Kerrick
First Post
So... the druid. I was never really happy with the way this one turned out - the masteries were a good idea in theory, but they didn't turn out so well in practice. The abilities were hard to create, and they ended up being pretty weak and non-useful overall. I do, however, want to keep them (because they're still a good idea), and I have some ideas.
The main problem with the druid, as I see it, is twofold: Natural Spell and wildshape. Banning the feat eliminates the first; for the second, I changed the rules so that a) you can only choose from a repertoire of forms (kind of like spells, but not nearly as many); and b) no form's ECL can be higher than your class level. This ensures that you don't choose something that's overpowered ("But its HD don't exceed my level!" *snort*), and the player doesn't stop play looking through all the books for a suitably broken form to take - with a set "stable" of forms, most players would be encouraged to simply keep the stats on a file card. And yes, I'm well aware of the problem with the difference in stats. I'm not sure that it would cause that much of a problem with the above fixes.
Oh, and I made some changes to polymorph: Basically, you become the creature. You retain your own HD/hp, which are not modified by the new Con score (though changes to the new Con score affect hp as normal); you also retain mental stats. Skills are adjudicated on a case-by-case basis; if the DM rules that you can use it in your new form, you can use your skill ranks instead of the new form's, if they're higher (but you might suffer a penalty).
Favored terrain and one with nature are exactly like the ranger abilities; resist nature's lure and venom immunity are unchanged.
All the "new size" Wild feats from the ELH get condensed into a single class ability: Expanded Wildshape (see abilities for a full description). Vermin shape will go to the Vermin Lord (PrC); Dragon Shape will probably become a legendary class ability (in the PP meta-setting, dragons were originally formed from the elemental chaos, so they make a good high-level druidic form). Elemental and plant shapes remain the property of their respective masteries, but I changed things around a bit (see below).
The reason I cut wild shape back is that I don't feel this should be the druid's central ability. It should be a major ability, sure - something like the paladin's smite or a cleric's turning - but not their whole schtick. Druids are protectors of nature and all things living, opposed to those who would despoil it, as well as anything that goes against the natural order. The masteries are intended to let the druid focus on different aspects of nature - animals, plants, the earth, or weather - and become a warden, of sorts, for that aspect: Beastlords have ties to animals, Verdant Lords have power over the plant kingdom, Elemental Lords prevent natural disasters like earthquakes and eruptions, and Stormlords control the weather.
I'm leaning toward restricting the druid to one mastery, and each mastery has a pool of abilities to choose from, similar to the fighter. You can change masteries each time you gain a new ability, but you don't gain all the new abilities at once - you gain a new one at each level thereafter until you've hit your max. For example, a L11 druid decides to change his mastery from Elements to Weather; he loses all the Elements abilities and can choose one Weather ability at L11, one at L12, and the last at L13.
And that's it, so far. I'll toss out some abilities later, but I just wanted to get the general framework and comments on it. Mostly what I'm looking for is regarding the masteries
1st: Animal companion
2nd: Favored terrain
3rd: Druidic mastery
4th: One with nature
5th: Wild shape
6th: 2nd FT
7th: Druidic mastery
8th: Resist nature's lure
9th: Expanded wild shape
10th: 3rd FT
11th: Druidic mastery
12th: Venom immunity
13th: Expanded wild shape
14th: 4th FT
15th: Druidic mastery
16th: Speak with nature
17th: Expanded wild shape
18th: 5th FT
19th: Druidic mastery
20th: Terrain mastery
Speak with Nature (Su): All druids can speak to plants, animals, or the earth itself, depending on their chosen mastery. Beastlords can speak with animals, as the spell; Elemental Lords can communicate with stone, as the stone tell spell; Verdant Lords can speak with plants, as the spell; and Stormlords can speak with airborne creatures, as the speak with animals spell. This ability is usable at will.
Wild Shape (Su): 1 + Wis bonus times per day as standard action, a Beastlord can draw upon his ties with the nature and change into any animal and back again. In order to change into an animal, he must have studied any individual of its type, either alive or dead, for at least 3 rounds. Thereafter, he can add that animal to his list of allowed forms (see below). His options for new forms include all creatures with the Animal type.
