A beastmaster is a wilderness, raging warrior who has developed an uncanny rapport with animals. Though truly fearsome in battle, the beastmaster can be quite gentle when dealing with creatures of the wild. A beastmaster typically travels with one or more animal companions who show incredible loyalty to their humanoid friend. Though a beastmaster prefers to spend time in the wild with his animal companion, he is not averse to venturing into civilized lands when the need arises. As long as animals may be found where he travels, the beastmaster will feel at home.
Class Traits
Role: Striker. A deadly hunter, you specialize in double-teaming your enemies with the aid of a beast companion. Your beast is an extension of you, and thereby it is an invaluable member of your group. No other is needed to help you flank your quarry.
Power Source: Primal. You are a primal champion, a warrior devoted to the natural world and an embodiment of your tribe’s fierce traditions.
Key Abilities: Strength, Constitution, Charisma
Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, leather, hide
Weapon Proficiencies: Simple melee, military melee
Bonus to Defense: +2 Fortitude
Hit Points at 1st Level: 15 + Constitution score
Hit Points per Level Gained: 6
Healing Surges per Day: 8 + Constitution modifier
Trained Skills: From the class skills list below, choose three trained skills at 1st level: Acrobatics (Dex), Athletics (Str), Endurance (Con), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Nature (Wis), Perception (Wis)
Class Features: Beast Mastery, Feral Might, rage strike, Rampage.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the beastmaster.
Beast Mastery
You gain a beast companion, chosen from one of these categories: bear, boar, cat, lizard, raptor, serpent, spider, or wolf. These categories do not describe specific animals, but rather groups of similarly themed creatures in the FFd20 world. You decide the creature’s relevant details—its species, physical details, and so forth—making sure they are appropriate for its category and the campaign.
You and your beast companion work so well together that the creature is almost an extension of you. Using your actions in combat, you control your beast companion by issuing it commands (see “Commanding a Beast Companion,”).
Your beast companion is considered a creature and an ally and can be affected by powers. A white mage can heal it with healing word, a knight can give it a melee basic attack with commander’s strike, and so forth. You and your beast companion are treated as separate creatures. You can have only one beast companion at a time.
You can dismiss your beast companion at any time, but gaining a new one isn’t a simple task (see “Gaining a New Companion,”). The link between a beastmaster and his or her beast companion is not one of master and servant but of two close friends. As part of the training you underwent that allowed you to form a close bond with a beast, you learned the Raise Beast Companion ritual, which allows you to raise your companion from the dead, even if you are otherwise unable to master and perform rituals.
Feral Might
Beastmasters connect with the natural world in a variety of ways. Some beastmasters grow so hardened to physical punishment that they find it easier to simply absorb, rather than avoid, attacks. Others are living examples of the power of one’s will to shape one’s fate. Choose one of the following options. The choice you make gives you the benefit described below and also provides bonuses to certain beastmaster powers, as detailed in those powers.
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Rageblood Vigor: You gain the swift charge power. In addition, whenever your attack reduces an enemy to 0 hit points, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier. The number of temporary hit points equals 5 + your Constitution modifier at 11th level and 10 + your Constitution modifier at 21st level.
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Thaneborn Triumph: You gain the roar of triumph power. In addition, whenever you bloody an enemy, the next attack by you or an ally against that enemy gains a bonus to the attack roll equal to your Charisma modifier.
Rage Strike
Beastmaster daily attack powers have the rage keyword. They allow you to unleash powerful bursts of emotion, willpower, and primal energy. Each rage power starts with a mighty attack, and then you enter a rage, which grants an ongoing benefit. At 5th level, you gain the rage strike power, which lets you channel an unused rage power into a devastating attack while you’re raging. Using rage strike is an alternative to using a second rage power in a climactic battle; it gives you the damage output of a daily power without forcing you to enter a different rage.
Rampage
Once per round, when you score a critical hit with a beastmaster attack power, you can immediately make a melee basic attack as a free action. You do not have to attack the same target that you scored a critical hit against.