The Hunter

[Vaynor]

Here's a class for my homebrew world, so the "Other Classes" entry may not make much sense.

The Hunter
Adventures: A hunter most often take the spot of ranged combatant, tracker, and all-purpose survivalist.
Characteristics: Hunters prefer to be in solitude, but they still do enjoy the company of their peers.
Alignment: A hunter is always chaotic due to their free spirit and willingness to roam the lands. When in civilized society they often need to take a week or two off in the woods. Good hunters provide for their villages, neutral ones go off on their own in solitude for years on end, and evil ones hunt their enemies.
Religion: Hunters are not very religious, but worship Aarde when they do. They believe it is she that grants a good hunt, and always make a small sacrifice before going into the wilds.
Races: Hunters are almost always elves, but other races may adopt their creed.
Other Classes: Hunters get along best with other Hunters, Shamans, and Shifters, who share the hunters love for the wild.


Game Rule Information
Abilities: Dexterity helps the hunter make devastating attacks with his bow, and improves his AC in the absence of heavier armors. Constitution is needed for the hunter’s hit points. To become a better survivalist, Wisdom is also a necessary score.
Alignment: Any Chaotic
Hit Die: d8


Skills
Climb, Craft, Escape Artist, Handle Animal, Heal, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (Dungeoneering, Geography, and Nature), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Ride, Search, Sense Motive, Spot, Survival, Swim, Use Rope
Skill points 4+ Int. mod. (x4)



Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Hunters are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and light armor.
Beast Slaying: A hunter adds 1d6 damage to any successful hit against an animal.
Track: As ranger ability.
Favored Animal: You choose may choose a monster type, (Humanoid choices must be specific to the creature’s race, i.e. if you choose Humanoid you must choose Humanoid (Human) or Humanoid (Elf)) you gain +1/5 levels on attack and damage rolls against that type. The monster does not have to be affected by your Beast Slaying ability.
Point Blank Shot: The hunter gains Point Blank Shot as a bonus feat.
Unhindered Step: A hunter can move ten feet faster while wearing light armor. When moving through harsh terrain, a hunter moves at their base land speed and does not incur the normal penalties.
Rapid Shot: The hunter gains Rapid Shot as a bonus feat.
Improved Beast Slaying: A hunter’s Beast Slaying damage becomes +3d6, and he adds animal and magical beast to his list.
Many Shot: The hunter gains Many Shot as a bonus feat.
Stealthy: A hunter gains a +2 bonus on Move Silently and Hide.
Swift Tracker: As the ranger ability.
Camouflage: As the ranger ability.
Beast Slaying Mastery:A hunter’s Beast Slaying damage becomes +5d6, and he adds animal, magical beast, and elemental to his list.
Hide in Plain Sight: As the ranger ability.
Bonus Feat: At level 14 and 18 a hunter may gain any general feat as a bonus feat.
Hunting Mastery: A hunter’s Beast Slaying damage becomes +8d6 and applies to any monster of the animal, magical beast, elemental, fey, and dragon type.

So, what do you think? Balanced?

[Spiryt]

He looks like slightly changed ranger with no spells, worse favored enemy, but with quite good other abilities. And bonus feats. It looks quite balanced but in my humble opinion you should take him something away. Comparing to ranger (hard to avoid such compare) he have little too much of this. I sugest point blank and many shot. It's not obvious that you had to hunt with ranged weapon.
And his saves are somehow messed... it's intendent?

[Kyace]

Hunters gain their combat style feats later than rangers.
Rapid shot: Ranger 2nd level / Hunter 6th.
Many shot: Ranger 6th / Hunter 8th.

The favored animals seems to grant a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls against the animals after level 5, +2 after 10, +3 after 15 and +4 after 20.

It might be a bit weak compared to a ranger, since they don't get animal companions or divine spells, either. The automatic sneak attack against animals might balance some of that, but depends on the campaign. Basically, it looks like against creatures that it can apply its beast slaying against, this class would rock, but against other, might be a bit weak.

Would players have the opinion of playing rangers instead?

[Vaynor]

Hunters gain their combat style feats later than rangers.
Rapid shot: Ranger 2nd level / Hunter 6th.
Many shot: Ranger 6th / Hunter 8th.

The favored animals seems to grant a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls against the animals after level 5, +2 after 10, +3 after 15 and +4 after 20.

It might be a bit weak compared to a ranger, since they don't get animal companions or divine spells, either. The automatic sneak attack against animals might balance some of that, but depends on the campaign. Basically, it looks like against creatures that it can apply its beast slaying against, this class would rock, but against other, might be a bit weak.

Would players have the opinion of playing rangers instead?

Really? I tried to buff it up a little, as they don't get any spells or companions. I dumbed down the beast slaying from a rogue because it's automatic against those creatures. There is no ranger, but there are going to be other classes similar. I haven't made the rest yet, but there will be shifters (shapechanging warriors) and shamans (pretty much druids without wildshape or companions) and a thief class (less sneak attack, more abilities), and a barbarian type class (a ranger-like fighter, most likely a dual-weilder), so it's like I split up druids, rogues, barbarians, and rangers and put them together again, if you see what I mean.

Rangers are, however, not available. Completely new classes.

EDIT:

And his saves are somehow messed... it's intendent?

Hmm, a friend did them, he may have messed them up. Supposed to be same as ranger, I believe.

[knightsaline]

*engaging alignment rant*

you say that in order to be this class, you have to be Chaotic, yet you don't say what happens if you become lawful? all classes with alignment requirements have some penalties for alignment changes (pally loses everything but proficencies, barbarian cannot progress)

*end rant*

[Vaynor]

*engaging alignment rant*

you say that in order to be this class, you have to be Chaotic, yet you don't say what happens if you become lawful? all classes with alignment requirements have some penalties for alignment changes (pally loses everything but proficencies, barbarian cannot progress)

*end rant*

Oh god I must've forgot a sentence there, my bad. Guess I'm just a horrible person then.

[Overlord]

Hunters?

With Beast Slaying, Track, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, and Beast Slaying Mastery?

You've been playing a lot of World of Warcraft, haven't you?

[Rift_Wolf]

Hunters?

With Beast Slaying, Track, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, and Beast Slaying Mastery?

You've been playing a lot of World of Warcraft, haven't you?

WoW Hunters are more like D&Ds rangers than this. WoW hunters are more dependant on their animal companions, however. *Finally someone references one of my areas of expertise*

As for the class, looks okay but I doubt I'd ever use it. I'm a melee fighter, and this seems more of a distance fighter. I'll try building one as an NPC and see how it handles.

[Overlord]

WoW Hunters are more like D&Ds rangers than this. WoW hunters are more dependant on their animal companions, however. *Finally someone references one of my areas of expertise*

Oh, I was just referring to how many of his abilities share names with those of Hunter spells/talents from WoW.

[Matthew]

Level 6 seems far too late for Rapid Shot. Most Level 1 Characters that specialise in Archery are going to want this much earlier, either Level 1 or 3 by way of their normal Feat progression.