WARRIOR-RANGER KIT

Huntsman

Description:  A Huntsman is an expert in the handling and training of hunting 
beasts, being capable of teaching them an impressive range of tricks and tasks.  
Under the direction of a skilled Huntsman, such an animal can be taught to 
snatch a coin purse from a person's belt, bring down game animals in mid-stride, 
and fight effectively against creatures many times their own size.  In addition 
to their expertise as animal trainers, Huntsmen excel as hunters (naturally) and 
outdoorsmen in general.  Many Huntsmen serve as retainers of kings or nobles.  
others freelance as guides or mercenaries.  Some even stage public performances 
in rented halls or on street corners, demonstrating their animals' remarkable 
stunts for appreciative crowds.  Regardless of how they choose to make a living, 
Huntsmen are held in high regard by most people, who never fail to be impressed 
by the Huntsman's amazing rapport with his or her animals.  A PC Huntsman must 
generally choose to learn his or her trade as a Falconers or a Master of the 
Hounds, as dogs and falcons are the two animals typically trained for hunting, 
though in rare circumstances other animals may be trained for hunting, if 
appropriate to the DM's campaign world.

Huntsmen share the normal ability score, racial, and alignment restrictions of 
Rangers, save that because of their tainted bloodlines and the sense of unease 
that animals sometimes feel around tieflings, they cannot develop the deep bond 
with their animals required to become a Huntsman.

Weapons & Armor:  Huntsmen must be able to move without encumbrance in order to 
keep up with their animals while on a hunt, and thus they must wear studded 
leather or lighter armor (though elven chain is also acceptable).  They will 
never use a large or body shield, but small shields and bucklers are acceptable.

At 1st level, a Huntsman must become proficient in:  a crossbow (light) or bow 
(any), a dagger/knife (any), spear or hand axe, and sling or dart.  Further 
weapon proficiencies can be spent as desired by the Huntsman.

Special Benefits:  Huntsmen are similar in most ways to standard Rangers, save 
for the close working relationship that they enjoy with their particular chosen 
animal species.  Thus, they gain the following kit abilities:

Animal Empathy:  As a standard Ranger.  In addition, animals of his or her 
chosen type (falcons or dogs) suffer double the normal saving throw penalty.  
However, when using Animal Empathy on creatures other than his or her chosen 
type they suffer no saving throw penalty, regardless of the Huntsman's level.

Attuned Animal:  Whenever a Huntsman acquires a new animal follower, including 
the free animal gained at 1st level (see Followers below), the Huntsman can 
choose to immediately begin training the animal as normal or can choose to 
temporarily forego training the animal and try to make it an Attuned Animal, 
establishing a deep and strong bond with the animal that enhances communication 
and enables more efficient learning for the animal.  The process of attuning the 
animal requires at least one hour of nurturing behavior toward the animal each 
day for six weeks (during combat and other danger situations during this period, 
the animal retreats to safety at the first sign of trouble, returning to the 
Huntsman when all is clear).  At the end of this time, the Huntsman must make a 
successful Animal Training proficiency check.  If this is failed, the attunement 
has failed and that animal follower can never become an Attuned Animal.  
Likewise, an animal that has already received significant formal training (e.g., 
a war dog) can never become attuned in this way.

If the attunement succeeds, the animal and the Huntsman are able to establish a 
very strong almost empathic link.  This enables the Huntsman to train an Attuned 
Animal in only half the amount of time usually required, and regardless of 
success or failure on Animal Training attempts the Attuned Animal can never 
become 'untrainable' (assuming it is the Huntsman doing the training).  An 
Attuned Animal can also learn as many tricks and tasks as the Huntsman has 
levels (assuming this number exceeds the number normally allowed, typically 
2d4).

In addition to the above training benefits, an Attuned Animal gains an array of 
other benefits:

 - 2 bonus hit points per level of the Huntsman (gaining additional hit points 
   as the Huntsman advances in level).
 - +2 bonus to all attack rolls.
 - Species Enemy bonuses as the Huntsman who attuned it.
 - When fighting on the Huntsman's behalf or under his or her direction, it 
   never needs to check morale.
 - A Huntsman of 10th level or above can speak with animals with any Attuned 
   Animal at will.
 - A Huntsman of 15th level or above can mentally communicate with any Attuned 
   Animal at will at a distance of up to 100 yards per level; walls or other 
   physical boundaries have no effect on this communication, though magical or 
   psionic barriers can sometimes interrupt it.