When the druid gains this ability, he automatically starts with one animal shape of his choice, which must fulfill the above requirements. He can know up to one animal form per two class levels; each time he gains a new level, he can exchange an existing animal form for a new one, if he has reached his maximum.
This ability functions like the polymorph spell, except as noted here. The effect lasts for 10 minutes per druid level, or until he changes back. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. Each time the druid changes form, he regains lost hit points as if he had rested for a night. The new form's ECL can't exceed the druid's class level, and its size can be two sizes smaller or (so a Medium druid could wild shape into a Tiny, Small, or Medium animal).
Any gear worn or carried by the druid melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional. When the druid reverts to his true form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same location on his body that they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items worn in the assumed form fall off and land at the druid's feet.
A druid loses his ability to speak while in animal form because he is limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained animal can make, but he can communicate normally with other animals of the same general grouping as his new form. (The normal sound a wild parrot makes is a squawk, so changing to this form does not permit speech.)
Expanded Wild Shape: The druid can wildshape into a form one size larger or smaller than those currently allowed to him. Each time he gains this ability, he must choose larger or smaller. At each level he gains this ability, he also gains a new use of wild shape.
Each time the druid gains this ability, he can also choose a new form related to his mastery, of the type or subtype noted below:
Beastlord: Magical beast
Elemental Lord: Earth or Fire subtypes
Stormlord: Air subtype
Verdant Lord: Plant
The form chosen must comply with the restrictions noted under Wild Shape, above, except that the ECL can be equal to the druid's class level +2.
Terrain Mastery: The druid is so attuned to nature and the environment that he can operate normally even in extreme temperature or weather. In effect, he does not suffer nonlethal damage for temperatures from 0 to 140 degrees F. Temperatures from 0 to -20 degrees deal nonlethal damage instead of lethal, and below -20 degrees deals lethal damage as normal; temperatures above 140 degrees likewise deal lethal damage. A druid in metal armor still suffers normal effects, regardless of the temperature. The druid also suffers no ill effects (nonlethal damage) from sandstorms, though he still has limited vision as normal.
Druidic Masteries
[sblock]
Generally speaking, good-aligned druids use their powers to help civilized peoples - bringing rains to dry areas, preventing or mitigating natural disasters, and the like - while neutral druids do what they feel is best for nature (not necessarily man), and evil druids actively oppose the encroachment of civilization on the wilds and use their powers to destroy or drive away those who would attempt to settle there.
Mastery of Animals: Beastlords are druids more attuned to the animal kingdom. A typical Beastlord knows every species of animal that lives in the area he protects, and often knows most individuals by sight. They often have a small entourage of wild and tamed animals around them, either openly following or within calling distance. Beastlords are most common in areas with varied animal life, but they can be found in any terrain or climate, from arctic to tropical, mountains to plains.
Beastlords are never attacked by animals unless the animal is attacked first, rabid, or under another person (or creature's) control; their level for purposes of animal companion abilities (and their effective level for gaining advanced companions) is treated as 2 higher than normal.
Aspect of the beast: This is identical to the ranger ability of the same name.
Wild Empathy (Ex): This is identical to the base druid ability.
Wild Form: As a standard action, the druid can change part of his body to that of an animal - head, hands/arms, or feet/legs - which must be one into which he can wildshape. He can make armed attacks with the new form's natural weapons, as a creature of his size (claw attacks generally deal 1d6 damage and a head butt or bite attack deals 1d4 damage). A druid with an animal head can't speak or cast spells using a verbal component; one with animal hands can't hold items or cast spells with somatic or material components. Using this ability counts as a use of wildshape.
