Dendrite

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Dendrite (druid variant)

by Wm Jay Carter III, inspired by the Hedgewitch class from Spheres of Power

All living things were created to create again, and by participating in this circle of life the dendrite participates in nature’s inherent magic. Like the seed, the dendrite is meant to grow, achieve the height of her magical potential, and then pass her strength on to the next generation so that the cycle may continue. A dendrite sees all things—including herself—as zoe (“alive”), and therefore equal. She harnesses the land, the animals, and the plants to perform her magic. This, she believes, gives the lives of her fellow zoe greater purpose as she increases in wisdom and power.

Dendrites refer to themselves collectively as the Circle, or the Circle of Life. While not strictly an order in the same sense as a group of exemplars, it shares a similar structure. Instead of being led by one dominant leader, however, each dendrite looks to their elders (whether physical or mental) for guidance.

One is either born a dendrite, or will never be one as long as they live. To be One Who Knows the Oaks is a birthright of the Strangers’ true descendants. For this reason, the majority of dendrites are human, although the Circle will not turn away members who happen to be of another race. They do actively contend against those that claim the members of the Circle are not the literal descendants of Strangers, however.

Those who practice druery (the rituals of the dendrites) but are not descendants of the Strangers are called rangers. Only by being inducted into the Circle and participating in the Rites of Fertility can a ranger become eligible for rebirth within the bloodline. Therefore, if you ask a ranger whether all her years living with the Circle will ever result in her becoming a dendrite, the answer must be literally “not in this life.”

Those known to be of the dendritic bloodline begin their education within the Circle at a very young age. The initiate is taught of the cyclical path all dendrites walk. She learns respect for nature, and the rites of the World Soul. She is encouraged to explore the world and search for some soul, location, or object that might spark the fire of her Strange Memory.

At some time during her wanderings, the initiate recognizes a soul with whom she shares a bond like no other, her animal companion, whom she has known through all her lives. Her mind begins to open itself to knowledge she once had, other souls she was once acquainted with, and experience from her former lives. This event, called the Awakening, marks the beginning of her true life as a dendrite.

A dendrite’s awakening continues throughout her life. Indeed, she does not truly learn new skills or develop new talents, she simply remembers the ones she already had and picks up where she left off.

Some dendrites literally dedicate their lives to meditating on their past incarnations, only to come out of the trance decades later. When they do so, they bear centuries of experience, and—no matter their apparent age—are thereafter known as elders, for they have truly become old souls.

Spheres

Dendrites have access to the powers of the physical world, favoring the Dark, Enhancement, Light, Nature, and Weather spheres. Their meditations on the circle of life make the Death, Divination, and Life spheres logical choices as well.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d8

Starting Wealth: 3d6 x 10 gp (Average 105 gp) In addition, each character begins with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Skills

The dendrite's class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Fly (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (Geography; Int), Knowledge (Nature; Int), Knowledge (Religion; Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str).

Skill Ranks Per Level: 6 + Int modifier

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Simple Weapons

Casting (Su)

A dendrite may combine spheres and talents to create magical effects. A dendrite is considered a Mid-Caster and uses Constitution as her casting ability modifier. (Note: All casters gain 2 bonus talents and may select drawbacks the first time they gain the casting class feature. Dendrites may not select the Draining Casting or Verbal Casting drawbacks, or the Fortified Casting boon.)

Spell Pool

A dendrite gains a small reservoir of energy she can call on to create truly wondrous effects, called a spell pool. This pool contains a number of spell points equal to her level + her Constitution modifier (minimum 1). This pool replenishes once per day after roughly 8 hours of rest.

Magic Talents: A dendrite gains magic talents according to Table: The Dendrite.

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Strange Magic

As the reincarnation of an ancient master of the living world, the power to sculpt the forces of nature is literally in a dendrite's blood. It is said that the dendrite may even be an extension of nature herself. A dendrite uses her Constitution modifier as her casting ability modifier. As a result, using magic physically weakens her the more she uses it. This counts as the Fortified Casting boon and Draining Casting drawback.

In order to command nature, the dendrite must speak the language of the Strangers (Druidic, see below). This counts as the Verbal Casting drawback.

One with Nature

A dendrite is never more at home than in the wild. Over the course of her many lifetimes, her harmony with nature has always transcended locale and species. At 1st level, the dendrite gains the Wild Empathy and Woodland Stride druid class features.

At some point over the course of her previous life, the dendrite formed a powerful relationship that persisted though time. This may have been a lover, close relative, or even an animal with whom the dendrite shared a special kinship in her former life. At 1st level she gains an animal companion—the reincarnation of her kindred—treating her dendrite levels as druid levels for this purpose. This animal companion has an Intelligence of at least 6.

