Pack-Bonded Hunter

Vargs works best with a pack, and a beastmaster with a hunter’s bond with his companions comes closest to duplicating this pack mentality. Some varg beastmasters strengthen this bond with their adventuring comrades, granting the ability to work well as a team when these varg beastmasters direct their activities.

The pack-bonded hunter is an archetype of the beastmaster class, available only to varg beastmasters.

Archetype Main Ability Scores:
The pack-bonded hunter mainly focuses on STR/DEX for martial combat and WIS for their class features.

Archetype Feature Replacements:
1st – Limit Breaks, Wild Empathy, Animal Companion. 2nd – Empathic Link, Flanking Companion. 3rd – Beastmaster Tactics. 5th – Natural Savagery.  7th – Bonus Tricks. 9th – Improved Empathic Link. 10th – Beast Shape, Raise Animal Companion. 16th – One with the Wild. 17th – Master of the Pack. 19th – Beast of Legend. 20th – Mastery of Beasts.

Pack-Bonded

A pack-bonded hunter’s hit dice is increased from d10 to d12.

Limit Breaks (Su)

At 1st level, the pack-bonded hunter receives the Limit Breaks (Pack Defense and Pack Fury).

Pack Defense (Su): This Limit Break causes the pack-bonded hunter and his pack within 30 feet to be more agile. For the duration of 1 round + 1 round per four beastmaster levels after 1st, the pack-bonded hunter and his pack are granted a +2 dodge bonus to AC plus an additional +2 dodge bonus to AC per four beastmaster levels after 1st as well as concealment (20% miss chance). This limit break requires only a swift action.

Pack Fury (Su): This Limit Break causes the pack-bonded hunter and his pack within 30 feet to go into a pack fury. For the duration of 1 round + 1 round per four beastmaster levels after 1st, the pack-bonded hunter and his pack are granted a +2 enhancement bonus to Strength and Constitution plus an additional +2 bonus per four beastmaster levels as well as an extra attack at their highest base attack bonus if they make a full attack. This limit break requires only a swift action.

These abilities replace the beastmaster’s standard Limit Breaks.

The Pack (Su)

At 1st level, the pack-bonded hunter learns advanced techniques for fighting as a group.

As a standard action, the pack-bonded hunter can declare up to his Wisdom modifier in allies within 30 feet who can see and hear him to be his pack until the next time he uses this ability. The pack-bonded hunter does not count against this limit. When members of the pack are attacking the same creature, they gain a +1 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against that creature.

This ability replaces animal companion and natural savagery.

Pack Focus (Su)

At 1st level, when a pack-bonded hunter takes on the aspect of an animal, he can apply one animal aspect of his choice to a member of his pack for the same duration. At 7th level, he can apply two animal aspects to members of his pack, and at 13th level, he can apply three animal aspects. These aspects may all be assigned to the same member, or distributed between them.

This ability modifies animal focus, second animal focus, and third animal focus, replacing the ability to apply an animal focus to an animal companion or to the beastmaster if his companion is dead.

Pack Empathy (Ex)

At 2nd level, the pack-bonded hunter forms an empathic link with his pack out to a distance of up to 1 mile.

At 6th level, the beastmaster extends his link to include not only his pack but also any animals he has befriended. The link allows the pack-bonded hunter and his pack/animals to communicate their general emotional state (fear, hunger, happiness, curiosity) to one another. Note that the Intelligence of animals may limit what the creatures can communicate or understand.

At 9th level, the pack-bonded hunter gains an improved empathic link with his pack. The pack-bonded hunter can see through a pack’s eyes as a swift action, maintaining this connection as long as he likes (as long as his pack is within 1 mile) and ending it as a free action. The pack-bonded hunter is blinded while maintaining this connection.

At 14th level, the range of the pack-bonded hunter’s pack empathy with his pack increases to 10 miles. If his pack are within 1 mile, the pack-bonded hunter can communicate with them telepathically.

This ability replaces empathic link, improved empathic link, and greater empathic link.

Favored Enemy (Ex)

At 2nd level, a pack-bonded hunter selects a creature subtype from the pack-bonded hunter favored enemies table. He gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks against creatures of his selected type. Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against them. A pack-bonded hunter may make Knowledge skill checks untrained when attempting to identify these creatures.

At 6th level and every four levels thereafter (10th, 14th, and 18th level), the pack-bonded hunter may select an additional favored enemy. In addition, at each such interval, the bonus against any one favored enemy (including the one just selected, if so desired) increases by +2.

If the pack-bonded hunter chooses humanoids or outsiders as a favored enemy, he must also choose an associated subtype, as indicated on the table below. (Note that there are other types of humanoid to choose from—those called out specifically on the table below are merely the most common.) If a specific creature falls into more than one category of favored enemy, the pack-bonded hunter’s bonuses do not stack; he simply uses whichever bonus is higher.

This ability replaces flanking companion and raise animal companion.

Heart of the Pack (Ex)

At 3rd level, twice per day as a standard action, a pack-bonded hunter may grant one of his bonus teamwork feats to his pack within 30 feet who can see and hear him; his pack otherwise benefit from this bonus feat for 2 rounds plus 1 round for every three levels the pack-bonded hunter possesses. Every four beastmaster levels thereafter, he gains an additional use of this ability.

This ability replaces beastmaster tactics.

Hunter’s Bond (Ex)

At 7th level, a pack-bonded hunter forms a bond with his pack. This bond allows him to spend a move action to grant half his favored enemy bonus against a single target of the appropriate type to all allies within 30 feet who can see or hear him. This bonus lasts for a number of rounds equal to the pack-bonded hunter’s Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). This bonus does not stack with any favored enemy bonuses possessed by his allies; they use whichever bonus is higher.

This ability replaces bonus tricks and one with the wild.

Revitalizing Frenzy (Ex)

At 8th level, whenever the pack-bonded hunter and one of his pack hits the same enemy in one turn with melee attacks, they heal 1d4 + the pack-bonded hunter’s Wisdom modifier in hit points. At 12th level, this increases to 1d8 + his Wisdom modifier, and at 18th level this increases to 2d6 + his Wisdom modifier. The pack-bonded hunter and his pack can only heal once per round with this ability.

This ability replaces scent.

Pack Tactics (Ex)

At 10th level, once per day as a move action, a pack-bonded hunter grants half his insight bonus for his quarry ability to his pack within 30 feet who can see and hear him when he designates his quarry. Additionally, his pack gains a +4 insight bonus to confirm a critical threat. At 19th level, he can use this ability twice per day.

This ability replaces beast shape.

Master of the Pack (Ex)

At 17th level, each day when a pack-bonded hunter rests for the day, he chooses one animal focus to be active on himself or his pack for the entire day.

This ability modifies master of the pack.

Telepathy (Su)

At 19th level, the pack-bonded hunter learns how to communicate with his pack mentally. All willing members of his pack (including the pack-bonded hunter himself) can communicate with each other telepathically, even if they do not share a common language.

This ability replaces beast of legend.

Superior Tactics (Ex)

At 20th level, three times per day, after a pack-bonded hunter and his pack rolls initiative, the pack-bonded hunter can arrange his and his pack’s initiative rolls any way he wishes. Using this ability is not an action.

This ability replaces mastery of beasts.