Talk:Monster/Beast Hunter (5e Class)

There are a few issues with this page as it is currently. The class was linked on reddit and the general consensus seems to be that it is too strong. I haven't given this a look myself (though I do notice several dead levels), but please read that thread I linked and take it as useful feedback. — Geodude671 (talk | contribs | email)‎ . . 18:20, 25 February 2018 (MST)

Copypasta of probably the best breakdown in that thread, by ArticulateT:

"The class only ever gets one core feature at the start, which is a bonus to skill checks in order to carve a monster. For starters, it relies on a mechanic of crafting your GM may or may not implement in the game, which is the requirement of very specific materials to craft items, mimicking Monster Hunter, sure, but may be problematic for a long term campaign. The reason why this is a potential issue would be three-fold:

• While is says what specific parts are used for the crafting of weapons, armour and 'Alchemy', at no point in the class is this elaborated on. For the sake of weapons, this is probably linked to the Hunter's Weapons feature later down the line, but there's no specifications as to what the material cost for making a Hunter Weapon is. Ultimately this means it's an external mechanic that your GM will have to develop entirely for the sake of the class itself.

• If it's anything like Monster Hunter, different items that have different skills and effects likely require specific parts of a monster to use, requiring the active hunt of a specific monster, which may mean regularly going off the beaten path to find the beast you need to kill and carve so you're better prepared for the thing you actually need to go and do down the line, and while that's never a bad thing to actively explore, it can be problematic if your game has something of a time limit, and other party members may not want to go on a lot of side quests that only benefit one party member.

• Lastly, the bonuses it gets are based off of size rather than how well the hunter knows its prey, thus meaning it would always be beneficial to hunt and carve something much, much bigger rather than encouraging the hunter to prepare and understand the creature they seek to hunt. That, and you may not be fighting anything bigger than Large size until level 7.

Additionally, it's odd that the class only gets one feature at level one and it's about what the hunter does to its prey when it finds it, rather than the actual hunt itself. Besides this, it's almost like the Monster Hunter is a subpar Fighter. Even a Paladin gets something akin to a self-heal and an active perceptive ability that lays the groundwork for what the class will eventually do. Rangers at level one seem like the much better hunters in this regard, with bonuses to specific monster types as well as an insanely invaluable tracking and adventuring skill.

At level 2, you get two class features, that being Hunter Points and Hunter Styles. The hunter points do seem rather limited, but scale up regardless of how many levels you take in Monster Hunter (as it's based off your proficiency score, which increases with character level and not class level) as well as being replenished in three different ways (seemingly to full because it doesn't specify how many you get back.) A long rest is fairly typical, as well as abilities that grant them back, but the one that sticks with me is "when you get the killing blow." Getting a killing blow in any combat is insanely easy, and it potentially means you'll be replenishing your hunter points to full multiple times in a single combat, thus fuelling your other abilities that run off of hunter points with almost no concern of running out. This is later alluded to in Blademaster archetype in which you get back 1 point for each kill, 2 with a hunter weapon, but it could do with explaining that earlier.

The styles vary, but are similarly scary.

• Guild Style: Casting Hunter's Mark for one point, considering you get them easily enough is very, very good, and a +1 to hit and AC permanently is also quite powerful for level 2.

• Striker Style: seems odd that it would grant you spells, but as an ability, especially picking spells from the ranger list, seems OK, if a little underwhelming (though hunter's mark is a very good spell.)

• Aerial Style: Seems like a weaker, more costly version of the Jump spell, and additionally grants a free mount attack, the mechanics of which are also left unexplained in regards to tabletop rules, so would have to be worked out by the GM.

• Adept Style: Risky, but potentially very, very powerful. Some melee attacks can be devastating, and being able to throw that back, and at later levels for more than was given, would be horrendously broken.

The hunter weapons are all pretty powerful, especially the greatsword's wind-up attack and the Bow's exploding arrows (DC15 4d8 Fire Damage at will is horrifying, let alone it can be obtained at level 5) but with instances like the Hammer, some may rely on non-existant mechanics (I don't think there are rules for called shots in 5e).

Expert Survivalist gives you a nerfed version of the Ranger's 1st level ability at level 7, so... pretty disappointing.

Considering how easy it is to recharge Hunter Points during combats, I don't think you'd ever really get to use The Circle of Life unless the situation had gotten pretty dire.

Hunters Senses seem pretty good, but probably could have been acquired at an earlier level.

Thrill of the Hunt seems rather underwhelming (considering you can get Hunter's Mark much earlier, and the spell is much more thorough.)

Improved Hunters Weapons granting bonuses is OK, though the damage one seems a bit superfluous, and them being magic by this point might be a little too late, given other classes that make their weapons/attacks magic got this at a much earlier stage.

Hunter's Snare seems fairly unique, all things considered, but again seems like something that could have been granted at an earlier level than 17.

Apex Predator gives a lot of the boosts that honestly could have been split up over the previous levels. As a capstone the whole thing seems decent by comparison, but each ability by themselves seem underwhelming. for example, spending 3 hunter points for an extra 1d12 damage seems like it could be put with improved hunters weapons."

— Geodude671 (talk | contribs | email)‎ . . 18:36, 25 February 2018 (MST)