With bow in hand, these hunters chase their prey from afar and imbues their arrows with the energy of those it slays and learns from. They lead other hunters against such monsters, marking them with their arrows.
The azure hunter is an archetype of the blue mage class.
Archetype Main Ability Scores:
The azure hunter mainly focuses on DEX for martial combat and INT for their class features and spellcasting.
Archetype Feature Replacements:
1st – Weapon and armor proficiencies, Limit Break (Scan Master), Cantrips, Spell Proficiency, Blue Magery (Natural Prowess). 2nd – Azure Talent. 4th – Azure Physical Training, Azure Talent. 6th – Azure Talent. 8th – Azure Talent. 9th – Azure Counter 10th – Azure Talent. 12th – Azure Talent. 14th – Azure Talent. 16th – Azure Talent. 18th – Azure Talent. 20th – Azure Talent.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
The azure hunter has proficiency with all simple weapons, including all non-exotic bows and crossbows. The azure hunter is proficient with light armor but no shields. Armor can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.
This ability modifies the blue mage’s starting weapon and armor proficiencies.
Limit Break (Su)
At 1st level, the azure hunter receives the Limit Break (Azure Rain).
Azure Rain (Su): This Limit Break allows the azure hunter to make a full attack with his bow or crossbow and make an additional ranged attack at his highest base attack bonus. He gains an additional ranged attack every four blue mage levels after 1st and can use this limit break with his Azure Arrow ability.
This ability replaces the Limit Break (Scan Master).
Azure Arrow (Su)
At 1st level, the azure hunter can cast spells with his bow, forming a magical arrow imbued with the spell. When he casts a single target spell. he can use his bow for the attack roll for the purpose for enhancement bonuses, feats and other abilities when casting the spell but uses the spell range as normal.
If he can make multiple attacks with his bow such as from Rapid Shot, he can cast a single target damage spell, and split the spell against multiple targets, but in doing so splits the damage dice among each separate attack roll and applies penalties from such feats and abilities as normal to each attack. Damage variables are applied in full against the first target and is not split.
This ability replaces cantrips, but the azure hunter can cast detect magic and read magic as 1st level spells.
Precise Shot
The azure hunter gains Precise Shot as a bonus feat without meeting the prerequisites.
This ability replaces spell proficiency.
Blue Magery (Ex)
The azure hunter gains the following blue magery in place Natural Prowess.
- Arrow Mastery: This grants the azure hunter a +1 insight bonus on attack and damage rolls with bows and crossbows.
Archery Talents (Ex)
The azure hunter can pick archery talents in place of azure talents, using his Intelligence modifier instead of Wisdom and his blue mage level in place of archer levels. At 12th level, he can pick advanced archery talents as well.
This ability may replace azure talents and advanced azure talents.
Azure Archery Training (Su)
At 4th level and every four levels thereafter, an azure hunter gains abilities to better hunt his prey from afar.
Prey Mark (Su): At 4th level, when the azure hunter fires from his bow or crossbow, he can mark his target by embedding an arrow in their body if it is successful. The arrow glows, granting 10-ft.-radius of blue light off the target and can be seen even if the target is invisible, revealing their location. This ability lasts for a number of rounds equal to his blue mage level. Additionally, he may activate his Analysis ability at the same time as part of this ability and he gains a +2 bonus on the Knowledge roll made for analysis. He also gains a +2 bonus on rolls to scan a target marked by this ability.
Linked Spell (Su): At 8th level, when a target is marked by the azure hunter’s prey mark ability, he can channel his spells through the embedded arrow. He uses the creature’s square for any spells that is cast from himself. The marked creature is still affected by the spell even if it’s from himself such as from radius or cone spells, unless the spell effects only allies.
Cast and Fire (Su): At 12th level, the azure hunter can fully draw his bow or crossbow as a full-round action and cast a spell through his bow. He can fire his bow or crossbow and make as many attacks as he can normally from his bow or crossbow. He can use this ability a number of times per day equal to his Intelligence modifier.
Quell the Hunted (Su): At 16th level, creatures marked with the azure hunter’s prey marker now take additional damage from the azure hunter’s successful attacks equal to his Intelligence modifier.
Sustenance of the Felled Prey (Su): At 20th level, when a creature marked by the azure hunter’s prey mark ability falls below 0 HP or dies, he can choose to regain MP equal to half the creature’s CR as a free action. He can use this ability up to 3 times per day.
This ability replaces azure physical training.
Quick Fire (Ex)
At 9th level, the azure hunter doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity when firing his bow or crossbow in melee range. He still provokes attacks of opportunity when casting spells with Azure Arrow, however.
This ability replaces azure counter.
