Beast Master

The beast master is along with his pack an unrivaled hunter, able to track even the most elusive prey. Beast masters that live close by or in societies are often employed as trackers, hunters and guides. The beast master has a unique connection with his pack, and as this connection grows stronger, he grows into a force to be reckoned with; this makes the beast master an excellent scout and bounty hunter, and he is highly sought after by the armies and lords alike.

Statistics

 * Hit Die: d8
 * Alignment: Any
 * Weapon Proficiencies: Simple and martial weapons.
 * Armor Proficiencies: Light and medium armor and shields (not tower shields).
 * Skill points at 1st Level: 6 + Int modifier
 * Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

Pack
When a beast master starts to understand the wild and its animals, the path to gaining a pack opens up for him, this bond is stronger than that of most people of the nature, because he not only gains the ability to train and command the animals he bonds with, he also gains a empathic supernatural ability to understand and feel what they feel. At level 1 the beast master can bond and control 3 small, medium or large creature this way. At level 4 he can bond 4 small, medium or large creatures this way. Then at level 7 and each 2nd level he gains the ability to add a new creature to his pack. The control a beast master has over his pack is a supernatural ability, and thus he does not have to use verbal or somatic commands to control them, he can simply do this through his mental connection. This does not mean that the creatures are not of their own mind, it just means that controlling them for a beast master is far easier then it is for most, even though most beast masters prefer to use verbal commands as well, so they don’t unsettle and frighten people around them. The pack takes damage as a single entity and not separately for each pet. This applies to both single target attacks and aoe attacks. If an opponent wants to focus on and attack just a single animal, he can do so, but doing so makes him follow and focus on that animal as it moves and covers among its pack, thus he receives a free attack of opportunity from the pack each round, and he is considered flat footed for them. In this case the animal also is considered to have half the remaining health of the pack. The pack works a single entity when it comes to magic, so beneficial and negative effects affect the whole pack. This bond makes the pack immune to mind affecting effects; because the bond between each animal and their master is so strong that they help each other resist it.

Pack Tactics
The beast master and his pack can train to getter on tactics to employ in combat, so as to help each other and fight both to getter as a single entity and as two units. This requires training and practice, and the pack can only learn so many tactics at any given time. The list of pack abilities are just a guideline.


 * Cooperation: The beast master and his pack fight together as one granting the beast master a bonus to attack and damage equal to the maximum number of pets he can control. This works both on ranged and melee attacks, the pets will be melee but they aid the beast master making the target more open to attacks. So a level 4 beast master will gain +3 to attack and damage from his pets, because the maximum number of pets he can control is 3, when he gains up to 4 maximum pets he gets a +4 bonus to his attack and damage. If the beast master and his pack cooperate in other tactics he adds a bonus equal to the total number of beasts he can controll, so if a beast master and his pack work together to trip a creature and the beast master is level 4, he gains a +3 bonus to his cmb and cmd.


 * Trip: The beast master and his pack practice the most efficient way to trip an opponent, and in doing so the pack can try to trip ornaments by them self or together with the beast master.


 * Grapple: The beast master teaches his pets how to most efficiently hold on to and grapple an opponent; this tactic can be used with or without the beast master.


 * Protect: The beast master teaches the pets how to most efficiently guard and protect them self or others. Thus while using this tactics; the pack can either protect the beast master or a person he designates, granting them a bonus to ac equal to the maximum number of pets he can control. He can also tell the pack to protect itself, granting the pack the same bonus to its ac. While employing this tactic the pack cannot attack. This is a standard action.


 * Aid Another: The beast master teaches the pack to aid his allies, granting them a bonus to attack equal to the maximum number of pets he can have, the way they do this is by distracting and threatening the opponent. This tactic can only be performed by the pack


 * Pounce: At 8th level the beast master can teach his pack how to pounce, thus when they charge in they can effectively get all their attacks. This tactic can only be performed by the pack


 * Pin: At 5th level the beast master can teach his pets how to pin down a target after they have successfully grappled it. Allowing them to lock it down and hold it in place. This tactic can be used with or without the beast master.


 * Interrupt: At 5th level the beast master teaches his pack how to move into position and ready up to interrupt a spell caster, thus they await for the caster to start invoking his spell before jumping in to interrupt him. This tactic can only be performed by the pack.


