the venomist(druids with bite!)(help, steal it if it you want, just help)

[alsih2o]

I was recently reading a good article on opisthoglyphous (rear fanged snakes) and how it is more difficult for them to deliver poison to their prey than some other snakes. Add this in to heloderms (poisonous lizards) and normal old fanged snakes and the spitting habits of some elapids and I got an idea for an n.p.c. PrC.

5th lvl druids would be the main target, but other magic users could pull it off.

The Venomist is an animal handling druid assassin PrC. With access to charm animal and animal friendship and neutralize poison the venomist gathers a stable of animals to herself, each with its own particular method of poisoning a target.

At 1st lvl they get the ability to use and call opisthoglyphous and heloderms, animals with nasty poison, but they have to chew on you to get it in you, there by making it easier to escape or get a smaller dose when you defend yourself.

At 3rd, they get the ability to use and call normal fanged snakes. These snakes can deliver killing pisons with one quick bite.

At 5th the venomist gains access to elapids, poisonous animals that can kill you with their spit, from range (hey, it’s fantasy, right?)

At 7th they can start calling magical beasts, yada yada.

Is this cool or lame? Can one of you mechanically inclined folks stretch this info out with numbers and charts and crap like that? should this be a PrC or just a cool npc? what buffing spells and such do you think work best for the class?

 

[Crothian]

I like the idea. There's a spell in Relics and Rituals that increases the DC of poison in animals. The class has a lot of flavor and could be fun to play, but make a bbetter NPC to spring on PCs.

 

[alsih2o]

I like the idea. There's a spell in Relics and Rituals that increases the DC of poison in animals. The class has a lot of flavor and could be fun to play, but make a bbetter NPC to spring on PCs.

definetely an npc for any campaign i might be in, but i thought it would be interesting to see its progression for handy things like cults full of these guys or changing the CR.

 

[Saeviomagy]

I'm really trying to see what this prc/class does that couldn't be done by a stock-standard druid.

The key thing is that there aren't those types of creatures in the MM or SNA lists. Add them, and the druid can wildshape into them, have them as companions and summon them. And since druids already get immunity to poisons...

 

[Zerovoid]

In one campaign I played in, a player had a character who was an 8th level ranger I think. He got 8 hit dice of animal companions, and tiny sized vipers are only 1/8 hit dice. So he had 64 viper animal companions!!!

Sadly, I think they all died in one firebally right away, but it seemed like a really cool idea at the time he did it.

 

[Nightfall]

Two things to look at:

Lady of Serpents and my own Brother of the Crimson Temple. They are pretty snakey. Oh yeah there's also Viromancer.