Elemental Druid

Since the Dissolution campaign is set entirely in a city, we will experiment with this alternative to the druid, which gains power from the four elements instead of plants, animals and nature. Some of this is based on ideas from ancient Greece about these four elements, in different combinations, forming all matter. This class largely maps directly to the Pathfinder druid core class, tweaking a few things here and there.

Alignment: Any neutral

Hit Die: d6

Starting Wealth: 2d6 × 10 gp (average 70 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Skills

The elemental druid’s class skills are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str) and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks Per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Table: Elemental Druid

Level	BAB	Saves			Special	Spells per day
		Fort	Ref	Will		0th	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2	Elemental companion, elemental language, elemental sense, orisons	3	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+3	elemental language	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+3	Ally infusion	4	2	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Balanced essence, elemental shape (1/day)	4	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	+4	+1	+4	-	4	3	2	1	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	+4	+5	+2	+5	elemental shape (2/day)	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	+5	+5	+2	+5	-	4	4	3	2	1	—	—	—	—	—
8th	+6/+1	+6	+2	+6	elemental shape (3/day)	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
9th	+6/+1	+6	+3	+6	venom immunity	4	4	4	3	2	1	—	—	—	—
10th	+7/+2	+7	+3	+7	elemental shape (4/day)	4	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—
11th	+8/+3	+7	+3	+7	-	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	—	—	—
12th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+8	elemental shape (5/day)	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—
13th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+8	Elemental resistance	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	—	—
14th	+10/+5	+9	+4	+9	elemental shape (6/day)	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	—	—
15th	+11/+6/+1	+9	+5	+9	timeless body	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	—	—
16th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10	elemental shape (7/day)	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	—
17th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10	-	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1
18th	+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+11	elemental shape (8/day)	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2
19th	+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+11	-	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3
20th	+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+12	elemental shape (at will)	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the elemental druid.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency Elemental druids are proficient with the following weapons: club, dagger, dart, quarterstaff, scimitar, scythe, sickle, shortspear, sling, and spear. They are also proficient with all natural attacks (claw, bite, and so forth) of any form they assume with elemental shape (see below).

Elemental druids are proficient with light and medium armor but are prohibited from wearing metal armor; thus, they may wear only padded, leather, or hide armor. A druid may also wear wooden armor that has been altered by the ironwood spell so that it functions as though it were steel. See the ironwood spell description. Elemental druids are proficient with shields (except tower shields) but must use only wooden ones.

An elemental druid who wears prohibited armor or uses a prohibited shield is unable to cast druid spells or use any of her supernatural or spell-like class abilities while doing so and for 24 hours thereafter.

Spells

A elemental druid casts divine spells, which are drawn from the druid spell list. Her alignment may restrict her from casting certain spells opposed to her moral or ethical beliefs; see Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells. A druid must choose and prepare her spells in advance.

To prepare or cast a spell, the elemental druid must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a druid’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the elemental druid’s Wisdom modifier.

Like other spellcasters, an elemental druid can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Elemental Druid. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score.

An elemental druid must spend 1 hour each day in a trance-like meditation on the mysteries of nature to regain her daily allotment of spells. An elemental druid may prepare and cast any spell on the druid spell list, provided that she can cast spells of that level, but she must choose which spells to prepare during her daily meditation.

Spontaneous Casting

An elemental druid can channel stored spell energy into summoning spells that she hasn’t prepared ahead of time. She can “lose” a prepared spell in order to cast any summon nature’s ally spell of the same level or lower.

Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells

An elemental druid can’t cast spells of an alignment opposed to her own or her deity’s (if she has one). Spells associated with particular alignments are indicated by the chaos, evil, good, and law descriptors in their spell descriptions.

Orisons (Sp)

Elemental druids can prepare a number of orisons, or 0-level spells, each day, as noted on Table: Elemental Druid under “Spells per Day.” These spells are cast like any other spell, but they are not expended when cast and may be used again.

Bonus Languages

A elemental druid’s bonus language options include Auran, Terran, Ignan, and Aquan, the languages of elemental creatures. This choice is in addition to the bonus languages available to the character because of her race.

Unlike other druids, elemental druids do not automatically know Druidic. Depending on how standard druids treat elemental druids, the DM may allow Druidic as a bonus language option for an elemental druid.

Elemental Language

At first level, an elemental druid adds the elemental language of her choice (Auran, Terran, Ignan, and Aquan) to her list of known languages. At second level, she may add another. Note that an elemental druid must know the language of her elemental companion.

Elemental Companion

You form a close bond with a small elemental companion (your choice of air, earth, fire, or water, provided you speak its language). This companion is treated as an animal companion. If an elemental druid receives an animal companion from more than one source, her effective elemental druid levels instead stack for the purposes of determining the statistics and abilities of the elemental companion.

If a druid releases her companion from service, she may gain a new one by performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours of prayer in or near the environment where the new companion typically lives. This ceremony can also replace an elemental companion that has perished.

As you advance in levels of elemental druid, your elemental companion progresses as well, increasing in size and ability. This progression totally replaces the standard table of druid companion abilities. BAB always matches hit dice.

