Vadalis Beastkeeper

Description:

To tend to flock is the work of a shepherds. To guide a legion is the work of a general. But to those in House Vadalis, to lead a legion of animals is the highest calling. The House of Handling has typically been seen as shepherds, breeders and merchants of livestock, but those that fought belong side them in the Last War got see a much different side to this otherwise peaceful house. Capable of summoning up large numbers of animal reinforcements, each tended to with the magic that make Magebred animals possible, the Vadalis Beastkeepers are armies onto themselves. Entire regiments of troops have either been saved or destroyed when a single member of this elite fighting force decided unleash the power of their Mark of Handling into the beasts they summon. And yet, when the dust settles, only the single warrior emerges, as calm as a... well.... shepherd tending his flock.

Role: Vadalis beastkeepers straddle the line between warrior and general. They must have some understanding of magic, enough to be able to call forth reinforcements. But at the same time, they are not shy about combat themselves. Druids, summoners and conjuration specialists are often drawn to this class. This prestige class makes significant use of the Magebred Animal template.

Source: DGM, pg. 130

Alignment: Vadalis beastkeepers tend to be neutral, but only because of the strong tie with the druidic faith that many members of this House possess.

Hit Dice: d8

Requirements:

To qualify to become a Vadalis Beastkeeper, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

Race: Human.

Base Attack Bonus: +3.

Skills: Handle Animal 5 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 5 ranks, Knowledge (nature) 5 ranks, Ride 5 ranks.

Feats: Least True Dragonmark (Mark of Handling, any option), any Teamwork feat.

Special: Able to cast 2nd level spells, including either Summon Nature's Ally or Summon Monster; must have an animal companion, familiar, mount or eidolon. The Fused Eidolon class feature does not count as having an eidolon for the purposes of this prestige class.

Class Skills:

The Vadalis beastkeeper's class skills (and the key abilities for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Chr), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis) and Swim (Str).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Table: The Vadalis Beastkeeper

Class Features:

All of the following are class features of the Vadalis beastkeeper prestige class.

Weapons and Armor Proficiency: Vadalis beastkeepers do not gain any new weapon or armor proficiencies.

Spells per Day / Spells Known: At the indicated levels, a Vadalis beastkeeper gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain other benefits a character of that class would have gained, except for additional spells per day, spells known (if he is a spontaneous caster), and an increased effective level of spellcasting. If he had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a Vadalis beastkeeper, he must decide to which class she adds the new level for the purpose of determining spells per day. Once this decision is made, it cannot be changed.

Improved Dragonmark (Su): At 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th levels, the caster level of your dragonmark spell-like abilities increases by +1. This stacks with other sources that increase the caster level of your dragonmark spell-like abilities.

Improved Companion (Su): Levels in the Vadalis beastkeeper prestigue class stack when determining the advancement of your animal companion, familiar, mount or eidolon. If you have more than one animal companion, familiar, mount or eidolon, you must decide which one this class feature applies to. Once this decision has been made, it cannot be changed.

Wild Empathy (Ex): At 1st level, the Vadalis beastkeeper gains the wild empathy class feature, as per the druid class. If he already has the wild empathy class feature, levels in Vadalis beastkeeper stack when determining the bonus used. At 6th level, the Vadalis beastkeeper does not take a penalty to wild empathy when using wild empathy on magical beasts.

Magebred Summoning (Su): At 2nd level, the Vadalis beastkeeper gains the ability to expend one use of his Least True dragonmark spell-like abilities as a swift action to augment either a Summon Nature's Ally or Summon Monster spell that he casts within that same turn. The benefit of which is that any creature of the animal type summoned through that spell gains the Magebred template. The options of the Magebred template must be determined at the time of casting and the same options are applied to all creatures summoned through the spell.

For ease of reference, here are the benefits of the Magebred template:

• • • A +4 bonus to one physical attribute (Strength, Dexterity or Constitution, your choice) and a +2 bonus to the other two physical attributes

    • Your choice of either a +10' to a single movement rate, a +2 bonus to the natural armor bonus or a +4 bonus to Survival checks to follow tracks.

If the Vadalis beastkeeper has access to Lesser dragonmark spell-like abilities, he gains the ability to expend one use of his Lesser True dragonmark spell-like abilities as a swift action to augment either a Summon Nature's Ally or Summon Monster spell that he casts in that same turn. The benefit of which is that the Vadalis beastkeeper chooses one Teamwork feat that he knows and that feat is given to every creature summoned with that spell. The creature summoned must met any prerequisites for the Teamwork feat except having an Intelligence score. This option can be used in the same swift action as any other option provided by this class feature.

If the Vadalis beastkeeper has access to Greater dragonmark spell-like abilities, he gains the ability to expend one use of his Greater True dragonmark spell-like abilities as a swift action to augment either a Summon Nature's Ally or Summon Monster spell that he casts in that same turn. The benefit of which is that the Vadalis beastkeeper chooses up to three Teamwork feats that he knows and those feats are given to every creature summoned with that spell. The creature summoned must met any prerequisites for the Teamwork feats except having an Intelligence score. This option can be used in the same swift action as any other option provided by this class feature.

Bonus Feat: At 4th and at 8th level, the Vadalis beastkeeper gets a bonus feat from the following list: Dragonmarked Summoner, Feral Mark, Greater True Dragonmark (Mark of Handling), Lesser True Dragonmark (Mark of Handling) or Skill Focus (Handle Animal or Knowledge (nature)). He must still qualify for the feat normally.

Magebred Companion (Su): At 6th level, the animal companion, familiar, mount or eidolon chosen for the the Improved Companion class feature gains the Magebred template, even if it is not a creature of the animal type. The options that the Magebred template provides must chosen when this class feature is gained and once those choices are made, they cannot be changed unless you change your animal companion, mount or eidolon, at which point the Magebred template is taken off the old companion and applied to the new one.

Master's Coordination (Su): At 10th level, the creatures that a Vadalis beastkeeper summons become a psychic extension of himself. Any time the Vadalis beastkeeper is the target of a beneficial effect that affects multiple targets, any creature that he has summoned (not including his companion, familiar, mount or eidolon) that is in range of the effect is also affected but does not count against the maximum limit of targets affected. In cases where the total duration of a beneficial effect is divided among the total number of targets, creatures that the Vadalis beastkeeper has summoned do not count against the total number of targets, but only have the same effective duration as the Vadalis beastkeeper himself.

Thus, any time that the Vadalis beastkeeper is affected by a Haste spell, any creature that he has summoned that is also within the radius of the Haste spell is also affected and they do not count toward the maximum of one target per caster level. If the Vadalis beastkeeper is affected by a Communal Protection from Energy and his duration is 12 minutes out of a total of 60 minutes, any creature that he has summoned within the area of effect also have 12 minutes of the Communal Protection from Energy.