Verminous Hunter

At 1st level, a verminous hunter must choose a vermin companion instead of an animal companion ( Ultimate Magic 36). This ability alters animal companion. The hunter tactics class ability allows a verminous hunter to grant her teamwork feats to a mindless vermin companion.

A verminous hunter gains the wild empathy ability, but can use it only to influence vermin (not animals or magical beasts). This ability alters wild empathy.

A verminous hunter can take on the aspect of a vermin. This functions as animal focus, but allows only the following choices. Ant : The creature gains a +2 enhancement bonus to Strength. This bonus increases to +4 at 8th level and +6 at 15th level. Beetle : The creature gains a +2 enhancement bonus to its natural armor bonus. This bonus increases to +4 at 8th level and +6 at 15th level. (A creature without natural armor has an effective natural armor bonus of +0.) Centipede : The creature gains a +2 competence bonus on Climb checks and a +2 bonus to CMD against pull, push, reposition, and trip combat maneuvers. These bonuses increase to +4 at 8th level and +6 at 15th level. Cockroach : The creature gains a +4 bonus on saves against cold dangers, disease, heat dangers, starvation, thirst, and on Constitution checks to avoid suffocation. These bonuses increase to +6 at 8th level and +8 at 15th level. Crab : The creature gains a +4 competence bonus on Swim checks and a +2 competence bonus on grapple combat maneuver checks. These bonuses increase to +6 and +4 respectively at 8th level, and +8 and +6 at 15th level. Flea : The creature gains a +4 competence bonus on saves against disease and Acrobatics checks to jump. These bonuses increase to +6 at 8th level and +8 at 15th level. Fly : The creature gains a +2 bonus on Perception checks and on Acrobatics checks to balance or fall safely. These bonuses increase to +4 at 8th level and +6 at 15th level. Leech : The creature gains a +2 competence bonus on grapple combat maneuver checks, and deals 1 point of bleed damage every time it succeeds at a grapple combat maneuver check to damage an opponent. These benefits increase to a +4 bonus and 3 points of bleed at 8th level, and a +6 bonus and 5 points of bleed at 15th level. Bleed damage from this ability does not stack with itself. Mantis : The creature gains a +2 bonus on attack of opportunity attack rolls and a +2 competence bonus on grapple combat maneuver checks. These bon

At 5th level, a verminous hunter learns to move through vermin without danger. He can safely pass through swarms of vermin and does not take swarm damage while within a vermin swarm’s space. In addition, he is immune to a swarm’s distraction ability. If the hunter or his animal companion attacks a swarm, they lose this protection against only that swarm. This ability replaces woodland stride.