First query: Chronicle sheets that GMs earn for running adventures count as the GM 'playing through' the adventure, correct?
I will be running the Quest for the Frozen Flame adventure path later this year, which will unlock the following acheivements for my players and myself:
Quest for the Frozen Flame: Burning Tundra - Mammoth Achievement
Quest for the Frozen Flame: Burning Tundra - Megafriend
Additional Queries:
Does unlocking the ability to take the mammoth lord archetype apply to ALL your PFS2E PCs?
The PFS2E PC a player selects the mammoth lord archetype for does not have to be from the Realm of the Mammoth Lords nor has to ever have been there to select the unlocked archetype, correct?
For example, if someone gains the mammoth lord and megafauna animal companon unlock achievement boons, they could take the mammoth lord archetype and select a megafauna animal companion if they are from Valashmai in Tian Xia (another place that has megafauna), and never would have needed to travel to the Realm of the Mammoth Lords as part of unlocking the ability to select the mammoth lord archetype, correct?
If a GM (or player) assigns multiple chronicle sheets to a PFS2E PC with 0 XP they have never played in a session, which makes the PFS2E PC be higher than level 2, and before playing that PC, the player purchases a rare ancestry unlock, can the GM (or player) apply that ancestry to the PFS2E PC they have applied multiple chronicle sheets to (making the PC 3rd level or higher), if they have not built the PC yet (nor played the PC in any session yet).
Does the 'free rebuild window' end as soon as a PFS2E PC earns enough credit to make them 2nd level (without ever playing in a session), or is the free rebuild window still open until the PC has been used in an actual play session, even if they have earned enough chronicle sheets to make them 3rd level or higher before building the PC and playing them in their first session?
The spring equinox Swallowtail Festival in the seaside town of Sandpoint has been going well all day.
Unbeknownst to the residents of Sandpoint, dozens of goblins are stealthily approaching the town to burn it to the ground.
Luckily for the residents of Sandpoint, the six deities that the newly completed Sandpoint Cathedral is dedicated to have noticed and decided to indirectly come to the aid of the town against the goblin ambush that is coming....
A monkey that is climbing the mainmast of a ship that is docked, its mind awakens to greater sapience and knows he (or she) is a servant of Abadar and that Abadar wants him (or her) to protect the town from the attacking goblins.
A butterfly that is fluttering around the cathedral, its mind awakened to greater sapience and knows she (or he) is a servant of Desna and that Desna wants her (or him) to protect the town from the attacking goblins.
A stag drinking water at the Turandarok River, its mind awakened to greater sapience and knows he is a servant of Erastil and that Erastil wants him to protect the town from the attacking goblins.
A dove flying over Sandpoint, its mind awakens to greater sapience and knows she (or he) is a servant of Sarenrae and that Sarenrae wants her (or him) to protect the town from the attacking goblins.
A songbird perched on the eaves of one of the buildings of Sandpoint, its mind awakens to greater sapience and knows he (or she) is a servant of Shelyn and that Shelyn wants him (or her) to protect the town from the attacking goblins.
An animal in (the town of Sandpoint/in the sea by the town of Sandpoint/flying over the town of Sandpoint/just outside the town of Sandpoint), its mind awakens to greater sapience, and knows she (or he) is a servant of Gozreh and that Gozeh wants her (or him) to protect the town from the attacking goblins.
Variant Rules in Effect:
Automatic Bonus Progression
Gradual Ability Boosts
Ancestral Paragon
Special (twist): Dual-Classed PCs - one of the classes is Champion (of the deity that awakened the animal) and the other class is one of the following classes based off the deity that awakened the animal's mind.
