Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Phantom Lord 03-09-05, 11:36 PM	Well, in order to spice up my homebrew without adding all sorts of prestige classes and whatnot, I have decided to come up with a couple variant classes; nothing too big, just a slightly different flavor for different applications of the core class model. This is my latest: VARIANT: BOUNTY HUNTER The bounty hunter is focused more on individuals than races as favored enemies. It is his job to track down and bring back (usually alive) his target; depending on what moral code the bounty hunter adheres to his target may be anywhere from a wanted criminal (good) to an innocent person who happened to get in somebody’s bad graces (neutral/evil.) A bounty hunter loses the following ranger class abilities: Class Skill: Handle Animal (Cha) Favored Enemy Wild Empathy Animal Companion And gains the following class abilities: Class Skill: Gather Information (Cha) Mark (Ex): At 1st level, the character can target, or mark, an individual foe. To do so, the bounty hunter must focus on a foe that is present and visible, or on the depiction or description of one who is not, for 10 minutes. Any interruption ruins the attempt and forces the bounty hunter to start the process again. Once this study is complete, that target is called a mark, and the bounty hunter receives a variety of advantages against him or her. A bounty hunter may have up to one mark per two bounty hunter levels (rounded up) at once, but only if all of them are within 30 feet of one another for the marking process. If a bounty hunter chooses a new mark before apprehending an existing one, the latter is unmarked, and the bounty hunter loses XP equal to the amount he would have gotten for defeating that creature. The bounty hunter can perform the marking process once per week. Subdual Proficiency (Ex): At 1st level the bounty hunter can use a melee weapon that deals normal damage to deal subdual damage instead without suffering the usual -4 penalty on his attack roll. Dead or Alive (Ex): At 4th level, the bounty hunter learns to strike for subdual at just the right moment to avoid killing a mark. Immediately after striking a blow that would reduce a mark from positive to negative hit points, the bounty hunter may convert the normal damage dealt by that blow to subdual damage before it takes effect. The bounty hunter cannot use this ability while raging or after 1 round has passed. Pacekeeping (Ex): At 5th level, a bounty hunter tracking a mark can raise his own speed by up to +5 feet per bounty hunter level, to a maximum value equal to the mark’s speed. Traceless Track (Su): At 10th level, a bounty hunter can track a creature moving under the influence of pass without trace or similar effects, though he suffers a -10 circumstance penalty to his Survival checks. Shatter (Su): At 15th level, the bounty hunter can destroy an object that stands between himself and his mark when the latter is within 100 feet. This ability functions like a shatter spell cast by a sorcerer of the character’s bounty hunter level. Locate Mark (Sp): At 20th level, once per day, the bounty hunter can produce an effect identical to that of a locate creature spell cast by a sorcerer of the bounty hunter’s character level. A bounty hunter loses the following spells: 1st Level Calm Animals Charm Animal Magic Fang Summon Nature’s Ally I 2nd Level Hold Animal Summon Nature’s Ally II 3rd Level Command Plants Diminish Plants Plant Growth Reduce Animal Summon Nature’s Ally III 4th Level Animal Growth Summon Nature’s Ally IV And gains the following spells: 1st Level Charm Person Sleep Jump Magic Weapon 2nd Level Glitterdust Web 3rd Level Nondetection Clairaudience/Clairvoyance Hold Person Magic Weapon, Greater Deep Slumber 4th Level Dimensional Anchor Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere I could use some help on the spells. I couldn't find any low-level spells that fit the flavor really well. Also, please let me know what you think! All comments and criticisms are appreciated (even though I may and probably will issue a rebuttal, I still appreciate the time taken to post a critique.)
JohnGalt 03-10-05, 06:35 AM	Peacekeeping seems a little strong. If you are fighting in combat with the mark, does it apply then? Good class otherwise.
Phantom Lord 03-10-05, 12:52 PM	Yes, when chasing the mark it applies; it doesn't matter if that is chasing him through the woods, through a swamp, or across a battlefield. If you are caught up to him (within striking distance), it would no longer be of use. Or, I suppose, if you don't need to be that speedy it wouldn't really work. If he is in his lair, and you know that, you cannot move faster than normal en route to his lair. If he is gone by the time you show up (or if somebody informs you that he has left) then it would kick back in for tracking him down.
The_Exploding Chicken 03-10-05, 04:31 PM	Read Kingdoms Of Kalamar for a character class thats bounty hunter
Phantom Lord 03-10-05, 09:50 PM	Thanks. I'll try to do that. :)