece of ammunition or thrown weapon with energy causing 1d6 damage, +1 damage per level of big game hunter you have (max 10). You may pick between fire, cold, acid, or lightning, and you may use this trick multiple times per round, either to enhance one attack with multiple energy types, or enhance multiple attacks. You can add each energy type only once to a single shot, however.


Force Shot
Trick Type: Shot Augment
Action: Free
Effect: Convert damage from one shot to force damage and add 1 damage/BGH level to a single ranged attack.
Cost: 1 Animus point

As a free action as part of an attack, you imbue a single piece of ammunition or thrown weapon with force, converting the basic weapon damage to force damage, and adding 1 point of damage per level of big game hunter you have (max 10). You may use this trick multiple times per round to enhance multiple attacks.


Thunder Shot
Trick Type: Shot Augment
Action: Free
Effect: Add 1d4 + 1/BGH level sonic damage to a single ranged attack
Cost: 1 Animus point

As a free action as part of an attack, you imbue a single piece of ammunition or thrown weapon with sonic energy, dealing 1d4 damage, +1 damage per level of big game hunter you have (max 10). You may use this trick to enhance multiple attacks per round.


Digest Essence
Trick Type: Buff
Action: Move
Effect: Heal 1d4 hitpoints +1/animus point stored.
Cost: 1 Animus point.

You release the stored animus within you to heal your wounds. You heal 1d4 hit points, plus 1 per stored animus point you had before using this trick.


Blood Trail
Trick Type: Shot augment
Action: Free
Effect: Target bleeds for 1 point of damage for 1 round/BGH level, becomes easier to track
Cost: 1 Animus point

You inflict bleeding damage on the target of your next attack with a ranged or thrown weapon. They bleed for 1 point of damage per round, for 1 round per level of big game hunter you have. You also halve the DC of the survival check to track this opponent until they are healed to full hit points. Creatures immune to critical hits are immune to the bleed damage, but still become easier to track.

Skilled Hunter
Trick Type: Buff
Action: Swift
Effect: Gain a one-time bonus to Hide, Move Silently, Spot, or Listen
Cost: 1 Animus point

You gain a +5 bonus to either Hide, Move Silently, Spot, or Listen for one skill check. This bonus goes up by an additional +1 for every 4 levels of big game hunter you have (+6 at 4th level, +10 at 20th level).

Spoiler: 2nd Level Hunter's Tricks

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Puncturing Shot
Trick Type: Shot Augment
Action: Free
Effect: Resolve a single ranged or thrown weapon attack as a ranged touch attack, add 1d6 damage, +1d6 per each critical multiplier above 2.
Cost: 2 Animus point

Your next shot is resolved as a ranged touch attack. It also deals an additional 1d6 damage if your weapon's critical multiplier is x2, and another 1d6 for each multiplier above 2.


Death Mark
Trick Type: Shot Augment
Action: Free
Effect: Allies gain +1 to attack and damage/2 levels of BGH against opponent who is hit with ranged or thrown weapon attack.
Cost: 2 Animus points

If you successfully damage an opponent with this attack, allies gain +1 for every 2 levels of big game hunter you have to attack and damage against that opponent. This effect lasts until the opponent is dead or is fully healed.


True Shot
Trick Type: Shot Augment
Action: Free
Effect: One attack with a ranged or thrown weapon is automatically a critical hit.
Cost: 2 Animus points

If your next attack is a hit, treat it as a confirmed critical.


Ballistic Shot
Trick Type: Shot Augment
Action: Free
Effect: One attack deals extra damage based on range penalties.
Cost: 2 Animus points

If your next attack with a ranged or thrown weapon is penalized by being more than one range increment from your target, halve the range increment penalty, and add extra damage equal to twice the penalty (before it was halved).


Keen Senses
Trick Type: Buff
Action: Standard
Effect: Your sight and hearing become four times stronger.
Cost: 1 Animus point

You take only 1/4 the normal penalties for distance for spot and listen checks. This last for 1 hour per animus point you had stored before you used this trick.


Master Step
Trick Type: Buff
Action: Swift or free
Effect: Move up to your base movement speed, or take an extra five foot step.
Cost: 1 Animus point

You may use master step before or after moving normally, or before or after attacking. You move up to your base movement speed as a swift action. You may also use this trick to take two five-foot steps in a single round. Using it to take a five foot step does not use up your swift action for the round.

Spoiler: 3rd Level Hunter's Tricks

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Detect Prey
Trick Type: Buff
Action: Standard
Effect: You sense the presence of creatures of the types you've preyed upon.
Cost: 2 Animus points

This trick allows you to detect creatures of any species you've successfully used your consume prey ability on (note: this is not based on creature type. If you have consumed a mind flayer, then you detect mind flayers, not all aberrations). This works like the spell detect animals or plants. The duration is 1 hour per animus point you had stored before you used this trick. You also ignore cover and concealment for any creature you detect, except total cover.


