Terrain Druid

Some druids are masters of the terrain they are most comfortable with. Their mastery of their chosen terrain can be frightening to some.

The terrain druid is an archetype of the druid class.

Archetype Main Ability Scores:
The terrain druid mainly focuses on STR/DEX for combat, CHA for their class features, and WIS for their class features and spells.

Archetype Feature Replacements:
2nd – Woodland Stride. 3rd – Trackless Step, Favored Terrain. 4th – Resist Nature’s Lure, Druidic Talent. 5th – Wild Shape. 9th – Venom Immunity. 10th – Druidic Talent. 13th – Plant Whisperer. 16th – Druidic Talent.

Terrain

At 1st level, a terrain druid must pick one of these following terrains (this affects their favored terrain class feature and other class features):

• Cold (ice, glaciers, snow, and tundra)
• Desert (sand and wastelands)
• Forest (coniferous and deciduous)
• Jungle
• Mountain (including hills)
• Plains
• Swamp
• Underground (caves and dungeons)
• Urban (buildings, streets, and sewers)
• Water (above and below the surface)

Terrain Adaptation (Ex)

At 2nd level, a terrain druid has learned how to adapt in her chosen terrain, gaining one of the following abilities:

• Cold: A terrain druid gains a bonus on Initiative checks and Knowledge (geography), Perception, Stealth, and Survival checks equal to 1/2 her druid level in cold or icy terrain, and she cannot be tracked in cold or icy terrain.
• Desert: A terrain druid gains a bonus on Initiative checks and Knowledge (geography), Perception, Stealth, and Survival checks equal to 1/2 her druid level in desert terrain, and she cannot be tracked in such environments.
• Forest: A terrain druid gains a bonus on Initiative checks and Knowledge (geography), Perception, Stealth, and Survival checks equal to 1/2 her druid level in forest terrain, and she cannot be tracked in such environments.
• Jungle: A terrain druid gains a bonus on Initiative checks and Climb, Knowledge (geography), Perception, Stealth, and Survival checks equal to 1/2 her druid level in jungle terrain, and she cannot be tracked in such environments.
• Mountain: A terrain druid gains a bonus on Initiative checks and Climb, Knowledge (geography), Perception, Stealth, and Survival checks equal to half her druid level in mountainous terrain, and she cannot be tracked in such an environment.
• Plains: A terrain druid gains a bonus on initiative checks and Knowledge (geography), Perception, Stealth, and Survival checks equal to 1/2 her druid level in plains terrain, and she cannot be tracked in such an environment.
• Swamp: A terrain druid gains a bonus on Initiative checks and Knowledge (geography), Perception, Stealth, Swim, and Survival checks equal to 1/2 her druid level in swamp terrain, and she cannot be tracked in such an environment.
• Underground: A terrain druid can move through areas of rubble or narrow passages that require squeezing at her normal movement rate and without penalty.
• Urban: A terrain druid adds Diplomacy, Knowledge (history), Knowledge (local), and Knowledge (nobility) skills to her list of class skills. She also receives a +2 bonus on these skill checks.
• Water: A terrain druid gains an insight bonus on Initiative checks and Knowledge (geography), Perception, Stealth, Survival, and Swim checks equal to 1/2 her druid level in aquatic terrain, and she cannot be tracked such environments.

This ability replaces woodland stride.

Terrain Movement (Ex)

At 3rd level, a terrain druid can maneuver in her chosen terrain, gaining one of the following abilities:

