Dragonstalker

Table 3–7: The Dragonsong Lyrist

Class Base Fort Ref Will Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special Spellcasting

1st +0 +0 +2 +2 Greater dragonsong (song of strength) — 2nd +1 +0 +3 +3 Greater dragonsong (song of compulsion) +1 level of existing class 3rd +2 +1 +3 +3 Greater dragonsong (song of flight) — 4th +3 +1 +4 +4 Greater dragonsong (song of fear) +1 level of existing class 5th +3 +1 +4 +4 Greater dragonsong (song of healing) —

of the same name. This song affects the character and a number of allies equal to her Charisma modifier (all of whom must be able to hear the lyrist) and lasts for 1 minute per level. This is a transmutation effect.

Song of Fear: At 4th level, a dragonsong lyrist can use her song or poetics to inspire fear in her foes. All enemies within a radius of 30 feet × class level are subject to the effect if they have fewer HD than the dragonsong lyrist. A potentially affected creature that succeeds on a Will save remains immune to that dragonsong lyrist’s frightful presence ability for 24 hours. On a failure, creatures with fewer than half the dragonsong lyrist’s HD become panicked for 2d6 rounds and those with HD equal to or greater than half the dragonsong lyrist’s become shaken for 2d6 rounds. Dragons are immune to this ability, as are any creatures immune to fear. This is a mind-affecting effect.

Song of Healing: A 5th-level dragonsong lyrist can use her greater dragonsong to heal herself and her allies. Each ally within 30 feet who can hear the dragonsong lyrist regains hit points and ability points as if he or she had rested for a full day. No character may benefit from this ability more than once per hour. This is a conjuration (healing) effect.

Spellcasting: Each time an even-numbered dragonsong lyrist level is gained, the character gains new spells per day and spells known as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of controlling or rebuking undead, metamagic or item creation feats, and so on). This essentially means that the character adds 1/2 her dragonsong lyrist level to the level of whatever spellcasting class she has, then determines spells per day and caster level accordingly.

If a character takes two or more levels in this class before having any levels in a spellcasting class, she does not receive this spellcasting benefit. If she thereafter takes levels in one or more spellcasting classes, she becomes eligible to receive the spellcasting benefit for any level in the dragonsong lyrist class that she has not already attained. For example, a 6th-level monk/2nd-level dragonsong lyrist does not receive the spellcasting benefit for being a 2ndlevel dragonsong lyrist because she did not belong to a spellcasting class before taking 2nd level in the prestige class. If she then picks up one or more levels of wizard before advancing to 4th level in the dragonsong lyrist class, she receives the spellcasting benefit of a 4th-level dragonsong lyrist (when she attains that level) but does not receive the 2nd-level benefit retroactively. DRAGONSTALKER

“Dragonslayers? Pah, any fool can call himself a dragonslayer. Most get themselves killed within a few days, which is probably for the best. No, the real skill isn’t in walking into the dragon’s cave and challenging it to a duel—it’s in tracking it across a hundred miles of wilderness, sneaking up close and killing it before it even knows you’re there.” —Deirdre Firewalker, dragonstalker

The dragonstalker prefers a much more subtle approach than the dragonslayer. She uses stealth and guile to track her prey, striking with skill and uncanny accuracy when the time is right.

Rangers and rogues are the most common dragonstalkers, since the two classes share a predilection for the subtlety and patience the prestige class requires. Barbarians, particularly those from dragon-terrorized areas, often take up this class. Bards also make reasonable dragonstalkers—certainly, the profession makes for many great tales told around the fire. Most other classes are better off pursuing the path of the dragonslayer (see page 125).

NPC dragonstalkers are loners, since they rarely trust others to hold their own in a hunt. When tracking a particularly formidable foe, a dragonstalker might recruit other stealthy characters, such as rangers or rogues, for assistance. Once or twice in a generation, a hunt of great significance may arise that brings together a team of dragonstalkers from various backgrounds. In such a case, the dragon has little chance of escaping.

