Aspects of the Wild Druid

[Lord Tataraus]

Wild Shape is overpowered, at least from my perspective as a DM of powergamers. Shapshift is great, but just not the same and removes a lot. So, I've been thinking and I've got this Druid variant:

Aspects of the Wild Druid

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Aspects|0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|7th|8th|9th

1st|

+0

|

+2

|

+0

|

+2

|Spirit Companion, Nature Sense, Wild Empathy, Aspect of the Wild (1/day)|1|3|1|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—

2nd|

+1

|

+3

|

+0

|

+3

|Woodland Stride|1|4|2|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—

3rd|

+2

|

+3

|

+1

|

+3

|Trackless Step|1|4|2|1|—|—|—|—|—|—|—

4th|

+3

|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|Resist Nature's Lure, Aspect of the Wild (2/day)|2|5|3|2|—|—|—|—|—|—|—

5th|

+3

|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|Aspect of the Wild (3/day)|2|5|3|2|1|—|—|—|—|—|—

6th|

+4

|

+5

|

+2

|

+5

|Aspect of the Wild (4/day)|2|5|3|3|2|—|—|—|—|—|—

7th|

+5

|

+5

|

+2

|

+5

|Aspect of the Wild (5/day)|3|6|4|3|2|1|—|—|—|—|—

8th|

+6/+1

|

+6

|

+2

|

+6

|Augment Spirit Companion|3|6|4|3|3|2|—|—|—|—|—

9th|

+6/+1

|

+6

|

+3

|

+6

|Venom Immunity|3|6|4|4|3|2|1|—|—|—|—

10th|

+7/+2

|

+7

|

+3

|

+7

|Aspect of the Wild (6/day)|4|6|4|4|3|3|2|—|—|—|—

11th|

+8/+3

|

+7

|

+3

|

+7

|Aspect of the Wild (7/day)|4|6|5|4|4|3|2|1|—|—|—

12th|

+9/+4

|

+8

|

+4

|

+8

|Aspect of the Wild (8/day)|4|6|5|4|4|3|3|2|—|—|—

13th|

+9/+4

|

+8

|

+4

|

+8

|-|5|6|5|5|4|4|3|2|1|—|—

14th|

+10/+5

|

+9

|

+4

|

+9

|Aspect of the Wild (9/day)|5|6|5|5|4|4|3|3|2|—|—

15th|

+11/+6/+1

|

+9

|

+5

|

+9

|Greater Augment Companion|5|6|5|5|5|4|4|3|2|1|—

16th|

+12/+7/+2

|

+10

|

+5

|

+10

|Aspect of the Wild (10/day)|6|6|5|5|5|4|4|3|3|2|—

17th|

+12/+7/+2

|

+10

|

+5

|

+10

|-|6|6|5|5|5|5|4|4|3|2|1

18th|

+13/+8/+3

|

+11

|

+6

|

+11

|Aspect of the Wild (11/day)|6|6|5|5|5|5|4|4|3|3|2

19th|

+14/+9/+4

|

+11

|

+6

|

+11

|-|7|6|5|5|5|5|5|4|4|3|3

20th|

+15/+10/+5

|

+12

|

+6

|

+12

|Aspect of the Wild (12/day)|7|6|5|5|5|5|5|4|4|4|4

[/table]

Aspect of the Wild (Su): A druid at 1st level chooses an aspect of nature to personify as she adventures and fights for nature. The druid must chose 1 Aspect and always gains a benefit while it is active. The druid may assume the Aspect of the Wild to gain additional benefits 1/day for a number of hours equal to her druid level. At 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter, the druid may gain one more Aspect. A druid may change her aspect focus as a free action usable at will. The druid may assume the Aspect of the Wild additional times per day as listed on the above table.

Spirit Companion (Ex): A druid begins play with a nature spirit that guides and protects her. This spirit takes the corporeal form of an animal, depending upon the Aspect the druid chooses. Whenever the druid changes aspects, the spirit companion reflects that change by taking the form of this new animal. The spirit companion is always the same as a normal animal of its form.

Augment Spirit Companion (Su): A druid of 8th level or higher who assumes an Aspect of the Wild may grant her spirit companion a benefit for as long as the druid stays in that form.

Greater Augment Spirit Companion (Su): A druid of 15th level or higher may grant an additional bonus to her spirit companion when using the Augment Spirit Companion ability.

