We're level 6 now, and an NPC challenged Thistle (my halfling druid PC) to come up with a long term goal. Thistle thought for moment, and then resolved to usher in a golden age of megafauna.
How might one make this happen?
The number one tool available seems to be plant growth, which, by increasing the yield of the forest by 1/3, could hypothetically enable a forest zone to support 1/3 more wildlife, which in turn attracts bigger awesomer predators. Thistle can cast this three times each day, each time affecting a circle one mile across.
At 9th level druids get access to Awaken. It doesn't make creatures any bigger, but it does make them more interesting, and allows them to advance by class level rather than animal hit die.
Not until 13th level can a druid make it rain, but then can they ever! Each casting has a duration of 1/3 of a day to 4 days, during which time the druid can, as a standard action, choose the weather in a 3-mile radius.
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We're level 6 now, and an NPC challenged Thistle (my halfling druid PC) to come up with a long term goal. Thistle thought for moment, and then resolved to usher in a golden age of megafauna.
How might one make this happen?
The number one tool available seems to be plant growth, which, by increasing the yield of the forest by 1/3, could hypothetically enable a forest zone to support 1/3 more wildlife, which in turn attracts bigger awesomer predators. Thistle can cast this three times each day, each time affecting a circle one mile across.
At 9th level druids get access to Awaken. It doesn't make creatures any bigger, but it does make them more interesting, and allows them to advance by class level rather than animal hit die.
Not until 13th level can a druid make it rain, but then can they ever! Each casting has a duration of 1/3 of a day to 4 days, during which time the druid can, as a standard action, choose the weather in a 3-mile radius.
Remember though, that larger predators need larger prey. Really, you couldn't fully enact this without introducing dozens of new species at LEAST, not to mention totally terraforming an entire forest.
Then, he needs to make sure that he takes plenty of knowledge (Nature) to make sure he knows how much water is need (maybe Knowledge: Geography?), what kind of soil is required, etc.
If he could find a way to permanently enlarge animals (which I think is possible), you could theoretically use that to entice larger predators to stalk your forest. It wouldn't work in the long run, though.
Man, I really come across as a party pooper XD
Really, all seriousness aside, I'd probably let my player do this anyways if he can generate forests and rainfall >_>
Cast Sympathy on your new land to attract your beasts.
Remember, due to the pyramid of energy, the largest of megafauna are almost always herbivorous, magic notwithstanding.
Forest might not be the best habitat for all megafauna. It rewards smaller more mobile creatures with incresed protection. Fertile grasslands often have more megafauna than a rainforest.
Check the Bestiary for non-animal creatures you wish to attract.
Recruit minions and allies to spread your designs.
Also consider how big your megafauna really are. Are they the size of pandas? A panda is certainly megafauna; the term "charismatic megafauna" exists in great deal to them. But compared to many fantasy critters they're rather small.
Also, more varied terrain will have a greater variety of species due to more potential niches giving the region more opportunities for specialists to exist. Make sure as well that you crank up the temperature: warmer climates with greater net productivity (tropical forests, in other words) will give you greater numbers of species.
Do all that, then figure out how to increase the number of generations in a given period of time, as speciation will then occur more quickly. Otherwise prepare to wait a long time for your megafauna.
Oh, and increase the area you're working with. Larger animals tend to roam about a given territory if they're not outright migrating because they can easily strip an ecosystem of all viable foodstuffs. You might want to see how much area you can actually cover with plant growth and control weather and control water....
Cast Sympathy on your new land to attract your beasts.
Hmm... Sympathy is 9th level, costs 1500 gp to cast, and has a duration in hours. If there were a slower, cheaper version that could help.
Forest might not be the best habitat for all megafauna. It rewards smaller more mobile creatures with incresed protection. Fertile grasslands often have more megafauna than a rainforest.
True, forest may have sloths, bear and moose, and jungle may have crocs, but all your tusky chargers are savannah dwellers.
Remember though, that larger predators need larger prey. Really, you couldn't fully enact this without introducing dozens of new species at LEAST, not to mention totally terraforming an entire forest.
