Jotun Hermit

Originally Posted by Sig of the Book of Fey forums.

On this Thread

Fey and humanoid mortals are not the only spellcasting inhabitants of The Otherworld. Giants of many kinds, having survived their ancient wars millenia ago, scattered and hid among the ruins of ancient nature gods.

Their eternal giant arts have become less common as the ever-divided breeds grow more degenerate, but those that retreat into the wild to scry the glacial drift of mountains can still hear the anient wisdom.

And old female Jotun Hermit is also called a “Hag Witch”, and take the task upon themselves to train younger giants (and sometimes other humanoids) the almost-lost traditions.

“In my thousand years of vigilance I’ve seen too many generations of your kind swarm across these mountains, cry out ‘This land is ours!’ and then vanish within decades. If you want to claim this land, too, you’re welcome to try but don’t expect me to play nice.”

— Old Mossy Bonemeal the Hag Witch, Troll Jotun Hermit

Requirements

Type: Giant, or a monstrous humanoid of the Hag variety or Hag subtype
Racial Hit Dice: Giant 4 or monstrous humanoid 4
Spells: Spellcaster level 1+
Base Save Bonuses: Fortitude 4+, Will 2+

Ability Scores: Up until a Giant becomes a Jotun Hermit, low mental ability scores may plague them. However, after advancing levels in this class, that problem is taken care of at least partially. Strength and Constitution are good for offense and defense respectively, while Dexterity might be too low due to size and race to bother with (unless enhanced by magic). Jotun Hermits don’t seek out direct confrontations as they know that eventually their live could end in one; rather, they prefer magical guile and deception while using their traditional Giantish capabilities to prey on the small and defenseless.

Alignment: Usually non-Good, non-Lawful, due to optional digestion of mortal children.
Hit Die: d8
Class Skills: Continued from the being’s race and previous spellcasting classes.
Skill Points: 2+ Intelligence modifier

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special Abilities
1	+0	+2	+0	+2	Lore of the Ancient Jotun, Consume Youth, +1 spellcaster level of existing class
2	+1	+3	+0	+3	Rake, +1 spellcaster level of existing class
3	+2	+3	+1	+3	Ancient Jotun Powers, +2 spellcaster level of existing class
4	+3	+4	+1	+4	Ancient Jotun Powers, +2 spellcaster level of existing class
5	+3	+4	+1	+4	Ancient Jotun Powers, +2 spellcaster level of existing class

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: No additional

Spells per Day spells Known: When a level is gained, the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if they had also gained at least one level in one spellcasting class they belonged to before they added the prestige class. They do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. This essentially means that they add the specified bonus to the level of one or two other spellcasting classes the character has, then determine spells per day, spells known, and caster level accordingly.

Spellcaster levels granted by this class added to chosen existing class’s spellcaster levels can not exceed character level, before any other enhancements.

These bonus spellcaster levels don’t increase bonus spelllcasting of other classes such as Mystic Theurge

Lore of the Ancient Jotun: Class Levels 1 to 5. For each level of Jotun Hermit the character may remove 1 point of racial ability score penalty to either Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma to a maximum of -0 in any one.

Consume Youth (Ex.): Class Level 1. For each creature eaten with Intelligence of at least 3, an age category no older than Adult (immortal creatures with no age penalties count as Adult), and a Constitution score, you may reduce your actual age and appearance by a number of years equal the creature’s level + combined Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma bonuses (maximum age reverted back to a youthful limit of Adulthood). The creature can not have been summoned upon being eaten in order to grant the age reduction.

Claws (Ex.): Class Level 1. If the being has no natural claw attack, 2 of their jointed forelimbs gain a primary claw attack for 1d6 (for size Large character)
+ Strength damage each. If the being had natural claw attacks before gaining this class, increase all claw damage by one step.

Rake (Ex.): Class Level 2. You may attack any grappled foes with up to 2 natural weapons that you used to grapple with no penalty. If the being had Rake before gaining this class, they gain a bonus General feat instead. See the MM for further description of the monster ability of the same name.

Ancient Jotun Powers: Class Levels 3, 4, and 5. Choose one grouping of the following ability options;

• Tongues (constant, Ex.) and Disguise Self (at will, Su., 24 hour duration)
• Animal Shape (Change Shape, Su.): The being may may appear as any animal or vermin of their natural size or one size smaller. Racial and class abilities mostly do not change (except for when certain limbs can’t hold objects, such as fins or wings) but the being may communicate normally with members of the chosen species and gains both a matching Swim speed and Amphibious quality if the species has a Swim speed.
• Water breathing (constant, Ex.) and Swim speed equal to Land speed
• Improved Grapple feat and an Enhancement bonus to Strength equal to class level
• Sculpt Sound (at will, Su.) and Silence (1 per hour, Su.)
• Invisibility (at will, Su.) and see invisibility (constant, Su.)
• Spell Resistance equal to 10 + Jotun Hermit level x2
• Tree Shape (at will, Su., duration lasts as long as desired) and tree stride (1 per hour, Su.)
• Stoneskin (at will, Su.) and Statue (self, constant, do not age while in stone form)
• Rend (Ex.) attack: Damage as 2 claw attacks + 1.5 Strength bonus.
• Scrying (1 per hour, Su.), and Evil Eye (Gaze, Su.): As a Swift action cast Hold monster as a Phantasm-type Gaze attack against all beings that can see the character within 30 feet. The effect lasts 1 round.