Introduction

Author’s note:
Uploaded to please scribd.com.
The Wild Hunter is a prestige class I developed for myself; it is a prestige class that I designed for rangers or druids who
want a little extra flavor to their class. It is best suited to low level rangers and druids, note that it requires some multi-
classing between these two classes to qualify.
The Wild Hunter supplies a readymade backdrop to a campaign game, with plenty of room for personalization.
My idea for the Wild Hunter first came to be when I wanted to play a darker sort ranger, more steeped in mysticism. Indeed,
the Wild Hunter’s name is based on the myth of the Wild Hunt, a popular myth in Germanic Europe. The Wild Hunt tells of
an army of fairies (then still seen as spirits related to death) who ride across the sky, hunting down some or other prey.
It wasn’t difficult to connect the historical Wild Hunt with thunderstorms, in the way of Druidic magic.
Morrígan is an Irish goddess, and I found the two mythologies have the same sort of feel to them.
Like with rangers, the combat effectiveness of the Wild Hunter is tied to the type of enemy he faces.
The Wild Hunter fights well against his favored enemies, but isn’t as a good a fighter against other opponents,
The Wild Hunter’s spell list is a mix between the Druid, Ranger, and Diviner spell lists.
Feel free to tinker with the prestige class to your own heart’s content.
Wild Hunter
Description: Although druids are powerful spellcasters, their reach can sometimes be limited. Most groves have personal
contact with bands of rangers upon whom they can call to hunt down aberrations of any kind. At times, however, discreetness
is a requirement, or the enemies might require more magical prowess to take down. Among the ranks of the druids these
missions fall on the Wild Hunters, rangers devoted to the druidic order.
Militant and wild druids, Wild Hunters have often had personal experience with foes that threatened nature in general or a
grove or area they hold dear. They hold one thing in common, a radical desire to protect every aspect of nature.
To this effect they have mastered techniques to destroy the enemies of nature wherever they are present. While they might
cause some collateral damage, in their eyes they are as loyal and good as the paladins in their own way.
They are however wise in their own way, and will not risk their life needlessly. – Throwing oneself into a fire doesn’t prevent
the forest from burning. They can, however, be prone to leaping before they look
Most Wild Hunter don’t see intelligent humanoids as a threat and might defend them in the same way they would defend
animals.
A Wild Hunter’s rage stems from understanding and love, not from bloodlust, consequently, elves, gnomes and half-elves are
more likely to take up the call than gnolls, humans or other less refined druids.
Religion: Wild Hunters typically worship nature in the same way that Druids do. However, all Wild Hunters pay reverence
to Morrígan, a complex triple goddess of war, nature, and spirits, who is the source of his Wild Shaping ability.
Consequently, they have a strong connection to the spirit world, and they are usually capable to discerning between spirits of
creatures turned to undead, and the more elusive fae-like natural spirits.
Classes: All Wild Hunters have druid and ranger classes, but some might have a level in fighter, barbarian or rogue as well.
Selection: Future Wild Hunters are usually chaotically aligned druids with a strong wanderlust. They tend to have an urge to
worship nature in a broader sense than merely worshipping animals like some druids do.
A band of hunters may initiate a new member into their ranks. The initiation requires the druid to fashion a new divine focus
that embodies his turbulent nature. An existing member then charges it with divine magic.
