Xuldarinar
2013-09-30, 11:44 PM
Blighters of the Planes
The blighter is one of the many prestige classes contained within Complete Divine. To be blunt, it sucks, especially compared to the class required to enter it, the druid. Playable but broken in a bad way. Recently, however, another prestige class has come to my attention. The Planar Shepherd, found in Faiths of Eberron, is a remarkable druid prestige class. Within it's text it, on multiple occasions, brings up the blighter prestige class, mentioning they are capable of becoming shepherds. Maybe, just maybe, they can bring balance to each other. That is what I'm here to discuss. If I'm inaccurate at any point, feel free to bring it up.
Requirements
Since we are discussing two prestige classes together, we have two sets of requirements to bring up.
Blighter
Alignment: Any nongood.
Base Attack Bonus: +4
Special: The character must be an ex-druid previously capable of casting 3rd-level druid spells.
In terms of alignment, you are only banned from the three good. Considering the other two requirements, the best route really is just Druid 6. You could be Druid 5 with a dip in a full BaB class, but really I don't see the point. While you could possibly meet the druid spell prerequisites with other classes, only 1 dipped level in druid, the blighter's CL is Ex-druid levels + blighter levels. I want to say their Undead Wild Shape has a HD limit based on Blighter levels + Ex-druid levels, but it is not directly stated.
Planar Shepherd
Skills: Knowledge (nature) 8 ranks, Knowledge (the planes) 4 ranks.
Feats: Greensinger Initiate or Nightbringer Initiate
Special: Wild shape class feature.
As far as skills go, you should have no problem at all. Entering from blighter, I'm honestly conflicted on as technically you cannot qualify for the feats as a blighter, anymore. Since that is the case, I assume you needed to have grabbed one of the required feats while you were still a druid. You retain the feat, just lose the benefits. Wild shape however, I can view in one of two ways. Either your (non-functioning) wild shape from your ex-druid levels counts still, or you need to obtain undead wild shape. Im more inclined to go for the latter of the two, as then you have something to work with.
Essentially, as far as I'm concerned, at 10th level one should look like this: Ex-Druid 6/Blighter 3/Planar Shepherd 1
Ability Scores
Strength: Pretty much useless.
Dexterity: While out of undead wild shape, it doesn't hurt to have for a better AC, but otherwise you can ignore this.
Constitution: Everybody could use Constitution, but while you are in undead wild shape, this ability score is not only irrelevant but it is a non-ability. If you decide you want to become undead outside of your undead wild shape, then you can ignore this entirely.
Intelligence: It helps having skills, otherwise it isn't terribly important.
Wisdom: This is your primary ability. It helps with casting and blighter class features. Even though your spell list isn't the best out there, you still have it and there is no reason for you not to use your casting (Unless you couldn't find trees to kill that day.)
Charisma: I'd say it is just a dump stat. However we have some things to consider. Bluff always comes in handy, especially playing something most beings would frown upon, and something else. Undead use Charisma for Concentration.
Class Features
Druid
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Pretty much all you will have left once you go ex-druid and before you go Blighter.
How you become an ex-druid is really up to you, but the easiest path is probably trying to teach someone in your party the druidic language or doing things you are well aware would harm nature.
Blighter
Spells per Day: Not exactly your bread and butter, but its good to have around. You have a handful of spells based on the theme, and you cast via wisdom. Your default divine focus is a desiccated sprig of holly or mistle toe, and your material components must have been dead for at least for a day. The problem, or the fun part if you are that kind of person, is how you regain your spells.
Deforestation (Sp): Kill all plants in 20 feet per blighter level. Sadly it isn't very dramatic at first, but you shut off methods of sustenance of non-sentient plants within the effect. Plants under another creature's control can be saved by a Fort save made by the controller, DC is also Wisdom based. Not so good in a desert, ice flow, anything with nothing more than sparse vegetation. A helpful magic item would be one you could use to teleport you to a forest (your plane or otherwise), and teleport back, but otherwise you best stay as close as possible to a place with trees. Oh, and nothing can grow until a hallow spell is cast on the area you deforested then reseeded. If at all possible, you might want to keep someone around who is able to cast hallow if you want your presence to go relatively unnoticed.