Aspects of the Wild

{table=head]Aspect|Animals|Normal Benefit|Aspect Benefit|Physical Transformation
Ferocity|{table=head]Spirit Form|Min Level|Augment|Greater Augment
Badger|

1

|+8 Str|+8 Con
Wolverine|

4

|+6 Str|Rage +3/day
Tiger|

7

|+4 Str|+4 Dex
Polar Bear|

10

|+2 Str|+2 Con
Dire Tiger|

16

|-|-[/table]|+2 on all damage rolls|+2 Str|Become a medium sized predator of cat or bear-like appearance
Survival|{table=head]Spirit Form|Min Level|Augment|Greater Augment
Bat|

1

|+8 Dex|Fly +40ft (perfect)
Skunk|

1

|+8 Dex|+8 Con
Boar|

4

|+6 Con|+6 Str
Dire Skunk|

4

|+6 Dex|+6 Con
Dire Boar|

7

|+4 Con|+4 Str
Legendary Skunk|

10

|+2 Dex|+2 Con
Dire Elephant|

16

|-|-[/table]|+1 bonus to AC|+2 Con|Become a medium or large sized boar or elephant-like creature
Camouflage|{table=head]Spirit Form|Min Level|Augment|Greater Augment
Chameleon|

1

|+8 Dex|Hide in Plain Sight
Leopard|

4

|+6 Dex|+30 land speed
|

7

||
|

10

|-|-
|

16

|-|-[/table]|+4 to hide checks|Camouflage
Hunting|{table=head]Spirit Form|Min Level|Augment|Greater Augment
Wolf|

1

|+8 Dex|+8 Str
Owl|

1

|+8 Dex|Fly speed +30ft (perfect)
Cheetah|

4

|+6 Dex|Natural Attack increases by 1 size
Lion|

7

|+4 Str|+4 Dex
Dire Lion|

10

|+2 Str|+2 Dex
Roc|

16

|-|-[/table]|+1 to attack rolls|+2 Str
Healing|{table=head]Spirit Form|Min Level|Augment|Greater Augment
Lizard|

1

|+8 Con|+8 Dex
Dire Toad|

4

|+6 Con|+6 Str
Dire Eagle|

7

|+4 Dex|Fly speed +20ft (good)
Legendary Eagle|

10

|+2 Dex|Fly speed +20ft
|

16

|-|-[/table]|+4 to heal checks|Heal up to 2 points per level as Lay on Hands ability
Disease|{table=head]Spirit Form|Min Level|Augment|Greater Augment
Dire Rat|

1

|+8 Dex|Disease DC+10
Large Viper (Snake)|

4

|+6 Con|Poison DC+8
Huge Viper (Snake)|

7

|+4 Con|Poison DC+6
Dire Snake|

10

|+2 Con|Poison DC+4
Legendary Snake|

16

|-|-[/table]|+2 to fortitude saves|Cause Disease on touch attack, DC10+level+con mod, incubation instantaneous, 1d2 Str damage/1d2 Con damage|Become a small-sized rat or snake-like creature
Adaption|{table=head]Spirit Form|Min Level|Augment|Greater Augment
Raven|

1

|+8 Dex|Gain 4 Languages
Ape|

4

|+6 Con|+6 Str
Dire Ape|

7

|+4 Con|+4 Str
|

10

||
|

16

|-|-[/table]|?|+2 Con|Become a medium or small sized monkey-like creature
Extinction|{table=head]Spirit Form|Min Level|Augment|Greater Augment
Swindlespitter (Dinosaur)|

1

|+8 Dex|Poison DC+10
Crocodile|

4

|+6 Con|+6 Str
Giant Crocodile|

7

|+4 Con|+4 Str
Allosaurus (Dinosaur)|

10

|+2 Str|+2 Con
Tyrannosaurus (Dinosaur)|

16

|-|-[/table]|+2 to will saves|+2 Str|Become a large sized dinosaur or reptilian-like creature
[/table]

I need more ideas as you can see. Also, I might want to include more aspects.

[Daracaex]

Looks cool! But are the augment portions of your tables upside down? The level 1 spirit companion for ferocity gets +6 to str, then con, but the level 7 only gets +2 to str, then dex?

[Valairn]

Camouflage level 1 should be Chameleon.

And Hunting level 1 should be the Owl.

[Lord Tataraus]

Looks cool! But are the augment portions of your tables upside down? The level 1 spirit companion for ferocity gets +6 to str, then con, but the level 7 only gets +2 to str, then dex?

No, the lower level animals are supposed to get higher bonuses to balance them a little with the higher level. You can choose to have your spirit animal take the form of a Badger even if your 8th level (and thus can augment).

