Arboreal Guardian

gained a level in a spellcasting class she belonged to before gaining a level as an eidoloncer. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of controlling or rebuking undead, metamagic or item creation feats, and so on). This essentially means that she adds the level of eidoloncer to the level of some other spellcasting class the character has, then determines spells per day and caster level accordingly. For example, Lhoga the 4th-level ghost sorcerer gains a level in eidoloncer. Since her only spellcasting class is sorcerer, her eidoloncer level advances the spellcasting ability of her sorcerer class, giving her the spells known and spells per day of a 5th-level sorcerer. She does not improve her familiar’s abilities or gain any other benefits she would have received if she had gained an actual level in sorcerer.

When an eidoloncer has a life epiphany, any converted eidoloncer levels must be converted into levels in the spellcasting class she was advancing in. When this occurs, the character gains all other abilities from that class that are not related to spellcasting, in addition to an exact conversion of spellcasting ability. For example, when Lhoga is raised and decides to convert her eidoloncer level into a sorcerer level, her familiar’s natural armor and Intelligence increase to that of a 6th-level sorcerer’s familiar, and it gains the speak with master ability, just as if it had always been the familiar of a 6th-level sorcerer. A ghost cleric/eidoloncer who converted eidoloncer levels would improve her turning ability, a ghost bard/eidoloncer would improve her bardic knowledge ability, and so on.

ARBOREAL GUARDIAN

Within the Spirit Wood are the Arboreal Guardians, men and women dedicated to protecting and ministering the living repositories of elf and half-elf spirits.

The Guardians are the wood’s first line of defense against outsiders and act as the hands and eyes of the spirit trees, vowing to protect a particular tree with a mystical pledge called a Green Bond. Mystically linked with a chosen tree, an Arboreal Guardian sees the recipient of her Green Bond as the closest member of her family, someone worth dying for. This bond extends to a lesser extent to any other spirit tree.

Most Arboreal Guardians are druids or rangers. A few clerics of Galaedros become Guardians, as does the occasional multiclassed barbarian, but only those with close ties to nature consider taking the Green Bond.

Arboreal Guardians are a well-known but littleunderstood secret society in the Ghostwalk campaign. While they guide people through the Spirit Wood to the city of Manifest, they are completely ruthless when it comes to dealing with violators of the forest. They may bicker among themselves over the proper way to nurture and preserve the Spirit Wood, but they are united in their oath to preserve it at all cost.

Hit Die: d8.

Requirements

To qualify to become an Arboreal Guardian, a character must fulfill the following criteria.

Race: Elf or half-elf. A creature of another race who does a great service for the Arboreal Guardians or the spirit trees may be allowed to join this elite society of protectors.

Skills: Intuit Direction 5 ranks, Knowledge (nature) 8 ranks, Wilderness Lore 8 ranks.

Feats: Great Fortitude, Green Bond, Point Blank

Shot.

Spells: Able to cast entangle.

Patron Deity: Any but Nessek or Orcus.

Class Skills

The Arboreal Guardian’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Animal Empathy (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intuit Direction (Wis),

Jump (Str), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis),

Move Silently (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and

Wilderness Lore (Wis). See Chapter 4: Skills in the

Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions.

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Arboreal

Guardian prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Arboreal Guardians gain proficiency with shortbows (but not composite shortbows). A druid who becomes an Arboreal

Guardian can use a shortbow without violating her

Table 1–3: The Arboreal Guardian

Base Fort Ref Will Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special Spellcasting

1st +0 +0 +2 +0 Bond’s call, forestwalk 2nd +1 +0 +3 +0 Nature’s water, +1 natural armor +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class 3rd +2 +1 +3 +1 Unhindered charge, wood speech 4th +3 +1 +4 +1 +2 natural armor +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class 5th +3 +1 +4 +1 Hunter’s mercy, blindsight 6th +4 +2 +5 +2 +3 natural armor +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class 7th +5 +2 +5 +2 Nature’s defender, quench 1/day 8th +6 +2 +6 +2 +4 natural armor +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class 9th +6 +3 +6 +3 Tree stride 1/day 10th +7 +3 +7 +3 +5 natural armor +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class

spiritual oaths. Arboreal Guardians gain no proficiency with any armor or shields.