Blightfire (Su): at 2nd level you get to burn stuff. 5d6 fire damage to everything in 10 feet, and flammable things ignite too. A reflex save can cut the damage in half. No use limit and it is just a standard action. Looking in this, I want to think of it as Summon Upset Druid.
Sustenance (Ex): Still 2nd level. Who needs food or water, right?
Undead Wild shape (Sp): 3rd level. Its wild shape. Your forms start with small and medium animals, then later you gain large and huge. What I think is the best part is anything you turn into with it gains the skeleton template. Due to wording, I assume this isn't just restricted to only creatures with a skeletal system. Eventually you get to use this 5/day.
Speak with Dead Animal (Sp): 4th level. Remember that bunny you just accidentally maliciously burned to death. Well, now you can talk to it. It is speak with dead but usable only on the corpses of animal creatures. 1/day
Contagious Touch (Su): 5th level, its flu season: the class feature. Not really, you gain contagious touch 1/day. You gain more uses as you reach higher blighter levels.
Animate Dead Animal (Sp): At 6th level, not only can you talk to a druid's woodland friend's corpses, you can now raise them from the dead. Animate dead given speak with dead animal's treatment. No material components, and 1/day.
Unbond (Sp): 8th level. You can (temporarily) separate the bond between someone and their animal companion, familiar, mount, ect. 1/day. 40ft range of both the master and blighter. A failed will save on the part of the master, and to the master it is as if their pet died (without xp loss). Normally hostile creatures subsequently attack their former masters. 1 minute/blighter level and the bond returns, or if the master attempts to regain their pet through the normal methods, whichever happens first.
Plague (Su): 10th level. Basically contagious touch but with no roll required to hit, hitting all designated targets in 20 feet 1/day.
Planar Shepherd
Spellcasting: 10/10 divine spellcasting advancement.
Animal Companion: Great for druids, useless for blighters
Planar Attunement (Ex): Pick a plane, any plane, unless it is opposed to your own alignment. Otherwise, you can ignore harmful effects derived from your chosen plane's elemental or energy traits. You can even choose to share this with your allies.
Detect Manifest Zone (Sp): 2nd level, at-will.
Wild shape (Su): 3rd level onward It advances wild shape. You get magical beasts native to your chosen plane. Later, 9th level, you can change into elementals and outsiders native to your chosen plane at the cost of 2 uses and those forms keep their Ex, Su, and Sp abilities. And keep that skeleton template handy because it is possible it still applies.
Plane Shift (Sp): 4th, 1/day you can go between your chosen plane and the material plane, and you can even bring friends. At 8th level you don't need to wait till the next day to come back, making it 2/day.
Planar Bubble (Su): Why go to another plane when you can bring it to you. The area around you, 20 feet, starts mimicking all the traits of your chosen plane. Long as you concentrate, up to an hour per level, +1d10 rounds, it is there. At 5th level this is 1/day, becoming 3/day at 10th.
Intensify Manifest Zone (Sp): 7th level, another spell 1/day. Only effects zones of your chosen plane.
Planar Self: 10th level. Outsider native to your chosen plane. DR 10/magic. +1 caster level while in a manifested zone of your chosen plane.
Planes
Something I won't go in depth on for a number of reasons. There are so many options, pending upon the setting on the campaign. Theres no restriction other than what your alignment is, and the plane you choose can certainly effect your flavor.
Feats
At 1st, 3rd or 6th level, you need to grab Greensinger Initiate or Nightbringer Initiate. It doesn't really matter which once you become a blighter, but you still need the feat around. Otherwise, my advice is if you'd take it for a druid, and you can qualify for it still, take it. Natural Spell being a must have. If you rather be more spellcasting focused, I have to question your choice of path, but there are feats for that.