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Mastery of Elements: Elemental Lords are druids who attune themselves to the earth itself - they can speak to the stones, feel life flowing through the ground, and control the flows of natural energy. LIke other druids, they serve as wardens, but their purpose is different - they head off natural disasters like earthquakes, forest fires, and volcanic eruptions before they start, or control them after they've already happened (forest fires are often necessary for some trees to spread their seeds, for example). They spend much of their time alone, away from civilization, and often underground - the better to feel the ebb and flow of the earth's energy.
Control Element (Su): Three times per day, an Elemental Lord can control large amounts of elemental matter of his chosen type. In order to exert control, he must be within 5 feet per class level of the element and must be able to see or touch it. Gaining initial control of the element is a full-round action; thereafter, he must maintain concentration, and can control it for up to 1 round per class level. He can manipulate up to 10 cubic feet per class level, all of which must be touching - he can't control several separate fires, for instance.
What a druid can actually do is subject to the player's imagination and the DM's discretion. The druid could, for instance, create animals out of existing sources of fire and control their movement, or simply make a mass of fire move on its own; make the ground move (ripple, open up under someone or something, or rise), create hands to grapple or pummel, or change its consistency, turning earth into fine dust or quicksand, or stone into mud or sand. Treat a controlled elemental mass as an elemental of the same size, except that it has no hit points and cannot be damaged (but it can be dispelled).
The druid can relinquish control at any time as a free action; if he loses concentration for any reason, the element automatically becomes inert; fire constructs revert to their normal state (i.e., disperse), while earth usually remains changed (pillars of rock raised from the ground, for instance).
Elemental Form (Su): The Elemental Lord can choose an elemental form (any creature of the Elemental type with the Earth or Fire subtype) as one of his wildshape forms.
Summon Elemental (Su): Once per day, as a full-round action, an Elemental Lord can summon one Large or two Medium earth or fire elementals, provided there is a large enough source of the element nearby. The elementals follow his commands to the best of their abilities; they remain for 1 minute per class level or until killed or dismissed.
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Mastery of Plants: Verdant Lords are dedicated to the preservation of nature in general and plant life in specific. A brief touch can make a plant look healthier, while a little attention and a few words can make a flower bloom. They are most common in areas with heavy plant life – rain forests and jungles, or just plain forests.
Verdant Lords are never attacked by sentient plants unless the plant is attacked first or is under another person (or creature's) control. They can also move through areas of undergrowth that have been magically enchanted to impede movement, like spike growth, without taking damage or being impaired.
Control Plants (Su): Three times per day, a Verdant Lord can exert control over all nonsentient plants within 5 feet per class level. He can either maintain concentration and make them take specific actions or let them freely act on a given command.
If he concentrates, he can have the plants do anything of which they are capable – trees can move their branches to lash at or hinder opponents, vines and bushes can move to entangle foes or move out of the druid's way to provide a clear path. Plants cannot uproot themselves, however; if the druid loses his concentration, they will continue to carry out the last command given until he resumes concentration or the duration runs out.
If the druid gives a simple command, plants in the area will do their best to carry it out - again, to the limits of their abilities. As above, these commands are usually limited to hindering or killing foes – if they are hindering, each enemy must make a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 the druid's level + druid's Wis bonus) each round or become entangled, as the spell; even on a successful save, they take 1d4 points of damage from thorns, lashing branches, etc. If the command is given to kill, each enemy must make a Reflex save each round or take 2d6 points of damage (a successful save halves the damage; a natural 1 doubles it).
The control lasts for 1 round per class level or until the druid dismisses it; commands can be no more than 10 words long and can be changed once per round as a standard action.
Plant Shape (Su): A Verdant Lord can choose any creature of the Plant type as a form for his wild shape ability.
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Mastery of Weather: Stormlords are druids who have learned to control the weather (though "control" is often a misleading term – they typically "nudge" it a bit here and there to avoid drastic climate changes). They are among the most powerful of druids, able to call down lightning from a clear sky, summon or banish storms, and eventually call air elementals or other creatures of the sky.
Stormlords gain a +4 bonus on Fortitude saves vs. severe weather (this includes extremes of heat and cold), a +4 bonus to Survival checks to predict the weather, and a +2 bonus to the save DCs for all weather-related spells they cast.
