Apostle of Nature [PEACH]

[asdflove]

I'm going to state here that I know this class is really powerful, but I really just made it for a single NPC in a campaign I was running.

Apostle of Nature

Requirements

Alignment
Neutral good, lawful neutral, true neutral, chaotic neutral, or neutral evil.

Skills
Knowledge (Religion) 9 ranks, Knowledge (Nature) 9 ranks, Handle Animal 6 ranks

Spellcasting
Able to cast 2nd level spells from both the Cleric and Druid spell list.

Special
Must have an animal companion, must have ability to turn or rebuke undead, and must worship a deity of nature.

Class Skills
The Apostle of Nature’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (Nature), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), and Survival (Wis).

Skill Points at Each Level
4 + Int modifier.

Hit Die
d8

The Apostle of Nature

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Special	Spellcasting
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2	Animal Companion, Turn Undead
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+3	Wild Empathy	+1 level in two divine spellcasting classes
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+3	Wild shape (1/day)	+1 level in two divine spellcasting classes
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Entangle	+1 level in two divine spellcasting classes
5th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Wild shape (2/day)	+1 level in two divine spellcasting classes
6th	+4	+5	+2	+5	Whispers of the Forest	+1 level in two divine spellcasting classes
7th	+5	+5	+2	+5	Wild shape (3/day)	+1 level in two divine spellcasting classes
8th	+6	+6	+2	+6	Speak with Animals	+1 level in two divine spellcasting classes
9th	+6	+6	+3	+6	Wild shape (Large)	+1 level in two divine spellcasting classes
10th	+7	+7	+3	+7	Nature's call	+1 level in two divine spellcasting classes

Spellcasting
At every level except the first you gain +1 level of spellcasting for two different divine spellcasting classes.

Animal Companion
Levels of Apostle of Nature stack with their druid level to determine abilities of their Animal Companion.

Turn Undead
Levels of Apostle of Nature stack with Cleric levels for the purposes of turn undead.

Wild Empathy (Ex)
Starting at 2nd level Apostle of Nature levels stack with Druid levels for the purpose of wild empathy checks.

Wild Shape (Su)
At 3rd level, an apostle of nature gains the ability to turn themselves into any Small or Medium animal and back again once per day. thetr options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type. This ability functions like the alternate form special ability, except as noted here. The effect lasts for 1 hour per apostle of nature level, or until they changes back. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action and doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity. Each time you use wild shape, you regain lost hit points as if you had rested for a night.

Entangle
Starting at 4th level apostles get Entangle as a spell-like ability a number of times per day equal to half their Apostle of Nature level (Round down). Once they would have it 5 times per day, the ability becomes at will instead.

Whispers of the Forest (Su)
When an apostle of nature reach 6th level, the plants, trees, and rocks begin to speak to you, bringing you news wherever you are. Once per day, these voices of the forest give you a short answer to any simple question you pose pertaining to current events in any wilderness area on your land mass. Questions about distant lands require 1 minute per mile of distance to answer. At the DM’s discretion, when the forest deems an issue particularly important, the whispers bring you news without your request.

Speak with Animals
Starting at 8th level, apostles get Speak with Animals as a spell-like ability a number of times per day equal to half their Apostle of Nature level (Round down). Once they would have it 5 times per day, the ability becomes at will instead.

Nature's Call(Su)
A 10th level Apostle of Nature can call for aid from natures greatest allies. Thrice per day an Apostle of Nature can call upon a fey with an ECL equal to the apostle's total ECL-2. The fey stays to help for one minute per apostle level. This is a Conjuration (Summoning) effect.

[starwoof]

It seems really powerful to me purely because it gives so much for so little. For the cost of two spellcasting levels you can advance as both a druid and a cleric, gaining all of the special abilities of both. I would recommend slowing down the progression of pretty much everything.

Right now if I was playing a druid or cleric I would have very little reason not to play this class.

[asdflove]

It seems really powerful to me purely because it gives so much for so little. For the cost of two spellcasting levels you can advance as both a druid and a cleric, gaining all of the special abilities of both. I would recommend slowing down the progression of pretty much everything.

Right now if I was playing a druid or cleric I would have very little reason not to play this class.

You lose several caster levels, the advancement of wild shape is gimped already, and the cleric only has one special ability to gain other than spellcasting.

