Base Class: Barbarian
Your people have long hunted the wilds to survive. You have perfected your hunter’s instincts through the strong bond you have formed with a beast of particular cunning. This bond allows you to work together, transforming you into a brutal and efficient team.
Apex Companion
3rd Level Path of the Primal Hunt feature
You form a special bond with an apex companion which takes the form of a predatory beast of your choosing. Examples include great cats, bears, wolves or other predators appropriate to your setting. It is friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands. See its game statistics in the accompanying Apex Companion stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places.
In combat, the apex companion shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. You can also command it to take an action as part of the same bonus action you take to enter your rage. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. If you are incapacitated, it can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge.
APEX COMPANION
Medium beast
Armor Class 13 + PB (natural armor)
Hit Points 5 + five times your barbarian level
Speed 40 ft.
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages understands the languages you speak
Challenge — Proficiency Bonus (PB) equals your bonus
Keen Smell. The apex companion has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Pounce. If the apex companion moves at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and then hits it with a claw attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 13 plus PB Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the apex companion can make one bite attack against it as a bonus action.
Reckless Attack. The apex companion may choose to attack recklessly if you are raging. Doing so grants it advantage on attack rolls, but grants advantage to any attack rolls made against it until the end of your next turn.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 plus PB to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 1d8 plus PB piercing damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 plus PB to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d10 plus PB slashing damage.
If the apex companion has died within the last minute, you can use your action to expend one use of your Rage feature to revive it. If you do, the apex companion returns to life at the end of your next turn with half its hit points restored.
If your apex companion dies, you can obtain a new one by bonding with a new beast over the course of a long rest.
Primal Bond
6th Level Path of the Primal Hunt feature
The bond you share with your apex companion intensifies, providing the following benefits while you are raging:
Cull the Herd. When your apex companion hits a creature with an attack, the creature takes an extra 1d8 damage if it’s below its hit point maximum. Your apex companion can deal this extra damage only once per turn.
Relentless. Your apex companion shares your resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
Primal Guardian
10th Level Path of the Primal Hunt feature
When a creature within 5 feet of your apex companion makes an attack against a target other than itself, it can use its reaction to make a melee attack against the attacking creature.
Leader of the Hunt
14th Level Path of the Primal Hunt feature
At 14th level you can spread your ferocity to others and gain resilience from them joining your hunt. When you enter your rage, you can choose a number of other willing creatures you can see within 30 feet of you equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of one creature). You and your apex companion gain 5 temporary hit points for each creature that accepts this feature. Until the rage ends, when a chosen creature hits a target with an attack roll it can add your Rage Damage to the damage roll.
Comments