Wild Conservationist (Druid/Cleric)

Preservers of the very spirit essence that infuses the natural world, wild conservationists seek to maintain the natural balance. The endless cycle from life to death, and back to life again is the wild conservationist’s primary concern. These single minded folk wander the forests, barren wastelands, and other terrains of the world disposing dead and decaying matter, while preserving the last of their life energies. Once this spirit energy has been harnessed, the wild conservationist can unleash it at a whim, breathing new life into the vegetation or higher forms of life in need of revitalization. Although they are occasionally viewed by other druids as took focused of death and decay, most see wild conservationists as preservers of life and the natural balance they all hold dear. (Original Concept by Elghinn Lightbringer)

Primary: Druid.

Secondary: Cleric.

Alignment: Any neutral.

Hit Dice: d8.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: The wild conservationist selects three cleric skills to add to her class skills in addition to the normal druid class skills. The wild conservationist gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The wild conservationist is proficient with the club, dagger, dart, quarterstaff, scimitar, scythe, sickle, shortspear, sling, and spear. She is also are proficient with light and medium armor but is prohibited from wearing metal armor; thus, she may wear only padded, leather, or hide armor. A wild conservationist may also wear wooden armor that has been altered by the ironwood spell so that it functions as though it were steel. See the ironwood spell description. A wild conservationist is proficient with shields (except tower shields) but must use only wooden ones.

Diminished Spellcasting: The wild conservationist casts divine spells drawn from the druid spell list, and casts one fewer spell of each level than normal. If this reduces the number to 0, she may cast spells of that level only if they are domain spells or if her Wisdom allows bonus spells of that level. She otherwise learns, prepares, and casts spells as a druid of equal level.

Nature Bond (Ex): This is exactly like the druid ability of the same name, except that the wild conservationist must select the bond with the natural world. A wild conservationist may only select from either the Plant or Repose domain, or the Ancestor, Decay, and Growth subdomains.

Life Sense (Sp): At will, a wild conservationist can use deathwatch, as the spell. A wild conservationist can, as a move action, concentrate on a single creature within 60 feet and determine its life condition. She instantly knows whether each creature within the area is dead, fragile (alive and wounded, with 3 or fewer hit points left), fighting off death (alive with 4 or more hit points), healthy, undead, or neither alive nor dead (such as a construct). This ability sees through any spell or ability that allows creatures to feign death. Additionally, the wild conservationist can use this ability to determine the conditions of plants, trees and other natural life. This ability replaces wild empathy.

Dust to Dust (Su): At 2nd level, a wild conservationist can inter a deceased creature and return it home to its mother earth. As a full-round action, a wild conservationist can touch a corpse and rapidly decompose the flesh, sinew, and even bones of a single corpse of size Large or smaller, leaving only the coarse matter from whence the creature was created. Once the process is completed, a burst of spirit energy is released in a 10-foot radius, centered on the wild conservationist. A number of allies (including the wild conservationist) up to her Charisma modifier that are within the burst gain an amount of temporary hit points equal to the wild conservationist’s Charisma modifier, plus an additional amount of temporary hit point based upon the size of the corpse as follows: 1 hit point (Fine, Diminutive, or Tiny), 2 hit points (Small), 4 hit points (Medium ), 6 hit points (Large), 8 hit points (Huge), 10 hit points (Gargantuan), 12 hit points (Colossal). These temporary hit points remain for 1 minute per Hit Dice of the deceased creature or until they are used, whichever comes first. If this ability is used on a non-corporeal undead, the creature takes a –1 penalty on all rolls and to its Armor Class and CMD for 1 minute.

At 6th level, the size of corpse a wild conservationist can affect increases to Huge, while the penalty taken by a non-corporeal undead increases to –2. At 12th level, the corpse size increase to Gargantuan and the penalty increases to –3. At 18th level, the corpse size increase to Colossal and the penalty increases to –4. A wild conservationist can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. This ability replaces the druid’s spontaneous casting and a thousand faces.

Circle of Life (Su): At 4th level, a wild conservationist can preserve the spirit energy of the recently deceased. When a living creature within 30 feet of a wild conservationist dies, he can siphon its residual spirit energy from its body and transferred to her own. A wild conservationist can siphon the spirit energy from a deceased creature only if it has been dead for no longer than 1 hour per wild conservationist level. A wild conservationist may attempt to siphon the spirit energy of a dying creature (-1 hit points or lower), but only if the creature fails a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the wild conservationist’s level + the wild conservationist’s Charisma modifier). A willing creature automatically fails the save. The amount of spirit energy a wild conservationist can siphon is equal to 2d6 points plus 1d6 points for every two levels beyond 4th (3d6 at 6th, 4d6 at 8th, and so on), to a maximum of 10d6 at 20th level. This is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

A wild conservationist can also siphon residual spirit energy from the dead or decaying plant and animal life found within the natural world. This requires a full–round action that provokes an attack of opportunity for every 1d6 points of spirit energy she siphons, up to her maximum allotted amount. For example, a wild conservationist of 10th level must spend four full rounds to siphon her maximum of 4d6 points of spirit energy.

Preserved spirit energy can be released in a burst that affects all creatures of one type (either undead or living) in a 30-foot radius centered on the wild conservationist. This energy can be used to cause or heal damage equal to the amount of energy siphoned, depending on the type of creatures targeted. A wild conservationist can choose whether or not to include herself in this effect. Creatures that take damage from channeled spirit energy receive a Will save to halve the damage. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the wild conservationist’s level + the wild conservationist’s Charisma modifier. Creatures healed by circle of life cannot exceed their maximum hit point total—all excess healing is lost. Regardless of the target, when spirit energy is released, all vegetation within the 30-foot burst (but not creatures of the Plant type) immediately appears more vibrant; seeds spontaneously sprout, flowers blossom, and foliage becomes more substantial. Releasing spirit energy in this manner is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

A wild conservationist may use circle of life a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier. Siphoned spirit energy can be stored indefinitely, or until it is released. If this ability is used again when a prior use is active, the prior use immediately ends and any stored spirit energy wasted. This ability replaces the wild shape.

Table: Wild Conservationists