Abilities: Wisdom is important for spell casting, and intelligence for class abilities. Wild Hunters are often misunderstood,
those who view their fury tend to see them as savages, but nothing is further from the truth. Wild Hunters are deeply
passionate druids who try to draw everything from life that they can.
Adventuring: New Wild Hunters are often urged to go out and explore the world. Sometimes they travel in groups, at other
times they travel alone or with different groups of people. Bands of solely Wild Hunters can travel vast distances at
tremendous speed. Large groups of Wild Hunters have the ability to summon storms at will wherever they travel.
In the Grove: Wild Hunters rarely stay in a single grove for a long time, but they sometimes protect the borders of the more
important groves. Sometimes hunting parties use a grove as their base of operations to hunt down a particular threat nearby.
They can, however, always be called upon, and there’s always a hunting party within a day’s travel (for the hunting party) of
any grove.
Role: Within a group of different warriors, the Wild Hunter operates best with hit and run tactics. They are particularly
devastating against favored enemies, but operate best as support troops against other enemies. Against favored enemies they
do well in close quarter combat, gracefully dodging their blows and striking them where they are vulnerable.
His Wild Shape options are limited, but more attuned to his specific needs.
Disposition: Wild Hunters despise all the unnatural. The undead, aberrations and the like are usually picked as favored
enemies. In truth, many Wild Hunters hold little regard for Dragons, as they are seen as been created and enhanced with foul
magic. Some hate metallic dragons more than chromatic dragons, as unthinking warriors hunt the chromatic dragons and
venerate the metallic ones.
Wild Hunters despise society, but not necessarily the common people. They are particularly fond of neutral rangers, as they
tend to understand the limits of what they should hunt, and rangers often share their wanderlust.
NPC Reactions: The legend of the Wild Hunt makes many commoners fear the Wild Hunters, especially when travelling in
groups. Few people have seen groups of hunters though, as they tend to steer away from cities and villages.
In person, the odd appearance of a Wild Hunter, dressed in a thick cloak, face barely visible, tends to illicit fear on its own.
Other Classes: Paladins, Monks, and other lawful characters distrust the Wild Hunter, and rarely operate alongside them.
Barbarians, and especially rangers and rogues fight well alongside the Wild Hunter, as his combat tactics work well with less
straight forward warriors. Mounted fighters with hit and run tactics will find much of themselves in the Wild Hunter.
Primary spellcasters are seen as weak by the Wild Hunter, who has a varied routine, but is always ready to defend himself in
close quarter combat. In return, especially wizards view Wild Hunters as an unstable element, while bards and sorcerers
might be more comfortable around the Wild Hunter
Spells: Wild Hunters have a narrower set of spells that directly deal damage (focused on lightning spells), but augment their
magic with a number of ranger spells (connected with the favored enemy class ability).
Hit Die: d8.
Requirements:
To qualify to become a Wild Hunter, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.
Alignment: Neutral Good, True Neutral, Chaotic Neutral, Neutral Evil. (Alignment might shift between these.)
Feats: Mounted Combat, Track.
Skills: Craft (any capable of creating a holy symbol) 5 ranks, Knowledge (Nature) 8 ranks, Ride 4 ranks, Move Silently 4
ranks.
Special: Capable of casting 2nd level Druids spells, Favored Enemy Class Ability, Medium Size.
The future Wild Hunter must sit in solemn reverence in a natural environment for 24 hours to gain his mount and raven,
during this time he also makes his holy symbol.

