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Traverse 08-01-07, 03:03 AM

I made this feat for my low magic campaign as an alternative to Animal Companion. In comparison to Leadership I'd call it equal or lesser, but I hope just as flavorful. Thought I'd share it, please point out anything you think could be different if you notice it. :) ______ New Feat: Trainer [General] Prerequisite: Handle Animal 5 ranks, Cha 13. Benefits: Having this feat enables the character to keep and train a group of animals as a pack. Possible animals to keep would be badgers, rats, dogs, eagles, hawks, owls, snakes, and wolves. For pack cohesion, the character must keep groups of like animals to make use of this feat with them. Trainer Pack Lead's Extra Training Maximum Score Rank Tricks Group Animal HD 1 or lower - - - - 2 1 - - Partial 3 1 - - Partial 4 2 - 2 1 5 2 - 2 1 6 2 1 2 1 7 3 1 3 2 8 3 1 3 2 9 3 1 3 2 10 4 1 4 3 11 4 2 4 3 12 4 2 4 3 13 5 2 5 4 14 5 2 5 4 15 5 2 5 4 16 6 3 6 5 17 6 3 6 5 18 6 3 6 5 19 7 3 7 6 20 7 3 7 6 21 7 4 7 6 22 8 4 8 7 23 8 4 8 7 24 8 4 8 7 25 or higher 9 4 9 8 Trainer Score: A character's base Trainer score equals his level plus any Charisma modifier. Number of Animals: The number of animals the character can make use of this feat with is equal to his Trainer score, capping at 25 animals. However, for every 1 HD the animals of the pack are over a partial HD, the maximum number of animals is reduced by 2. Pack Leader: The character can deign one animal pack lead. This animal gains extra abilities based on the character's Trainer score and level. Regardless of a character's Trainer score, he can only train a pack lead up to a rank equal to half of his level. To raise the pack lead's rank, he must train it for one week as though he were teaching it a DC 20 trick using the Handle Animal skill. If the animal chosen as pack lead has a HD greater than 1, it may not gain ranks until the character can train it to the first rank beyond the number of its HD. At this point it can gain ranks beginning with rank one. Rank Bonus HD Natural Armor Adj. Str/Dex Adj. Special 1 +0 +1 +0 Link 2 +1 +2 +0 Evasion 3 +2 +2 +0 - 4 +3 +3 +1 Leader 5 +4 +3 +2 Multiattack 6 +5 +4 +3 - 7 +6 +4 +4 Improved evasion 8 +7 +5 +5 - 9 +8 +5 +6 - Link (Ex): The character can handle his pack lead as a free action, or push it as a move action. The character gains a +4 circumstance bonus on all Handle Animal checks made regarding his pack lead. Evasion (Ex): If the pack lead is subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, it takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw. Leader (Ex): The pack lead gains a +4 morale bonus on saves against fear effects. Multiattack (Ex): The pack lead gains Multiattack as a bonus feat if it has three or more natural attacks and does not already have that feat. If it does not have the requisite three or more natural attacks, the pack lead instead gains a second attack with its primary natural weapon, albeit at a -5 penalty. Improved Evasion (Ex): When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, the pack lead takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and only half damage if the saving throw fails. Tricks: A high Trainer score also allows the character to teach animals more tricks than they would normally be able to learn using the Handle Animal skill. It also allows the character to teach tricks to more than one animal at a time using the same Handle Animal check. Maximum Animal HD: A higher Trainer score allows him to apply what he can teach to animals of a higher HD. If his score isn't high enough to keep a certain type of animal he can still train that animal and keep it, but he cannot applies the abilities of this feat to it. Trainer Score Modifiers: Two factors can affect a character's Trainer score, causing it to vary from the base score (character level + Cha modifier). A character's attitude (from the point of view of the pack lead and animals he keeps) raises or lowers his Trainer score. Trainer’s Attitude Modifier Kind +1 Cruel -2 Special: The character can handle and push his pack to all use the same trick. These checks are made with the same DC and action time, but only one check is required. The DC modifier from ability score damage and nonlethal damage is applied only if over half of the pack or the pack lead are suffering from these effects. When the pack lead is no farther than 30 ft. from the majority (at least half) of the character's pack, the pack may make skill checks as one using the pack lead's ranks in that skill, gaining a +1 circumstance bonus for every 5 animals in the pack present.