User:GamerAim/Hunter
Supernaturalist[edit]
Supernaturalists are specialist monster hunters who spend their whole lives training to fight the things that go bump in the night. Supernaturalists are mercenaries and travelers, fighting monsters for the fame and fortune, or for the good of the people. While the motives, means and origin of the supernaturalist may vary, the one thing all have in common is an aptitude at hunting down and destroying supernatural threats with a variety of martial, arcane and intellectual prowess. Most supernaturalists are raised specifically to defend the world from supernatural threats, usually by family members, monastic orders, secret cabals, or the like.
Making a Supernaturalist[edit]
The role of the supernaturalist in the party is simple: at lower levels, they can perform adequately as front-line warriors, and at higher levels can provide magical assistance in and out of combat. They rarely take up ranged weapons, and as such tend to depend on magic and other party members to take out targets at a distance; as well, they benefit from healing and greater numbers as much as other characters. Where the supernaturalist really shines is in the investigation and killing of so-called monsters: undead, outsiders, monstrous beasts and humanoids, killer plants, dragons and unnatural abominations, among others. Their knowledge of lore, tracking ability, divination spells and skill at information gathering make them valuable assets when trying to locate a particular creature and ensuring that the party is prepared to fight it. Inside of combat, the supernaturalist gains a variety of abilities that benefit fighting creatures of particular types.
A PC supernaturalist should have some reason for working with others, that will likely be influenced by his alignment. He could be an independent monster hunter out to make his fortune, or a recent graduate of a supernaturalist college looking to make the best use of his skills, or a member of a supernaturalist organization sent out to get real-world training. GMs are encouraged to give PCs lenience in deciding the background and motivations of their supernaturalist, as they would give characters of other classes.
Abilities: Strength and charisma are the two most important abilities for the supernaturalist, as they affect his combat, magical and lore-gathering abilities.
Races: Humans, with their innate fear of the unknown, are most likely to be supernaturalists, with half-elves and half-orcs following behind. Elf and dwarf supernaturalists are not unheard of it, but gnome and halflings of this class are virtually nonexistent.
Alignment: Lawful neutral, neutral good, true neutral or neutral evil. Being a supernaturalist requires a focus and dedication of mind that chaotic characters lack, and requires a certain detachment to get the job done. Supernaturalists who work as part of larger organizations are most likely to be lawful neutral, while independent supernaturalists are more likely to be neutral good or true neutral. Supernaturalists who are more concerned for fame or fortune than the wellbeing of the world may be neutral evil.
Starting Gold: 3d8×10 gp (135 gp). A level 1 supernaturalist cannot end character creation with more than 1d4 GP. The excess must be spent at character creation or is lost.
Starting Age: Moderate
| Level | Base Attack Bonus |
Saving Throws | Special | Spells per Day | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort | Ref | Will | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +2 | +0 | 1st Favored Enemy, Supernatural Lore, Favored Weapon (Silver) | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +3 | +0 | Bonus Feat | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Favored Weapon (+1) | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +4 | +1 | 2nd Favored Enemy | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6th | +6/+1 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Bonus Feat | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7th | +7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8th | +8/+3 | +6 | +6 | +2 | Favored Weapon (+2) | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9th | +9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +3 | Meditation | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10th | +10/+5 | +7 | +7 | +3 | 3rd Favored Enemy, Bonus Feat | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11th | +11/+6/+1 | +7 | +7 | +3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12th | +12/+7/+2 | +8 | +8 | +4 | Favored Weapon (+3) | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13th | +13/+8/+3 | +8 | +8 | +4 | Mount | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14th | +14/+9/+4 | +9 | +9 | +4 | Bonus Feat | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15th | +15/+10/+5 | +9 | +9 | +5 | 4th Favored Enemy | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16th | +16/+11/+6/+1 | +10 | +10 | +5 | Favored Weapon (+4) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17th | +17/+12/+7/+2 | +10 | +10 | +5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18th | +18/+13/+8/+3 | +11 | +11 | +6 | Bonus Feat | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19th | +19/+14/+9/+4 | +11 | +11 | +6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20th | +20/+15/+10/+5 | +12 | +12 | +6 | Favored Weapon (Any), 5th Favored Enemy | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class Features[edit]
<-fluff about class features->. All of the following are class features of the <-class name->.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Supernaturalists are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with light armor.