[JoshuaZ]

You lose several caster levels, the advancement of wild shape is gimped already, and the cleric only has one special ability to gain other than spellcasting.

I agree. If anything, I'd suggest adding +1 to caster level for all divine spellcasting classes at level 1 to make up for it. The lost caster levels together with the heavy redundancy of the two spell lists makes this to be somewhat weak as it stands.

[tarbcl]

Feel free to visit my buy portfolio lighting site. Eventually i am come here and want to say you that thanks for sharing your concept regarding the post.

[Amnoriath]

You lose several caster levels, the advancement of wild shape is gimped already, and the cleric only has one special ability to gain other than spellcasting.

No, by original advantage you only lose 2(one from multiclass, the other upon entry) while being all of a Druid and Cleric plus. Also stat wise the two classes are likely the same so you don't have any increased attribute dependency. Also monsters typically don't have ECL unless you consult Savage Species in which then you only have a couple choices. The fey while nature oriented you made previous abilities based upon talking to plants and animals, seems like a bit of a leap.

[asdflove]

No, by original advantage you only lose 2(one from multiclass, the other upon entry) while being all of a Druid and Cleric plus. Also stat wise the two classes are likely the same so you don't have any increased attribute dependency. Also monsters typically don't have ECL unless you consult Savage Species in which then you only have a couple choices. The fey while nature oriented you made previous abilities based upon talking to plants and animals, seems like a bit of a leap.

Before I just changed it you had to be level 5 (Now level 6) to get in in the first place, and you seem to only be counting potential lost caster levels from one class. Also, 2 lost caster levels isn't anything to shrug at.
Monsters do have ECL. Everything has ECL. For most monsters it's their HD+their LA (If any). For example a Nymph has 6 racial HD+7 LA for a ECL of 13. It's not even complicated.
I'm not changing the capstone. I like it as is.

[Amnoriath]

Before I just changed it you had to be level 5 (Now level 6) to get in in the first place, and you seem to only be counting potential lost caster levels from one class. Also, 2 lost caster levels isn't anything to shrug at.
Monsters do have ECL. Everything has ECL. For most monsters it's their HD+their LA (If any). For example a Nymph has 6 racial HD+7 LA for a ECL of 13. It's not even complicated.
I'm not changing the capstone. I like it as is.

1. Based upon that then a single class full-caster would have lost 8 caster levels in the career because it never picked up a second casting class to take this class. It is when you have double on double buffs and the great battlefield control of the druid.
2. A couple of the iconic fey creatures have level adjustment just so they can played like a character but many other fey do not in which you are putting a player in limbo on lots of choices because it doesn't have level adjustment to calculate ECL.

[asdflove]

1. Based upon that then a single class full-caster would have lost 8 caster levels in the career because it never picked up a second casting class to take this class. It is when you have double on double buffs and the great battlefield control of the druid.

That's dumb logic. If you were to say that, then you would be saying that any theurge class is better than it's original class on it's own, but that's incorrect. It would be better to play a straight caster and not lose any CLs than to theurge, from an optimization standpoint. It's better to get higher level spells sooner than more lower level spells now.

2. A couple of the iconic fey creatures have level adjustment just so they can played like a character but many other fey do not in which you are putting a player in limbo on lots of choices because it doesn't have level adjustment to calculate ECL.

It if they don't have a LA then their ECL is their HD.

[Amnoriath]

That's dumb logic. If you were to say that, then you would be saying that any theurge class is better than it's original class on it's own, but that's incorrect. It would be better to play a straight caster and not lose any CLs than to theurge, from an optimization standpoint. It's better to get higher level spells sooner than more lower level spells now.

It if they don't have a LA then their ECL is their HD.

1. I just retorted what you said without just counting the losses on both sides. Well when the theurge in question is fueled by the exact same optimal attributes, has the better frame, continues everything, and gives more it is better from a general standpoint.
2. Not if your goal is to get as many spells/solutions as possible. It may be slower, but the sheer variety now is staggering which is the main reason why tier 1's are as such.
Keep in mind I do like that you upped the requirements and does balance things a little bit. However, it doesn't really have anything flavor wise the other two didn't and doesn't offer anything unique which I think a PrC should have.
Are you saying a Balor would have ECL of 20, because you would make other outsider characters with far less hit die that would equal 20?