Apex (3.5e Class)

Author: Franken Kesey (talk) Date Created: 02/21/19 Status: Fin Editing: Clarity edits only please

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10 4 Moderate

"High" is not in the list (Good, Poor, Bad, Varies, Other) of allowed values for the "Fortitude Save Progression" property.

Poor

"High" is not in the list (Good, Poor, Bad, Varies, Other) of allowed values for the "Will Save Progression" property.

Other

"Good" is not in the list (Full, Partial, Minor, Separate, Other) of allowed values for the "Class Ability Progression" property.

Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral, Lawful Evil, Neutral Good, Neutral Evil, Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Evil

Apex

An Apex is at the top of the food-chain. Able to shapechange into a wild beast and dominate the battlefield.

Becoming an Apex Predator

Muscles and guts — that is all you need.

Entry Requirements

Class:	Must be able to either Rage or Wildshape.
Skill:	6 ranks in concentration, & 3 in autohypnosis & control shape.

Table: The Apex

Hit Die: d10

Level	BAB	Saving Throws			Special	Ability Score Changes in Primal Form
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+0	+2	Carnal Nature, Rage (2/day)	—
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+2	Animal Form	+2Str, +2Con
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+3	Rage (3/day), Bonus Feat	+2Str, +2Con
4th	+4	+4	+1	+4	Animal Form (Large)	+4Str, +4Con, -2Dex
5th	+5	+4	+1	+4	Bonus Feat	+4Str, +4Con, -2Dex
6th	+6/+1	+5	+2	+5	Rage (4/day), Animal Form (2nd)	+6Str, +6Con, -2Dex
7th	+7/+2	+5	+2	+5	Bonus Feat	+6Str, +6Con, -2Dex
8th	+8/+3	+6	+2	+6	Animal Form (Monstrous)	+6Str, +6Con, -2Dex
9th	+9/+4	+6	+3	+6	Bonus Feat	+6Str, +6Con, -2Dex
10th	+10/+5	+7	+3	+7	Animal Form (Huge)	+8Str, +8Con, -4Dex
Class Skills (4 + Con modifier per level) Autohypnosis (Wis), Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Control Shape (Wis), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex),

Class Features

Weapon & Armor Proficiency: Apexs are proficient with all martial weapons. Apexs are proficient with light & medium armor, & with shields (except tower shields). In animal form (see below), apexs are proficient with their bite & claw natural weapons.

Carnal Nature: An apex acquires many animalistic attributes:

Animal Affinity (Ex): An apexs can communicate with all animals, & gain a +2 racial bonus on Cha-based checks against animals.

Natural Armor Bonus (Ex): An apexs gain natural armor in all forms, providing them with +2 natural armor bonus. At 3rd & every two levels after, this bonus increases by +2, but only in animal form (max +10 animal, +2 non-animal).

Sense (Ex): At 2nd level, an apex gains the scent & Track feats.

Animal Call (Su): At 2nd level, an apex can call for an animal ally (treat like summon nature's ally III) 2/day. At 5th level, this improves to summon nature's ally IV and 3/day, and summon nature's ally V at 8th.

Savage Speed (Ex): At 3rd level, an apex gains a +10’ increase to his base land speed, a climb speed of 20’, & a Swim speed of 30’. At 7th level, he gets another +10' bonus to one selected speed.

Wild Weapon (Su): At 4th, 6th & 8th levels, an apex gains a +3 weapon special ability natural attack. This can only be applied to natural attacks (i.e., bite, claw, fist).

Hypnotic Healing (Su): At 5th level, as a full-round action, an apex can go into a healing trance. This heals 1d8+autohypnosis bonus in damage. At 8th level, he gains an additional +1d8 to healing.

Rage (Ex): An apex can fly into a rage a certain number of times per day. In a rage, an apex temporarily gains a +4 bonus to Strength, a +4 bonus to Constitution, & a +2 morale bonus on Will saves, but he takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class. The increase in Constitution increases the apex’s hit points by 2 points per level, but these hit points go away at the end of the rage when his Constitution score drops back to normal. (These extra hit points are not lost first the way temporary hit points are.) While raging, an apex cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except for Balance, Escape Artist, Intimidate, & Ride), the Concentration skill, or any abilities that require patience or concentration, nor can he cast spells or activate magic items that require a command word, a spell trigger (such as a wand), or spell completion (such as a scroll) to function. He can use any feat he has except Combat Expertise, item creation feats, & metamagic feats. A fit of rage lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the character’s (newly improved) Constitution modifier. An apex may prematurely end his rage. At the end of the rage, the apex loses the rage modifiers & restrictions & becomes fatigued (–2 penalty to Strength, –2 penalty to Dexterity, can’t charge or run) for the duration of the current encounter.

