Tuesday May 04, 2004

Perhaps the adventurer most detached from outside influences is the beastmaster.  He nearly always is raised alone in the wild, probably under the watch care of a wolf pack or the like.  Many have come from the jungles, stray toddlers from a town that bordered the jungle’s edge, wandering deep into the forest to be adopted by a family of primates rather than killed.  Just as many hail from the peaks of the tallest mountains, living in harmony with the giant feathered fowl from that region.  Be it jungle or desert, mountain range or wilderness, the beastmaster is in complete communion with the beasts of his homeland—he is one of them.

Adventures:  Many know nothing of the strictures and customs of civilized lands, and often a mother has had to shield the eyes of her children when one of these truly “wild” men strolled into town.  Without embarrassment, he might “relieve himself” in public places or react favorably to a woman whom he senses is “in heat.”  (Of course, if the beastmaster is female, the opposite corresponding scenarios might occur.)  Society, while foreign to the beastmaster, is not always shunned, for at some point he realizes his innate likeness to his race as opposed to his animal brethren.  Thus, wandering into a village to explore the lives of other humans, he comes to understand how far off the beaten path he really is.  This alone can prod him to adventure.  Many beastmasters learn to speak the Common tongue, though never mastering it as well as their bestial languages.  Some even form lasting allies and friends with those of his own race, but these never can replace the deeply formed bonds with his animal companions.

Characteristics:  Even under the watch care of an animal “family,” a human can barely hope to survive long, but those who do become beastmasters.  The beastmaster is inherently tough, surviving alone on his wits and the wild offerings of his homeland.  He speaks fluently with the beasts of his region, and can learn easily the languages of other animals not yet encountered; he has a supernatural affinity with them.  However, being more attuned to animals than humans restricts him to learning only one “true” language.  His affinity with animals and beasts extends also to magical beasts (though this is slightly more difficult), and he is never seen but in the company of many of his truest companions.  Countless more are at his beck and call, often lurking just out of sight and hearing.  His strengths lie in the company of beasts, and when the need be, he fights as one of them.  When humans neglect or abuse animals, the beastmaster’s vengeance is fierce indeed.  With time spent among humans, the beastmaster uncovers exceedingly more reasons to cling to his animalistic heritage, finding more harmony in the wild than in society.  Many will suppress this, but some cling so strongly to their bestial side that they become more beast than human.

Alignment:  As a man of the wild, the beastmaster is inherently chaotic, and may not be of a lawful alignment.  Because of his relationship to the animal kingdom, he is likely to be neutral as they are toward good and evil.  Killing is seen as something necessary only for food or protection.  Some beastmasters embrace the causes of either good or evil, using their animal companions to further their own inclinations.

Religion:  Rare is the beastmaster who adheres to any form of organized religion.  A few might embrace the forces of nature, but most simply exist and eke out a life with their bestial brethren.  The extremely rare few who even know of the pantheon view it as a set of contrived stories of civilized man.

Background:  The only fact common to all beastmasters is that they each were raised in the wild by the animals that found them.  Most are completely illiterate, and a few cannot speak even one civilized language.  But beyond their common upbringing, their backgrounds are as varied as the regions they call home.  One might be a mountaineer and another a wolf-brother.  One may swing with the apes and another swim with the dolphins.  They each have their own reasons for adventuring beyond their home regions, and most of those reasons are driven by stark curiosity.

Races:  Beastmasters are generally humans, though half-elves are also common.  Full elves, while attuned to nature, are so tightly knitted as communities that a stray youngling would not be lost for long, and a kidnapped toddler would be quickly avenged.  Even so, it sometimes happens that an elf child is raised in the wild, but their inherent longevity makes it difficult for the animal kingdom to acquire any lasting relationships with him.  Dwarf, gnome, halfling, and half-orc beastmasters are even more rare, if not altogether impossible.

Other Classes:  Once enjoined to an adventuring party, the beastmaster becomes a formidable ally.  His sense of loyalty to friends is easily likened to the most faithful of hounds; his stealth in the hunt is as the tiger’s; his ferocity in battle like unto a wolverine.  The beastmaster’s appearance is often an affront to the more civilized in the party: the wizards, sorcerers, paladins, clerics and bards.  He is sometimes the butt of jokes among the fighters, and too often he doesn’t realize it.  The rogues tend to take advantage of him, but certainly enjoy his understanding of stealth and appreciate his willingness to protect.  The barbarian finds him a brother, an extreme one perhaps, but a brother nonetheless.  Druids and rangers are generally tolerant of him, if not accepting.

