Beast Master

**Role:** Beast Masters are deft skirmishers, either in melee or at range, capable of skillfully dancing in and out of battle. Their abilities allow them to deal significant harm to specific types of foes, but their skills are valuable against all manner of enemies.

**Alignment:** Any

**Hit Die:** d10

**Starting Wealth:** 5d6 × 10 hl (average 175 hl.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 hl or less.

**Class Skills**

The Beast Master's class skills are

Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Martial Knowledge (Blades, Light) (Int), Martial Knowledge (Blades, Heavy) (Int), Martial Knowledge (Bows) (Int), Martial Knowledge (Spears/Polearms) (Int), Martial Knowledge (Axes) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

**Skill Ranks per Level:** 6 + Int modifier.

**Table: Beast Master**

**Class Features**
All of the following are class features of the Beast Master.

**Evilty:** Dark Tamer

A number of times a day equal to your wisdom modifier, as a standard action, Adjacent ally monsters gain 20 temporary hit points and a +2 to attack and damage for a number of rounds equal to your level. It’s effects do not stack with it’s self.

**Weapon and Armor Proficiency:** A Beast Master is proficient with Axes, Blades (Light), Blades (Heavy), Bows, and Spears/Polearms, and with light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields).

**Favored Enemy (Ex)**

**Table: Beast Master Favored Enemies**

At 1st level, a Beast Master selects a creature type from the Beast Master 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 Beast Master may make Knowledge skill checks untrained when attempting to identify these creatures.

At 5th level and every five levels thereafter (10th, 15th, and 20th level), the Beast Master 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 Beast Master 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 Beast Master's bonuses do not stack; he simply uses whichever bonus is higher.

**Track (Ex)**

A Beast Master adds half his level (minimum 1) to Survival skill checks made to follow or identify tracks.

**Wild Empathy (Ex)**

A Beast Master can improve the initial attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person (see Using Skills). The Beast Master rolls 1d20 and adds his Beast Master level and his Charisma bonus to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.
To use wild empathy, the Beast Master and the animal must be within 30 feet of one another under normal visibility conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute, but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
The Beast Master can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but he takes a –4 penalty on the check.

**Hunter's Bond (Ex)**

At 2nd level, a Beast Master forms a bond with his hunting companions. This bond can take one of two forms. Once the form is chosen, it cannot be changed. The first is a bond to his 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 Beast Master'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.

The second option is to form a close bond with an animal companion. A Beast master can choose an animal companion from a list of animal companions. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the Beast Master on his adventures as appropriate for its kind. A Beast Master's animal companion shares his favored enemy and favored terrain bonuses. (See Animal Choices)
This ability functions like the druid animal companion ability (which is part of the Nature Bond class feature), except that the Beast Master's effective druid level is equal to his Beast Master level.

**Beast Mastery (Ex)**

At 4th level, A Beast Master gains the aid of an animal companion. If the animal had been chosen as the Hunter’s bond at 2nd level the Beast Master gains a second one works as the first however to determine it’s abilities it is considered to have a -3 penalty to your Beast Master level. At 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th levels you gain additional animal companions that work as the last but have level penalties starting at -5, and increasing by -2 for every one after to end with -11 for the last one.

**Endurance**

A Beast Master gains Endurance as a bonus feat at 3rd level.

**Favored Terrain (Ex)**

**Table: Beast Master Favored Terrains**

At 3rd level, a Beast Master may select a type of terrain from Table: Beast Master Favored Terrains. The Beast Master gains a +2 bonus on initiative checks and Knowledge (geography), Perception, Stealth, and Survival skill checks when he is in this terrain. A Beast Master traveling through his favored terrain normally leaves no trail and cannot be tracked (though he may leave a trail if he so chooses).

At 8th level and every five levels thereafter, the Beast Master may select an additional favored terrain. In addition, at each such interval, the skill bonus and initiative bonus in any one favored terrain (including the one just selected, if so desired), increases by +2.
If a specific terrain falls into more than one category of favored terrain, the Beast Master's bonuses do not stack; he simply uses whichever bonus is higher.

**Spells and Techniques**

Beginning at 4th level, a Beast Master can utilize his technique slots to cast a small number of divine spells, which are drawn from the Ranger spell list. A Beast Master must choose and prepare his spells in advance.

