Skilled at tracking down targets, stalking slayers are consummate hunters, living for the chase and the deadly stroke that brings it to a close. Stalking slayers spend most of their time honing their weapon skills, studying the habits and anatomy of foes, and practicing combat maneuvers.
The stalking slayer is elusive, and good at finding the opportune time and location to strike. Combining some of the deadliest talents of rangers and rogues, a stalking slayer’s abilities are all about getting into combat, dealing with a target, and then getting back out again.
| Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | Spellcasting | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | ||||||
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +2 | +0 | Studied target, Track | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +3 | +0 | Combat style, ranger talent | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | Endurance, 1st favored environment | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Ranger talent | — | — | — | |
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +4 | +1 | 2nd studied target | 1 | — | — | — |
| 6th | +6/+1 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Improved combat style, ranger talent | 1 | — | — | — |
| 7th | +7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Stalker | 1 | — | — | |
| 8th | +8/+3 | +6 | +6 | +2 | 2nd favored environment, ranger talent, swift tracker | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| 9th | +9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +3 | Evasion, quarry | 2 | 1 | — | — |
| 10th | +10/+5 | +7 | +7 | +3 | 3rd studied target, ranger talent | 2 | 1 | — | |
| 11th | +11/+6/+1 | +7 | +7 | +3 | Combat style mastery | 2 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 12th | +12/+7/+2 | +8 | +8 | +4 | Camouflage, ranger talent | 2 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 13th | +13/+8/+3 | +8 | +8 | +4 | 3rd favored environment | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| 14th | +14/+9/+4 | +9 | +9 | +4 | Ranger talent | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 15th | +15/+10/+5 | +9 | +9 | +5 | 4th studied target | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 16th | +16/+12/+6/+1 | +10 | +10 | +5 | Ranger talent | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 17th | +17/+12/+7/+2 | +10 | +10 | +5 | Hide in plain sight | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 18th | +18/+13/+8/+3 | +11 | +11 | +6 | 4th favored environment, ranger talent | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| 19th | +19/+14/+9/+4 | +11 | +11 | +6 | Improved quarry | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 20th | +20/+15/+10/+5 | +12 | +12 | +6 | 5th studied target, ranger talent | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level): Athletics, Deception, Handle Animal, Insight, Natural Lore, Perception, Profession, and Stealth.
Class Features
A Stalking Slayer does not gain the Favored Enemy, Wild Empathy, Animal Companion, and Woodland Stride class features.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A Stalking Slayer gains no proficiency with any type of weapon, armor, or shield.
Class Skills
A stalking slayer loses Heal as a class skill and gains Deception as a class skill.
Studied Target
At 1st level, a stalking slayer can study an opponent he can see as a move action. He then gains a +1 bonus on on Deception, Insight, Natural Lore, and Perception checks as well as any skill check to Recall Knowledge (regardless of the skill) when using these skills against that opponent. Likewise, he gets a +1 bonus on weapon damage rolls against the opponent.
A stalking slayer can only maintain these bonuses against one opponent at a time; these bonuses remain in effect until either the opponent is dead or the stalking slayer studies a anew target.
If a stalking slayer deals precision damage to a target, he can study that target as an immediate action, allowing him to apply his studied target bonuses against that target (including to the weapon damage roll).
At 5th level and every five levels thereafter (10th, 15th, and 20th level), the bonuses on skill checks and weapon damage rolls against a studied target increase by 1. In addition, at each such interval, the stalking slayer is able to maintain these bonuses against an additional studied target at the same time. When studying a new target, the stalking slayer may choose which existing studied target to discard, replacing it with the new target.
At 7th level, a stalking slayer can study an opponent as a move or swift action.
This ability counts as the ranger’s Favored Enemy ability for the purposes of meeting prerequisites; however you cannot use studied target to gain additional favored enemies. If a specific creature is subject to both studied target and favored enemy, the bonuses do not stack; you simply use whichever bonus is higher. Feats and abilities that enhance favored enemy (such as Improved Favored Enemy) can be applied to the studied target ability instead, as long as the target is the appropriate type as specified in the feat or ability.
Ranger Talents
A stalking slayer’s ranger talents function a little differently than for a standard ranger. Any ranger talent that applies to a favored enemy instead applies to the stalking slayer’s studied target. In addition, a stalking slayer gains access to a few additional options for ranger talents, as described below.
Stalker
At 7th level, a stalking slayer gains his studied target bonus on Intimidate and Stealth checks against his studied opponent and on Acrobatics checks made to avoid the attacks of opportunity of a studied opponent.
Quarry
A stalking slayer’s quarry can be any individual creature that is currently or has ever been one of his studied targets. It need not be one of his favored enemies (as he doesn’t possess the favored enemy ability).
New Stalking Slayer Ranger Talents
2nd-Level Talents
Foil Scrutiny
A stalking slayer with this talent is able to obscure his thoughts and intentions. He gains a +2 bonus on all Deception checks, as well as on Will saving throws to resist mind-reading spells and effects (such as detect thoughts and discern lies).
Poison Use (Ex)
The stalking slayer no longer risks poisoning himself when applying poison to a weapon.
Studied Ally (Ex)
The stalking slayer can study an ally or friendly creature he can see as a move action. The stalking slayer gains a +1 bonus on checks and attack rolls to use the aid another action to help with that ally’s skill checks, attacks, or AC. This bonus increases at the same rate as a stalking slayer’s studied target bonus. At 7th level, a stalking slayer can study an ally as a move or swift action. A stalking slayer’s studied ally counts against the number of studied targets he can have active at once.
4th-Level Talents
Deadly Range (Ex)
This talent increases the stalking slayer’s precision range by 10 feet. When making ranged sneak attacks, he gains a +1 circumstance to his precision damage. A stalking slayer can select this talent more than once; its effects stack.
8th-Level Talents
Woodland Stride (Ex)
This talent grants a stalking stalking slayer the woodland stride ability of a standard ranger.