• Cold: A terrain druid suffers no penalty to speed or on Acrobatics, Climb, or Stealth checks in snowy or icy terrain or weather conditions and can walk across snow crusts or thin ice without breaking through.
• Desert: A terrain druid suffers no penalty to speed or on Acrobatics or Stealth checks when moving through sandy or desert terrain.
• Forest: A terrain druid gains the Woodland Stride ability at 3rd level.
• Jungle: A terrain druid gains the Woodland Stride ability at 3rd level.
• Mountain: A terrain druid suffers no penalty to speed or on Acrobatics or Stealth checks when walking across steep slopes, rubble, or scree.
• Plains: A terrain druid gains +10 feet to her land speed when wearing light or no armor and carrying a light load, and once per hour, she may run or charge at double the normal speed for 1 round. If riding her animal companion, it gains this ability instead.
• Swamp: A terrain druid suffers no penalty to speed or on Acrobatics or Stealth checks in bogs and undergrowth.
• Underground: A terrain druid cannot be detected with tremorsense.
• Urban: A terrain druid gains +10 feet to her land speed while in urban areas.
• Water: A terrain druid gains a swim speed equal to half her land speed.

This ability replaces trackless step.

Favored Terrain (Ex)

At 3rd level, a terrain druid must select from the same terrain chosen at 1st level, but cannot pick additional terrains.

This ability modifies favored terrain.

Resistant to Terrain (Ex)

At 4th level, a terrain druid becomes resistant to the effects of her chosen terrain, gaining one of the following abilities:

• Cold: A terrain druid ignores the effects of a cold climate as if using endure elements. She is also immune to being dazzled.
• Desert: A terrain druid ignores the effects of a hot climate as if using endure elements. She also has a reduced need to eat and drink, as if wearing a ring of sustenance (though normal sleep is still required).
• Forest: A terrain druid gains concealment whenever she is prone in natural surroundings, and can make Stealth checks at no penalty when prone and not moving or at –5 when crawling. She can stand up from prone as an immediate action during a surprise round.
• Jungle: A terrain druid ignores the effects of a hot climate as if under the effects of endure elements. She also gains a +4 bonus on saves against disease and the exceptional abilities of animals and magical beasts.
• Mountain: A terrain druid does not lose her Dexterity bonus when climbing. She is immune to altitude sickness and ignores the effects of a cold climate as if under the effects of endure elements.
• Plains: A terrain druid gains concealment whenever she is prone in natural surroundings, and can make Stealth checks at no penalty when prone and not moving or at –5 when crawling. She can stand up from prone as an immediate action during a surprise round.
• Swamp: A terrain druid gains a +4 bonus on saves against disease and the exceptional, supernatural, and spell-like abilities of monstrous humanoids. She also gains DR/— equal to half her druid level against attacks by swarms. If this damage resistance prevents damage, the druid is unaffected by distraction or other special attacks of the swarm.
• Underground: A terrain druid gains a +2 bonus on saves against extraordinary, supernatural, and spell-like abilities of oozes and aberrations.
• Urban: A terrain druid gains a +2 bonus on saves versus enfeebling spells and effects.
• Water: A terrain druid gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against spells of the elemental (water) subtype or the exceptional or supernatural abilities of creatures with the aquatic or water subtype.

This ability replaces resist nature’s lure.

Terrain Stride (Ex)

At 4th level and every six druid levels thereafter, a terrain druid gains one of the following abilities:

• Cinderwalk (Ex): A terrain druid can move through any sort of solid volcanic terrain (such as ash, cooled lava, or volcanic rock) at his normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. She ignores fire damage from being near heat sources and touching heated surfaces (but not from immersion).
• Icewalking (Ex): This ability works like the wall climb spell, but the surfaces a terrain druid climbs must be icy. She can move across icy surfaces without penalty and does not need to make Acrobatics checks to run or charge on ice.
• Swamp Stride (Ex): A terrain druid can move through bogs and quicksand without penalty at her normal speed.
• Windwalker (Ex): The penalties from natural or magical wind effects are treated as one step less severe for a terrain druid.

This ability replaces a druidic talent gained at 6th, 10th, and 16th level.

Wild Shape (Su)

At 5th level, a terrain druid’s effective druid level for this ability is equal to her druid level – 2.

This ability modifies wild shape.

