Greenbond

“I sing through the land, and the land sings through me.”

The greenbond is a mage who deals with nature. He speaks the language of the leaves, of a babbling brook, or the stony heartrock of a mountain. He remains in tune with the health of the land around him. The greenbond is an animist who deals with the spirits animate within all things—trees, rocks, rivers, ponds, and even the air around him.

To understand the greenbond, one first must understand the Green. The Green is the source of life, fertility, and health. Those learned in the ways of magic often refer to its power as “positive energy,” but greenbonds know it as much more. The Green infuses the world, connecting all living things. It ebbs and flows with the coming and going of life. Terrible plagues, fires, or sorcery can destroy a place’s link with the Green. No plants can grow in such a barren wasteland, and most living things know not to linger there.

Although greenbonds rarely speak of it, the Green has an opposite called the Dark. The Dark is not death, for death is a part of the natural cycle of things. Creatures and plants die so that others can live. No, the Dark is the force of anti-life that some call negative energy. This force does not pervade the world the way the Green does. It lingers in shadow, growing in places of pain and slaughter, or where the harbingers of the Dark—the undead—are known to roam.

Adventurers: Greenbonds go on adventures to help friends, to learn more about nature and the spirits that inhabit it, and to gain power to defend and promote the Green. If possible, they attempt to teach others the truth and importance of the Green and to demonstrate its power.

Background: Greenbonds normally apprentice with other greenbonds to acquire their training. Sometimes, however, nature spirits guide and train an individual to take the path of the greenbond.

Races: Human greenbonds find the ability to interact with the spirit world empowering and enlightening. Faen as a race embrace the importance of the Green and refer to “the calling of the Green” as something that beckons an individual to become a greenbond. Giant greenbonds likewise are common, using their power to protect the land and its inhabitants. Litorians, conversely, see the path of the greenbond as one to personal power, not necessarily a mantle of responsibility. Sibeccai and verrik greenbonds are rare, as they usually do not like the idea of working with a power so far outside of—and so much larger than— themselves. View of Magic: Greenbonds see all the magic they have access to, whether it be spells or special abilities, as extensions of the living Green into this world. They see these extensions hanging about them like tangible leaves and vines. Their gestures make the leaves and vines swirl about them and form the effect they wish. The verbal components of their spells are invocations to spirits to aid them: “Spirits of fire, I call upon your dangerous breath to smite my foe.”

Other Classes: Greenbonds call totem warriors their brothers, for both see the truth in animism. Despite their spellcasting ability, greenbonds are more comfortable around nonspellcasters. Magisters, runethanes, and other spellcasters tend to look upon magic as a more scientific pursuit. Such mages often find the greenbond’s relationship with spirits difficult to understand and feel uncertain about the actual nature of the Green.

NPCs: The terrifying and vengeful defender of the forest is a greenbond. The spiritual advisor to the lord mayor may be a greenbond. The village healer who protects the local crops from blight and the people from illness is a greenbond. The wild and dangerous shaman of the tribe is a greenbond.

Hit Die: d6

Greenbond Archetypes


 * The Land’s Redeemer: The land is life, and nothing holds more importance. Those who abuse the land are your enemies, and you show them no mercy. Those who are a part of the land—who care for it and gain sustenance from it in a wonderful, natural symbiosis—are your friends, and you protect them as though they are a part of the land. Yours is a heavy burden, but your duty is vital.


 * Mysterious Wise One: You know much more about the world than do most people. You comprehend that spirits dwell in each and every object and force in nature. The world is alive with spirits, but most people don’t realize that. Others, even your own comrades, sometimes don’t understand you and the things you say. They claim you speak in cryptic riddles. That is not your problem. They will understand when they need to understand.


 * Preserver of Life: Life is more important than anything else. The Green gives life, and it nurtures all living things. You represent the Green in the world. In you resides the power to preserve life, and therefore you must do so. Plants, animals, people—the Green blesses all of these things. But life is absolute. Once it is gone, who has the right to restore it? Raising the dead is a questionable practice at best. The undead? No question—they are an abomination that must be destroyed at all costs.