Class Skills:
Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimadate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge
(dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Listen (Wis),
Move Silently (Dex), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Table: The Wild Hunter

———————— Spells per Day ——–—————
Fort Ref Will
Level BAB Save Save Save Special 0 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
Spectral Mount, Spectral
1st +0 +0 +2 +2 Scythe, Badb 4 2 1 0 — — — — — —
2nd +1 +0 +3 +3 Favored Enemy 5 3 2 1 — — — — — —
3rd +2 +1 +3 +3 Lightning Resistance 5 5 3 2 1 0 — — — — —
4th +3 +1 +4 +4 Spectral Affinity, Macha 5 4 3 2 1 — — — — —
5th +3 +1 +4 +4 Stormwalk, Stormride 5 4 3 2 2 1 — — — —
6th +4 +2 +5 +5 Favored Enemy 5 4 4 3 2 2 1 — — —
7th +5 +2 +5 +5 Combat Form 5 4 4 3 3 2 1 — — —
8th +6 +2 +6 +6 Lightning Resistance 10 5 4 4 4 3 3 2 1 — —
9th +6 +3 +6 +6 Uncanny Dodge 5 4 4 4 4 3 2 1 — —
10th +7 +3 +7 +7 Favored Enemy 5 4 4 4 4 4 3 2 1 —
11th +8 +3 +7 +7 Evasion 5 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 1 —
12th +9 +4 +8 +8 Nemain 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 2 1
13th +9 +4 +8 +8 Lightning Resistance 15 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 2
14th +10 +4 +9 +9 Favored Enemy 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3
Incorporeality,
15th +11 +5 +9 +9 Improved Uncanny Dodge 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Wild Hunter.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Wild Hunter gains no armor proficiencies. A Wild Hunter may not wear armor, unlike
druids he must atone if he does. Wild Hunters gain special abilities with the scythe.
Spells: A Wild Hunter loses the ability to cast spells from other classes. Spells are divine, prepared in the fashion of a cleric,
wisdom based, and drawn from the Wild Hunter spell list. Effective spell level = druid + Wild Hunter levels.
A Wild Hunter cannot summon or cure spontaneously. He can channel a stored spell into specific storm related spells. The
spells are: Obscuring Mist (1st), Cloudburst (2nd), Call Lightning (3rd), Ice Storm (4th), Call Lightning Storm (5th), Chain
Lightning (6th), Control Weather (7th), Stormrage (8th), and Greater Whirlwind (9th).
Spectral Mount (Ex): At 1st level, a Wild Hunter acquires a spectral warhorse (heavy) which he may summon as a full-
round action. The mount will not go inside any man-made structure in horse form. It can be dismissed as a move action. The
mount doesn’t use a saddle, but is not considered bareback. If the Wild Hunter is knocked unconscious he doesn’t fall off,
and the mount will run for safety, possibly attempting to overrun any enemies blocking its path.
If the Spectral Mount dies, it does 1d6 damage to its master per effective class level. The Wild Hunter can regain the mount
by a 24 hour prayer sequence, however until then he cannot cast spells or use his Wild Hunter class abilities, (the same
conditions and effects apply to the death of an animal companion).
The Wild Hunter’s animal companion also become incorporeal
Wild Hunter and Druid levels don’t stack to determine the HD of the character’s animal companion, but the Wild Hunter
adds the Str/Wis adj. from the Spectral Mount table and applies the miss chance from the table as well.
Spectral Scythe (Sp): All of these abilities work only when the Wild Hunter is unarmored.
At 1st level, Wild Hunters gain the spell like ability to summon (and dismiss) a +1 scythe as a free action as long as his hands
are free. If the scythe leaves his hands, it automatically disappears. The scythe is unusually slender, and is designed for
warfare rather than as a farming instrument. Consequently, the weapon scores a threat on a natural roll of 19 or 20.
The scythe becomes +2 at 6th, +3 at 10th and +4 at 14th level.
The scythe cannot be used to kill animals until 15th level.
Hellride (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level, a Wild Hunter is treated as having the spirited charge feat when wielding a scythe (still
requires the Ride-by attack feat to perform a spirited charge).
Spell Scythe (Su): Beginning at 4th level, the spectral scythe can be affected by spells as though it were a quarterstaff (except
for spells that require the weapon to have a wooden striking surface). For instance, if the Wild Hunter casts Shillelagh on the
scythe, it deals 3d6 points of damage in his hands, instead of 2d4 points of damage.
Decapitation (Ex): Beginning at 6th level, should the Wild Hunter score a critical hit with a scythe against a favored enemy
which has a head, it is decapitated. (Note that this doesn’t always kill or even deal extra damage.) If the enemy has more than
one head, only one head is removed. This works the same as the Vorpal ability.
Shock Weapon (Su): Beginning at 8th level, the Spectral Scythe becomes a shocking weapon (dealing an extra 1d6 points of
