Tandem Slayer – Hunter Archetype

Design Notes: converted from Owlcat’s Wrath of the Righteous computer RPG’s tandem executioner archetype.

Some hunters aren’t attuned to the mystical energies of the natural world, nor do they necessarily profess to serve the cause of balance of the natural cycle of things. Rather they focus on the feral aspects of a natural hunter — stalking, tracking, and eventually killing their prey, and they do so side by side with a trusted beastial companion. The tandem slayer has forged such a close bond with this companion that they are like packmates, hunting in one accord.

Proficiencies: The tandem slayer is not restricted to nonmetal armor, otherwise his proficiencies are the same as the hunter.

Languages: The tandem slayer does not know the druidic language, and druids cannot teach the language to a tandem slayer. This alter’s the hunter’s languages.

Spellcasting: A tandem slayer loses the hunter’s spellcasting ability. Neither ranger nor druid spells are considered on the tandem slayer’s spell list, and he cannot use spell completion or spell trigger items of these spells without the necessary Use Magic Device checks. The tandem slayer does not count as a divine caster, therefore he also does not have the aura of a divine caster, unless he possesses levels in another divine casting class.

Studied Target (Ex): At 1st level, a tandem slayer gains the slayer’s studied target class feature. He uses his hunter level as his effective slayer level to determine the effects of this ability. The tandem sayer shares the bonuses against his studied target with his animal companion, so long as the companion is within 30 feet of him. At 7th level, he gains the slayer’s ability to study a target as a swift action. This and tandem techniques replace the hunter’s spellcasting and raise animal companion.

Tandem Techniques (Ex): At 4th level, and every 3rd level thereafter, The tandem slayer may select from the following techniques to augment his and his companion’s coordinated tactics. Unless otherwise stated, each technique can only be selected once. Any prerequisites are stated in a technique’s description.

• Disrupting Flank: The DC to cast spells defensively increases by +1 for all enemies that are within 10 feet of you or your animal companion. The DC further increases for every 4 additional hunter levels you have beyond 4th.
• Elusive Pair: While within 10 feet of each other, you and your animal companion gain a dodge bonus to AС and a competence bonus on Reflex saving throws of +1 per 4 hunter levels you possess.
• Evasive Pair: While within 10 feet of each other, you and your animal companion gain the benefits of the rogue’s evasion ability. Either you or your companion who might already have evasion, gain the benefits of improved evasion. You must be 16th level and have the Elusive Pair technique to select this technique.
• Mage Hunter: You have a particular taste for hunting spellcasters. Whenever an enemy casts a spell or uses a spell-like ability, you and your animal companion gain a +2 bonus on attack and damage rolls against that creature an an immediate action; additionally, whenever that creature makes a concentration check to cast a spell, it must roll twice and take the worse result. These benefits can only be effective against one creature at any given time. If another creature casts a spell and you choose to change your focus to a new target, the benefits against the previous target end. You must be at least 16th level and have the Disrupting Flank technique to select this technique.
• Make It Bleed: While attacking with a melee weapon and flanking an opponent with your animal companion, you and your companion gain a +4 circumstance bonus on attack rolls made to confirm critical hits. If a critical hit is confirmed, the target takes 2d6 bleed damage. You must be at least 16th level and have the Tandem Flank technique to select this technique.
• Marked Target: When you make a successful attack against an enemy with a ranged weapon, you mark a target for your animal companion. The companion’s next attack against that target deals additional precision damage equal to 1d6 for every 4 hunter levels you have.
• New Favorite Toy: When your animal companion hits an enemy with an attack of opportunity, it interrupts that enemy’s movement.
• Piercing Cascade: As a full-round action, while wielding a ranged weapon with which you can make your full attacks in a round, you can fire multiple projectiles, attacking all creatures within 15 feet of a targeted square. If your companion is in this area of effect, it is not affected by these projectiled, and it grants you a circumstance bonus of +2 to hit against each of the targets. You must be at least 16th level and have the Marked Target technique to select this technique.
• Protective Duo: If your animal companion is within 10 feet of you, whenever an enemy adjacent to you makes a successful attack against your animal companion, that enemy provokes an attack of opportunity from you. Your animal companion similarly performs attacks of opportunity against creatures that successfully attack you.
• Push and Bite: As part of a standard attack action against an enemy adjacent to your animal companion, you can perform a bull rush combat maneuver with a +4 circumstance bonus. If this combat maneuver is successful, your animal companion can expend an attack of opportunity to make a melee attack against that enemy; the attack is an automatic hit regardless of the attack roll, however, if the attack roll is a critical threat, confirming the critical must be resolved normally.
• Tandem Flank: When you and your companion are flanking an opponent, each of you gains a circumstance bonus to attack rolls of +1. This increases by +1 for every 4 levels after 4th, to a maximum of +5 at 20th level.
• Tandem Talent: You may select a talent from the slayer’s list of talents; this cannot be a cross talent. Any benefits gained by a selected talent also apply to your companion. You may select this technique more than once, each time choosing a different slayer talent.
• Vigilant Partners: Once per round when you or your animal companion is hit in combat, the other can expend an attack of opportunity to roll an opposing attack roll against the roll that successfully hit you or your companion. If the check is successful, the hit is negated.