				Change to Base Stats
Druid Level	Base Stats	Size	HD	Str	Dex	Con	Int	Special
1st	Small Elemental	S	2	-	-	-	-	Link, share spells
2nd	Small Elemental	S	2	+1	-	+1	-
3rd	Small Elemental	S	3	+1	+1	+1	-	Evasion
4th	Medium Elemental	M	4	-	-	-	-	Ability score increase
5th	Medium Elemental	M	5	+1	-	-	-
6th	Medium Elemental	M	5	+2	-	+1	+1	Devotion
7th	Medium Elemental	M	6	+2	+1	+1	+1
8th	Medium Elemental	M	7	+3	+1	+1	+1
9th	Medium Elemental	M	7	+3	+2	+2	+1	Ability score increase
10th	Large Elemental	L	8	-	-	-	-
11th	Large Elemental	L	8	+1	-	-	-
12th	Large Elemental	L	8	+2	+1	+1	-
13th	Large Elemental	L	9	+2	+2	+1	-
14th	Large Elemental	L	9	+2	+2	+2	-	Ability score increase
15th	Large Elemental	L	9	+3	+2	+2	-	Improved evasion
16th	Huge Elemental	H	10	-	-	-	-
17th	Huge Elemental	H	10	+1	-	-	-
18th	Huge Elemental	H	11	+1	-	+1	-
19th	Huge Elemental	H	11	+2	+1	+1	-
20th	Huge Elemental	H	12	+3	+1	+1	-	Ability score increase

Alternately, instead of growing larger, you may choose to restrict your elemental's physical size in favor of becoming more intelligent. This follows the same progression at first, but diverges at level 10, like so:

				Change to Base Stats
Druid Level	Base Stats	Size	HD	Str	Dex	Con	Int	Special
10th	Medium Elemental	M	8	+3	+2	+2	+2	Iron Will, DR5/-, feat and skill list of Large Elemental
11th	Medium Elemental	M	8	+3	+2	+2	+2	May use magical rings
12th	Medium Elemental	M	8	+3	+2	+3	+2	May use magical amulets & bracers
13th	Medium Elemental	M	9	+3	+3	+3	+3
14th	Medium Elemental	M	9	+3	+3	+4	+3	Ability score increase
15th	Medium Elemental	M	9	+4	+4	+4	+3	Improved evasion
16th	Medium Elemental	M	10	+4	+4	+4	+4	skill list of Huge Elemental, +2 natural armor
17th	Medium Elemental	M	10	+4	+4	+4	+4	Improved Initiative
18th	Large Elemental	L	11	+2	+3	+3	+3
19th	Large Elemental	L	11	+3	+3	+3	+3
20th	Large Elemental	L	12	+3	+3	+3	+4	Ability score increase

Elemental Sense (Ex)

The druid's insight into the elements and how they mix provides a +2 bonus on Knowledge (the planes) and Craft (alchemy) checks.

Ally Infusion (Su)

At 3rd level, an elemental druid gains the ability to infuse elemental power into creatures summoned with the summon nature’s ally spell. As the spell is cast, the elemental druid selects an element to use for the infusion

Level: Druid 3
Requirements: Knowledge (the planes) 2 ranks
Replaces: Trackless Step
Benefit: When summoning a creature with the Summon Nature's Ally spell, the druid may selects an element to infuse into the summoned creature. If they do, the duration of the spell is cut in half (round up), but the creature gains advantages based on the element chosen:

• Air: +1 Reflex save, +10' movement, +1 reflex bonus to AC
• Earth: +1 Fortitude save, +4 natural armor
• Fire: +1 Reflex save, +1d4 fire damage, Vulnerability to water or cold
• Water: +1 Fortitude save, DR 3/fire, Vulnerability to fire

Cases where the elemental druid summons an actual elemental work slightly differently. Instead of the bonuses above, the infusion (which must be the same element) guarantees that each of the elemental’s hit die generate at least 50% of the maximum hit points. (That is, when rolling the elemental’s HD to determine hit points, any die that come up less than half the die's maximum value are treated as if they came up at half the maximum value, rounded up.)

Balanced Essence (Ex)

At 4th level, the elemental druid gains awareness and limited control over the combination of the elements making up his own body, gaining +4 on saving throws against disease.

Elemental Shape (Su)

At 4th level, an elemental druid gains the ability to turn herself into a small elemental and back again once per day. The type of elemental is selected when this ability is activated. This ability functions like the elemental body I spell, except as noted here. The effect lasts for 1 hour per druid level, or until she changes back. Changing form (to elemental or back) is a standard action and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity.

This ability counts as the wild shape class feature for the purpose of prerequisites. Any additional wild shape abilities provided from other sources instead stack with elemental shape.

A druid may speak only in the language of the elemental type she turns into (e.g. Aquan if a water elemental). Further, the vocal and somatic gestures necessary for spellcasting cannot be accomplished in elemental form. These restrictions can be overcome by the Wild Speech and Natural Spell feats, respectively.

An elemental druid can use this ability an additional time per day at 6th level and every two levels thereafter, for a total of eight times at 18th level. At 20th level, a druid can use wild shape at will. As a druid gains in levels, this ability allows the druid to take on the form of larger and elementals; however, the elemental druid never gains the ability to take on animal or plant forms. Each form expends one daily usage of this ability, regardless of the form taken.

At 6th level, the elemental form functions as elemental body II.

At 8th level, a druid can use elemental shape to change into a Large elemental, which functions as elemental body III.

At 11th level, a druid can use wild shape to change into a Huge elemental, which functions as elemental body IV.

Venom Immunity (Ex)

At 9th level, an elemental druid gains immunity to all poisons.

Elemental Resistance (Sp)

At 13th level, a druid may temporarily protect herself from an element. This functions as if using the resist energy spell, with two exceptions: the range is treated as "personal" and only one use of this ability can be maintained at a time (though it may coexist with genuine resist energy spells).

Timeless Body (Ex)

After attaining 15th level, an elemental druid no longer takes ability score penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties she may have already incurred, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the druid still dies of old age when her time is up.