Abadar: Barbarian (Animal [ape] or Fury instinct), Cleric of Abadar, Fighter, Kineticist (metallokineticist, phytokineticist or metal/wood), Monk, Oracle (Lore mystery), Psychic, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer (Draconic [Empyreal] or Imperial Bloodline), Summoner (Devotion or Swarm [monkeys] eidolon), Swashbuckler
Desna: Bard (Polymath muse), Cleric of Desna, Fighter, Kineticist (aerokineticist, hydrokineticist or air/water), Monk, Oracle (Cosmos mystery), Psychic, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer (Draconic [Empyreal] or Fey bloodline), Summoner (Construct, Devotion, Fey or Swarm (butterflies) eidolon), Swashbuckler
Erastil: Barbarian (Animal [Deer] or Fury instinct), Cleric of Erastil, Druid (Cultivated order), Fighter, Kineticist (geokineticist, phytokineticist or earth/wood), Monk, Psychic, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer (Draconic [Empyreal] or Elemental [Earth] bloodline), Summoner (Beast [stag] or Devotion eidolon), Swashbuckler
Gozreh: Barbarian (Anima, Elemental [air or water] or Fury instinct), Bard (Zoophonia muse), Cleric of Gozreh, Druid (Animal, Leaf, Storm, Untamed or Wave order), Fighter, Kineticist (aerokineticist, hydrokineticist or air/water), Monk, Oracle (Tempest mystery), Psychic, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer (Draconic [Empyreal] or Elemental [Air or Water] bloodline), Summoner (Beast, Devotion, Elemental [air or water core] or Plant eidolon, plus, if Tiny, Swarm [same animal type as awakened animal] eidolon), Swashbuckler
Sarenrae: Barbarian (Elemental [fire] or Fury instinct), Cleric of Sarenrae, Druid (Flame order), Fighter, Kineticist (pyrokineticist, hydokineticist or fire/water), Monk, Oracle (Cosmos, Flames or Life mystery), Psychic, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer (Angelic, Draconic [Empyreal] or Elemental [Fire] bloodline, Summoner (Angel, Devotion, Elemental [fire core] or Swarm [doves] eidolon), Swashbuckler
Shelyn: Bard (Maestro muse), Cleric of Shelyn, Fighter, Kineticist (aerokineticist, phytokineticist or air/wood), Monk, Psychic, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer (Draconic [Empyreal] or Fey bloodline), Summoner (Devotion, Fey or Swarm [songbirds] eidolon), Swashbuckler
Special (twist): Free Archetype - this is not player choice. All PCs gain exemplar as a free archetype and the feats are determined by me (representing the additional abilities the deities have blessed the characters with). Unlike a typical exemplar, the immanence your character has is a tiny fragment of the divine power of the deity that awakened you.
The free archetype does not interfere with your ability to take archetype feats (beginning with the dedication feat) instead of one of your class feats.
You must gain my approval to take a specific archetype. Most archetypes should not be an issue, but ones that do not fit well with my vision of the campaign are not allowed (such as the gunslinger and any archetype that has any type of focus on firearms.
Multiclass archetypes that are allowed: ones that are in the lists above for the non-champion side of the dual class, plus: Alchemist (no black powder or firearm ammunition), Commander, Guardian, Inventor (light mortar innovation is not allowed), Investigator, Magus, Thaumaturge, Witch, Wizard
Additional multiclass Dedication option for Abadar awakened animal: Animist [Crafter in the Vault apparition]
Additional multiclass Dedication option for Desna awakened animal: Animist [Echoes of Lost Moments apparition]
Additional multiclass Dedication option for Erastil awakened animal: Animist [Custodian of Groves and Gardens apparition]
Additional multiclass Dedication option for Gozreh awakened animal: Animist [Custodian of Groves and Gardens, Lurker in Devouring Dark, Stalker in Darkened Boughs or Vanguard of Roaring Water apparition]
Additional multiclass Dedication option for Sarenrae awakened animal: Animist [Witness to Ancient Battles apparition]
Additional multiclass Dedication option for Shelyn awakened animal: Animist [Monarch of the Fey Courts apparition]
Home-brewed Flourish Rule. You can combine two different one-action basic actions as a single action with the flourish trait. If one of the basic actions is a Stride, you can take the other action at any point during your stride.
