Beastmaster

Bijna niet meer gebaseerd op Beastmaster (Complete Adventurer, p26)

Hit dice: d8

To qualify to become a beastmaster, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

• Skills: Handle Animal 8 ranks, Survival 4 ranks, 4 ranks in the additional class skill of the chosen creature type.
• Feats: Animal Affinity
• Abilities: Wild Empathy, Animal Companion
• Spells: Must be able to cast Dominate Animal

The beastmaster class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), and Survival (Wis).

In addition, the beastmaster gains an extra class skill based on the type of beastmaster, selected from the table below.

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

The following are the class features of the beastmaster.

Beastmasters gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.

A Beastmaster develops a bond with animals of her selected group (see below). She gains a +4 bonus on Handle Animal and wild empathy checks made to influence animals from her chosen group. She is limited to animals of her chosen group when choosing animal companions (if she has animal companions of a different group, these cannot become stronger due to levels in Beastmaster, but they do not dissapear).

The eight groups of animals included here, along with examples taken from the Monster Manual, are as follows ¹⁾. Other groups are possible when checked with the DM.

A beastmaster gains the service of a loyal animal companion. See the druid class feature, pages 35–36 of the Player's Handbook. Treat the beastmaster as a druid whose level is equal to the beastmaster's class level +3. A beastmaster can select on of the animals available to a 1st-level druid and then apply the modifications as appropriate for a 4th-level druid's animal companion, or she can select a typical version of one of the animals available to a 4th-level druid.

As a beastmaster gains class levels, her animal companion gains Hit Dice and other special abilities just as a druid's animal companion does. Use the beastmasters class level +3 to determine the animal companion's special abilities.

Since a beastmaster already has an animal companion from another class, her beastmaster class levels stack with class levels from all other classes that grant an animal companion. For example a 5th-level druid/2nd-level beastmaster would be treated as a 10th-level druid for the purpose of improving the statistics of her animal companion (and which alternative animal companions she could select).

At 4th level, a beastmaster gains a second animal companion. At 7th level, a beastmaster gains a third animal companion. At 10th level, a beastmaster gains a fourth animal companion. Each additional animal companion the beastmaster takes lowers her level bonus by one.

Thus, a 4th level beastmaster / 6th level druid could have 2 animal companions as an equivalent 12th level druid, while a 7th level beastmaster / 6th level druid could have 3 animal companions as an equivalent 14th level druid or 2 animal companions as an equivalent 15th level druid or 1 animal companion as an equivalent 16th level druid.

At each level, the Beastmaster gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which he belonged before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (additional wild shape options, metamagic or item creation feats, or the like). If the character had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a Beastmaster, the player must decide to which class to add each Beastmaster level for determining spells per day and spells known.

The Beastmaster gains a bonus trick for animals of its chosen type. She can teach them one additional trick at second level and an additional bonus trick every three levels after that (so two bonus tricks at 5th level, three bonus tricks at 8th level, etc).

At fifth level, and again at tenth level, the Beastmaster gains some characteristics of the creature it has specialised in. These characteristics manifest itself depending on the creature type chosen. At fifth level, a +4 racial bonus is provided in a single skill. At 10th level, a bonus feat is gained. The specific skill and bonus feat can be seen in the chosen creature type table above.

The animal companions of the beast master become closer associated with the beastmaster at third, sixth and ninth level, gaining abilities and characteristics similar to those of a familiar.

Animal familiars have special abilities (or impart abilities to their masters) depending on the master’s animal familiar classification. Many are very similar to those of a regular familiar, but the animal familiars are not actual familiars. As such they have their own Hit Points for example as determined by the creature type.

At 3rd level, the beastmaster's bond with her animal companions becomes stronger than normal.

For each skill in which either the beastmaster or the animal familiar has ranks, use either the normal skill ranks for an animal of that type or the master’s skill ranks, whichever are better. In either case, the familiar uses its own ability modifiers. Regardless of a familiar’s total skill modifiers, some skills may remain beyond the familiar’s ability to use.

The Animal Familiars Intelligence score increases to 6.

While at least one animal companion is within arm’s reach, the master gains the Alertness feat.

The animal familiar is treated as a magical beast instead of an animal for the purpose of any effect that depends on its type.

At the beastmaster’s option, he may have any spell (but not any spell-like ability) he casts on himself also affect his animal familiars. The animal familiars must be within 5 feet at the time of casting to receive the benefit.

If the spell or effect has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting the animal familiar if it moves farther than 5 feet away and will not affect the animal familiar again even if it returns to the master before the duration expires. Additionally, the master may cast a spell with a target of “You” on his animal familiar (as a touch range spell) instead of on himself.

A master and his animal familiar can share spells even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the familiar’s type (magical beast).

At 6th level the bond between beastmaster and animal companion grows even stronger.

When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, an animal familiar takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage even if the saving throw fails.

The beastmaster has an empathic link with his animal familiars out to a distance of up to 1 mile. The beastmaster cannot see through the animal familiar’s eyes, but they can communicate empathically. Because of the limited nature of the link, only general emotional content can be communicated.

Because of this empathic link, the beastmaster has the same connection to an item or place that his animal familiar does.

An animal familiar can deliver touch spells for the beastmaster. If the beastmaster and the animal familiar are in contact at the time the beastmaster casts a touch spell, he can designate his animal familiar as the “toucher.” The animal familiar can then deliver the touch spell just as the beastmaster could. As usual, if the beastmaster casts another spell before the touch is delivered, the touch spell dissipates.

The animal familiars and the beastmaster can communicate verbally as if they were using a common language. Other creatures do not understand the communication without magical help.

The Animal Familiars Intelligence score increases to 9.

At 9th level, a beastmaster's bond with her animal companions reaches supernatural heights.

An animal familiar can communicate with animals of approximately the same kind as itself (including dire varieties) as noted earlier for associated creatures.

The animal familiar gains spell resistance equal to the master’s animal companion level + 5. This includes the +3 bonus given at first level, but also the additional penalties for extra animal companions. To affect the familiar with a spell, another spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the familiar’s spell resistance.

The beastmaster may scry on any one of his animal familiars (as if casting the scrying spell) once per day.

The Animal Familiars Intelligence score increases to 12.