Wilderness Knight (Druid/Paladin)

Cities and palaces have their armored protectors, but one must not think that wild lands and forests have no protectors of their own. For some, trees are natural stone columns, meadows are the tournament fields, and the real nobility resides in the fierce creatures of the natural world. Less known than paladins and cavaliers, there are some free spirits in the woods who’ve sworn to protect good and the peace of man, beast and angel alike. They are the land’s saints, the chosen of agathions and neutral good angels. These are the wilderness knights. Devoted to good beyond the concerns of law and chaos, wilderness knights are neither mighty warriors like paladins, or are they powerful spellcasters like druids. However, they do strive to emulate the virtues of both good outsiders and animals, transforming into strong beasts and celestials, and drawing their power from the animal world to ride and summon celestial animal creatures. Every wilderness knight chooses one animal species as her emblem and model of perfection, and openly promotes that animal through her coat of arms and wild shaping ability. (Original Concept by Bardess)

Primary: Druid.

Secondary: Paladin.

Alignment: Neutral good.

Hit Dice: d8.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: The wilderness knight may select three paladin skills to add to her class skills in addition to the normal druid class skills. The wilderness knight gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A wilderness knight is proficient with all simple and martial weapons. She is also proficient with all natural attacks (claw, bite, and so forth) of any form they assume with wild shape (see below). A wilderness knight is proficient with light and medium armor but is prohibited from wearing metal armor; thus, she may wear only padded, leather, or hide armor. A wilderness knight 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. A wilderness knight is proficient with shields (except tower shields) but must use only wooden ones.

Spellcasting: A wilderness knight casts divine spells drawn from the wilderness knight spell list. To prepare or cast a spell, the wilderness knight must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a wilderness knight’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the wilderness knight’s Charisma modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a wilderness knight can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day, as shown on Table: Wilderness Knight. She also receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score.

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

Aura of Good (Ex): At 1st level, a wilderness knight gains the paladin’s aura of good ability.

Detect Evil (Sp): At 1st level, a wilderness knight gains the paladin’s detect evil ability.

Emblem Bond:This is exactly like the druid’s nature bond ability, except that a wilderness knight must form a bond with nature. She may choose the Eagle, Frog, Monkey, Serpent, or Wolf animal domains, the Crocodile, Panther or Vulture animal domains in Faiths & Philosophies, or the new Bear Domain, Dragon Domain, Lion Domain, Raven Domain, Stag Domain, or Swan Domain. When she prepares her domain spells, she can only prepare them up to her 6th–level domain spell. A wilderness knight displays her chosen animal as part of her shield’s insignia and her holy symbol. This choice also determines her Emblem Companion ability.

Purity Sense (Ex): A wilderness knight gains a +2 bonus on Knowledge (nature) and Sense Motive checks. This ability replaces nature sense.

Lay On Hands (Su): At 2nd level, a wilderness knight gains the paladin’s lay on hands ability. A wilderness knight qualifies for feats that alter or enhance the lay on hands class feature.

Aura of Courage (Su): At 3rd level, a wilderness knight gains the paladin’s aura of courage ability. This ability replaces trackless step.

Mercy (Su): At 3rd level, a wilderness knight gains the paladin’s mercy ability, but is restricted to the following mercy selections at the indicated levels. At 3rd level, she may select the Charmed*, Fatigued, Shaken, or Sickened mercy. At 9th level, she may select the Confused* or Diseased mercy, or she can also choose the remove the Entangled condition as her mercy. At 15th level, she may select the Dominated*, Exhausted, Frightened, Nauseated, or Poisoned mercy. The wilderness knight qualifies for Extra Mercy and other feats that alter or enhance the mercy class feature. A wilderness knight may only use mercy on herself, her emblem companion, or other animals. This ability replaces resist nature’s lure and a thousand faces. *(see Kobold Quarterly 14)

Wildshape (Su): This is exactly like the druid ability of the same name, except for the following changes. At 4th level, a wilderness knight can only turn herself into a Small or Medium animal that corresponds to her emblem bond once per day. For example, if she chose the Eagle domain, she can turn into a bird. This ability functions like the beast shape I spell, except as noted here.

As a wilderness knight gains in levels, this ability allows her to take on the form of larger and smaller animals or of the celestial creatures that she has chosen as her patrons. Each form expends one daily usage of this ability, regardless of the form taken. This ability is considered a normal wild shape for all requirements.

