Pack Master (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

The pack master is not admitted to a cavalier order, but he and his pack are a useful and valued allies.

This is a development of the Hound master by Cody Coffelt.

Class Information

This is a cavalier archetype.

Hit Die: d10.

Class Abilities

This archetype has all normal class abilities, except as noted.

Armor Training (Ex)

A pack master needs to be swift on foot and can move at his normal speed while wearing medium armor.

Starting at 2nd level, a pack master and his war beasts learn to be more maneuverable while wearing armor. Whenever the master or his beasts is wearing armor, the the armor check penalty is reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 0) and the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed by his armor is increased by 1. Every five levels thereafter (7th, 12th, and 17th), these bonuses increase by +1 each time, to a maximum –4 reduction of the armor check penalty and a +4 increase of the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed.

At 8th level, a pack master can move at his normal speed while wearing heavy armor, and his war beasts gain proficiency in medium armor and can move at full speed wearing medium armor. At 15th level, his war beasts gain proficiency and the ability to move at full speed in heavy armor.

This replaces the order abilities cavaliers get at level 1, 2, 8, and 15. A Pack master does not belong to a cavalier order and gains neither benefits or edicts.

War Beast (Ex)

At 1st level, a pack master gains the service of a loyal war beast to aid him in battle. This beast functions as a druid’s animal companion, using the pack master’s level as his effective druid level.

The pack master can pick any Small or Medium animal companion commonly available in the area as his war beast. The war beast never grows to more than Medium size, which may force the pack master to take the option to increase the animal companions Strength and Dexterity by +2 each instead of increasing size. A pack master’s beast does not gain the share spells special ability. War beasts cannot be trained to carry riders.

The war beast is always considered combat trained and begins play with Light Armor Proficiency as a bonus feat.

If a war beast dies, the pack master may replace it after 1 week of training with a replacement animal.

This ability replaces mount.

Pack Tactics (Ex)

At 3rd level, a pack master learns greater coordination with his war beast. When a war beast attacks a target of the pack master's challenge, it gets a +4 attack bonus. This includes CMB checks such as trip attacks. This ability replaces cavalier’s charge.

Expert Handler (Ex)

At 4th level, a pack master learns to train animals with speed and unsurpassed expertise. The pack master receives a bonus equal to 1/2 his cavalier level on Handle Animal checks. In addition, he can reduce the time needed to teach an animal a new trick or train an animal for a general purpose to 1 day per 1 week required by increasing the DC by +5. He can also train more than one animal at once, although each animal after the first adds +2 to the DC. This replaces expert trainer.

Pack Master (Ex)

Upon reaching 5th level, the pack master has the option to take on a second war beast. Every 5 levels, the pack master may take on an additional war beast to a maximum of 5 war beasts at level 20. A pack master with 2 or more war beasts reduces his effective druid level for the war beast ability by one per war beast he has; two war beasts reduce the level by 2, three war beasts reduce the level by three and so on.

All the war beasts of a certain pack master are of the same kind and have identical game statistics. A pack master may change what animals he has in his pack by releasing or killing all his war beasts and training new ones. This ability replaces banner.

Go For the Throat (Ex)

At 11th level, a pack master has perfected fighting beside his animals. When a war beast attacks a target of the pack master's challenge, it gets a +4 damage bonus. This ability replaces mighty charge.

Pack Lord (Ex)

At 14th level, the pack master becomes a rallying point for his war beasts. All his war beasts within 60 feet receive a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting effects. In addition, the pack master can spend a standard action to grant all his war beasts within 60 feet an additional saving throw against any one spell or effect that is targeting them. This save is made at the original DC. Spells and effects that do not allow saving throws are unaffected by this ability. This replaces greater banner.

Kill Command (Ex)

At 20th level, the pack master may issue a kill command at will. This is a swift action that grants all beasts an attack of opportunity on a target of the pack master' challenge. This ability replaces supreme charge.

Table: Pack Master

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+1	+2	+0	+0	Armor training (medium armor), challenge 1/day, tactician, war beast
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+0	Armor training 1
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+1	Pack tactics
4th	+4	+4	+1	+1	Challenge 2/day, expert handler
5th	+5	+4	+1	+1	Pack master 2
6th	+6/+1	+5	+2	+2	Bonus feat
7th	+7/+2	+5	+2	+2	Armor training 2, challenge 3/day
8th	+8/+3	+6	+2	+2	Armor training (heavy/medium)
9th	+9/+4	+6	+3	+3	Greater tactician
10th	+10/+5	+7	+3	+3	Challenge 4/day, pack master 3
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+3	+3	Go for the throat
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+4	+4	Armor training 3, bonus feat, demanding challenge
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+4	+4	Challenge 5/day
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+4	+4	Pack lord
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+5	+5	Armor training (heavy), pack master 5
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+5	+5	Challenge 6/day
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+5	Armor training 4, master tactician
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+6	Bonus feat
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+6	Challenge 7/day
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+6	Kill command, pack master 5

Summary of Changed Class Abilities

These abilities of the original class are lost or modified in this archetype:

• Mount
• Order
• Cavalier's Charge
• Expert Trainer
• Banner
• Mighty Charge
• Greater Banner
• Supreme Charge

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