Buy me a coffeeHorned Hunter
A massive, muscular man with pitch-black skin and ice-blue hair hovers in the air. Crowning his head amid his wild hair is a pair of immense deer antlers. He wears only a loincloth and carries a spear.
Originally Posted by MythMage of the Dicefreaks forums.
Horned hunters are the great huntsmen of Faerie. The hunters like to hunt difficult quarry throughout Faerie and the Mortal Coil, though they can rarely find true challenges. Their hunting keeps populations of dangerous things like legendary animals down and prevents the encroachment of unwanted things like undead into the fey lands.
When they are young, horned hunters play at hunting and capture prey with non-lethal means. Later in life, many move on to lethal, violent hunts. Some retain a playful or merciful attitude and hunt only for sport (without killing). The former often join the Unseelie (much of the Dark Hunt is made up of horned hunters), while the latter are Seelie (which often serve in Oberon’s hunts). From an early age, horned hunters are watched for particular reverence for the Great Cycle. Those who are most promising are trained to become horned shepherds.
Society
Successful hunts are the basis of any hunter’s social standing with his peers. Those with the most prestigious and numerous hunts are the leaders of their race. Horned hunters usually spend most of their time alone, hunting, but meet in small groups at the full moon to compare stories and trophies. These trophies are normally stored in secret communal meeting areas in Faerie. Horned hunters are well-respected by the cú sídhe, and packs of cú sídhe often take horned hunters to be their alphas.
| HORNED HUNTER (CR 18) |
| Usually N Large fey Init +12; Senses deathwatch, Low-Light Vision, see invisibility, true seeing, Listen +41, Spot +41 Aura fear aura (300 ft., DC 28); Languages Sylvan |
| DEFENSE |
| AC 38, touch 17, flat-footed 30 (+8 Dexterity, +21 natural, -1 size); Dodge, Mobility hp 297 (22d6+220); DR 15/cold iron and magic Immune sonic Resist Endurance, evasion; SR 33 (15+ CR) Fort +17, Ref +21, Will +21 |
| OFFENSE |
| Speed 60 ft., Fly 80 ft. (perfect) (16 squares) Melee +5 spear of binding +27/+22/+17 (2d6+23/x3 (Will DC 28 or bound on critical)) and gore +25 (2d8+11/18-20/x3); or Melee gore +27 (2d8+17/19-20) and 2 slams +20 (1d8+6) Ranged +5 spear of binding +23 (2d6+17/x3 (Will DC 28 or bound on critical)) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Base Atk +11; Grp +31; Improved Grapple Atk Options favored enemy aberrations +4, favored enemy dragons +4, favored enemy humanoids (human) +4, favored enemy outsiders (evil) +2, Great Cleave, Power Attack, Spring Attack Special Actions fell the prey Ranger Spells Prepared (CL 8th) 4th (3/day) – commune with nature, cure serious wounds x2 3rd (3/day) – darkvision, plant growth x2 2nd (4/day) – bear’s endurance, cat’s grace, snare, speak with plants 1st (4/day) – entangle x2, resist energy, speak with animals Spell-like Abilities (CL 22nd) Always active – deathwatch, see invisibility, true seeing At will – discern location, haste, true strike 3/day – dimensional anchor, quickened greater dispel magic, mass cure serious wounds 1/day – control weather, reincarnate, mass bull’s strength, waves of exhaustion |
| STATISTICS |
| Abilities Strength 35, Dexterity 26, Constitution 31, Intelligence 22, Wisdom 26, Charisma 24 SQ Animal companion, camouflage, combat style, fade, master huntsman, spectral presence, swift tracker, wild empathy +29, woodland stride Feats Cleave, Dodge (B), Endurance (B), Flyby Attack, Great Cleave, Improved Grapple, Improved Initiative, Mobility (B), Multiattack, Power Attack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (greater dispel magic), Spring Attack (B), Track (B) Skills Concentration +35, Diplomacy +36, Hide +29*, Intimidate +32, Knowledge (Geography) +31, Knowledge (nature) +35, Listen +41, Move Silently +33, Search +39, Sense Motive +33, Spot +41, Survival +41 (+45 in aboveground natural areas, to follow tracks, to avoid getting lost, and to avoid natural hazards; +49 to follow tracks, avoid getting lost, or avoid natural hazards in aboveground natural areas) Possessions spear of binding |
| SPECIAL ABILITIES |
| Augmented Critical (Ex) A horned hunter’s gore threatens a critical hit on a natural attack roll of 18-20, dealing triple damage on a successful critical. Combat Style (Ex) Horned hunters have a unique combat style, which they use instead of the combat styles offered in the Player’s Handbook. A horned hunter’s combat style grants it the Dodge, Mobility, and Spring Attack feats as long as it is wearing no armor or light armor. Fade (Su) A horned hunter can become incorporeal as a move action. Ending this effect is a free action. While incorporeal, the horned hunter loses its natural armor bonus but gains a +7 deflection bonus to its Armor Class. It may still harm corporeal foes normally, as if its weapons had the ghost touch property. Fear Aura (Su) Any mortal creature that can see or hear a horned hunter from within 300 feet must succeed on a Will save (DC 28) or be affected as if by fear (caster level 22nd). A creature that succeeds on his save against this effect can’t be affected by that horned hunter’s fear aura for 24 hours. fey are immune to this aura. The save DC is Charisma-based. Fell the Prey (Ex) As a standard action, a horned hunter may make a single attack that deals normal weapon damage.If it strikes a flat-footed opponent within 30 feet, the creature must attempt a Fortitude save (DC 29) or be killed or paralyzed (the hunter’s choice). Creatures paralyzed by the attack recover after 22 rounds. This attack cannot be made as part of a full attack action. Creatures protected from sneak attacks or critical hits are likewise protected from this effect. This is not a death effect. The save DC is Wisdom-based. Master Huntsman (Ex) A horned hunter can track creatures protected by trackless step, pass without trace, and similar effects, though the DC to Track them is increased by the caster level of the effect (or the Hit Dice of the effect’s originator, if it has no caster level). In addition, it has all the class abilities of a ranger whose level is 3/4 its racial Hit Dice. For a hunter with 22 HD (effective ranger level 16th), this grants it the following abilities: animal companion, camouflage, combat style, combat style mastery, Endurance, evasion, 4 favored enemies, improved combat style, spellcasting, swift tracker, Track, wild empathy, and woodland stride. A horned hunter gains a +6 racial bonus on wild empathy checks. They do not often take animal companions, instead relying solely on cú sídhe as allies; those that do acquire animal companions normally choose hunting birds. |