Gozreh awakened animal: Size: Tiny, Small, Medium or Large; Heritage: Climbing Animal, Flying Animal, Running Animal or Swimming Animal; Unarmed Attack: one that is appropriate to the awakened animal
I started to look at the PBP listings last fall. I got inspiration to run a Rise of the Runelords PBP for some of the other characters that were not picked for the RotRL PBP campaign we were applying for. This is not a recruitment for my RotRL PBP.
Upon reading some helpful advice on the boards, I decided to get some experience running a more limited PBP before starting what will be a years-long RotRL PBP campaign. What I decided for the first PBP I run will be PFS Core Iconics through In Search of Sanity (book 1 of the Strange Aeons AP), which is a PFS evergreen AP book.
This will be a private game, not a public one. This is not a 'first to sign up' recruitment.
This game will be following PFS Core rules.
Because of how the adventure starts, there will not be an opportunity to purchase additional items before play starts (or to adjust the gear on the iconic sheet). There will also not be an opportunity to change prepared spells that are stated on the iconic sheets before gameplay begins.
The game would not be starting until late September/mid-October. I have my reasons for the seven core Iconics I want in my private game. Part of those reasons is each of the 4 core iconics I am not including in this PBP are ones that have things that would lessen the 'horror factor' if they were one of the PCs.
After my initial run of In Search of Sanity is done, and I have a decent flow going with my RotRL PBP campaign, I might decide to run In Search of Sanity again with a new group of players.
I have read useful advice regarding running a PBP, which I will be using, particularly the advice that helps speed up game play, such as rolling initiative for the PCs. I looked up to see if such things are PFS legal when running PBP, which they are.
This PBP will only be for the first book of the Strange Aeons adventure path, not the entire adventure path.
The game will be played on a private discord server. I will be making use of Owlbear Rodeo to track movement on the maps and taking screenshots of the maps to post in the player maps section of the discord server.
Who I am looking for: 4 players who enjoy playing one of the following five iconics: Amiri (human barbarian), Lem (halfling bard), Valeros (human fighter), Sajan (human monk), Ezren (old human wizard).
The player slots for playing Kyra and Seoni have already been filled. A third player who has been selected for this PBP will play whichever of the above 5 iconics are left after everyone else has the iconic they will be playing as.
For this private game, I do not want more than one player playing as the same Iconic.
Include the following with your post:
A) Have you ever been selected for a PBP adventure/campaign?
B) How many PBP adventures/campaigns are you currently in?
C) Have you ever been the GM for In Search of Sanity?
D) Have you ever played a PC for In Search of Sanity?
E) Are you okay with creating a new PFS 1E Core PC to assign playing credit to for playing a core Iconic?
F) Are you at least 18 years of age? (The Strange Aeons AP is more like a R-rated Cthulhu genre horror movie than it is a less-restricted sword and sorcery movie). I do not want to be responsible for non-adults having nightmares. I do not have a goal to cause adults to have nightmares either, but they knew what they were signing up for with In Search of Sanity.
G) If you are comfortable sharing, list your country/province/state. Which time zone you are in?
H) Which days/nights of the week do you usually have more available time to post in the PBP.
I) List which of the following five core iconics you would enjoy playing, in descending order, starting with the core iconic you would most prefer to play as. Amiri, Lem, Valeros, Sajan, Ezren.
This is my first time both playing and running a PBP campaign, so please keep that in mind as I adapt and learn how to turn my many years of F2F of being a gamemaster and player into the PBP medium.
I am looking for seven players to run a first edition Pathfinder Society Core online campaign that will include the sanctioned content from the Skull & Shackles adventure path, the Plunder & Peril adventure module, the three PFS Seeker arcs and some PFS scenarios that fit the theme of the campaign. The first adventure played will be the sanctioned content from the first book of the Strange Aeons adventure path (which is an evergreen adventure for 1st level characters).
This will be a private (not public) campaign.