Spells: Supernaturalists are spontaneous spellcasters who use Charisma to determine save DCs, bonus spells and highest spell level that can be cast. Additionally, no spells the supernaturalist casts require verbal or material/focus (unless a component/foci not normally found in a spell components pouch), but all require somatic gestures. Supernaturalists can learn any of the following spells:
1st—Alarm, Shield, Protection from Chaos/Good/Evil/Law, Burning Hands, Charm Person, Detect Undead, Expeditious Retreat, Disguise Self, Undetectable Alignment
2nd—See Invisibility, Scorching Ray, Flaming Sphere, Continual Flame, Gust of Wind, Locate Object, Detect Thoughts, Alter Self, Cat's Grace, Darkvision
3rd—Explosive Runes, Magic Circle Against Chaos/Evil/Good/Law, Suggestion, Fireball, Haste, Dispel Magic
4th—Fire Trap, Dimensional Anchor, Remove Curse, Charm Monster, Wall of Fire, Freedom of Movement, Break Enchantment, Repel Vermin
5th—Break Enchantment, Dismissal, Contact Other Plane, Sending, Dominate Person, Less Planar Binding, Telekinesis, Symbol of Pain
6th—True Seeing, Legend Lore, Forceful Hand, Planar Binding, Symbol of Fear
| Level | Spells Known | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | |
| 1st | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | 21 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6th | 3 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7th | 3 | 21 | — | — | — | — |
| 8th | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 9th | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 10th | 4 | 4 | 21 | — | — | — |
| 11th | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 12th | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 13th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 21 | — | — |
| 14th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 15th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 16th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 21 | — |
| 17th | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | — |
| 18th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | — |
| 19th | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 21 |
| 20th | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| ||||||
Favored Weapon (Ex): At first level, you must pick one type of melee weapon (longsword, greataxe, ect.) to be your Favored Weapon. When using any weapon of that type, it is considered to be a silver and cold iron weapon for the purposes of bypassing damage immunity/reduction against all creature types listed on Table: Supernaturalist Favored Enemies. At level 4, weapons affected by Favored Weapon are treated as being +1 magical weapons for the purposes of bypassing damage immunity. At level 8 and every 4 levels thereafter (12, 16, 20), the effective bonus increases by +1 (note that the weapon does not gain other benefits of being a +x weapon as a result of this feature).
Favored Enemy (Ex): At 1st level, a supernaturalist may select a type of creature from among those given on Table: Supernaturalist Favored Enemies. The supernaturalist gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against creatures of this type. Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls and supernatural lore checks against such creatures.
At 5th level and every five levels thereafter (10th, 15th, and 20th level), the supernaturalist may select an additional favored enemy from those given on the table. In addition, at each such interval, the bonus against any one favored enemy (including the one just selected, if so desired) increases by 2.
If the supernaturalist chooses outsiders as a favored enemy, he must also choose an associated subtype, as indicated on the table. If a specific creature falls into more than one category of favored enemy, the ranger’s bonuses do not stack; he simply uses whichever bonus is higher.
| Type (Subtype) | Type (Subtype) | Type (Subtype) |
|---|---|---|
| Aberration | Dragon | Elemental |
| Fey | Magical beast | Monstrous humanoid |
| Ooze | Outsider (air) | Outsider (chaotic) |
| Outsider (earth) | Outsider (evil) | Outsider (fire) |
| Outsider (good) | Outsider (lawful) | Outsider (native) |
| Outsider (water) | Plant | Undead |
Supernatural Lore (Ex): Supernaturalists rely on accurate lore about supernatural entities to give them the edge in the hunt. A supernaturalist may make a special supernatural lore check with a bonus equal to his supernaturalist level + his Charisma modifier to see whether he uncovers some relevant information on the creature in question (name, myths/legends, lair, hunting habits, activity cycle, etc.). The DC of this check is equal to 10 + the CR of the creature. A library (or similar conditions) imparts a +2 circumstantial bonus to supernatural lore checks. You can also roll a supernatural lore check instead of a Knowledge check to identify special powers and vulnerabilities. Finally, supernaturalists gain the Track feat at level 1.