Employer:  A Huntsman who works for a lord or other wealthy upper-crust 
personage receives several additional benefits over and above those received by 
a common Huntsman, having his or her living expenses paid for and also receiving 
a monthly salary of 10 g.p. per level of experience.  A Huntsman who maintains 
good standing with his her Employer may also ask a special boon or favor once 
per year as a reward for his or her dedicated service.  It is traditional that 
this boon be granted by the Employer, to the extent that his or her resources 
allow, although exceptionally greedy or ill-considered requests reflect very 
badly upon the Huntsman.

Enhanced Training:  A Huntsman is an expert at training animals of his or her 
chosen type, gaining a +1 bonus to his or her Animal Training proficiency for 
every three levels of experience, and he or she can train up to three animals 
simultaneously and a Huntsman can train animals even while adventuring.  In 
addition, if a Huntsman is training an animal and it fails to learn a given 
trick or task and becomes 'untrainable' for a normal trainer, the Huntsman can 
try again to teach the same trick or task after gaining a level.  A Huntsman is 
an excellent judge of quality of animals of his or her chosen type, and any such 
creature purchased by the Huntsman will always have +2 hit points per die (up to 
its normal maximum).

Followers:  A Huntsman gains 3d6 followers, rather than the normal 2d6, and he 
or she gains one follower at 1st level, which is always a normal falcon or dog 
that he or she has found or was given by his or her mentor.  The Huntsman must 
choose whether or not the animal has been already been trained (in which case he 
or she can begin with an animal that knows the Hunting task and the Attack 
trick) or whether he or she has decided to attempt to make this animal follower 
an Attuned Animal (which precludes training ahead of time--see above).  Any 
further tricks or tasks must be trained into the animal normally.  A Huntsman's 
follower is an animal of rare and remarkable characteristics and loyalty.  The 
Huntsman can train lesser animals for him- or herself or others for common use, 
but a Huntsman will accept only the highest quality animal as a follower (and 
potentially as an Attuned Animal).

If a Huntsman's original follower is killed, the Huntsman can attract another in 
accordance with the usual rules for attracting followers.  If in the appropriate 
terrain, a Huntsman may encounter an exceptional bird or hound in the wild that 
could be befriended and attracted as a follower, but often replacing a lost 
follower must wait until the next time he or she has the opportunity to review 
and purchase prime-quality stock for falcons or dogs.  While a Huntsman is an 
expert trainer of animals of his or her type regardless of their pedigree, he or 
she will never be satisfied with anything but the finest quality.

Each such animal follower of a Huntsman counts against his or her maximum total 
of Followers, and a Huntsman of less than 10th level can never have more than 
one animal follower at a time.  At 10th level, a Huntsman becomes eligible to 
receive followers other than his or her chosen type and may have more than one 
falcon (or dog) among his or her followers; in fact, at least half of a 
Huntsman's followers must be of his or her chosen animal type.

Big Game Hunting:  Huntsmen are expert hunters, gaining a +1 bonus to their 
Hunting proficiency for every three levels of experience (rounding up), doubled 
if in their Primary Terrain or if they are hunting with an Attuned Animal, or 
tripled (i.e., +1 per level) if in the Huntsman's Primary Terrain and using an 
Attuned Animal to assist in the hunt.  A Huntsman who must hunt alone (i.e., 
without any animal assistants) gains only half his or her normal level-based 
bonus (rounding up).

When checking to see how close a Huntsman has been able to approach to his or 
her prey with a successful Hunting proficiency check (normally 100 + 1d100 
yards), this distance should be reduced by 10 yards times the difference between 
the number rolled and the number required (any result less than 10 yards is 
melee range), though the Huntsman can stop short of this if desired.

If a Huntsman is able to get fairly close to an animal, he or she can attempt a 
lethal short-range missile shot versus any natural animal with hit dice equal to 
or less than his or her own level (ignoring 'pluses' to hit dice), though a 
Huntsman can attempt this shot against an animal of any hit dice if the animal 
is native to the Huntsman's Primary Terrain.  A Huntsman can also attempt this 
shot against any Species Enemy, as long as the target's hit dice are equal to or 
less than the Huntsman's level.  This is considered a 'called shot' and imposes 
a -4 penalty to hit.