Players who are interested should be okay with me deciding on which XP track (normal or slow) is used for each chronicle sheet. This will make the PCs remain the same level and will not be too low or too high of a level to continue playing in the campaign. Players should also not have an issue playing one of the core iconic PFS pregenerated characters for the first adventure, and using the credit from that adventure's chronicle sheet to make a brand new PFS Core PC - which will be the PC they play for the rest of the campaign (and only plays their character in this campaign so their character remains the same level and receives the same chronicle sheets as the rest of the players' characters), and that any specific iconic pre-gen is played by no more than 1 character.
I have the order of adventures planned, that will make it so the PCs are at the highest valid character level for the subtier of each adventure with only 2 adventures before level 12 not being at the highest valid subtier (one of which is the evergreen adventure using core iconics to gain credit to create the campaign PCs) and four adventures after level 12 not being at the highest valid subtier. Most adventures will be played at normal experience progress with some using slow experience progress so that the characters remain within the valid level ranges for each adventure.
After the initial Strange Aeons adventure, there will be seven PFS scenarios before the characters will play the first book of the Skulls and Shackles adventure path.
The campaign will be on Mondays (either weekly or bi-weekly) with a session duration between 3 to 5 hours, with session start time being as early as 6 p.m. UTC or as late as 9 p.m. UTC.
If you are interested, send me a private message and include the following:
Your time zone
Your preferred session start time (6:00 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m., 8:30 p.m. or 9:00 p.m. UTC)
Your preferred session time (3 hours, 3 1/2 hours, 4 hours, 4 1/2 hours or 5 hours)
A list of 7 core iconic pre-gens you would enjoy playing, in descending order.
The race and class of the PFS character you would make to play through the campaign.
Whether or not you have played first edition Pathfinder Society organized play characters before, including whether you played core, standard or both.
Which PF1E scenarios, adventure modules and adventure paths you have received PFS chronicle sheets for.
I will check my messages at least once a week, so should reply back to you within two weeks.
A gathering area for home-brewed pantheons and their origins.
The Family (pantheon)
Durridan Vladimir was known to be an adventuring champion of Cayden Cailean. He was not just a champion of Cayden but of a pantheon consisting of three deities: Cayden Cailean, Desna and Kurgess; which Durridan affectionately refers to as 'The Family' based on the fact that Cayden and Desna elevated Kurgess to godhood and some theologists and priests of Kurgess believe that at least one of them is Kurgess' parent.
Durridan Vladimir was the only son of Dmitri Vladimir, one of the six Varisians killed by the attack led by Alamon Scanetti. The other five Varisians killed were Octavian Lixandri, Palin Magravi, Valin Magravi, Casamir Pangrati and Felix Rosetti
Part of the deal peaceful resolution with the Varisians was to grant ancestral rights to large-sized portions of the Hinterlands farmlands to the families of the six Varisians killed by Alamon Scarnetti and his brothers and cousins.
Durridan and his three sisters were granted the lands east of the Lost Coast Road, south of the Soggy River and north of Whisperwood.
Palin Magravi was Risa Magravi's husband. Valin Magravi was Palin's identical twin brother. Valin's family was granted ancestral farmlands in the hinterlands (north of the Soggy River, east of the Lost Coast Road, south of Ashen Rise, and west of Egan's Wood. Risa negotiated to be granted a lot of land south of the Sandpoint Boneyard instead of farmland in the hinterlands.
Durridan was an adventurer throughout Varisia for two decades before his father was killed, and had fathered many daughters (but no sons) over those two decades. He used the majority of the wealth he acquired from adventuring to support his daughters and their mothers. He set down roots after his father was killed to help his mother run the family farm and extended invitations to his daughters and grandchildren to come live on the expanded family lands, which several accepted. Many of his bloodline follow the personal pantheon he reveres. Some of the other farming families and residents of Sandpoint came to revere The Family as their pantheon as well. Word of The Family spread out from Sandpoint since its founding and the worship of the pantheon can be found wherever Cayden, Desna and Kurgess are revered.
