Angela, Mender Druid

The Spheres of Power alternate system for magic and might is, as I have said other times, great for flexibility and possibility of choice in creating your character. As I was becoming mire and more passionate about it, I became to try alternate builds for my characters using the system- with mostly good results (some difficulties still exist). This one, for example: changing Angela’s class, I was able to make her just as I wished without any honebrew alteration. The one thing I regret about this solution is that I had to change her alignment. Sigh!
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Lady Angela, Heir of Darkenthal (CR 1)

Female human druid (Spirit Mender) 1

NG Medium humanoid (human)

Init -2; Senses Perception +4

Defense
AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (-2 Dex, +4 Wis)
hp 6 (1d8-2)
Fort +4, Ref -2, Will +6

Defensive Abilities spiritual protection

Offense

Speed 30 ft.

Melee quarterstaff -1 (1d6-1, x2)

Magic

Caster Level 1; MSB +1; MSD 12; Concentration +5

Tradition Divine Petitioner (Verbal Casting, Focus Casting, Prepared Caster; +1 spell point for every odd level in a spellcasting class); CAM Wis

Spell Points 6

Life Sphere - DC 14; Duration None; Range Touch; Talents None; Drawbacks None

- Cure

- Invigorate

- Restore

Mind Sphere - DC 15; Duration None; Range Close (25 ft); Talents Calm; Drawbacks None

- Calm (Lesser, Greater) (DC 17)

- Suggestion (Lesser, Greater)

Nature Sphere - DC 14; Duration 1 round, Concentration; Range Close (25 ft); Packages Plantlife; Talents None; Drawbacks None

- Entangle

- Growth

- Pummel

Statistics

Str 9, Dex 7, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 18, Cha 17

Base Atk +0; CMB -1; CMD 11

Traits Healing Reserve, Peacemaker

Feats Cantrips*, Persuasive, Sphere Focus* (Mind)

Skills Diplomacy +6, Heal +8, Knowledge (nature) +7, Knowledge (religion) +5, Perform (oratory) +4, Sense Motive +5

Languages Celestial, Common, Druidic

SQ attendant spirits, bound spirits 7/day, nature bond (Plant/Harvest), nature sense, sated touch 7/day (1 hp), wild empathy +4

Gear cleric’s kit (16 gp), potion of cure light wounds (50 gp), sunrod (2 gp), 2 gp.

Special Abilities

Attendant Spirits (Su) Small, invisible, intangible spirits live in a cloud around the spirit mender. They continually attend to her, removing stains and adjusting her possessions and clothes: a spirit mender’s clothing float around her, and are strangely unaffected by wind or changes in gravity. Any common stain or residue left upon the body or clothing of the spirit mender disappears in a round, though more powerful chemicals (such as the tar from a tanglefoot bag) are too strong for the spirits to remove alone.

The spirits are averse to the presence of metal. Although they will abide it’s presence in smaller amounts, they will actively work to remove any large metal encumbrances from the spirit mender’s body. Metal armor will fall off the spirit mender’s body as quickly as it can be put on (even over her objections). Metal possessions are generally not affected, but the spirits tend to interfere enough to make metal weapons or shields unwieldy and impossible to use in battle. Equipment that is mostly wood with some metal (such as a spear) are still usable, as is equipment made of alchemical silver (but not other metals, even those with properties similar to alchemical silver).

Whenever the spirit mender is restrained or placed in contact with anything her attendant spirits dislike, she receives a circumstance bonus equal to half her level to Escape Artist checks against it, as her spirits actively try to release her. The spirit mender will always receive this bonus against non-living, non-magical entanglements, artificial chemicals and against metal bonds or grapples by metal or metal-wearing creatures.

The spirit mender receives the Cantrip feat for free, and any cantrip effect she can achieve that targets herself may be performed as a swift action. If she already has the Cantrip feat, she may choose any other feat she qualifies for instead.

Bound Spirits (Su) The spirit mender attracts more powerful nature spirits who do her bidding. She may possess a number of spirits at once equal to 3 + her Wisdom modifier (minimum 1).

These spirits may be turned visible or invisible as a free action (if visible, they appear as wisps of energy that glow dimly). Summoning spirits takes 1 minute, and a spirit mender cannot summon more spirits in a day than 3 + her Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). Once summoned, the spirits remain until used, and either orbit the spirit mender (moving as she does at the same speed), or may be directed to move independently as a move action. A spirit mender may move as many spirits as she wishes with each move action, and spirits have a fly speed of 40 ft. and always succeed at Fly checks. These spirits are only projected into the Material Plane and as such are immune to damage of any kind. A spirit must remain within medium range of the spirit mender, or disappear as if used.

