Elven Master of the Hunt

Hunting is a revered activity among the elves, and it is even sacred for some others. The position of huntmaster is coveted by many young elves, as it only falls to the best hunter in the community.

The Quintessential Elf

Author Alejandro Melchor
Publisher Mongoose Publishing
Publish date 2002

The master of the hunt is responsible for providing food for his people and keeping the cycle of predator and prey, thanking the game he hunts before he takes it down. When he is not hunting, the master of the hunt is in charge of patrolling the lands, often associating with beastriders in this task if he is not a beastrider himself as well. On certain occasions, the huntmaster is also a war leader, spearheading small groups of elves that specialise in guerrilla tactics.

Rangers make ideal huntmasters, although any elf may qualify if he proves skilful enough. fighters lean more to the warlike activities of a huntmaster while druids focus on the hunting aspect. In communities where hunting is a sacred activity or where there are special holy festivities around it, clerics take the mantle of masters of the hunt, adding their divine power to the pursuit of prey.

Wizards and sorcerers make for frightening masters, as they have many other means of following and capturing prey that complement their new class abilities. Wild elves would have many more huntmasters if they did not limit their numbers to one per settlement plus a couple of apprentices, while wood and high elves allow for more than one huntmaster to live in the same community, although only one leads any festivities involving a hunt. Grey elves show little interest in the activity of hunting and leave this class for the less ‘cultured’ elves. Sea elves have their own version that can call dolphins instead of hounds, while drow use monstrous spiders.

As Non-Player Characters, masters of the hunt are important members of an elven community, holding ranks that may go from a tribe’s namesake huntmaster to chieftain or religious leader.

Hit Die: d12

Requirements

Race: Elf or half-elf.
Skill: Wilderness Lore 8 ranks.
Feats: Track, Endurance.
Special: The character must have an animal companion, familiar or simply a pet apt for hunting, like a hound, wolf, hawk, owl, etc. The animal need not be magical in nature nor attracted with an animal friendship spell, it need only be loyal to the character.

Class Skills

The master of the hunt’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Strength), Craft (Intelligence), Handle Animal (Charisma), Jump (Strength), Knowledge (nature) (Intelligence), Listen (Wisdom), Profession (Wisdom), Search (Wisdom), Spot (Wisdom), Swim (Wisdom) and Wilderness Lore (Wisdom).
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Intelligence modifier

The Master of the Hunt
Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1	+1	+2	+0	+0	Relentless pursuit, hunting pack
2	+2	+3	+0	+0	Many eyes
3	+3	+3	+1	+1	Merciful killing +1d6
4	+4	+4	+1	+1	Phantom hounds
5	+5	+4	+1	+1	Hunter’s stride, merciful killing +2d6

Class Features

• Armour and Weapon Proficiency: Masters of the hunt are proficient with all simple and martial weapons. They are proficient with light and medium armour and with shields. Note that armour check penalties for armour heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket and Tumble. Also, Swim checks suffer a -1 penalty for every 5 pounds of armour, equipment, or loot carried.
• Hunting Pack: The master of the hunt owns and controls a pack of 2d4 hunting dogs (use the stats of a riding dog with the trip special attack). He can issue the pack the following orders with a successful Handle Animal check with different DCs: Search for the prey (DC 12), attack a target (DC 10 + target’s CR), hold still (DC
  15), stalk silently (DC 18), return to his side (DC 16). The character needs a horn or similar signalling device to relay the orders to his pack.
• Relentless Pursuit (Ex): At first level, the huntmaster is already an accomplished tracker, able to follow a trail under harsh conditions without losing pace. He ignores the penalties for moving at full speed while tracking. If he chooses to move at half speed, he treats the ground as one terrain category easier (hard ground is considered firm, firm is considered soft, etc.).
• Many Eyes (Su): Once per day, the character can see through the eyes of his animal companion or any of his hunting animals for 1d8 minutes plus one minute per class level.
• Merciful Killing (Ex): The huntmaster knows the vital spots of living beings and is able to deal more damage. Any time the huntmaster’s target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when he flanks the target, he deals an extra 1d6 points of damage at 3rd level and an additional 1d6 at 5th level. This ability works in the same way as a rogue’s sneak attack, and stacks with any sneak attack or similar bonus the huntmaster gains from another class.
• Phantom Hounds (Sp): Once per day, the character is able to summon to his side 1d6+1 phantom hounds. These creatures appear and act on the same round the master of the hunt summoned them, and remain for one hour plus an extra hour per class level. For the phantom hounds, apply the celestial template to a wolf, and add incorporeality to its special qualities, and their bite may target material creatures normally.
• Hunter’s Stride (Su): Once per day, the master of the hunt can travel at an amazing speed, moving at a rate of up to seven miles every 10 minutes. He can take his hunting pack and any phantom hounds with him, along with one other medium-sized creature per Constitution modifier. The character can sustain this mode of travel for one hour per class level, after which he is considered fatigued.