electricity damage).
Elongated Scythe: Beginning at 10th level, the spectral scythe can attack both adjacent squares as well as though it has reach.
Call of the Thunder (Ex): Beginning at 12th level the Spectral Scythe becomes a thundering weapon, dealing an extra 3d8
points of sonic damage on a critical hit.
Culling (Ex): Beginning at 14th level, souls of sentient creatures threatening or damaging nature (DM’s call) are culled when
killed by the spectral scythe and reincarnated as a lower life-form to learn humility. A successful cull grants a +1 to attack
and damage rolls for one hour, this effect stacks with multiple culls to a maximum of +5.
Badb (Su): Morrígan is a goddess of war and the land. Badb is the first aspect of Morrígan, associated with animals related
to death and war. At 1st level, a Wild Hunter can change into an incorporeal raven or wolf, an amount of times equal to his
wisdom modifier. If his mount is currently with him, it changes into a similar animal. Both the Wild Hunter and the
transformed mount use the miss chance and Str/Wis adj. from the Spectral Mount table for the Wild Hunter level as
appropriate.
The transformation is similar to wild shaping, except it can either be taken during a regular move action (or a charge), or can
be taken as a swift action. The Wild Hunter can transform while mounted.
The effect lasts for 1 hour per Wild Hunter level, or until he changes back.
Favored Enemy (Ex): At 2nd level, a Wild Hunter can take an additional favored enemy. This ability functions much like the
ranger ability, expect as stated below.
The bonuses also add a dodge bonus (melee only, and only when dismounted and wielding a scythe). Rather than getting one
new favored enemy and adding a +2 bonus to an extant favored enemy, the bonuses against all favored enemies is equal to
the Wild Hunter’s intelligence modifier.
This also affects any favored enemies from the Wild Hunter’s ranger class levels.
He gains the ability again at 6th, 10th, and 14th levels.
Spectral Affinity (Ex): At 4th level, a Wild Hunter gains a +5 bonus on saving throws against incorporeal undead, and may
use Wild Empathy to affect incorporeal undead with an intelligence score of less than 3.
Macha (Su): Macha is the second aspect of Morrígan, associated with war, independence, and horses. At 4th level, the Wild
Hunter’s base speed increases by 10 feet. Additionally, he can change into a dire wolf rather than a wolf if he chooses so.
Storm Ride (Sp): At 5th level, while mounted a Wild Hunter gains the ability to fly during any storm as if using the fly spell.
Adverse wind conditions do not affect him; for example, even hurricane-force winds cannot knock him down or blow him
away when flying. This only functions when he is unarmored.
Storm Walk (Ex): Beginning at 5th level, a Wild Hunter can walk or ride through storms (natural or magical) at his regular
movement rate, completely unaffected by high winds (including gust of wind), pounding precipitation or waves, objects
driven by the storm, great claps of thunder, natural bolts of lightning, or any other natural symptom of nature’s fury, as well
as any magical effects from his own spontaneously cast spells. This only functions when he is unarmored.
Combat Form (Ex): Beginning at 7th level, the favored enemy bonuses increase to double his intelligence modifier.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): This only functions when unarmored, but otherwise works as the Rogue ability of the same name.
Evasion (Ex): This only functions when unarmored, but otherwise works as the Rogue ability of the same name.
Nemain (Su): Nemain is the third and final aspect of Morrígan, associated with chaotic and frenzied warfare. At 12th level, a
Wild Hunter can use Maddening Scream once per day as a spell like ability (DC 18 + Wis bonus).
Incorporeality (Su): Beginning at 15th level, once per day per intelligence modifier, as a move action, the Wild Hunter can
turn incorporeal for one hour (or until he ends the ability (move action), he has a magic item/spell miss chance of 75%, and
gains a circumstance bonus to hide of +10.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): This only functions when unarmored, but otherwise works as the Rogue ability of the
same name.
EX WILD HUNTERS
A Wild Hunter who seizes to revere nature, changes to a forbidden alignment, wears forbidden armor, or teaches the Druidic
language to a non-druid, loses all spells and druid and Wild Hunter abilities (including his animal companion, but not
including weapon, armor, and shield proficiencies). He cannot thereafter gain levels as a Wild Hunter until he atones (see the
atonement spell description).
If he takes class-levels in any spell casting class he loses his spells permanently unless he willingly loses the level and atones.