At 6th level, a wilderness knight can use wild shape to change into a Large or Tiny version of her emblem animal. When taking the form of an animal, a druid's wild shape now functions as beast shape II. The wilderness knight can apply the Dire, Giant, or Young template to her animal forms to match her new size options, but doesn’t recalculate her hit points, as normal.

At 8th level, a wilderness knight can use wild shape to change into a Huge or Diminutive animal or to take some features of her celestial patrons. When taking the form of animals, a wilderness knight’s wild shape now functions as beast shape III. When taking the form of a celestial, the wilderness knight's wild shape now functions as the new lesser angelic aspect or lesser agathion appearance spell (see New Spells). A wilderness knight must choose between these two forms at 8th level. Once the choice is made, it cannot be changed.

At 10th level, when taking the form of a celestial, the wilderness knight’s wild shape functions as the angelic aspect or agathion appearance spell.

At 12th level, when taking the form of a celestial, the wilderness knight’s wild shape functions as the greater angelic aspect or greater agathion appearance spell.

*Note: A wilderness knight with the Dragon domain can turn into any dinosaur. A wilderness knight with the Panther domain can turn into a panther by using the stats for a leopard or jaguar. A wilderness knight with the Swan domain uses the stats of the swan described in that domain. A wilderness knight with the Stag domain uses the stats of an elk or the deer stats described in the Tome of Horrors Complete by Necromancer Games.

Emblem Companion (Su): At 5th level, the wilderness knight forms a bond with an animal companion of the species corresponding to her emblem bond. If her emblem bond domain grants the wilderness knight a familiar, it is replaced by her emblem companion at this level. The emblem companion may also serve as a mount, if it is of the appropriate type and size, and may take mount archetypes if it has the right size, though most emblem companions select the Totem Guide archetype. The wilderness knight and her emblem companion qualify for all feats affecting paladin’s mounts and druid’s animal companions. This ability otherwise functions like the druid animal companion ability, except for the following changes.

Once per day, as a full-round action, a wilderness knight may magically call her mount to her side. This ability is the equivalent of a spell of a level equal to one-third wilderness knight 's level. The mount immediately appears adjacent to the wilderness knight. A wilderness knight can use this ability once per day at 5th level, and one additional time per day for every 4 levels thereafter, for a total of four times per day at 17th level.

At 11th level, her companion gains the celestial template.

At 15th level, the emblem companion sprouts wings if it cannot already fly, and gains a fly speed of twice its land speed and good maneuverability. If the emblem companion could already fly, its fly speed and maneuverability improve to at least this level.

Should the wilderness knight’s emblem companion die, the wilderness knight may not summon another companion for 30 days or until she gains a wilderness knight level, whichever comes first. During this 30-day period, the wilderness knight takes a –1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls.

*Note: A wilderness knight with the Dragon domain gains a dinosaur of her choice, of the appropriate size and Hit Dice. A wilderness knight with the Panther domain gains a panther, but uses the stats of a leopard. A wilderness knight with the Raven domain gains a raven, but adds the Giant simple template to increase it to Small size. A wilderness knight with the Swan domain gains a swan, but uses the stats of an eagle and replaces the eagle’s talon attack with two wing buffets that deal the same damage. A wilderness knight with the Stag domain gains a deer, but uses the stats of an elk.

Natural Spell (Ex): At 6th level, a wilderness knight gains Natural Spell as a bonus feat, but only when she wild shapes in her emblem animal form. This ability replaces wild shape 2/day.

Summon Ally (Sp): At 7th level, a wilderness knight can cast lesser planar ally once per week as a spell-like ability without having to pay the material component cost or the servant (for reasonable tasks). This improves to planar ally at 13th level and greater planar ally and at 19th level. The wilderness knight’s caster level for this effect is equal to her wilderness knight level. The wilderness knight will preferably call celestial beings corresponding to her chosen emblem animal (a wilderness knight with a lion as her emblem animal, for example, could call a half–celestial lion, a cherub, or a leonal). This ability replaces spontaneous casting.

Aura of Elemental Might (Su): At 11th level, a wilderness knight gains energy resistance 5 to one of the following energy types: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. This resistance also applies to her emblem companion and any emblem creatures summoned. Each ally within 10 feet the type gains a +4 resistance bonus to all saving throws against spells or effects of that energy type. Each day, after resting to regain her spells, the wilderness knight can change her resistance to one of the other energy types. The change remains until the next time she rests to regain her spells. This ability functions only while the wilderness knight is conscious, not if she is unconscious or dead. This ability replaces venom immunity.

