The Pumpkin King / Corn Woman
There is a time near when the fruits of the land are harvested, just as the life-force of summer departs, the dying of the year, when the veils between the worlds are the thinnest. Before winter's frigid embrace, when the world is on the cusp on death, the Pumpkin King walks the fields at night, and the Corn Woman appears in the flames.
He or she is a mysterious figure, a symbol of both fertility and death, bringer of luck both good and bad, causing fear and likewise joy. After the fall harvest, celebrations of the year's bounty are held and the favor of these two figures are invoked and their wrath attempted to be assuaged.
Bonfires and feasts are common of these celebrations, as are the carving and lighting of gourds, begging of food from children, mask-making and costume-wearing, somewhat wild and unrestrained behavior, and small divinations of all sorts. Often the height of such celebrations is the crowning of a lad and lass as the titular Pumpkin King and Corn Woman of the Harvest Festival, though this honor has a small amount of danger attached, as those mortals thus named are sometimes taken by unknown forces if they have failed to honor their namesakes properly.
The beliefs of the Pumpkin King and Corn Woman are usually held among the peasants and often tied to rituals to other nature deities. Often frowned upon by organized clergy of such nature deities, druids often keep these rituals alive through periods of suppression. Some druids feel that by invoking these harvest spirits a village can enjoy greater prosperity. Also by honoring such spirits the village can gain their protection during the time when the veils between the worlds is so thin.
Druids are most often Pumpkin Kings or Corn Women, though they consider themselves to be representatives of the actual harvest spirits rather than the spirits themselves. They can command spirits, change luck, know the future, cause fear or joy, and bring both death and life. They act as forces of nature, siding with neither good nor evil.
They observe their chosen villages carefully, seeing how they treat the land and each other. Appearing at harvest time, they walk the rows of corn, appear mysteriously at the festivals, and prowl the village streets to mete out punishment or reward as necessary for the villagers' actions. If one can find either the local Pumpkin King or Corn Woman, questions can be asked about the future... though you may not care to hear it. Those that displease these guardians of nature have the raw spirit forms unleashed on their decadent villages... or so it is said.
Hit Dice: d8
Requirements
To qualify to become a Pumpkin King / Corn Woman, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Alignment: Neutral.
Spells: Must be able to cast 2nd level divine spells.
Feats: Spell Focus (divination or enchantment).
Skills: Knowledge (local) - 4 ranks, Wilderness Lore - 8 ranks.
Special: Must have participated in the Harvest Festival rituals and been selected as a Pumpkin King or Corn Woman.
Class Skills
The Pumpkin King / Corn Woman’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Animal Empathy (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Intuit Direction (Wis), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Profession (Wis), Scry (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), and Wilderness Lore (Wis).
Skill Points per Level: 4 + Int mod per level
Lvl....BAB...Fort...Ref...Will...Special
1......+0......+2.....+2.....+2.....Command Spirits, Keeper of the Dead, Luck of Life
2......+1......+3.....+3.....+3.....Return to Earth/Rise from Earth
3......+2......+3.....+3.....+3.....Star Sight...+1 spellcaster level
4......+3......+4.....+4.....+4.....Blight the Land/Bless the Land
5......+3......+4.....+4.....+4.....Moon Sight...+1 spellcaster level
6......+4......+5.....+5.....+5.....Fear of Spirits/Joy of Nature
7......+5......+5.....+5.....+5.....Pierce the Veil...+1 spellcaster level
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Pumpkin King / Corn Woman prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Pumpkin King / Corn Woman is proficient in scythe and sickle and may use these without violation of his/her druidic oaths (if any). They gain no additional proficiency in armor or shields.
Spells: At 3rd, 5th, and 7th level the Pumpkin King / Corn Woman gains another level in the divine spellcasting class she belonged to previously. No other abilities from the class are gained.
Command Spirits: The Pumpkin King / Corn Woman gains the ability to rebuke (but not command nor destroy) undead at a level equal to her character level. She may not take any feats for which turning undead is a prerequisite, nor may she use her ability to rebuke for any other purpose than to rebuke (such as channelling positive/negative energy to open sacred/blasphemously sealed doors or otherwise). She may do this 3 + Cha modifier per day, as per normal turning/rebuking rules on page 139 of the PHB. This ability does not stack with any other attempts to turn undead.