Abilities:  Strength and constitution are the right and left hands of the beastmaster.  But his reliance on going au natural makes a good dexterity equally important.  A high charisma cannot be overlooked for dealing with his animal companions.

Hit Die:  d12

Restrictions/Requirements:  Can multi-class ONLY with Barbarian or Druid

Skill Points/Level:  At first level: (4+INT mod) x4 (+4).  Thereafter: 4+INT mod (+1) per level.

Skills:  Climb, Handle Animal, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (nature), Listen, Move Silently, Sense Motive (animals), Spot, Survival, and Swim.

Starting Gold:  2d4 x 10.

Armor & Weapon Proficiencies:  Since the beastmaster knows nothing of society, he must receive training before he can become proficient with any type of armor or shield, and nearly all weapons.  Most shun such things; if the animals don’t have them, neither will he.  He is not without knowledge of some simple weapons, though, and is proficient with these: club, quarterstaff, mace (light & heavy), morningstar, and other such devices that are natural pummeling weapons (DM’s discretion).  The only bladed melee weapon he is proficient in is the dagger.  He is also proficient with the spear and javelin, the hand axe, and the blowgun.

The Beastmaster’s Table

Animal Companions:  To say the beastmaster has an animal companion is the silliest understatement that could ever be made.  He is an animal companion; he is one of them.  But, as pertains to game mechanics, the beastmaster begins his adventures with one animal companion at 1^st level.  The variety of animal companions he enjoys is limited by the existing varieties of his homeland(s).  His animal companions differ in two ways from the animal companion of the druid or ranger.  First, he may have at his side two times the Hit Die of animals as he has levels, but no one animal may have more Hit Die than he has levels.  Second, his affinity with his animal companions is not limited by the animal’s intelligence (though a low INT still limits conversation), and it will readily do things a normal animal would not.  While the animal may still balk at attacking a ghost, for instance, it will have followed the beastmaster into the ghost’s lair without hesitation.

Speak with Animals:  The beastmaster, likely to have been raised with/by animals, has come to learn their language.  He may speak freely with any variety of animals the DM determines is native to the beastmaster’s homeland, up to 2 languages per level.  When encountering non-native animals, the beastmaster rolls a Sense Motive check (DC 20) to understand them, though he cannot speak with them.  This is not a magical ability; it is inherent and supernatural.  Of course, the animal’s base intelligence often limits the discussion, just as it would the result of a speak with animals spell.

Track:  At 1^st level the beastmaster gains use of the Track feat just as a ranger does.  Anytime the beastmaster is trailing his foe, he may use his Survival skill to follow instead of the Search skill, if higher.  See the full description of the feat in the Player’s Handbook.

Wild Empathy:  At 1^st level, the beastmaster also gains use of the Wild Empathy ability as a druid does, improving an animal’s attitude toward friendly or helpful with a successful check.

Servant Animals:  By 2^nd level, the beastmaster has gained enough authority with the animal world that he may exact basic servitude from some.  This can be as mundane as a dog fetching his slippers or as unusual as a pair of birds draping his wet shirt over a tree limb to dry.  What the servant animals may do is limited only by their natural abilities (they probably cannot draw a map, for instance) and the beastmaster’s ability to communicate with them, which is normally limited by the creature’s intelligence.  Just about any small task may be required of the servant animals, but it must be fairly simple.  He could have a bird deliver a message, provided the bird knows where to go.  He could have a bear stand guard all night.  He could have a squirrel sit in a tree above the enemies’ camp and be his eyes-and-ears (but it would be limited in its understanding, obviously).  There is no limit to how often the beastmaster may employ this ability; the only limits are inherent in the animals.  This ability applies only to normal animals.

