Unearthed Errata: The Totem Rager

by Tim Wallace

While Arcana Evolved's totem warrior is a fun class, I decided it would work better as a barbarian archetype in Pathfinder. Since there was already a totem warrior archetype in the Advanced Player's Guide, it seemed right to rename it the "totem rager." I also thought it would be nice to have feline totem ragers, so I included an additional totem animal, the lion.

Totem Rager

While all barbarians are known for their ferocity in battle, some revere a specific totem animal and take on aspects of that animal while raging. A few truly renowned totem ragers have been reborn in the image of their totem animal upon death.

Skills: A totem rager gains Fly (Dex) as a class skill.

Totem Animal (Ex): A totem rager must choose a totem animal. A totem rager cannot select the following rage powers (mostly to avoid redundancy): animal fury, low-light vision, night vision, primal scent, scent, or any totem rage powers.

Totem Empathy (Ex): At 1st level, a totem rager can instinctually speak with creatures associated with her totem animal. In addition, a totem rager gains a +2 competence bonus on Diplomacy and Handle Animal checks against creatures associated with her totem. This ability replaces a barbarian’s fast movement.

Totem Animal	Associated Creatures
Bear	All bears with the animal creature type and bearlike magical beasts (like owlbears)
Hawk	All birds with the animal creature type and birdlike magical beasts (like phoenixes and thunderbirds)
Lion	All felines with the animal creature type and catlike magical beasts (like sphinxes)
Shark	All fish with the animal creature type and fishlike magical beasts (like sea serpents)
Snake	All reptiles with the animal creature type and reptilian magical beasts (like basilisks and hydras)
Wolf	All canines with the animal creature type and doglike magical beasts (like worgs)
Wolverine	All small mammals with the animal creature type and similar magical beasts (like chupacabras)

Totem Rage (Ex): Starting at 1st level, a totem rager can rage for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + her Constitution modifier. At each level after 1st, she can rage for 2 additional rounds. Temporary increases to Constitution, such as those gained from rage or spells like bear's endurance, do not increase the total number of rounds that a totem rager can rage per day. A totem rager can enter rage as a free action. The total number of rounds of rage per day is renewed after resting for 8 hours, although these hours do not need to be consecutive.

A totem rager begins play with the low-light vision and scent rage powers.

While in rage, a totem rager gains a morale bonus to one or more of her physical ability scores (depending on her totem animal), as well as a +2 morale bonus on Will saves. In addition, she takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class. An increase to Constitution grants the totem rager extra hit points per Hit Dice, but these disappear when the rage ends and are not lost first like temporary hit points. While in rage, a totem rager cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride) or any ability that requires patience or concentration.

Totem Animal	Ability Scores
Bear	+2 Strength, +2 Constitution
Hawk	+4 Dexterity
Lion	+2 Strength, +2 Dexterity
Shark	+4 Strength
Snake	+2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution
Wolf	+2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution
Wolverine	+2 Strength, +2 Dexterity

A totem rager can end her rage as a free action and is fatigued after rage for a number of rounds equal to 2 times the number of rounds spent in the rage. A totem rager cannot enter a new rage while fatigued or exhausted but can otherwise enter rage multiple times during a single encounter or combat. If a totem rager falls unconscious, her rage immediately ends.

This alters a barbarian’s normal rage.

Totem Attack (Su): At 2nd level, while raging a totem rager gains either two claw or talon attacks that each deal 1d4 points of damage (1d3 if Small; 1d6 if Large) or a bite attack that deals 1d6 points of damage (1d4 if Small; 1d8 if Large) based on her totem animal. These attacks are considered primary attacks and are made at the barbarian's full base attack bonus. If her totem animal has both claw and bite attacks, she must choose which to manifest each time she rages. This ability replaces a barbarian’s 2nd level rage power.

Totem Animal	Natural Attack(s)
Bear	claws or bite
Hawk	talons or bite
Lion	claws or bite
Shark	bite
Snake	bite
Wolf	bite
Wolverine	claws or bite

Totem Bond (Ex): At 4th level, the totem rager gains the service of an animal companion of the same type as her totem animal. This ability functions as a druid's animal companion, using the totem rager’s level –3 as her effective druid level.  This ability replaces a barbarian’s trap sense and uncanny dodge.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 5th level, a totem rager gains the ability to react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She cannot be caught flat-footed, even if the attacker is invisible. She still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. A totem rager with this ability can still lose her Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action against her.