Hit Die: d8.

Requirements

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

Base Attack Bonus: +5.

Feats: Blind-fight, Track.

Skills: Gather Information 4 ranks, Hide 6 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 4 ranks, Move Silently 6 ranks, Search 6 ranks.

Language: Draconic.

Class Skills

The dragonstalker’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Wis), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Search (Int),

Spot (Wis), and Survival (Wis). See Chapter 4: Skills in the

Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions.

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the dragonstalker prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A dragonstalker gains proficiency with the longbow, longspear, net, shortbow, and all simple weapons. Dragonstalkers are proficient with light armor and with shields.

Hunting Bonus (Ex): Starting at 1st level, a dragonstalker gains a bonus equal to her class level on Bluff, Listen,

Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks when using these skills against dragons.

Sneak Attack (Dragon): Beginning at 2nd level, if a dragonstalker catches a dragon when it is unable to defend itself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage. Basically, any time the dragonstalker’s target would be denied its Dexterity bonus to AC (whether it actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), the dragonstalker’s attack deals an extra 2d6 points of damage. This extra damage increases by 2d6 points every other level (4d6 at 4th level, 6d6 at 6th level, and so on). Should the dragonstalker score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied.

It takes precision and penetration to hit a vital spot, so ranged attacks can only count as sneak attacks if the dragon is 30 feet away or less.

With a sap or an unarmed strike, a dragonstalker can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. She cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual –4 penalty, because she must make optimal use of her weapon to execute the sneak attack.

A dragonstalker can only sneak attack living dragons with discernible anatomies. Any dragon

immune to critical hits is similarly immune to sneak attacks. Also, the dragonstalker must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach a vital spot. A dragonstalker cannot sneak attack while striking at a dragon with concealment or by striking the limbs of a dragon whose vitals are beyond reach. If a dragonstalker gets a sneak attack bonus from another source (such as rogue levels), the bonuses to damage stack when the ability is used against dragons. Ignore Natural Armor (Ex): Once per day, a dragonstalker of 3rd level or higher can ignore a target’s natural armor bonus (including any enhancement to that natural armor) for one attack (melee or ranged). You must declare that you are using this ability before you make the attack roll. At 7th level, a dragonstalker can use this ability twice per day. Hide Scent (Ex): At 5th level, a dragonstalker can use the Disguise skill to hide her (or someone else’s) scent. This requires a Disguise check (with a –10 A dragonstalker penalty) opposed by a Wisdom check made by any creature attempting to use the scent ability to discover the dragonstalker’s presence. Hiding one’s scent requires twice as long as a typical Disguise check (1d3×20 minutes), and the effect lasts for 1 hour per class level. Magic that alters your form doesn’t affect this Disguise check. Foil Blindsense (Su): Once per day, a 9th-level dragonstalker can render herself completely imperceptible to blindsense. This requires a standard action, and the effect lasts for 10 minutes. This ability has no effect on other forms of vision (whether mundane or magical). For instance, it doesn’t keep someone from spotting or hearing the dragonstalker with normal senses, or from noticing an invisible dragonstalker by means of a true seeing spell. Dragonstrike (Su): At 10th level, the effective enhancement bonus of any weapon

Table 3–8: The Dragonstalker

Class Base Fort Ref Will Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special

1st +1 +0 +2 +2 Hunting bonus 2nd +2 +0 +3 +3 Sneak attack (dragon) +2d6 3rd +3 +1 +3 +3 Ignore natural armor (1/day) 4th +4 +1 +4 +4 Sneak attack (dragon) +4d6 5th +5 +1 +4 +4 Hide scent 6th +6 +2 +5 +5 Sneak attack (dragon) +6d6 7th +7 +2 +5 +5 Ignore natural armor (2/day) 8th +8 +2 +6 +6 Sneak attack (dragon) +8d6 9th +9 +3 +6 +6 Foil blindsense 10th +10 +4 +7 +7 Dragonstrike, sneak attack (dragon) +10d6