Holy Hunter (3.5e Prestige Class)

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A Ranger devoted to the eradication of evil Minimum Level:6

Holy Hunter

“	I hate all your rules and regulations, but I hate evil more.	”
—Daesonne Shadowbane, Human Holy Hunter

Sometimes fighting evil requires a warrior with capabilities beyond that of a religious organization's normal champions. In such circumstances, these organization turn to the holy hunters. A holy hunter is a ranger who, while not drawn to the strict regulations of religious orders, feels that their war against evil is one worth waging. They offer their services to temples and churches plagued with particularly potent enemies, or trapped in particularly sticky circumstances, the kinds that a cleric of paladin might not be able to handle because of their more rigorous moral codes.

Becoming a Holy Hunter

The typical Holy Hunter is an individual who pursued at least some training as a paladin, then decided the life a ranger was better suited to his personality and convictions. Other classes could certainly pursue the holy hunter class, but anyone taking this prestige class will most likely have at least one level of paladin and two levels of ranger.

Entry Requirements  

Alignment:	neutral good or chaotic good only. A lawful good character may take this prestige class, but he immediately becomes neutral good or chaotic good as a result..
Base Attack Bonus:	6.
Race:	Any.
Skills:	Survival, Sense Motive.
Feats:	Track.
Special:	Combat Style and Smite Evil class abilities

Table: The Holy Hunter

Hit Die: d10

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+2	+2	Smite Evil 1/day, Ordained Prey, Celestial Companion
2nd	+2	+3	+3	+3	Divine Combat, Righteous Pursuit, +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
3rd	+3	+3	+3	+3	Strength of Conviction (frightened); Holy Focus (+2/-1)
4th	+4	+4	+4	+4	Favored Enemy: Evil (+1), +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
5th	+5	+4	+4	+4	Smite Evil 2/day, Convincing Martyr
6th	+6/+1	+5	+5	+5	Holy Focus (+4/-2), +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
7th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+5	Synchronized Spellcasting, Improved Divine Combat
8th	+8/+3	+6	+6	+6	Favored Enemy: Evil (+2), +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
9th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+6	Holy Focus (+6/-3)
10th	+10/+5	+7	+7	+7	Smite Evil 3/day, Strength of Conviction (panicked), +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (dungeoneering)(geography)(nature)(religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Use Rope (Dex).

Class Features

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

Spellcasting: At every other level, beginning with the second, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one divine spellcasting class before becoming a holy hunter, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.

Smite Evil (Su): Once per day, you may attempt to smite evil with one normal melee attack. You add your Charisma bonus (if any) to your attack roll and deal 1 extra point of damage per holy hunter level. If you accidentally smite a creature that is not evil, the smite has no effect, but the ability is still used up for that day. You gain a second daily smite evil use at level 5, and a third at level 10.

If you have the smite evil ability from another class, the smite evil uses gained from holy hunter levels are in addition to these other uses. Also, holy hunter levels stack with levels from other classes that grant the smite evil ability for the purpose of determining the extra damage dealt by smite evil attempts.

Ordained Prey: Because of their religious service, holy hunters often find themselves facing the same sorts of enemies over and over again. At first level you may substitute any of his existing favored enemies for choices from the following: undead, aberration, dragons, and evil outsiders. For example, a ranger who chose goblins as his first favored enemy and orcs as his second favored enemy might, upon becoming a holy hunter, choose instead to have his first favored enemy be undead, and his second be evil outsiders. Any ordained prey substitutions can only be made when taking the first level of holy hunter. Ordained prey substitutions do not affect the favored enemy class ability in any way, other than determining the target of this ability.

Celestial Companion (Ex): In order to provide an appropriate companion in the fight against evil, your animal companion gains the celestial template. If you do not yet qualify for an animal companion because of insufficient levels as a ranger or other animal companion-granting class, then you do not gain the celestial companion ability until that time. Holy hunter levels stack with levels from other animal companion-granting classes for the purpose of qualifying for an animal companion, as well as determining the animal companion's abilities.

Divine Combat Style (Ex): You learn to adapt your unique combat style to the demands of your role as a holy hunter.

If you selected archery as your ranger combat style, then you gain Ranged Smite as a bonus feat. If you already have this feat, you may choose another for which you qualify.