Stormrider (Ex): A Stormlord gains a Small (2 HD) air elemental as a companion instead of a normal animal companion. The elemental serves as an aid to the druid's power, helping him summon or control the weather (effectively, when the companion is within 20 feet, the druid's caster level is increased by 1 for purposes of weather-based spells). As it gains HD, it also increases in size (see the elemental entry in the Monster Manual for advancement), enabling it to better help the druid. It otherwise follows the rules for druid companions. Alternately, he can choose a creature with the Air subtype, or any bird-like creature (eagle, arrowhawk, roc, etc.), provided it is no higher than ECL 2.
Control Weather (Su): Once per day, a Stormlord can call up a specific weather phenomenon – a tornado, strong winds, lightning, a rainstorm, etc. If there is not already a storm present, it requires 5 minutes to do so. Calling lightning, high winds, or other normal phenomena from a storm is a full-round action; the druid can direct lightning strikes (up to 1 per class level, as the call lightning spell) at any target he can see within 50 feet per class level.
Shocking touch (Su): At will as a standard action, a druid can deal 1d4 points of electricity damage with his touch. There is no save against this effect. If the target is wearing/carrying a large amount of armor, it takes 1d6 points of damage, and the druid can arc the shock up to 5 feet to hit it.
Summon Stormrider (Su): Once per day, as a full-round action, a Stormlord can summon one Large or two Medium air elementals. The elementals follow his commands to the best of their abilities; they remain for 1 minute per druid level or until killed or dismissed.
Weather Resistance (Ex): Stormlords are immune to many effects of weather, due to their innate ability to control it. At first, this ability is relatively minor – a Stormlord won't get wet in a rainstorm, can move safely through a dust storm, sandstorm, or anything similar (no damage taken, and no chance of choking – this does not apply to spell effects like stinking cloud), and can call up a mild wind (up to 10 mph) at will as a standard action. In addition, he is not affected (no Fort save necessary) by any winds short of Severe, as long as he is on the ground – a druid who is flying (either from a spell, item, or polymorphed) is immune to winds up to Strong only.[/sblock]
The main problem with the druid, as I see it, is twofold: Natural Spell and wildshape. Banning the feat eliminates the first; for the second, I changed the rules so that a) you can only choose from a repertoire of forms (kind of like spells, but not nearly as many); and b) no form's ECL can be higher than your class level. This ensures that you don't choose something that's overpowered ("But its HD don't exceed my level!" *snort*), and the player doesn't stop play looking through all the books for a suitably broken form to take - with a set "stable" of forms, most players would be encouraged to simply keep the stats on a file card. And yes, I'm well aware of the problem with the difference in stats. I'm not sure that it would cause that much of a problem with the above fixes.
Oh, and I made some changes to polymorph: Basically, you become the creature. You retain your own HD/hp, which are not modified by the new Con score (though changes to the new Con score affect hp as normal); you also retain mental stats. Skills are adjudicated on a case-by-case basis; if the DM rules that you can use it in your new form, you can use your skill ranks instead of the new form's, if they're higher (but you might suffer a penalty).
Favored terrain and one with nature are exactly like the ranger abilities; resist nature's lure and venom immunity are unchanged.
All the "new size" Wild feats from the ELH get condensed into a single class ability: Expanded Wildshape (see abilities for a full description). Vermin shape will go to the Vermin Lord (PrC); Dragon Shape will probably become a legendary class ability (in the PP meta-setting, dragons were originally formed from the elemental chaos, so they make a good high-level druidic form). Elemental and plant shapes remain the property of their respective masteries, but I changed things around a bit (see below).
The reason I cut wild shape back is that I don't feel this should be the druid's central ability. It should be a major ability, sure - something like the paladin's smite or a cleric's turning - but not their whole schtick. Druids are protectors of nature and all things living, opposed to those who would despoil it, as well as anything that goes against the natural order. The masteries are intended to let the druid focus on different aspects of nature - animals, plants, the earth, or weather - and become a warden, of sorts, for that aspect: Beastlords have ties to animals, Verdant Lords have power over the plant kingdom, Elemental Lords prevent natural disasters like earthquakes and eruptions, and Stormlords control the weather.
