Cavestalker

Class Notice

Cavestalker abilities give their full stats in the Underdark, non-underdark caves that are nearer to the surface usually only give half the bonuses.

Skill bonuses gained through this class do not count against your stacking limits.

Underdark Affinity for the Ranger camouflage feat will only give 75% of your full movement in stealth, instead of 100%. This is because underground terain is harder to navigate stealthily than wildlands on the surface. [Note: Is currently bugged, not verified to work]

Description

The Underdark’s most dangerous predators are not its horrific monstrosities, crawling and festering in the darkest of grottoes. Rather, they are the deadly cavestalkers, moving effortlessly through a jungle of living rock—and none are as much at home in these caverns as the drow. Just as a surface ranger feels at peace in the heart of a virgin forest, so too is a cavestalker is at home in the wilds of the Underdark. Yet even in his most familiar environment, he is aware of the ever-present danger that surrounds him. It is in the task of surviving this endless peril that he finds peace away from so-called “civilized folk.”

Rangers and druids are natural candidates for the cavestalkerclass. Underdark races that choose the path of the druid or ranger find little use for the abilities of those classes that are attuned to the wilderness of the surface. The cavestalker class augments and hones those abilities, making them more suitable for use in the endless night and providing a true advantage for those that live away from the light. Rogues occasionally become cavestalkers, since their high skill point allotment allows them to achieve the requirements more easily than other classes. Other classes might enjoy the benefits of becoming a cavestalker, but would likely fi nd meeting the requirements to be prohibitive. Regardless of class, only individuals who have natural darkvision can achieve the affinity with the lightless depths necessary to become a cavestalker.

Requirements

Race: Any

Alignment: Any

Skills: 8 Survival, 4 Lore: Dungeoneering

Feats: Track

Base Attack Bonus: +3

Special: The candidate must posses Darkvision

Class Features

- Hit Die: d8

- Base Attack Bonus: High

- High Saves: Fortitude, Reflex

- Weapon Proficiencies: Cavestalkers gain no weapon proficiencies.

- Armor Proficiencies: Cavestalkers gain no armor proficiencies.

- Skill Points: 4 + Int Modifier.

- Class Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Heal, Hide, Listen, Lore: Dungeoneering, Lore: Geography, Lore: Local, Lore: Nature, Move Silently, Search, Sense motive, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival.

- Spells per Day/Spells Known: Full caster progression only for rangers, spirit shamans or druids. You MUST re-log after gaining the fist Level of Cavestalker, for progression to apply. If you do not re-log at level 1, spellcasting progression will likely fail!

- Other progression:

• Full Animal companion progression
• Increase wildshape uses (but change the dragon shape feat to require 25 levels of Druid)
• Cavestalker does not give access to druid wildshape forms

- Class Feats

Level 1: Advanced spelunker
Level 2: Underdark affinity and hide of stone +1, Vermin Shape *
Level 3: Bonus Feat
Level 4: Cavesense
Level 5: Expert spelunker
Level 6: Gaseous form and hide of stone +2
Level 7: Bonus Feat
Level 8: Blindfight
Level 9: Void in space
Level 10: Master spelunker and hide of stone +3.

Bonus feats are from the ranger list. As a non-ranger you can pick a favored enemy or Combat Expertise, even on epic levels.

Abilities

Advanced Spelunker
Type of Feat: Class Ability
Prerequisites: Cavestalker 1st level
Specifics: As a cavestalker, your familiarity with the environs of the Underdark allows you to move through it comfortably, even in the most difficult conditions. As a result, you gain +2 Survival and Tumble Ranks while in natural subterranean surroundings. (The skill bonus does not count against your skill bonus limit but does not stack with other spelunking feats)
Use: Automatic

Underdark Affinity
Type of Feat: Class Ability
Prerequisites: Cavestalker 2nd level,
Specifics: Your adaptation to the Underdark allows you to use your nature-themed class abilities in natural subterranean surroundings as well. These include the druid and ranger abilities of Camouflage, Hide in Plain Sight, Trackless Step, and Woodland Stride. If you already have wild empathy, you can now use it to affect vermin. If you have the wild shape ability, add vermin to the types of creatures you can become (subject to all the size and frequency limitations provided by that ability). If you do not already have these underlying abilities, Underdark affinity does not grant them to you; it only augments those you already have.
Use: Automatic

