Serpentkin: Variant Druid. Please give feedback!

[Iron_Chef]

Here is a variant core class (minus much of the flavor text as I'm in a hurry)based on the player's interest that I'm working on. For any missing data, assume the missing info is as per the core druid class. Looking for any and all feedback.

SERPENTKIN CORE CLASS
Serpentkin cultists may be affiliated or allied with medusas, naga, serpentfolk (Call of Cthulhu, Freeport), yuan-ti or other serpentine creatures and have a sinister (not always deserved) reputation as decadent deceivers guided by alien philosophies. They possess an interesting mixture of clerical and druidic abilities.

Religion: Serpentkin are snake-worshippers, typically revering one or more of the following gods: Mershaulk or SSeth (FR), Mormo (Scarred Lands) or Yig (Call of Cthulhu, Freeport).

Races: Humans and ophidian or reptilian races only.

Abilities: Wisdom determines spellcasting abilities.

Alignment: Neutral, Neutral Evil, Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Evil.

Hit Die: d8.

CLASS SKILLS
Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Heal, Knowledge (nature, religion), Listen, Profession, Ride, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival, Swim.

Skill Points 4 + Int mod

CLASS FEATURES
BAB: As Druid

Saving Throws: Reflex and Willpower good, Fortitude poor

Armor & Weapons Restrictions: Hide, Leather, or Padded only, proficient with wooden shields (except tower shields). Proficient with battleaxe, blowgun, club, dagger, dart, handaxe, longbow, quarterstaff, scimitar, scythe, shortbow, sickle, shortspear, sling, and spear, as well as all natural attacks of forms they assume with wildshape.

Domains: Serpentkin receive two domains from the following list: Chaos,
Destruction, Eloquence (Armies of the Abyss), Evil, Plant, Pleasure (Armies of the
Abyss), Poison (Plot & Poison), Scalykind (FR), Trickery, Water. They receive granted powers and domain spell slots as clerics.

Spellcasting (Sp): As cleric's spell charts, but all spells must be selected from the druid list.

Bonus Languages (Ex): The serpentkin receives the following as bonus languages:
abyssal, draconic and yuan-ti. Serpentkin do not know druidic.

Coldblooded Empathy (Ex): As per the druid’s Wild Empathy ability, but only
ophidian, and reptilian creatures may be affected.

Snake Venom Immunity (Ex): At second level, the serpentkin is immune to all snake venom; this includes the venom of such snake-like creatures as medusas, nagas and yuan-ti.

Serpentkin Companion (Ex): As per the druid’s Animal Companion ability, but only
ophidians and reptiles are allowed. This ability begins at 3rd level.

Resist Serpent’s Lure (Ex): At 4th level, the Serpentkin receive a +4 bonus to save vs. the supernatural and spell-like abilities of any ophidian or reptilian creature.

Wildshape (Su): As druid, except only ophidian and reptilan shapes may be assumed.

Venom Immunity (Ex): At 9th level, the serpentkin becomes immune to all poisons, regardless of origin.

A Thousand Faces (Su): At 13 th level, as druid.

Timeless Body (Ex): As druid, at 15th level.

 

[Iron_Chef]

I really need feedback fast, as I'd like to use this class in Friday's game. Thanks!

 

[craftyrat]

Domains: Serpentkin receive two domains from the following list: Chaos,
Destruction, Eloquence (Armies of the Abyss), Evil, Plant, Pleasure (Armies of the
Abyss), Poison (Plot & Poison), Scalykind (FR), Trickery, Water. They receive granted powers and domain spell slots as clerics.

Spellcasting (Sp): As cleric's spell charts, but all spells must be selected from the druid list.

The class is essentially a variant druid, so I'm not sure I see how these fit in. I would suggest spellcasting as a druid, and no domains. If the character is then a bit underpowered (since a bunch of his powers affect only scalykind and not all animals), add some special abilities to compensate. I would leave domains for the clerics. YMMV.

Some special ability suggestions:

Sudden Strike: +2 to initiative
Poison bite, perhaps rising to spit poison
Low-Light Vision
Hypnotism

craftyrat

 

[Nightfall]

I agree with crafty, in that this is just a variant druid. Not sure if it's overpowered...but I will say it's more specialized. So that's okay. But overall I like druids (3.0 and 3.5) as is. It's your call Chef.

 

[Iron_Chef]

I agree with crafty, in that this is just a variant druid. Not sure if it's overpowered...but I will say it's more specialized. So that's okay. But overall I like druids (3.0 and 3.5) as is. It's your call Chef.

Thanks for the feedback. I figured the domains might be okay since they lost spontaneous casting. Would adding spontaneous casting in addition to domains be too much?

Spontaneous Casting: The serpentkin can spontaneously cast any of the following spells: align fang (miniature's handbook), delay poison, magic fang, greater magic fang, neutralize poison, poison, snake's swiftness (miniature's handbook), summon nature's ally (ophidian and reptiles only) and summon swarm (tiny vipers, treat as spider swarm).

Frankly, for regular druids I'd be tempted to give them "specialized" domains, too (air, animal, beastmaster, earth, fire, ocean, scalykind, sun, water, etc.). The benefits of clerics over druids still being that they have more freedom in domain selection, get better weapons and armor, can turn/rebuke undead and have the weight of large organized religions behind them in many cases, but have a more limited skill selection and fewer skill points.