If you have more than five ranks in Knowledge (arcana, dungeoneering, nature, religion, or the planes), you gain a +2 synergy bonus to supernatural lore checks relating to specific creature types as on Table: Supernatural Lore Synergy.
At level 9, a supernaturalist can make a supernatural lore check once per encounter against a favored enemy to gain either a +2 circumstantial bonus to attack rolls, a +2 circumstantial bonus to saving throws, or a +2 dodge bonus to AC against that favored enemy for the rest of the encounter.
| Knowledge Skill | Creature Type |
|---|---|
| Knowledge (arcana) | Dragon, Magical beast |
| Knowledge (dungeoneering) | Aberration, Ooze |
| Knowledge (nature) | Fey, Monstrous humanoid, Plant |
| Knowledge (religion) | Undead |
| Knowledge (the planes) | Elemental, Outsider |
Meditation (Ex): At level 9, supernaturalists no longer need to sleep, but must meditate for 8 hours to regain spell slots and gain special bonuses.
Mount (Ex): At level 13, the supernaturalist gains an intelligent warhorse (or equivalent). If it ever dies, the supernaturalist permanently loses 2 points of Wisdom and Charisma until a new one is gained; however, a new mount can only be gained once per level. The mount is similar to others of its kind, but has 6 intelligence, +2 HD, +4 AC, +2 to all saving throws and +20 ft. base movement speed. Additionally, the mount has improved evasion and shares an empathic link with the supernaturalist.
Bonus Feats: Supernaturalists gain a bonus feat at second level and every 4 levels thereafter. He can choose from the following list, provided he meets the prerequisites: Cleave, Closed Mind, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Deceitful, Diehard, Dodge, Endurance, Great Cleave, Great Fortitude, Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, Improved Trip, Investigator, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Mounted Combat, Negotiator, Power Attack, Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge, Spring Attack, Trample, Whirlwind Attack
Starting at level 10, supernaturalists can also select feats from the following list: Brew Potion, Combat Casting, Craft Construct, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Empower Spell, Enhance Spell, Enlarge Spell, Extend Spell, Greater Spell Focus, Greater Spell Penetration, Heighten Spell, Improved Counterspell, Maximize Spell, Reach Spell, Spell Focus, Spell Penetration, Widen Spell
Ex-Supernaturalist[edit]
A supernaturalist who changes alignment loses the favored enemy, favored weapon and meditation features.
Epic Supernaturalist[edit]
| Level | Special | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21st | Mount, Meditation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 22nd | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 23rd | Bonus Feat | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 24th | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 25th | 6th Favored Enemy, Favored Weapon (Any) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26th | Bonus Feat | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 27th | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 28th | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 29th | Bonus Feat | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 30th | 7th Favored Enemy, Favored Weapon (All) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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6 + Int modifier skill points per level. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mount: At level 21, the supernaturalist's mount's Intelligence increases by 1 (to 7), HD bonus by 2 (to +4), AC bonus by 2 (to +6), and gains a +2 bonus to Strength.
Meditation: At level 21, once per day, the supernaturalist can prepare a number of potions equal to his constitution modifier per hour while meditating uninterrupted for the of their creation.
Favored Enemy: The epic supernaturalist gains one additional favored enemy, and his or her bonuses against one category of favored enemies goes up by +2, every five levels higher than 20th.
Favored Weapon: At level 25, the supernaturalist's favored weapon bypasses all types of damage immunity and damage reduction of favored enemies. At level 30, this ability affects all enemy types on Table: Supernaturalist Favored Enemies.
Bonus Feat: The epic supernaturalist gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic supernaturalist bonus feats) every 3 levels after 20th.
