Spells of the Hunter
Hello everyone, and welcome to another exciting edition of Obscure Arcana, where week after week, we deliver the highest-quality spells direct to you. As we’re wrapping up Ranger Week here at Necromancers of the Northwest, it should come as little surprise that today we will be taking a look at some new spells for rangers.
ANIMAL STRENGTH
School transmutation; Level druid 3, ranger 1, summoner 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a piece of papaya)
Range touch
Target animal touched
Duration 1 min./level
Saving Throw Fortitude negates (harmless), Spell Resistance yes (harmless)
You channel your strength and vitality into the target, filling it with health and energy. The target gains a number of temporary hit points equal to 1d10 + your caster level, as well as a +2 enhancement bonus to its Strength and Dexterity scores. These benefits last for the spell’s duration. This spell only affects creatures of the animal type, and has no effect on other creatures, even if they are similar to animals (such as magical beasts or vermin).
HUNTER’S COMPANION
School enchantment (compulsion) [mind-affecting]; Level ranger 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a chunk of raw meat)
Range touch
Target animal touched
Duration 1 min./level
Saving Throw Will negates Spell Resistance yes
You change the target’s perceptions of what constitutes “prey,” compelling your target to attack certain types of creatures, and making it more effective at doing so. The target gains the benefits of your favored enemy class feature for the duration of the spell. It has the same favored enemies you do, and gains the same bonuses to each of them that you possess.
Additionally, the target feels compelled to seek out and attack such creatures. It automatically attacks the nearest creature whose creature type corresponds with one of your favored enemies. If there are no such creatures within range, it begins seeking out such creatures, and spends the entire duration of the spell looking for and attacking them. The target never attacks you as a result of this spell, but may attack your allies, if they are of a creature type that you selected for your favored enemy class feature.
HUNTING EXPERT
School enchantment (compulsion) [emotion, mind-affecting]; Level ranger 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range 15 ft.
Targets each creature within range
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless), Spell Resistance yes (harmless)
You fan the flames of hatred in the minds of all creatures within the spell’s range, making them more effective at fighting their favored enemies. All bonuses to attack and damage rolls granted to affected creatures by the favored enemy class feature or hatred racial feature are doubled for the spell’s duration. Additionally, for the spell’s duration, affected creatures automatically confirm critical threats made against their favored enemies or creatures for which they have racial hatred. Any creatures without the favored enemy class feature or the hatred racial feature gain no benefit from this spell.
QUARRY KILLER
School transmutation; Level ranger 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range personal
Target you
Duration 10 min./level
You gain a flash of insight into how to kill your quarry. For the spell’s duration, you deal an additional 1d6 points of damage on all successful attacks made against the target of your quarry. If you have the improved quarry class feature, this bonus damage increases to 2d6. Additionally, for the spell’s duration you suffer no penalty to Survival checks made to follow the tracks of your quarry while running. If you do not have the quarry class feature, or have not selected a quarry at the time that this spell is cast, it has no effect.
ROUGH TERRAIN
School transmutation; Level druid 3, ranger 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a blade of grass)
Range close (25 ft. +5 ft./2 levels)
Area 15-ft.-radius spread
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Reflex partial, see text; Spell Resistance no
You cause the terrain within the area of the spell to become overgrown with brambles and other natural impediments to movement. This causes the affected area to be treated as difficult terrain, as well as count for a valid target for an entangle spell. Additionally, the overgrowth shifts subtly, tripping those that do not know how to step lightly in the wilderness. Whenever a creature enters an affected square, there is a 25% chance that he must succeed on a Reflex save or fall prone, ending his movement. Creatures with the woodland stride class feature are immune to this effect.
WILDERNESS GUIDE
School divination; Level ranger 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, F (a wooden compass)
Range 15 ft.
Area 15-ft.-radius emanattion centered on you
Duration 24 hours
You project an aura of competence, which subtly fills the minds of those near you with the ways of the wilderness, and allows them to benefit from your expertise. For the spell’s duration, characters within the spell’s area gain the benefits of your favored terrain class feature. Additionally, whenever an affected character would make a Perception, Stealth, or Survival skill check, he may use your bonus in place of his own, if it is higher. You can withhold these benefits from any number of creatures in the affected area, but doing so requires that you spend a move action to concentrate each round.