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View Full Version : Pathfinder HOMEBREW: NATURALIST: Bard/Druid Hybrid Class [WIP, PEACH]



GreyBlack
2015-08-01, 05:09 PM
So, in creating a new character for a pathfinder game, my DM shot down my using the Fochlucan Lyrist archetype. This made me go crazy in some ways trying to figure out how to simulate the class when I had a brainstorm that I would be able to simulate this character as a hybrid class or archetype! So, without further ado,

NATURALIST [Name in progress]

ALIGNMENT: Any neutral

Hit Die: d8

Parent Classes: Bard and Druid

Starting Wealth: 3d6 x 10 gp

Class Skills: Appraise (int), Bluff (cha), Craft (any) (int), Diplomacy (cha), Disguise (cha), Handle Animal (cha), Heal (cha), Knowledge (all) (int), Linguistics (int), Perception (wis), Perform (cha), Profession (wis), Ride (dex), Sense Motive (wis), Sleight of Hand (dex), Spellcraft (int), Stealth (dex), Survival (wis), Swim (str), Use Magic Device (cha)

Skill points per level: 6 + int

BAB: Medium
Fort: Bad
Ref: Good
Will: Good
Spellcasting: Per bard

Class Features:
All of the following are class features of the naturalist.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The naturalist is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the longsword, rapier, sap, scimitar, short sword, and shortbow. Naturalists are also proficient with light armor and shields, but are also prohibited from using metal armor as a druid. Naturalists can cast spells while wearing light armor and using a shield without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. Like any other arcane spellcaster, a bard wearing medium or heavy armor incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component.
Spells: A naturalist casts arcane spells drawn from the druid spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. Every naturalist spell has a verbal component (song, recitation, or music). To cast a spell, a naturalist must have a charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The difficulty class for a saving throw against a bard's spell is 10 + the spell level + the bard's charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a naturalist can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table 1-1 below. In addition, he recieves bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score.
The naturalist's spell selection is extremely limited. A naturalist begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st level spells of the naturalist's choice. At each new naturalist level, he gains one or more new spells, as indicated on table 1-2. (Unlike the spells per day, the number of spells a bard knows is not affected by his Charisma score. The numbers on Table 3-4 are fixed.)
Upon reaching 5th level, and at every third naturalist level after that (8th, 11th, and so on), a naturalist can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. IN effect, the naturalist “loses” the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least one level lower than the highest-level Naturalist spell the naturalist can cast. A naturalist may swap only a single spell at any given level and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.
A naturalist need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his allotment of spells per day for the spell's level.

Orisons: A naturalist can learn a number of orisons, or 0-level spells. These spells are cast like any other spell, but they are not expended when cast and may be used again.

Bonus Languages: A naturalist'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 his race.
The naturalist is also inducted into the order of Druids, and ass such, knows Druidic, a secret language known only to druids, which she learns upon becoming a 1st level naturalist. Druidic is a free language for a naturalist; that is, she knows it in addition to her regular allotment of languages and it doesn't take up a language slot. Naturalists are similarly bound as druids to never teach this language to nondruids or non-naturalists.
Druidic has its own alphabet.

Bardic Knowledge: A naturalist adds half his class level (minimum 1) on all Knowledge skill checks and may make all Knowledge skill checks untrained.

Nature Bond: At 1st level, a naturalist forms a bond with nature. This bond takes the form of a close tie to the natural world, granting the naturalist access to one of the following cleric domains: Air, Animal, Earth, Fire, Plant, Water, or Weather. He gains access to the domain spells of whichever domain he chooses, but does not gain access to any other abilities.