Skills

Skill Points at 1st level: (4 + Intelligence bonus) × 4.

Skill Points at Higher Levels: 4 + Intelligence bonus.

Class Skills: The greenbond’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (any) (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (ceremony) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (magic) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Speak Language (none), Spellcraft (Int), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Greenbonds are proficient with all simple weapons and light armor.

Spells: Greenbonds have access to simple spells and all spells with the plant or positive energy descriptors. A greenbond may choose to ready any spell he has access to, provided he can cast spells of that level. He readies spells ahead of time, any of which he can cast up to the maximum number of spell slots available to him for each given level. To ready or cast a spell, a greenbond must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spell’s level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a greenbond’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the greenbond’s Wisdom modifier. A greenbond’s spells have only verbal and mental components, which imposes no spell failure chance due to armor. Bonus spells for greenbonds are based on Wisdom.

Nature Sense (Ex): A greenbond can identify plants and animals (their species and special traits) with perfect accuracy. The greenbond can determine whether water is safe to drink or dangerous.

Infuse With Life (Sp): A greenbond can call upon the positive energy of life and bestow that energy upon himself or another creature. With a touch, he can heal 1d8 hit points + his level a number of times per day equal to his Wisdom bonus; greenbonds with no Wisdom bonus can use this ability once per week.

At 4th level, the amount of healing increases to 2d8 points + the greenbond’s level and continues to increase every three levels thereafter: 7th level 3d8 + level, 10th level 4d8 + level, 13th level 6d8 +level, 16th level 8d8 + level, 19th level 10d8 + level, 22nd level 12d8 + level, and 25th level 14d8 + level. These changes increase the amount of healing, not the number of times used. For example, if a greenbond has a Wisdom bonus of +3, when he is 1st level, he can infuse someone with life three times per day, each time healing 1d8+1 points. At 4th level, he can still heal only three times per day, but each time now heals 2d8+4 points of damage.

At 25th level, the greenbond can apply one of his infuse with life uses to affect a creature as if he had cast perfect health. He cannot do this more than once per day.

Nature’s Gift (Su): Once per day, a 2nd-level or higher greenbond can use his connection with the Green to draw on the power of nature and infuse it within himself. He must be touching something solid and natural (the ground, a bit of unworked stone, a plant, an animal, or a beast) to activate this ability. He gains a divine bonus equal to half his level. The greenbond can add this bonus to any d20 roll he makes in the following round. He can impart this gift to an ally he touches during the following round (the ally must use the bonus in that round). He can even divide the bonus among up to five allies that he can reach during the round, giving each a portion of the bonus as he decides. Thus, a 10th-level greenbond could grant a +2 bonus to two allies and a +1 bonus to another.

Starting at 12th level, the gift’s divine bonus lasts 1 round per four greenbond levels (maximum 5 rounds). Thus, an 18th-level greenbond could grant a 4-round divine bonus of +9 to one ally (or himself), or +3 to three allies, or +5 to one ally and +1 to four others. Each round, those granted the gift can use the bonus on any one d20 roll of their choosing.

Trackless Step (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, a greenbond leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked.

Bond With the Green (Su): At 5th level the greenbond gains the ability that gives his class its name. In a four-hour ritual that he conducts in a private setting, the greenbond gains an intuitive sense of the condition of the land—a literal bond with the Green. This means that if the land is harmed in any way (for instance, a forest fire, a famine, or a disease) within one mile per greenbond level, he becomes aware of it and gains a general understanding of what is happening. If he makes a caster power check (DC 25), he gains more details, such as distance and direction.

For example, say a bestial cyclops band is hacking down trees to burn in a huge pyre. A 7th-level greenbond four miles away becomes alerted once they chop down about 25 trees. All the greenbond knows is that numerous trees are dying rapidly. If he makes his caster power check, he knows that it occurs four miles away and the direction. He still does not know specifically that the cyclops band is the culprit.

