The Beastlord

"His kinsmen named him a beastlord, but the barbarian prince I met was more lord than beast."
An elven diplomat on his powwow with Erik Raventhane

Prime Requisite: STR and WIS
Requirements: None
Hit Dice: 1d6
Maximum Level: 14

Barbarian tribes often choose an animal as a symbol to represent their tribe. Over time, the families and clans that lead such tribes seem to take on the appearance and mannerisms of the tribe’s totem animal. Possibly through the influence of the tribe’s shaman, these barbarian chiefs become as one with their totem animal, becoming beastlords.

At first level, beastlords hit an unarmored foe (AC 0) with an attack throw of 10+. Like fighters, they advance in attack throws and saving throws by two points every three levels of experience. Beastlords increase their base damage roll from their choice of either melee or missile attacks by +1 at 1st level and by an additional +1 at 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th level. The beastlord must choose which type of attack will receive the damage bonus at 1st level, and may not change the choice as he advances.

Like their barbarian kinsmen, beastlords may only wear chain mail or lighter armor, and are limited to fighting with the traditional weapons and styles of their tribe. When a beastlord is created, select a region of origin for the character from the Barbarian Regional Origin table in the Player's Companion, and note down the permitted weapons and fighting styles. The Judge may create other regions of origin within his own campaign setting where necessary. However, beastlords do not share their barbarian kinsmen’s natural proficiency. Some beastlords may choose to use a class or general proficiency to match their kinsmen, while other beastlords choose to stand apart from their kinsmen and learn different skills.

Beastlords are gifted with animal reflexes that give them a +1 bonus to initiative and a +1 bonus to surprise rolls. Also, beastlords are naturally stealthy, and opponents suffer a -1 penalty to surprise rolls when encountering them. Beastlords resist injury using their savage resilience. When a beastlord is required to consult the Mortal Wounds table, the player may roll twice and choose the preferred result to apply.  Beastlords subtract their class level from the number of days of bed rest required to recover.

At 1st level a beastlord gains a totem animal and totem benefit, as the shaman powers. At 3rd level, beastlords may cast divine spells as a divine caster of ½ their level. See the beastlord’s spell repertoire below. At 5th level beastlords may shapechange, identically to the shaman power. At 9th level, a beastlord may summon animals, as the spell, once per day. Each use takes 1 turn (10 minutes). At 10th level, a beastlord may brew potions, scribe scrolls, and research spells.

Beastlords may use any magic item usable by fighters.

When a beastlord reaches 5th level, his animal magnetism inspires those who follow him. Any henchmen and mercenaries hired by the beastlord gain a +1 bonus to their morale score whenever he personally leads them. This bonus stacks with any modifiers from the beastlord’s Charisma or proficiencies.

At 9th level, a beastlord can build or claim a chieftain’s hall. When the beastlord establishes his hall, 1d4+1x10 0th level mercenaries and 1d6 beastlords of 1st-3rd level will serve him. If hired, they must be paid standard rates for mercenaries. Chieftains’ halls are otherwise identical to fighters’ castles, as detailed in the Campaign chapter of the ACKS Rulebook.

Beastlord Proficiency List (28): Alertness, Ambushing, Beast Friendship, Berserkergang, Blind Fighting, Climbing, Combat Reflexes, Combat Trickery (force back, knock down, overrun, wrestling), Command, Endurance, Fighting Style, Mountaineering, Passing Without Trace, Precise Shooting, Quiet Magic, Riding, Running, Seafaring, Skirmishing, Sniping, Survival, Swashbuckling, Unflappable Casting, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus

Experience	Level	Title	Hit Dice	Damage Bonus	1	2	3	4	5
0	1	Hunter	1d6	+1
2,350	2	Predator	2d6	+1
4,700	3	Spirit Hunter	3d6	+2	1
9,400	4	Fang	4d6	+2	1
18,800	5	Totem Warrior	5d6	+2	2
37,600	6	Bloodletter	6d6	+3	2
75,000	7	Beastlord	7d6	+3	2	1
150,000	8	Beastthane	8d6	+3	2	1
270,000	9	Warchief	9d6	+4	2	2
390,000	10	Warchief, 10th lvl	9d6+2*	+4	2	2
510,000	11	Warchief, 11th lvl	9d6+4*	+4	2	2	1	1
630,000	12	Warchief, 12th lvl	9d6+6*	+5	2	2	1	1
750,000	13	Warchief, 13th lvl	9d6+8*	+5	2	2	2	1	1
870,000	14	Great Chieftain	9d6+10*	+5	2	2	2	1	1

*Hit point modifiers from constitution are ignored

Beastlord Spells

First Level Divine Spells

1     Cure Light Wounds*
2     Locate Animal or Plant
3     Predict Weather
4     Remove Fear*
5     Resist Cold

Second Level Divine Spells

1     Bless*
2     Charm Animal
3     Delay Poison
4     Resist Fire
5     Speak with Animals

Third Level Divine Spells

1     Cure Disease*
2     Eyes of the Eagle
3     Growth of Animals
4     Ogre Power
5     Water Breathing

Fourth Level Divine Spells

1     Command Animals
2     Cure Serious Wounds*
3     Neutralize Poison*
4     Summon Animals
5     Vigor

Fifth Level Divine Spells

1     Control Animals
2     Giant Strength
3     Polymorph Self
4     Quest
5     True Seeing