I'm leaning toward restricting the druid to one mastery, and each mastery has a pool of abilities to choose from, similar to the fighter. You can change masteries each time you gain a new ability, but you don't gain all the new abilities at once - you gain a new one at each level thereafter until you've hit your max. For example, a L11 druid decides to change his mastery from Elements to Weather; he loses all the Elements abilities and can choose one Weather ability at L11, one at L12, and the last at L13.
And that's it, so far. I'll toss out some abilities later, but I just wanted to get the general framework and comments on it. Mostly what I'm looking for is regarding the masteries
1st: Animal companion
2nd: Favored terrain
3rd: Druidic mastery
4th: One with nature
5th: Wild shape
6th: 2nd FT
7th: Druidic mastery
8th: Resist nature's lure
9th: Expanded wild shape
10th: 3rd FT
11th: Druidic mastery
12th: Venom immunity
13th: Expanded wild shape
14th: 4th FT
15th: Druidic mastery
16th: Speak with nature
17th: Expanded wild shape
18th: 5th FT
19th: Druidic mastery
20th: Terrain mastery
Speak with Nature (Su): All druids can speak to plants, animals, or the earth itself, depending on their chosen mastery. Beastlords can speak with animals, as the spell; Elemental Lords can communicate with stone, as the stone tell spell; Verdant Lords can speak with plants, as the spell; and Stormlords can speak with airborne creatures, as the speak with animals spell. This ability is usable at will.
Wild Shape (Su): 1 + Wis bonus times per day as standard action, a Beastlord can draw upon his ties with the nature and change into any animal and back again. In order to change into an animal, he must have studied any individual of its type, either alive or dead, for at least 3 rounds. Thereafter, he can add that animal to his list of allowed forms (see below). His options for new forms include all creatures with the Animal type.
When the druid gains this ability, he automatically starts with one animal shape of his choice, which must fulfill the above requirements. He can know up to one animal form per two class levels; each time he gains a new level, he can exchange an existing animal form for a new one, if he has reached his maximum.
This ability functions like the polymorph spell, except as noted here. The effect lasts for 10 minutes per druid level, or until he changes back. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. Each time the druid changes form, he regains lost hit points as if he had rested for a night. The new form's ECL can't exceed the druid's class level, and its size can be two sizes smaller or (so a Medium druid could wild shape into a Tiny, Small, or Medium animal).
Any gear worn or carried by the druid melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional. When the druid reverts to his true form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same location on his body that they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items worn in the assumed form fall off and land at the druid's feet.
A druid loses his ability to speak while in animal form because he is limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained animal can make, but he can communicate normally with other animals of the same general grouping as his new form. (The normal sound a wild parrot makes is a squawk, so changing to this form does not permit speech.)
Expanded Wild Shape: The druid can wildshape into a form one size larger or smaller than those currently allowed to him. Each time he gains this ability, he must choose larger or smaller. At each level he gains this ability, he also gains a new use of wild shape.
Each time the druid gains this ability, he can also choose a new form related to his mastery, of the type or subtype noted below:
Beastlord: Magical beast
Elemental Lord: Earth or Fire subtypes
Stormlord: Air subtype
Verdant Lord: Plant
The form chosen must comply with the restrictions noted under Wild Shape, above, except that the ECL can be equal to the druid's class level +2.
Terrain Mastery: The druid is so attuned to nature and the environment that he can operate normally even in extreme temperature or weather. In effect, he does not suffer nonlethal damage for temperatures from 0 to 140 degrees F. Temperatures from 0 to -20 degrees deal nonlethal damage instead of lethal, and below -20 degrees deals lethal damage as normal; temperatures above 140 degrees likewise deal lethal damage. A druid in metal armor still suffers normal effects, regardless of the temperature. The druid also suffers no ill effects (nonlethal damage) from sandstorms, though he still has limited vision as normal.