Ghost Step
Trick Type: Buff
Action: Immediate
Effect: You may move up to your base movement speed as an immediate action.
Cost: 2 or 4 Animus points.

You may move up to your base movement speed as an immediate action. If you only move five feet with this ability, you do not provoke attacks of opportunity. You may attempt a hide check as part of this action, upping the cost to 4 points.


Night Eye
Trick Type: Buff
Action: Move
Effect: You gain darkvision for 1 hour/animus point
Cost: 2 Animus points.

You gain Darkvision out to 60 feet. If you already had Darkvision, increase its range by 60 feet. This lasts for 1 hour per animus point you had stored when you used this trick.


Barrage
Trick Type: Special
Action: Full round
Effect: Attack each enemy in range once as a full-round action.
Cost: 3 Animus points

As a full-round action, you make an attack at your highest base attack bonus against each enemy in range of your attacks with ranged or thrown weapons. You must have enough ammunition or thrown weapons to make these attacks. You can attack no more enemies than your levels in big game hunter. Each shot can be affected by other hunter's tricks. You are treated as having the quick draw feat for the duration of this round. You may intersperse ranged weapon and thrown weapon attacks.


Nondetection
Trick Type: Special
Action: Immediate
Effect: Become aware of scrying attempts and choose whether or not they will affect you.
Cost: 2 Animus points

If you have this trick, you are aware whenever you are the subject of scrying magic, a crystal ball, detect spell, clairaudience/clairvoyance or other means of magically locating a creature. When you are made aware, you can choose to spend 2 animus points to cause the spell or effect to fail. This may or may not end the spell, depending on whether it was a general detect spell that could have detected you, or a specific spell aimed at you. In the case of a crystal ball, one use of Nondetection renders you unfindable for 24 hours, but only from that particular deivce.


Energy Burst Shot
Trick Type: Shot Augment
Action: Free
Effect: Your shot explodes with energy.
Cost: 3 Animus points

You imbue a single thrown weapon or projectile with energy, causing it to deal 3d6 damage, +1 damage per level of big game hunter you have (max 15). It deals this damage automatically to the target if they are hit, and deals it as splash damage to every creature within 10 feet. Creatures caught in the blast get a saving throw for half damage equal to 10 + 1/2 your levels of big game hunter + your intelligence modifier. You may choose Fire, Cold, Acid, or Lightning damage. If you miss the intended target, they get to save for half damage as well. You may also intentionally aim for an empty square (AC 10).

Spoiler: 4th Level Hunter's Tricks

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Bloodlust
Trick Type: Buff
Action: Standard
Effect: You gain several bonuses against creatures you have previously consumed for 1 hour/animus point.
Cost: 4 Animus points

You gain a +1 to attack rolls, threat range, and critical multipliers for every four levels of big game hunter against creatures you have successfully used Consume Prey against. You may also use Consume Prey as a swift action. This lasts for one hour per animus point you had stored before using this trick. The increase to your threat range does not stack with any other spell, effect, or ability which increases threat range.


Stolen Vigor
Trick Type: Buff
Action: Standard
Effect: Functions as a restoration spell on yourself.
Cost: 5 Animus points

You create the effect of a restoration spell on yourself, with an effective caster level equal to your levels of big game hunter.


Steady Aim
Trick Type: Buff
Action: Standard
Effect: Gain precision damage on ranged attacks in any round in which you do not move.
Cost: 3 Animus points.

Any round in which you do not move, even a five foot step, you add 1.5x your dexterity bonus to damage rolls as precision damage. This lasts for 1 hour per animus point you had stored before you used this trick.


Exploit Weakness
Trick Type: Shot Augment
Action: Free
Effect: Target is vulnerable to precision damage.
Cost: 2 Animus points

You treat the target of one attack as being vulnerable to critical hits and precision damage.


True Big Game Hunter
Trick Type: Buff
Action: Standard
Effect: You gain bonuses against targets who are larger than yourself.
Cost: 2 Animus points

For every size category larger than you your target is, you gain a +4 to attack and damage rolls. This lasts for 1 hour per animus point you had stored before you used this trick.


Bloodsense
Trick Type: Shot Augment
Action: Free
Effect: Increase the size of your sneak attack dice for one attack with a ranged or thrown weapon.
Cost: 1 Animus point

You can only use Bloodsense when you can make a ranged sneak attack. Your ranged sneak attack dice become d8's instead of d6's for one attack. This only functions against enemies whom you've used consume prey on.

Spoiler: 5th Level Hunter's Tricks

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Animus Master
Trick Type: Special
Action: Free
Effect: Add shot augments to all attacks in a round.
Cost: 1 Animus point

You use this hunter's trick to add shot augments to every shot made in a round, while only paying for the augment(s) once, plus one additional animus point to activate this trick.


Dimensional Pin
Trick Type: Shot Augment
Action: Free
Effect: Emulate the dimensional anchor spell on target struck.
Cost: 2 Animus points

If you hit your target, they are subject to an effect identical to dimensional anchor. It lasts for one minute per level of big game hunter.


