The secrets of the fey have the potential to change the life of a mortal, giving them power and insight that they can barely dream of on their own.
Child of the Woods
There are many mortal races that have strong ties to the fey, from the feyborn humans that possess a sliver of fey blood to tribes of elves, gnomes and goblins that can chart their ancestry back to the fairy realms.
Sometimes members of these races feel the call of their ancestry a little stronger than most, and the urge to return to their fey roots becomes irresistible. They harness the last vestiges of fey power their blood provides, and they use it to ignite a transformation of both mind and body. They become a Child of the Woods, a being who has stepped across the line between mortality and the fey.
The transformation a child of the woods undertakes is slow, requiring years of exploring the inherent power of their blood. As time passes they become more and more like the fey creatures of legend, their bodies growing slighter and smaller while their conscious mastery of magic gradually becomes more innate.
Those that complete the transformation are true fey, their blood as strong as any dryad of nixie, and they find their place in the woods and remote wilderness of the world.
Abilities: Charisma is of primary importance to the child of the woods, as it is the source of much of their power and abilities. Dexterity is also prized, as it allows the child of the woods to move with the grace and fluidity of the fey they seek to emulate.
While the majority of the people who choose to follow the path of their fey blood are sorcerers, there are a number of bards among the ranks of the children of the woods.
Gnomes and feyborn are the most common races that follow the path of fey blood, although elves are nearly as common. A surprising number of goblins have made the transformation, suggesting some kind of fey ancestry to the goblinoid races.
Training and Culture: Those that follow the calling of their fey ancestry often do so through intuition and experimentation rather than learning their crafts from another. Although one who has followed the path can offer advice to those that seek to follow, the journey taken by each child of the woods is individual and unique.
A child of the woods normally spends his time associating with fey creatures, and through them occasionally finds others that have followed a similar path. They have been known to group together, finding comfort in the presence of another creature that exists between two worlds, but these associations rarely last longer than a few seasons.
Hit Dice: 1d6
Requirements
To qualify to become a child of the woods, a character must fulfill the following criteria:
Race: Elf, feyborn, gnome, goblin or some other non-fey race that has an ancestral connection to fey creatures in the campaign.
Knowledge (arcana): 8 ranks
Knowledge (nature): 8 ranks
Languages: Sylvan
Spells: Ability to cast arcane spells without preparation
Class Skills
The child of the wood’s class skills (and the key ability modifier for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Move Silently (Dex) and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill point at each level: 2 + Intelligence bonus
Child of the Woods
| Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +2 | +2 | Low-Light Vision, Spell-like ability I, Wild Empathy |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +3 | +3 | Slight Frame, Flight |
| 3rd | +2 | +1 | +3 | +3 | Spell-like ability II |
| 4th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +4 | Glowing Aura, Maneuverability |
| 5th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +4 | Fey Blood, Spell-like ability III |
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the child of the woods prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A child of the woods gains no additional proficiency with any weapons or armor.
Low-Light Vision (Ex): At 1st level a child of the wood can see twice as far as a normal member of their race in conditions of starlight, moonlight and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Spell-Like Ability I: At will – detect magic, dancing lights, ghost sound; 1/Day – charm person, fairy glamor, jump, magic weapon. Use the child of the woods class level as the caster level, and Charisma as the key ability modifier.
Wild Empathy (Ex): Like a druid or ranger, the child of the woods gains the ability to use body language, subvocalizations, and demeanor to improve the attitude of an animal.
This ability functions like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person. The child of the woods rolls a d20 and adds his child of the woods class level and his Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result. If he has druid or ranger levels, he adds his child of the woods levels to those levels to determine his total modifier.
To use wild empathy, the child of the woods and the animal must be able to study one another, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute. As with influencing people, it may take more or less time.
A child of the woods can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an intelligence score of 1 or 2, but he takes a –4 penalty to the check.
Slight Frame (Ex): As the child of the woods’s fey blood starts to manifest, his physical frame starts to change. He becomes lithe and graceful, and he grows shorter and more agile as the power of his fey blood takes hold.
The child of the woods gains a +2 racial bonus to Dexterity and Charisma scores, but suffers a –2 racial penalty to their Strength and Constitution scores as their body undergoes the physical change. These racial modifiers overlap (do not stack with) the character's previous racial modifiers.
