We (StalkingBlue w help from me) did ourselves a cool Witch class based off the Druid. Much more atmospheric than Sorcerer-based, I think.
Stalkingblue's NATURE WITCH
as PHB 3.5 Druid, except for the following:
Animal Companion: The Nature Witch does not gain an animal companion.
Bonus Language: Nature Witches gain the secret Spirit Tongue as an automatic bonus language. This replaces Druidic as automatic language.
Spells: The Nature Witch casts spells spontaneously, with a number of spells known as per the PHB Druid’s Spells per Day table plus the Summon Nature Spirit Ally spell at each spell level.
Spirit Trance: Nature Witches can access the Spirit World through trances to seek guidance or visions, or negotiate with spirits for a task to be asked of them in a future summoning.
Nature Spirit Allies: In her travels through the Spirit World, a Nature Witch gains allied nature spirits whom she may summon with the Summon Nature Spirit spell instead of local spirits. Allied spirits will usually be friendly towards the Witch. A Witch gains a number of allied spirits equal to 3 + CHA bonus(if any, and magic item enhancements don’t count) + 1/4 levels.
She may gain additional allied spirits through special achievements in the Spirit World.
Laced Summoning and Ritual Summoning: see below.
SUMMON NATURE SPIRIT I - IX
Conjuration (Summoning)
Level: Nature Witch 1-9
Components: V, S, DF
Casting time: One minute (special for laced and/or ritual summoning)
Range: Close (25’ + 5’/2 levels)
Effect: one summoned creature
Duration: 10 min/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell summons one spirit* into a temporary body that forms locally for the duration of the spell. The spirit can be either a local spirit, which appears in a form determined by the DM appropriate to its environment and of a CR appropriate to the level of the summoning spell being cast (see CR table), or an allied spirit of the Nature Witch, which appears in its usual form appropriate to the level of the summoning spell being cast (examples see Allied Spirits table).
*When summoning local spirits with summoning spells of levels II or higher, the Witch may elect to summon either one spirit of the appropriate type of the spell level being cast, or two spirits of the appropriate type for the next lower spell level or three spirits of any lower summoning spell level: e.g. for level IV either one spirit of level IV type or two spirits of level III type or three spirits of level II or I type.
The form the spirit is to take must fit comfortably into the space it is to occupy (i.e. in a position which would not be unnatural for it to assume), or the spell fails. E.g. an elemental can be summoned in a seated position (minimum ceiling height for Large 8’, Huge 16’ as long as there is plenty of lateral room.)
Also, a spirit cannot be summoned into an environment that cannot support its temporary form. E.g. a spirit with a water- or fire-based form can be summoned only into a body of water or fire of at least its own size. The Nature Witch can boost a body of water or fire in strength by sacrificing her own blood during the casting (1 hp for one size increase and doubled for each further step, i.e. 2 hp for two size steps, 4 hp for three size steps etc.). This damage cannot be healed by any means until the summoning spell ends.
The summoned creature appears in the location designated by the Witch and may act immediately. If an allied spirit, the creature will usually be friendly towards the Witch; if local, its disposition may vary, in extreme cases it may be hostile or even attack immediately.
The summoned creature is not under the Witch’s direct control but may be negotiated with. Witches can communicate with all spirits in Spirit Tongue, but may have difficulty explaining unfamiliar or complex notions to most spirits.
If friendly, the summoned creature will be willing to perform certain tasks for free, which would normally include fighting the Witch’s opponents to the best of its ability. If less than friendly or if a greater or more onerous favour is requested, the creature may demand a return favour in the form of a gem, a sliver of life-force (XP) from the Witch or a task to be performed in the Spirit World.
Laced summoning: When casting a summoning spell, a Nature Witch of fourth level or higher may lace it with one additional spell effect targeting a creature or parts of it, of at least three levels lower than the summoning spell. Lacing the summoning doubles the casting time, but costs no additional spell slot in addition to the summoning. (E.g. a Nature Witch who knows the spell Barkskin may lace a summoning of fifth level or higher with a Barkskin effect at her caster level without expending a second-level spell slot). If the spell summons two or three lower-level local spirits (see above), the laced effect applies to both or all of them.
