Forest Lord[]
Description: The Forest Lord is a defender of the natural world, the guardian of an unsettled wilderness he claims as his domain. He attends to the welfare of animals and retaliates against trespassers. Rarely afiliated with a clan or tribe, the Forest Lord prefers to operate alone.
A Forest Lord considers himself related to a particular kind of animal, called his animal kinsman. Select the kinsman as part of the character creation process. Once chosen, the kinsman type never changes.
The player selects a kinsman type subject to the DM's approval, or rolls 1d6 and consults Table 23. (The DM may add other options to Table 23.) A Forest Lord's kinsmen encompass all species of the type, not just a specific animal. For instance, if a Forest Lord has chosen felines for kinsmen, he considers himself related to all types of felines, such as tigers, lions, and even housecats. Animal kinsmen include outworld species as well as those native to the Forest Lord's homeland. Kinsmen must be non magical, and must have an Intelligence of semi- or lower (4 or less).
| D6 | Roll Species |
|---|---|
| 1 | Feline (tiger, lion, house cat) |
| 2 | Canine (wolf, wild dog, war dog) |
| 3 | Elephant (mastodon, mammoth) |
| 4 | Serpent (constrictor, giant, spitting) |
| 5 | Bear (black, brown, polar) |
| 6 | Primate (baboon, gorilla, chimpanzee) |
Requirements: Standard.
Homeland Terrain:
- Required: Jungle or Forest.
Role: If an adventuring party enters a Forest Lord's territory, they are likely to encounter the Forest Lord himself. He may agree to guide them through his domain, and may even remain with the party if they convince him his skills are needed elsewhere. Most Forest Lords eagerly aid threatened animal kinsmen in the outworld. They may also want to observe unusual creatures in their natural habitat, intervene in natural disasters, and secure treatment for ailing animals.
A Forest Lord is cooperative but distant, preferring the company of animals to people. He enjoys chattering with horses, swinging through trees with monkeys, and sunning himself on stones with serpents. Though typically stoic and reserved, he explodes when confronted with poachers or trophy hunters, and may have to be physically restrained from tearing them apart.
Secondary Skills: Animal Handler, Butcher, Forester, Hunter, Crude Weaponsmithing.
Weapon Proficiencies: Recommended: Blow gun, dagger, javelin, short bow, sling, spear. Wood and bone are the most common materials.
Nonweapon Proficiencies:
- Bonus: Alertness*, Crude Weaponsmithing*.
- Recommended: Animal Handling, Animal Lore, Animal Rending*, Animal Training, Danger Sense*, Hiding*, Tightrope Walking, Tracking, Tumbling.
- Barred: Bartering, Boating*, Horde Summoning*.
Economic System: Animal products barter. (Despite his isolation, he occasionally trades with neighboring tribes.)
Wealth Options: Because he travels lightly, a Forest Lord begins with only 1d4 gp worth of tradable goods.
Armor and Equipment: A Forest Lord wears nothing but an animal skin loincloth or tunic. If adventuring in colder climates, he may acquire padded or leather armor, but generally avoids armor with an Armor Class better than 8. He rarely carries a shield, as it interferes with movement.
Special Benefits[]
Stealth: A Forest Lord receives a +2 bonus to all hiding proficiency checks. In natural settings, he has a 5% chance per level (to a maximum of 95%) to move silently (as the thief skill).
Enhanced Healing: A Forest Lord recovers lost hit points at twice the normal rate. This does not apply to magical healing.
Speak with Animals: A Forest Lord can use this ability at will with his animal kinsmen. He may speak with other animals if he first makes a successful Wisdom check. This ability is otherwise similar to the 2nd-level priest spell, but requires no components or casting times.
Summon Kinsmen: In his homeland terrain, a Forest Lord can attempt to summon animal kinsmen. He thumps his chest and screeches at the top of his lungs for 1—4 rounds, then makes a Wisdom check. If the check succeeds, 1d4 kinsmen arrive within the next hour (assuming the DM decides they're available). The kinsmen act as followers for the next 2d6 hours, obeying the Forest Lord's commands. A Forest Lord can attempt to summon kinsmen once per day.
Tree Top Movement: By swinging and leaping from branch to branch, a Forest Lord moves through the tree tops at a base movement rate of 12.
Special Hindrances[]
Weapon Restriction: The Forest Lord suffers a non proficiency penalty of -2 when using weapons he has not made himself.
Honor Animal Kinsmen: The Forest Lord must honor his animal kinsmen in the following ways:
- He may not wear clothing, wield weapons, or use products derived from his kinsmen.
- He may not intentionally or unintentionally harm a kinsman, and must intervene to prevent others from harming a kinsman.
- He must protect his kinsmen from predators.
- He must care for injured or ill kinsmen.
- He must liberate captive kinsmen, including those in zoos, game reserves, and commercial enterprises. (He may use his speak with animals ability to determine if a particular animal is being held against its will.)
If a Forest Lord violates any of these principles, he is consumed by remorse and cannot use his special benefits for 4d4 days, If his action or inaction results in the death of a kinsman, he is denied his special benefits for the next 1d4+1 weeks. An atonement spell halves the duration of this penalty.
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