In addition, the character's size drops one level – from medium to small in the case of elves and feyborn, and from small to tiny for gnomes and goblins. The child of the wood gains all the advantages and suffers all the drawbacks of their new size.
Flight (Ex): The child of the woods grows a pair of thin, transparent wings that resemble those of a butterfly, moth or dragonfly (player's choice). The wings allow the child of the woods to fly at a speed of 30 feet with average maneuverability.
Spell-Like Ability II: At will – detect magic, dancing lights, ghost sound; 3/Day – charm person, fairy glamor, jump, magic weapon. 1/Day – Invisibility (self only). Use the child of the woods class level as the caster level, and Charisma as the key ability modifier. These abilities replace those granted by Spell-Like Ability I.
Glowing Aura (Su): At 4th level the child of the woods starts to glow with a faint, pale light. The glowing aura sheds bright light in a 20 ft. radius around the child of the woods, and shadowy illumination for another 20 feet beyond that. As a free action the child of the woods can dim the aura so that it sheds only a 20 ft. radius of shadowy illumination or so that it disappears altogether.
Maneuverability (Ex): At 4th level the child of the woods' maneuverability while flying becomes perfect.
Fey Blood (Ex): At 5th level the child of the woods has mastered the power of his fey blood, turning him into a primal creature of the woodlands. He gains damage reduction 2/cold iron, and his fey heritage renders his physical form untouched by time. The child of the woods no longer takes ability score penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties he has already incurred, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the child of the wood still dies of old age when his time is up. For all effects related to race, the child of the woods is now considered to be a fey creature.
Spell-Like Ability III: At will – detect magic, charm person, dancing lights, fairy glamor, ghost sound; 3/Day – charm person (empowered), invisibility (self only), jump, magic weapon. 1/Day – dimension door, dispel magic, suggestion. Use the child of the woods class level as the caster level, and Charisma as the key ability modifier. These abilities replace those granted by Spell-Like Ability I & II.
Fool King
The fools of the fey are masters of wordplay and trickery, skilled riddle-writers and jesters who have spent centuries entertaining their lords in court. Their position is one of respect from their peers and freedom from the mores of fey society – a fool is free to comment on whatever he chooses, and the truth and wisdom in their riddles is almost as powerful as the magic of other races. Like the first fool of the fairy, the immortal satyr known as Puck, they serve as advisors, warriors and even adversaries for their liege as well as a source of amusement.
The first mortal fool king was actually a young farm boy, kidnapped by the fey and raised in a minor court. Trapped in the realm of fairy, the lad negotiated with the lord of the fey realm for his release – if he could out-riddle every fey in the court, then he would be returned to his home unharmed. For a year and day the mortal toiled, learning the role of the jester and matching his rhymes against the assembled fools of the fey court. By the time he won his freedom, the fey lord had named him king of fools and blessed his japes with a portion of his own power.
After the boy was returned to his home, the court seemed strangely silent in his absence. The fey ached for his wit and his riddles so badly that the tradition of stealing a mortal to serve as jester was born. Every score of years a mortal creature of wit and skill is kidnapped and held hostage, serving the fey until their abilities exceed those of their captors or there is little sport remaining in keeping them from their homes. Those that win their freedom are blessed with the power of the fool king, able to blight countries and disable dragons with a well-placed curse or jest.
Abilities: Fool kings rely on their quick wit and charm, so Intelligence and Charisma are prominent. All fool kings are versed in some form of performance, and many have learned the art of tumbling and pratfall long before they come to the attention of the fey.
The most common class among fool kings is the bard, though the position is open to any character that meets the prerequisites. Wizards, sorcerers and rogues are almost as common, though clerics and paladins are rare.
While the first mortal fool kings were exclusively human, the position has recently been filled with halflings, gnomes and half-elves. Fey creatures of all kinds have been known to pursue the position, though satyrs have occupied the position more often than nearly any other creature.
Training and Culture: Every fool king spends some time in the court of the fey, whether he has willingly volunteered to take on the role of court jester or been forced into the position as a result of being kidnapped by the fey. He isn’t taught the skills of the fool, but he must master them if he wishes to be free of the realm of fairy.