The Nature Witch may lace a number of spell effects per day equal to 1/2 caster levels. She may lace only one effect into any single summoning spell. Lacing a spell that summons two or three (local) spirits counts as a single lacing.
Ritual summoning: If two or more Nature Witches cooperate in a summoning ritual, they may lace the summoning spell being cast with additional spell effects. Each Witch may contribute one additional laced spell effect for a spell of an appropriate level that she knows, which counts against her daily limit of laced spell effects, up to a maximum of 1 laced spell effect per 2 levels of the summoning spell that is being laced. The casting time is doubled for each additional contributing Witch, e.g. eight minutes for a trio of Witches lacing three spell effects into a summoning spell of sixth level or higher (normal casting time 1 minute, doubled to 2 min by the summoner’s lacing, doubled twice again for the second and third contributing Witches).
[Sketchy idea for another possible form of ritual, more an NPC thing I guess: Call Legend – coven of Witches calling the spirit of a hero of legend back into the world for one desperate task. Would need a link to the hero as focus (e.g. a favoured weapon or a lock of hair), a large number of points of Con damage for each point of Con ‘lent’ to the hero (which could be spread out among the contributing witches but would not be healable while the spell lasts), and prob something dramatic such as the summoning Witch giving up her life force in return, i.e. dying (no raise) when task is done and the spell ends.]
CR table:
level / CRs up to / for non-elementals:
1 ½ 1
2 1 2
3 2 3
4 3 4
5 5 6
6 7 8
7 9 10
8 11 12
9 13 14
Allied spirits:
[I’ve staid with the two-aspected spirits after all, but tried to limit the variety of non-elemental shapes for each spirit to give it a clearer individual profile. I’d like to favour animal/plant shapes over elemental shapes more than I’ve done below – some of the elemental shapes are placeholders for now, to save me the worry of having to stat up a dozen or so Advanced animals. I may wish to swap out some of the elemental shapes for appropriate natural ones gradually, depending on whom and what I tend to use a lot.
Background-wise, I’m thinking that spirits as such have many more than just two aspects, so a spirit might appear very different to various Witches, but there’s something (not quite understood by the Witches except it’s individual) that determines a spirit’s aspects towards a Witch when it first allies with her.
The ‘speaking’ names are friendship names Fjorent would have offered to the spirit at first gaining its alliance. True names are also given where known.
In the background notes I’m assuming that the Material World has a similar attraction to a spirit as the Spirit World to a Witch, so spirits would generally be keen on being summoned occasionally to experience the other-worldly aspects of the Material World, I’m thinking that while colours are paler than in the True, e.g. taste and scent as possibly pleasurable sensations (as opposed to mere functions to avoid fouled water or track a creature through the Spirit World) might be specific to the Material World.]
Ghost Bear:
The Earth Baron Grimbul.
Deep rumbling voice and ‘ample-bellied’ personality well suited to his favourite shape. He delights in manifesting as a bear and will try to look shaggy and furry and give himself a bear-like air as well as he can even when summoned in elemental (roughly bear-shaped) form. The Baron loves to be called by his friendship name and despite repeated evidence to the contrary likes to deceive himself into believing that Material World creatures take him for a ‘genuine bear’ and will be slightly down-spirited if tactless people tell him otherwise.
In all his shapes Grimbul / Ghost Bear has the grey, mottled look of a granite mountainside overgrown with grey and pale yellow lichen.
1 – No shape. Appearing in a shape inferior to a Black Bear is beneath Baron ‘Ghost Bear’ Grimbul’s dignity.
