Faithsworn Hunter (3.5e Prestige Class)

Faithsworn Hunter
"Try as you might, you cannot hide your sins from a Faithsworn Hunter."

When a temple needs to find an enemy of the church, they request the aid of a Ranger. When a temple requires a warrior to mete out retribution to an enemy of the church, they send a Paladin. When time is of the essence, and an enemy is too dangerous to let live for any length of time, they send a Faithsworn Hunter.

Becoming a Faithsworn Hunter
All Faithsworn Hunters have at least two levels in both the Ranger and Paladin Classes, and this prestige class is designed with those multi-classed warriors in mind. A few may be Prestige Paladins, but all applicants require at least two levels in Ranger in order to take this prestige class.

Note: Add all skills from your Paladin Skill list, dependent upon your Paladin Type.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Faithsworn Hunter.

Your bonus spells are based on your Wisdom score. Saves to avoid the effects of your spells have a DC of 10 + the spell's level + your wis bonus (if any).

You cast spells as a cleric does. Your spells from Levels 1-4 are drawn from the Ranger and Paladin spell lists. Your 0th level, and 5th-6th level spells are drawn from the Cleric and Druid Spell lists. All alignment restrictions apply as normal, but you do not gain a domain like a cleric does.

 : At 1st level, the Faithsworn Hunter gains a powerful ability. It gains a Favored Enemy bonus of +2 versus an alignment type opposed to his own. If he is a traditional paladin, he may choose either Chaotic or Evil, if he is a Paladin of Slaughter, he may choose either Lawful or Good, etc.

 : A Faithsworn Hunter's Favored Enemy bonuses are more potent than a normal Rangers. For every +2 bonus that a Faithsworn Hunter would receive to damage rolls against his favored enemy, he instead gains 1d6 extra damage. So a Faithsworn Hunter with a +6 Bonus vs. Goblinoids would deal an extra 3d6 damage on every attack vs. Goblinoids.

 : At 1st level, the Faithsworn Hunter may swap out his old combat style for one of four new ones. Also, the Faithsworn Hunter is no longer limited by his armor. He retains the use of his combat style even while wearing medium or heavy armor.
 * Sword and Shield: A Faithsworn Hunter may add their Shield AC bonus as a Shield Bonus to all Adjacent Allies' AC.


 * Two-Handed Weapon: A Faithsworn Hunter gains the Power Attack feat, even if he does not meet the pre-requisites (if he already has Power Attack, he may select another feat for which he meets the pre-requisites)


 * Mounted Combat: A Faithsworn Hunter gains the Mounted Combat Feat, even if he does not meet the pre-requisites (If he already has the feat, he may select another feat for which he meets the pre-requisites).


 * Faithful Combat Style: A Faithsworn Hunter gains the Renewed Zealousness (3.5e Feat), if they already have the feat, they may select another feat for which they meet the pre-requisites.

 : Faithsworn Hunter levels stack with Ranger levels to determine his Favored Enemy and Animal Companion Bonuses.

 : Faithsworn Hunter levels stack with Paladin levels to determine his Lay on Hands amount, his Special Mount Bonuses/duration, and his Smite damage/uses.

 : At 2nd level, the Faithsworn Hunger gains an Animal Companion, just as a Ranger does. Ranger and Faithsworn Hunter levels stack to determine the power of the animal companion.

 : At 2nd Level, the Faithsworn Hunter's Combat Style Improves. If he has a standard ranger combat style, it improves to it's next tier (if he later gains enough levels in Ranger to grant him the Improved Combat Style/Master Combat Style again, he may select another feat for which he meets the pre-requisites).


 * Sword and Shield: The Faithsworn Hunter gains the Improved Shield Bash Feat (even if he does not meet the pre-requisites), and may use his shield as an offhand weapon with no penalty to any of his attacks. (And gains the Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, and Greater Two-Weapon Fighting feats as he meets the BAB pre-requisites, but ONLY with a one handed/light weapon and a shield.)


 * Two-Handed Weapon: The Faithsworn Hunter's Power Attack improves. For Every point of BAB lost, he gains 2.5 points of damage per point of BAB lost (Rounded down).


 * Mounted Combat: The Faithsworn Hunter gains the Ride-By Attack feat (If he already has Ride-By Attack, he may select any feat for which he meets the pre-requisites).


 * Faithful Combat: The Faithsworn Hunter gains the Steadfast Zealousness (3.5e Feat), if they already have the feat, they may select another feat for which they meet the pre-requisites.

 : At 2nd level, 6th level, and 10th level, the Faithsworn Hunter gains a special Bane ability. He may choose from the following list.
 * Undead Bane: You may deal critical hits to undead, and also may use your Favored Enemy bonus to deal extra damage to undead.