If a barbarian already has uncanny dodge from a different class, she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead. This ability replaces a barbarian’s improved uncanny dodge.

Totem Hide (Su): Whether it be from fur, scales, or feathers, at 6th level a totem rager gains a +1 natural armor bonus while raging. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels the totem rager has attained. This ability replaces a barbarian’s 6th level rage power.

Totem Movement (Su): At 8th level, while raging a totem rager gains a new type of movement (or an enhancement bonus to her land speed) based on her totem animal. This ability replaces a barbarian’s 8th level rage power.

Totem Animal	Movement
Bear	+10 bonus to her land speed, climb speed equal to 1/2 her land speed
Hawk	fly speed (average) equal to her land speed
Lion	+10 bonus to her land speed, move at full speed using the Stealth skill without penalty
Shark	swim speed equal to her land speed
Snake	climb speed and swim speed equal to 1/2 her land speed
Wolf	+20 bonus to her land speed
Wolverine	burrow speed and climb speed equal to 1/2 her land speed

Totem Special Attack (Su): At 10th level, a totem rager gains an ability associated with her totem animal while raging. In addition, the damage from her claws or talons increases to 1d6 (1d4 if Small; 1d8 if Large) and the damage from her bite increases to 1d8 (1d6 if Small; 1d10 if Large).

Bear Wrestling: The totem ranger gains the grab and constrict special abilities with her claw attacks. The constrict ability deals damage equal to her one of her claw attacks. In addition, she is treated as one size category larger than her actual size when determining her CMD and CMB in regard to grapple checks, the largest creature size she can grapple, and whether she can be grappled using the grab ability be or swallowed by another creature. She also receives a +4 bonus on combat maneuver checks made to start and maintain a grapple (from the grab special ability).

Hawk Swoop: The totem rager gains the Flyby Attack feat and when she makes a flyby attack she deals double damage with a melee weapon or her bite attack (or triple damage with her talon attacks). She may attack with both talons when making a flyby attack.

Lion Pounce: The totem rager gains the pounce and rake special abilities. The rake ability is two claw attacks that are made with the same attack bonus and deal the same damage as her other claw attacks.

Shark Rend: The totem rager deals bleed damage equal to her bite damage with her bite attack, in addition to the normal damage dealt by her bite attack. In addition, she gains a +2 morale bonus on melee attack rolls and to Armor Class against bleeding opponents.

Snake Poison: The totem rager’s bite delivers the following poison with her bite attacks: Bite—injury; save Fort (DC 10 + 1/2 the totem rager's level + the totem rager's Con modifier), frequency 1/round for 6 rounds, effect 1 Con, cure 1 save. In addition, the totem rager is immune to all poisons.

Wolf Trip: The totem rager gains the trip special ability with her bite attack. If the attempt is successful, the totem rager gets a second attack against the target at her highest base attack bonus. She also receives a +4 bonus on combat maneuver checks to trip.

Wolverine Fury: If the totem rager is reduced to half her hit points or fewer, she gains a +2 morale bonus on melee attack rolls and to Armor Class. In addition, she gains the ferocity special ability.

This ability replaces a barbarian’s 10th level rage power.

Greater Totem Rage (Ex): At 11th level, a totem rager gains the night vision and primal scent^UC rage powers. In addition, her morale bonus to Will saves increases to +3 and her morale bonuses to physical ability scores increase according to her totem animal. This ability replaces a barbarian’s greater rage.

Totem Animal	Ability Scores
Bear	+4 Strength, +4 Constitution
Hawk	+8 Dexterity
Lion	+4 Strength, +4 Dexterity
Shark	+8 Strength
Snake	+4 Dexterity, +4 Constitution
Wolf	+4 Dexterity, +4 Constitution
Wolverine	+4 Strength, +4 Dexterity

Totem Soul (Su): At 20th level, a totem rager soul becomes so bonded with her totem animal that if she dies she is instantly reincarnated as a magical beast resembling her totem animal. This ability replaces a barbarian’s mighty rage. Reincarnation rules for totem ragers are as follows.