A successful hit with this 'instant kill' shot requires the target to save vs. 
death or be instantly slain.  Even if the save is successful, the Huntsman 
should multiply the damage inflicted by a successful hit as if it was a Thief's 
Backstab attack.  Note that only the actual weapon damage dice are multiplied, 
and bonuses for Strength, specialization, magic, or other factors must be added 
in after this.  This applies only to the Huntsman's first shot against an 
animal, and a Huntsman must be able to approach the animal unawares through the 
use of Hunting proficiency, Hide in Shadows and Move Silently abilities (or 
similar magical stealthy means), or in a surprise situation in which the 
Huntsman (or his or her party) gain surprise and the Huntsman has a missile 
weapon out and at the ready.  It cannot be attempted with a melee weapon.

Pathfinding:  As a standard Ranger, save that a Huntsman's Pathfinding provides 
only half the normal benefit if the Huntsman must lead a party alone, without 
the assistance of a trained animal of his or her type.  If a Huntsman is using 
an Attuned Animal to assist his or her Pathfinding, he or she functions as a 
Ranger two levels higher than his or her actual level.

Primary Terrain:  As a standard Ranger.

Priestly Powers:  As a standard Ranger two levels lower than his or her actual 
level.  In addition, Huntsmen concentrate so much on the study of animals that 
they lose access to the Plant and Weather spheres.  However, spells of the 
Animal sphere take effect at double the Huntsman's normal casting level with 
respect to animals of the Huntsman's chosen type or close relatives--e.g., a 
Falconer's spells vs. other normal or giant-sized birds of prey or the spells of 
a Master of the Hounds vs. wolves, jackals, wild dogs, and other canines.  Other 
animals are affected at only half the Huntsman's normal casting level (rounding 
up).

Roguish Repertoire:  As a standard Ranger.

Species Enemy:  As a standard Ranger.

Superior Conditioning:  As a standard Ranger.

Tracking:  As a standard Ranger, but a Huntsman gains no level-based bonus to 
his or her Tracking proficiency when following a creature alone (i.e., without a 
hunting animal of his or her chosen type).  Also, a Huntsman gains double the 
normal level-based bonus if tracking in cooperation with an Attuned Animal.

Special Hindrances:  Huntsmen are very dedicated to the art of training their 
particular hunting animals and the use of them in the practice of their Ranger 
skills and duties.  As a result, many of their Ranger abilities suffer a 
significant penalty if a Huntsman is forced to 'go it alone' without the aid of 
one or more of their trained hunting beasts.  Huntsmen also develop a very close 
bond with their Attuned Animals, and should such an animal perish the Huntsman 
will succumb to grief and despair for 1d4 weeks.  During this period of 
mourning, the Huntsman will suffer a -2 penalty to attack rolls and ability 
checks (including proficiency checks), and during this time the Huntsman cannot 
attract a new follower, train any animals, or use his or her Animal Empathy 
ability.

In addition to their enmeshment with their animal companions, Huntsmen spend so 
much time training and working with them that they neglect certain other aspects 
of the Ranger's trade.  As a result, Huntsmen are less proficient spellcasters 
than other Rangers (as noted above), losing access to the Plant and Weather 
spheres and casting spells as a Ranger two levels lower than their actual level.  
Similarly, though a Huntsman can specialize with any one weapon at a cost of two 
slots, as is normal for Rangers, they do not gain the Missile Mastery skill.  
Huntsmen are also limited in the weapons and armor that they may use, as 
described under Weapons & Armor.

Bonus Proficiencies:  Survival (home terrain), Tracking
Required Proficiencies:  Animal Training (dog or falcon), Hunting
Preferred Proficiencies:  Alertness, Animal Handling, Animal Lore, Animal Noise, 
Artistic Ability, Awareness, Carpentry, Endurance, Jumping, Leatherworking, 
Monster Lore, Mountaineering, Navigation, Reading/Writing, Riding (Land-based), 
Rope Use, Running, Set Snares, Survival, Trailing, Veterinary Healing, Weaving