Animal Lord
Description
When the gods of nature or powerful spirits desire a champion to defend the animal world, they invest a token of their power in a chosen vessel—be it animal or humanoid. Traditionally, only one animal lord for a specific animal species is active on a world at any one time, although sometimes, when an extant animal lord strays from its charge or otherwise fails, the force that created it might create a replacement to send against the fallen animal lord to challenge it in a combat to the death, with the victor claiming the right to rule or a chance at redemption.
An animal lord does not dwell among humanity—the wild is its domain. How an animal lord interacts with a humanoid society largely depends on how that society treats the animals of that lord's affinity. Societies that honor and respect those animals, even if they use the animals as a food source, earn the animal lord's (sometimes grudging) respect, but those who abuse or otherwise harm animals of that lord's species find a powerful and ardent enemy in the lord.
The cat lord above uses a leopard as the base animal—this particular cat lord represents a newly created animal lord. The longer an animal lord exists, the higher its level should be.
Animal lords can be made from almost any creature of the animal type, but most are grouped into larger categories known as species affinities. The most common animal lord kingdom affinities are detailed below, but many others exist. Animals listed in parenthesis list typical base animals for that lord.
Combat Stats
- Melee
- bite +15 (1d6+5 plus grab), 2 claws +15 (1d3+5)
- Ranged
- +1 seeking composite longbow +18/+13 (1d8+6/×3)
- DR
- 10/silver
- Defensive Abilities
- evasion
- Racial Modifiers
- +5 Acrobatics when jumping, +4 Stealth in undergrowth
Ability Scores
Proficiencies
Weapons: Martial, Simple
Special Attacks
Special Qualities
change shape (leopard; shapechange)
favored terrain (jungle +4, plains +2)
hunter's bond (leopard)
swift tracker
track +5
wild empathy +12
woodland stride
Feats
Agile Maneuvers, Deadly Aim, Dodge, Endurance, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run, Toughness, Vital Strike
Special Abilities
Universal Monster Rules
Special Abilities
Feats, Traits & Items
You add your Dexterity bonus to your base attack bonus and size bonus when determining your Combat Maneuver Bonus (see Combat) instead of your Strength bonus.
You can choose to take a –1 penalty on all ranged attack rolls to gain a +2 bonus on all ranged damage rolls. When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every +4 thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the bonus to damage increases by +2. You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll and its effects last until your next turn. The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects that do not deal hit point damage.
You gain a +1 dodge bonus to your AC. A condition that makes you lose your Dex bonus to AC also makes you lose the benefits of this feat.
You gain a +4 bonus on the following checks and saves: Swim checks made to resist nonlethal damage from exhaustion; Constitution checks made to continue running; Constitution checks made to avoid nonlethal damage from a forced march; Constitution checks made to hold your breath; Constitution checks made to avoid nonlethal damage from starvation or thirst; Fortitude saves made to avoid nonlethal damage from hot or cold environments; and Fortitude saves made to resist damage from suffocation.
You may sleep in light or medium armor without becoming fatigued.
You get a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons at ranges of up to 30 feet.
You can shoot or throw ranged weapons at an opponent engaged in melee without taking the standard –4 penalty on your attack roll.
When making a full-attack action with a ranged weapon, you can fire one additional time this round. All of your attack rolls take a –2 penalty when using Rapid Shot.
As a full-round action, you can move up to your speed and make a single ranged attack at any point during your movement.
You gain +3 hit points. For every Hit Die you possess beyond 3, you gain an additional +1 hit point. If you have more than 3 Hit Dice, you gain +1 hit points whenever you gain a Hit Die (such as when you gain a level).
When you use the attack action, you can make one attack at your highest base attack bonus that deals additional damage. Roll the weapon's damage dice for the attack twice and add the results together before adding bonuses from Strength, weapon abilities (such as flaming), precision based damage, and other damage bonuses. These extra weapon damage dice are not multiplied on a critical hit, but are added to the total.
Skills
Acrobatics +17 (+22 when jumping), Climb +26, Handle Animal +15, Knowledge (nature) +14, Perception +17, Sense Motive +14, Stealth +20 (+24 in undergrowth), Survival +17
Spells
- Type
- Outsider
- Alignment
- NG
- Size
- Medium
- Environment
- warm jungles
- Organization
- solitary
- Treasure
- NPC gear (+1 leather armor, +1 seeking composite longbow [+5 Str] with 20 arrows, amulet of natural armor +1, ring of protection +1, other treasure)
- Senses
- low-light vision, scent; Perception +17
- Languages
- Common, Sylvan; speak with animals (cats only)
- Source
- Bestiary 3