Eldritch Hunter (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Eldritch hunters combine the perseverance of the hunter with the mystic senses of the arcanist, allowing them to take down their prey with uncanny precision.

Class Information

This is a prestige archetype.

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 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.

Class Features

These are all the class features of the eldritch knight.

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 two 0-level spells and one 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. (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 under 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.

Cantrips

Eldritch hunters learn a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, as noted on Table: Eldritch Hunter under “Spells Known.” These spells are cast like any other spell, but they do not consume any slots and may be used again.

Table: Eldritch Hunter Bloodline Spells

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

Eldritch Bloodline

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, and finally at level 20, an 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. 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.

• Pazio Bloodlines
• Apath Bloodlines

Unlike a sorcerer, an eldritch hunter does not gain bloodline feats.

Eschew Materials

An eldritch hunter gains Eschew Materials as a bonus feat at 1st level.

Combat Style Feat (Ex)

At 2nd level, an eldritch hunter must select one combat style to pursue. This works exactly like the ranger's combat style, counting eldritch hunter levels as ranger levels.

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

Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per Day									Spells Known
						1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2	Bloodline power, cantrips, Eschew Materials	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	2	1
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+3	Combat style feat	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	3	1
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+3	Bloodline power	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4		4	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	5	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Bloodline spell	5	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	5	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	+4	+5	+2	+5	Combat style feat	6	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	6	3	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	+5	+5	+2	+5	Bloodline spell	6	4	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	6	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
8th	+6/+1	+6	+2	+6		6	5	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	7	4	2	1	—	—	—	—	—	—
9th	+6/+1	+6	+3	+6	Bloodline power, bloodline spell	6	6	4	—	—	—	—	—	—	7	5	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
10th	+7/+2	+7	+3	+7	Combat style feat, spell critical	6	6	5	3	—	—	—	—	—	8	5	3	2	1	—	—	—	—	—
11th	+8/+3	+7	+3	+7	Bloodline spell	6	6	6	4	—	—	—	—	—	8	5	4	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
12th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+8		6	6	6	5	3	—	—	—	—	9	5	4	3	2	1	—	—	—	—
13th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+8	Bloodline spell	6	6	6	6	4	—	—	—	—	9	5	5	4	3	2	—	—	—	—
14th	+10/+5	+9	+4	+9	Combat style feat	6	6	6	6	5	3	—	—	—	9	5	5	4	3	2	1	—	—	—
15th	+11/+6/+1	+9	+5	+9	Bloodline power, bloodline spell	6	6	6	6	6	4	—	—	—	9	5	5	4	4	3	2	—	—	—
16th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10		6	6	6	6	6	5	3	—	—	9	5	5	4	4	3	2	1	—	—
17th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10	Bloodline spell	6	6	6	6	6	6	4	—	—	9	5	5	4	4	4	3	2	—	—
18th	+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+11	Combat style feat	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	3	—	9	5	5	4	4	4	3	2	1	—
19th	+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+11	Bloodline spell	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	4	—	9	5	5	4	4	4	3	3	2	—
20th	+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+12	Bloodline power, bloodline spell	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	3	9	5	5	4	4	4	3	3	2	1

Notes: Overcoming Arcane Spell Failure

Eldritch knights and eldritch hunters have a problem in that both casts powerful arcane spells and wears armor. Some ways around this problem are listed here.

• Spells Without Somatic Components: There are a few of these, and you could make it your specialty to dig them out and use them. Unfortunately, the spell tables do not mention components, so finding them is a hassle. Here is a short list of candidates:
  Cantrips: Flare, Light

1. Feather Fall, Hold Portal, True Strike, Ventriloquism
2. Blindness/deafness, Blur, Knock
3. Displacement, Suggestion, Tongues
4. Dimension Door, Geas (lesser), Shout
5. Contact Other Plane, Teleport
6. Geas/Quest, Suggestion (Mass)
7. Phase Door, Power Word Blind, Teleport (Greater), Teleport Object,
8. Charm Monster (Mass), Irresistible Dance, Power Word Stun, Shout (Greater)
9. Mage’s Disjunction, Power Word Kill, Prismatic Sphere, Teleportation Circle, Time Stop, Wail of the Banshee

• Mithral Buckler: Using a mithral buckler gives an armor bonus of +1, gives another spot to add enhancement bonuses to armor, and still has a free hand you can shift your weapon to when you need a free hand to cast spells. It has no chance of spell failure and no armor check penalty, but prevents you from using two-handed weapons.
• Armored Kilt:: An armored kilt offers one point of armor with no penalties whatsoever. This is an option early on, before you can afford special materials, but mage armor is generally better.
• Darkleaf Leather Armor: Using darkleaf cloth leather armor, you have an armor bonus of +2 without arcane spell failure, and that is before enchantment bonuses to armor.
• Mithral Chain Shirt Using a mithral chain shirt, and with Arcane Armor Training, you have an armor bonus of +4 without arcane spell failure.
• Mithral Breastplate Using a mithral breastplate, and with both Arcane Armor Training and Arcane Armor Mastery, you have an armor bonus of +7 without arcane spell failure.
• Mithral Full Plate: If you are ready to accept 5% spell failure, mithral full plate gives an armor bonus of +9.
• Free Hand Remember that you need a free hand for somatic components. A light or heavy shield means you have to drop or sheathe your weapon when casting a spell. Your best option is to use a two-handed weapon or a one-handed weapon with a buckler. It is a free action to shift the grip on the weapon from one to two hands and from hand to hand, staff-wielding spellcasters do this all the time. A weapon cord lets you release and then pick up your weapon, but spending move actions redrawing the weapon cuts down on your full attacks. The ultimate solution is the glove of storing, but it is expensive and occupies a valuable item slot.
• Metamagic Still Spell is an option, but it reduces your spellcasting ability and unlike a normal spellcaster you do not want to hold a metamagic rod in your hand when fighting. Note that Quicken Spell is no help at all against arcane spell failure.

External Links

Spellcasting Guides

• Animate Dead
• Overcoming Arcane Spell Failure
• Polymorph Guide - Wild Shape Guide useful to all polymorphers.
• Polyharmony Guide - Futher polymoph guidance.
• Shadow Conjuration - Shadow Evocation
• Summoning guide
• Summon Monster
• Touch Spells, Spellstrike, and Spell Combat