Wild Speech (Ex): At 12th level, the wilderness knight gains Wild Speech as a bonus feat, but only when she wild shapes into her emblem animal form. This ability replaces wild shape 5/day.

Aura of Nature’s Embrace (Su): At 17th level, when in natural environments, the wilderness knight can expend two uses of her lay on hands ability to tap into the lifeforce of greenery around her, boosting her allies' energies. This aura affects all creatures in a 10-foot radius centered on the wilderness knight. Good creatures in the aura receive 1 temporary hit point per level of the wilderness knight, for 1 minute per level. Using this ability is a free action. This ability replaces timeless body.

Planar Wild Shape (Ex): At 18th level, a wilderness knight gains Planar Wild Shape as a bonus feat, but only when she wild shapes in her emblem animal form. This ability replaces wild shape 8/day.

Wilderness Defender (Su): At 20th level, as a standard action, a wilderness knight can sprout wings, but only when she wild shapes into her emblem animal form. This allows her to fly at twice her emblem animal form’s land speed with average maneuverability. She can retract the wings as a free action. In addition, whenever she uses lay on hands to heal a creature, she heals the maximum possible amount. This ability replaces wild shape (at will).

WILDERNESS KNIGHT SPELL LIST

Wilderness knights gain access to the following spells.

0-Level Wilderness Knight Spells—create water, detect magic, detect poison, guidance, know direction, light, mending, purify food and drink, read magic, resistance, stabilize, virtue.

1st-Level Wilderness Knight Spells—ant haul, aspect of the falcon, bless water, bless weapon, bless, bristle, call animal, calm animal, challenge evil, charm animal, cure light wounds, detect animals and plants, detect snares and pits, detect the faithful, detect undead, diagnose disease, divine favor, endure elements, entangle, feather step, ghostbane dirge, goodberry, heroes’ defiance, hide from animals, horn of pursuit, jump, keen senses, knight’s calling, know the enemy, longshot, longstrider, magic fang, magic weapon ,protection from evil, sanctify corpse, summon minor ally, summon nature’s ally I, veil of positive energy.

2nd-Level Wilderness Knight Spells—animal aspect, animal messanger, animal trance, aspect o the bear, aura of greater courage, barkskin, bear’s endurance, bull’s strength, campfire wall, cat’s grace, delay poison, eagle’s splendor, elemental speech, flame blade, forest friend, grace, gust of wind, hold animal, holy shield, light lance, owl’s wisdom, paladin’s sacrifice, reduce animal, resist energy, sacred bond, shield other, soften earth and stone, summon nature’s ally II, tree shape, vestment of the champion, wake of light, warp wood, wartrain mount, wilderness soldiers, wood shape.

3rd-Level Wilderness Knight Spells—animal aspect (greater), anthropomorphic animal, archon’s aura, badger’s ferocity, blade of bright victory, burrow, burst of speed, call lighting, companion mindlink, cure moderate wounds, daylight, deadly juggernaut, diminish plant, dispel magic, divine transfer, dominate animal, heal mount (*emblem companion only), hide campsite, mad monkeys, magic circle against evil, magic fang (greater), meld into stone, neautralize poison, plant growth, prayer, protection from energy, remove disease, speak with plants, spike growth, summon nature’s ally IV, water breathing, wind wall.

4th-Level Wilderness Knight Spells—antiplant shell, arboreal hammer, aspect of the stag, atavism, ball lighting, blaze of glory, control plants, cure serious wounds, echolocation, flame strike, freedom of movement, grove of respite, king’s castle, magic weapon (greater), neutralize poison, sanctify armor, spike stones, summon nature’s ally V, thorny body, true form.

5th-Level Wilderness Knight Spells—animal growth, aspect of the wolf, awaken, break enchantment, call lighting storm, commune with nature, cure critical wounds, death ward, dispel evil, hallow, raise animal companion, resounding blow, rest eternal, snake staff, stoneskin, summon nature’s ally VII, tree stride, wall of fire, wall of thorns.

6th-Level Wilderness Knight Spells—antilife shell, bloodsworn retribution, breath of life, cure light wounds (mass), dispel magic (greater), eagle aerie, find the path, holy sword, ironwood, live oak, move earth, repel wood, stone tell, summon nature’s ally VIII, transport via plants, wall of stone.

Table: Wilderness Knight