Druidic Masteries
[sblock]
Generally speaking, good-aligned druids use their powers to help civilized peoples - bringing rains to dry areas, preventing or mitigating natural disasters, and the like - while neutral druids do what they feel is best for nature (not necessarily man), and evil druids actively oppose the encroachment of civilization on the wilds and use their powers to destroy or drive away those who would attempt to settle there.
Mastery of Animals: Beastlords are druids more attuned to the animal kingdom. A typical Beastlord knows every species of animal that lives in the area he protects, and often knows most individuals by sight. They often have a small entourage of wild and tamed animals around them, either openly following or within calling distance. Beastlords are most common in areas with varied animal life, but they can be found in any terrain or climate, from arctic to tropical, mountains to plains.
Beastlords are never attacked by animals unless the animal is attacked first, rabid, or under another person (or creature's) control; their level for purposes of animal companion abilities (and their effective level for gaining advanced companions) is treated as 2 higher than normal.
Aspect of the beast: This is identical to the ranger ability of the same name.
Wild Empathy (Ex): This is identical to the base druid ability.
Wild Form: As a standard action, the druid can change part of his body to that of an animal - head, hands/arms, or feet/legs - which must be one into which he can wildshape. He can make armed attacks with the new form's natural weapons, as a creature of his size (claw attacks generally deal 1d6 damage and a head butt or bite attack deals 1d4 damage). A druid with an animal head can't speak or cast spells using a verbal component; one with animal hands can't hold items or cast spells with somatic or material components. Using this ability counts as a use of wildshape.
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Mastery of Elements: Elemental Lords are druids who attune themselves to the earth itself - they can speak to the stones, feel life flowing through the ground, and control the flows of natural energy. LIke other druids, they serve as wardens, but their purpose is different - they head off natural disasters like earthquakes, forest fires, and volcanic eruptions before they start, or control them after they've already happened (forest fires are often necessary for some trees to spread their seeds, for example). They spend much of their time alone, away from civilization, and often underground - the better to feel the ebb and flow of the earth's energy.
Control Element (Su): Three times per day, an Elemental Lord can control large amounts of elemental matter of his chosen type. In order to exert control, he must be within 5 feet per class level of the element and must be able to see or touch it. Gaining initial control of the element is a full-round action; thereafter, he must maintain concentration, and can control it for up to 1 round per class level. He can manipulate up to 10 cubic feet per class level, all of which must be touching - he can't control several separate fires, for instance.
What a druid can actually do is subject to the player's imagination and the DM's discretion. The druid could, for instance, create animals out of existing sources of fire and control their movement, or simply make a mass of fire move on its own; make the ground move (ripple, open up under someone or something, or rise), create hands to grapple or pummel, or change its consistency, turning earth into fine dust or quicksand, or stone into mud or sand. Treat a controlled elemental mass as an elemental of the same size, except that it has no hit points and cannot be damaged (but it can be dispelled).
The druid can relinquish control at any time as a free action; if he loses concentration for any reason, the element automatically becomes inert; fire constructs revert to their normal state (i.e., disperse), while earth usually remains changed (pillars of rock raised from the ground, for instance).
Elemental Form (Su): The Elemental Lord can choose an elemental form (any creature of the Elemental type with the Earth or Fire subtype) as one of his wildshape forms.
Summon Elemental (Su): Once per day, as a full-round action, an Elemental Lord can summon one Large or two Medium earth or fire elementals, provided there is a large enough source of the element nearby. The elementals follow his commands to the best of their abilities; they remain for 1 minute per class level or until killed or dismissed.
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Mastery of Plants: Verdant Lords are dedicated to the preservation of nature in general and plant life in specific. A brief touch can make a plant look healthier, while a little attention and a few words can make a flower bloom. They are most common in areas with heavy plant life – rain forests and jungles, or just plain forests.
Verdant Lords are never attacked by sentient plants unless the plant is attacked first or is under another person (or creature's) control. They can also move through areas of undergrowth that have been magically enchanted to impede movement, like spike growth, without taking damage or being impaired.
