Eldritch Hunter (Apath)
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Fearsome warriors and spellcasters, eldritch hunters are rare among magic-users in their ability to wade into battle alongside rangers, barbarians, and other martial classes. Those who must face eldritch hunters in combat fear them greatly, for their versatility on the battlefield is tremendous; against heavily armed and armored opponents they may level crippling spells, while opposing spellcasters meet their ends on an eldritch hunter's blade.
Class Information
This is a merged prestige class.
Prestige Class: eldritch knight .
Build Classes: ranger, sorcerer.
Role: Eldritch hunters are masters of the wild, alpha predators using both might and magic to establish their dominance.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8.
Class Abilities
Class Skills
The eldritch hunter's class skills are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Ranks Per Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
An eldritch hunter is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields). Armor interferes with an eldritch hunter's movements, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.
Spells
An eldritch hunter casts arcane spells drawn primarily from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. She can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, an eldritch hunter must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against an eldritch hunter's spell is 10 + the spell level + the eldritch hunter's Charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, an eldritch hunter can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Eldritch hunter. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score (see Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells).
An eldritch hunter's selection of spells is extremely limited. An eldritch hunter begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of her choice. At each new eldritch hunter level, she gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: Eldritch hunter Spells Known. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells an eldritch hunter knows is not affected by her Charisma score; the numbers on Table: Eldritch hunter Spells Known are fixed.) These new spells can be common spells chosen from the eldritch hunter/wizard spell list, or they can be unusual spells that the eldritch hunter has gained some understanding of through study.
Upon reaching 6th level, and at every even-numbered eldritch hunter level after that (8th, 10th and so on), an eldritch hunter can choose to learn a new spell in place of one she already knows. In effect, the eldritch hunter loses the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged. An eldritch hunter may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that she gains new spells known for the level. Unlike a wizard or a cleric an eldritch hunter need not prepare her spells in advance. She can cast any spell she knows at any time, assuming she has not yet used up her spells per day for that spell level.
Eldritch Bloodline
| Level of Spell | Level for Sorcerers |
Level for Eldritch hunters |
| 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 2 | 5 | 7 |
| 3 | 7 | 9 |
| 4 | 9 | 11 |
| 5 | 11 | 13 |
| 6 | 13 | 15 |
| 7 | 15 | 17 |
| 8 | 17 | 19 |
| 9 | 19 | 20 |
A eldritch hunter has a bloodline similar to that of a sorcerer. Each eldritch hunter has a source of magic somewhere in his heritage that grants him spells, an additional class skill, and other special abilities. This source can represent a blood relation or an extreme event somewhere in the family's past. For example, a eldritch hunter might have a dragon as a distant relative or his grandfather might have signed a terrible contract with a devil. Regardless of the source, this influence manifests in a number of ways as the eldritch hunter gains levels. A eldritch hunter must pick one bloodline upon taking his first level of eldritch hunter. Once made, this choice cannot be changed.
A eldritch hunter gains class skills, arcana, and powers from his bloodline as a sorcerer of his eldritch hunter level. If a skill granted by the bloodline is already a class skill, there is no benefit.
At 5th level, and every two levels thereafter until level 19, a eldritch hunter learns an additional spell, derived from his bloodline. These spells are added to the eldritch hunter's spell list at their sorcerer spell level and also added to his list of known spells and are in addition to the number of spells given on Table: Eldritch hunter Spells. These spells cannot be exchanged for different spells at higher levels. Note that the rate of progression is different from that given in the bloodline description (which applies to sorcerers). Spells are gained at the rate give in Table: Eldritch Hunter Bloodline Spells.
An eldritch hunter does not gain bloodline feats.
Cantrips
Sorcerers learn a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, as noted on Table: Sorcerer Spells Known under “Spells Known.” These spells are cast like any other spell, but they do not consume any slots and may be used again.
Eschew Materials
A sorcerer gains Eschew Materials as a bonus feat at 1st level.
