Spell: Awaken Bayou

Awaken Bayou

Transmutation

Level: Druid 9
Components: V, S, DF, XP
Casting Time: 24 hours
Range: Touch
Area: One contiguous area of natural bayou, marsh, swamp, fen, or wetland with a radius of up to 2 miles per caster level, centered on the caster
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

Description

You awaken the latent consciousness of a natural wetland, granting it intelligence, memory, awareness, and a unique personality. The affected area becomes a single sentient entity while retaining its natural ecology.

The affected area must consist entirely of naturally occurring wetlands. Artificial canals, cultivated land, buildings, roads, and similar developed areas are excluded from the awakened consciousness, though they may exist within its boundaries.

Once awakened, the bayou gains the following ability scores:

Intelligence 18, Wisdom 24, Charisma 16

The bayou possesses memories stretching back as far as the oldest living organisms within its boundaries. Every native plant, fungus, animal, insect, and naturally occurring body of water within the affected area becomes part of its awareness.

The awakened bayou instantly knows the location, movement, and general activities of every creature within its boundaries. In addition, it instinctively perceives the prevailing intent of each creature toward the wetland and its inhabitants. It recognizes whether a creature enters in peace, seeks only passage, hunts for sustenance, desires to preserve the ecosystem, or intends exploitation, destruction, or other significant harm. This awareness reveals only intent, not specific thoughts, memories, or secrets.

The bayou possesses perfect awareness within its boundaries. Beyond those limits, it senses activity only as vague impressions extending approximately 300 feet, much as a humanoid might hear distant voices through a wall.

The awakened bayou may subtly influence travel within its domain. It cannot directly attack, restrain, or magically compel creatures. Instead, it encourages or hinders movement through entirely natural means.

Creatures whose intentions are beneficial or harmless to the wetland may find firm footing where none seemed possible, unusually navigable waterways, abundant game, favorable weather, or conveniently timed animal behavior.

Creatures whose intentions threaten the bayou or its inhabitants may instead encounter deep mud, concealed sinkholes, tangled roots, dense fog, swarming insects, territorial wildlife, fallen trees, difficult currents, confusing paths, or similar natural obstacles.

These manifestations never violate the laws of nature, but occur with uncanny frequency and apparent purpose.

At the Dungeon Master's discretion, the awakened bayou may grant circumstance bonuses or impose circumstance penalties of up to ±10 on Survival, Hide, Move Silently, Knowledge (Nature), Search, Spot, Listen, Swim, Balance, Climb, and similar skill checks performed within its boundaries whenever doing so reflects the bayou's wishes. Likewise, overland movement through the affected area may be increased or decreased by as much as one-half.

The bayou cannot physically move, manipulate objects, or make attacks unless another spell or supernatural effect specifically enables it to do so.

The awakened bayou may communicate empathically with druids, rangers, creatures possessing the woodland stride class feature, or any creature currently under the effects of speak with plants, speak with animals, or similar magic. Its communication is slow, deliberate, and often conveyed through emotions, memories, scents, sounds, and symbolic imagery rather than spoken words.

The awakened bayou develops its own personality over time. It is not automatically loyal to its creator, though it generally favors the preservation of natural balance. It remembers acts of kindness and injury indefinitely and may form lasting opinions of individuals, settlements, or even entire peoples.

Only the flora, fauna, and natural waterways within the spell's area become part of the awakened consciousness. Plants and creatures outside the affected area remain independent, even if they belong to the same larger wetland system.

If more than 75% of the awakened area is permanently destroyed through draining, burning, pollution, magical devastation, or similar means, the bayou suffers immense agony before its consciousness fades forever.

The awakened bayou is considered a unique magical creature for the purposes of divination and communication spells but cannot perceive or communicate beyond the boundaries of its domain except through creatures or magic capable of carrying its messages.

XP Cost: 5,000 XP.

Designer's Notes

I think this feels like a true 9th-level druid spell because it doesn't solve an encounter - it changes the world.

An awakened bayou becomes a permanent character in the campaign. Centuries later, people may no longer remember the druid who performed the ritual, but everyone knows that certain stretches of marsh are alive.

Rather than being a curse or a monster's lair, the bayou itself has become an ancient intelligence that has watched generations come and go. It has developed preferences, grudges, and perhaps even a sense of justice. Whether it welcomes travelers or quietly ensures they never find their way back out depends entirely on why they entered its waters in the first place.

Spell: Vitriolic Sphere

Vitriolic Sphere

Conjuration (Creation) [Acid]

Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area: 20-ft.-radius spread
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes

A shimmering sphere of emerald acid approximately 3 inches in diameter materializes above your outstretched hand. At your command, the sphere streaks toward the point you designate, trailing wisps of acrid green vapor.

Upon reaching its destination, the sphere rapidly expands into a massive globe of roiling acid. Rather than erupting outward in an explosion, the sphere itself grows in all directions until it fills a 20-foot-radius spread, engulfing every creature and object within the area. The conjured acid exists for only the briefest instant before collapsing into a cloud of harmless green vapor.

Creatures within the area take 1d6 points of acid damage per caster level (maximum 10d6). A successful Reflex save halves the damage.

The acid is magical in nature and dissipates immediately after dealing damage. It does not continue to corrode unattended objects or terrain after the spell ends.

Material Component: A drop of concentrated acid sealed within a tiny glass bead.

Spell: Acorn Volley

Acorn Volley

Evocation
Level: Drd 1
Components: V, S, M (one acorn)
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Targets: Up to five creatures, no two of which can be more than 15 ft. apart
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

By speaking an ancient druidic blessing over a single acorn, you cause it to split into glowing, emerald-veined acorns that streak unerringly toward their targets.

