Monster Trainer

For ages, raising creatures as pets and companions has been a tradition held by druids, rangers, and, to a lesser degree, other divine and arcane spellcasters. Most acquire the services of domesticated animals, while some dedicate their time to more exotic beings. But, for all their knowledge; for all their skill in the art of handling animals and lesser beings, these groups still fail to understand the bond shared between a trainer and her monsters.

Monster trainers have learned how to tap into the natural well of arcane power that lives within all sentient beings. It is the same power from which sorcerers manifest their bloodlines and with which summoners bond to their strange, beautiful creations. This power grants trainers the unique ability to tether the essence of monsters to their souls.

Each trainer is different because few trainers bond with the same creatures that others might. It is this perceived individuality that sets monster trainers apart, even from their own peers.

Role: Monster trainers are self–sufficient heroes who capture and use monsters to achieve greater success in all walks of life. How versatile a trainer can be depends on her choice of active monster. The trainer may use a powerful animal or magical beast that grants her few spells and instead offers her more physical options during battle. Or, she can call forth a tiny fey and use its spells to confuse her enemies while she fights them in closer quarters. At higher levels, it can be expected that a trainer will usually have some option available to her in any situation, even if that choice isn’t the most optimal.

Alignment: Any; see trainer aura.

Hit Die: d8

Starting Wealth: 4d6 × 10 gp (average 140 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Skills

The monster trainer’s class skills are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Fly (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Survival (Wis).

Skill Ranks Per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Table: Monster Trainer Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special Spells Per Day 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 1st +0 +0 +2 +2 Capture monster, monster training, eschew materials, trainer aura 3 — — — — — — — — 2nd +1 +0 +3 +3 Favored enemy, monster growth, spell familiarity 4 — — — — — — — — 3rd +2 +1 +3 +3 Empathy, talented trainer (spell-like) 5 — — — — — — — — 4th +3 +1 +4 +4 Spell familiarity, trainer perk 6 3 — — — — — — — 5th +3 +1 +4 +4 Shared senses 6 4 — — — — — — — 6th +4 +2 +5 +5 Spell familiarity 6 5 3 — — — — — — 7th +5 +2 +5 +5 Talented trainer (supernatural) 6 6 4 — — — — — — 8th +6/+1 +2 +6 +6 Spell familiarity, trainer perk 6 6 5 3 — — — — — 9th +6/+1 +3 +6 +6 Great trainer 6 6 6 4 — — — — — 10th +7/+2 +3 +7 +7 Spell familiarity, temporary control 6 6 6 5 3 — — — — 11th +8/+3 +3 +7 +7 Talented trainer (extraordinary) 6 6 6 6 4 — — — — 12th +9/+4 +4 +8 +8 Spell familiarity, trainer perk 6 6 6 6 5 3 — — — 13th +9/+4 +4 +8 +8 Channel monster 6 6 6 6 6 4 — — — 14th +10/+5 +4 +9 +9 Spell familiarity 6 6 6 6 6 5 3 — — 15th +11/+6/+1 +5 +9 +9 Swap monster 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 — — 16th +12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +10 Spell familiarity, trainer perk 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 3 — 17th +12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +10 Perfect capture 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 — 18th +13/+8/+3 +6 +11 +11 Spell familiarity 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 3 19th +14/+9/+4 +6 +11 +11 trainer perk 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 20th +15/+10/+5 +6 +12 +12 Master trainer, spell familiarity 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the monster trainer.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Monster trainers are proficient with all simple weapons, all bows and the whip. They are proficient with light armor, but not with shields. A trainer can cast trainer spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. Like any other arcane spellcaster, a trainer wearing medium or heavy armor, or using a shield, incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has any somatic components. A multiclass trainer still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.

Spells

A monster trainer casts arcane spells that she gains from the monsters she captures. When a trainer controls a monster that grants her spells in some way, the trainer gains the ability to cast those spells as a sorcerer of her same level. She also gains the ability to cast that monster’s 0-level spells (cantrips) at will, if it provides any.

A monster trainer can cast any spell she has access to without preparing it ahead of time. To gain access to or cast a spell, a trainer must have an active monster that grants the spell and a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a trainer’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the trainer’s Charisma modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a monster trainer can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Monster Trainer. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score (see Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells).

The trainer can cast her spells through her active monster, using its space as the point of origin to determine her line of sight and effect as the spell is cast (as if she were in the space in that moment). This doesn’t grant the trainer any of her active monster’s special senses, however. Because it is physically in the space when the spell is cast, the trainer’s monster draws any attacks of opportunity, not the trainer herself. The trainer can still cast defensively to avoid harming her monster, and must still make a concentration check if either is damaged while casting.

