Ranger (Beast Master)

System: Pathfinder | SRD | Type: Subclass (Archetype) of Ranger

Some rangers, particularly those in primitive lands or who were raised by animals, have unusually strong bonds with animals. Unique among rangers, they can bond with multiple animals of any kind, creating a menagerie of wild yet loyal creatures, like a strange family. A beast master has the following class features.

Class Skills

A beast master's class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Ride (Dex), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Wis). These replace the standard ranger class skills.

Class Features

Animal Companion (Extraordinary)

A beast master forms a close bond with an animal companion. This ability functions like the druid animal companion ability except that the ranger's effective druid level is equal to his ranger level – 3. The ranger gains a +2 bonus on wild empathy and Handle Animal checks made regarding his animal companion. Unlike a normal ranger, a beast master's choice of animal companion is not limited to a subset of all possibile animal companion choices—he may choose freely among all animal companion choices, just as a druid can.

The beast master may have more than one animal companion, but he must divide up his effective druid level between his companions to determine the abilities of each companion. For example, a beast master with an effective druid level

Improved Empathic Link (Supernatural)

Strong Bond (Extraordinary)

At 12th level, the ranger strengthens his bond with his animal companions. The ranger's effective druid level for his animal companions is now equal to his ranger level; he may immediately allocate these additional levels to his companions as he sees fit. This ability replaces camouflage.

Source: Advanced Player's Guide

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