Another month goes by, and Path of the Wilds continues forward.
I’ve been working on the Archetypes and class options chapter, which is going a little slower than I had hoped, but not by much. Barbarian, druid, elementer, hunter, invoker, and paladin are finished, though I’m thinking of updating the geomancer archetype to use specific spell lists rather than just cleric domains.
Right now I’m working on the Medium’s new “wild spirits”, and it’s being a bit of a hassle. The base medium is not exactly a great class, so making features that don’t come across as straight upgrades is kinda difficult. But then again, maybe that’s exactly what it needs. Of the six spirits, I’ve already done the new trickster (called the Beguiler) and about 50% of the abilities of the rest. It’s a fun spirit, able to inflict its spirit surge as a penalty, rather than a bonus, to other creatures, and can create dopplegangers that confuse foes that fall for the fakes.
Aside from the medium, I think the only other class that could be an issue is the warden, being that it’s one of the new ones. I already know the gist of two of them (one being a “full-tank” that trades healing for taunt effects, the other an unarmed/monk archetype), but I’m still mulling over a third. I might double-down on the support aspect of the warden for the last one, but I’m not sure it really needs it. I could consider an archetype that forgoes a major feature (like the wards) but haven’t settled on anything as of yet.
This week’s preview is the new hunter archetype, simply named as the Planar Hunter! Rather than animal aspects, it channels the aspects of different planes of existence in order to fight extraplanar threats to their homes. Until next time!
PLANAR HUNTER (ARCHETYPE)
When one thinks of “the wilds”, they do not typically envision the caverns of the Plane of Earth or the serene fields of the afterlife. The planar hunter taps into the powers of the multiverse, challenging extraplanar threats to protect nature in all of its forms.
Class Skills: The hunter gains Knowledge (planes) as a class skill and loses Knowledge (dungeoneering).
Planar Focus (Su): A planar hunter can take on the aspect of a plane as a swift action. She must select one type of plane to emulate, gaining a bonus or special ability based on the type of plane emulated and her hunter level. The planar hunter can use this ability for a number of minutes per day equal to her level. This duration does not need to be consecutive but must be spent in 1-minute increments. She can emulate only one plane at a time.
The planar hunter can also apply one of these aspects to her animal companion. An aspect applied in this way does not count against the hunter’s minutes of duration per day—it remains in effect until she changes it. The companion’s aspect can be the same aspect the hunter has taken on or a different one. A planar hunter can select or change the planar foci on both herself and her animal companion as part of the same swift action.
Aligned Plane, Chaotic: The creature gains a +2 bonus on attack rolls when making attacks of opportunity and a +2 dodge bonus to AC against attacks of opportunity. These bonuses increase to +4 at 8th level and to +6 at 15th level.
Aligned Plane, Evil: The creature gains a +4 competence bonus on Intimidate checks. This bonus increases to +6 at 8th level and +8 at 15th level.
Aligned Plane, Good: The creature gains a +1 morale bonus on saves against spells and spell-like abilities. This bonus increases to +2 at 8th level and +3 at 15th level.
Aligned Plane, Lawful: The creature gains a 25% chance to treat any critical hit or sneak attack as a normal hit (as the fortification armor special ability). This increases to and 50% at 8th level, and 75% at 15th level.
Astral Plane: The creature’s attacks are always treated as being magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and damaging incorporeal creatures. At 8th level, its attacks always have the ghost touch property. At 15th level, the creature’s attacks are treated as having the phase locking property.
Ethereal Plane: The creature gains evasion, as the rogue class feature. At 12th level, this increases to improved evasion, as the rogue advanced talent.
Negative Energy Plane: The creature gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against death effects, energy drain, and negative energy effects. This bonus increases to +6 at 8th level and to +8 at 15th level.
Plane of Air: The creature gains a 5-foot enhancement bonus to its base land speed. This bonus increases to 10 feet at 8th level and 20 feet at 15th level.
Plane of Earth: The creature gains a +2 enhancement bonus to its natural armor bonus. This bonus increases to +4 at 8th level and to +6 at 15th level.
Plane of Fire: The creature’s attacks deal 1 point of fire damage in addition to their normal damage. At 8th level, the fire damage increases to 1d3, and at 15th level, it increases to 1d6.
Plane of Water: The creature gains a +2 competence bonus on Swim checks and can breathe underwater. This bonus increases to +4 at 8th level and to +6 at 15th level.
Positive Energy Plane: The creature recovers 1 additional hit point whenever it receives magical healing, and any conjuration (healing) spells cast on it gain a +1 to their caster level for the purpose of the spell’s result on the creature only. The additional healing does not apply to fast healing. This increases to 2 additional hit points and +2 caster level at 8th level, and to 3 additional hit points and +3 caster level at 15th level.
Shadow Plane: The creature gains darkvision to a range of 60 feet. At 8th level, the range increases by 30 feet. At 15th level, the creature also gains blindsense to a range of 10 feet.
This replaces animal focus.
Planar Arcana (Ex): At 2nd level, the planar hunter gains spells to defeat extraplanar foes. She adds the following spells to her list of spells known at the indicated level: see alignment (1st), align weapon (2nd), dimensional anchor (3rd), dismissal (4th), plane shift (5th), and banishment (6th). These do not count against her spells known. This replaces precise companion.
Multiverse Hunter (Ex): Starting at 5th level, the planar hunter adds half her hunter level to Knowledge (planes) checks. She and her companion gain a +4 bonus on saving throws against teleportation effects and effects that would send her from the current plane, such as dismissal. This replaces woodland stride.
Adaptation (Su): At 10th level, the planar hunter and her companion are constantly under the effect of planar adaptation when not on their native plane. This replaces raise animal companion.
Outsider’s Bane (Ex): At 17th level, outsiders have come to fear the planar hunter’s skill. The planar hunter and her companion can demoralize an outsider as a swift action, rolling 1d20 and adding the hunter’s level and her Charisma modifier to determine the Intimidate check result. This ability replaces one with the wild.