Control Plants (Su): Three times per day, a Verdant Lord can exert control over all nonsentient plants within 5 feet per class level. He can either maintain concentration and make them take specific actions or let them freely act on a given command.
If he concentrates, he can have the plants do anything of which they are capable – trees can move their branches to lash at or hinder opponents, vines and bushes can move to entangle foes or move out of the druid's way to provide a clear path. Plants cannot uproot themselves, however; if the druid loses his concentration, they will continue to carry out the last command given until he resumes concentration or the duration runs out.
If the druid gives a simple command, plants in the area will do their best to carry it out - again, to the limits of their abilities. As above, these commands are usually limited to hindering or killing foes – if they are hindering, each enemy must make a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 the druid's level + druid's Wis bonus) each round or become entangled, as the spell; even on a successful save, they take 1d4 points of damage from thorns, lashing branches, etc. If the command is given to kill, each enemy must make a Reflex save each round or take 2d6 points of damage (a successful save halves the damage; a natural 1 doubles it).
The control lasts for 1 round per class level or until the druid dismisses it; commands can be no more than 10 words long and can be changed once per round as a standard action.
Plant Shape (Su): A Verdant Lord can choose any creature of the Plant type as a form for his wild shape ability.
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Mastery of Weather: Stormlords are druids who have learned to control the weather (though "control" is often a misleading term – they typically "nudge" it a bit here and there to avoid drastic climate changes). They are among the most powerful of druids, able to call down lightning from a clear sky, summon or banish storms, and eventually call air elementals or other creatures of the sky.
Stormlords gain a +4 bonus on Fortitude saves vs. severe weather (this includes extremes of heat and cold), a +4 bonus to Survival checks to predict the weather, and a +2 bonus to the save DCs for all weather-related spells they cast.
Stormrider (Ex): A Stormlord gains a Small (2 HD) air elemental as a companion instead of a normal animal companion. The elemental serves as an aid to the druid's power, helping him summon or control the weather (effectively, when the companion is within 20 feet, the druid's caster level is increased by 1 for purposes of weather-based spells). As it gains HD, it also increases in size (see the elemental entry in the Monster Manual for advancement), enabling it to better help the druid. It otherwise follows the rules for druid companions. Alternately, he can choose a creature with the Air subtype, or any bird-like creature (eagle, arrowhawk, roc, etc.), provided it is no higher than ECL 2.
Control Weather (Su): Once per day, a Stormlord can call up a specific weather phenomenon – a tornado, strong winds, lightning, a rainstorm, etc. If there is not already a storm present, it requires 5 minutes to do so. Calling lightning, high winds, or other normal phenomena from a storm is a full-round action; the druid can direct lightning strikes (up to 1 per class level, as the call lightning spell) at any target he can see within 50 feet per class level.
Shocking touch (Su): At will as a standard action, a druid can deal 1d4 points of electricity damage with his touch. There is no save against this effect. If the target is wearing/carrying a large amount of armor, it takes 1d6 points of damage, and the druid can arc the shock up to 5 feet to hit it.
Summon Stormrider (Su): Once per day, as a full-round action, a Stormlord can summon one Large or two Medium air elementals. The elementals follow his commands to the best of their abilities; they remain for 1 minute per druid level or until killed or dismissed.
Weather Resistance (Ex): Stormlords are immune to many effects of weather, due to their innate ability to control it. At first, this ability is relatively minor – a Stormlord won't get wet in a rainstorm, can move safely through a dust storm, sandstorm, or anything similar (no damage taken, and no chance of choking – this does not apply to spell effects like stinking cloud), and can call up a mild wind (up to 10 mph) at will as a standard action. In addition, he is not affected (no Fort save necessary) by any winds short of Severe, as long as he is on the ground – a druid who is flying (either from a spell, item, or polymorphed) is immune to winds up to Strong only.[/sblock]
Semantics. "All druids" means "any druid who reaches 16th level".