Traditionally the first day of a extended-stay (2 month) family reunion of Durridan Vladimir' s descendants, begins on Cayden Cailean's Ascencion Day (11th of Kuthona) and lasts until Merrymead (2nd of Calistril). It is not unusual for at least one local family member to join a Varisian caravan one of their cousins is in at the end of this time or for a visiting cousin to decide to stay around longer. Sometimes this choice is an involuntary one, depending on where and who they were with while celebrating Merrymead - some visiting family decide to catch up to the caravan that already left earlier and some locals who were passed out in one of the caravan carriages decide to make their way back home.
The Family [pantheon]
Deities: Cayden Cailean, Desna, Kurgess
Areas of Concern: bravery, healthy competition, travelers
Edicts: seek glory and adventure, compete to your full potential, explore new places
Anathema: be mean or standoffish when drunk, engage in bigoted behavior, cheat at honorable contests
Okaris is a giant and massive man standing a full head over six feet, broad shouldered and deep of chest, with a massive corded neck and heavily muscled limbs. His skin is bronzed from constant exposure to the elements and is covered in scars that accentuate the hard, dangerous lines of his body. Although he is a big man, Okaris moves with the grace of a large cat and has the predatory gaze of a desert jackal. He has smoldering grey eyes, the color of the sky right before a storm, which are set below a low and broad brow. His dark, scarred, almost sinister face is that of a warrior, with a black flowing mane of hair worn loose reaching below his shoulders and a thick beard. Okaris has a loud booming voice like stone breaking. The large man’s head is usually covered with a white Keffiyeh and he wears robes of brown, grey, and tan, the colors of the desert.
Personality:
Okaris is curious and inquisitive, this, combined with the fact that he cans seldom hold his tongue has often led him into trouble. He is also superstitious, and has a deep distrust of arcane magic. Okaris has a unique sense of honor refusing to lie, except to enemies, and is reluctant to harm women. At times he speaks in riddles.
Background:
The Orasian Desert is a hard and unforgiving land that has produced hard and unforgiving people. Okaris, one of the Yerbira, is one such product.
Okaris was born during a storm, on the longest night of the year, in the wasted lands along the trade route between Sothis and Shiman-Sekh. It is said that Okaris was born dead and through some dark magic his mother, an alleged witch, traded her life for his. Regardless, Okaris was raised by his father a merchant and carpet weaver of renown amongst his tribe.
Okaris was an energetic and curious child, although he didn’t show much aptitude or interest in weaving. His lessons began at a young age and his father was a hard task master in showing him the weaver’s art. Suffice to say that after a short while it became clear to Okaris that he was not meant to be a weaver. He was too much of a free spirit and time at the weavers loom chaffed at him. It seemed that he was always dying, shearing, knotting, or tying when he would rather explore the vast desert around him.
This curiosity eventually led Okaris into trouble and he was accused of breaking one of the tribes many taboo’s. He was accused of converting with unclean beasts. As punishment for his crime he was thrown into the Desert’s Mouth. Unable to climb out on his own and desperate Okaris began to pray. To the boy’s surprise not long after he began his prayer a rope was thrown down into the pit. With hope Okaris climbed out of the pit expecting to see his father at the other end. However, to his surprise, it was the village wise woman waiting at the other end. "I do this for you mother. Your life is yours now but do not return to the tribe," the wise woman warned.
The desert nomad made his way to the Half-City Wati in hopes to find his fortune or at least survive another season.
Age 20; Height 6' 5"; Weight 220 lbs
NG Medium humanoid (human, Yerbira [Garundi])
Init +2; Senses Perception +7
DEFENSE AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor, +2 shield, +2 Dex)
Hit Points 14
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +5
OFFENSE Speed 30 ft. (30 ft in armor)
Melee Scimitar +4 (1d6+4/18-20 x2), or Club +4 (1d6+4/x2),
Ranged Sling +2 (1d4+4/x2) 50 ft, or club +2 (1d6+4/x2) 10 ft
Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +4)
0 (3 /day, DC 13) — Create Water, Detect magic, Light
1st (2 /day, DC 14) — Cure Light Wounds, Snowball Domain spell Obscuring Mists
Light Load 100 Medium Load 200 Heavy Load 300
Total Carried 83 lbs
Feats:
Toughness - You gain +3 hit points. For every Hit Die you possess beyond 3, you gain an additional +1 hit point. If you have more than 3 Hit Dice, you gain +1 hit points whenever you gain a Hit Die (such as when you gain a level).