Wild Performance: A naturalist is trained to use his music to emulate the call of the wild. At first level, a naturalist can use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. For each level thereafter, he can use wild performance for 2 additional rounds per day.
Starting a wild performance is a standard action, but it can be maintained each round as a free action. A wild performance cannot be disrupted, but ends immediately if the naturalist is killed, paralyzed, stunned, knocked unconscious, or otherwise prevented from taking a free action each round to maintain it. A wild performance counts as the bard's bardic performance special ability for any effect that affects bardic performances. A naturalist can learn bard masterpieces (Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic 21).
If a wild performance has audible components, the targets must be able to hear the naturalist for the performance to have any effect, although most wild performances are not language dependent (noted in the description). A deaf naturalist has a 20% chance to fail when attempting to use a wild performance with an audible component. If he fails this check, the attempt still counts against his daily limit. Deaf creatures are immune to wild performances with audible components.
If the wild performance has visual components, the targets must have line of sight to the naturalist for the performance to have any effect. A blind naturalist has a 50% chance to fail when attempting to use a wild performance with a visual component. If he fails this check, the attempt still counts against his daily limit. Blind creatures are immune to wild performances with visual components.
Calming the Beast (Su): At 1st level, a naturalist learns to calm the emotions of wild animals around him. All animals within 90 feet of the naturalist receives a Will save (DC 10 + ˝ the naturalist's level + the naturalist's Cha modifier) to negate the effect. If a creature's saving throw fails, the creature is affected as by the calm animals spell for as long as the naturalist continues his performance. Any potential threat to the target allows the target to make a new saving throw against the effect. Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a weapon at the target, automatically breaks the effect.
Calming the Beast is an enchantment (compulsion), mind affecting ability. Calming the Beast relies on audible and visible components in order to function.
Inspire the Beast (Su): At 1st level, a naturalist learns to use his music to inspire his allies to embrace their inner beast, bolstering their physical attributes. Affected allies gain a +2 morale bonus to strength and constitution. At 8th and 16th levels, the song's bonuses increase by 2. Inspiring the Beast relies on audible and visual components in order to function.
Song of Undergrowth (Su): At 3rd level, a naturalist can allow his allies to ignore difficult terrain. By expending 1 round of wild performance, allies within 30 feet can ignore difficult terrain and do not take damage from difficult terrain (if applicable). Song of the Undergrowth relies on audible components in order to function.
Song of the Unbridled Beast (Su): At 6th level, a naturalist can channel the primal rhythm through his music into his allies, turning them into beasts of various sorts. When this song begins and at the beginning of each ally's turn in which they can hear the naturalist's performance, the naturalist's allies must decide whether or not to accept or refuse its effects. This is not an action. Each ally who accepts this song's effects are affected as if by a Beast Shape I, except as follows. The duration is replaced by the length of time the naturalist plays this song. Changing form to the animal is a free action as a part of accepting the song, but a standard action changing back. This transformation does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
All allies who accept this song lose their ability to speak while in animal form because they are limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained animal can make, but they can communicate normally with other animals of the same grouping as the new form. As such, allies cannot cast spells unless they have the “Natural Spell” feat. This song counts as the druid's Wild Shape to determine qualifying for prestige classes and feats. When accepting this song, each ally chooses what shape they will assume.
At 10th level, this ability improves to Beast Shape II, or the Naturalist can choose to allow his allies to assume the shape of an elemental as Elemental Body I.
At 14th level, this ability improves to Beast Shape III, Elemental Body II, or Plant Shape I.
At 16th level, this ability improves to allow Elemental Body III, Plant Shape II, or Beast Shape III.
At 20th level, this ability improves to allow allies who accept this song to assume Beast Shape III, Elemental Body IV, or Plant Shape III.
Master of the Natural World (Su): At 9th level, the Naturalist gains mastery over the world around him. A naturalist may spend 5 rounds of wild performance to control the air and water around him. This effect works as either Control Water or Control Winds, as per the spell using his naturalist level as his caster level.
At 15th level, the Naturalist's mastery over the world around him expands to the weather itself. The naturalist may spend 5 rounds to cast Control Weather, as the spell, with a duration of 5 minutes. Using this song takes 1 minute to create the desired effect.
At 19th level, the Naturalist may also choose to control the plant life around him. The naturalist may spend 5 rounds to cast Control Plants as a spell like ability. This ability lasts for 5 minutes.

Versatile Performance (Ex): At 2nd level, a naturalist can choose one type of Perform skill associated with the Naturalist class. He can use this bonus in that skill in place of his bonus in the associated skills listed below. When substituting in this way, the skald uses his total Perform skill bonus, including class skill bonus, in place of the associated skill's bonus, whether or not he has ranks in that skill or if it is a class skill. At 7th level and every 5 levels thereafter, the naturalist can select an additional type of Perform to substitute.
The types of Perform and their associated skills are: Dance (Acrobatics, Fly), Oratory (Diplomacy, Sense Motive), Percussion (Handle Animal, Intimidate, Sing (Bluff, Sense Motive), String (Bluff, Diplomacy), and Wind (Diplomacy, Handle Animal).

Lore Master (Ex): At 5th level, the naturalist becomes a master of lore and can take 10 on any Knowledge skill check that he has ranks in. A bard can choose not to take 10 and can instead roll normally. In addition, once per day, the naturalist can take 20 on any Knowledge skill check as a standard action. He can use this ability one additional time per day for every six levels he possesses beyond 5th, to a maximum of three times per day at 17th level.

Evasion (ex): At 8th level, the naturalist gains evasion, as the rogue ability of the same name.

Unbound (Ex): At 10th level, the naturalist's oaths to respect and revere nature are relaxed. The naturalist is free to wear metal armor or shields without losing her class abilities. He is still bound to respect nature and may not teach druidic to any non-druids or non-naturalists.

Ex-Natutralists: A naturalist who ceases to revere nature, changes to a prohibited alignment, or teaches the Druidic language to a nondruid loses all spells and naturalist abilities (including his performances, but not including his weapon, armor, and shield proficiencies). He cannot thereafter gain levels as a naturalist or a druid until he atones (see the atonement spell description). These oaths are only relaxed per the Unbound ability.

[INSERTING TABLE AT A LATER TIME, SPELLCASTING PER BARD TABLE]

GreyBlack
2015-08-02, 09:01 AM
Bump. Please leave feedback on the class, as I'm trying to make it as good as possible.