Homeland Bonus:  Whenever the beastmaster is in his homeland, he gains benefits to several skills.  This ability begins at 3^rd level and grants a +1 bonus to Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Spot, and Survival.  Furthermore, the beastmaster gains Trackless Step as a druid of his level.  At every three levels thereafter, the homeland bonus increases by +1, and the beastmaster gains a new region that he may consider a “homeland,” with the bonus for the new region being one less than the previous bonus.  Each region should consist of natural geographical areas with distinct flora/fauna and ecosystems; typically this is not more than a whole country or two, but certainly does not necessarily conform to national boundaries.  The beastmaster must have lived or traveled in each region for at least a few months before he may consider it a “homeland.”  (For example, at 9^th level, he would have three general regions of the world he could call “homelands” and would be +3 to his skills while in his original and actual homeland, +2 in the second region he gained, and +1 in the newest region.)

Natural Defense:  Beginning at 4^th level, the beastmaster begins to show a keen animal-like awareness of his enemies, becoming harder to hit in combat.  He develops a natural self-defense mechanism, gaining a defense bonus to Armor Class of +1, increasing by +1 every four levels (see table).  This bonus stacks with all other bonuses to AC except armor because once the beastmaster dons armor, he relies on it rather than this ability.  He may employ a shield, though, and still maintain his natural defense bonus.  Any situation that would cause the beastmaster to lose his DEX bonus (if he were caught flat-footed, for example) also causes him to lose this natural defense bonus.

Rage:  Like the barbarian, the beastmaster may begin to rage, gaining all the immediate benefits and subsequent penalties of raging.  He may rage for a number of rounds equal to 3 + his modified CON score, but may rage only twice per day.  Not being a pure barbarian, this ability is limited to situations involving the mistreatment, abuse, or neglect of animals, or when encountering anything unnatural.  For this purpose, “unnatural” includes these monster types:  aberrations, constructs, elementals, oozes, outsiders, shapechangers, and undead.

Beckon Animals:  By emitting a resonating shout that can be heard across several miles of countryside, a beastmaster of 5^th level or higher may summon forth 2d4 HD per level worth of animals or magical beasts that may reside in a radius of his position equal to 500 feet per level (a mile is 6000 ft).  This is in addition to the animal companions he has with him at the time he beckons.  All animals answering his beckoning are automatically friendly to him, and will strive to do his bidding according to their intelligence.  He may speak with them (as a group for those that are the same basic kind) to direct their actions; otherwise they will react as favorably to the beastmaster as they are able to decipher.  The beckoned animals arrive in as much time as it reasonably requires them to reach the beastmaster and will remain in his service until he dismisses them, but for no longer than one day.  Upon dismissal, the beastmaster usually gives them a token gift of his gratitude, typically choice food (or a lesser treasure for the more intelligent ones).  Beckoning animals is an extraordinary ability that may be used once per week.

Aura of Courage:  At 7^th level, the beastmaster becomes immune to fear, drawing from the primal energies of animal-kind.  He is immune to both natural fears and magically induced fear.  His stalwartness grants a +4 bonus to his animal companions to resist both natural and magical fear.

Dire Animal Companion:  Beginning at 8^th level, the beastmaster’s affinity with animals increases to the point that he attracts the friendship of stronger and tougher animals, and some with heightened senses or abilities.  These dire animals regard the beastmaster as a trusted ally, and extend that regard to any others the beastmaster calls friends.  The same limitations apply to dire animals as do to mundane animals; that is, no more than twice his level in total HD of companions (whether mundane or dire), and no single dire animal may have more HD than he has levels.

Call of the Wild:  At 10^th level, the beastmaster undergoes something of a physiological shift; his nature merges with the natures of those animals and beasts of his company, and he experiences a number of changes.  1) He gains the Alertness Feat (or gains an extra +2 to Spot and Listen, if this feat is already taken).  2) He becomes a recognizable Master of the beasts, and no animal will willingly harm him; they detect him to be their master.  If any are compelled or forced to harm him, they gain a +4 bonus to any saves to resist this compulsion.   3) He gains an instinctual “sixth sense” of the presence of unnatural creatures (i.e. aberrations, constructs, elementals, oozes, outsiders, shapechangers & undead) as far away as 30’.  The beastmaster can see through illusions, disguses and transmutations intended to conceal these creatures’ true natures, just as if the beastmaster were employing true seeing.  No other information is gained from this ability; only a correct sense of the creature’s type.  4)  He can pick up emotions from humanoids and animals (these only) by smell.  5) He has a 5% cumulative chance per level (5% at 10^th, 10% at 11^th, etc.) to so merge with his animal companions’ natures that he becomes an “awakened” animal, embracing the wild to the neglect of societal conventions.  He is still regarded as a human, and may freely associate with other humans, but his creature type changes to “animal” and his INT score lowers permanently by 8, to a minimum of 1.  (The awakening grants certain benefits and hindrances like being immune to hold person but susceptible to hold animal, among others as the DM might adjudicate.)

