Ranger`s Kit.
Ranger`s Handbook second edition.
Converted to 3 E

Version 1.00
By
Steve Lévesque
E-mail : Rfrankl@sympatico.ca

This is a kit.  You can start as a non-standart Ranger by using this.
The kit is not a prestige class.

Ranger Beastmaster.
« Here, alone, in the wood, I am by far richer than anyone.  Here, I look at the stars at night, and I know that I talk to God, and I know that he is everywhere, always watching me, and listening to me.  Yes… here, i`m am a king. »

Description :	A wanderer, the beastmaster as natural affinity for animals; in fact, he has a limited form of telepathic communication with them.  This is often the result of a magical bond with the Animal Kingdom, formed at the time of his birth, or upon reaching adulthood.  In any form of communication, the beastmaster see his animals companions as comrade in arms.  Misunderstood and feared by nobles and common folks alike for his unnatural abilities, the beastmaster does not stay long in one place, nor his he comfortable in civilized land.

Requirement : 	Same as normal ranger.  Must be good to be able to bound himself with animals that will put their loyalty in him.  If not good, must be Lawfull. 

Weapons :	Like normal rangers.  (When he begin, he must only have weapons he can make himself like a quarterstaff, a sling, a club, javelin, spear.)

Armor :	Like a normal ranger.  (When he begin, he can only have natural armor such as leather)

Special Benefits :

1-	Stealth.  +2 in rank bonus to hide.  This apply only in natural surroundings.
2-	Animal Henchmen.  A beastmaster can acquire normal or giant animals as henchmen by using his animal friendship spell.  Unlike other rangers, by using this spell, he can gain a number of hit dice in animals equal to his level + his charisma modifier x2.  If no charisma modifier is applicable, then the spell work normally.
3-	Animal telepathy.  A beastmaster can establish telepathic communication with any giant or normal animals within the 30 feet radius.  To do this, he must not be doing anything else in the round, or he will have to roll a concentration check difficulty 10, or 10+damage, if he was hit, to continue the communication.  The animal must have an intelligence minimum of 1.  This give him those specials benefits :
3.1-	The beastmaster can communicate to the creature that he desire his friendship.  If the offer was sincere, and the animal know it, the animal, regardless of his state of mind can be calmed, and will not attack or flee unless something attack it first.  The animal will now be « befriended ».
3.2-	The beastmaster can try to recruit any « befreinded » animals as henchmen if he is not at his limit, and if the animal is willing to accept, like an animal under the animal friendship spell, or if the animal fail a willpower check DC 15+half the level of the beastmaster + his charisma modifier.  To the DM option, an animal may even present himself to the beastmaster, and offer itself to be recruited.

3.3-	Animal bounding.  The beastmaster from now on, will have a mental bound with his animal henchmen recruited.  There is no distance limit, but this ability does not cross planar boundaries.  Also, this ability cannot be dispelled or cancelled by something exterior.
3.4-	The beastmaster can communicate via telepathy to any animal henchmen recruited he have.  He can explain tricks, or task he wishes the animal to attempt, or to communicate needs and desire.  Remeber than the animal can do and will do exactly the same.
3.5-	He can see trough the eyes of any recruited animal henchmen he have, by concentrating on the mental link.  He can see trough the eyes of one creature in a round, and he see as much as they see, exactly the same way.  If something happen, he must roll a concentration check DC 15 or DC 15 + the damage received, if he was hit.  By doing so, he does not loose sight at all, but see the world normally, and see the vision of what the animal see in his mind`s eye, as well as the animal see the world.
3.6-	He gain Animal empathy, Handle animal, and Heal, in relation to his or animal henchmen.  There is no nedd to roll the dice, since success is automatic.
3.7-	Everytime the beastmaster gain a level, every animal henchmen he have gain an additional hit point.
3.8-	The beastmaster can split his experience, giving up to half of his eared experience to any, or all of his henchmen, that played  a role.  Such animal advance like a character in level.  When they gain a level, they receive an additional hit dice, and a +1 bonus on their base attack.
4-	The Animal Horde.  The greates gift, and most dangerous one also.  At level 9, a beastmaster can summon a horde of wild animals to fight for him.  They must come from a land that he knows, and it take one week to gather them all.
They can be summoned only for a very important and great purpose.  Up to 100 + charisma modifier hit dice of animals per level of the beastmaster WILL come.  For every 10 animals. There will be a pack leader with one additional hit dice, and the maximum hit points for each dices.  Those will listen to the beastmaster, and act for the good purpose.
No one can summon his horde more than once in a year.  To do this, the beastmaster sacrifice some time in praying, and meditating.  This form of summoning is very taxing, and the beastmaster must « pay » for it.  The proce is 1 point of experience per hit dice of creature that come to his aid.

Special Hindrances :

1-	Empathic Shock :  The beastmaster feels pain when one of his henchmen is wounded, suffering a –2 penalty to all rolls for the next round.  If he is linked mentally to the henchmen hen the henchmen get killed.  The penalty last for 24 hours.
2-	Unrully allies :  The animals henchmen are comrades.  For this reason, they are free to go, and come as they will.  They are loyal to the maximum, but they also have some natural needs.  Any attempt to arbitrarily restrict or regulate their freedom, or ignoring their needs and desire will result in ressentment, sulkiness, and abandonment.
3-	The beastmaster is seen exactly like a brbarian in society.  In his own peoples, or in his own race, his charisma score equal a miximum of 15.  Only on far lands, in tribal societies, or with the barbarians his charisma can extend to his full potential.
4-	Limited funds :  The beastmaster start at level 1 with only 1d4 x 10 gold pieces.
5-	No « one » place :  At no time the beastmaster will live in a society or will establish himself in the wildernes without moving.  At level 9 he can establish himself as the protector of an area of land equivalent in size of a baronny, but will never live in luxure.
6-	Restriction of time :  If a beatmaster wish to become a paladin, or a monk, or any class that require full devotion in training, or some kind of exclusion, he will loose his henchmen and all beastmaster benefit for the time of his training.  If his alignement change to non good or/and non lawful, he loose his beastmaster status and become a normal ranger type.