Not A Very Nice Guy Bounty Hunter (2.5e Class)

Bounty Hunter

Story

The wizard Herek sat in the corner, drinking his ale. He tapped his staff of the magi nervously while he sipped the brew, as if he sensed some unseen menace lurking nearby. His companion, Pallar, scoffed at this nervousness; magicians were perpetually uneasy, and besides, he was becoming apprehensive as well. Suddenly the pungent odor of acid stabbed into nostrils. Pallar rose and drew his blade in one motion, but it was already too late. Herek let out a short scream, then slumped in a heap, dead, with an arrow of slaying lodged in his back. There was a hold burned through the wall behind them -- the acid had done that -- and through it Pallar glimpsed a figure escaping on a flying carpet. He mouthed some curses in the direction of the killer and then turned to the body of his friend. A note was tied to the shaft of the arrow buried in the mage's back: Revenge now belongs to the Lords of the Dragon, through the courtesy and efforts of the Master of the Bountiful Hunt. There were only a few other words, but they were already unreadable, smeared by wizard's blood...

Description

A Bounty Hunter is a character who specializes in the killing of other characters or creatures for profit. A Bounty Hunter who fights only non-humanoid creatures must be neutral in alignment, while those who fight and slay humanoids must be neutral evil.

Humans and half-orc characters may be Bounty Hunters of this type, as long as they possess the following minimum ability scores: Strength 15, Intelligence 13, dexterity 14, and constitution 14. If strength, dexterity, and constitution are all 16 or higher, the character gains a 10% bonus to earned experience. There are many types of Bounty Hunters.

A Bounty Hunter is in some ways a combination of Ranger and Assassin. The character is not capable of having exceptional strength, but uses the combat and saving-throw tables for fighters and can use all magic items usable by the fighter class. In addition, Bounty Hunters have the back stabbing ability of a thief of equal level, and they are treated as rangers for determination of initial number of weapons and weapon proficiency.

Bounty Hunters who do not slay humanoids can rise only as high as the ninth level of experience, while other hunters can aspire to 13th level, The Great Hunter. When a character gains enough experience points to reach 13th level, he does not automatically receive the title, but must first track down and kill whomever currently holds the title of The Great Hunter. An aspirant who ignores this requirement or demonstrates cowardice has shamed the other members of his profession, and from that day forward will be marked for death by all other Bounty Hunters he encounters, or who seek him out. Killing a "coward" in this manner brings almost as much prestige to the killer as killing The Great Hunter himself. At no other time will one Bounty Hunter raise a weapon against another, except if fighting another hunter is necessary to bring about the completion of a job.

Bounty Hunters receive experience points for killing creatures and characters, just as any other character would, and they can also gain experience points through the accumulation of bounty monies. However, gold pieces or other valuables or magic items will never count directly toward earned experience except when they are received as payment for a job well done.

Experience Points ------- Experience Level ------- 8 sided dice for accumulated hit points ------- Level Title

• 0---2,500 --------------------------------------- 1 --------------------------- 1 ---------------------------------------------------------- Seeker
• 2,501---5,000 --------------------------------- 2 --------------------------- 2 ---------------------------------------------------------- Shadow
• 5,001---12,500 ------------------------------- 3 --------------------------- 3 ---------------------------------------------------------- Trophyman
• 12,501---25,000 ------------------------------- 4 --------------------------- 4 ---------------------------------------------------------- Hunter
• 25,001---50,000 ------------------------------- 5 --------------------------- 5 ---------------------------------------------------------- Collector
• 50,001---100,000 ------------------------------- 6 --------------------------- 6 ---------------------------------------------------------- Exterminator
• 100,001---175,000 ------------------------------- 7 --------------------------- 7 ---------------------------------------------------------- Master Collector
• 175,001---300,000 ------------------------------- 8 --------------------------- 8 ---------------------------------------------------------- Bounty Hunter
• 300,001---450,000 ------------------------------- 9 --------------------------- 9 ---------------------------------------------------------- B. H., 9th Level
• 450,001---600,000 ------------------------------- 10 --------------------------- 10 ---------------------------------------------------------- B. H., 10th Level
• 600,001---750,000 ------------------------------- 11 --------------------------- 11 ---------------------------------------------------------- Master Hunter
• 750,001---900,000 ------------------------------- 12 --------------------------- 12 ---------------------------------------------------------- Death Hunter
• 900,000 + ---------------------------------------- 13 --------------------------- 13 ---------------------------------------------------------- The Great Hunter

Special Abilities

A Bounty Hunter of third level or higher gains the ability to perform assassinations with the same chance of success as an assassin of two levels lower. A third-level hunter assassinates as a first-level assassin, etc.

In some circumstances, a bounty may be more profitable if the quarry is captured rather than killed. In this case, a successful assassination by the Bounty Hunter can mean that the victim was knocked unconscious for 2-16 turns. This will be enough time to bind and gag the prisoner, and perhaps enough time to allow delivery to the one who will pay the bounty. There is a chance on any knockout attempt that the blow will kill the victim regardless of the hunter's intentions. It is 20% for a hunter of seventh level or lower, and it decreases by 2% per level for each level of the hunter above the seventh, down to 8% for a 13th-level hunter. The Bounty Hunter must employ a blunt weapon for a knockout attempt to be made.

A Bounty Hunter of fifth level or higher gains some thieving abilities byond the innate proficiency at back stabbing. Opening locks, finding/removing traps, moving silently, hiding in shadows, hearing noise, climbing walls and reading languages can be performed by a fifth-level hunter at the same chances of success as a first-level thief. These abilities improve with each higher level gained.

A Bounty Hunter of seventh level or higher can track as a Ranger, and has the disguise abilities of an assassin.

All Bounty Hunters of ninth level or higher gain the ability to make 3 weapon attacks every 2 rounds.

Bounty Hunters do not attract followers, and they only build strongholds or keeps upon their retirement. They are by nature mean and self-confident. In public, when not on an "assignment," they are liable to display incredible arrogance. On a hunt, however, they become withdrawn and apparently passive. It is at this time when Bounty Hunters are most dangerous.

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