Beast Friend
A Beast Friend is an individual who has developed a relationship with an animal of any sort. However, this relationship relies on the mutual respect the individual and the animal share; it is more of a relationship between equals who choose to keep each other's company than that of one being companion to the other. The Beast Friend is that character who chooses to embrace this relationship and explore it, whether consciously or unconsciously becoming closer to the animal's nature while the animal becomes closer to their nature. Above all, the Beast Friend never forces the animal into any action, merely asks assistance, as one would ask a good friend.
Beast Friends may have this special bond with any type of animal. All who find
their way into the ranks of the Beast Friends do so by developing an unusually strong
bond with a single animal. Druids and Rangers seem obvious choices for this class, given
their closeness to nature and daily contact with an animal companion. However, only
druids and rangers who see their companion as an equal will even qualify for this class,
and even then they must be willing to give up their both their their own magical talents
and their "animal companion" to allow the animal its own complex thoughts, desires and
input. They do not benefit as much from the bonuses this class grants. Barbarians and
fighters unusually close to nature are most likely to adopt this prestige class.
Barbarians especially due to their already wild nature, and fighters who are of the
self-taught variety without the structure and discipline of their form-following peers.
Hit die: d12
To become a Beast Friend, the character must fulfuill the following criteria.
Alignment: Any nonlawful.
Skills: Handle Animal 6 ranks, Wilderness Lore 8 ranks. (3.5e Survival 8 ranks)
Feats: Track OR Skill Focus (Handle Animal) (3.5e Animal Affinity instead of Skill Focus)
Special: Must have raised a wild animal from its infancy, without attempting to tame* it, any more than will happen due to proximity and a close relationship. Can only have had this close relationship with this single animal to the exclusion of all others (ie, a character with multiple companions will not qualify, nor one who chose to release a companion to gain a new one.). GM discretion as to whether or not the relationship is appropriate.
Class Skills:
The Beast Friend's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Handle Animal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge: Nature (Int), Swim (Str), Wilderness Lore (Wis) (3.5e Survival (Wis)).
Skill Points at each level: 4 +Int modifier.
Class Features:
The following are class features of the Beast Friend prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Beast Friends gain no weapon or armor proficiencies.
Awaken Animal Friend (Sp): At 1st level the bond between the new Beast Friend and his animal friend grows in intensity. The Beast Friend imparts a piece of himself upon the animal. The Beast Friend sacrifices two points of intelligence and the first 500 experience points they earn while in this class and the animal friend becomes Awakened, as per the spell awaken, albeit without the Will save check. The Beast Friend does not have a choice in this matter. In addition, due to being raised by the Beast Friend from infancy, this animal should already be above average in every category for its type. If it is not, it should be made so. If at any time the animal friend should die, the Beast Friend must grieve for a year and a day, during which time he is at -5 to all activities and may raise a new animal friend that is the same type as the old one. At the end of the grieving period, this new friend may take the place of the old, but only if the relationship fulfills the requirements of the class.
Animal Speech (Sp): Also at 1st level, the animal friend imparts a portion of itself upon the Beast Friend. The Beast Friend gains the ability to understand the animal friend's language. The Beast Friend can converse with any animals of the same type as the animal friend at will as if the spell speak with animals were in effect.
Feral Rage (Ex): At 2nd level the Beast Friend opens up more to the wild nature within themselves. They gain the Feral Rage ability once per day. The rage is identical to the Barbarian's rage ability. It stacks with any previous rage ability. Use increases to twice per day at level 5, and three times per day at level 8.
Sense Friend (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, the Beast Friend has an innate sense of where their animal friend is if they are within a number of miles equal to his beast friend level multiplied by two. They know an accurate direction and distance.
Wilderness Stride (Ex): Starting at 4th level the Beast Friend may move through any sort of undergrowth at his normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion still affect him.
Animal Friend Enhancement (Su): At level 5, the animal friend gains some of the energy of the Beast Friend. His form changes to that of the Dire version of his species, again with ability scores on the high end of the range. This occurs again when the Beast Friend reaches level 9, and his animal friend changes to the legendary version of his species.
Trackless Step (Ex): At level 6 the Beast Friend leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. He may leave a trail if he desires to.
Wildling (Su): At level 7 the Beast Friend taps into the energy of his animal friend, granting him the feat Faster Healing.
Rage of the Wild (Ex): At level 9, the Beast Friend is no longer winded at the end of raging.
One With the Wild (Su): At 10th level, the Beast Friend and his animal friend effectively become one creature of two bodies. They are bound spiritually and have a deep connection and understanding with one another. The distance to which they can sense one another readily increases to the Beast Friend's level squared, and they know the simple emotional and physical state of the other. ie- in pain, hungry, asleep, happy, etc. By concentrating for 10 rounds without distraction this distance is unlimited. They now can share hit points and saves. Within a number of miles equal to half the Beast Friend's level the two have an empathic bond. They can share thoughts and see through the other's eyes. When seen together, they move and act in a way that seems eerily synchronized to anyone who does not know of their bond. They are treated as outsiders for determining effects. After this point, if either dies, the survivor feels as though a portion of their own soul has died, mostly because it has. They permanently lose 2 points of constitution and must grieve for three years and three days, during which time they are at -10 to all activity. During this time a Beast Friend may raise a new animal friend of the same type as the old.
| Class Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Reflex Save | Will Save | Special |
| 1 | +1 | +2 | +2 | +0 | Awaken Animal Friend, Animal Speech |
| 2 | +2 | +3 | +3 | +0 | Feral Rage 1/day |
| 3 | +3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | Sense Friend |
| 4 | +4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Wilderness Stride |
| 5 | +5 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Feral Rage 2/day, Friend Enhancement (Dire) |
| 6 | +6 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Trackless Step |
| 7 | +7 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Wildling |
| 8 | +8 | +6 | +6 | +2 | Feral Rage 3/day |
| 9 | +9 | +6 | +6 | +3 | Rage of the Wild, Friend Enhancement (Legendary) |
| 10 | +10 | +7 | +7 | +3 | One with the Wild |
ex-Beast Friends:
Any Beast Friend attempting to use his animal friend as a means rather than an end in themselves immediately loses all Beast Friend abilities. In addition, a rapid switch in behavior (eg. alignment) or goals will give the animal friend pause, and if they are unable to work out the change between them the animal friend may choose to leave. If this happens, or if the Beast Friend abandons the animal, the Beast Friend will lose all abilites granted by this class.
* - Using the terms in their current scientific acceptance, wild animals brought up around humans and used to the presence of humans are not domesticated, they are tamed. The terms are not synonyms, regardless of what you see in your dictionary. The 3.5e Player's Handbook, at least, treats the terms as synonyms, but I do not. Domestication is a process by which selective breeding changes the genetic makeup of a species. Some "domesticated" animals are anything but tame. Tame refers to an individual animal being trained to be used to, comfortable with, and generally meek and friendly towards humans.