Monster Hunter

Requirements

Base Attack Bonus: +4.

Skills: Knowledge (Nature) (5 ranks), Wilderness Lore (6 ranks)

Feat: Skill Focus (Knowledge (Nature) or Wilderness Lore), Track

Summary

Monster Hunter is a hit videogame by Capcom, with a variety of monsters to slay. Wait, that's the wrong monster hunter. This monster hunter does something similar to the hit videogame franchise, you are an expert tracker with favored monsters that they are experts in tracking, and like the Trapsmith have simple booby traps that they can make, like bear traps, snares, and spiked logs to crush foes. Not to mention they get extra damage and become proficient with a wide variety of weapons. This class is perfect for the mercenary do-gooder's type

Role: DPS

Characteristics: Hunters that are experts at tracking down their favored monstrous prey

Source: Monsternomicon

Game Rule Information

The Monster Hunter has the following game statistics.

Abilities: Wisdom is needed to track your quarry and for skills, Constitution for beef, and Strength for damage against the monsters

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d8

Starting Gold: N/A

Class Skills

The Monster Hunter's class skills are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Use Rope (Dex), and Wilderness Lore (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) × 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Monster Hunter.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Monster Hunter is proficient with whatever they were already proficient with prior to taking levels in this class.

Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Monster hunters receive Exotic Weapon Proficiency as a bonus feat at 3rd, 6th, and 9th level. This is typically used to learn some sort of specialized weapon for subduing creatures.

Favored Monster Ex: At 1st level, a monster hunter selects a favored monster type (aberrations or magical beasts for example). Humanoids cannot be selected as a type, but an individual humanoid species can. Dragons and outsiders cannot be selected in an Iron Kingdoms campaign. This is a creature type that the monster hunter is more familiar with, having gained a greater insight into its habits, mannerisms, and combat techniques. The hunter gains a +2 bonus to Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Wilderness Lore checks versus creature of this type. This bonus also applies to damage rolls, though ranged attacks only gain the bonus when within 30 feet. This ability stacks with a ranger’s favored enemy or other similar abilities. At 5th and 10th levels, the monster hunter selects a new favored monster type, and his previous bonuses increase by an additional +2.

Improved Tracking Ex: Monster hunters are accomplished trackers and receive several bonuses to their tracking ability. At 1st level, they receive a +1 competence bonus to all Wilderness Lore checks made to identify and follow tracks. At 3rd level, the competence bonus increases to +2 and the monster hunter gains the scent special ability when tracking favored monsters. At 6th level, the competence bonus increases to +3, and the penalties for tracking while moving decrease to –2 at normal speed and –10 at twice normal speed when tracking favored monsters. At 9th level, the competence bonus increases to +4, and the monster hunter is no longer affected by spells or special abilities that cover tracks, including pass without trace and trackless step. This manifestation of improved tracking is a supernatural ability. Benefits that apply to the monster hunter’s favored monster types also apply to any favored enemies or favored monsters gained from other classes.

Fearless Ex: At 7th level a monster hunter is no longer affected by extraordinary, supernatural, or spell-like abilities that invoke fear caused by creatures with a CR equal to or less than twice the character’s monster hunter levels (thus, a 7th-level monster hunter is still affected by fear-causing effects of CR 15 creatures and above). They are still affected by fear causing spells as normal.

Penetrating Blow Ex: When fighting one of his favored monster types, a monster hunter can make a strike that exploits one of the creature’s weaknesses, causing extra damage. At 4th level, the monster hunter’s penetrating blow inflicts an additional +1d4 damage. At 8th level, this increases to an additional +2d4 damage. This ability can only be used to enhance one melee attack per round, and its use must be declared before the attack is made. If the attack misses, the ability cannot be used to enhance any other attacks that round. This ability cannot be used against constructs, elementals, oozes, or undead.

Skilled Trapper Ex: A monster hunter becomes very skilled in the construction and use of mechanical traps for hunting purposes. These are typically the types of traps one builds on the trail to ensnare or injure a creature. A monster hunter can create simple traps at one-fourth the standard cost and amount of time. They can create moderately complex traps at half the cost and time. Complex traps still require full time and financial expenditure. Furthermore, the monster hunter gains a +4 competence bonus to all Craft (trapmaking) skill checks involved in the creation of such traps and snares.