The blighter is one of the many prestige classes contained within Complete Divine. To be blunt, it sucks, especially compared to the class required to enter it, the druid. Playable but broken in a bad way. Recently, however, another prestige class has come to my attention. The Planar Shepherd, found in Faiths of Eberron, is a remarkable druid prestige class. Within it's text it, on multiple occasions, brings up the blighter prestige class, mentioning they are capable of becoming shepherds. Maybe, just maybe, they can bring balance to each other. That is what I'm here to discuss. If I'm inaccurate at any point, feel free to bring it up.
Requirements
Since we are discussing two prestige classes together, we have two sets of requirements to bring up.
Blighter
Alignment: Any nongood.
Base Attack Bonus: +4
Special: The character must be an ex-druid previously capable of casting 3rd-level druid spells.
In terms of alignment, you are only banned from the three good. Considering the other two requirements, the best route really is just Druid 6. You could be Druid 5 with a dip in a full BaB class, but really I don't see the point. While you could possibly meet the druid spell prerequisites with other classes, only 1 dipped level in druid, the blighter's CL is Ex-druid levels + blighter levels. I want to say their Undead Wild Shape has a HD limit based on Blighter levels + Ex-druid levels, but it is not directly stated.
Planar Shepherd
Skills: Knowledge (nature) 8 ranks, Knowledge (the planes) 4 ranks.
Feats: Greensinger Initiate or Nightbringer Initiate
Special: Wild shape class feature.
As far as skills go, you should have no problem at all. Entering from blighter, I'm honestly conflicted on as technically you cannot qualify for the feats as a blighter, anymore. Since that is the case, I assume you needed to have grabbed one of the required feats while you were still a druid. You retain the feat, just lose the benefits. Wild shape however, I can view in one of two ways. Either your (non-functioning) wild shape from your ex-druid levels counts still, or you need to obtain undead wild shape. Im more inclined to go for the latter of the two, as then you have something to work with.
Essentially, as far as I'm concerned, at 10th level one should look like this: Ex-Druid 6/Blighter 3/Planar Shepherd 1
Ability Scores
Strength: Pretty much useless.
Dexterity: While out of undead wild shape, it doesn't hurt to have for a better AC, but otherwise you can ignore this.
Constitution: Everybody could use Constitution, but while you are in undead wild shape, this ability score is not only irrelevant but it is a non-ability. If you decide you want to become undead outside of your undead wild shape, then you can ignore this entirely.
Intelligence: It helps having skills, otherwise it isn't terribly important.
Wisdom: This is your primary ability. It helps with casting and blighter class features. Even though your spell list isn't the best out there, you still have it and there is no reason for you not to use your casting (Unless you couldn't find trees to kill that day.)
Charisma: I'd say it is just a dump stat. However we have some things to consider. Bluff always comes in handy, especially playing something most beings would frown upon, and something else. Undead use Charisma for Concentration.
Class Features
Druid
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Pretty much all you will have left once you go ex-druid and before you go Blighter.
How you become an ex-druid is really up to you, but the easiest path is probably trying to teach someone in your party the druidic language or doing things you are well aware would harm nature.
Blighter
Spells per Day: Not exactly your bread and butter, but its good to have around. You have a handful of spells based on the theme, and you cast via wisdom. Your default divine focus is a desiccated sprig of holly or mistle toe, and your material components must have been dead for at least for a day. The problem, or the fun part if you are that kind of person, is how you regain your spells.
Deforestation (Sp): Kill all plants in 20 feet per blighter level. Sadly it isn't very dramatic at first, but you shut off methods of sustenance of non-sentient plants within the effect. Plants under another creature's control can be saved by a Fort save made by the controller, DC is also Wisdom based. Not so good in a desert, ice flow, anything with nothing more than sparse vegetation. A helpful magic item would be one you could use to teleport you to a forest (your plane or otherwise), and teleport back, but otherwise you best stay as close as possible to a place with trees. Oh, and nothing can grow until a hallow spell is cast on the area you deforested then reseeded. If at all possible, you might want to keep someone around who is able to cast hallow if you want your presence to go relatively unnoticed.