Killer's Grace
Trick Type: Buff
Action: Standard
Effect: Increase your dexterity with each kill.
Cost: 4 Animus points

While Killer's Grace is active, you add +2 to your dexterity as a morale bonus each time you drop an opponent below 0 hit points. The dexterity bonus fades by 1 point every minute. This lasts for 1 hour per animus point you had stored before you used this trick.


Lucky Shot
Trick Type: Special
Action: Swift
Effect: Reroll a missed ranged attack.
Cost: 3 Animus points.

This hunter's trick is used after a ranged attack has missed. It allows one reroll, and the big game hunter must take the result of that reroll even if it is worse than the original roll. All shot augments spent on the original attack are still active if it hits with the reroll.


Improved Steady Aim
Trick Type: Buff
Action: Standard
Effect: Add precision damage to all attacks in rounds that you do not move
Cost: 4 Animus points

Any round in which you do not move, even a five foot step, you add 2.5x your dexterity bonus to damage rolls as precision damage. This lasts for 1 hour per animus point you had stored before you used this trick. Special: If you have the Steady Aim trick, treat Improved Steady Aim as a 3rd level trick for the purposes of learning it. This does not stack with Steady Aim.


Speed Shooter
Trick Type: Special
Action: Swift
Effect: You may make an extra attack at your highest base attack bonus as a swift action.
Cost: 4 Animus points

You make an extra ranged attack at your highest base attack bonus as a swift action. You may augment this shot with other hunter's tricks as normal.

--BIG GAME HUNTER FEATS--

Favored Prey
Prerequisites: Consume Prey class feature
Benefits: Pick a creature you've used Consume Prey on. It must correspond to one of the categories for a ranger's favored enemy. Whenever you use Consume Prey on that creature, you gain an extra 5 temporary hit points and an extra animus point. In this case, having consumed a mind flayer makes you eligible to declare all aberrations your favored prey. However, consuming an elf will not allow you to declare all humanoids your favored prey, only elves. In all other abilities related to the prey that you have used Consume Prey on, it does not refer to creature type, but to “species.”
Special: You may select this feat more than once. Each time you do, you select a new creature as your favored prey.


Lick the Arrow
Prerequisites: Consume Prey class feature, +1 BAB
Benefits: You no longer provoke attacks of opportunity for using your Consume Prey ability, and you can do so as a swift action, or as a free action as part of a move action if you move through the space occupied by the corpse of your prey.


Alien Hunter
Prerequisites: Consume Prey class feature, Favored Prey (Aberration)
Benefits: Any creature with blindsense, blindsight, or tremorsense treats the range of this sense as halved for the purposes of detecting you.


Beast Stalker
Prerequisites: Consume Prey class feature, Favored Prey (Animal or Vermin)
Benefits: You gain the Scent ability VS creatures you've used Consume Prey on.


Dragon Slayer
Prerequisites: Consume Prey class feature, Favored Prey (Dragon)
Benefits: You gain Evasion against breath weapons (even non-draconic breath weapons). If you already have Evasion as a class feature, you gain Improved Evasion versus breath weapons. If you already have Improved Evasion, pick another feat.


Guarded Soul
Prerequisites: Consume Prey class feature, Favored Prey (Undead)
Benefits: Whenever you would gain a negative level, you may choose to lose an equal number of Animus points instead. This does not apply to the negative levels you gain by being the wrong alignment and wielding certain aligned weapons.


Giant Killer
Prerequisites: Consume Prey class feature, Favored Prey (Giant)
Benefit: Creatures double their size penalties to AC and attack against you. Size bonuses are not affected.


Fairy Hunter
Prerequisites: Consume Prey class feature, Favored Prey (Fey)
Benefits: You gain a +4 bonus to saving throws versus the spell-like abilities of fey, and you may also spend an animus point to gain a +4 bonus to one save versus any mind-affecting spell, spell-like ability, or effect.


Monster Hunter
Prerequisites: Consume Prey class feature, Favored Prey (Monstrous Humanoid or Magical Beast)
Benefits: You become invisible to Darkvision. Creatures with Darkvision are unable to see you unless they could also see you with normal vision.

Planar Survivalist
Prerequisites: Consume Prey class feature, Favored Prey (Outsider (Any) or Elemental)
Benefits: You add Knowledge (The Planes) as a class skill. Whenever you use Consume Prey on an outsider or elemental, you do not need to eat, drink or sleep that day, and you only need to breathe once per hour for 24 hours. You may still eat, sleep, drink or breathe if it would benefit you.


Man-eater
Prerequisites: Consume Prey class feature, Favored Prey (Humanoid(Any))
Benefits: When you use Consume Prey on a humanoid, you gain a +2 untyped bonus to whichever ability score was highest in the creature consumed. If it had two or more ability scores that were tied for the highest, determine randomly which one you get a bonus to. This bonus lasts for one hour per animus point gained from eating the creature, and stacks with itself.