Grove Defender

The ancient groves of the druid are rare and powerful. For every grove, there must be one to step forth and take on the mantle of grove defender.

The Quintessential Druid

Author Robin O. Duke

Series The Quintessential Series

Publisher Mongoose Publishing

Publish date 2002

Not all of these men and women progress into this class but most aspire to do so, bonding themselves body and soul to the grove they defend. Though it is the duty of all druids, from all classes, to protect a sacred grove, the grove defender binds himself to a particular grove. He draws power directly from the grove, essentially becoming a manifestation of its own desire to continue.

Hit Dice: d10

Requirements

To become a grove defender, a character must fulfil the following criteria:
Will Saving Throw: 5+.Animal Empathy: 4 ranks. Knowledge (nature): 8 ranks.
Feats: Iron Will, Toughness.
Spells: The character must be able to cast druid spells.
Special: The grove defender must receive the blessing of the grove’s seneschal before he can bond with the grove. If the defender fails to gain this blessing, the seneschal can sever his bond at any time, causing the character to lose the features of this class.

Class skills

The class skills of the grove defender (and the key ability for each skill) are Animal Empathy (Charisma), Climb (Strength), Concentration (Constitution), Craft (Intelligence), Handle Animal (Charisma), Heal (Wisdom), Hide (Dexterity), Intuit Direction (Wisdom), Jump (Strength), Knowledge (nature) (Intelligence), Listen (Wisdom), Move Silently (Dexterity), Profession (Wisdom), Ride (Dexterity), Search (Intelligence), Spot (Wisdom), Swim (Strength), Rope Use(Dexterity) and Wilderness Lore (Wisdom). See the SRD for skill descriptions.

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Intelligence Modifier.

Grove Defender
Class Level	Base Attack	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per day
1	+0	+2	+0	+2	Chosen Grove, Grove Specialisation +1	+1 druid level
2	+1	+3	+0	+3	Restful Slumber	+1 druid level
3	+2	+3	+1	+3	Grove Spell	+1 druid level
4	+3	+4	+1	+4	Grove Specialisation +2	+1 druid level
5	+3	+4	+1	+4	Entombed Warrior	+1 druid level

Class Features

The following are all the class features of the grove defender prestige class:

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: A grove defender receives martial or Exotic Weapon Proficiency in any one weapon he chooses when he first takes to the calling. In addition to the proficiency, the character may take one weapon of the same type to his circle to be sanctified. The character may use the sanctified weapon without breaking his spiritual oaths as a druid. Should the character use an unsanctified weapon, he suffers all the normal penalties for doing so.

A weapon is sanctified for him and him alone and he cannot use another grove defender’s weapon. The character will only ever have one sanctified weapon, as provided by his circle, and will need to get them to provide another should he lose his. The circle may require a service or Atonement if they feel the weapon was lost while the defender was engaged in activities not befitting one of their own.

Spells Per Day: When a new grove defender level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in the druid class. He does not, however, gain any other benefits a druid would have gained. This essentially means the character must add his grove defender level and druid level together before calculating spells per day and caster level. If the character was not a member of the druid class before becoming a grove defender, he may now cast spells as a druid of his grove defender level.

Chosen Grove: A grove defender binds a particular grove when he joins the class. This requires a five-day ritual in which he fasts and meditates within the boundary of the grove. Many of the grove defender special abilities only work within or near the grove defender’s chosen grove, as specified in the power’s description. There are two major downsides to this spiritual bond with a sacred grove. Firstly, the defender will weaken and die if he remains away from his chosen grove for too long. The grove defender who spends more than one month from his chosen grove must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 15) or suffer 1d4 points of damage.

This damage can only be healed while within the boundaries of the chosen grove, whether naturally, or by magical means. Every month, the DC of this saving throw increases by +2. A grove defender who spends too long away from his grove will weaken and eventually die. Secondly, if the chosen grove is destroyed, the character loses all benefits of this class and may never again advance as a grove defender.

A character, with permission from his circle, may move his link to another grove. This requires the same five day ritual to be performed in the new grove. All the benefits of this class move to the new grove. The character only weakens if away from the new chosen grove.

The defender still has a connection to old groves, though. Should any grove the defender was once attached to be destroyed, he must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 20). On a failed saving throw, he loses 200 experience points per character level. On a successful saving throw, he loses only 100 experience points per character level. A grove defender’s experience total can never drop below naught due to the destruction of a grove. Should he lose sufficient experience to lose access to this class completely, his current bond is destroyed, and the character loses the ability to ever advance as a grove defender again.

Grove Specialisation: A grove defender receives exceptional benefits when fighting within half a mile, per class level, of the grove. The character adds the indicated bonus to armour class, attack bonus and saving throws while within range of his chosen grove.

Grove Spell: When casting a spell in his grove, the grove defender can add a +2 sacred bonus to the saving throw difficulty for the spell.

Restful Slumber: While within the grove, the defender receives the benefits of one full hour of sleep for every 30 minutes he rests. After four hours, the character is completely
rested as though he had received eight hours of sleep. This ability only functions within the defender’s chosen grove.

Healing Slumber: A truly dedicated grove defender needs never fear death if he is within reach of his grove. For every four hours a defender rests within his chosen grove, he heals as though a full day had passed, as the energies of the grove nourish and heal him.