Beastlord Beastlords, like Shamans, hear the call of the spirits.  Beastlords, however, follow this call by turning more to the ways and speech of animals.  They develop the ferocity of a wild animal in combat, and the magical abilities of one in tune with the natural order.  A Beastlord commands the loyalty of an animal warder, who fights alongside him.  Part spirit itself, the warder can never be killed permanently, though it can be defeated in battle by a stronger foe.  From long association with his warder in particular and living in the wild among animals in general, a Beastlord will often more resemble an animal himself than a member of his own race.

Type:

Hybrid

Class Skills:

Beastlords initially are taught martial arts akin to a Monk, such as kicking, punching, and the use of batons and knives.  They are the only class, aside from Monks, who can fight effectively with no weapon.  They prefer, when they wield a weapon at all, to use simple weapons similar to a beasts' natural defenses, small daggers or knives, claws, batons and small staves, or larger blunt weapons requiring both hands.  A Beastlord can talk to almost any animal and befriend many, but early in their training they form a spiritual bond with one in particular, who becomes their warder.  The warder is an animal from the Beastlord's homeland; Barbarians call upon wolves, Iksar use scaled wolves, Ogres team up with bears, Trolls command alligators, and Vah Shir adopt tigers.  A great many of the Beastlord's mystical abilities are aimed at healing and augmenting his warder, with the warders themselves eventually being able to call down lightning from the sky, conjure an ancient blizzard of ice, a raging inferno, or a virulent poison to use against enemies.  They also share some poisoning and weakening spells with Shaman.  Eventually they learn all five casting abilities and how to Channel their spells, and how later how to Meditate to regain magical energy.  They acquire a number of fighting skills: Kick, Dodge, Dual Wield, Block, and Riposte.

Other Names:

Primalist, Animist, Savage Lord, Feral Lord, Khati Sha (Vah Shir)

Armor:

Beastlords are generally limited to leather and cloth armors, but they are able to wear many of the light fighting armors that Monks use.

Religion:

Vah Shir Khati Sha, perhaps innately closer to nature than any other Beastlord race, follow the animist spiritualism of the rest of their people.  Iksar Beastlords, like all Iksar, pay tribute to The Faceless.  Ogre Beastlords worship Rallos Zek.  Trolls can devote themselves to Cazic-Thule or Innoruuk, and Barbarians may follow either The Six Hammers or Mithaniel Marr, the only Barbarians to follow Marr in a long time.

Questing:

The path of a Beastlord usually leads him through the wildlands, while seeking mastery over spirits and animals.  A Beastlord's order or people may call on him to aid them, or the spirits themselves may charge him with a task.  Often, if they feel the need, they will work to restore the natural balance in an area, working to discover the source of a plague among the wild creatures or eliminating poachers.

Culture and Training:

Beastlords prefer the wilderness, and the company of the beasts, to civilization.  They are generally solitary, needing only the company of their warders.  When they gather, they tend to follow the social rules of nature—led by the strongest and wisest, who works hard to maintain his position and protect the order, while he is respected for his prowess in battle and his knowledge.  The elders train new Beastlords through direct, often painful, experience.  Young Beastlords are given snippets of lore and bits of knowledge, but they are expected to find much out for themselves.

Interaction:

Societies that train Beastlords usually have a place for them, though there are Trolls who boggle at living with animals instead of eating them.  Vah Shir regard the Khati Sha as part of their cultural heritage and a perfectly honorable trade.  The Ogres and Barbarians count the Beastlords among their fiercest fighters.  The Iksar Beastlords are perhaps a little wilder than Cabilis would prefer, but no Iksar deny their talents.  Many cities, whether they accept the Beastlord or not, may expect her to leave her "pet" outside.  Societies who do not have any Beastlord traditions are usually wary of them—the feral Beastlords are too close to the animals they built the walls to keep out.  The Erudites find Beastlords crude and disgusting—why would you want to become more like an animal?  Generally an adventuring group will recognize a Beastlord's worth, though aside from Shaman, Rangers, and Druids, a Beastlord will have difficulty relating socially to others.  Living in the wilderness and adopting animalistic ways limits etiquette and courtesy.

Alignment:

Beastlords vary in alignment according to race.  They rarely dedicate themselves to a society as much as their animal companions.  The majority are discordant—beasts follow few laws but those of the jungle, and none made by people.  They tend to be neutral, like nature itself, though good-aligned Beastlords tend to be environmentalists, and befriend animals, while evil Beastlords see nature as something to gain power from and command animals through fear or pain.

Roleplay Tips:

Speak little.  Prefer to speak to animals even when there are people around.  Be territorial; do not tolerate anyone getting in your personal space, in your face, or in your things.  Completely lack conventional manners.  Sniff people instead of introducing yourself or shaking hands.  Feel free to adopt some of the more, er, socially inappropriate habits of animals.  Hold your warder above all; preferably name him/her.  Have no patience for laziness or those who can't pull their weight.

Quote:

<feral growl, followed by a battle howl>