Good ideas Valdairn, though I would like to get more than 1 option for level and add some levels, I'll do that now...

[DracoDei]

Well if you hadn't already used rat for "Survival" I would recommend it for "Disease"... perhaps a Monstrous Cockroach? Monstrous Flea (Black Death anyone?)? But definitely would put Kimodo Dragon on the disease list...

Caterpillar/butterfly (swarm) for Growth???

What is "extinction" supposed to be? The only examples that would even come CLOSE to working are may-fly and some worm-like insect that has to impale itself on a thorn to lay its eggs. Leming would work except they aren't actually suicidal, just short sighted...

[Lord Tataraus]

Well if you hadn't already used rat for "Survival" I would recommend it for "Disease"... perhaps a Monstrous Cockroach? Monstrous Flea (Black Death anyone?)? But definitely would put Kimodo Dragon on the disease list...

Caterpillar/butterfly (swarm) for Growth???

What is "extinction" supposed to be? The only examples that would even come CLOSE to working are may-fly and some worm-like insect that has to impale itself on a thorn to lay its eggs. Leming would work except they aren't actually suicidal, just short sighted...

I removed rat from the survival list and put it in Disease. The cockroach idea sounds really good.

Also, I changed Growth to Adpation, Extinction is the opposite of Adaption so things that have not adapted being dinosaurs crocodiles, stuff like that.

[DracoDei]

"Defense" Hedgehog, porcupine, skunk, dire skunk, Legendary Skunk

[Lord Tataraus]

"Defense" Hedgehog, porcupine, skunk, dire skunk, Legendary Skunk

Well, that's what "Survival" is, though go ideas, we are the stats for those?

[DracoDei]

Well my take skunks, dire skunks, and legendary skunks can be found at the end of this thread. Vorpal Tribbles is the OP for that thread, but in THIS PARTICULAR case I think I have him beat for accuracy because I have done a lot of library research on the subject. OTOH that may AGAINST my favor as my rules for the spray are a lot more verbose than his are.

Or just run a search for "Skunk" limited to this particular section of the forums... I think I got several results when I did that.

Porcupines and hedgehogs... would be pretty easy to stat up... just a matter of taking the time... might do so later... or someone might have already done it...

[Lord Tataraus]

Well my take skunks, dire skunks, and legendary skunks can be found at the end of this thread. Vorpal Tribbles is the OP for that thread, but in THIS PARTICULAR case I think I have him beat for accuracy because I have done a lot of library research on the subject. OTOH that may AGAINST my favor as my rules for the spray are a lot more verbose than his are.

Or just run a search for "Skunk" limited to this particular section of the forums... I think I got several results when I did that.

Porcupines and hedgehogs... would be pretty easy to stat up... just a matter of taking the time... might do so later... or someone might have already done it...

Looks good enough for me, thanks!

Any suggestions for Camouflage or Healing? I might allow plants for the Healing one...

Also, I can't think of a good "normal" bonus for Adaption and Extinction.

[DracoDei]

The stubborn, unchanging nature of "Extinction" might go well with a bonus to will saves.

[Daracaex]

For healing, how about a lizard of some sort. You know, because they can regrow their tails after having them cut off? And what about the phoenix? I haven't looked at the stats for it, but it may be manageable.

Ack! Never mind about the phoenix suggestion. I had no idea that they were statted so powerfully. CR 24... yeesh.

[Lord Tataraus]

*bump* I know I haven't been able to do much over Thanksgiving weekend, but I'd like to continue now. Unfortunately, I'm kind of stuck, especially on the Camouflage, any suggestions? Comments?

[Copacetic]

Camoflage hmmm........................ I know! Geckos! They blend in. Right?

[Lord Tataraus]

Camoflage hmmm........................ I know! Geckos! They blend in. Right?

I've got the Chameleon already which is pretty close. I need the more powerful ones...

[Daracaex]

Tigers, if you haven't already used them, have stripes that are practically made for blending into the environment. Other than that, we could always brainstorm some new creatures. Nothing says we can't make a non-existing animal an animal companion.

[Lord Tataraus]

Tigers, if you haven't already used them, have stripes that are practically made for blending into the environment. Other than that, we could always brainstorm some new creatures. Nothing says we can't make a non-existing animal an animal companion.

Tigers are under ferocity, but going along with that stream of thought, there are leopards. While yes we can make new animals (and I'm using a homebrewed skunk already) I'd prefer to exhaust those already print first.

[Daracaex]

Ok, I'll pop open my MM later tonight and see if I can't help you with this some more. That is, after I finish my calc homework...