The plan, as much as Thistle ever has a plan, is to make the land fertile to attract the herbivores, which in turn attract the predators.
Oh, and increase the area you're working with. Larger animals tend to roam about a given territory if they're not outright migrating because they can easily strip an ecosystem of all viable foodstuffs. You might want to see how much area you can actually cover with plant growth and control weather and control water....
Let's see, at 6th level, Thistle can cast Plant Growth 3 times each day. Each casting covers a circle a mile across, or ~5 acres per casting. Say 15 acres per day, six days a week, for a year = 52*6*15 = 4680 acres that Thistle can boost to 1 and 1/3 normal productivity. That's about a fifth the size of Manhattan. Not too impressive.
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Have your character start researching ancient druidic artifacts, or maybe elemental artifacts, that could help. A good/cool DM that came up with the proposition would probably come up with something like that, given the appropriate character interest, to all for an adventure of it self. Remember this is a fantasy game and artifacts commonly do things WELL out of the range of a normal magic item or spell.
The term Megafauna signifies any massive herbavore. Which I think dinosaurs would be, hands down, your best bet. If need be, start plane hopping to find some. Or at higher level, try to get an audience with planar servants of the god of nature. Hell, you could even try to bargain with some fey or other druids.
You're a PC, be a leader and get some help cause you may not always be around to take care of it :)
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Let's see, at 6th level, Thistle can cast Plant Growth 3 times each day. Each casting covers a circle a mile across, or ~5 acres per casting. Say 15 acres per day, six days a week, for a year = 52*6*15 = 4680 acres that Thistle can boost to 1 and 1/3 normal productivity. That's about a fifth the size of Manhattan. Not too impressive.
On that note, make a wand or buy a wand. That would help immensely.
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We're level 6 now, and an NPC challenged Thistle (my halfling druid PC) to come up with a long term goal. Thistle thought for moment, and then resolved to usher in a golden age of megafauna.
How might one make this happen?
The number one tool available seems to be plant growth, which, by increasing the yield of the forest by 1/3, could hypothetically enable a forest zone to support 1/3 more wildlife, which in turn attracts bigger awesomer predators. Thistle can cast this three times each day, each time affecting a circle one mile across.
At 9th level druids get access to Awaken. It doesn't make creatures any bigger, but it does make them more interesting, and allows them to advance by class level rather than animal hit die.
Not until 13th level can a druid make it rain, but then can they ever! Each casting has a duration of 1/3 of a day to 4 days, during which time the druid can, as a standard action, choose the weather in a 3-mile radius.
Megaflora = Big Plants
Megafauna = Big AnimalsWell they chart the Plant Growth for a single acre at +20cubic feet per year so Over fifty years your Druid could convert a square mile of Desert into Rainforest. Best bet is to convert a larger area than that and force plants to grow tap roots. So Rain once a week per area. That could be a whole Isolated Island...(Island of Doctor Moreau).
Seems like Thistle is more likely to be successful founding an order of druids, a goal of which is to increase the prevalence of big beasts, than he is to bring about significant change personally in his one halfling lifetime. But then I suppose druids are the type to take the long view.
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Seems like Thistle is more likely to be successful founding an order of druids, a goal of which is to increase the prevalence of big beasts, than he is to bring about significant change personally in his one halfling lifetime. But then I suppose druids are the type to take the long view.
Using earthquake you could venture into a megadungeon and collapse each level so as to leave a caldera where you can grow your garden...
With time and resources, you can create a custom magic item to help. See if your GM will allow you to create a Stonehenge type construction to put out a permanent Sympathy effect.
I would suggest an area where your project can be controlled. an island would be easiest. but I think something like using earth quake to cause some sections if dark lands cavern to pass. preferably where a river could go through your area. then induce the plants to grow there.
I was reading about this I'n some limestone caves where massive collapses caused these little pocket goes several hundred feet down. for somevreason I'n fantasy games this is the sort of thing that attracts what yiubwant.