Spellcasting: An Arboreal Guardian continues training in magic. Thus, at every other Arboreal Guardian level starting at 2nd, the character gains new spells known and spells per day as if she had also gained a level in a divine spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of controlling or rebuking undead, additional uses of wild shape, and so on). This essentially means that she adds the level of Arboreal Guardian to the level of some other divine spellcasting class she has, then determines spells per day and caster level accordingly.

Bond’s Call (Su): An Arboreal Guardian may make an Intuit Direction check (DC 15) to determine the direction to her spirit tree. This can be done once per round.

Forestwalk (Su): When an Arboreal Guardian is within the Spirit Wood, her land speed increases by 10 feet. This benefit stacks with any other bonuses to speed the character may have.

Nature’s Water (Ex): An Arboreal Guardian of 2nd level or higher can acquire potions from her bonded spirit tree if she provides the necessary herbs and ingredients. Essentially this means she can purchase potions from her tree for the cost to create instead of the market price.

Natural Armor (Ex): At 2nd level, an Arboreal Guardian gains a natural armor bonus to her Armor

Class. When this bonus improves to +3 (at 6th level), her skin gains the coloration of her spirit tree, although this does not provide any additional benefit. Unhindered Charge (Ex): When making a charge or taking the run action, an Arboreal Guardian of 3rd level or higher can pass unhindered through normal inanimate living plants, similar to a druid’s woodland stride ability. Unlike woodland stride, she can also pass unhindered through larger plants such as trees, including her own spirit tree, when using this ability. Wood Speech (Su): An Arboreal Guardian of 3rd level or higher can telepathically communicate with her spirit tree or with any of its other Arboreal Guardians at a range of 1 mile. This allows the Guardian to initiate the telepathic contact (previously she could be contacted by her spirit tree, but could not initiate this contact). Hunter’s Mercy (Su): Onceper day as a standard action, a Guardian of 5th level or higher can focus her concentration so her first successful attack with a bow in the next round is automatically a critical hit. This works like

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THE GREEN BOND

Each of the Arboreal Guardians is linked to a particular spirit tree, and through this tree to a handful of other Arboreal Guardians. Each of these groups acts like a family; Guardians of the same tree generally get along well and can call upon each other in times of need. Likewise, the Guardians love and protect their chosen tree (and the elf and half-elf spirits within it) like a respected senior member of the family. The Green Bond is a very strong emotional link to another being, stronger than the link to a twin. A Guardian is expected to be loyal to his tree (and its other Arboreal Guardians) first and all others second. Those who ignore the needs of the tree in order to travel the world or adventure are likely to be ostracized by the other Guardians and may (if this behavior is not curtailed) eventually break their bond and lose all abilities of this prestige class. Fortunately, each spirit tree has several Arboreal Guardians, so each tends to get a reasonable amount of free time to devote to personal matters.

Characters who have a Green Bond but are not Arboreal Guardians are called bondfellows and are like extended members of the spirit tree’s family. They are on friendly terms with the Arboreal Guardians but do not have the same requirements of devotion that the Guardians do, although if their spirit tree is in danger, they are expected to come to its aid.

Having a Green Bond is a mixed blessing in terms of cohorts and followers. Bondfellows of the same spirit tree (and druids and rangers unassociated with other spirit trees) treat the bonded character as if she had a special power (Leadership modifier +1). All other characters treat the bonded character as if she had a familiar, a paladin’s warhorse, or an animal companion (Leadership modifier –2). Thus, it is easier for a bonded character to recruit cohorts and followers who are themselves bonded or at least respect the bond with nature, but it is harder to recruit those who have little or no interest in nature or are prejudiced against those who devote themselves to plants over civilized beings.

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