Gnome Druid (Racial substitution levels)

[bolower]

Hi all,

I’d like to set up some racial substitution levels for gnome druid. The obvious intent is to still further increase the range of variations possible. I thought of mixing « halfling druid » and « gnome ranger». This seems a great idea, no ?

I'd like to highlight the link between the animal and the gnome and the illusions.

 

[Nifft]

I don't know what Halfling Druid gets, so I'm just going to wing it.

Level 1: Spellcasting adjustment. Gain these spells -- [lose or limit these spells]:
[0] Prestidigitation, Ghost Sound, Dancing Lights
[1] Disguise Self, Magic Aura, Silent Image, Ventriloquism -- [Produce flame, Shillelagh]
[2] Magic Mouth, Minor Image, Misdirection -- [Flame blade, Flaming sphere]
[3] Illusory Script, Major Image -- [Poison, Contagion, Call Lightning always behaves as though indoors]
[4] Hallucinatory Terrain, Phantasmal Killer -- [Flame strike, Ice storm]
[5] Dream, Mirage Arcana, Persistent Image, Seeming -- [Wall of fire, Call Lightning Storm always behaves as though indoors]
[6] Permanent Image, Programmed Image, Veil -- [Fire seeds]
[7] Project Image -- [Fire storm]
[8] Screen -- [Finger of Death, Animal Shapes cannot transform subjects into flying animals]
[9] Weird -- [Elemental Swarm can only summon Earth elementals]


Level 5: Lose the ability to Wild Shape into any flying form, gain the following benefits when Wild Shaped into a burrowing mammal:
- Burrow speed +10 ft.
- Natural armor +3
- Str & Con +4
- Tremorsense 60 ft.


Level 12: Lose the ability to Wild Shape into a plant, gain the following benefits when Wild Shaped into a burrowing mammal (stacking with benefits granted at 5th level):
- Burrow speed +10 ft.
- Natural armor +3
- DR 3/--
- Natural weapons are considered magic and cold iron for the purpose of penetrating DR
- Scent


-- N

 

[Ferret]

Looks fair and a nice idea.

 

[Gez]

I think you can nearly use the Halfling Druid substitution level as is.

Notably, the spontaneous casting of jump, spider climb, protection from energy, freedom of movement, tree stride, SNA6, SNA7, SNA8, and SNA9 works fine, the first five spells affecting the animal companion as well as the gnome druid.

The other first-level ability I'd give to gnome druids is the ability to prepare and cast any sorcerer/wizard illusion spell, as divine spells. However, he loses access to a number of standard druid spells:
[1] entangle, longstrider.
[2] barkskin, flaming sphere, fire trap.
[3] contagion, diminish plants, spike growth, and wind wall.
[4] antiplant shell, blight, dispel magic, flame strike, giant vermin, ice storm, and reincarnate.
[5] baleful polymorph, death ward, hallow, insect plague, unhallow, wall of fire, and wall of thorns.
[6] antilife shell, fire seeds, greater dispel magic, and repel wood.
[7] animate plant, changestaff, creeping doom, firestorm, and sunbeam.
[8] finger of death, sunburst, and whirlwind.
[9] regenerate and storm of vengeance.

Finally, the gnome gets Burrowing Animal Companion: a +3 bonus on his druid level for purpose of havign animal companions with a burrowing speed.

That's it for level 1.

Next sub level is level 5: the halfling druid's Undersized Wildshape is as valid for a gnome as it is for a halfling.

 

[Arbiter of Wyrms]

Very cool. Now we just need racial substitution levels for all of the other race/class combos not covered in the racial splat books.

 

[bolower]

His magic likewise but also the link between the burrowing animal and him makes the gnome druid is a perfect spy and a fearsome ambusher who fight with the ferocity of the badger.

The wild shape is more realistic.

If we allow to cast all the spells of illusions, it is maybe too powerful, don’t you believe Gez ?

If you were a Dungeon Master, would you accept a such character ?

 

[Nifft]

Mirror Image? Improved Invis? Displacement? These things have no place on a Dire Bear, or any other Melee-focusable PC.

All of Illusion is IMHO way too good.

-- N