Grove seneschal

The Quintessential Druid
Author Robin O. Duke
Series The Quintessential Series
Publisher Mongoose Publishing
Publish date 2002

Grove seneschal is a template that is automatically added to any corporeal creature that has used the ritual of anchoring to anchor and bind a sacred grove (referred to hereafter as the druid). The creature’s type does not change.

Special Attacks: A grove seneschal retains all the special attacks he had prior to performing the ritual binding but receives the following special attacks:

Control Grove (sp): As a standard action, the seneschal can control any of the grove’s special abilities, causing them to either be suppressed or activated. In addition, the seneschal can use any special qualities the grove has that work only for the seneschal. This ability only works while the seneschal is within the boundaries of the grove.

Scry Grove (sp): As a full round action, the seneschal can scry anyone within the sacred grove. This ability works as though using the scrying spell except that no material, vocal or somatic components are required and the seneschal need only find a pool of water to see through. The scry grove ability can be used to scry anyone the grove seneschal detects entering the grove (see grove alarm) even if he has never met them before. This ability is blocked by mind blank and similar abjuration spells that protect against divinations and function no matter where the seneschal is.

Special Qualities: A grove seneschal retains all the special qualities he had prior to performing the ritual of binding but receives the following special qualities:

Grove Alarm (su): The grove seneschal is mentally informed if any creature with an Intelligence of 6 or greater enters the grove. This works no matter where the seneschal is. If the seneschal has met the creature before, he is informed who the creature is. This ability is blocked by mind blank and similar abjuration spells that protect against divinations and functions no matter where the seneschal is.

Spiritual Continuance (ex): The grove seneschal does not pass on into either The Otherworld or the outer planes when he dies. Instead, his soul returns immediately to the sacred grove where his soul becomes a seneschal spirit.

Spell Resistance (su): While within his grove, the grove seneschal receives Spell Resistance 5 + the sacred grove’s caster level.

Spiritual Dependence: Once a druid becomes a grove seneschal, he develops a strong spiritual dependence on the grove. His soul must return to the grove if he has been away from the grove for more than one year and one day, even if this means leaving the grove seneschal’s body. If the grove seneschal strays from his grove for more a year and day, he dies instantly and his soul becomes a seneschal spirit.

Any damage inflicted on the sacred grove’s central stone or tree is immediately transferred to the seneschal (after deductions for Toughness). Once the seneschal dies, he becomes a seneschal spirit and the damage continues to be transferred to his newly regenerated hit points. Once the spirit is destroyed, the sacred grove is destroyed and the stone or tree returns to normal.

If the grove is destroyed, by any means, the grove seneschal must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 5 + the level of the grove). If the check fails, the character simply dies. If the check succeeds, he loses 1d4 levels instantly as though he has failed his check to remove a negative energy level. If this is sufficient to kill the druid, he dies anyway. Either way, the character loses all benefits of this template the moment the grove fails.