Beastmaster/Pack-Bonded Hunter

*Vargs works best with a pack, and a beastmaster with a hunter’s bond with his companions comes closest to duplicating this pack mentality. Some varg beastmasters strengthen this bond with their adventuring comrades, granting the ability to work well as a team when these varg beastmasters direct their activities.*

The pack-bonded hunter is an archetype of the beastmaster class.

***Archetype Feature Replacements:***

**1st** – Limit Breaks, Wild Empathy, Animal Companion, Animal Focus. **3rd** – Beastmaster Tactics, Teamwork Feat. 5th – Natural Savagery. **6th** – Speak With Animals. **7th** – Second Animal Focus, Bonus Tricks. **9th** – Improved Empathic Link. **10th** – Beast Shape, Raise Animal Companion. **13th** – Third Animal Focus. **16th** – One with the Wild. **17th** – Master of the Pack. **20th** – Mastery of Beasts.

## Pact-Bonded

A pact-bonded hunter’s ’s hit dice is increased from d10 to d12.

## Limit Breaks (Su)

At 1st level, the pack-bonded hunter receives the Limit Breaks (Pack Defense and Pack Fury).

*Pack Defense (Su):* This Limit Break causes the pack-bonded hunter and his allies within 30 feet to more agile. For the duration of 1 round + 1 round per four beastmaster levels after 1st, the pack-bonded hunter and his allies are granted a +2 dodge bonus to AC plus an additional +2 dodge bonus to AC per four beastmaster levels after 1st as well as concealment (20% miss chance). This limit break requires only a swift action.

*Pack Fury (Su):* This Limit Break causes the pack-bonded hunter and his allies within 30 feet to go into a pack fury. For the duration of 1 round + 1 round per four beastmaster levels after 1st, the pack-bonded hunter and his allies are granted a +2 enhancement bonus to Strength and Constitution plus an additional +2 bonus per four beastmaster levels as well as an extra attack at their highest base attack bonus if they make a full attack. This limit break requires only a swift action.

These abilities replace the beastmaster’s standard Limit Breaks.

## Pack Foundation (Ex)

At 1st level, a pack-bonded hunter receives a teamwork feat as a bonus feat for which he must meet the prerequisites. Once per day as a standard action, he may grant this teamwork feat to a single ally within 30 feet who can see and hear him. This ally benefits from the feat for 2 rounds plus 1 round for every three levels the pack-bonded hunter possesses.

This ability replaces wild empathy and flanking companion.

## Favored Enemy (Ex)

Also at 1st level, a pack-bonded hunter selects a creature subtype from the pack-bonded hunter favored enemies table. He gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks against creatures of his selected type. Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against them. A pack-bonded hunter may make Knowledge skill checks untrained when attempting to identify these creatures.

At 5th level and every four levels thereafter (9th, 13th, and 17th level), the pack-bonded hunter may select an additional favored enemy. In addition, at each such interval, the bonus against any one favored enemy (including the one just selected, if so desired) increases by +2.

If the pack-bonded hunter chooses humanoids or outsiders as a favored enemy, he must also choose an associated subtype, as indicated on the table below. (Note that there are other types of humanoid to choose from—those called out specifically on the table below are merely the most common.) If a specific creature falls into more than one category of favored enemy, the pack-bonded hunter’s bonuses do not stack; he simply uses whichever bonus is higher.

This ability replaces animal companion and natural savagery.

## Table: Favored Enemies

 Vermin

## Hunter’s Bond (Ex)

At 1st level, a pack-bonded hunter forms a bond with his hunting companions. This bond allows him to spend a move action to grant half his favored enemy bonus against a single target of the appropriate type to all allies within 30 feet who can see or hear him. This bonus lasts for a number of rounds equal to the pack-bonded hunter’s Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). This bonus does not stack with any favored enemy bonuses possessed by his allies; they use whichever bonus is higher.

This ability replaces animal focus, second animal focus and third animal focus.

## Heart of the Pack (Ex)

At 3rd level, a pack-bonded hunter receives an additional teamwork feat as a bonus feat. He must meet this feat’s prerequisites. Twice per day as a standard action, he may grant one of his bonus teamwork feats to all allies within 30 feet who can see and hear him; his allies otherwise benefit from this bonus feat per pack foundation. Every four beastmaster levels thereafter, he gains an additional use of this ability.

This ability replaces beastmaster tactics and teamwork feats.

## Revitalizing Frenzy (Ex)

At 6th level, whenever the pact-bonded hunter and one of his hunting companions hit the same enemy in one turn with melee attacks, they heal 1d4 + the pack master’s Wisdom modifier in hit points. At 12th level, this increases to 1d8 + his Wisdom modifier, and at 18th level this increases to 2d6 + his Wisdom modifier. The pact-bonded hunter and his hunting companions can only heal once per turn with this ability.

This ability replaces speak with animals and master of the pack.

## Evasion (Ex)

When he reaches 7th level, a pact-bonded hunter can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the pact-bonded hunter is wearing light armor, medium armor, or no armor. A helpless pact-bonded hunter does not gain the benefit of evasion.

This ability replaces bonus tricks and improved empathic link.

## Pack Tactics (Ex)

At 10th level, once per day as a move action, a pack-bonded hunter grants half his insight bonus for his quarry ability to all allies within 30 feet who can see and hear him when he designates his quarry. Additionally, his allies gain a +4 insight bonus to confirm a critical threat. At 19th level, he can use this ability twice per day.

This ability replaces beast shape and raise animal companion.

## Improved Evasion (Ex)

At 16th level, a pact-bonded hunter ’s evasion improves. This ability works like evasion, except that while the pact-bonded hunter still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, he henceforth takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless pact-bonded hunter does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

This ability replaces one with the wild.

## Superior Tactics (Ex)

At 20th level, three times per day, after a pack-bonded hunter and his allies roll initiative, the pack-bonded hunter can arrange his and his allies’ initiative rolls any way he wishes. Using this ability is not an action.

This ability replaces mastery of beasts.