| A horned hunter normally carries a +5 spear of binding. Any time a blow from the hunter would render a creature unconscious or dead, the creature suffers no damage but is instead trapped bodily within the spearhead as if by the minimus containment function of binding unless the victim succeeds on a Will save (DC 28). This effect also triggers on a critical hit. In the hands of any creature other than a horned hunter, the spear is simply a +3 spear. Spectral Presence (Ex) A horned hunter’s natural armor and natural and manufactured weapons function normally against incorporeal foes as if they had the ghost touch property. The horned hunter can perceive incorporeal creatures and disembodied souls with all its senses normally and to interact physically with them. Skills A horned hunter gains a +8 racial bonus on Listen, Search, Spot, and Survival checks. * A horned hunter gains a +8 circumstance bonus on Hide checks in shadowy or darkened areas. STRATEGY AND TACTICS Horned hunters usually swoop in on prey from above and swing away with their physical weapons, glorying in combat. However, they are also very smart and keep aware for signs that certain prey is best taken down by more subtle means. If a horned hunter finds that a full frontal assault is a bad idea, such as in the presence of several extremely powerful-looking melee combatants, it will turn incorporeal and attempt to sneak up on its foes. It will attack from hiding in an attempt to kill melee opponents first, keeping spellcasters within reach for full attacks if it is discovered. Horned hunters sometimes hunt alone, but often are accompanied by one to twelve cú sídhe and spur them to become a sluagh sídhe when they are hunting. Horned hunters also congregate in small groups of three to five on occasion, but they are usually secretive about it. A horned hunter’s natural weapons are considered magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Its horns are +5 magic weapons, but lose their magic if it loses them. SAMPLE ENCOUNTER Horned hunters are most likely to run into PCs while it is on a hunt. EL 18: A lone horned hunter has been stalking a Dire Bear to turn into a cloak, but thinks that the party looks like more of an interesting challenge. EL 20: A horned hunter on the hunt with the aid of a sluagh sídhe that serves him rides on a rampaging hunt across the countryside every ten years when two planets align in the sky and a portal to Near Faerie opens near his home. The residents ask the party to destroy the menaces once and for all when the gate opens again tonight. EL 20-23: Two to five horned hunters gather in a secret grove in Near Faerie to share stories and gloat over their trophies. The party accidentally stumbles onto the meeting, and the horned hunters may become angry if they don’t talk fast and decide to add the group to the trophies. |
ECOLOGY
Environment: Horned hunters will go anywhere on the Mortal Coil and Faerie to find interesting prey. It can even operate underwater while incorporeal or if it prepares applicable ranger spells. However, these fey are most likely to be found in temperate forests.
Typical Physical Characteristics: A horned hunter appears as a powerfully muscled human male clad in only a loincloth and carrying a spear. It stands about 12 feet tall (16 feet including its antlers) and weighs about 2,000 pounds; its antlers are approximately 8 feet across at their widest point. Horned hunters have loud but hollow voices.
Alignment: Like all fey, horned hunters pay little attention to alignment. They are quite likely to adopt a neutral outlook to avoid the distraction of moral and ethical concerns.
HORNED HUNTER LORE
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (nature) can learn more about horned hunters. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.
| Knowledge (nature) | |
| DC | Results |
| 32 | This is a horned hunter. It is said to be as good as any mortal ranger at any hunting task, even replicating many ranger class features. |
| 37 | Horned hunters are known to be able to trap creatures they defeat within their spears with magic. |
| 42 | Horned hunters are strongly associated with spirits. It is said they can even become intangible like a spirit but continue to physically harm its enemies. |
Typical Treasure
Horned hunters accumulate treasure as is normal for a creature of its Challenge Rating, normally possessing the equivalent of about 47,000 gp. It rarely uses this treasure, preferring to hide it away and cherish these items as trophies of successful hunts. Particularly common are valuable hides and body parts, as well as magic armor and weapons.
Horned Hunters with class levels
The horned hunter’s favored class is ranger. A horned hunter with ranger levels adds 3/4 its Hit Dice to its ranger levels to determine its class features. It is nearly unheard-of for horned hunters to be clerics without also being horned shepherds, but what few there are worship the Great Cycle and gain spells from the Air, Destruction, and Strength domains.
Advanced Horned Hunters
Horned hunters can advance by Hit Dice through age or experience. A horned hunter of up to 32 HD is Large, while those of 33 or more HD are Huge. The largest horned hunters stand about 18 feet tall (24 feet including antlers) and weigh about 6,750 pounds. Their horns can be up to 12 feet across.
A horned hunter continues to gain all the class features of the ranger class, as a ranger of 3/4 its Hit Dice, as it increases in racial Hit Dice, including epic bonus feats.