Although a prisoner, no potential fool king is ever mistreated or harmed by the fey unless they bring such actions on themselves. The position of the fool is a special one in the fey court, and the fool king is treated with a kind of mocking respect at worst. As they rise in skill most fool kings are treated with deference by the fey, and they soon realize they hold a position of respect and prestige among the fairy. While they may not be free to leave, they are bound to their prison with chains of velvet and silk rather than iron and steel.
The bond that forms between the fool king and his lord is strong, and even a fool king that has won his freedom from the court is still welcome in the realms that know him. They still hold influence among the fey creatures they meet, and many choose to remain in fairy rather than return to the mortal realm. Those that do return home quickly develop a reputation for lunacy and capering, but are often feared for their powerful rhymes and the effects of their maddening dance.
Hit Dice: 1d6
Requirements
To qualify to become a fool king, a character must fulfill the following criteria:
Knowledge (Nature): 8 ranks
Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty): 8 ranks
Perform (Comedy): 8 ranks
Feats: Skill Focus (Perform)
Special: Must be fey, or have spent at least a year serving as a fool for a fey lord.
Class Skills
The fool king’s class skills (and the key ability modifier for each) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Any) (Int), Perform (Any) (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int) and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill points at each level: 6 + Intelligence Modifier
The Fool King
| Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +2 | +2 | Slippery Mind, Status |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +3 | +3 | Wordplay |
| 3rd | +1 | +1 | +3 | +3 | Silver Tongue, Caper |
| 4th | +2 | +1 | +4 | +4 | Charm |
| 5th | +2 | +1 | +4 | +4 | Mocking Curse |
| 6th | +3 | +2 | +5 | +5 | Luck of the Fey |
| 7th | +3 | +2 | +5 | +5 | Frolic |
| 8th | +4 | +2 | +6 | +6 | Charmed Life |
| 9th | +4 | +3 | +6 | +6 | True curse |
| 10th | +5 | +3 | +7 | +7 | If Words Were Wishes |
Class Features
All of the following are features of the fool king prestige class:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Fool kings gain no new proficiency in the use of weapons or armor.
Slippery Mind (Ex): Fool kings often possess keen minds, indomitable wills and the bravery to stand up to powerful lords and ladies when others quail with fear. They are hard to dominate and control, and if a fool king is the target of an enchantment spell and fails the saving throw, he may attempt the save again 1 round later. He gets only this one extra chance to succeed.
Status (Ex): All fool kings inhabited roles of importance and power in the fey courts, and the prestige of their appointment lingers long after they have parted company with their lords. All fool kings gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidate and Perform checks made involving fey creatures.
Wordplay (Ex): At 2nd level the quick wit and skilled wordplay of the fool king is complex enough to confuse and stun those around him. A number of times per day equal to his Charisma modifier a King of Fools can force one intelligent subject within 20 feet of him who can hear his voice to make a Will saving throw (DC 10 + Fool King's class level + his Charisma modifier). A subject who fails the save is stunned for 1d2 rounds by the complex wordplay and rhyming of the Fool King, held utterly speechless and unable to act. Characters with Charisma modifiers of 0 or less cannot can use this ability only once per week. Using wordplay is language dependant and a standard action.
Silver Tongue (Su): At 3rd level the wit and charm of the fool king becomes supernatural, using subtle rhythms and charmed phrases he learned during his time among the fey. He gains a +2 competence bonus on all Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Handle Animal and Perform checks.
Caper (Su): Starting at 3rd level, the fool king learns to sow confusion and discord in his foes with his mad capering and mocking tone. If the fool king takes a double move action, moving at full speed but never straying more than 20 feet from a foe during the round, he can force the foe to make a Will saving throw (DC 10 + fool king level + Charisma bonus) and another (or the same target) to make a Reflex saving throw with the same DC. A subject who fails the Will save is dazed for 1d3 +1 rounds, unable to take any actions except to defend himself. If a subject fails the Reflex save, he is spun about and falls prone. Subjects must have been within 10 feet of the fool king at some point during his move actions.
Charm (Sp): At 4th level and beyond, a fool king can use a heightened version of charm person a number of times per day equal to his Charisma modifier. Those whose Charisma modifiers are 0 or less can use this ability once per week.
