A hunter studies his foe and then aims to bring it down with a single, well-placed strike. Hunters are experts of tracking, stealth, and accuracy. They are adept at surviving in the wilds, much like a ranger, but do not possess the same spiritual bond. To the hunter, the wilderness is simply home. In addition to catching game, hunters often use their skills to take down dangerous beasts, to act as guides or scouts, or even as bounty hunters. Some hunters, alas, are essentially bandits who turn their exceptional skills primarily to the hunting of wealthy wayfarers.

Role: Less armored than most warriors, the hunter combines might in battle with mobility, surprise, and deadly accuracy. Hunters are deadly attackers, frequently masters of the bow, although many prefer an ax, spear, or sword versus a physically formidable foe. They are well-schooled in wilderness skills, adept at tracking prey as well as covering their own tracks.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Die: d10.

Class Skills

The hunter's class skills are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Table: Hunter

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the class name.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Hunters are proficient with all simple weapons and martial weapons plus the bolas and net. They are proficient with light and medium armor, but not with shields.

Track

A hunter adds half her level (minimum 1) to Survival skill checks made to follow or identify tracks.

Favored Enemy (Ex)

At 1st level, a hunter selects a creature type from the ranger favored enemies table. He gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks against creatures of his selected type. Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against them. A hunter may make Knowledge skill checks untrained when attempting to identify these creatures.

At 5th level and every five levels thereafter (10th, 15th, and 20th level), the hunter may select an additional favored enemy. In addition, at each such interval, the bonus against any one favored enemy (including the one just selected, if so desired) increases by +2.

If the hunter chooses humanoids or outsiders as a favored enemy, she must also choose an associated subtype, as indicated on the ranger favored enemy table. If a specific creature falls into more than one category of favored enemy, the hunter's bonuses do not stack; she simply uses whichever bonus is higher.

Ambush Attack

If a hunter can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage as per the sneak attack ability.

The hunter's attack deals extra damage anytime her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the hunter flanks her target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and increases by 1d6 every three hunter levels thereafter. Should the hunter score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied. Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet.

With a weapon that deals nonlethal damage (like a sap, whip, or an unarmed strike), a hunter 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.

The hunter must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A hunter cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment. This is the same as the rogue sneak attack ability.

Trapper

At 2nd level, a hunter gains a +2 bonus to locate traps and to Disable Device skill checks, as well as to Craft checks to create traps.

Improved Sniping

A hunter of 2nd level gains Improved Sniping as a bonus feat.

Surprise Attack (Ex)

During the surprise round, opponents are always considered flat-footed to a hunter of at least 2nd level, even if they have already acted.

Endurance

At 3rd level, a hunter gains Endurance as a bonus feat.

Favored Terrain (Ex)

At 3rd level, a hunter may select a type of terrain from the ranger's Favored Terrains table. The hunter gains a +2 bonus on initiative checks and Knowledge (geography), Perception, Stealth, and Survival skill checks when she is in this terrain. A hunter traveling through her favored terrain normally leaves no trail and cannot be tracked (though she may leave a trail if she so chooses).

At 8th level and every five levels thereafter, the hunter may select an additional favored terrain. In addition, at each such interval, the skill bonus and initiative bonus in any one favored terrain (including the one just selected, if so desired), increases by +2.

If a specific terrain falls into more than one category of favored terrain, the hunter's bonuses do not stack; she simply uses whichever bonus is higher.

This is the same as the ranger ability.

Fast Movement

A hunter of at least 4th level is faster than the norm for her race by +10 feet. This benefit only applies when is wearing no armor, light armor, or medium armor, and not carrying a heavy load. Apply this bonus before modifying the hunter's speed because of any load carried or armor worn. This bonus stacks with any other bonuses to the hunter's land speed. This is the same as the barbarian ability.

Vital Strike

At 6th level, the hunter receives Vital Strike as a bonus feat. If the hunter already has Vital Strike, she may select any other feat for which she qualifies.

Woodland Stride (Ex)

Starting at 7th level, a hunter may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at her normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment.

Thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion, however, still affect her.

Swift Tracker (Ex)

Beginning at 8th level, a hunter can move at her normal speed while using Survival to follow tracks without taking the normal -5 penalty. She takes only the -10 penalty (instead of the normal -20) when moving at up to twice normal speed while tracking.

Evasion (Ex)

When she reaches 9th level, a hunter can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage with a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can only be used if the the hunter is wearing light armor, medium armor, or no armor. A helpless hunter does not gain the benefits of evasion.