To prepare or cast a spell, a Beast Master must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a Beast Master's spell is 10 + the spell level + the Beast Master's Wisdom modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a Beast Master can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Beast Master. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Wisdom score (see Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells). When Table: Beast Master indicates that the Beast Master gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Wisdom score for that spell level.

A Beast Master must spend 1 hour per day in quiet meditation to regain his daily allotment of spells. A Beast Master may prepare and cast any spell on the Beast Master spell list, provided that he can cast spells of that level, but he must choose which spells to prepare during his daily meditation.

Through 3rd level, a Beast Master has no spell caster level. At 4th level and higher, his spell caster level is equal to his Beast Master level – 3.

A Beast Master can also learn to perform a number of martial techniques he can utilize in battle. A Beast Master can qualify for bonus martial techniques from a high wisdom score in the same way it can with spells. Unlike with spells however, technique saving throws depend on the type of weapon wielded, listed in the technique's description.

Very few classes gain martial techniques for free, they must train to learn how to utilize the techniques. However this also means there is truly no limit to the number of martial techniques one can learn. Martial Techniques need not be prepared beforehand, they can be performed so long as you have uses left in the day.

Learning martial techniques is described in the Skills Section of this system.

**Improved Empathic Link (Su)**

The beast master gains an empathic link with all of his animal companions. This functions like an empathic link with a familiar, except the Beast Master can also see through a companion’s eyes as a swift action, maintaining this connection as long as he likes (as long as the companion is within 1 mile) and ending it as a free action. The Beast Master can only see through the eyes of one companion at a time, and is blinded while maintaining this connection.

**Woodland Stride (Ex)**

Starting at 7th level, a Beast Master may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at his normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment.
Thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion, however, still affect him.

**Swift Tracker (Ex)**

Beginning at 8th level, a Beast Master can move at his normal speed while using Survival to follow tracks without taking the normal –5 penalty. He takes only a –10 penalty (instead of the normal –20) when moving at up to twice normal speed while tracking.

**Evasion (Ex)**

When he reaches 9th level, a Beast Master 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 Beast Master is wearing light armor, medium armor, or no armor. A helpless Beast Master does not gain the benefit of evasion.

**Quarry (Ex)**

At 11th level, a Beast Master can, as a standard action, denote one target within his line of sight as his quarry. Whenever he is following the tracks of his quarry, a Beast Master can take 10 on his Survival skill checks while moving at normal speed, without penalty. In addition, he receives a +2 insight bonus on attack rolls made against his quarry, and all critical threats are automatically confirmed. A Beast Master can have no more than one quarry at a time and the creature's type must correspond to one of his favored enemy types. He can dismiss this effect at any time as a free action, but he cannot select a new quarry for 24 hours. If the Beast Master sees proof that his quarry is dead, he can select a new quarry after waiting 1 hour.

**Camouflage (Ex)**

A Beast Master of 12th level or higher can use the Stealth skill to hide in any of his favored terrains, even if the terrain doesn't grant cover or concealment.

**Improved Evasion (Ex)**

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

**Hide in Plain Sight (Ex)**

While in any of his favored terrains, a Beast Master of 17th level or higher can use the Stealth skill even while being observed.

**Improved Quarry (Ex)**

At 19th level, the Beast Master's ability to hunt his quarry improves. He can now select a quarry as a free action, and can now take 20 while using Survival to track his quarry, while moving at normal speed without penalty. His insight bonus to attack his quarry increases to +4. If his quarry is killed or dismissed, he can select a new one after 10 minutes have passed.

**Master Hunter (Ex)**

A Beast Master of 20th level becomes a master hunter. He can always move at full speed while using Survival to follow tracks without penalty. He can, as a standard action, make a single attack against a favored enemy at his full attack bonus. If the attack hits, the target takes damage normally and must make a Fortitude save or die. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the Beast Master's level + the Beast Master's Wisdom modifier. A Beast Master can choose instead to deal an amount of nonlethal damage equal to the creature's current hit points. A successful save negates this damage. A Beast Master can use this ability once per day against each favored enemy type he possesses, but not against the same creature more than once in a 24-hour period.

**Beast Master Spells**

These spells are on the list of spells that a Beast Master can cast, spells from the normal Pathfinder RPG are located here under "Ranger".

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# **Reincarnation**

If Reincarnating into this class after having already been this class, or a class with similar abilities, check the following page to see what ability you'll get instead at the levels you would normally gain an already achieved class ability.

Beast Master Reincarnation