Blightfire (Su): at 2nd level you get to burn stuff. 5d6 fire damage to everything in 10 feet, and flammable things ignite too. A reflex save can cut the damage in half. No use limit and it is just a standard action. Looking in this, I want to think of it as Summon Upset Druid.
Sustenance (Ex): Still 2nd level. Who needs food or water, right?
Undead Wild shape (Sp): 3rd level. Its wild shape. Your forms start with small and medium animals, then later you gain large and huge. What I think is the best part is anything you turn into with it gains the skeleton template. Due to wording, I assume this isn't just restricted to only creatures with a skeletal system. Eventually you get to use this 5/day.
Speak with Dead Animal (Sp): 4th level. Remember that bunny you just accidentally maliciously burned to death. Well, now you can talk to it. It is speak with dead but usable only on the corpses of animal creatures. 1/day
Contagious Touch (Su): 5th level, its flu season: the class feature. Not really, you gain contagious touch 1/day. You gain more uses as you reach higher blighter levels.
Animate Dead Animal (Sp): At 6th level, not only can you talk to a druid's woodland friend's corpses, you can now raise them from the dead. Animate dead given speak with dead animal's treatment. No material components, and 1/day.
Unbond (Sp): 8th level. You can (temporarily) separate the bond between someone and their animal companion, familiar, mount, ect. 1/day. 40ft range of both the master and blighter. A failed will save on the part of the master, and to the master it is as if their pet died (without xp loss). Normally hostile creatures subsequently attack their former masters. 1 minute/blighter level and the bond returns, or if the master attempts to regain their pet through the normal methods, whichever happens first.
Plague (Su): 10th level. Basically contagious touch but with no roll required to hit, hitting all designated targets in 20 feet 1/day.
Planar Shepherd
Spellcasting: 10/10 divine spellcasting advancement.
Animal Companion: Great for druids, useless for blighters
Planar Attunement (Ex): Pick a plane, any plane, unless it is opposed to your own alignment. Otherwise, you can ignore harmful effects derived from your chosen plane's elemental or energy traits. You can even choose to share this with your allies.
Detect Manifest Zone (Sp): 2nd level, at-will.
Wild shape (Su): 3rd level onward It advances wild shape. You get magical beasts native to your chosen plane. Later, 9th level, you can change into elementals and outsiders native to your chosen plane at the cost of 2 uses and those forms keep their Ex, Su, and Sp abilities. And keep that skeleton template handy because it is possible it still applies.
Plane Shift (Sp): 4th, 1/day you can go between your chosen plane and the material plane, and you can even bring friends. At 8th level you don't need to wait till the next day to come back, making it 2/day.
Planar Bubble (Su): Why go to another plane when you can bring it to you. The area around you, 20 feet, starts mimicking all the traits of your chosen plane. Long as you concentrate, up to an hour per level, +1d10 rounds, it is there. At 5th level this is 1/day, becoming 3/day at 10th.
Intensify Manifest Zone (Sp): 7th level, another spell 1/day. Only effects zones of your chosen plane.
Planar Self: 10th level. Outsider native to your chosen plane. DR 10/magic. +1 caster level while in a manifested zone of your chosen plane.
Planes
Something I won't go in depth on for a number of reasons. There are so many options, pending upon the setting on the campaign. Theres no restriction other than what your alignment is, and the plane you choose can certainly effect your flavor.
Feats
At 1st, 3rd or 6th level, you need to grab Greensinger Initiate or Nightbringer Initiate. It doesn't really matter which once you become a blighter, but you still need the feat around. Otherwise, my advice is if you'd take it for a druid, and you can qualify for it still, take it. Natural Spell being a must have. If you rather be more spellcasting focused, I have to question your choice of path, but there are feats for that.