Head Hunter (Natural Explorer Archetype)

Not all believe in the power of careful preparation, nor the benefit of analysis and strategy. Some men, perhaps blades for hire or bounty hunters, completely throw themselves into the thrill of a hunt, obsessed with the adrenaline and pleasure derived from conquering a foe, and scribing the experiences upon themselves. These hunters are rowdy, uncoordinated — but they are undoubtedly dangerous, and savage, stopping at nothing less than their own death to chase down their prey, and never forgetting the name of those that escape them.

#### **Nemesis Hunting (Ex)**

The patient planning and strategic mind of most explorers is lost in the head hunter, who focuses his entire wrath on the subject of his hunt. A head hunter may not make another creature his hunting focus while in active pursuit or combat with his current hunting focus, and must either kill or incapacitate his hunting focus before he is permitted to make another creature his hunting focus.

Whenever the head hunter’s hunting focus escapes from a combat encounter that includes them, or the head hunter loses a trail leading to a hunting focus they were in the process of tracking, the head hunter may choose to give up his hunt, and declare his hunting focus as a nemesis hunting focus, removing them as his current hunting focus. If 24 hours pass and the head hunter cannot relocate his hunting focus or find a new lead to them, they are automatically declared a nemesis hunting focus, and are no longer quarried.

A nemesis hunting focus is a special type of hunting focus that the head hunter has declared an escaped prey. The head hunter may have any amount of nemesis quarries, although he does not gain the benefits of any of his explorer talents against them. Whenever the nemesis hunting focus is within 100 feet, + 10 feet per head hunter level, the head hunter senses the heartbeat of such a creature (if they have one), and always knows the general direction leading to them.

Due to the focused and primal nature of how the head hunter hunts for his hunting focus, an instinctual level of fear is created within those that have been targeted. Creatures that are quarried by the head hunter lose their fear immunity, but only when targeted by fear effects created by the head hunter. At 9th level, the head hunter’s hunting focus loses their fear immunity entirely, even when targeted by other creatures, so long as they are his hunting focus.

Memento Mori (Ex)

Though he may slay many, the head hunter never forgets the thrill of a kill. He may dedicate an item, create art or simply keep the heads of his prey as symbols to remember a successful hunt. After delivering the final blow to his hunting focus, he may spend 1 minute either crafting a trophy out of the creature’s corpse, creating a piece of art, engraving a weapon or item that belonged to his prey or other similar acts in order to create a trophy of that creature.

The head hunter may keep any number of trophies, but he may only wear a single trophy on his body at a time. Swapping a trophy for another is a standard action. These trophies act as a grim reminder of his bloody conquests, granting him a +1 bonus to Intimidate checks per trophy he wears. Additionally, each trophy grants a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made against creatures of the same type (or subtype, if they are an outsider or humanoid) as the creature the trophy was made from.

At 5th level, the head hunter may wear 2 trophies at the same time, increasing by 1 at 9th, 13th, and 17th level. These trophies need not be made of the same creature type and apply their bonuses separately. Bonuses for multiple trophies of the same creature type stack.

This replaces explorative hunter.

#### **Will of the Brazen (Ex)**

The head hunter’s trophies inspire him with a measure of confidence against his foes that none can penetrate. Beginning 7th level, the head hunter gains immunity to all fear and pain effects, but only against creatures that he is currently wearing a trophy type of.

At 11th level, the head hunter’s will overpowers the influence of others. He becomes immune to all compulsion, charm, and emotional effects created by creatures he has a worn trophy of. Additionally, he becomes immune to all fear effects, even from creatures he does not have a worn trophy of.

This replaces trackless hunter.

#### **Head Hunter's Talents**

The head hunter adds the following to the list of talents he may choose his explorer talents from:

##### **No Escape (Ex, 8th level)**

The head hunter has perfected his ability to close the gap between himself and his hunting focus. As a move action, he may move up to 4 times his base land speed in a single direction without provoking any attacks of opportunity, if he ends adjacent to his hunting focus by the end of the movement. He may make a jump check as part of this movement, reducing the DC to 10 + 1 for every 10 feet he jumps as part of the check, up to a maximum of 4 times his speed in distance. If he fails this check, he still lands adjacent to his hunting focus, but he falls prone next to them and provokes an attack of opportunity.

Using this ability is straining, and he may only perform it once per minute safely, although he may choose to use the ability twice within this timespan, becoming exhausted after completing his movement. The head hunter may not use this ability while exhausted.

##### **Terror Incarnate (Ex)**

The head hunter progressively masters his control of fear over others. He gains the Intimidating Prowess feat as a bonus feat, and may use Dexterity instead of his Strength modifier with it. Starting 4th level, he may intimidate as a move action, rather than a standard action. At 7th level, he may escalate fear conditions when demoralizing his hunting focus if they already suffer from a fear condition, although attempting to do so raises the DC of the Intimidate skill check by 5.