Mocking Curse (Su): Once per day the fool king can curse someone simply by mocking them. This is a full round action. Once the fool king mocks the subject, he can immediately (this same round) cast on the subject any one of the following spells: bestow curse, blindness/deafness, crushing despair. Using a mocking curse is language dependent.
Luck of the Fey (Su): The fool king gains a +2 luck bonus to all saving throws. He also gains a +2 luck bonus to a number of attack and damage rolls equal to his Charisma bonus each day (the choice to use the bonus is a free action made before the attack or damage roll). If the fool king has a Charisma modifier of 0 or less, he may use this secondary ability once per week.
Frolic (Su): At 7th level the irrepressible capering of the fool king gives him the freedom to act regardless of magical impediments. For a total time per day of 1 round per fool king level he possesses, he can act normally regardless of magical effects that impede movement as if he were affected by the spell freedom of movement. This effect occurs automatically as soon as it applies, lasts until it runs out or is no longer needed, and can operate multiple times per day (up to the total daily limit of rounds).
Charmed Life (Su): At 8th level the fool king is blessed by fate and chance. Once per day he can reroll one roll he has just made before the DM declares whether the roll results in success or failure. The fool king must take the result of the reroll, even if it’s worse than the original roll.
True Curse (Su): At 9th level the curse of the fool king is even more potent, allowing him to raze entire communities or disable powerful opponents with a well crafted rhyme or mocking jest. Once per day the fool king can mock a subject, and in the same round cast one of the following spells: bestow curse (empowered), baleful polymorph, power word blind, song of discord. Using a true curse is language dependent.
If Words Were Wishes (Su): At 10th level the idle wishes and thoughts of the fool king have the ability to reshape the world. Once per day the fool king can use a limited wish by spending a full-round action reciting a rhyme or chant that describes the effects he wishes to occur.
Warden of the Woods
The first wardens arose nearly seven hundred years ago, when a group of gnolls led by a half-fiend warrior set about burning a forest tended by several dryad groves. The dryads' own power of charm and persuasion were nearly useless against the half-fiend's innate spell resistance, so they recruited a small force of rangers and elven warriors to attack the gnoll army. In order to ensure their champions' success in the face of overwhelming numbers, the dryads sacrificed a portion of their own fey essence in a special ritual, bonding each of the warriors to the dryads' own trees for the duration of the battle.
Since that day the wardens of the wood have been the militant protectors of the fey, mortal men and women whose strong sword arms serve as a shield when fey magic and trickery cannot. Blessed with a sliver of fey magic and trained in the ways of the wood by dryads and pixies, the wardens are masters of guerilla warfare.
A single warden has been known to wipe out small tribes of orcs that intrude on fey woodlands, and a small group working together can often rout an invading army. While legends often paint them as charmed knights or bewitched hunters, the ritual used to create a Warden is only performed for those who truly wish to devote themselves to the protection of the fey and the wilderness.
Abilities: The wardens of the wood rely heavily on stealth and secrecy in protecting their forests, so Dexterity is often a key ability for those who follow the warden’s path. Many wardens are also deeply intuitive, favoring Wisdom as a high stat, and their rugged outdoor lifestyle often makes Constitution a favored choice.
While Charisma is relatively unimportant in the day-to-day life of the Warden, some personal magnetism is often essential in compelling a dryad to share the power of her tree and her fey essence with a potential warden.
The majority of Wardens are humans or elves, although there is a small sect of gnomish and halfling wardens that serve the dryads of Thistleway Forest. Rangers and militant druids are the most common classes represented among the Warden’s ranks, although occasionally a fighter or bard with sufficient dedication to the wild woods will earn the respect of a dryad and be chosen to join the Warden’s ranks.
Sorcerers, Wizards and Clerics are particularly rare, and conflict often exists between wardens and the clerics of woodland deities who perceive an alliance with the fey as something akin to heresy.
Training and Culture: Wardens of the wood are often skilled warriors before they merge their essence with their dryad patrons. Few dryads are willing to undertake the necessary rituals for lesser warriors, and only in times of dire need will it be performed for those who haven’t worked with the fairy court or befriended fey creatures.
