BEASTMASTER WYRD

The fastest path into this advanced class is from a combination of Strong and Tough hero basic classes, though other paths are possible. This class is from the Urban Arcana SRD (under the name Wildlord).

 

Requirements

To qualify to become a Beastmaster Wyrd, a character must fulfill the following criteria.

Base Attack Bonus: +2.

Skills: Handle Animal 6 ranks, Survival 6 ranks.

 

CLASS INFORMATION

The following information pertains to the Beastmaster Wyrd advanced class.

 

Hit Die

Beastmaster Wyrds gain 1d8 hit points per level. The character’s Constitution modifier applies.

 

Action Points

Beastmaster Wyrds gain a number of action points equal to 6 plus one-half their character level, rounded down, every time they advance a level in this class.

 

Class Skills

The Beastmaster Wyrd’s class skills are as follows: Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Drive (Dex), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (psychology, earth and life sciences, physical sciences), Move Silently (Dex), Navigate (Int), Pilot (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Treat Injury (Wis).

 

Skill Points at Each Level: 5 + Intelligence modifier.

 

Table: The Beastmaster Wyrd
Class Level	Base Attack	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Defense	Leadership
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2	Animal empathy	+1	+1
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+3	Track, animal companion	+1	+1
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+3	Bonus feat, fast climb	+2	+1
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Resist venom, call companion	+2	+2
5th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Skill mastery	+3	+2
6th	+4	+5	+2	+5	Bonus feat	+3	+2
7th	+5	+5	+2	+5	Expert in your field	+4	+3
8th	+6	+6	+2	+6	Command animals	+4	+3
9th	+6	+6	+3	+6	Bonus feat, transform companion	+5	+3
10th	+7	+7	+3	+7	Command/rebuke alien beasts	+5	+4

 

CLASS FEATURES

The following features pertain to the Beastmaster Wyrd advanced class.

 

Animal Empathy

At 1st level, the Beastmaster Wyrd gains the ability to use her Handle Animal skill to improve the attitude of an animal or alien beast. The interaction is treated as a Diplomacy skill check, with Handle Animal used instead of Diplomacy. The Beastmaster Wyrd needs to be within 30 feet of the creature to use this ability.

Most domestic animals have a starting attitude of indifferent, while most wild animals are unfriendly. (Exceptions exist: trained guard dogs may have an initial reaction of hostile to strangers.)

The Beastmaster Wyrd may also seek to influence alien beasts (including those she has never encountered before) at a –4 penalty. Animal empathy does not function on vermin.

 

Track

At 2nd level, the Beastmaster Wyrd gains Track as a bonus feat, if she does not already have it.

 

Animal Companion

At 2nd level, the Beastmaster Wyrd may spend an action point to transform an encountered animal into an animal companion. This requires a full-round action. The animal must already be friendly in attitude toward the Beastmaster Wyrd. This animal accompanies the Beastmaster Wyrd on her adventures as is appropriate to its species. The Beastmaster Wyrd may have a single animal companion at a time.

Choose an animal from the following list: Ape, bear, big cat, boar, bounceer crocodile, crawler, cthellean cudbear, deinonychus, dog (medium), donkey, eagle, elephant, face eater, grox, herd animal (such as cow, camel, or bison), horse, lizard, monkey, octopus, porpoise, giant rat, ptera-squirrel, razorwing, snake (constrictor, viper), squid, tiger, or wolf. The animal cannot have more Hit Dice than the Beastmaster Wyrd has character levels.

The animal chosen remains an animal, but may gain additional abilities according to the level of the Beastmaster Wyrd (see Animal Companions, below). The player running a Beastmaster Wyrd should consider the fact that certain animals may create problems in urban areas.

The Beastmaster Wyrd may release the animal back to the wild, regaining the action point initially spent in the process. The Beastmaster Wyrd does not regain the action point if the creatures dies. In either case, the Beastmaster Wyrd must wait at least 24 hours before attempting to gain another animal companion.

 

Bonus Feats

At 3rd, 6th, and 9th level, the Beastmaster Wyrd gets a bonus feat. The bonus feat must be selected from the following list, and the Beastmaster Wyrd must meet all of the prerequisites for the feat to select it.

Animal Affinity, Athletic, Dodge, Endurance, Focused, Personal Firearms Proficiency, Renown, Stealthy.

 

Fast Climb

At 3rd level, the Beastmaster Wyrd becomes an expert at climbing. A successful Climb check allows her to move her full speed rather than at half speed when climbing.

 

Resist Venom

At 4th level, the Beastmaster Wyrd gains +4 resistance bonus on saving throws against natural poisons.

 

Call Companion

At 4th level, the Beastmaster Wyrd gains the supernatural ability to call her animal companion to her. The animal companion must be in the area (within a mile of the Beastmaster Wyrd’s location), and will arrive within 10d6 minutes. Situations which the Beastmaster Wyrd and animal companion are clearly separated the animal will express consternation and distress but will not be able to respond.

 

Skill Mastery

At 5th level, the Beastmaster Wyrd designates one skill from her Beastmaster Wyrd class skill list. When making a check with this skill, the Beastmaster Wyrd may take 10 even if stress and distractions would normally prevent her from doing so. She becomes so certain in the use of this skill that she can use it reliably even under adverse conditions.

 

Expert in Your Field

At 7th level, the Beastmaster Wyrd is considered to be a master of nature lore, animals, and plants. The Beastmaster Wyrd gains a circumstance bonus equal to her Leadership bonus when making skill checks that are directly involved with her knowledge of the natural world. Such skills would include applicable Knowledge skills, as well as such social skills as Intimidate and Bluff when animals are involved.

