Dino-Tamer

Most of the people of Cretaton fear and shun the dinosaurs that stalk the fertile lands of the West. The Dino-Tamer is one of the rare few that embraces them. Most Dino-Tamers are rangers or other wilderness-oriented people whose wild souls are drawn instinctively to the land of the dinosaurs. With great dedication and inborn empathy for the savage throwbacks, Dino-Tamers gradually develop a supernatural link to dinosaurs that permits them to take on a dinosaur companion, tame or slay dinosaur predators and subtly shift their nature to match their lizardlike kin (for example, by learning to bite in combat, to breathe underwater or to move with the stealth of a raptor). All Dino-Tamers must spend an extended period in the wilderness among the dinosaurs to attune their spirits. After taming a dinosaur as a combat mount, the seeker can finally become a full-fledged Dino-Tamer.

Dino-Tamers are considered weird outcasts by the civilized people of the eastern coast, and are very rare (though not unheard of) in that region. They are a bit more common in central Cretaton, where many Dino-Tamers split their time between the wild and the relative civilization of the gnomish, halfling and human tribes. In the lands of the far west, where dinosaurs are a constant threat to humanoid travelers and settlements, Dino-Tamers can be valuable guards and guides... that is, when they're not hunting alongside the dinosaurs.

Hit Die: d10

Requirements

To qualify to become a Dino-Tamer, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.

Alignment

Must be of Chaotic alignment (Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral or Chaotic Evil)

Skills

Handle Animal 5 ranks, Knowledge (Nature) 4 ranks, Ride 4 ranks, Survival 7 ranks

Feats

Animal Affinity, Track

Special

Must train a dinosaur for Combat Riding (see the Handle Animal skill for rules)

Class Skills

The Dino-Tamer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Ride (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

Skill Points at Each Level

4 + Int modifier.

Class Features

Class Level	BAB	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1	+0	+2	+2	+0	Dinosaur Empathy, Dinosaur Companion
2	+1	+3	+3	+0
3	+2	+3	+3	+1	Wild Trait
4	+3	+4	+4	+1
5	+3	+4	+4	+1	Wild Trait
6	+4	+5	+5	+2
7	+5	+5	+5	+2	Wild Trait
8	+6	+6	+6	+2
9	+6	+6	+6	+3	Wild Trait
10	+7	+7	+7	+3

Spells per Day
Level	1st	2nd	3rd	4th
1	None	None	None	None
2	None	None	None	None
3	None	None	None	None
4	1	None	None	None
5	2	None	None	None
6	2	1	None	None
7	2	2	None	None
8	2	2	1	None
9	3	2	2	1

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Dino-Tamers are proficient with weapons amenable to use and repair during long stays in the wilderness. The full list includes: Daggers, Clubs, Shortspears, Longspears, Quarterstaves, Spears, Darts, Javelins, Slings, Greatclubs, Longbows, and Shortbows. Dino-Tamers are proficient with light and medium armor, and with shields.

Dinosaur Empathy (Ex)

Dino-Tamers attune their spirits to dinosaurs and the untamed lands that they roam, and draw on that connection to great effect. Dino-Tamers benefit from a +2 bonus to Bluff, Handle Animal, Listen, Ride, Sense Motive, Spot and Survival checks involving dinosaurs. They also receive a +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls against dinosaurs. In addition, a Dino-Tamer can communicate with any dinosaur to the extent of its intelligence, regardless of whether the dinosaur has a language. Finally, a Dino-Tamer has the ability to ride any dinosaur at least one size larger than she is (though the dinosaur must still be trained as a mount, as usual, and a small creature riding a large or huge creature will be not so much a mounted combatant as a bossy passenger).

Dinosaur Companion

At 1st level, a Dino-Tamer may accquire a Dinosaur Companion. This ability is identical to the Druid's Animal Companion ability, except that it only functions on dinosaurs, and the Dino-Tamer's effective Druid level is his Dino-Tamer level + 4. Levels in other classes that grant Animal Companions will stack with Dino-Tamer levels, but only at one effective Druid level per two class levels, and only for purposes of acquiring Dinosaur Companions, not Animal Companions. For example, a Druid 4/Dino-Tamer 1 would have an effective Druid level of 7 (The usual total of his Dino-Tamer level (1) plus 4, plus 1/2 his Druid level of 4 (2); 1 + 4 +2 = 7). This effective level would only apply for accquiring Dinosaur Companions; he would use his usual Druid level for accquiring Animal Companions, and his Dino-Tamer level would have no effect. Note that Ranger levels increase a Dino-Tamer's effective Druid level on a 2:1 basis, just the same as Druid levels. Characters may not possess an Animal Companion and a Dinosaur Companion at the same time.

Spells

Beginning at 4th level, Dino-Tamers gain the ability to case a small number of divine spells. To cast a spell, a Dino-Tamer must have a Charisma score of at least 10 + the spell’s level, so a Dino-Tamer with an Intelligence of 10 or lower cannot cast these spells. Dino-Tamer bonus spells are based on Charisma, and saving throws against these spells have a DC of 10 + spell level + the Dino-Tamer's Charisma score. When the Dino-Tamer gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Charisma score for that spell level.

The Dino-Tamer's spell list appears below. A Dino-Tamer casts his divine spells spontaneously, like a Sorcerer or Bard.

Upon reaching 10th level, a Dino-Tamer can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level Dino-Tamer spell the Dino-Tamer can cast. A Dino-Tamer may swap only a single spell at 10th level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for that level.

Spells Known
Level	1st	2nd	3rd	4th
4	2	0	0	0
5	3	0	0	0
6	3	2	0	0
7	4	3	0	0
8	4	3	2	0
9	4	4	3	0
10	4	4	3	2

Dino-Tamer Spell List

1st Level Animal Messenger, Charm Animal, Detect Chaos, Longstrider, Magic Fang

2nd Level Bear's Endurance, Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Owl's Wisdom

3rd Level Heal Mount (usable on Dinosaur Companion instead of Special Mount), Greater Magic Fang, Rage, Water Breathing

4th Level Awaken (dinosaurs only), Commune with Nature, Divine Power

Wild Traits

At 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th level, Dino-Tamers gain one Wild Trait from the list below.

Bonus Feats The character gains one of the following Feats (but must meet the usual prerequisites): Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Overrun, Lightning Reflexes, Mounted Combat, Ride-By Attack, Run, Self-Sufficient, Spirited Charge, Stealthy, Toughness, or Trample

Carnivorous Impulse (Ex) The character can bite for 1d4 damage (1d3 for Small characters) and does not provoke an attack of opportunity when he does so.

Conceal Smell (Ex) With an hour of preparation in an above ground wilderness area, the character can make his smell undetectable in an above ground wilderness setting. The scent stays concealed for one day.

Elasmosaurus Spirit (Ex) The character gains a Swim speed equal to his land speed.

Scent (Ex) The character gains the Scent special quality.

Wild Alchemy The character can acquire the necessary ingredients for alchemy in any above-ground natural setting with a successful Knowledge (nature) check (DC 17).