Terrain Mastery (Ex)

At 9th level, a terrain druid has mastered her terrain, gaining one of the following abilities, based on her chosen terrain:

• Cold: A terrain druid can see normally in ice storm, sleet storm, or similar natural snowstorms. In addition, she can cast any druid spell with the elemental (fire) subtype as an elemental (ice) spell, with an identical effect but inflicting ice damage instead of fire damage.
• Desert: A terrain druid becomes immune to blinding and dazzling effects and gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against gaze attacks and illusions.
• Forest: A terrain druid becomes immune to confusion and to any effect that would confuse the druid’s mind.
• Jungle: A terrain druid becomes immune to disease, poison, and sap status effects and gains a +2 bonus on saving throws versus all other status effects while in a jungle terrain.
• Mountain: A terrain druid gains immunity to petrification and receives a +4 bonus on saving throws or to CMD to resist any attempt to push, pull, bull rush, or drag her, or to resist any other effect that would physically move her from her position. This does not protect her against being tripped, grappled, or overrun.
• Plains: A terrain druid can charge through allies’ squares without difficulty (whether mounted or afoot) and can turn up to 90 degrees once during a charge, provided the last 10 feet toward the target are in a straight line. She also gains a +4 dodge bonus to AC against enemy charge attacks and a +4 bonus to damage with a readied action against a charging foe.
• Swamp: A terrain druid gains immunity to all diseases, including natural and supernatural diseases. She also becomes immune to effects that would cause her to become sickened or nauseated.
• Underground: A terrain druid can assume the form of a Small or Medium ooze as if using beast shape III, and at 13th level that of a Tiny or Large ooze as if using beast shape IV (treating the ooze as if it were a magical beast without a natural armor bonus). When in ooze form, the terrain druid has no discernible anatomy and is immune to poison,  precision damage, and critical hits.
• Urban: A terrain druid gains immunity to charm and compulsion effects.
• Water: A terrain druid gains the aquatic subtype, the amphibious trait, and a swim speed equal to her land speed. She also can endure cold climate effects as if using endure elements.

This ability replaces venom immunity.

Improved Terrain Mastery (Ex)

At 13th level, the terrain druid’s mastery of terrain improves, gaining one of the following abilities, based on her chosen terrain:

• Cold: A terrain druid can assume the form of a swirling column of snow equivalent to gaseous form at will. While in this form, she gains a circumstance bonus on Stealth checks made in cold terrain equal to her druid level.
• Desert: A terrain druid can assume the form of a swirling mass of sand at will. This is equivalent to gaseous form, but the druid gains a land and burrow speed of 10 feet rather than a fly speed. While in this form, the druid gains a circumstance bonus on Stealth checks made in desert terrain equal to her druid level.
• Forest: A terrain druid can cast tree shape at will.
• Jungle: A terrain druid can assume the form of a large snake as if using beast shape IV.
• Mountain: A terrain druid can transform her body into a weathered stone outcrop and back at will. This effect functions as break.
• Plains: A terrain druid gains evasion when wearing light or no armor and carrying a light load. This functions as the thief ability of the same name.
• Swamp: Any creature that strikes a terrain druid with a touch attack, unarmed strike, or natural weapon must succeed at a Fortitude save with a DC of 10 + 1/2 the druid’s level + the druid’s Wisdom modifier or contract a disease, as the contagion spell. If the creature makes it’s save, it is immune to this effect for 24 hours.
• Underground: A terrain druid gains continuous freedom of movement.
• Urban: A terrain druid can redirect nearby lightning attacks. As an immediate action, the druid can shift the area or target of a lightning attack by 5 feet in any direction. If the lightning affects an area, the druid selects one square to be unaffected and an adjacent square to be affected (if this square is already in the area, this has no additional effect in that area). If the lightning affects a target, the druid selects an adjacent target. She cannot redirect lightning damage conducted to her by physical contact with an object or creature (such as a shocking grasp or a shock weapon). She can use this ability a number of times per day equal to her Wisdom modifier.
• Water: A terrain druid gains DR/slashing or piercing equal to 1/2 her level. This damage reduction also applies against spells and spell-like abilities that inflict damage by grappling or crushing. She never takes pressure damage from deep water.

This ability replaces plant whisperer.