Wardens working in the same forest often learn to work together, serving as a small force that excels at ambushing humanoids and driving them out of the forest. They maintain good relations with a wide variety of forest denizens, often befriending animals and local tribes of elves and gnomes in addition to the fey they serve.
Hit Die: d8.
Requirements
To qualify to become a warden of the woods, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Skills: Knowledge (nature) 8 ranks.
Feats: Endurance, Fey Friend
Special: must have the wild empathy class ability or the Favored of the Fey feat.
Class Skills
The warden of the wood’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Speak Language (none), Spot (Wis), and Survival (Wis).
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Warden of the Woods
| Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +2 | +0 | Forest Walker, Woodland Stride |
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +3 | +0 | Trackless Step, Tree Merge |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | Sense Trouble |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Arboreal Archery |
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Evasion |
| 6th | +6 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Natural Armor +1 |
| 7th | +7 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Camouflage |
| 8th | +8 | +6 | +6 | +2 | Animal Form |
| 9th | +9 | +6 | +6 | +3 | Natural Armor +2 |
| 10th | +10 | +7 | +7 | +3 | Tree Stride |
Class Features
All of the following are features of the warden of the woods prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A warden of the woods gains no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Forest Walker: The warden’s bond to the trees allows her to move quickly and quietly among the boughs. The warden gains a +4 bonus on all Hide and Move Silently checks in forest or woodland terrain, and a +4 bonus on all Climb checks made to scale trees.
Woodland Stride (Ex): A warden of the woods may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at her normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment.
However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion still affect her.
Trackless Step (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a warden of the woods leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. She may choose to leave a trail if so desired.
Tree Merge (Su): At 2nd level the Warden learns to meld her body and possessions into a single living tree at will. The tree must be large enough to accommodate her body in all three dimensions, and the warden cannot take more than 100 pounds of non-living gear into the tree with her.
While in the tree the warden remains in contact with the tree’s surface. She remains aware of the passage of time and can cast spells on herself while hiding in the tree. Nothing that goes on outside the tree can be seen, but the warden can still hear what goes on around her. Minor physical damage to the tree does not harm her, but its partial destruction (to the extent that the warden no longer fits within it) expels the warden and deals 5d6 points of damage. The tree’s complete destruction expels the warden and slays her instantly unless she makes a DC 18 Fortitude save.
Merging with a tree is a standard action. The warden can step out of the tree at any time as a free action.
Sense Trouble: A 3rd level warden of the wood gains an uncanny ability to know when something is wrong. She receives a +4 competence bonus to Sense Motive checks and a +2 competence bonus on Spot and Listen checks.
Arboreal Archer (Ex): At 4th level the trees and shrubs of the woods seem to move in order to provide the warden with a clear shot of her prey. When making a ranged attack roll against an opponent who is using plants for cover or concealment, the warden gains a +4 circumstance bonus to his attack roll.
Evasion (Ex): At 5th level a warden of the woods can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great ability. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the warden is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless warden of the woods does not gain the benefit of evasion.
Natural Armor (Ex): At 6th level the Warden’s skin turns a fleshy brown, taking on the toughness and texture of fresh bark. She gains a +1 natural armor bonus to armor class. This bonus increases to +2 when the warden reaches 9th level.
Camouflage (Ex): At 7th level the Warden learns to use the Hide skill in any sort of natural terrain, even if the terrain doesn’t grant cover or concealment.
Animal Form (Su): At 8th level the Warden learns to take on the shape of one creature, selected when the ability is gained. This ability functions like the polymorph spell, except as noted here. The effect lasts for 1 hour per warden level, or until the warden chooses to change back to their normal form. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity.
The warden can choose to become a badger, dire rat, dog, eagle, hawk, owl, snake or wolf. The chosen form must be an animal that the warden is familiar with. Once the animal form has been selected, it cannot be changed.
The warden loses her ability to speak in animal form because she is limited to the sounds that a normal untrained animal can make, but she can communicate normally with other animals of the same general grouping as his new form.
The warden can use this ability three times per day.
Tree Stride (Su): At 10th level the warden of the wood can tree stride, as the spell. The warden can use this ability as will, with her warden of the woods prestige class levels used as the caster level.