Animalistic Shift:  Once the beastmaster has experienced his physiological shift from the Call of the Wild, he begins to also experience actual physical changes, beginning at 11^th level and every three levels after this.  These changes are randomly chosen, seemingly granted him by the very powers of nature.  Roll a d8 to select one attribute from the following list (duplicates are rolled over).  The DM is also free to invent any other attribute of similar effect, adding to or replacing one on the list:

1. Gecko Fingers (hands and feet become sticky; +10 to climb, cannot be disarmed)

2. Duck Feet (hands and feet become webbed; +10 to Swim, can swim twice as fast)

3. Fish Lungs (gills develop behind ears; can breathe in water as well as air)

4. Panther Fangs (develop elongated eyeteeth; gain bite attack at highest base attack bonus, dealing d6 damage and x2 critical)

5. Cat Eyes (pupils become slits; gain low-light vision)

6. Lion Roar (guttural voluminous roar; induces fear in all but self and animal companions, Will save DC 10+ CHA bonus + ½ beastmaster level to resist)

7. Wolf Nose (nose becomes cold and wet; gain Scent ability)

8. Bear Hide (grow coarse hair covering entire body; gain +2 natural armor & cold resistance 5).

Magical Beast Companion:  Beginning at 12^th level, the beastmaster may now call unto himself companions from that category of creatures known as “magical beasts.”  These magical beast companions will be of the average type and like his animal companions, must originate from his homelands.  He may have magical beast companions totaling HD up to his own level, but no one magical beast companion may exceed half his level in HD.  The total HD of all companions still may not exceed twice the beastmaster’s level.

Supernatural Ability:  At 13^th level, the beastmaster gains his first supernatural power.  He adds an additional ability every three levels afterwards.  Choose from the following list of abilities:

Tremorsense – The beastmaster gains the ability to sense the presence of creatures through even the minutest vibrations in the ground and air.  His range extends in a 60-foot radius.  (See the MM for details.)

Darkvision – The beastmaster gains darkvision (like a dwarf) to a distance of 60 feet.

Calm Emotions – The beastmaster gains the ability to affect all living creatures within eyeshot (must make eye contact like a gaze attack) with a soothing aura as per the calm emotions spell.

Wild Fighting – The beastmaster gains one extra attack per round at his highest attack bonus, but all attacks for that round are at a –2 penalty to hit.  This ability can be used only as a full-attack option.

Run with the Pack – The beastmaster improves his base speed by +20 feet per round.

Survival Instincts – The beastmaster gains an intuitive knowledge of the dangers that surround him.  He gains the Uncanny Dodge ability (cannot be surprised), a +2 dodge bonus to AC, and a +2 competence bonus to Fortitude and Reflex saves.

Legendary Animal Companion:  Beginning at 16th level, the beastmaster attracts the companionship of the greatest of all animals, the legendary animal (as shown in the MM II).  These mighty creatures are the stuff of wondrous tales across the country, and the beastmaster accompanied by even one of them is an awesome sight indeed.  Unlike his other companions, the legendary animal companion need not come from any of his homelands, for the animal seeks his camaraderie almost immediately when first encountered. 

To gain the legendary animal’s alliance, the beastmaster must defeat it one-on-one (no assistance) in hand-to-hand-combat (no weapons) until he has subdued the animal.  This is NOT a fight to the death, for the death of a legendary animal is abhorrent to the beastmaster, and to his other companions besides.  Should this death occur, the beastmaster immediately loses all animal and bestial companions (if they do not turn on him outright).  This fight is merely to prove his prowess, to demonstrate that he is master even of the animals of legend.  The legendary animal desires this proof, for it will not associate with one who is its inferior.  Nor will it attempt to kill the beastmaster, for it respects him.  Once the beastmaster has defeated it, the legendary animal vows his eternal alliance.

The beastmaster may have legendary animals totaling HD up to twice his own level, but unlike his other animal companions, a single legendary companion may have HD up to twice the beastmaster’s level.  Total HD of all companions, regardless of creature type, is still limited to twice his level.