THE WILD HUNTER’S SPECTRAL MOUNT

The Wild Hunter’s mount is superior to a normal mount of its kind and has special powers, as described below.
A Wild Hunter’s mount is treated as a specter, not an animal, for the purpose of all effects that depend on its type (though it
retains an animal’s HD, base attack bonus, saves, skill points, and feats).
The mount is either intensely pale or deep black, the aura and flaming manes it gains are the same color.
No one but the Wild Hunter can mount the mount, others simply pass through it. If both the mount and Wild Hunter consent
other Wild Hunters may mount, or a second person may travel on the mount as a passenger.
Note that the Wild Hunter gets a +4 to ride and handle animal checks as if the mount were an animal companion.

Wild Hunter Level Bonus HD Miss chance Str/Wis Adj Special Appearance
Empathic link, Share Spells,
1st–3rd +2 25% +3 Stability, Improved speed +10 Red Eyes
4th–6th +4 37.5% +4 Improved speed +15 Aura
7th–9th +6 50% +5 Improved speed +20 Muscular, feral
10th–11th +8 62.5% +6 Improved speed +25 Flaming manes
12th–15th +10 75% +7 Improved speed +30

Wild Hunter’s Mount Basics:

Use the base statistics for a heavy warhorse, but make changes to take into account the attributes and characteristics
summarized on the table and described below.
A spectral mount never tires from running.
Bonus HD: Extra eight-sided (d8) Hit Dice, each of which gains a Constitution modifier, as normal. Extra Hit Dice improve
the mount’s base attack and base save bonuses. A special mount’s base attack bonus is equal to that of a druid of a level equal
to the mount’s HD. A mount has good Fortitude and Reflex saves (treat it as a character whose level equals the animal’s HD).
The mount gains additional skill points or feats for bonus HD as normal for advancing a monster’s Hit Dice.
Miss chance: As the mount is a specter, regular attacks have no effect; the miss chance applies to magical attacks that
normally have a chance to hit. Force attacks (such as magic missile) still always hit.
Str/Wis Adj: Add this figure to the mount’s Strength and Wisdom scores.
Empathic Link (Su): The Wild Hunter has an empathic link with his mount out to a distance of up to 1 mile. The Wild Hunter
cannot see through the mount’s eyes, but they can communicate empathically.
Note that even intelligent mounts see the world differently from humans, so misunderstandings are always possible.
Because of this empathic link, the Wild Hunter has the same connection to the outlands as his mount does.
Share Spells (Ex): Share Spells can not be used both on the animal companion and the spectral mount with a single spell.
Stability (Ex): If the mount foregoes an attack, it can instead reduce the mounted archery penalties for the Wild Hunter by 2.
Improved Speed (Ex): The mount’s speed increases as appropriate.

WILD HUNTER’S ROBE

Cost: 100 GP as a contribution to the grove where it was made.
This thick, flowing robe in intense pale or black is the common garment for Wild Hunters, whom are not allowed to wear any
form of armor. It radiates a feint aura of magic, and is delicately woven to be resilient, but light.

The fabric of the robe and the uncannily fluidic movements provide a +1 dodge bonus to AC.
In the icy wastelands beyond the dark forests, the robes are usually white and provide a +6 bonus to hide checks in snow
covered areas, and provide protection from cold and cold resistance 5.
Elsewhere it is black and provides a +4 bonus to hide checks in forests, and dungeons and other places of poor illumination.
It provides a +4 bonus to intimidate checks.