<strong>RANGER VARIANT: KOBAL HUNTER</strong><br/>Kobal hunters are soldiers of the king that specialize themselves in hunting down breakers of the law and, depending on orders, either bring them in or eliminate them.<br/><br/><strong>Alignment:</strong>Any lawful.<br/><br/><strong>Class Skills:</strong>Eliminate Heal, Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (nature), and Survival from the ranger’s class skill list. Add Bluff, Gather Information, Intimidate, Knowledge (local), and Sense Motive to the class skill list.<br/><br/><strong>Class Features</strong><br/>The Kobal hunter has all the standard ranger class features, except as noted below.<br/><br/><strong>Urban Tracking:</strong>A Kobal hunter does not gain the Track feat at 1st level. Instead, he gains the Urban Tracking feat, which allows him to use Gather Information to track down a missing person, suspect, or other individual within a community.<br/><br/><strong>Wild Empathy (Ex):</strong>A Kobal hunter adds only one-half his class level to wild empathy checks (rounded down), reflecting his limited connection with the natural world.<br/><br/><strong>Combat Style:</strong>At 2nd level, a Kobal hunter can choose the kid gloves combat style, instead of archery or two-weapon combat. A Kobal hunter with the kid gloves combat style receives one of the following as a free weapon proficiency: bolas, net, or whip. In addition, he can choose to deal nonlethal damage with weapons that normally deal lethal damage, or lethal damage with weapons that normally deal nonlethal damage, both without taking the usual -4 penalty on the attack roll. A Kobal hunter still only gains the benefit of his combat style while wearing light or no armor.<br/><br/><strong>Animal Companion (Ex):</strong>A Kobal hunter cannot have an animal larger than Medium as his animal companion.<br/><br/><strong>Spellcasting:</strong>The Kobal hunter’s spell list is different from the standard ranger list. The following spells are eliminated from the Kobal hunter’s spell list:<em>animal messenger, charm animal, detect animals or plants, speak with animals, bear’s endurance, hold animal, snare, speak with plants, command plants, diminish plants, plant growth, reduce animal, tree shape, water walk, commune with nature,</em>and<em>tree stride</em>.<br/>In exchange, the Kobal hunter adds the following spells to his class spell list: 1st—<em>comprehend languages, detect chaos/good/evil/law, detect secret doors, message</em>; 2nd—<em>detect thoughts, knock, locate object, eagle’s splendor</em>; 3rd—<em>discern lies, invisibility, speak with dead, tongues</em>; 4th—<em>dimensional anchor, locate creature, Mordenkainen’s faithful hound, true seeing</em>.<br/><br/><strong>Improved Combat Style:</strong>At 6th level, a Kobal hunter that selected kid gloves at 2nd level gains the ability to deal an extra 1d6 points of nonlethal damage when making a melee attack that deals nonlethal damage against an unarmed opponent. This ability does not function if the opponent has a weapon of any sort in either hand, or if your attack deals lethal damage. Unarmed foes with the Improved Unarmed Strike feat at still considered unarmed. This ability never applies to ranged attacks, regardless of the target's proximity to you. If you score a critical hit with the melee attack, the extra damage from this ability is not multiplied. Creatures not subject to nonlethal damage, as well as constructs, oozes, plants and incorporeal creatures, are not affected by this ability.<br/><br/><strong>Woodland Stride (Ex):</strong>A Kobal hunter does not gain this ability.<br/><br/><strong>Immovable Heart (Ex):</strong>Your grim profession hardens your emotions. Beginning at 7th level, you gain a +2 competence bonus to resist enchantment spells and fear effects.<br/><br/><strong>Swift Hunter (Ex):</strong>Beginning at 8th level, am Kobal hunter may make a Gather Information check for his Urban Tracking feat every half hour without taking the normal –5 penalty. A Kobal hunter with the Track feat retains the usefulness of the original ability.<br/><br/><strong>Combat Style Mastery:</strong>At 11th level, a Kobal hunter that selected kid gloves at 2nd level now deals an extra 2d6 points of nonlethal damage as his Improved Combat Style ability.<br/><br/><strong>Camouflage (Ex):</strong>A Kobal hunter does not gain this ability.<br/><br/><strong>Threaten (Ex):</strong>Kobal hunters of at least 13th level are masters at shaking the confidence of their foes. This ability grants three advantages when you use the Intimidate skill to demoralize an opponent. First, you can attempt to demoralize an opponent as a move action, rather than a standard action. Second, a successful attempt causes the target to be shaken for a number of rounds equal to your unmodified Strength modifier (minimum 1 round). Finally, you gain a +2 bonus on any Intimidate check to demoralize an opponent.<br/><br/><strong>Hide in Plain Sight (Ex):</strong>A Kobal hunter does not gain this ability.<br/><br/><strong>Smell of Blood (Ex):</strong>At level 17 the Kobal hunter acquires an almost animalistic awareness of the world around him. He gains the scent ability and a +3 insight bonus on initiative checks.<br/><br/><strong>Ex-Kobal hunters</strong><br/>A Kobal hunter who becomes nonlawful loses all spells and the Urban Tracking, Immovable Heart, Threaten and Smell of Blood abilities, but retains all other abilities. He may not progress any farther in levels as a Kobal hunter. He regains his abilities and advancement potential if he atones for his violations, as appropriate.<br/>An ex-Kobal hunter that takes a level in ranger immediately trades all his Kobal hunter class levels for ranger class levels, though he retains his current skill ranks and Combat Style path.