If you selected two-weapon combat, then you may add your full Charisma modifier to your off-hand attacks, instead of half your Strength modifier, if the former is higher.

Righteous Pursuit (Ex): Because you have studied evil in depth, you have learned to predict its movement through more than just tracks on the ground. When tracking a creature you know to be evil, you may make a sense motive check, as well as a survival check, taking the higher of the two. In addition, the penalties for all tracking are reduced as if you had the ranger's swift tracker ability.

Strength of Conviction (frightened) (Ex): Your enemies are taken aback by the great and certain hatred you hold for them. When you make a successful melee or ranged attack, your target must make a Will save of DC 10+ WIS mod + holy hunter level or be frightened for 1d4 rounds. If the target is evil, they take an additional 1d6 damage per round. You may use this power a number of times a day equal to your Wisdom modifier.

At level 10, targets who fail their Will save become panicked for 1d4 rounds, instead. If the target is evil, they take an additional 2d6 damage per round.

Holy Focus (+2/-1) (Su): You have the ability to focus your attention on the task at hand, even in the midst of battle. Choose a target. You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls when attacking this target. These bonuses stack with any bonuses gained from Smite Evil or Favored Enemy abilities. In addition you gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC and a +2 bonus on all saves against attacks from your target. However, because you are so focused on the target, you are vulnerable to attacks from elsewhere. Thus, you take a -1 penalty to attack and damage rolls against any other creature, as well as a -1 penalty to AC and saves on attacks from other creatures.

Holy focus lasts for a maximum of 1 minute per holy hunter level. It ends immediately if the target is killed, or you choose to end it prematurely, which you may do at any time as a free action. You may use this ability once per day.

As you advance in skill as a holy hunter, the strength of your holy focus increases, as do the penalties associated with it. You may use holy focus two times a day for a +4 bonus (with -2 penalties) at level 6, and three times a day for a +6 bonus (with -3 penalties) at level 9.

Favored Enemy: Evil (+1) (Ex): You gain a +1 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Spot, Search, Sense Motive, and Survival checks against evil creatures. You also gain a +1 bonus to damage rolls against such creatures. These bonuses stack with those granted by smite evil and favored enemy abilities, but, again, only apply against evil creatures.

At level 8, these bonuses increase to +2.

Convincing Martyr (Ex): As much as you want to strike fear into the hearts of your enemies, sometimes it's best to let them think they've won ... at least temporarily. As a free action, immediately following a successful attack against you, you may fall prone and appear dead, without provoking attacks of opportunity. Any creature wishing to know if you are truly dead or not must make a spot check against an opposed DC of 10 + WIS mod + holy hunter level. Any creature who fails the spot check will not attempt to attack you while you appear to be dead, though they may take other reasonable actions (such as a wild animal trying to eat you) at the DM's discretion.

While on the ground, you suffer from all the penalties associated with the prone condition. Getting up is also a free action, but it provokes an attack of opportunity from any creature with line of sight who would gain an attack of opportunity under normal circumstances. Creatures who cannot see you, however, will not know you have gotten up, and thus gain no attack of opportunity.

You may use the Convincing Martyr ability an unlimited amount of times per day; however, any creature who has already seen you fake death in this way will get a +15 bonus to their next spot check to perceive if you are dead or not. Each additional attempt to use convincing martyr against the same creature will grant the creature an additional +15 bonus.

Synchronized Spellcasting: Choose INT, WIS, or CHA. You may now use this ability for all of your spell casting, divine or arcane.

Improved Divine Combat (Ex): You continue to hone your combat style for the work of a holy hunter.

If you selected the archery combat style, you automatically confirm critical hits and provoke no attack of opportunity on ranged attacks when using the smite evil class ability.

If you selected the two weapon combat style, you may reduce the penalty on attack rolls associated with any extra off-hand attack gained through Improved or Greater Two Weapon Fighting by an amount equal to your Charisma modifer (to a maximum of 0), as long as you are using this extra off-hand attack to smite evil.

Ex-Holy Hunter

A Holy Hunter who willingly commits evil loses any supernatural abilities, as well as his divine combat abilities. He can regain these after performing a proper atonement.

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