Blackthorn (Rogue/Druid)

Nature is expressly deceptive. From naturally evolved camouflage and carnivorous plants, to bugs that emulate other animals to fool predators, its ultimate goal is the survival of as many species of plant and animal life to survive the ravages of time. Like wildlife, it is those men and women who learn to harness nature’s power and use it to gain an upper hand against their enemies that also ensure their survival. So it is, blackthorns use natural deception to enhance their own innate skills of stealth and subterfuge to survive in the wilderness beyond the urban boundaries of city life. While a blackthorn’s primary focus is deception and defensive capabilities, they are by no means helpless. These devious agents of the natural world train themselves in the roguish skill set, while modeling themselves upon animals that use cunning, patience and trickery rather than direct force. (Original Concept by JonathonWilder)

Primary Class: Rogue.

Secondary Class: Druid.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Dice: d8.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: The blackthorn may select three druid skills to add to her class skills in addition to the normalrogue class skills. The blackthorn gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 6 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The blackthorn is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, scimitar, sap, and shortbow. A blackthorn is proficient with light armor, but is prohibited from wearing metal armor and; thus, they may wear only padded or leather armor. A blackthorn 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 blackthorn is not proficient with shields. The blackthorn otherwise follows the armor and shield restrictions as described in the druid class entry.

Nature Sense (Ex): At 1st level, a blackthorn gains the druid’s nature sense ability. This ability and wild empathy replace trapfinding.

Sneak Attack (Ex): This is exactly like the rogue ability of the same name, except that the extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and increases by 1d6 at 3rd and every four levels thereafter, up to a maximum of 6d6 at 19th level.

Wild Empathy (Ex): At 1st level, a blackthorn gains the druid’s wild empathy ability.

Woodland Stride (Ex): At 2nd level, a blackthorn gains the druid’s woodland stride ability. This ability replaces the rogue talent gained at 2nd level.

Wild Sneak (Ex): At 3rd level, a blackthorn chooses a single terrain from the ranger’s favored terrain class feature. While she is within that terrain, she can take 10 on any Stealth check she can make within that terrain. When the blackthorn reaches 6th level and every three levels thereafter, she chooses a new type of terrain from the ranger’s favored terrain list. She gains this ability with the newly picked terrain. This ability replaces trap sense.

Animal Companion (Ex): At 4th level, a blackthron forms a close bond with an animal companion. A blackthorn can choose her animal companion from the following list: ape, baboon, bird, cat (big), cat (small), chameleon (giant), cooshee, dire rat, dog, gecko (giant), hawk (riding), snake (viper), spider (giant), stag, vulture (giant), or wolf. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the blackthorn on her adventures as appropriate for its kind. A blackthorn's animal companion shares her wild sneak bonuses. This ability otherwise functions like the druid animal companion ability (which is part of the Nature Bond class feature), except that the blackthorn's effective druid level is equal to her blackthorn level –3.

In addition, a blackthorn’s animal companion gains the following special ability.

Shared Sneak Attack (Ex): At 4th level, the blackthorn’s animal companion gains the blackthorn’s sneak attack ability and can deal 1d6 points of extra damage anytime its target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the it flanks its target. Every five levels beyond 5th, this extra damage increases by 1d6, up to 4d6 at 19th level. This ability replaces share spells.

This ability replaces the rogue talents gained at 4th, 12th, 16th, and 18th level.

Spellcasting: Beginning at 4th level, a blackthorn gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells, which are drawn from the blackthorn spell list. A blackthorn must choose and prepare her spells in advance.

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

Like other spellcasters, a blackthorn can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Blackthorn. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score. When Table: Blackthorn indicates that the blackthorn gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, she gains only the bonus spells she would be entitled to based on her Wisdom score for that spell level.

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

Through 3rd level, a blackthorn has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, her caster level is equal to her blackthorn level –3. This ability replaces uncanny dodge, improved uncanny dodge, and the rogue talent gained at 20th level.

Spontaneous Casting: A blackthorn 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.

Wild Shape (Su): At 5th level, a blackthorn gains the druid’s wild shape ability and can turn herself into any small or Medium animal and back again once per day. Her options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type. This ability functions like the beast shape I spell, except as noted here. The effect lasts for 1 hour per blackthorn level, or until she changes back. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action and doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity. The form chosen must be that of an animal the blackthorn is familiar with.

A blackthorn can use this ability an additional time per day at 9th, 13th, and 17th level. As a blackthorn gains in levels, this ability allows the blackthorn to take on the form of larger and smaller animals and plants. Each form expends one daily usage of this ability, regardless of the form taken.

At 7th level, a blackthorn can use wild shape to change into a Large or Tiny animal. When taking the form of an animal, a blackthorn's wild shape now functions as beast shape II.

At 9th level, a blackthorn can use wild shape to change into a Huge or Diminutive animal, or a Small or Medium plant creature. When taking the form of animals, a blackthorn's wild shape now functions as beast shape III. When taking the form of a plant creature, the blackthorn's wild shape functions as plant shape I.

At 11th level, a blackthorn can use wild shape to change into a Large plant creature. When taking the form of a plant, the blackthorn's wild shape now functions as plant shape II.

At 13th level, a blackthorn can use wild shape to change into a Huge plant creature. When taking the form of a plant, the blackthorn's wild shape now functions as plant shape III.

This ability replaces sneak attack 2d6, 5d6, and 8d6.

Trackless Step (Ex): At 6th level, a blackthorn gains the druid’s trackless step ability. This ability replaces the rogue talent gained at 6th level.

Untamed City (Ex): At 8th level, a blackthorn’s trackless step ability now applies to the city and urban areas, as well as natural surroundings. This ability replaces the rogue talent gained at 8th level.

Venom Immunity (Ex): At 10th level, a blackthorn gains the druid’s venom immunity ability. This ability replaces the rogue talent gained at 10th level.

A Thousand Faces (Ex): At 14th level, a blackthorn gains the druid’s a thousand faces ability. This ability replaces the rogue talent gained at 14th level.

BLACKTHORN SPELL LIST

Blackthorns gain access to the following spells.

1st-Level Blackthorn Spells—air bubble, ant haul, aspect of the falcon, blend, bristle, calm animals, charm animal, commune with birds, detect animals or plants, detect snares and pits, endure elements, entangle, feather step, goodberry, hide from animals, jump, keen senses, longstrider, magic fang, pass without trace, summon nature’s ally I.

2nd-Level Blackthorn Spells—acute senses, animal aspect, animal messenger, ape walk, aspect of the bear, badger’s ferocity, barkskin, blood scent, bloodhound, cat’s grace, chameleon stride, forest friend, glide, greensight, hold animal, hunter’s eye, hunter’s lore, improve trap, locate weakness, perceive cues, protection from energy, summon nature’s ally II, warp wood, wilderness soldiers, wood shape.

3rd-Level Blackthorn Spells—animal aspect (greater), anthropomorphic animal, aspect of the stag, blessing of the mole, bloody claws, burst of speed, command plants, companion mindlink, diminish plants, magic fang (greater), nixie’s lure, plant growth, pup shape, reduce animal, repel vermin, snare, speak with plants, summon nature’s ally III, tree shape, water breathing.

4th-Level Blackthorn Spells—animal growth, arboreal hammer, aspect of the wolf, commune with nature, earth glide, find quarry, freedom of movement, ironwood, repel wood, summon nature’s ally IV, terrain bond, thorn body, tree stride.

Table: Blackthorn