 

Command Animals

At 8th level, the Beastmaster Wyrd may spend an action point to command animals.

How Commanding Works: A Beastmaster Wyrd can command animals as an attack action. Doing so does not provoke an attack of opportunity. A Beastmaster Wyrd must be able to see and talk to the animal in question. The animal must be able to hear her.

Range: The Beastmaster Wyrd commands the closest animal first. She can’t command animals that are more than 60 feet away or that have total cover.

Command Check: First, roll a command check to determine how many hitdice of animal you can turn. This is a Charisma check (1d20 + Charisma modifier). The table below shows the Hit Dice of the most powerful animal you can affect, relative to your Beastmaster Wyrd level. With a given command attempt, you can’t command any animal whose Hit Dice exceeds the result of your command check.

 

Turning Check Result	Maximum Hit Dice
0 or lower	Beastmaster Wyrd level –4
1–3	Beastmaster Wyrd level –3
4–6	Beastmaster Wyrd level –2
7–9	Beastmaster Wyrd level –1
10–12	Beastmaster Wyrd level
13–15	Beastmaster Wyrd level +1
16–18	Beastmaster Wyrd level +2
19–21	Beastmaster Wyrd level +3
22 or higher	Beastmaster Wyrd level +4

 

Effect: If your command check result is high enough to let you command at least some of the animals within 60 feet, roll 2d6 and add your Beastmaster Wyrd level and your Charisma modifier to the result to determine commanding power. That’s how many total Hit Dice of animals you can commnad to flee on this attempt.

You may skip over already commanded creatures that are still within range so that you don’t waste your turning capacity on them.

Effect and Duration of Turning: Commanded creatures are generally forced to flee from the Beastmaster Wyrd by the best and fastest means available to them. A commanded animal flees for 10 rounds (1 minute). If it can’t flee, it cowers (can take no actions, –2 penalty to Defense).

If the Acolyte moves to within 10 feet of a cowering commanded creature, it overcomes the fear and can act normally. (The Acolyte can be standing within 10 feet of the creature without breaking the turning effect; she just can’t approach any closer to the creature.) The Acolyte can attack a cowering creature with ranged attacks from more than 10 feet away, and others can attack in any fashion, without breaking the command effect.

Full Command: If the Beastmaster Wyrd has twice as many Beastmaster Wyrd levels (or more) as the animal has Hit Dice, she can issue commands other than just ordering them to flee. A fully commanded creature falls under the mental control of the Acolyte. The Acolyte can give mental orders to a commanded creature as an attack action. The Acolyte can command any number of creatures whose total Hit Dice don’t exceed her Acolyte level. She may voluntarily relinquish command in order to establish command on different creatures.

 

Transform Companion

At 9th level, the Beastmaster Wyrd gains the psychic ability to transform her animal companion into a small, inert object, such as a charm, a totem, or a stuffed animal, that may be carried around. While in object form, the transformed companion has the properties of the item.

The Beastmaster Wyrd may, as a move action or part of a move action, cast the object to the ground and cause it to immediately take its original form. The transformed creature is considered a alien beast as long as it remains the Beastmaster Wyrd’s companion.

 

Command Alien Beasts

At 10th level, the Beastmaster Wyrd may spend an action point to turn, command, or rebuke alien beasts (like Tyranids!). This functions in the same manner as the ability to command animals.

 

Animal Companions

As the Beastmaster Wyrd grows in power and ability, so too does the power of her animal companion.

 

Class Level	Bonus HD	Psychic Armour	Str/Dex Adj.	Special
2-3	+0	0	+0	Link, share spells
4–5	+2	2	+1	Evasion
6	+4	4	+2	Devotion
7	+6	6	+3	Multiattack
8	+8	8	+4
9	+10	10	+5	Improved evasion
10	+12	12	+6

 

Class Level: The level of the Beastmaster Wyrd.

Bonus HD: These are extra eight-sided (d8) Hit Dice, each of which gains a Constitution modifier, as normal. Remember that extra Hit Dice improve the animal companion’s base attack and base save bonuses. An animal companion’s base attack bonus is equal to a Beastmaster Wyrd whose level equals the animal’s HD. An animal companion has good Fortitude and Reflex saves (treat it as a character whose level equals the animal’s HD). The animal companion doesn’t gain any extra skill points or feats for bonus HD.

Psychic Armour: The number listed here is a psychic deflection bonus conferred by the beastmaster onto his companion. The animal gets the listed bonus to defense as long as the beastmaster is within 60 feet of the animal.

Str/Dex Adj.: Add this figure to the animal companion’s Strength and Dexterity scores.

Link (Ex): The Beastmaster Wyrd gains a +4 circumstance bonus on Animal Empathy and Handle Animal checks made regarding the animal companion.

Evasion (Ex): If the animal companion is subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, it takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw.

Devotion (Ex): The animal companion’s devotion to its master is so complete, it gains a +4 morale bonus on all Will saves against Enchantment spells and effects.

Multiattack (Ex): The animal companion gains the Multiattack feat, if it has 3 or more natural attacks. If it does not have the requisite 3 or more natural attacks, the animal companion instead gains a second attack with its primary natural attack, albeit at a –5 to the base attack bonus.

Improved Evasion (Ex): If the animal companion is subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, it takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and only half damage if the saving throw fails.

 

SAMPLE BEASTMASTER WYRDS

A Necromundan Beastmaster, a gretchin squig-herder, an alien big-game hunter / collector.