Size and Type: A reincarnated totem rager with the humanoid type loses the humanoid type and gains the magical beast (augmented humanoid) type and subtype. A reincarnated totem rager with the outsider (native) type and subtype keeps its type and subtype. The reincarnated totem rager’s size changes based on her totem animal. Do not recalculate class Hit Dice, BAB, or saves.

Totem Animal	New Size
Bear	Medium
Hawk	Small
Lion	Large
Shark	Medium
Snake	Medium
Wolf	Large
Wolverine	Medium

Senses: The reincarnated totem rager gains darkvision 60 feet, low-light vision, and scent. Reincarnated shark totem ragers also gain blindsense 30 feet against creatures in contact with the same body of water.

AC: The reincarnated totem rager gains a new natural armor bonus based on her totem animal. The reincarnated totem rager keeps her armor proficiencies, but must wear barding for an animal of her new size and shape.

Totem Animal	New Natural Armor Bonus
Bear	+8
Hawk	+7
Lion	+9.
Shark	+10
Snake	+8
Wolf	+9
Wolverine	+8

Speed: The reincarnated totem rager’s movement type changes based on her totem animal.

Totem Animal	New Movement Types
Bear	40 ft., climb 10 ft.
Hawk	10 ft., fly 80 ft. (average)
Lion	40 ft.
Shark	Swim 60 ft.
Snake	20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
Wolf	50 ft.
Wolverine	30 ft., burrow 10 ft., climb 10 ft.

Melee: The reincarnated totem rager gains natural attacks based on her totem animal. The reincarnated totem rager loses all weapon proficiencies except for natural weapons and unarmed strikes.

Totem Animal	New Natural Attacks
Bear	bite (1d6), 2 claws (1d4 plus grab)
Hawk	bite (1d4), 2 talons (1d4)
Lion	bite (1d8), 2 claws (1d6)
Shark	bite (1d6 plus bleed)
Snake	bite (1d4 plus poison)
Wolf	bite (1d8 plus trip)
Wolverine	bite (1d6), 2 claws (1d4)

Special Attacks: The reincarnated totem rager gains special attacks based on her totem animal. See totem special attack (above) for a full description of each. In addition, she loses the totem rage, totem attack, totem hide, totem movement, totem special attack, and greater totem rage class abilities and replaces them with the barbarian’s greater rage class ability.

Totem Animal	New Special Attacks
Bear	bear wrestling
Hawk	hawk swoop
Lion	lion pounce
Shark	shark rend
Snake	snake poison
Wolf	wolf trip
Wolverine	wolverine fury

Ability Scores: The reincarnated totem rager uses either her pre-reincarnate physical ability scores or those of her totem animal (see below), whichever are higher. Her mental ability scores remain unchanged.

Totem Animal	Strength	Dexterity	Constitution
Bear	25	19	15
Hawk	18	21	14
Lion	27	21	17
Shark	23	19	17
Snake	18	21	13
Wolf	22	21	15
Wolverine	20	21	17

Skills: The reincarnated totem rager gains a +10 racial bonus on Survival checks made to track by scent and on Perception checks to pinpoint the location of creatures she cannot see. If she pinpoints the location of a creature that has total concealment, she treats it as having concealment. The reincarnated totem rager gains additional racial skill bonuses based on her totem animal.

Totem Animal	New Racial Skill Bonuses
Bear	+4 Swim
Hawk	+8 Perception
Lion	+4 Acrobatics, +4 Stealth (+8 in undergrowth)
Shark	+8 Swim
Snake	+4 Perception, +4 Stealth,+8 Acrobatics
Wolf	additional +4 Survival when tracking by scent
Wolverine	+4 Climb

Rage Powers: The following rage powers complement the totem rager archetype: fearless rage, ghost rager^UC, inspire ferocity^APG, reckless abandon^APG, and terrifying howl.

Feat: The following feat complements the totem rager archetype: Boon Companion.