Epic Supernaturalist Bonus Feat List: Augmented Alchemy, Armor Skin, Damage Reduction, Devastating Critical, Energy Resistance, Epic Endurance, Epic Prowess, Epic Toughness, Epic Weapon Focus, Exceptional Deflection, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Combat Reflexes, Improved Metamagic, Improved Spell Capacity, Improved Whirlwind Attack, Infinite Deflection, Legendary Rider, Spell Knowledge, Spell Stowaway, Spell Opportunity, Tenacious Magic, Overwhelming Critical
Human Supernaturalist Starting Package[edit]
Weapons: Longsword
Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 6 + Int modifier.
| Skill | Ranks | Ability | Armor Check Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluff | 4 | Cha | — |
| Disguise | 4 | Cha | — |
| Gather Information | 4 | Cha | — |
| Intimidate | 4 | Cha | — |
| Knowledge (arcana) | 4 | Int | — |
| Knowledge (dungeoneering) | 4 | Int | — |
| Knowledge (nature) | 4 | Int | — |
| Knowledge (religion) | 4 | Int | — |
| Knowledge (the planes) | 4 | Int | — |
| Listen | 4 | Wis | — |
| Search | 4 | Int | — |
| Spot | 4 | Wis | — |
| Survival | 4 | Wis | — |
Feat: Investigator.
Bonus Feats: Witcher.
Gear: Studded leather armor, traveler's outfit, holy water (flask), acid (flask), tindertwig, backpack, bedroll, winter blanket, chalk (1 piece), crowbar, Pony w/ pack saddle, firewood (5 days), signal whistle, shovel, waterskin, 10-foot pole, iron pot, grappling hook + 50 feet/hempen rope, bell, scroll case, inkpen, ink (1 oz. vial), parchment (2 sheets).
Gold: 4 gp
Campaign Information[edit]
Playing a Supernaturalist[edit]
Religion: Supernaturalists tend to be unconcerned with, if not unbelieving in, religion. Those who do follow a religion tend to worship deities of protection, war, alchemy, magic, nature, or even good, depending on the inclinations of the supernaturalist.
Other Classes: Depending on their background, supernaturalists may find barbarians either capable fighters or undisciplined savages, but can always appreciate the combat prowess and focus of fighters, paladins, rangers and monks. Non-religious supernaturalists may be disillusioned about religion, but value the healing of clerics, and get along well with druids, as they share a desire to destroy that which is unnatural. Supernaturalists may have conflicting feelings about arcane magic users, as they themselves are trained in the art, but have faced many unseemly wizards and sorcerers. Some supernaturalists are known to befriend bards for their knowledge of lore and witchcraft, but are impartial to rogues.
Combat: The supernaturalist is at his best when fighting his favored enemy, but his BAB progression and magic make him an adequate fighter, especially at higher levels. Since supernaturalists are forced to choose a melee favored weapon, he tends to focus on melee attacks, particularly those concerning his weapon of choice, though supernaturalists can use ranged weapons when forced to.
Advancement: Supernaturalists sometimes multiclass to druids, bards or even clerics for the added healing, lore and similar-mindedness. Those wishing to more broadly expand magical knowledge may multiclass as sorcerers, whose spontaneous casting and high will saves complement the supernaturalist. They rarely multiclass as barbarians (who they see as undisciplined), monks (whose unarmed combat focus conflicts with their own class features) and wizards (whose spells must be prepared in advance - diminishing their effectiveness). Supernaturalists cannot become paladins, but might become rangers to gain more favored enemies and other useful abilities.
Supernaturalists in the World[edit]
| “ | There are corners of the multiverse which have bred the most terrible and vile of creatures. Unholy, unnatural abominations that would see destroyed everything that we believe in. They must be fought, and it is our responsibility to fight them. | ” |
| —Gerald of Winchesterton, Human Supernaturalist | ||
The role of the supernaturalist in the campaign depends largely on the setting. In worlds where supernatural threats are relatively unknown to the general populace, supernaturalists may work in secret as they try to protect the unknowing public from the unknown itself. In such a campaign, supernaturalists might still form secret cabals dedicated to researching and eradicating monsters, but might just as likely be a land of splintered monster hunters independently fighting their own battles with occasional help from other supernaturalists, or working in pairs of 2 or 3. In campaigns where supernatural threats are more common or known to the populace, independent supernaturalists are rarer. In these campaigns, supernaturalists may be lauded, feared or both, and semi-secret schools of supernaturalists will be public knowledge.
