Vermin Trainer [PrC]

[JackMage666]

Vermin Trainer
Some people, for some reason or another, perfer the creatures of no intelligence as their beasts of burden. The coldly calculating vermin, who think only by instinct, are perfect for these people. However, they are more difficult to train than regular animals, and so they go to the strange people who specialize in it. These people, known only as Vermin Trainers, seems to take on certain traits of the vermin they train, but can turn a beetle into a faithful puppy, a wasp into a cart horse, or a spider into a mount.

HD: d8

Requirements
Feats: Animal Affinity
Skills: Knowledge (Nature) 4 ranks, Handle Animal 8 ranks
Special: Must have successfully subdued a vermin at least one size catagory larger than himself (by use of food, chemicals, magic, or any other tactics) without harming the vermin.

Class-Skills: Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), and Survival (Wis)
Skill Points Per Level: 2+Int Modifier

Vermin Trainer
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+0|
+2|
+0|
+0|Train Vermin, Vermin Companion, Acid Resistance 5

2nd|
+1|
+3|
+0|
+0|Vermin Master (+2), Vermin Mind (+2)

3rd|
+2|
+3|
+1|
+1|Tremorsense (10 ft)

4th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+1|Vermin Mastery (+4)

5th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+1|Venom Immunity, Acid Resistance 10

6th|
+4|
+5|
+2|
+2|Tremorsense (20 ft), Vermin Mastery (+6)

7th|
+5|
+5|
+2|
+2|Break Webs, Vermin Mind (+4)

8th|
+6|
+6|
+2|
+2|Vermin Mastery (+8), Vermin Friendship

9th|
+6|
+6|
+3|
+3|Tremorsense (30 ft)

10th|
+7|
+7|
+3|
+3|Awaken Vermin, Vermin Mastery (+10), Acid Resistance 15[/table]

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Vermin trainers gain no proficiencies with armor or weapons.

Train Vermin (Ex): Starting at 1st level, a Vermin Trainer can train Vermin just as he can animals.

Vermin Companion (Ex): Starting at first level, a Vermin Trainer has a faithful Vermin that accompanies him on adventures. This ability functions as a Druid's Animal Companion, treating the Vermin Trainers level as his Druid Level. If the Vermin Trainer has druid levels, they stack for both Animal Companion and Vermin Companion, but the Druid may only have one Companion (Animal or Vermin) at any time. The Vermin Companion's list is shown on the table below.

Vermin Companion
{table=head]Level|Effective Druid Level|Companions Available

1st|
+0|Giant Ant (Soldier), Giant Bee, Giant Bombadier Beetle, Giant Fire Beetle, Giant Leech, Giant Termite (Soldier), Monstrous Crab (Medium), Monstrous Centipede (Large), Monstrous Scorpion (Medium), Monstrous Spider (Medium)

4th|
-3|Brine Swimmer, Dire Maggot, Giant Dragonfly, Giant Firefly, Giant Praying Mantis, Giant Wasp, Lesser Knell Beetle

7th|
-6|Giant Ant Lion, Giant Stag Beetle

10th|
-9|Chelicera, Knell Beetle, Leechwalker[/table]

Acid Resistance (Ex): A Vermin Trainer, though his career, gains resistance to Acid to aid against cuts from his creatures. He gains Acid Resistance 5 at 1st level, Acid Resistence 10 at 5th level, and Acid Resistance 15 at 10th level.

Vermin Master (Ex): At 2nd level, a Vermin Trainer becomes very skilled at training and handleing animals vermin, but loses focus in other animal training. He gains a +2 when using Handle Animal, Ride, or Wild Empathy on Vermin, but suffers a -1 penalty when using them on Animals or Magical Beasts. This Bonus increases by 2 every two levels, and the penalty increases by 1 every every levels as well.

Vermin Mind (Ex): At 2nd level, a Vermin Trainer begins to adapt his mind to be much like a vermin's. He gains +2 on saves versus mind-affecting effects. This onus increases to +4 at 7th level.

Tremorsense (Ex): At 3rd level, a Vermin Trainer becomes as sensitive to vibrations as many vermin. He gains Tremorsense out 10 ft, which increases by 10 ft every 3 levels thereafter.

Venom Immunity (Ex): At 5th level, a Vermin Trainer becomes immune to all poisons.

Break Webs (Su): At 7th level, a Vermin Trainer gains the special ability to avoid being entrapped by vermin's webs or grasps. This emulates Freedom of Movement on himself for 1 minute/2 class levels, although the duration need not be continuous.

Vermin Friendship (Su): At 8th level, untrained vermin refuse to attack a Vermin Trainer, regardless of it's size, type, or hit dice. This effect is negated if the Vermin Trainer attacks the vermin. As well, magically manipulated vermin, or other trained vermin will attack if it's master tells it to do so.

Awaken Vermin (Sp): At 10th level, a Vermin Trainer can imbue Vermin with sentience. Once per week, a Vermin Trainer canperform a ritual much like Awaken, only the target is a Vermin. The Vermin may take a Will Save (DC 20+Vermin Trainer's Cha Modifier) if it is unwilling. If successful, the Vermin is treated as is Awaken was cast on it, in all respects. The Vermin Trainer must pay 250 XP each time it uses this ability.



Alright, here's my first homebrew PrC. Any constructive criticism would be appreciated.

[Wizzardman]

OMG! Leechwalker! [dies]


...All right, back to Sanity:

I think the abilities may be stacked a little close together [ie they add up to make the player fairly powerful at high speed], but considering the lack of spells, I think that's appropriate.

You may want to add in a few spell levels, though--it doesn't quite seem worth it to drop out of Druid spellcasting entirely, even for a lot of insects and several fairly cool abilities. Of course, I'd be willing to dip three levels into this just to get the tremorsense ability, no matter what class I'm taking. It may prove more useful for nondruids, in that case. I dunno.

[JackMage666]

Yeah, I didn't want to limit the class to druids or nature clerics, so I focused on something that even a fighter could get into. Or, a Commoner (that would be... Strange...)