Keeper of the Dead: A Pumpkin King / Corn Woman can use the spell deathwatch at will. (Sp)
Luck of Life: 1/day/level the Pumpkin King / Corn Woman may add a +2 or -2 to the next roll of anyone he or she touches. If necessary treat at a melee touch attack with a Will save of 10 + Pumpkin King / Corn Woman levels + Wis mod to resist. (Su)
Return to Earth/Rise from Earth: The Pumpkin King / Corn Woman can return the dead to the earth and rise up the worthy to continue the fight for the land. He or she may cast death knell or its opposite (you take 1d8 hit points of damage, a -2 Str penalty, and take a -1 caster level penalty to provide a +2 Str bonus, a +1 effective caster level, and bring the creature up to 1 hit point, the bonuses and penalties last for 10 minutes) 2/day. (Sp)
Star Sight: A Pumpkin King / Corn Woman can, by looking up into a starlit sky, answer questions as per auguary 3/day. (Sp)
Blight the Land/Bless the Land: A Pumpkin King / Corn Woman can either cause the next harvest to be fruitful, or cause great pain and hardship by blighting the fields. This can cause great fear over the winter as the farmers do not know if some portent at harvest time spelled either doom or salvation. Sometimes great sacrifices made at spring can avert doom, but only if they are sincere. This amounts to a Pumpkin King / Corn Woman's ability to cast plant growth or diminish plants 3/day. (Su)
Moon Sight: In the light of the harvest moon strange prophecies can be read. By looking into the moon a Pumpkin King / Corn Woman can cast divination 2/day. (Sp)
Fear of Spirits/Joy of Nature: A Pumpkin King / Corn Woman can cause either great fear or overwhelming joy, reflecting the many faces of nature. Mechanically this is identical to either fear or a bard's inspire greatness (lasting 1 round/level) 2/day. (Sp)
Pierce the Veil - If a village has abused the land, or others have caused the land great harm (irresponsible mining, magical contamination, etc.) the Pumpkin King / Corn Woman can unleash a spirit of great potency upon them to punish them. The spirit is a Druid 5/Pumpkin King / Corn Woman 7 ghost and once summoned and the malefactors pointed out, will rage for the three days of the full moon against them. Once released the ghost cannot be called back. This may be done 1/month during the three days of the full moon. (Su)
There is a time near when the fruits of the land are harvested, just as the life-force of summer departs, the dying of the year, when the veils between the worlds are the thinnest. Before winter's frigid embrace, when the world is on the cusp on death, the Pumpkin King walks the fields at night, and the Corn Woman appears in the flames.
He or she is a mysterious figure, a symbol of both fertility and death, bringer of luck both good and bad, causing fear and likewise joy. After the fall harvest, celebrations of the year's bounty are held and the favor of these two figures are invoked and their wrath attempted to be assuaged.
Bonfires and feasts are common of these celebrations, as are the carving and lighting of gourds, begging of food from children, mask-making and costume-wearing, somewhat wild and unrestrained behavior, and small divinations of all sorts. Often the height of such celebrations is the crowning of a lad and lass as the titular Pumpkin King and Corn Woman of the Harvest Festival, though this honor has a small amount of danger attached, as those mortals thus named are sometimes taken by unknown forces if they have failed to honor their namesakes properly.
The beliefs of the Pumpkin King and Corn Woman are usually held among the peasants and often tied to rituals to other nature deities. Often frowned upon by organized clergy of such nature deities, druids often keep these rituals alive through periods of suppression. Some druids feel that by invoking these harvest spirits a village can enjoy greater prosperity. Also by honoring such spirits the village can gain their protection during the time when the veils between the worlds is so thin.
Druids are most often Pumpkin Kings or Corn Women, though they consider themselves to be representatives of the actual harvest spirits rather than the spirits themselves. They can command spirits, change luck, know the future, cause fear or joy, and bring both death and life. They act as forces of nature, siding with neither good nor evil.
They observe their chosen villages carefully, seeing how they treat the land and each other. Appearing at harvest time, they walk the rows of corn, appear mysteriously at the festivals, and prowl the village streets to mete out punishment or reward as necessary for the villagers' actions. If one can find either the local Pumpkin King or Corn Woman, questions can be asked about the future... though you may not care to hear it. Those that displease these guardians of nature have the raw spirit forms unleashed on their decadent villages... or so it is said.
Hit Dice: d8
Requirements
To qualify to become a Pumpkin King / Corn Woman, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Alignment: Neutral.