Daily Life: Supernaturalists are travelers by nature, moving from town to town based on whim and rumor to fight whatever monstrosity might be plaguing a settlement. As his calling is to protect the lives of innocents from the supernatural, supernaturalists tend to stay near settlements as anything that is not hurting anyone is not his problem. If he catches whiff of something, however, he may be compelled to seek it out and destroy the creature before it can make a move. Most supernaturalists work for little to no money, usually having only enough coin on his person to purchase the bare necessities. This is particularly true for regions where knowledge of the supernatural is minimal, and so no one is around to recognize the deeds of the supernaturalist and reward him accordingly.
Notables: Gerald of Winchesterton, male human supernaturalist: Centuries-old witcher and adoptive father of Samwise and Dunwich, known throughout the world as the slayer of the Dragon-King Atharius.
Dunwich, male human supernaturalist: Adoptive son of Gerald of Winchesterton and olderbrother of Samwise, he once made love with the goddess Drach'Nos in return for slaying her evil half-sister Rabuzi.
Samwise, male human supernaturalist: Younger brother of Dunwich and adoptive son of Gerald of Wincheston, who has slew the demigod Rabuzi and saved Gerald of Winchesterton with the help of his brother.
Organizations: It is said that there are two types of supernaturalist: those who work alone, and those who work together. Which category a supernaturalist falls into tends to depend largely on the situation of the region. Some regions have one or more predominant groups of supernaturalist who work together to a common goal of eliminating supernatural threats. Such organizations tend to be highly secretive, as the only thing people fear more than monsters, is the few people powerful enough to kill them. As such, those organizations who openly pursue the profession of supernaturalist do so at a great risk, as more powerful entities than a common peasant might have a grudge against supernaturalists. Such greats groups are still extremely powerful, tempered largely by a desire only to see good done; however, this centralization can also mean the end of such greats, as one great attack and be the death of all members. As these groups are usually close-knit and train themselves, their knowledge by since be lost.
In regions are largely devoid of organized supernaturalist groups, the most you can hope for is a secret tavern or waystation known only to supernaturalists, who guard the secret with their lives. They will occasionally work together when faced with a job that can't be handled alone, but by and large, they never travel and work together with more than one or two people at once for an extended period. These individuals might be friends or family, who have a close and trusting bond between each other. These regions may have once held larger congregations of supernaturalists who later came to regret their decision to congregate when utterly destroyed by a superior force, or may have simply never had the chance to develop such organizations.
NPC Reactions: In most campaigns, high-level supernaturalists are celebrated heroes, renown for slaying some evil or another. By the same token, they might also be feared, or even hated, for the power they possess. Low-level supernaturalists, unless having gone to a particular school for it, are treated the same as any other no-name warrior.
Supernaturalist Lore[edit]
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (dungeoneering) can research supernaturalists to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.
| DC | Result |
|---|---|
| 5 | Supernaturalists train to fight monsters of specific types. |
| 10 | Supernaturalists can slice through magical beasts with ease, even with normal steel blades. |
| 15 | Some human supernaturalists do not need to sleep, but meditate as elves do. |
| 20 | Powerful supernaturalists have unusually strong, quick and intelligent mounts. |
Supernaturalists in the Game[edit]
Supernaturalists can be found anywhere that unnatural evil lurks unpunished. While this is usually in rural or wilderness areas, supernaturalists know that more danger lurks inside cities than the inhabitants would like to believe.
Adaptation: Potential variations include a supernaturalist who hunts evil humanoids as well as monsters, or a supernaturalist that uses ranged weapons as a favored weapon.
Sample Encounter: <-DM placement for NPCs of this class.->.
EL : <-Encounter scenario and character info on sample NPC including stat block. The CR of the NPC is typically the same as the EL for the encounter.->.