A wanderer,the Beastmaster has a natural affinity for animals; in fact,he has a limited form of telepathic communication with them.This is often the result of a magical bond with the Animal Kingdom,formed either at the time of his birth or upon reaching young adulthood. Unlike other adventurers,the Beastmaster does not command,train,or control his animal compan- ions,rather they are his friends and comrades-in-arms. Misunderstood and feared by nobles and common folk alike for his unnatural abilities with animals,the Beastmaster seldom stays in one place for long,nor is he comfortable in civilized lands.
Requirements: Standard.
Primary Terrain: Any outdoor land.
Role: Beastmasters tend to walk alone,accompanied only by the fierce natural beasts that are their friends and allies.Traveling the fringes of settled lands,the Beastmaster has small use for the trappings of civilization,but even less for the minions of evil,particularly those of a magical or priestly nature.Thus,a Beastmaster will often find himself aiding the oppressed or enslaved,and pitted against the cruelties of evil priests or wizards and their allies.
Secondary Skills: Hunter,Fisher.
Weapon Proficiencies: A Beastmaster is initially limited to weapons that he can make himself: axe (any),club,dagger,dart,javelin,knife,quarterstaff,sling,or spear.
Nonweapon Proficiencies:Bonus: None,but see Special Benefits.Recommended:Agriculture, Bowyer/Fletcher,Endurance,Hunting,Leather working,Running,Swimming,Weather Sense. Optional:See Weaponsmithing (Crude)in the Mountain Man section).
Barred: Armorer,Etiquette,Heraldry,Navigation,Weaponsmithing.
Armor/Equipment:The Beastmaster starts only with leather armor and weapons he has made.
Species Enemy: Standard.
Followers: None,but see Special Benefits.
Special Benefits:
Stealth:The Beastmaster has a +5%chance to hide in natural surroundings.
Animal Henchmen: Although a Beastmaster receives no special followers at high level,he can acquire normal or giant animals as henchmen.He may acquire them at any level,and their number depends on his Charisma.If these animals are slain or driven away,they can be replaced by new animals without penalty (though this may take some time).
Animal Telepathy:The Beastmaster can establish telepathic communication with any normal or giant animal within 30',if he does nothing else in the round.The animal must have a minimum Intelligence of 1.This has the following benefits:
〈The Beastmaster can communicate to the creature that he desires its friendship.If the offer is sincere (and the animal will be able to sense if it isn ’t),the creature can be calmed and will not attack or flee unless it is attacked.
〈The Beastmaster can recruit an animal he has befriended as a henchman if he is not at his limit and if the creature fails a saving throw vs.rods.The saving throw is penalized by -1 for every three levels of experience the Beastmaster has earned.At the DM ’s option,animals may present themselves for recruitment in the same way that followers appear to other rangers.
Animal Bonding:The Beastmaster forms a mental bond with any animal he recruits as a hench- man.There is no distance limit,but this ability does not cross planar boundaries.This bond has the following effects:
〈The Beastmaster can communicate directly with any animal henchman to which he has a bond.This gives him the ability to directly explain tricks or tasks he wishes the animal to attempt,or to communicate needs and desires.Conversely,the animal can also communicate its needs and desires to him.
〈He can see through the eyes of the animal by concentrating on the mental link.He can see through the eyes of one creature in a round (himself included).
〈He has the animal lore proficiency with respect to the bonded animal.Furthermore,if he is mentally linked to the animal,success with the proficiency is automatic.
〈Every time the Beastmaster gains a level,all of his current animal henchmen gain an addi- tional hit point.
Animal Horde:At 9th level,the Beastmaster can summon a horde of wild animals to fight for him.They must come from a land that he controls,and it takes one week to gather them. They can be brought together only for some great purpose that can be explained simply.Up to 100 Hit Dice of animals per level of the Beastmaster will come.For every 10 animals,there will be a pack leader with one additional Hit Die and maximum hit points.The horde will stay together for one week for each level of the Beastmaster.There is no record of a Beastmaster summoning more than one horde in a year.
Optional Rule:The Beastmaster can split his experience award,giving up to half of his earned experience to any or all of his animal henchmen that played a role in the adventure.Such henchmen advance on the Fighter Experience Table,receiving +1 to attack rolls and +3 hit points for every level gained.
Special Hindrances:
Empathic Shock:The Beastmaster feels pain when one of his henchmen is wounded,suffering a - 2 penalty to all rolls in the next round.If he is mentally linked with a henchman when it is killed,he suffers a -2 penalty to all rolls for the next 24 hours.
Unruly Allies:The Beastmaster ’s animal henchmen are free to come,go,or act as they will.Any attempt to arbitrarily restrict or regulate their freedom,or habitually ignoring their needs and desires, will result in resentment,sulkiness,and possible abandonment.
Outcast:The Beastmaster suffers a -1 penalty to reaction rolls by common NPCs,and a -2 when dealing with a civilized aristocracy.Further,his maximum effective Charisma when dealing with his own race is 15.
Limited Funds:The Beastmaster starts with 1d4 -10 gp. No Fortress:At no time will the Beastmaster build a fortress.At 9th level,he may establish himself as the protector of an area of land equivalent to a barony.