Refer to Table: Animal Companions for the advancement of each animal companion. All companions available at 1^st level are listed in the Base section of each category (reptiles, mammals, water, and sky). Companions that advance at 4^th level are listed in that section, while those that advance at 7^th level are listed in the last section.

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Herbology

A dendrite has an innate understanding of plantlife and knows how to best utilize each plant's unique magical properties. The dendrite gains Brew Potion as a bonus feat at 1st level and treats her dendrite level as her caster level when creating concoctions. A dendrite's levels stack with caster levels from other sources. She also never suffers a chance to poison herself when applying poisons to a weapon. This counts as possessing the poison use class feature.

In cosmetic ways, these brews, pastes, and frothy liquids are far removed from the mass-produced, magically-generated potions common to urban centers. Though they may have cruder consistencies, pungent aftertastes, and murky colors, however, a dendrite's concoctions work precisely the same as their sterile counterparts and count as potions (or poisons).

Concoctions

Your magical understanding of herbs is great enough that you may combine common herbs together and, mixing them with a little of your own magic, create a concoction. You may create concoctions a total number of times in a day equal to 3 + 1/2 your dendrite level. The materials required to craft a concoction are common herbs and as such are considered to have a negligible cost. Creating a concoction takes 1 minute and must be used within 1 hour or lose its potency.

Concoctions must be drunk (with the exception of herbalist’s poison) and can only affect living creatures. If a target is unwilling they are allowed a Fortitude save against a DC of 10 + 1/2 your dendrite level + your Constitution modifier to negate the effect.

You can create the following concoctions:

Empowering Concoction

The target gains a +2 alchemical bonus to one ability score of your choice (chosen when this concoction is created) and a -2 penalty to its associated ability score—Strength/ Intelligence, Dexterity/ Wisdom, Charisma/ Constitution. This benefit lasts for 1 minute.

At 5th level, the target no longer suffers a penalty to their inverse ability score. At 9th level, this benefit lasts for 10 minutes. At 13th level, this benefit lasts for 1 hour. At 17th level, the benefit increases to +4.

Fortifying Concoction

The target gains a +2 alchemical bonus to one saving throw (Fortitude, Will, or Reflex) for 1 minute.

At 5th level, the target gains a +3 bonus to one saving throw. At 9th level, the benefit to their saving throw lasts 10 minutes. At 13th level, this benefit lasts 1 hour. At 17th level, the bonus applies to all saving throws.

Healing Concoction

The target is healed 1d6 hit points per 2 dendrite levels you possess (minimum: 1d6).

Dendrite’s Poison

You may create an injury poison (Fort DC 10 + 1/2 your dendrite level + your Constitution modifier, frequency 1/rd for 6 rds, 1 save, effect 1d2 damage to any one ability score, chosen when creating the poison).

At 5th level, the ability damage increases to 1d4, and you may make the poison ingested instead of injury. At 9th level, you may make your herbalist poison inhaled or contact. In addition, you may change the effect to making the target confused for 1 round per level.

At 13th level, your poison deals 1d6 ability damage. At 17th level, you may change the effect of your poison to making the target sleep for 1 hour. This sleep is especially heavy and is similar to the powerful charm version of Sleep (Mind).

Tradition Secrets

Dendrites are part of an ancient order of nature guardians which preserves the teachings of the Strangers, semi-divine beings who visited Athanasia at the beginning of the world. The secrets from these teachings are passed through oral tradition using the Strange Language. Introduced to Athanasia by the otherworldly beings, the Strange Language does not use an alphabet as it actually defies being written. Druidic, a dialect of the Strange Language, was created for the purpose of keeping a written record of dendritic tradition.

A dendrite gains Druidic in addition to her regular allotment of languages, and it doesn't take up a language slot. Dendrites are forbidden to teach Druidic—and the Strange Language—to non-dendrites. A dendrite's bonus language options also include Sylvan, the language of animals (zoe). This choice is in addition to the bonus languages available to the character because of her race.

At 2nd level and every even level thereafter, the dendrite masters a secret from the teachings of the Strangers. You may choose from the following:

Advanced Companion

Increase your effective druid level by 4 when determining the strength of your animal companion, to a maximum effective druid level equal to your character level. You may take this secret multiple times. The effects stack. (This secret exists so multi-classed dendrites can still advance their companions.)