2 – Black Bear
3 – Brown Bear
4 – Polar Bear, Advanced from 8 to 10 HD
5 – Large Earth Elemental
6 – Dire Bear, Advanced from 12 to 15 HD
7 – Greater Earth Elemental
8 – Dire Bear, Advanced from 12 to ca. 21 HD
9 – Elder Earth Elemental, Advanced
Black Rock Ape:
Fjorent found this spirit gambolling across a sunny southern slope of the mountains north of Beskarn cracking bits of rock with his teeth like spring nuts. ‘Grush the PHilosopher’ is how he refers to himself (with an audible capital ‘PH’), although certain nasty (jealous?) tongues claim that he is a former jester exiled from an Earth Prince’s court.
When in elemental form, Grush resembles an ape of shaggy, night-black obsidian. His ape/girallon shapes look ordinary except for the solid black, shiny eyes, teeth and claws.
1 – Monkey, Advanced to 3 HD
2 – Ape
3 – Dire Ape
4 – Medium Earth Elemental
5 – Girallon
6 – Huge Earth Elemental
7 – Greater Earth Elemental
8 – Girallon, Advanced from 7 to ca. 21 HD
9 – Elder Earth Elemental, Advanced
Ssiss:
Fjorent courted this serpent-flame spirit for a long time and only recently succeeded in obtaining her friendship. Unusual for a spirit, Ssiss would not accept a friendship name, only her true name (if that is what it is) would do – and it had to be found without the spirit’s help. Although the spirit finally accepted the name of one of the three hundred and thirteen daughters of the ancient western serpent demon Kassarel, begotten by a nameless minion of Flame King Kakatal who was posing as the god, it remains unclear whether Ssiss actually springs from Kassarel.
Ssiss appears either as a flaming serpent or lizard shape (when elemental) or as a writhing, restless snake that favours scales in either black or the deep orange of glowing embers. A tendency to favour a salamander-like look caused Fjorent concern over Ssiss’s allegiances, but so far there has been no indication that Ssiss may be allied to Evil in any way. When summoned, Ssiss has a tendency to drop sultry-to-derogatory remarks to/about any male allies of the Witch she can see, which could be awkward if those guys spoke the Spirit Tongue.
When not summoned, Ssiss tends to sleep coiled tightly in some hole or crack deep underground, warming her old bones on the wisps of heat rising from the deepest depths of the earth. There have been hints that she may be awaiting some major event that will ‘wake Sleeping Fire’ and will make her young again.
1 – Viper, Medium
2 – Small Fire Elemental
3 – Viper, Huge
4 – Medium Fire Elemental
5 – Large Fire Elemental
6 – Huge Fire Elemental
7 – Greater Fire Elemental
8 – Salamander, noble (N)
9 – Elder Fire Elemental, Advanced
Cloudfeather:
Cloudfeather appears either as an eagle-shaped airy form (when elemental) or as a bird in light to dark grey shades whose feathers seem continually rustled by a breath of wind.
Haughty bearing of the ‘grande dame’ type. She claims to have neither forebears nor offspring and to be more ancient than the hills or skies, and indeed older than names. Sometimes she will insist that she is High Queen of all Eagles.
Occasionally she will deny all knowledge of a previous summoning – it might be that her memory is failing or that she simply wishes to avoid (to her) unpleasant memories; also it could be that, as happens with spirits, Cloudfeather is comprised of more than one entity.
1 – Eagle, Advanced to 2 HD
2 – Small Air Elemental
3 – Giant Eagle
4 – Griffon
5 – Large Air Elemental
6 – Huge Air Elemental
7 – Greater Air Elemental
8 – Roc
9 – Elder Air Elemental, Advanced
Old Man Root:
“I drink the life of the Forest. I give life to the Forest. I am the Forest.” Big words and there’s lots more of them, only no Witch’s lifespan is long enough to hear, much less remember them all. Whether the above is the beginning of the spirit’s true name or only an introductory phrase, a Witch can’t tell. Wiser, if less tactful, to cut ahead to the business at hand, or one might well remain entangled in the Spirit World until one’s Pale body starves and withers.