Weather Domain:
Granted Powers: With power over storm and sky, you can call down the wrath of the gods upon the world below.
Storm Burst (Sp)
As a standard action, you can create a storm burst targeting any foe within 30 feet as a ranged touch attack. The storm burst deals 1d6 points of nonlethal damage + 1 point for every two cleric levels you possess. In addition, the target is buffeted by winds and rain, causing it to take a –2 penalty on attack rolls for 1 round. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
Lightning Lord (Sp)
At 8th level, you can call down a number of bolts of lightning per day equal to your cleric level. You can call down as many bolts as you want with a single standard action, but no creature can be the target of more than one bolt and no two targets can be more than 30 feet apart. This ability otherwise functions as call lightning.
Starting Wealth: 2d6 × 10 gp (average 70 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.
Class Skills
The druid’s class skills are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skill Ranks Per Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies
Druids are proficient with the following weapons: club, dagger, dart, quarterstaff, scimitar, scythe, sickle, shortspear, sling, and spear. They are also proficient with all natural attacks (claw, bite, and so forth) of any form they assume with wild shape (see below).
Druids are proficient with light and medium armor but are prohibited from wearing metal armor; thus, they may wear only padded, leather, or hide armor. A druid may also wear wooden armor that has been altered by the ironwood spell so that it functions as though it were steel. Druids are proficient with shields (except tower shields) but must use only wooden ones.
A druid who wears prohibited armor or uses a prohibited shield is unable to cast druid spells or use any of her supernatural or spell-like class abilities while doing so and for 24 hours thereafter.
Spells
A druid casts divine spells, which are drawn from the druid spell list. Her alignment may restrict her from casting certain spells opposed to her moral or ethical beliefs; see Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells. A druid must choose and prepare her spells in advance.
To prepare or cast a spell, the druid must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a druid’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the druid’s Wisdom modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a druid can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Druid. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score (see Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells).
A druid must spend 1 hour each day in a trance-like meditation on the mysteries of nature to regain her daily allotment of spells. A druid may prepare and cast any spell on the druid spell list, provided that she can cast spells of that level, but she must choose which spells to prepare during her daily meditation.
Spontaneous Casting
A druid can channel stored spell energy into summoning spells that she hasn’t prepared ahead of time. She can “lose” a prepared spell in order to cast any summon nature’s ally spell of the same level or lower.
Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells
A druid can’t cast spells of an alignment opposed to her own or her deity’s (if she has one). Spells associated with particular alignments are indicated by the chaos, evil, good, and law descriptors in their spell descriptions.
Orisons (Sp)
Druids can prepare a number of orisons, or 0-level spells, each day, as noted on Table: Druid under “Spells per Day.” These spells are cast like any other spell, but they are not expended when cast and may be used again.
Bonus Languages
A druid’s bonus language options include Sylvan, the language of woodland creatures. This choice is in addition to the bonus languages available to the character because of her race.
A druid also knows Druidic, a secret language known only to druids, which she learns upon becoming a 1st-level druid. Druidic is a free language for a druid; that is, she knows it in addition to her regular allotment of languages and it doesn’t take up a language slot. Druids are forbidden to teach this language to nondruids.
Druidic has its own alphabet.
Natures Bond
At 1st level, a druid forms a bond with nature. This bond can take one of two forms. The first is a close tie to the natural world, granting the druid one of the following cleric domains: Air, Animal, Earth, Fire, Plant, Water, or Weather. Druids also have access to a set of Animal and Terrain Domains. When determining the powers and bonus spells granted by this domain, the druid’s effective cleric level is equal to her druid level. A druid that selects this option also receives additional domain spell slots, just like a cleric. She must prepare the spell from her domain in this slot and this spell cannot be used to cast a spell spontaneously.