A spirit mender gains a number of abilities, each of which uses up a spirit’s energy. When using a bound spirits ability, the expended spirit returns to the unbounded wilderness of the fey realm until it is re-summoned at a future date. Spirit powers generally require a standard action, and if a saving throw is required the DC is equal to 10 + 1/2 spirit mender level + her Wisdom modifier. To use an ability, the target must be adjacent to the spirit mender (if the spirit is orbiting her), or else the spirit mender must first direct the spirit to move into the target’s square.

The spirit mender gains the following abilities:

• Aid the Living—At 1st level, the spirit mender may expend a spirit to bolster a human, animal, magical beast, or plant, granting it a +1 sacred bonus to attack rolls and saving throws, which increases by 1 for every 5 levels the spirit mender possesses. The creature also gains 1 temporary hit point per level. These bonuses last 1 hour.
• Lovelorn Spirit—At 1st level, the spirit mender may expend a spirit to aid an ally who is at negative hit points, but not dead. The ally becomes stable and gains temporary hit points equal to twice the spirit mender’s class level for 1 minute.
• Open Arms—At 1st level, the spirit mender can expend a spirit while using a Life ability to allow it to affect a number of allies in close range equal to half her spirit mender level, rounded up.

The bound spirit ability counts as a soul weaver’s bound nexus ability for the purpose of feats that require it as a prerequisite. For those feats, the spirit mender’s spirits are considered synonymous with the soul weaver’s souls.

Focus Casting Your magic requires you to use an item such as a wand, holy symbol, ring, or staff to create magic. Using magic without your focus requires you to make a concentration check (DC 20 + 1/2 the caster level) to produce the desired effect. Failure means time (and any spell points) are spent, but no effect happens. If a focus is lost, stolen, or broken, the caster must create a new focus by securing the necessary item and spending 8 hours bonding with it. At the GM’s discretion, however, another caster’s focus may be used instead.

Life Sphere You wield the powers of life.

Life: Cure As a standard action, you may spend a spell point to touch a target and heal it an amount of damage equal to 1d8 + your caster level. This is a positive energy effect, and as such may be used to harm undead (Will half).

Life: Invigorate As a standard action, you may invigorate a touched creature, granting them temporary hit points equal to your caster level (minimum: 1). Unlike normal temporary hit points, this ability can only be used on an injured target and cannot raise a target’s current hit points plus their temporary hit points to be higher than their total hit points. This benefit lasts for 1 hour. Temporary hit points, even from different sources, do not stack; only the highest bonus applies.

Life: Restore As a standard action, you may touch a target and spend a spell point to restore their physical and mental health.

This accomplishes all of the following:

• Heals 1d4 points of ability damage to one ability score of your choice.
• Removes the fatigued condition or lessens exhaustion to fatigued.
• Removes the sickened condition or lessens nauseated to sickened.
• Removes the shaken condition or lessens frightened to shaken, or panicked to frightened.
• Removes the staggered condition.
• Removes the dazzled condition.
• Removes the battered condition. (When using Spheres of Might.)

If the condition targeted is part of an on-going effect, this suppresses the effect for a number of round equal to your caster level. This cannot be used to remove curses or instantaneous effects.

Mind Sphere You gain the ability to alter the minds of others, causing them to act as you see fit. All mind sphere abilities are Enchantment (compulsion) mind-affecting abilities.

Mind: Charm You may place charms on creatures. Charms require a standard action to use and have a range of Close. You may only use charms on targets that possess your own creature type (humanoid for humanoids, etc.) although the Expanded Mind talent changes this. Each charm has three strengths; lesser, greater, and powerful. Lesser charms are at-will abilities, but you may not target an individual creature more than once in a day with any individual lesser charm. Greater charms cost a spell point to use and powerful charms cost 2 points to use. You must possess the Powerful Charm talent before you may use any powerful charms.

When you gain the Mind sphere, you gain the following charm:

Mind: Charm: Suggestion You may plant thoughts into a target’s mind.

