Bounty Hunter

Skilled at tracking down targets, bounty hunters are consummate seekers, living for the chase and the deadly stroke that brings it to a close. Bounty hunters spend most of their time honing their weapon skills, studying the habits and anatomy of their targets, and practicing combat maneuvers.

Class Features

The following are the class features of the bounty hunter.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A bounty hunter is proficient with all simple weapons, all Stealth weapons, lassos, nets, and light armor.

Studied Target (Ex)

A bounty hunter can study an opponent he can see as a move action. Alternatively, he may spend one minute studying a wanted poster to gain these bonuses against the subject of the poster. The bounty hunter then gains a +1 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks attempted against that opponent, and a +1 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against it. The DCs of bounty hunter class abilities against that opponent increase by 1. A bounty hunter can only maintain these bonuses against one opponent at a time; these bonuses remain in effect until either the opponent is dead or the bounty hunter studies a new target.

If a bounty hunter deals sneak attack damage to a target, he can study that target as an immediate action, allowing him to apply his studied target bonuses against that target (including to the normal weapon damage roll).

At 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th levels, the bonuses on weapon attack rolls, damage rolls, and skill checks and to bounty hunter DCs against a studied target increase by 1. In addition, at each such interval, the bounty hunter is able to maintain these bonuses against an additional studied target at the same time. The bounty hunter may discard this connection to a studied target as a free action, allowing him to study another target in its place.

At 7th level, a bounty hunter can study an opponent as a move or swift action.

Sniper (Ex)

A bounty hunter halves all range increment penalties when making ranged attacks with a bow or firearm.

Hunter Talents

As a bounty hunter gains experience, he learns a number of talents that aid him and confound his foes. Starting at 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, a bounty hunter gains one hunter talent, drawn from the list of slayer talents. Unless otherwise noted, a bounty hunter cannot select an individual talent more than once.

Talents marked with an asterisk (*) add effects to a bounty hunter’s sneak attack. Only one of these talents can be applied to an individual attack, and the decision of which to use must be made before the attack roll is made.

• • A complete listing of talents available to bounty hunters can be found here: Slayer Talents

Sneak Attack

At 3rd level, if a bounty hunter catches an opponent unable to defend itself effectively from his attack, he can strike a vital spot for extra damage. The bounty hunter’s attack deals extra damage anytime his target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the bounty hunter flanks his target. This additional damage is 1d6 at 3rd level, and increases by 1d6 every 3 levels thereafter. Should the bounty hunter score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this additional damage is not multiplied. Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within one range increment of the weapon used. At 11th level, he can make sneak attacks at up to half of the maximum range of his weapon

With a weapon that deals nonlethal damage (like a blackjack, bullwhip, or unarmed strike), a bounty hunter can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. He cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual –4 penalty.

The bounty hunter must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A bounty hunter cannot use sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment.

Stalker (Ex)

At 7th level, a bounty hunter gains his studied target bonus on Disguise, Intimidate, and Stealth checks against his studied opponent.

Advanced Talents

At 10th level and every 2 levels thereafter, a bounty hunter can select one of the following advanced talents in place of a hunter talent, drawn from the Slayer Advanced Talent list.

• • A complete listing of bounty hunter advanced talents can be found here: Slayer Advanced Talents

Swift Tracker (Ex)

At 11th level, a bounty hunter can move at his normal speed while using Survival to follow tracks without taking the normal –5 penalty. When moving at up to twice his normal speed while tracking, he takes only a –10 penalty instead of the normal –20.

Knockout Blow (Ex)

At 13th level, a bounty hunter can incapacitate a studied target. This functions like the assassinate slayer talent, except instead of killing the target, the bounty hunter’s successful attack knocks the target unconscious for 1d6 rounds unless it succeeds at its saving throw. If the target does succeed at its saving throw, it still takes the sneak attack damage as normal, but the damage is nonlethal, and the target is immune to that bounty huter’s incapacitate ability for 24 hours. At 17th level, the bounty hunter can attempt this ability one additional time against the same target in a 24 hour period.

Quarry (Ex)

At 14th level, a bounty hunter can as a standard action denote one target within his line of sight as his quarry. Alternatively, he may select a target on a wanted poster in his possession. Whenever he is following the tracks of his quarry, a bounty hunter can take 10 on his Survival skill checks while moving at normal speed, without penalty. In addition, he gains a +2 insight bonus on attack rolls made against his quarry, and all critical threats against his quarry are automatically confirmed. A bounty hunter can have no more than one quarry at a time, and the target must be selected as a studied target. He can dismiss this effect at any time as a free action, but he cannot select a new quarry target for 24 hours. If the bounty hunter sees proof that his quarry is dead, he can select a new quarry target after 1 hour.

Improved Quarry (Ex)

At 19th level, the bounty hunter's ability to hunt his quarry improves. He can now select a quarry as a free action, and can now take 20 while using Survival to track his quarry, while moving at normal speed without penalty. His insight bonus to attack his quarry increases to +4. If his quarry is killed or dismissed, he can select a new one after 10 minutes have passed.

Legendary Hunter (Ex)

At 20th level, the bounty hunter becomes a master at capturing or killing his studied targets. As a standard action, he can make a single attack against a studied target at his full attack bonus, choosing one of the following effects: kill, knock unconscious for 1d4 hours, or paralyze for 2d6 rounds. If the attack succeeds, the target takes damage normally and must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw or suffer the additional effect. The DC for this save is 10 + 1/2 the bounty hunter’s level + the bounty hunter’s Intelligence modifier. Whether or not the target succeeds, it cannot be targeted by this ability again for 24 hours.

Archetypes

A bounty hunter may choose to take an archetype from the list below. These archetypes replace or modify various bounty hunter abilities, allowing you to focus the character into a unique discipline.

• Deliverer

• Shadow Hunter

• Spiritslayer

• Vanguard

• Velvet Blade