The monster trainer spell list provides a full list of spells that can be granted by monsters. It also acts as a reference for class or archetype abilities that grant specific spells beyond those granted by monsters. Alternatively, the trainer spells by monster list offers a fast way to learn what a trainer would need to capture to gain access to a particular spell.

Capture Monster (Sp)

Every monster trainer knows and can cast the capture monster spell at will and may heighten that spell as if she possessed the Heighten Spell metamagic feat. At 1st level, a monster trainer has already either captured her first monster or been given one by a mentor such as a monster researcher.

Capturing Unconventional Creatures: A monster trainer can accept willing creatures into her essence without casting capture monster. In this way, she can obtain creatures not usually considered monsters. A charmed or dominated creature does not have the capacity to willingly accept capture.

The trainer can also obtain monsters from other trainers as an exchange or gift. Accepting willing monsters into her essence has no direct cost (although some trainers are known to buy and sell captured monsters), and takes 1 minute per CR of the highest CR monster being gifted or exchanged.

Monster Training (Ex)

Monster training is the act of calling, controlling, and recalling monsters in or out of combat.

Calling Monsters: As a move action, a monster trainer can call upon one of her monsters. This is identical to drawing a weapon, except that the trainer doesn’t need a +1 base attack to call upon her monster while moving. A monster trainer with Quick Draw can call upon a monster as a free action.

Calling upon even one monster is a rigorous mental activity, and if the trainer is unable to take 10 on actions, she cannot call upon more than one monster at a time. When faced with an immediate threat or distraction, all but one monster of the trainer’s choice are returned to her essence as a free action.

When first called upon, the now active monster appears in an unoccupied space within 10 ft. of its trainer with hit points equal to the trainer’s current hit points (anything over the monster’s total hit points are considered temporary, and anything under can be healed as normal). If no such space exists where the monster can fit, the ability fails and the action is lost.

Controlling Monsters: In the same way a human fighter can’t wield a bow and a greatsword at the same time, a trainer can only give her attention to one monster at a time in combat.
Unlike a wizard’s familiar or a druid’s animal companion, a trainer’s monster does not gain its own actions during combat. Once the monster appears, the trainer uses her own actions to direct and communicate with it telepathically out to 100 feet. The monster doesn’t gain actions or special (Sp, Su, or Ex) abilities of its own, only those granted by the trainer. If the trainer is reduced to 0 or fewer hit points but not dead, she can still direct her active monster to take a single move or standard action on each of her turns.

Recalling Monsters: The trainer can use her telepathic bond to call her active monster back into her essence as a move action, equivalent to sheathing a weapon. When a monster is recalled, it fades away from reality, disappearing entirely. The trainer’s hit points are reduced to match the monster’s remaining hp if lower than her own (this loss of hit points cannot be redirected or reduced), and all negative effects on the monster are removed, as with a heal spell. If a monster is reduced to 0 or fewer hit points, it is immediately recalled from any distance at 0 hit points as a free action. If a trainer dies, her monster fades back into her essence as a free action. A trainer’s spirit can still gift monsters to other trainers if they have a means of communicating with it.

Downtime Activities: During downtime, a trainer can call upon some or all of her monsters to spend time with them; training animals, playing, interacting with or showing her monsters off to others. Doing so requires the trainer’s full attention and gives no special benefit to the monster trainer, so she can’t also work or progress in crafting items.

A trainer’s monsters with 2 or lower Intelligence (or Int –) gain the attack trick twice automatically when captured, but must still be trained to perform other tasks. The trainer can use the training process and Handle Animal to teach tricks to any of her captured monsters with Intelligence 2 or less (mindless creatures count as having an Intelligence of 1 for this purpose).

Eschew Materials

A monster trainer gains Eschew Materials as a bonus feat at 1st level.

Trainer Aura (Ex)

The alignment displayed by the monster trainer’s aura can be misleading because it is affected by the monsters she has captured. A creature observing the trainer’s aura will see a muddled mix of alignments, though often one will stand out more prominently, such as when a trainer captures a majority of evil monsters. Anybody attempting to detect a trainer’s alignment requires a number of additional rounds equal to one-half the trainer’s level (minimum 1) to do so.

The trainer determines the exact visual nature of her aura. For example, the trainer’s aura can appear to be a swirl of energy around her head or a pouch of orbs at her waist containing each monster she’s captured. The trainer can make her aura visible, though it provides no mechanical benefit to do so.

Favored Enemy (Ex)

At 2nd level, a monster trainer gains favored enemy, which functions as the ranger class feature, except trainer’s favored enemy bonus never increases beyond +2 without a trainer perk or levels in another class that gains this feature. The trainer gains additional favored enemies at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level.

Monster Growth (Ex)