Lesser Charm: You may plant a suggestion in a target’s mind, which they obey as if the thought had been their own (Will negates). The suggested course of activity must be limited to a sentence or two and must be a very simple request. The creature performs the suggested action until it finishes, or for 1 hour per caster level, whichever comes first. If you choose, you can instead specify conditions the creature should look for, (i.e., “you should search the next person who enters this room, looking for weapons.”) If the condition is not met before this duration expires, the activity is not performed.

Greater Charm: This is the same as the Suggestion lesser charm, but may be up to a basic request. Very simple requests cause the save to be made with a -2 penalty. The target cannot be asked to do anything it would not normally do.

Mind: Charm: Calm You may suppress emotions in hostile creatures or provide ease to excitement and confidence. You may deny raging creatures their battles or joyous creatures their revelry.

Lesser Charm: The target loses the benefit of any spell or effect with the emotion descriptor, as well as any morale bonus from magical or extraordinary effects (Will negates). This includes a paladin’s auras, the good hope spell, the effects of an eliciter’s emotions, bardic music, or a barbarian’s rage. The effects are suppressed, but not dispelled. This effect lasts a number of rounds equal to your caster level. Any aggressive action toward or damage dealt to a creature under the effect of this ability automatically ends the effect.

Greater Charm: In addition to the effects of the lesser charm, this charm removes any desire to fight or engage in revelrous behavior. No violent actions or destructive actions may be taken by the creature, but the target may still defend itself normally. In addition, effects related to emotion that grant effects beyond simple bonuses (such as a bard’s fascinate ability or certain eliciter emotions) cannot be initiated (Will negates).

Nature Bond (Ex) At 1st level, a druid forms a bond with nature. This bond can take one of two forms. The first is a close tie to the natural world, granting the druid one of the following cleric domains: Air, Animal, Earth, Fire, Plant, Water, or Weather. Druids also have access to a set of Animal and Terrain Domains. When determining the powers and bonus spells granted by this domain, the druid’s effective cleric level is equal to her druid level. A druid that selects this option also receives additional domain spell slots, just like a cleric. She must prepare the spell from her domain in this slot and this spell cannot be used to cast a spell spontaneously.

The second option is to form a close bond with an animal companion. A druid may begin play with any of the animals listed in Animal Choices. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the druid on her adventures.

Unlike normal animals of its kind, an animal companion’s Hit Dice, abilities, skills, and feats advance as the druid advances in level. If a character receives an animal companion from more than one source, her effective druid levels stack for the purposes of determining the statistics and abilities of the companion. Most animal companions increase in size when their druid reaches 4th or 7th level, depending on the companion. If a druid releases her companion from service, she may gain a new one by performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours of prayer in the environment where the new companion typically lives. This ceremony can also replace an animal companion that has perished.

Nature Sense (Ex) A druid gains a +2 bonus on Knowledge (nature) and Survival checks.

Nature Sphere You can command the very terrain to do your bidding.

Nature: Geomancing As a standard action, you may command terrain and natural effects to act on your behalf. The effect produced depends on the environmental aspect targeted. Each effect must be centered or targeted within Close range.

Geomancing effects come in two forms: instantaneous and concentration. Instantaneous effects have no duration, while concentration effects persist as long as the caster concentrates. The caster may always spend a spell point as a free action to allow the effect to continue for 1 round per caster level without the need for concentration.

When a caster gains the nature sphere, he chooses and gains one of the following geomancing packages, with its included abilities. A caster may gain the Expanded Geomancing talent to gain additional packages.

Nature: Geomancing (Plantlife): Entangle (Concentration, requires grass, weeds, vines, or underbrush) You cause plants to grow rapidly, wrapping themselves around everything in a 5 ft + 5 ft per 5 caster levels radius area centered within range. Creatures within this area must pass a Reflex save or gain the entangled condition and become unable to move. Creatures that make their save can move as normal, but those that remain in the area must save again at the end of each turn you maintain the effect. Creatures that move into the area must save immediately. Those that fail end their movement and gain the entangled condition. Entangled creatures can attempt to break free as a move action, making a Strength or Escape Artist check against a DC equal to the effect’s Reflex save DC. This area is also considered difficult terrain for the duration of the effect. If the area contained plants with thorns, all creatures suffer 1 point of piercing damage each round they are within this area.

Nature: Geomancing (Plantlife): Growth (Instantaneous, requires fruit trees, berry bushes, or food crops) You may spend a spell point to cause plants to sprout food spontaneously. You may affect up to 1 plant per caster level within range. Each plant produces enough food to provide 3 medium-sized creatures or 1 horse with food for a day.