Vermin Shape
Type of Feat: Class Ability
Prerequisites: Underdark Affinity and Wildshape
Specifics: You transform into a phase spider. As you grow in power you vermin shape also increases, gaining 4 strength, 3 constitution and dexterity every 4 levels(lowest is 10,10,10). The shape has 20 base AC (not verified!) and applies a 1d8 Constitution damage on-hit (doesn't stack with itself). Growth progression is is based of both your Druid and Cavestalker levels even if no spell progression was gained at the relevant Cavestalker levels. This ability consumes one wild shape and uses the amount wildshapes you have per day.
Max Shape level is 22 (combo of Druid + Cavestalker levels). Stats at this max level are: 28 STR, 25 DEX, 25 CON, +10 Dodge AC, 2d10+1 damage, +1d8 con drain bite (unknown DC progression...), Blind-Fight feat
Use: Selected

Hide of Stone
Type of Feat: Class Ability
Prerequisites: Cavestalker 2nd level
Specifics: As you gain levels in the cavestalker class, your body embraces the rigors of the Underdark and takes on something of its hue and toughness. Your skin hardens and becomes flinty, granting you a natural armor bonus in addition to a circumstance bonus on Hide checks when in natural subterranean surroundings. These bonuses increase with +1 AC and +1 Hide as you progress through the cavestalker class, at 2nd level, at 6th level and finally again at 10th level.
Use: Automatic

Cavesense
Type of Feat: Class Ability
Prerequisites: Cavestalker 4rd level
Specifics: Due to your familiarity with the acoustic qualities of the Underdark, you so gain a +2 competence bonus on Listen checks made in subterranean surroundings. Another +2 competence bonus is gained at the 8th Cavestalker level.
Use: Automatic

Expert Spelunker
Type of Feat: Class Ability
Prerequisites: Cavestalker 5th level
Specifics: Specifics: As a cavestalker, your familiarity with the environs of the Underdark has grown to allow you to move through it easily, even in the most difficult conditions. As a result, you gain a +1 Dexterity circumstance bonus +2 Tumble and +4 Survival Ranks in natural subterranean surroundings. (The skill bonus does not count against your ability bonus limit but does not stack with other spelunking feats)
Use: Automatic

Gaseous Form
Type of Feat: Class Ability
Prerequisites: Cavestalker 6th level
Specifics: you gain the ability to traverse the treacherous and confined terrain of the Underdark by assuming gaseous form once per day. While in this form your ability to fight is impaired but you are also very hard to hit and injure. For all intents and purposes you have polymorphed into an Incorporeal cloud of barely detectable gas.
Use: Selected

Void in Space
Type of Feat: Class Ability
Prerequisites: Cavestalker 9th level
Specifics: Your attunement to the particular atmosphere of the Underdark allows you to warp the shadows, sounds, scents, and vibrations you give off, rendering you difficult to hear and see. You gain Displacement 8% and a +2 bonus to hide and move silently
Use: Automatic

Master Spelunker
Type of Feat: Class Ability
Prerequisites: Cavestalker 10th level
Specifics: As a cavestalker, your familiarity with the environs of the Underdark has grown to allow you to move through it effortlessly, even in the most difficult conditions. As a result, you gain a +2 Dexterity circumstance bonus +2 Tumble and +7 Survival Ranks in natural subterranean surroundings. (The skill bonus does not count against your ability or skill bonus limit but does not stack with other spelunking feats)
Use: Automatic

Gameplay Notes

The vermin shape's power is calculated by the sum of your Druid and Cavestalker levels. It stops proceeding in power after a sum of 22 levels in those classes and it's based on the spidershape of the Druid epic Magical beast feat. The progression in power depending of levels is as follow:

CL STR CON DEX

6: 16 13 13

10: 19 16 16

14: 22 19 19

18: 25 22 22

22: 28 25 25

Base AC is 10

DMG is 2d10+1 and 1d8 CON drain

Blind-Fight is gained in Vermin Shape.

Vermin Shape gains 30 temporary hit points.

Bugs

• Cavestalker has Spellcraft as a class skill.

Class courtesy of Rasael, testing by the Quality Control Team. Implementation on the server by Luna.