The Predator's Embrace (3.5e Equipment)

The Predator's Embrace

The History

According to legend, it was the god Uller who created these extraordinary cloaks. He found that when hunting it is always best to have a strong companion that can compliment a distance ranger’s weakness in close combat. He also loved to hunt whether in human or animal form, so he decided to give the same gift to the wearer of the cloak. In Uller’s view, it was this closeness to wilderness that made an unstoppable hunting party, so he allowed the wearer of this cloak to take on some aspects of their animal companion. Uller made 13 of these cloaks for rangers whom he happened to run into while traveling on foot across Faerûn.

Specifications

• Price - 50gp (unknown) to 100,000gp (known)
• Body Slot - Shoulders
• Ranger Only (All Effects)
• Minimum Ranger Level - 5
• Aura - Strong; (DC 15) Restoration, (DC 20) Conjuration, (DC 25) Divine, (DC 30) Transmutation
• Activation—and a move action
• Weight - 10 lb.

The Abilities

Only a rangeris permitted to wear the cloak and gain its bonuses. No other class besides a ranger will benefit from this cloak although they may still wear it. The cloak will adjust to its wearers size, shape, and even skin granting more and more power with each day until fully attuned. For the cloak's bonuses to take full effect, a ranger must wear the cloak for 3 days in a row. The Pact of the Hunter bonus, Wild bonus, Endure Elements bonus and Natural Bedroll bonus apply themselves as soon as the cloak is worn. The Natural Instinct bonus is applied on the 2nd day of wearing the cloak. The Dire Company bonus is applied on the 3rd day of wearing the cloak. Uller's Promise is applied once the ranger wears the cloak for 1 month and reaches level 15. Additionally, after 1 day of wearing the cloak, the cloak takes on the appearance of the skin, pelt, or feathers of the character’s animal companion. The cloak can be temporarily removed while still counting towards the bonuses but only for up to 5 hours.

• Ever - The cloak was created by the god, Uller; as such the cloak is indestructible unless Uller himself destroys it. If the cloak is pulled around the wearer, a move action, all weapon damage dealt to the wearer is converted to bludgeoning damage; ending this protection is a free action. The wearer is also immune to precision damage (such as sneak attack damage). Furthermore, while under the cloak, the wearer gets a +5 sacred bonus to all saving throws and is treated as having Evasion and Mettle. The character may pull the cloak around themselves while flying, however, doing so causes the character to fall. The character can make a reflex save (DC 15) at any time during the fall to catch themselves. Should the character fail the save, they may make an additional save during their turn as a move action.

• Endure Elements - When used in hotter areas the cloak cools the wearer and when used in colder areas the cloak keeps the wearer warm, exactly as the spell Endure Elements. In this way, the wearer cannot suffer from hypothermia, frostbite, sunburns or heat stroke by natural means. Activates immediately upon wearing.

• Wild – All bonuses apply when in wild shape or when using the Dire Company function of The Predators Embrace. Activates immediately upon wearing.

• Natural Bedroll – The cloak is big enough to be used as a regular bedroll and does not fatigue the wearer when slept in. It provides a standard 8 hour rest, including ranger spell regeneration and an 8 hour regeneration of 2 extra hit points per character level, in 4 hours of rest. Sleeping in the cloak counts as both wearing it and covering the user with it for the purposes of the Ever and Endure Elements abilities. Activates immediately upon wearing.

• Pact of the Hunter – The ranger's levels are treated as a druid of an equal level for the purposes of the Animal Companion ability. This does not allow a ranger to take an animal companion before level 4. If a ranger removes the cloak and has a higher level animal companion than his effective druid level would permit without the cloak, the animal companion will stay until killed or dismissed. Activates immediately upon wearing.

• Natural Instinct – Any feats, exceptional (Ex) special qualities, or exceptional (Ex) special attacks that the animal companion has are added to the player character’s feats, special attacks and qualities until the animal companion is either dismissed or killed. During animal companion advancement, the feats must be chosen as if benefiting the animal companion instead of the ranger. If a Weapon Proficiency is given to a character that does not have the necessary ability such as a human that gains the Weapon Proficiency (bite) from their wolf companion, they do not gain an extra bite attack. A PC that gains a feat in this way must still take the feat before being able to take another feat that requires it. For instance, a ranger with a wolf companion would gain the feats Track and Weapon Focus (bite), the special abilities low-light vision and Scent, and the special attack Trip. The ranger would still need to take Weapon Focus (bite) if they wanted to take Improved Critical (bite). The only exception to this rule is if a ranger has an animal companion that can fly, in which case the cloak acts as a set of wings with a fly speed of the character's base land speed and the animal companion's maneuverability. Activates after 2 days of wearing.

• Dire Company – Once per day per ranger level divisible by 5, as a swift action a ranger can wildshape into a dire animal of the same form as his animal companion until he wishes to cancel the effect. When the character has amassed 15 ranger levels, they may take on the form of a legendary animal of their animal companion 1/day/level divisible by 5. This replaces the previous uses of dire animal wildshape the ranger gained from this cloak. A level 5 ranger has 2 uses of this ability per day, while a level 15 ranger has 4 uses per day of wildshape legendary animal companion. Activates after 3 days of wearing.

• Uller's Promise - Ranger Only Uller sealed a permanent promise with each of the 13 cloaks which stated that should a hunter (ranger) wear one of these cloaks for over a month and have reached at least level 15, that hunter (ranger) shall be asked by Uller himself if they wish to go on an ultimate hunting quest along with their entire party. Upon completing the quest with Uller, all party members will keep all items and experience gained during the hunt and will gain in addition to that 1 permanent level and 2 permanent ability points which must be placed in the same ability. If the quest is not accepted or if the hunter (ranger) does not impress Uller during the hunt, Uller will punish the hunter (ranger) in a way he sees fit. (DM's choice of punishment or curse). If the hunt is successful and Uller is pleased, Uller will give the PC a choice; he can tell the cloak's owner everything they wish to know about one other artifact including its location, or Uller can make the ranger's animal companion a legendary animal of its species. Activates after 1 month of wearing and once the ranger reaches level 15.

Lore

A ranger in possession of The Predator's Embrace will automatically feel its connection to nature and may ask the DM if the item is magical. The DM should then make the PC role a Knowledge (Legend), (Nature), or (Religion) (one or all three) check with the following information revealed depending on the roll:

• DC 10 - The cloak is filled with divine power, and only rangers feel any different while wearing the cloak.
• DC 15 - Uller made 13 cloaks and gave them to rangers he met on his travels over Faerûn.
• DC 25 - The introduction paragraph and all of the abilities except for Uller's Promise.
• DC 40 - Everything, including Uller's Promise.

DM Notes

This is a powerful object which a DM should weigh against other options of increasing power. This object is one way to make a ranger PC stop complaining that the other PCs (i.e. spell flingers) are too strong compared to them. Introducing the item is fairly easy: either have Uller himself give the PC the cloak personally or have the PC's quest to find a lost or stolen cloak. Otherwise have the PC's run into an old NPC who wishes to pass the cloak on.

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