An apex can fly into a rage only once per encounter. At 1st level, he can use his rage ability 2/day. At 3rd level & every three levels thereafter, he can use it one additional time per day (capping out at 4/day at 7th). Entering a rage takes no time itself, but an apex can do it only during his action, not in response to someone else’s action.

If an apex already had rage from another source, he acquires a fury bonus feat at 1st level instead. However, this does not stack with rages from other sources (i.e., all 1st level apexs can only rage twice per day).

Animal Form (Su): At 2nd level, an apex selects one animal form, this is his “primal form”. This animal form must be of equal size to the base creatures size, Hit Dice can’t exceed the apex’s HD, and must have a natural weapon attack. The apex can only change into this type of animal. An apex can change as a standard action (it takes a standard action to change back, voluntarily or otherwise). This functions similarly to the druid's wild shape ability. In animal form, apexs gain a primary claw attack, dealing 1d6+Str modifier in damage, & secondary bite attack 1d8+Str modifier. On a full attack action, apexs can make two claw attacks & a bite attack, following all normal rules for multiple natural attacks.

An apex can maintain this change for a number of rounds per day equal to his newly increased Constitution modifier +3 (see below). At 4th level & every 2 level beyond, an apex can maintain his shapechange for an additional 3 rounds. The rounds do not have to be consecutive. The apex gains the shapechanger subtype.

Should an apex select an animal with uncommon natural attacks (i.e., snake or octopus), one type of attack is 1d6+Str and another is +1d8+Str.

Stat Increases (Ex): An apex, while in animal form, gain a +2Str & +2Con. At 6th level, an apex gets an additional +2Str & +2Con. All only applies while in animal form.

Enlarged Form (Su): At 4th level, the apex’s primal form increases to one size larger than his base form. This size increase grants a +2 Str & Con; but -2 Dex, -1 AC/attack rolls & -4 hide penalties; also grants +5' of reach. The apex's natural weapons in animal forms gain one size increase to their damage die. An apex only applies this to his primary form (not later secondary form).

Improved Grab (Ex): At 5th level, if an apex in animal form hits with a claw or bite attack, they deal normal damage & can attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.

Second Animal Form (Su): At 6th level, an apex can select one more animal form to become (with the same requirements, but cannot be larger than base form). An apex can change from his natural form to an animal form or animal form to animal form.

Monstrous Form (Su): At 8th level, an apex can select one monstrous form to become (with the same requirements).

Huge Form (Su): At 10th level, the apex’s primal form increases to two size larger than his base form. This size increase grants a +4 Str & Con; but -4 Dex, -2 AC/attack rolls & -8 hide penalties; also grants +10' of reach. The apex's natural weapons in animal forms gain two size increase to their damage die.

Bonus Feat: At 3rd & every two levels there after, an apex receives a fiend, fury or monstrous bonus feat that he meets the prerequisites for.

Ex-Apexs

If an apex becomes a pacifist or grants mercy to an enemy they lose carnal nature & rage abilities (including fury feats). He retains all the other benefits of the class. An apex can atone by killing a random creature unprovoked.

Campaign Information

“

Might is Right!

”

Playing a Apex

Religion: Due to their predatory background, most apexs oppose religion. However, there are a few packs of apexs who swear fealty to lower deities (esp. Chaotic).

Other Classes: Most apexs can be found in the extremes of nature or the fringes of society. Yet, on rare occasions, they can be found in fight-houses in cities. Most other classes give a apex a wide berth, but warrior and mercenary based classes tend to align with them.

Combat: Apexs are brawlers, they usually take their first turn shape-changing and getting into a rage – then dominate the battle field. They commonly will attack the strongest opponent first.

Advancement: Apexs synergize with rage and wildshape based classes.

Apex Lore

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

Knowledge (Nature)

DC	Result
5	Apexs are beast-like brawlers.
10	Apexs can shapechange into an animal.
15	Apexs have evolved their bodies to be able to use the forces of nature and self to transform monstrous form. And can massively increase their power in this form.
20	Specific info on a apex.

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