Spells: Must be able to cast 2nd level divine spells.
Feats: Spell Focus (divination or enchantment).
Skills: Knowledge (local) - 4 ranks, Wilderness Lore - 8 ranks.
Special: Must have participated in the Harvest Festival rituals and been selected as a Pumpkin King or Corn Woman.
Class Skills
The Pumpkin King / Corn Woman’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Animal Empathy (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Intuit Direction (Wis), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Profession (Wis), Scry (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), and Wilderness Lore (Wis).
Skill Points per Level: 4 + Int mod per level
Lvl....BAB...Fort...Ref...Will...Special
1......+0......+2.....+2.....+2.....Command Spirits, Keeper of the Dead, Luck of Life
2......+1......+3.....+3.....+3.....Return to Earth/Rise from Earth
3......+2......+3.....+3.....+3.....Star Sight...+1 spellcaster level
4......+3......+4.....+4.....+4.....Blight the Land/Bless the Land
5......+3......+4.....+4.....+4.....Moon Sight...+1 spellcaster level
6......+4......+5.....+5.....+5.....Fear of Spirits/Joy of Nature
7......+5......+5.....+5.....+5.....Pierce the Veil...+1 spellcaster level
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Pumpkin King / Corn Woman prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Pumpkin King / Corn Woman is proficient in scythe and sickle and may use these without violation of his/her druidic oaths (if any). They gain no additional proficiency in armor or shields.
Spells: At 3rd, 5th, and 7th level the Pumpkin King / Corn Woman gains another level in the divine spellcasting class she belonged to previously. No other abilities from the class are gained.
Command Spirits: The Pumpkin King / Corn Woman gains the ability to rebuke (but not command nor destroy) undead at a level equal to her character level. She may not take any feats for which turning undead is a prerequisite, nor may she use her ability to rebuke for any other purpose than to rebuke (such as channelling positive/negative energy to open sacred/blasphemously sealed doors or otherwise). She may do this 3 + Cha modifier per day, as per normal turning/rebuking rules on page 139 of the PHB. This ability does not stack with any other attempts to turn undead.
Keeper of the Dead: A Pumpkin King / Corn Woman can use the spell deathwatch at will. (Sp)
Luck of Life: 1/day/level the Pumpkin King / Corn Woman may add a +2 or -2 to the next roll of anyone he or she touches. If necessary treat at a melee touch attack with a Will save of 10 + Pumpkin King / Corn Woman levels + Wis mod to resist. (Su)
Return to Earth/Rise from Earth: The Pumpkin King / Corn Woman can return the dead to the earth and rise up the worthy to continue the fight for the land. He or she may cast death knell or its opposite (you take 1d8 hit points of damage, a -2 Str penalty, and take a -1 caster level penalty to provide a +2 Str bonus, a +1 effective caster level, and bring the creature up to 1 hit point, the bonuses and penalties last for 10 minutes) 2/day. (Sp)
Star Sight: A Pumpkin King / Corn Woman can, by looking up into a starlit sky, answer questions as per auguary 3/day. (Sp)
Blight the Land/Bless the Land: A Pumpkin King / Corn Woman can either cause the next harvest to be fruitful, or cause great pain and hardship by blighting the fields. This can cause great fear over the winter as the farmers do not know if some portent at harvest time spelled either doom or salvation. Sometimes great sacrifices made at spring can avert doom, but only if they are sincere. This amounts to a Pumpkin King / Corn Woman's ability to cast plant growth or diminish plants 3/day. (Su)
Moon Sight: In the light of the harvest moon strange prophecies can be read. By looking into the moon a Pumpkin King / Corn Woman can cast divination 2/day. (Sp)
Fear of Spirits/Joy of Nature: A Pumpkin King / Corn Woman can cause either great fear or overwhelming joy, reflecting the many faces of nature. Mechanically this is identical to either fear or a bard's inspire greatness (lasting 1 round/level) 2/day. (Sp)
Pierce the Veil - If a village has abused the land, or others have caused the land great harm (irresponsible mining, magical contamination, etc.) the Pumpkin King / Corn Woman can unleash a spirit of great potency upon them to punish them. The spirit is a Druid 5/Pumpkin King / Corn Woman 7 ghost and once summoned and the malefactors pointed out, will rage for the three days of the full moon against them. Once released the ghost cannot be called back. This may be done 1/month during the three days of the full moon. (Su)