 * Devilbane: You may add your Favored Enemy (Evil) Bonus to your Save DC's for spells such as Banishment or Dismissal that targets Evil Outsiders


 * Angelbane: You may add your Favored Enemy (Good) Bonus to your Save DC's for spells such as Banishment or Dismissal that targets Good Outsiders


 * Golembane: You may deal critical hits to Constructs normally, and also may use your Favored Enemy bonus to deal extra damage to Constructs. For the sake of Favored Enemy (Alignment), treat the Golem's alignment as that of it's creator.


 * Anarchibane: You may add your Favored Enemy (Chaotic) Bonus to your Save DC's for spells such as Banishment or Dismissal that targets Chaotic Outsiders


 * Axiobane: You may add your Favored Enemy (Lawful) Bonus to your Save DC's for spells such as Banishment or Dismissal that targets Lawful Outsiders.


 * Eldritchbane: Your extra damage from Favored Enemy becomes D8's vs. Abberations.

' : At 3rd Level, the Faithsworn Hunter does not take any sort of penalty when his Mount is killed. Instead, he must simply wait until the next day to summon a new one. Also, the Mount gains the ability to smite the same alignment as you do, the same amount of times per day/encounter that you can.

 : At 4th level, the Faithsworn Hunter's Favored Enemy (Alignment) bonus increases by +4. No other Favored Enemy Bonuses are modified.

 :At 7th level, a Faithsworn Hunter can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. This form of Evasion is not hindered by Armor.

 : At 7th Level, the Faithsworn Hunter gains their Master Combat Style as per normal Ranger Rules. If they chose one of the alternate Combat Styles, they gain the following abilities.


 * Sword and Shield: The Faithsworn Hunter may add his shield's Enhancement Bonus to AC to any attack/damage rolls made when using the shield as a weapon.


 * Two-Handed Weapon: The Faithsworn Hunter's Power Attack improves yet again, increasing to 3 points of damage for every point of BAB lost.


 * Mounted Combat: The Faithsworn Hunter gains the Spirited Charge feat (If he already has Spirited Charge, he may select any feat for which he meets the pre-requisites).


 * Faithful Combat: The Faithsworn Hunter gains a +2 Bonus to AC and All saves versus the attacks of a creature he has successfully smited.

 : At 8th Level, a Faithsworn Hunter gains another powerful ability. His Paladin and Ranger levels stack for the sake of Determining Smite Damage/Uses, Lay on Hands, Favored Enemy Bonuses, Special Mount Bonuses/duration, and Animal Companion Bonuses.

 : At 9th level, a Faithsworn Hunter gains the use of the Mettle ability.

Ex-Faithsworn Hunters
If a Faithsworn Hunter violates his Paladin Code, he loses all Faithsworn Hunter AND Paladin Abilities (Except for BAB and Ranger Bonuses) until he atones.

Playing a Faithsworn Hunter
Combat: The Faithsworn Hunter can excel in any form of combat that he normally could as a Paladin or Ranger, depending on his combat style. He also is much better at utilizing divine magic than either a Paladin, or a Ranger, and makes a passable backup divine caster.

Advancement: Most Faithsworn Hunters continue advancing as a Paladin or Ranger after they complete this prestige class, while others may take other prestige classes that a Paladin or Ranger could normally take.

Resources: Faithsworn Hunters of the same alignment/church will aid their brethren with whatever they can spare, so long as it does not interfere with their own work. Normally, information and advice are what is offered, but another Faithsworn Hunter may offer healing free of charge to the Faithsworn Hunter PC and his companions.

Faithsworn Hunters in the World
"You cannot hide from the Judgement of Tyr."

A Faithsworn Hunter can be inserted easily into any campaign world that has Paladins and Rangers. Perhaps the Faithsworn Hunters are a cadre of a Temple's most powerful warriors. Or maybe they are the Elite soldiers in a war between opposing churches/alignments.

NPC Reactions: Depending on the Faithsworn Hunter's alignment, an NPC might react with Awe or Fear. (Also dependent on the NPC's alignment).

Faithsworn Hunter Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Religion), or Knowledge (Nature) can research Faithsworn Hunters to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Faithsworn Hunters in the Game
As an NPC, a Faithsworn Hunter might be a mentor or superior to a Paladin or Ranger in the Party. They normally serve as Elite soldiers to their temples or orders. As a PC, the Faithsworn Hunter might be on a mission to destroy a particular cult of an opposing alignment, or they might simply be "muscle" for the church's activities.

Adaptation: Any Multi-Class Paladin/Ranger could be a Faithsworn Hunter in your campaign. Alternatively, you can restyle a Druid/Ranger or a Cleric/Paladin into a Faithsworn Hunter with little effort, provided that you haven't shown the PC's that they can cast 7th level or Higher Divine Spells.

Sample Encounter: The Party has been sent to find and kill a powerful, Evil Ranger of the Church of Bane. There are rumors that he apparently is also a powerful spellcaster of some type, at least, far more powerful than any ranger that the party is aware of.

EL 14: Ranger 2/Paladin of Tyranny 2/Faithsworn Hunter 10