Beastmaster class?

[Brisco]

I hear there is a prestige class called the Beastmaster in the new bestiary but I thought there were generally no prestige classes in Conan second edition? Obviously, there are others in the regional source books and S&P but most of these books seemed to be of an earlier edition.

I wonder how the Beastmaster could be created via multi-classing, following the examples in the Hyboria's F*#^&@ books. Borderer/Temptress, like a "Nymph", but with different variations for class abilities? These multiclass combinations are very popular in my game.

Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated.

Cheers,
Brisco.

 

[Yogah of Yag]

AFAIK, there were no PrC's in 1st edition Conan either. Right? :?
The mechanic-complex of the PrC is more WotC TETSNBN than Conan.

 

[Clovenhoof]

Depends how fantasy-like you are willing to make the Beastaster's abilities. In a D&D game, a Beastmaster would invariably be able to borrow the creature's senses, gain certain animal aspects, and communicate telepathically with it.

In a Conan game, I'd expect a Beastmaster to have an empathical (not telepathical) link with his animal(s), and be able to teach his beasts a number of tricks. He may also be able to calm angry animals. But no really supernatural abilities.

For that, you don't even have to create a whole new class, core or otherwise. It could probably all be packed into a feat or two, emulating the SRD Ranger's Wild Empathy and Animal Companion abilities. There's not really that much more to a Beastmaster in a low-magic setting.

 

[VincentDarlage]

A sorcerer with the Nature sorcery style and lots of ranks in Handle Animal would also make a good beastmaster - animal ally, summoning animals, sending his spirit out among the animals (spirit of the land), and so on. The Handle Animal skill allows for the teaching of tricks, as mentioned by Clovenhoof. Add the Animal Affinity feat, and perhaps Skill Focus (Handle Animal).

 

[Clovenhoof]

Good call; I vaguely remembered some appropriate Nature spells existed, but didn't have the book handy so I couldn't check it out.

So, Scholar is a good option for a more mystica beastmaster. Of course you could multiclass with a wilderness class (Barb, Bord or Nomad) just as well. However, this would seriously limit your Ally's power, and probably render it useless.

Suggestion: devise a Variant Rule that allows the Beastmaster to add his "Fierce" levels to his Scholar levels when determining the effect of Nature Magic spells. As usual for such variants, determine a class ability to be sacrificed to gain this boon. In that case, four or five levels of Scholar should do the trick.

Nomads already are particularly good with mounts, so you may also limit any beastmasterly ambitions to rideable beasts. Borderers should be a great choice for a Beastmaster, but Barbarians are also imaginable in that role.

Again, keep in mind a Beastmaster does not _have_ to have Scholar levels, he could just as well be a character with a high Animal Handling skill and, possibly, one or two custom-made Feats.

 

[VincentDarlage]

Suggestion: devise a Variant Rule that allows the Beastmaster to add his "Fierce" levels to his Scholar levels when determining the effect of Nature Magic spells. As usual for such variants, determine a class ability to be sacrificed to gain this boon. In that case, four or five levels of Scholar should do the trick.

That is an excellent variant rule!

Again, keep in mind a Beastmaster does not _have_ to have Scholar levels, he could just as well be a character with a high Animal Handling skill and, possibly, one or two custom-made Feats.

Yep.

 

[Krushnak]

Don't forget the Child of Jhebbal Sag template feat. It gives you the wild empathy ability(which if you really want you could make into a feat by itself) that allows you to change the attitude of an animal like using diplomacy on humans.

without using a prestige class i can think of three different multiclassing variants.

Scholar/Borderer- the druid/shaman style mixing both mundane and supernatural elements.

Temptress/Borderer- take sorcery as the secret art for the temptress class and this would be a great way to make the nymph or forest maiden style character.

Barbarian/Borderer- straight up mundane animal handler, could use the borderer's styles to give some animal handling bonuses or even formation fighting with animals. this is the Tarzan style character.

As for the animal ally/allies why not just use the leadership feat? I have a player in my campaign who is thinking of taking leadership for his soldier so im planning on making his cohort a warhound.

Suggestion: devise a Variant Rule that allows the Beastmaster to add his "Fierce" levels to his Scholar levels when determining the effect of Nature Magic spells. As usual for such variants, determine a class ability to be sacrificed to gain this boon. In that case, four or five levels of Scholar should do the trick.

In my houserules i changed the way that scholar levels affect spells. basically you have an effective scholar level of twice your magic attack bonus plus your charisma modifier. i did this thinking of the eastern and nature magic styles mainly as both really do lend themselves to multiclassing. helps out the multiclassers and encourages it for scholars without taking away any power from the straight scholars.

 

[Stygian Devout]

on the subject of Prestige classes, the Secrets of Skelos book includes several prestige classes which where present in 1e, as well as a new one for 2e I believe.