The spell creates one acorn missile. For every two caster levels beyond 1st, you create an additional missile, to a maximum of five missiles at 9th level or higher. Each missile deals 1d4 + 1 points of bludgeoning damage. The missiles strike unerringly, even if the target is in melee combat or has concealment short of total cover. Specific parts of a creature cannot be singled out.

You may direct the missiles to strike a single target or divide them among multiple targets. Damage from the missiles is resolved simultaneously.

Agricultural Use

Although adventurers know Acorn Volley as a modest offensive spell, it was originally developed by woodland druids and orchard keepers to aid in reforestation.

When cast upon suitable soil instead of at creatures, each missile plants an acorn with perfect depth and spacing, gently embedding it in the earth without damaging the seed. Druids commonly use the spell to rapidly sow oak groves over large areas after forest fires, logging operations, or natural disasters. A single experienced druid can plant hundreds of acorns in a matter of minutes.

Because of its humble origins, many circles consider using Acorn Volley as a weapon to be faintly amusing. It is not uncommon to hear an elder druid remark, "Every mighty oak begins as ammunition."

Feat - Warmonger's Rhetoric

Warmonger's Rhetoric [General]

Your speeches inspire confidence in force while leaving little room for diplomacy.

Prerequisites: Cha 13, Diplomacy 5 ranks or Bluff 5 ranks.

Benefit: Whenever you successfully improve a creature's attitude using Diplomacy or successfully influence a creature with Bluff, you may instead choose to inflame its appetite for armed conflict. For the next 10 minutes, that creature takes a –4 penalty on Diplomacy checks made to negotiate peaceful resolutions and gains a +2 morale bonus on Intimidate checks made to threaten or coerce others.

In addition, once per day as a standard action, you may deliver a forceful speech to allies within 30 feet who can hear and understand you. For the next minute, those allies gain a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls against opponents with whom they have not attempted Diplomacy during the current encounter.

Normal: Diplomacy is normally used to encourage cooperation and peaceful resolution.

Special: A character with 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (nobility and royalty) gains a +2 bonus on Bluff checks made to justify military action.

New Flaws - Nebbish, Obsequious and Socially Incompetent

NEW FLAWS

Please look here for additional flaws

Nebbish [Flaw]

You have no force of personality. Whether from crippling shyness, poor social instincts, or simply being forgettable, you consistently fail to make favorable impressions. Others rarely take you seriously, and even your best attempts at diplomacy often fall flat.

Prerequisite: Charisma 3+

Effect: You take a –4 penalty on all Charisma-based skill checks, except Use Magic Device.

This penalty applies to:

• Bluff
• Diplomacy
• Disguise (when attempting to act in character)
• Gather Information
• Handle Animal
• Intimidate
• Perform
• Use Magic Device is unaffected.

Special: This flaw does not reduce your Charisma score and does not affect spellcasting, turning attempts, saving throw DCs, bonus spells, or any other class features based on Charisma. It affects only Charisma-based skill checks.

~~~

Obsequious [Flaw]

You have an overwhelming need to curry favor with others, especially those you perceive as your superiors. You find it difficult to refuse requests, assert yourself, or project confidence when dealing with others.

Effect: You take a –4 penalty on Bluff, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks.

In addition, whenever you are the target of a successful Diplomacy check that improves your attitude toward the speaker, you take a –2 penalty on opposed Charisma checks made to refuse or resist a reasonable request from that individual for the next 24 hours.

Special: This flaw does not affect magical compulsions, charm effects, or other mind-affecting abilities. It applies only to ordinary social interactions.

~~~

Socially Incompetent [Flaw]

You have an uncanny knack for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. You miss social cues, misunderstand etiquette, and somehow manage to make awkward situations even worse. Even when you mean well, your attempts to help usually have the opposite effect.

Effect: You cannot use the Aid Another action to grant a bonus on another creature's Charisma-based skill check. Likewise, other creatures never gain a circumstance bonus on Charisma-based skill checks as a result of your assistance.

In addition, you never gain bonuses on Charisma-based skill checks from skill synergies.

Spell: Oculus Basilisci

Oculus Basilisci

Necromancy [Evil]

Level: Clr 6, Sor/Wiz 6, Blackguard 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One living creature
Duration: 3 rounds; see text
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

You fix the target with a baleful glare infused with vile necromantic power. Invisible supernatural force courses through its body, stiffening muscles, locking joints and gradually transforming living flesh into cold stone.

At the beginning of each of the target's turns for the next three rounds, it must attempt a Fortitude saving throw.

• First failed save: The creature becomes entangled for the spell's duration as its movements become stiff and sluggish.
• Second failed save: The creature is affected as though by the slow spell for the remainder of the duration.
• Third failed save: The creature is petrified, as though affected by flesh to stone.

A successful saving throw prevents the next stage of the curse from progressing during that round, but does not remove penalties already suffered. Thus, a creature that has already become entangled remains entangled even if it succeeds on later saves, unless the spell ends before the final stage is reached.

A creature that succeeds on all three saving throws suffers no ill effects.

Material Component: The powdered scale of a basilisk mixed with a pinch of grave dust.

Spell: Morbus Areatus

Morbus Areatus

Necromancy

Level: Clr 5, Drd 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: 20-ft.-radius spread
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

You invoke a wave of supernatural pestilence that sweeps through the designated area. Every living creature within the area must succeed on a Fortitude save or contract a disease chosen by you from the list of diseases available to the Cause Disease spell.

All affected creatures contract the same disease.

The disease begins its normal incubation period immediately after infection. Once the incubation period ends, the disease progresses exactly as described for that disease. This spell does not alter incubation periods, damage, frequency, or methods of recovery.

Creatures immune to disease are unaffected.

Material Component

A pinch of grave soil mixed with a drop of stagnant water.