Nature: Geomancing (Plantlife): Pummel (concentration, requires a tree) You cause a tree branch to come alive and attack a foe you designate. The tree cannot move, but it makes one slam attack each round against the designated target until you spend a move action to designate another target or until the target dies or moves out of range. A tree branch cannot flank nor aid in flanking. You cannot designate a target you cannot perceive.

The tree has a Strength score equal to 10 + your caster level, and a to-hit modifier equal to your caster level + its Strength modifier + its size modifier. You may animate a Medium branch at 1st caster level, a Large branch beginning at 5th caster level, a Huge branch beginning at 10th caster level, a Gargantuan branch beginning at 15th caster level, and a Colossal branch at 20th caster level. An entire tree can count as a branch, provided the tree isn’t larger than your maximum pummel size.

• Medium: 1d6 damage, 5 ft reach.
• Large: +1 size bonus, 1d8 damage, 10 ft reach.
• Huge: +2 size bonus, 2d6 damage, 15 ft reach.
• Gargantuan: +4 size bonus, 3d6 damage, 20 ft reach.
• Colossal: +8 size bonus, 4d6 damage, 30 ft reach.

Plant/Harvest Domain: Sated Touch (Sp) As a standard action, you can touch a creature to rant it temporary hp equal to ½ your cleric level (minimum 1). You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.

Prepared Caster You must prepare your magic beforehand to use it. After resting to regain spell points, you must assign each of your spell points to a sphere you possess. You cannot spend more spell points in a given sphere in a day than you have assigned to that sphere.

Spiritual Protection (Su) The spirits protect the spirit mender as best they can, warning her of danger. While unarmored and not carrying a shield, the spirit mender may add her Wisdom bonus (if any) to her AC and CMD. This does not stack with other abilities that would allow the spirit mender to apply her Wisdom bonus to her AC or CMD. She gains an additional +1 bonus to her AC and CMD at 2nd level, and an additional +1 for every 4 class levels thereafter.

This replaces the wild shape class feature.

Verbal Casting You must speak in a loud, clear voice to cast spells. Using magic alerts all nearby hearing creatures to your presence and location, effectively breaking stealth. You cannot cast in an area of magical silence, or in any other situation where you are unable to speak clearly.

Wild Empathy (Ex) A druid can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person. The druid rolls 1d20 and adds her druid level and her Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result.

The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.

To use wild empathy, the druid and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.

A druid can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but she takes a –4 penalty on the check.

Build

Angela is built with a 4d6 roll, discard lower system and 70 gp starting wealth. Favored Class Bonus is +½ bonus on Diplomacy and Intimidate checks to change a creature’s attitude. If using a lower point buy, you can lower Strength and Dexterity. If using a higher point buy (or rolling really well), your most important attributes are Wisdom and Charisma. Wisdom is your casting statistic and affects the save DCs of all your magic and martial talents and your spell pool, and increases your Will saving throws. Charisma increases your wild empathy bonus and helps in social situations. Intelligence can be important too, to increase your knowledge skills.

Playing Angela
Angela is a healer, not a fighter. She will stay back from the front line, using her magic to help and comfort her allies, and to persuade opponents to give up attacking or limit their damage potential. If in a pinch, she is more than capable of defending herself with her quarterstaff, but she always stops before inflicting too much damage to her foe. If everything else fails, she uses Alteration talents to render the most dangerous foes harmless. Undead and evil outsiders are the only ones who aren’t accorded the same piety. After the battle, she will insist on curing and attending wounded enemies too.

Future Abilities

Magic Talents Animal Friend, Atonement, Beam, Bless, Break Enchantment, Command, Consequences, Enthrall, Exorcism, Fate sphere, Greater Healing, Greater Invigorate, Greater Restore, Grow Plants*, Light sphere, Glory, Mercy, Nature Barrier*, Powerful Charm, Speak With Plants*, Resurrection, Thorns*, Water of Life.

Feats Call Truce, Cry of Mercy, Merciful Spell, Ritual Caster, Shared Magic, Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Virtuous Creed (Mercy), Virtuous Creed (Peace), Voice of the Sibyl.

Skills Diplomacy, Knowledge, Perform (oratory), and Sense Motive are the most useful skills for this build. Survival is important too, in order to find food and read signs in the wilderness.