Exultant Beast (Hunter/Antipaladin)

There are dark and fiendish hunters who follow the paths others revile, those often deemed as bloodthirsty and in some cases evil. Exultant beasts train their companions to be engines of destruction and pain, rooting out and relentlessly destroying those who follow kinder paths of kinship. (Original Concept by Oceanshieldwolf)

Primary Class: Hunter.

Secondary Class: Antipaladin.

Alignment: Any nongood.

Hit Dice: d10.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: The exultant beast may select three antipaladin skills to add to her class skills in addition to the normal hunter class skills. The exultant beast gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The exultant beast is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with light and medium armor, and with shields (except tower shields).

Animal Companion (Su): This is exactly like the hunter ability of the same name, except that at 11th level an exultant beast’s animal companion gains the dire creature template. This ability otherwise functions as animal companion and replaces bonus tricks and swift tracker.

Primal Sense (Su): At will, an exultant beast can, as a move action, concentrate on a single individual within 60 feet and determine its general intent, physical well-being, and morale. The exultant beast also gains a bonus to any Knowledge and Sense Motive skill checks made against the target equal to half her level. If her animal companion makes a successful aid another action, she gains an additional +4 bonus on such checks. While focusing on one individual, the exultant beast cannot use her primal sense on any other individual within range. This ability replaces wild empathy.

Deadly Partners (Ex): At 2nd level, an exultant beast can select Hurtful, Outflank as a bonus feat. This ability replaces precise companion.

Ravaging Scourge (Su): At 3rd level, once per day, an exultant beast can use the awesome ferocity of a well coordinated companion attack to crush her foes. As a swift action, the exultant beast chooses one target within sight to ravage. As long as the exultant beast’s animal companion is within 10 feet of her, she adds her Charisma bonus (if any) on her attack rolls and adds her exultant beast level on all damage rolls made against the target of her ravaging scourge. If the target of the ravaging scourge is also targeted by the exultant beast’s animal companion, the bonus to damage on the first successful attack increases to 2 points of damage per level the exultant beast possesses. Regardless of the target, ravaging scourge attacks automatically bypass any DR the target might possess.

In addition, while ravaging scourge is in effect, the exultant beast and her animal companion gain a deflection bonus equal to her Wisdom modifier (if any) to their AC against attacks made by the target of the ravaging scourge.

The ravaging scourge effect remains until the target is dead or the next time the exultant beast rests and regains her uses of this ability. At 6th level, and at every three levels thereafter, the exultant beast may use scourge one additional time per day, as indicated on Table: Exultant Beast, to a maximum of six times per day at 18th level. This ability replaces teamwork feats.

Spellcasting: An exultant beast casts divine spells drawn from the druid and ranger spell list. Only druid spells of 1st to 4th level and ranger spells are considered to be part of the exultant beast’s spell list. If a spell appears on both the druid and ranger spell lists, the exultant beast uses the lower of the two spell levels listed for the spell. For instance, reduce animal is a 2nd-level druid spell and a 3rd-level ranger spell, making it a 2nd-level exultant beast spell. An exultant beast also adds the following antipaladin spells at the indicated levels: 1st level–bane, blood blaze, death knell, doom, inflict light wounds, litany of weakness; 2nd level–agonizing rebuke, corruption resistance, litany of entanglement; 3rd level–deadly juggernaut, inflict moderate wounds; 4th level–fear, inflict serious wounds, litany of madness, litany of thunder, litany of vengeance, resounding blow, slay living. The exultant beast can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time. Any spell that affects an ally can also affect the exultant beast’s animal companion.

To learn or cast a spell, an exultant beast must have a Charism score equal to at least 10 + the spell's level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against an exultant beast's spell is 10 + the spell's level + the exultant beast's Charisma modifier.

An exultant beast cannot use spell completion or spell trigger magic items (without making a successful Use Magic Device check) of druid spells of 5th level or higher. Her alignment may restrict her from casting certain spells opposed to her moral or ethical beliefs; see Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells below.

Like other spellcasters, an exultant beast can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Exultant Beast. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score.

Unlike druids and rangers, an exultant beast's selection of spells is extremely limited. An exultant beast begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of her choice. At each new exultant beast level, she gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: Exultant Beast Spells Known. Unlike spells per day, the number of spells an exultant beast knows is not affected by her Charisma score; the numbers on Table: Exultant Beast Spells Known are fixed.

In addition to the spells gained by exultant beasts as they gain levels, each exultant beast also automatically adds all summon nature's ally spells to her list of spells known. These spells are added as soon as the exultant beast is capable of casting them.

At 8th level and at every 3 levels thereafter, an exultant beast can choose to learn a new spell in place of one she already knows. In effect, the exultant beast loses the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged. An exultant beast may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that she gains new spells known for the level. She cannot swap any summon nature's ally spells.

Unlike a druid or ranger, an exultant beast need not prepare her spells in advance. She can cast any spell she knows at any time, assuming she has not yet used up her spells per day for that spell level. Through 3rd level, an exultant beast has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, her caster level is equal to her exultant beast level –3.

Vicious Proximity (Su): At 4th level, when an exultant beast and her animal companion are within 10 feet of each other, they receive a +2 morale bonus against Intimidate checks and spells with the emotion descriptor. They also add the exultant beast’s level to damage rolls on the first attack each round that is made against an animal companion, eidolon, familiar, or summoned creature. At 14th level, her morale bonus against Intimidate checks and spells with the emotion descriptor increases to +4. This ability replaces improved empathic link and greater empathic link.

Shared Resilience (Su): At 5th level, once per day when an exultant beast and her animal companion are within 10 feet of each other, they gain a bonus equal to the exultant beast’s Charisma bonus (if any) to one saving throw. The exultant beast can use this ability twice per day at 11th level, and three times per day at 17th level. This ability replaces woodland stride.

Table: Exultant Beast

Table: Exultant Beast Spells Known