Despite Fjorent’s friendship name, Old Man Root can be of either gender and may appear young and lithe as likely as gnarled and ancient. Fjorent suspects that Old Man Root may actually be comprised of two entities that complement – and occasionally dispute with – each other.
When in a mobile shape, Old Man Root appears to be pulling thin roots and clots of soil up with the soles of his/her feet and replant them as he/she walks.
1 – Badger
2 – Small Earth Elemental
3 – Assassin Vine
4 – Medium Earth Elemental
5 – Tendriculous
6 – Huge Earth Elemental
7 – Treant
8 – Dryad
9 – Elder Earth Elemental, Advanced
Eater-of-Ships:
The spirit Ye-Ha waylaid Fjorent in the Spirit World by pretending to be caught in debris in a river bend in porpoise shape, then swelling to Tojanida proportions and promptly swallowing the Witch whole when she came to its aid. After a tense moment or three, the spirit spat her out and pronounced her reborn by it and henceforth allied to it. Fjorent, seeing potential, wasn’t slow to agree in principle. Negotiations for the spirit’s friendship name were drawn out by Ye-Ha initially insisting to be named Eater-of-Witches – by no means a suitable name. Satisfactory compromise was reached after Ye-Ha proved its ability to slow, stop or overturn water craft of impressive sizes.
When elemental, Ye-Ha likes to appear as a building wave of glassy green even in a still lake or a mud-brown river, sticking out a porpoise-like head to speak or be spoken to. It maintains that waters in the Material World taste much inferior to its own manifesting substance. It is distrustful of porpoises as originating from such a ‘worthless’ element, and will do its best to behave in a way distinct from a real porpoise when forced to appear in a non-elemental form.
1 – Porpoise, Advanced to 2HD
2 – Small Water Elemental
3 – Juvenile Tojanida [shifted this one down a level, I think this is roughly the appropriate power level, comparable to e.g. huge viper or dire apel]
4 – Medium Water Elemental
5 – Adult Tojanida
6 – Huge Water Elemental
7 – Greater Water Elemental
8 – Elder Tojanida, Advanced to ca. 20HD
9 – Elder Water Elemental, Advanced
Baron ‘Ghost Bear’ Grimbul – Advanced Dire Bear level VI
Large Animal
Hit Dice: 15d8 + 63 (130 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 40’
AC: 17 (-1 size +1 Dex +7 natural) / T 10 / Ff 16
BAB/Grapple: +11/+25
Atk & dmg: Claw +21 melee (2d4+10)
Full attack: 2 claws +21 melee (2d6+10) and bite +15 melee (2d8+5)
Space/reach: 10’/5’
SA: Improved grab
SQ: Low-light vision, scent
Saves: F +13 R +10 W +10
Abilities: STR 31 DEX 12 CON 19 INT 2 WIS 12 CHA 10
Skills: Listen +11, Spot +11, Swim +14
Feats: Alertness, Endurance, Run, Toughness, W Focus (claw), Improved Natural Attack
CR: 8
Baron ‘Ghost Bear’ Grimbul – Advanced Dire Bear level VII
Huge Animal
Hit Dice: 18d8 + 111 (192 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 40’
AC: 21 (-2 size +2 Dex +11 natural) / T 10 / Ff 19
BAB/Grapple: +13 / +33
Atk & dmg: Claw +26 melee (3d6+13)
Full attack: 2 claws +27 melee (3d6+13) and bite +20 melee (3d8+6)
Space/reach: 15’/10’
SA: Improved grab
SQ: Low-light vision, scent
Saves: F +17 R +13 W +12
Abilities: STR 37 DEX 14 CON 23 INT 2 WIS 12 CHA 10
Skills: Listen +12, Spot +12, Swim +15
Feats: Alertness, Endurance, Run, Toughness, W Focus (claw), Improved Natural Attack, Improved Natural Armor
CR: 10
![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
