Beastling (Legendary Hunter Archetype)

Beastlings are hunters whose magic allows them to coax or force other animals into sharing their minds with them. This direct connection, and the frequent visceral experience of seeing the world from a beast’s eyes, can leave a mark on these people, leaving civilization’s trappings more distant and alien than they used to. Being of both worlds but truly part of neither, they often position themselves as a bridge through which the two connect, acting as mediators between society and the animal kingdom… or oppressors, treating animals as tools of their will, and people, their victims. But be they speakers for the wilds or iron-fisted overlords, beastlings have a more direct relationship with animals than anyone else.

Special: Magical abilities of the beastling are Wisdom– based. The save DC for these abilities is 10 + 1/2 class level + the beastling’s Wisdom modifier. The beastling must have a Wisdom score of at least 11 to use them.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A beastling is not proficient with medium armor or shields. This ability alters armor and weapon proficiency.

Class Skills: A beastling gains Fly as a class skill instead of Handle Animal, Knowledge (Local) and Profession. This ability alters class skills.

Beastling’s Companion

A beastling’s companion is attuned to the mind of its master, and is always considered a willing target of their mind-affecting spells and abilities. However, the animal does not necessarily respond favorably to what is done to it under these effects: Egregious mistreatment will cause a beastling’s thrall to leave their master’s side once domination effects the beastling may have placed them under are gone, no longer a companion, nor considered a willing target. Mistreatment will also render the companion unwilling to answer any calls made by the beastling or their allies to bring the animal back from the dead.

While a beastling is without a thrall for any reason, unlike most hunters, they cannot increase the duration of their summon nature’s ally spells. Furthermore, the beastling’s levels do not stack with other sources to determine the abilities of their companion.

This ability alters animal companion.

Parasocial

The beastling and their companion are treated as having the higher of either’s Wisdom score. They both use their Wisdom score in place of Intelligence to qualify for feats.

Intertwined Training

At 1st level, the beastling and the animal companion prevent the other from being caught off-guard through their mental connection. Whenever one of them would be surprised or flat-footed but the other would not, neither are surprised nor flat-footed.

At 2nd level, the beastling and their companion act as one. They use the highest Initiative result between them to determine their placement in the initiative order, with the order between the two decided by the beastling.

At 8th level, the beastling and their companion avoid dangers and hazards with shared alacrity. Whenever both would roll a reflex save against the same effect, they use the highest result between the two.

At 16th level, the beastling and their companion use the two sets of senses between them to avoid blows. While in each other’s line of effect, they gain a +4 insight bonus to AC.

All benefits of Intertwined Training listed above function only while both the beastling and their companion are conscious participants of the same encounter.

Additionally, at each of these listed levels, the beastling and companion gain a bonus combat or teamwork feat shared between them through their connection. Both must qualify for the selected feats. The beastling can only benefit from these feats while they have a companion, and only while they are within a mile of each other.

This replaces companion training.

Beast-lord (Su/Sp)

A beastling can tap into the minds of animals around them. At will as a standard action, they can detect the surface, instinctual thoughts of animals in the vicinity. This is a supernatural ability and divination effect. It functions as the spell detect thoughts, except it only works on creatures of the Animal type, does not require concentration to maintain, and its area is a 60 foot radius aura centered on the beastling. This, incidentally, means the beastling is always aware of animals not shielded from divination within the aura while it is active.

A beastling can use Knowledge (Nature) checks to recognize animals who failed their save against this effect based on the thoughts the animals have. When desired, the aura may be dismissed as a swift action, and deactivates whenever the beastling falls asleep or otherwise becomes unconscious.

Once per day at 4th level, and additional times per day for every odd level thereafter, the beastling can use dominate animal as a spell-like ability. At level 16, they use dominate monster instead, targeting animals and magical beasts only.

This ability replaces Beast-friend.

Beastling’s Warp (Su)

Unlike most hunters, a beastling gains the benefits of improved empathic link at 1st level rather than 4th level.

Further, at will as a standard action, a beastling may establish the same empathic link with any one animal in addition to their animal companion.

Finally, as a standard action, a beastling may choose to take control of a beast with which they have established an empathic link through this ability, subsuming its will and displacing them with their own. For every hour the beastling’s mind is warped into an animal’s, they take a point of Intelligence damage until their Intelligence score matches that of the animal. In the event the animal dies while the beastling’s mind resides within it, the beastling suffers 1d6 nonlethal damage per Hit Die of the animal. Neither the Intelligence nor the nonlethal damage can be negated, nor healed by any means other than rest. Unwilling targets must pass a will save to resist either use of this ability. Beastling’s Warp otherwise functions as possession.

This ability alters Improved Empathic Link.