Table 1-1: Monster Hunter Progression

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+1	+2	+0	+0	Favored monster, improved tracking +1
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+0	Skilled trapper
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+1	Exotic weapon proficiency, improved tracking +2/scent
4th	+4	+4	+1	+1	Penetrating blow +1d4
5th	+5	+4	+1	+1	Favored monster
6th	+6/+1	+5	+2	+2	Exotic weapon proficiency, improved tracking +3/-2 full speed
7th	+7/+2	+5	+2	+2	Fearless
8th	+8/+3	+6	+2	+2	Penetrating blow +2d4
9th	+9/+4	+6	+3	+3	Exotic weapon proficiency, improved tracking +4/immunity
10th	+10/+5	+7	+3	+3	Favored monster

Gear and Traps

Because of the special nature of what they do and the perils involved, most monster hunters come to rely on gear and traps to a great extent. Listed here are some examples of gear and traps that monster hunters might use in their adventures. Do note availability of items such as these is extremely limited; in many cases these might be custom-made items that the monster hunter had requisitioned personally.

Gear

Trapmaker’s Kit:

A compact kit containing tools good for making traps. Includes: collapsible shovel, hand drill, collapsible saw, utility knife, 15 feet of wire (30 gauge), 15 feet of wire (18 gauge), flint and tinderbox, oil (6 oz.), corrosive acid (3 oz., damage 2d4+2 acid, 3 splash), 15 feet of wick, putty (5 oz. ball), charcoal stick (for marking things), 4 candles, handy leather case.

Weight: 12 lbs. Cost: 175 gp.

Net Launcher:

Basically a crossbow-like contraption fitted to launch a net at an opponent. Treat as a normal net, but range is increased to 25 feet. It requires 2 full rounds to fold the net and 1 full round to load.

Weight: 10 lbs.; Cost: 175 gp

Slip Dagger Harness:

This is a harness that is attached to the inside of the forearm. When the hand is jerked appropriately, a dagger placed in the harness slides down into the user’s hand. This allows the user to draw the dagger as a free action.

Weight: 0 lbs.; Cost: 15 gp.

Sleep Gas:

A gray chalky stick that looks like a candle, when lit this item releases a gas that puts creatures to sleep. The gas fills a 10-foot by 10-foot area within 3 rounds, though this will disperse within 1 round with even a mild wind. All breathing creatures within the area are affected. Inhaled, Fortitude DC 18, initial damage 1 Con, secondary damage unconscious for 10d6 minutes. Affected creatures will sleep for 10d6 minutes, unless physically roused. Prematurely wakened creatures are groggy and suffer a –4 penalty to all skill checks, attack rolls, AC, and Reflex saves; if they rest (sit still), they must make another Fortitude save or fall back asleep.

Weight: 0.2 lbs. per stick. Cost: 200 gp per stick.

Tearjerker:

Tearjerker is a volatile alchemical liquid that immediately turns into a gray vapor as soon as it comes in contact with air. It is kept in small vials that are usually thrown against a hard surface to release the substance within. The gas will fill a 20-foot by 20-foot area within 5 rounds. All creatures exposed to it with olfactory or visual sensory organs suffer –6 to all skill checks and attack rolls. Spell-casters attempting to cast spells that require a verbal component suffer a 50% chance of spell failure due to coughing and hacking. Those that succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 18) suffer only half of those effects. Tasks requiring extended vocal activity (such as singing) become impossible. These penalties fade at a rate of –2 (–10% for spell failure) per half-hour.

Weight: 0.2 lb. per vial. Cost: 500 gp per vial.

Launching Flares:

These standard flares are designed to be launched into the air via an alchemical propellant. They are conical little devices with a rod attached to them that sticks into the ground. A wick hangs from the bottom that burns down in two rounds when lit; some versions ignite when a string is pulled, making them useful as alarms when paired with a tripwire. Flares have an upward range of 1200 feet and emit enough light to be seen for approximately 2 miles in clear night visibility, half that in daylight (only with clear line of sight, in either case). Flares may be used as impromptu weapons, but they are quite clumsy. Because it can only be loosely aimed, the flare makes its own attack roll at +5 ranged with a range increment of 20 feet (low because they tend to sidewind too much to be effective at a great distance). A creature struck by a flare suffers 2d4 fire damage; additionally, there is a 10% chance per point of damage done that the flare becomes wedged (either in the creature’s armor or body itself). A wedged flare does an additional 1d4 fire damage per round for three rounds.

