Animal Lord

When the gods of nature or powerful spirits desire a champion to defend the animal world, they invest a token of their power in a chosen vessel—be it animal or humanoid. Traditionally, only one animal lord for a specific animal species is active on a world at any one time, although sometimes, when an extant animal lord strays from its charge or otherwise fails, the force that created it might create a replacement to send against the fallen animal lord to challenge it in a combat to the death, with the victor claiming the right to rule or a chance at redemption.

An animal lord does not dwell among humanity—the wild is its domain. How an animal lord interacts with a humanoid society largely depends on how that society treats the animals of that lord's affinity. Societies that honor and respect those animals, even if they use the animals as a food source, earn the animal lord's (sometimes grudging) respect, but those who abuse or otherwise harm animals of that lord's species find a powerful and ardent enemy in the lord.

The cat lord above uses a leopard as the base animal—this particular cat lord represents a newly created animal lord. The longer an animal lord exists, the higher its level should be.

Animal lords can be made from almost any creature of the animal type, but most are grouped into larger categories known as species affinities. The most common animal lord kingdom affinities are detailed below, but many others exist. Animals listed in parenthesis list typical base animals for that lord.

favored enemy (evil outsiders +6, giants +2, undead +2), pounce, rake (2 claws +15, 1d3+5)

change shape (leopard; shapechange), favored terrain (jungle +4, plains +2), hunter's bond (leopard), swift tracker, track +5, wild empathy +12, woodland stride

Agile Maneuvers, Deadly Aim, Dodge, Endurance, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run, Toughness, Vital Strike

Acrobatics +17 (+22 when jumping), Climb +26, Handle Animal +15, Knowledge (nature) +14, Perception +17, Sense Motive +14, Stealth +20 (+24 in undergrowth), Survival +17