 * Rend: At 8th level the beast master can teach his pets how to attack from two angles, hold on and rip apart as a single entity, thus giving the pet the ability to rend its opponent. If the pack hits with two attacks it can automatically rend the target for an additional 1d8 + strength damage. This tactic can only be performed by the pack.


 * Bleed: At 5th level the beast master can teach his pack how to viciously bite down and attack the vulnerable spots on an opponent, thus causing them to start bleeding. When the pack attacks a target and uses this ability, they can give the opponent 1, bleed damage for every round they successfully land a hit, but the hit only deals half damage, this effect stack. And you cannot inflict more than 1 bleed damage per round, even if you hit with more attacks, but you only deal half damage during that round. This tactic can only be performed by the pack.

Soothe
The beast master gains the special ability to sooth any animal he encounter. He can as a standard action use charm on any animal he encounters. This functions as charm person except it only work on animals, and the dc to resist is 10 + half level + max pack size. He can use this ability at will.

Track
The beast master can use the pack to help him track, and he adds his level to survival checks when tracking.

Run with the pack
The beast master can now run with his pack, and often lead them on the hunt. The beast master gains a +10 base movement speed. And can walk in full speed while wearing medium or light armor.

Animal senses
The beast masters bond with his pack is now so strong that their senses enhance his own. Thus granting the beast master a bonus to his perception, survival and sense motive checks equal to the maximum number of pets he can control. The beast master is also able to react more acutely gaining a bonus to initiative equal to half the number of pets he can control.

Mend the pack
Upon gaining this ability, the beast master gains the ability to supernaturally heal and mend his pack. He can use this ability 1 time per day at level 5, and one additional time for every 2nd level above 5. When he uses this ability he heals the pets for 10 hp per pet he controls. So if a lev 5 beast master has 3 pets he can heal the pets for 30 hp that day.

Swift Tracker
As Core Rules.

Favored Prey
This works like the Hunter favored enemy ability, except that you gain a +2 to attack and damage, and they don’t increase, so upon gaining your 2nd second pray, you will have two favored preys that you and your pack has a +2 attack and damage against. The prey you can choose among is the same as that of the favored enemies list.

The Pack
The pack serves as the beast masters right hand, they can feel his desires, his fears and his happiness, and they are devoted to him for he is granting them a sense of wholeness they cannot feel without him.

Statistics Pet

 * Hit Die: d10
 * Alignment: Neutral
 * Feats: This is the total number of feats possessed by the pack. The pack can select any feat it qualifies for.
 * Skills: This is the total number of skill points the pack possesses. The pack gains 2 skill points per HD, if the pack gains an intelligence modifier of +1 or more add that to its total skill point gain.
 * BAB: This is equal to the pack's HD.
 * Natural Armor Bonus: The number noted here shows the increase in the pack's natural armor
 * Strength/constitution bonus Add this bonus to the pack's strength and constitution score.
 * Damage: The packs natural attacks increase in damage as shown on the table, this represents that more and more animals join the pack.

Starting Statistics Pet

 * Type: Animal
 * Size: Depends on animals, but the pack takes up the space of a large creature up until level 14 and then it increase to 15 foot square.
 * Speed 40 ft.
 * Ability Scores: str 14, dex 14, con 14, int 3, wis 10, cha 10
 * Skills The pack has a natural bonus to the following skills. Perception +8, Stealth +8, and Survival +8
 * CMB and CMD The pack adds its max pack size to its cmb and cmd.

Connection
The beast master and his pack have a supernatural connection allowing them use telepathic communication and receive commands as a free action. This connection also makes the pack immune to mind affecting abilities.

Keep watch
The pack has grown so strong now, that they can keep watch for the master and still get as much rest as they need through the night. This means there will always be at least one animal awake through the night.

Ability increase
The pack adds +1 to one of its ability scores.

Scout
Trough the telepathic connection a beast master can send out his pack to scout for him, and let him see what they see through the bond, while doing this the beast master has to focus and is considered helpless, he can do this a number rounds per day equal to his level + con modifier. The range of this ability is 100 feet per level.