Weight: 1 lb. per flare. Cost: 8 gp per flare.

Hot Grease:

A slippery alchemical oil substance that burns like all hell when it comes in contact with the skin. A typical dose (15 oz.) will cover one 5-foot by 5-foot area. Anyone walking through it must make a Reflex save (DC 15) or fall to the ground; a –2 penalty is assessed to the roll for each increment of 10 above the creature’s base speed it is traveling. Creatures that fall on the substance suffer 1d4 damage per round (maximum 5 rounds) unless they are able to wash the substance off (note that it doesn’t burn literally; no fire damage). It has no effect on objects. Note: Leaving spiked objects all over the ground makes this even more fun; impose a –2 penalty to the Reflex save, and the spikes attack at +8 melee (as if a trap, basically) doing 1d3 damage.

Weight: 1 lb. per canister. Cost: 200 gp per canister.

Ferret and Hunter’s Musk:

Though it may sound like the name of a tawdry romance novel, this is an old hunter’s trick. The hunter spends time collecting a few vials of his own sweat, which he dumps all over a trained ferret that is let loose on the trail. Because of the ferret’s own heavy smell, it must be kept freshly washed (most hunters go through this trouble because ferrets are such reliable creatures for these purposes). The idea is to throw creatures stalking you off of your trail. A following creature must make a Wisdom check (DC 20) or follow the new trail. Note that this can result in a dead ferret. Weight: Approx 1 lb.

Cost: 150 gp for a trained ferret, but it requires food and TLC.

Traps

Swinging Log Trap:

A log suspended in the air, set to swing down and strike all creatures within a certain area when triggered. CR 2; mechanical; location trigger; manual reset; Atk +8 melee (3d6, log); multiple targets (first target in each of two adjacent 5-ft. squares); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 18. Can be constructed with materials in a trapmaker’s kit.

Swinging Log Trap (spiked):

A version of the above, but with spikes all over the log. CR 4; mechanical; location trigger; manual reset; Atk +10 melee (6d6, log); multiple targets (first target in each of two adjacent 5-ft. squares); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 20. Can be constructed with materials in a trapmaker’s kit, plus iron or wooden spikes.

Lasso Trap:

A rope lasso that typically slips closed over the foot when the trapped area is stepped on and yanks the victim from his feet. CR 2; mechanical; location trigger; manual reset; Atk +10 melee touch (1d4, see note); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 18. Note: On a successful opposed Strength check (Str 30) the lasso yanks the creature off its feet and 10 feet above the ground. The creature is considered helpless until it cuts itself free. A creature that succeeds at the opposed Strength check is considered flat-footed until it cuts the rope. If it attempts to move, it must make another opposed Strength check. Can be constructed with materials in a trapmaker’s kit.

Blast Trap:

This is a simple but deadly trap, consisting of a rifler’s keg of blasting powder set to be triggered, usually by a tripwire. CR 5; mechanical; location trigger; no reset; alchemical item (4d6 fire, 20-ft. radius burst, DC 16 Reflex save half damage); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 24. Market Price: 300 gp.

Steel Jaws:

A classic used by hunters across the continent, this is a large metal circle lined with steel “teeth” that clamps shut when the pressure plate in the center is triggered. They are usually tethered or chained to a fixed object to prevent escape. CR 2; mechanical; touch trigger; manual reset; Atk +15 melee (3d6); Search DC 18; Disable Device DC 20. Market Price: 50 gp. Notes: Creatures caught in the trap can attempt to pry it open with an opposed Strength check (Str 30). Failing the check results in an additional 1d4 damage as the trap springs closed (the jaw is normally opened by means of a crank that is removed when the trap is set). A creature that manages to free the trap from its tether can move about, but only at one-fourth its normal base speed and suffers 1 point of damage per hour of movement. Alternately, creatures can attempt to sever their own limbs to escape. The creature must inflict one-fourth of its total hit points in damage to itself. No attack roll is required, but a Will save DC 20 is. A creature with a severed foot can only move at one-fourth its normal speed. Such traps come in different sizes. The example given is designed for trapping Medium creatures. Trap sizes and damage are as follows: Tiny, +7 melee, damage 1d6, Str 20, Price 12 gp; Small, +10 melee, damage 2d6, Str 25, Price 25 gp; Large, +20 melee, damage 6d6, Str 40, Price 120 gp.