A sense of civil duty and a desire to be remembered
in civic mythology—immortalized in play and poem
or the Temple of Heroes—motivates Balican hunters.
Although the democracy of Balic is a sham, the patricians’ and templars’ power and desire for reelection
makes them ideal patrons for hunters. Lesser scions
of noble houses have garnered honor for their families by taking on the service role of monster hunter.
Given the community spirit of Balican hunters,
they are humbler than their Tyrian counterparts, at
least in appearance. Balic has a tradition of gladiatorial combat as rich as Tyr’s, and Balic also offers
easy access to the Silt Sea and the Southern Wastes.
Slaying or capturing giants is considered among the
highest of heroics in Balic
In the bleakness of Athas, opportunity exists only where the bold seek it and take it. Those who wish to remain free avoid political struggles and the risks of crime. They instead sell sword and spell for wealth and glory, and perhaps, the good of those weaker than they are. Countless such mercenaries people the city-states.
A few among these free warriors find their fortunes by facing the horrors of the wastes. Such hunters keep streets safe by flushing unwelcome monsters from hidden dens within settlements. They ply their craft along trade routes to allow softer souls easier passage. Sometimes, monster hunters bring prey back alive for taming or arena spectacles.
Success in the hunt brings myriad rewards. In the wilderness, a defeated creature’s corpse can provide supplies and raw materials for clothing, weapons, and goods that are less mundane. Captured creatures can be sold as exotic pets or fodder for gladiatorial bouts. Hunters, having willingly faced innumerable situations and dangers, become tougher and wilier over time. They hone their skills for the job, and on occasion, their wounds heal with unpredictable effects from the supernaturally twisted ecology. Scars become assets, carrying power within them.
Hunting for Fame and Profit
Life is cheap on Athas; resources are precious. Becoming a monster hunter means living a life of meaning by providing safety and resources for your patrons and others. Hunters live boldly, seeking out danger and traveling far from the oppression of city authorities.
Some hunters act as tools of the local government by capturing, dispersing, or killing dangerous humanoids. Wise hunters avoid legal or political entanglements by hunting universally hated pests and monsters rather than criminals or dissidents who might have important allies.
A group of successful hunters returns to civilization with proof of exploits that bring respect from citizens of all types, from templar to slave. That proof is usually in a form that can prove valuable. Hunters who endure the travails of their risky career are sure to become folk heroes and possibly even wealthy
Hunter Teams
Monster hunting starts with brains. A successful team brings together diverse and useful skills from the planning stage onward. A team should have training in every skill relevant to monster knowledge. Some redundancy is good, especially in Dungeoneering and Nature, because casualties among hunters can be high. If your team has the luxury of choosing a target before the conflict, choose one you know a lot about. Use that foreknowledge to equip yourself properly and plan the confrontation. In this regard, a typical monster-hunting team isn’t that different from a normal party of adventurers.
Also like a normal adventuring party, the group needs to cover all the roles for efficiency, and synergy among the characters is key. A leader in a hunter team needs to focus on powers that boost or grant mobility and allow extra attacks. Leader powers such as direct the strike (warlord at-will attack) or ire strike (ardent at-will attack) which allow high-damage party members to attack instead of the leader are also good. Defenders and controllers should focus on powers that take away monster advantages and freedom of action, especially movement. These characters should work to ground creatures that have unusual movement modes in order to keep such monsters on the group’s level and within attack range. Strikers need to deal lots of damage quickly, but they also must act in a way that aids their teammates. Although a rogue might benefit the most from combat advantage, it’s good for everyone. A timely pressing strike from a barbarian can set up more than one team member for a flank advantage.
As combat unfolds, pay attention to which tactics
work and which don’t. Learn from your victories but
especially from your mistakes. Coordinate powers
and other capabilities. Retrain when possible to
shore up weaknesses in the team’s overall performance rather than your character alone. Working
together in this way can be an out-of-game activity for players. One or more could even act as DM
for single, practice-run encounters to see how your
team works as a whole. Warriors don’t just leap into
danger; they train for it with rehearsed tactics and
adaptable reactions.