Animal Kinship

Choose any weak animal from Table: Summon Totem Animal from the Shaman class entry. You gain the ability to converse with all specimens of that animal as if you were under the effects of Speak with Animal (Nature). At 5^th level select an additional lesser or weak animal. You may speak with and understand all specimens of that animal as well. At 9^th level select an additional common, lesser, or weak animal. At 13^th level select an additional greater, common, lesser, or weak animal. At 18^th level select any additional animal.

Extra Concoctions

Increase the number of concoctions you may create in a day by 2.You may select this secret multiple times. The effects stack.

Herbal Discovery

The dendrite gains one of the following alchemist’s discoveries, treating her dendrite levels as alchemist levels and treating her Constitution modifier as her Intelligence modifier when meeting its prerequisites and determining its effects: Dilution, Spontaneous Healing, Healing Touch, Enhance Potion, Extend Potion, Eternal Potion, Elixir of Life, Concentrate Poison. These discoveries apply to her Herbology concoctions as if they were potions. You may gain this secret multiple times. Each time it is selected, gain another discovery.

Peer into the Past

The dendrite's meditations reveal significant details from one of her former lives. During any hour in which you rest, you may roll any one Knowledge check, even if you do not have ranks in it, with a bonus equal to your Constitution modifier. If the dendrite uses this ability while awake, she enters a deep trance and is treated as if she were asleep. Throughout this hour, the dendrite is entirely unaware of her surroundings, though any significant interruption (taking damage, someone speaking louder than normal volume, weather severity 4 or higher, etc.) will break her concentration and waste the effect.  Peer into the past may not be used more than once in a 24-hour period. This ability may be used to reroll a failed Knowledge check, but only once per question.

Potent Concoctions

Instead of only lasting 1 hour before they become inert, your concoctions last 1 hour per dendrite level.

Share Health

As an immediate action, you may take damage up to half your current hit points, and heal your animal companion the same amount of damage. This cannot heal the target beyond their maximum hit points. This ability works out to close range.

Share Senses

As a standard action, you may share senses with your animal companion. For as long as you concentrate, you can hear, see, and smell what that creature is experiencing. You gain the benefits of any non-magical special abilities your animal companion possesses (such as low-light vision or scent), but use your own Perception skill. This ability functions out to long range.

Store Concoction

You may drink a potion, poison, or concoction without applying the effects to yourself. Instead, you may touch a target as a standard action and grant the effects to that target. You cannot store more than 1 potion, poison, or concoction at a time in this manner, and if storing a concoction, the concoction still loses its potency if not used in time.

Surgeon

When you use the Heal skill to treat deadly wounds, it takes 10 minutes instead of 1 hour. In addition, you heal the target 2 hit points per HD instead of 1 hit point per HD.

Swift Poison

You may apply poison to a weapon as a move action instead of a standard action.

Tradition Grand Secrets

At 10th level, add the following grand secrets to those a dendrite may select when gaining a secret:

Ancient Echoes (requires Peer into the Past)

As the dendrite's memories of her former lives flow into her waking mind, her past and present become one. Whenever you use your peer into the past ability, you gain a bonus to your Knowledge checks equal to your dendrite level. In addition, your peer into the past ability takes one minute instead of one hour, and may be used a number of times per day equal to your Constitution modifier.

Animal Herald

All friendly animals within 30 feet of you gain a bonus equal to your casting ability modifier to all saving throws.

Instant Poison (requires Swift Poison)

You may apply poison to a weapon as a swift action.

Strange Rebirth

You may use your Heal skill to treat deadly wounds on a dead target, provided you begin within 10 minutes of when the target died. This takes 4 hours of continuous work and costs 3 uses of your concoction ability (or three healing concoctions, if you have them prepared). At the end of this time, make a Heal check against a DC of 10 + the target’s negative hit point total. If you succeed at this check, the target comes back to life and stabilizes at 1 fewer negative hit points than would be necessary to kill it, and the target gains 2 temporary negative levels. If the target has had vital parts removed (i.e., its head, heart, etc.) it cannot be revived in this manner.

Venom Immunity

You become immune to all poisons.

Wild Vitality

You become immune to all diseases.

Tradition Mastery

Elder dendrites finally harmonize themselves with nature so completely that they can eke every ounce of potential out of the plants at their disposal. At 20th level, your healing concoction always heals maximum hit points and your dendrite poison deals maximum damage. In addition, the dendrite's animal companion develops a significantly stronger bond with her. Your animal companion gains Spell Resistance equal to your dendrite level + 11. As a full-round action, you may summon your companion to your side from anywhere, even across planes. Treat your dendrite level as your caster level for the purpose of this ability.