Diverse Training
An eldritch hunter counts as a fighter and wizard for the purpose of meeting the prerequisites for feats. His character level for this purpose is not changed.
Eldritch Ties
At 1st level, eldritch hunters develop a bond with magic similar to a wizards. The eldritch hunter chooses between an arcane bond and an arcane school. Whichever option is chosen, it works just like the corresponding wizard class ability, counting eldritch hunter levels as wizard levels.
Scribe Scroll
At 1st level, an eldritch hunter gains Scribe Scroll as a bonus feat.
Bonus Feats
At 4th level, and every four levels thereafter, an eldritch hunter gains a bonus feat in addition to those gained from normal. These bonus feats must be selected from those listed as Combat Feats.
Spell Critical (Su)
At 10th level, whenever an eldritch hunter successfully confirms a critical hit, he can cast a spell as a swift action. The spell must include the target of the attack as one of its targets or in its area of effect. Casting this spell does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The caster must still meet all of the spell's components and must roll for arcane spell failure if necessary.
Table: Eldritch hunter
| Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | Spells per Day | |||||||||
| 0 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | ||||||
| 1st | +0 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Cantrips, diverse training, eldritch ties, Scribe Scroll. | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +1 | +3 | +0 | +3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 3rd | +2 | +3 | +1 | +3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 4th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Bonus feat | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 6th | +4 | +5 | +2 | +5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 7th | +5 | +5 | +2 | +5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 8th | +6/+1 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Bonus feat | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9th | +6/+1 | +6 | +3 | +6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 10th | +7/+2 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Spell critical | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 11th | +8/+3 | +7 | +3 | +7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | |
| 12th | +9/+4 | +8 | +4 | +8 | Bonus feat | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 13th | +9/+4 | +8 | +4 | +8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | |
| 14th | +10/+5 | +9 | +4 | +9 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | |
| 15th | +11/+6/+1 | +9 | +5 | +9 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | |
| 16th | +12/+7/+2 | +10 | +5 | +10 | Bonus feat | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 17th | +12/+7/+2 | +10 | +5 | +10 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | |
| 18th | +13/+8/+3 | +11 | +6 | +11 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | |
| 19th | +14/+9/+4 | +11 | +6 | +11 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| 20th | +15/+10/+5 | +12 | +6 | +12 | Bonus feat | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Notes
The eldritch hunter is different from the magus in that magic and swordplay are still two different things, two different approaches instead of a unified whole as it is for the magus.
Overcoming Arcane Spell Failure
The bane of the eldritch hunter is the chance of arcane spell failure suffered by all spells with somatic components. Here are some tips on overcoming this situation.
First, there are some spells that lack somatic components. These are few and far between, but might get you through the first levels if you want to gear up like a warrior.
Like all spellcasters, an eldritch hunter can use armor that has no or very low chance of arcane spell failure. The armored kilt, and if eastern armor is allowed the haramaki is a good place to start, but once you can afford special materials, darkleaf and mithral armor become highly desirable. There is also mage armor the old stand-by.
For shields, the same general rules apply, but remember that you can remove the shield for noncombat spellcasting. You can use many buffs and divinations regardless of what shield you wear. Perhaps the best trick of all is to not use a shield at lower levels, but go with a two-handed weapon instead. You need one hand free for somatic components, and that is easily accomplished with a two-handed weapon (it is a free action to shift grip from one to two hands and back). Once special materials become available shields become more attractive, but considering the free hand requirement only bucklers really work out. Or might give up your move actions for the weapon cord and use your weapon hand.
There are also feats for combining arcane spells and armor, Arcane Armor Training and Arcane Armor Mastery.
With a mitral buckler, mithral breaatplate, and both arcane armor feats you can get an armor bonus of +7 with no arcane spell failure and an armor check penalty of only -2.
Finally, there is Still Spell. But it makes your spells more difficult to cast, and there is no metamagic rod for this.