The second option is to form a close bond with an animal companion. A druid may begin play with any of the animals listed in Animal Choices. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the druid on her adventures.
Unlike normal animals of its kind, an animal companion’s Hit Dice, abilities, skills, and feats advance as the druid advances in level. If a character receives an animal companion from more than one source, her effective druid levels stack for the purposes of determining the statistics and abilities of the companion. Most animal companions increase in size when their druid reaches 4th or 7th level, depending on the companion. If a druid releases her companion from service, she may gain a new one by performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours of prayer in the environment where the new companion typically lives. This ceremony can also replace an animal companion that has perished.
Nature Sense (Ex)
A druid gains a +2 bonus on Knowledge (nature) and Survival checks.
Wild Empathy (Ex)
A druid can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person. The druid rolls 1d20 and adds her druid level and her Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result.
The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.
To use wild empathy, the druid and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
A druid can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but she takes a –4 penalty on the check.
Woodland Stride (Ex)
Starting at 2nd level, a druid may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at her normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. Thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion, however, still affect her.
Trackless Step (Ex)
Starting at 3rd level, a druid leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. She may choose to leave a trail if so desired.
Resist Nature’s Lure (Ex)
Starting at 4th level, a druid gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against the spell-like and supernatural abilities of fey. This bonus also applies to spells and effects that target plants, such as blight, entangle, spike growth, and warp wood.
Wild Shape (Su)
At 4th level, a druid gains the ability to turn herself into any small or Medium animal and back again once per day. Her options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type. This ability functions like the beast shape I spell, except as noted here. The effect lasts for 1 hour per druid level, or until she changes back. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. The form chosen must be that of an animal the druid is familiar with.
A druid loses her ability to speak while in animal form because she is limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained animal can make, but she can communicate normally with other animals of the same general grouping as her new form. (The normal sound a wild parrot makes is a squawk, so changing to this form does not permit speech.)
A druid can use this ability an additional time per day at 6th level and every two levels thereafter, for a total of eight times at 18th level. At 20th level, a druid can use wild shape at will. As a druid gains in levels, this ability allows the druid to take on the form of larger and smaller animals, elementals, and plants. Each form expends one daily usage of this ability, regardless of the form taken.
At 6th level, a druid can use wild shape to change into a Large or Tiny animal or a Small elemental. When taking the form of an animal, a druid’s wild shape now functions as beast shape II. When taking the form of an elemental, the druid’s wild shape functions as elemental body I.
At 8th level, a druid can use wild shape to change into a Huge or Diminutive animal, a Medium elemental, or a Small or Medium plant creature. When taking the form of animals, a druid’s wild shape now functions as beast shape III. When taking the form of an elemental, the druid’s wild shape now functions as elemental body II. When taking the form of a plant creature, the druid’s wild shape functions as plant shape I.
At 10th level, a druid can use wild shape to change into a Large elemental or a Large plant creature. When taking the form of an elemental, the druid’s wild shape now functions as elemental body III. When taking the form of a plant, the druid’s wild shape now functions as plant shape II.
At 12th level, a druid can use wild shape to change into a Huge elemental or a Huge plant creature. When taking the form of an elemental, the druid’s wild shape now functions as elemental body IV. When taking the form of a plant, the druid’s wild shape now functions as plant shape III.
Venom Immunity (Ex)
At 9th level, a druid gains immunity to all poisons.
A Thousand Faces (Su)
At 13th level, a druid gains the ability to change her appearance at will, as if using the alter self spell, but only while in her normal form.
Timeless Body (Ex)
After attaining 15th level, a druid no longer takes ability score penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties she may have already incurred, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the druid still dies of old age when her time is up.
Ex-Druids
A druid who ceases to revere nature, changes to a prohibited alignment, or teaches the Druidic language to a nondruid loses all spells and druid abilities (including her animal companion, but not including weapon, armor, and shield proficiencies). She cannot thereafter gain levels as a druid until she atones (see the atonement spell description).
