Not everyone who knows how to fight will choose to use weapons. Not all who fight unarmed are masters of zen, or mindless brutes. Some have chosen to harness the Natural Order of things. They have chosen to follow the teachings of ambassadors of the Natural Order such as Druids, Archfey, spirits of the wild, or maybe even the Lords of the Wild Hunt itself. Because of this process they have become true hunters, like the wild beasts that roam the wilderness in search for prey.

Their training infuses them with a spirit of the wild, allowing them to bring out an Inner Beast, transforming them into true hunters... eventually becoming Apex Predators. The type of bestial spirit they are infused with may vary depending on the region, or the personality of the one undergoing this training, but it is always that of a predator.

Quite often, those that choose to follow this path understand that to hunt, to fight, to kill... is not necessarily linked to any morality at all. Predatorial beasts do not question whether it's inherently good or evil to hunt or kill. It is done out of necessity for self-preservation, to defend one's pack, and to protect that which is yours.

Regardless of motive, the only truth left behind once they have cast aside these questions of morality... is that they have become truly peerless hunters.

Beast Mode

At 3rd level you learn to unleash your Inner Beast. The process of letting the wild spirit inside of you magically manifest itself to transform your body into a natural predator is physically taxing, so it may not last for long... but the tougher you are the longer it will last.

Once at any point after rolling initiative,  you may use a bonus action to enter Beast Mode for one minute. This remains active for one minute. You may end Beast Mode at any time as a Bonus Action. If Beast Mode has ended for any reason, you may only reactivate it during the same Initiative by expending a use of your Second Wind ability.

While your Beast Mode is active, you gain the following benefits and drawbacks:

* Your movement speed increases by 10 feet

* Your maximum jumping distance is doubled.

* Your hands become more beast-like, growing claws that you may use to savage your prey. Your claws are a Natural Weapon with the Finesse property that deal 1d6 slashing damage.

* Your beast-like hands are no longer suited for wielding weapons or a shield. You may not wield weapons or use a shield while Beast Mode is active.

Rip and Tear

At 7th level, your instincts have become refined like that of the greatest natural predators. The very scent of your foes' blood may bring out a near-bloodlust, inspiring an even more focused assault against your prey.

While in Beast Mode, your head becomes more beast-like, growing vicious fangs that are very useful for tearing apart the flesh of your prey. This attack is a Natural Weapon with the Finesse property that deals 1d10 piercing damage. If the attack hits, the target must make a Strength saving throw or fall prone, with a DC of 8 + Proficiency Bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier, whichever is higher. 

When you make an Attack action while in Beast Mode, you may spend one Hit Die to make an additional attack using your bite against any target within your reach. This attack may be used ONCE per Attack action.

Upon using this ability you gain advantage on any attack roll made against 'Bloodied' targets, and any successful attack against those targets take additional damage equal to the Hit Die spent for this ability. This lasts until the end of the attack action in which Rip and Tear was activated.

 

Vicious Pursuit

At 10th level, you become even more tenacious in the pursuit of your prey. The adrenaline of the hunt pushes you in ways like never before. You have learned to become quicker, more capable of anticipating the evasive moves of your prey, letting you leap into action if they try to flee.

You gain a "Hunting Radius". This radius extends outward from you a number of feet equal to your remaining amount of unused movement.

When a creature moves into or through your Hunting Radius, you may immediately leap at it with murderous intent. As a Reaction you may move to an empty space adjacent to the creature before making an attack of opportunity against it with your Bite attack. The distance moved reduces your Hunting radius accordingly. If this Attack of Opportunity hits, your target's movement speed is halved until the beginning of your turn.

While making this Attack of Opportunity, you may choose to spend 3 Hit Dice to make a full Attack action, instead of a single attack. If you do so, you may use your bite attack as part of this attack action, and it triggers the same rules for 'Bloodied' targets as Rip and Tear, seen above, but you still only apply one of the spent Hit Dice (whichever is largest) to damage for each of the attacks, NOT all 3. This is still considered an attack of opportunity for any effects that may apply.

Respect the Food Chain

At 15th level, the Inner Beast's predatory instinct to hunt and feast grows stronger. Your prey becomes the very fuel that sustains you. As it should be in the natural order of things, to hunt is to kill, and to kill is to devour. Enemies that witness this feat of savagery will never forget the sight of your bestial hunger.

When you bring a creature to 0 hit points you immediately regain 1 Hit Die. This can not bring you above your natural maximum Hit Dice. In Addition, when you regain a Hit Die in this way, you are healed for an amount of HP equal to your Fighter level plus your Constitution Modifier.

After using this ability you may focus your predator's gaze at an enemy within your Hunter Radius. That target must make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC of 8 + Proficiency Bonus + your Constitution modifier, or gain the Frightened condition until the beginning of your next turn as it witnesses the consequences of mortality in the Natural Order.

Master of the Hunt

At 18th level, your Inner Beast has reached the pinnacle of its growth! You are now a true Apex Predator, at the top of the food chain, able to hunt and feast upon anything that you desire. You are faster, more brutal, tenacious than any prey you've ever hunted.

Your abilities evolve in the following ways:

* The save DC to resist being knocked prone by your Rip and Tear bite attack is now 8 + Proficiency Bonus + your Strength AND Dexterity modifiers.

* The damage of your claws increases to 2d6, and the damage of your bite increases to 2d10.

In addition, thanks to your Inner Beast reaching it's full potential, when you activate Beast Mode you may manifest a True Aspect of the Hunt. You gain the benefits of the chosen aspect until your Beast Mode ends. The aspects are as follows.

* Manifest Agility: You channel the speed and reaction time of the most agile predators, easily twisting and weaving out of harms way. You now add your Proficiency Bonus to your AC, your bonus speed from your Beast Mode increases to +30, and when you are subject to a Dexterity saving throw for half damage, you instead take none on a successful save.

* Manifest Brutality: You channel the unrivaled ferocity of the strongest of predators. You now add bonus damage to all of your attacks equal to half your Fighter level, and gain advantage on all Strength checks and saving throws.

* Manifest Tenacity: You channel the unbreakable durability of the toughest of predators. You now have Resistance to all magical and non-magical sources of Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage, and gain an amount of temporary HP equal to half of your maximum HP.