Bleeding Attack (Ex)

A hunter of at least 10th level can cause living opponents to bleed by hitting with an ambush attack. This attack causes the target to take 1 additional point of damage each round for each die of the hunter's ambush attack or sneak attack (so 4d6 yields 4 points of bleed). Bleeding creatures take that amount of damage every round at the start of each of their turns. The bleeding can be stopped by a DC 15 Heal check or the application of any any effect that heals hit point damage. Bleeding damage from this ability does not stack with itself. Bleeding damage bypasses any damage reduction the creature might possess. This ability is equivalent to the rogue talent and obeys the same general rules.

Quarry (Ex)

At 11th level, a hunter can, as a standard action, denote one target within her line of sight as his quarry. Whenever she is following the tracks of her quarry, a ranger can take 10 on her Survival skill checks while moving at normal speed, without penalty. In addition, she receives a +2 insight bonus on attack rolls made against her quarry, and all critical threats are automatically confirmed. A hunter can have no more than one quarry at a time and the creature's type must correspond to one of her favored enemy types. She can dismiss this effect at any time as a free action, but he cannot select a new quarry for 24 hours. If the hunter sees proof that her quarry is dead, she can select a new quarry after waiting 1 hour.

Improved Vital Strike

At 11th level, a hunter gains Improved Vital Strike as a bonus feat. If she already has the feat, she may instead select any feat for which she qualifies.

Camouflage (Ex)

A hunter of at least 12th level or higher can use the Stealth skill to hide in any of her favored terrains, even if the terrain doesn't grant cover or concealment.

Fast Stealth

Beginning at 14th level, a hunter can move at full speed using the Stealth skill without penalty.

Greater Vital Strike

At 16th level, a hunter gains Greater Vital Strike as a bonus feat. If she already has the feat, she may instead select any feat for which she qualifies.

Senses of the Hunter (Ex)

At 16th level, the hunter gains a +2 bonus on Perception checks.

Hide in Plain Sight (Ex)

While in any of her favored terrains, a hunter of at least 17th level or higher can use the Stealth skill even while being observed.

Improved Evasion (Ex)

At 18th level, the hunter's evasion ability improves. She still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, but henceforth she takes only half damage on a failed save.  A helpless hunter does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Improved Quarry (Ex)

At 19th level, the hunter's ability to hunt her quarry improves. She can now select a quarry as a free action, and can now take 20 while using Survival to track her quarry, while moving at normal speed without penalty. Her insight bonus to attack his quarry increases to +4. If her quarry is killed or dismissed, she can select a new one after 10 minutes have passed.

Relentless Hunter (Ex)

A hunter of 20th level becomes a master of stalking all manner of creatures. She can always move at full speed while using Survival to follow tracks without penalty. Any time she deals sneak attack damage to a favored enemy, she may force the target to make a Fortitude save or die. The DC of this save is 10 +1/2 the hunter's level + the hunter's Wisdom modifier. Once a creature has been the target of this attack, regardless of whether or not the save is made, the creature is immune to that hunter's special attack for 24 hours. Creatures that are immune to sneak attack are also immune to this ability.

Favored Class Bonuses

Instead of receiving an additional skill rank or hit point whenever they gain a level in a Favored Class, some races have the option of choosing from a number of other bonuses, depending upon their Favored Classes. The following options are available to the listed race who have hunter as their Favored Class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the listed Favored Class reward.

Archetypes & Alternate Class Features

When a character selects a class, he must choose to use the standard class features found or those listed in one of the archetypes presented here. Each alternate class feature replaces a specific class feature from its parent class. For example, the elemental fist class feature of the monk of the four winds replaces the stunning fist class feature of the monk. When an archetype includes multiple class features, a character must take all of them—often blocking the character from ever gaining certain familiar class features, but replacing them with equally powerful options. All of the other class features found in the core class and not mentioned among the alternate class features remain unchanged and are acquired normally when the character reaches the appropriate level (unless noted otherwise). A character who takes an alternate class feature does not count as having the class feature that was replaced when meeting any requirements or prerequisites.

A character can take more than one archetype and garner additional alternate class features, but none of the alternate class features can replace or alter the same class feature from the core class as another alternate class feature. For example, a paladin could not be both a hospitaler and an undead scourge since they both modify the smite evil class feature and both replace the aura of justice class feature. A paladin could, however, be both an undead scourge and a warrior of the holy light, since none of their new class features replace the same core class feature.

Archetypes are a quick and easy way to specialize characters of a given class, adding fun and flavorful new abilities to already established adventurers. Characters may take more than one archetype if they meet the requirements.

Table: Hunter Archetypes / Alternate Class Features