In order for an event to trigger the bond, it must affect an area at least 100 yards across or involving at least 25 creatures or large plants (such as trees). Natural, daily events, such as predators hunting, do not alert the greenbond.

At 15th level, the greenbond undergoes a three-day solitary trek into the wilderness, eating and drinking nothing other than special herbs and water. This experience increases his bond with the Green so that plants surrounding him infuse into his body. From that point on, he is no longer considered a humanoid (or whatever type he is), but a plant. Anything that specifically does not harm plants will not harm the greenbond. However, he remains a living, thinking creature, so mind-affecting spells work on him, and he still has a discernable anatomy, so sneak attacks and critical hits affect him.

At 20th level, the greenbond undertakes a spiritwalk, communing with nature spirits for nine days, during which he is simply absent from the world. After this period of communion, he no longer need make Diplomacy checks when speaking with nature spirits—they will always speak with him willingly (see below).

At 21st level, spirits actively seek out the greenbond to tell him news that is of interest or importance to him.

At 23rd level, the greenbond can take the shape of a tree as a standard action, if standing on solid ground where a tree could potentially grow. There is no way to determine that the tree is actually a greenbond—even magic does not reveal him to be anything but the tree he appears to be. While a tree, the greenbond cannot move or take actions other than to cast spells or use abilities that affect only him. For example, he could cast plant armor on himself while he was a tree or use infuse with life upon himself. None of this requires movement of any kind on the part of the tree-greenbond. What’s more, the greenbond must root himself in natural earth and take on the form of a tree for eight hours each day rather than sleeping. During this time, he remains completely aware of his surroundings and can change back. The eight hours need not be consecutive. Due to this transformation, the greenbond needs only sunlight, water, and the touch of the earth to sustain him. He no longer requires sleep, air, or food.

At 24th level, the fusion with plants that occurred at 15th level becomes so complete that the greenbond’s anatomy changes to resemble a plant. His skin takes on a greenish sheen. He no longer has a discernable anatomy and thus becomes immune to sneak attacks and critical hits.

Percipience (Su): Starting at 6th level, greenbonds can see and hear nature spirits otherwise imperceptible to mortals (unless a spirit wishes to show itself). The character finds this ability disconcerting at first, because it makes him realize how pervasive spirits are: They are everywhere, all the time— although only rarely do they pay attention to the actions of mortals. Greenbonds sometimes become alerted to danger when the nature spirits of an area are upset or absent.

Speak With Spirits (Su): The 8th-level and higher greenbond can speak with the spirit of a tree, a brook, the air, or any other part of nature that he touches. Once per day he can ask a spirit a question with a one-word answer. Generally, only natural things have spirits—wood made into a door or water in a fountain usually has lost its spirit. The spirit is not omniscient. It knows all observable facts about its surroundings, and can answer any such question with 100 percent accuracy. For example, if a greenbond asked the spirit of a river if any people on horseback had crossed it in the last three days, it would be able to answer the question. A spirit’s surroundings are never more than a 100- yard radius, however—a river miles long has many spirits. A spirit has a 75 percent chance, plus 1 percent per level of the greenbond, to know the answer to a question about things farther afield, such as, “Is the dragon still over the next hill?” It never knows the answer to a question pertaining to the future or to the thoughts of another: “Can I defeat the dragon in battle?” or “Does the dragon know I’m here?”

To convince the spirit to give an answer, the greenbond must make a Diplomacy check. A failed check might result in no answer, or it might result in a lie (DM’s discretion). The check’s Difficulty Class depends on the type of spirit: Spirit DC Water spirit 10 Wood spirit 15 Air spirit 18 Animal spirit 20 Stone spirit 30

At 14th level, a greenbond can ask a question that requires an answer of up to one word per greenbond level or a series of yes/no questions—one per greenbond level.

Spiritform (Sp): At 17th level, the greenbond can make his body into a spiritform for up to one minute per level. Spiritform allows the greenbond to become incorporeal for the ability’s duration. This ability is usable once per day.