Vined Soldier

These are among the most simplistic servants used by druids. Created from fallen soldiers, they arise from the power of the forest, serving their druidic masters in simple tasks. They appear as skeletons with small green vines covering their bones, similar to a living bodies blood vessels. Since they are not the reanimated bodies or spirits, they are not undead, they are animated through the plants.


Vined Soldier

N Medium Plant
Init -1 Senses Low-light vision; Perception +X

 DEFENSE

AC 11 touch 9, flat-footed 11 (-1 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 9 hp (2d8)
Fort +3, Ref -1, Will +0 

 OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.
Melee Slam +2 (1d6+1)
Ranged Net +0 (1d2), Range 20 ft, Ref DC 11 to avoid or escape

 STATISTICS 

Str 13, Dex 9, Con 10, Int 4, Wis 10, Cha 4
Base Atk +1 CMB +2 CMD 11
Feats Power Attack
Skills +4 climb, +2 Perception , -1 Stealth

 ECOLOGY

Environment     Druids Grove
Organization     Solitary or Clan (3-6)
Treasure Value  Quarter or less
Advancement Range: 3 or 4 HD; +1 level as Barbarian or Fighter Class

Appear as a zombie or skeleton with small, thin but very visible green vines covering them, quite similar to blood vessels but these vines are what is causing the dead skeleton to move, thus this is actually categorized as a plant and not a true undead. They are one of the most common servants that druids use, as they are from living creatures killed in a forest, most often from armies that invade the forest. These corpses are then buried in or near a druid's grove and are raised by the magic of the forest. The vines that surround the dead, act a bit like living blood vessels, but these spread the magic that enables the vine zombie to act, the only requirement for the corpses is that they are complete corpses.  Most druids will tear off the faces of these zombies so they are unrecognizable.

A Vined Soldier is treated as a plant, though most often seen as undead by those unfamiliar with them. However, they can be turned if they are in dungeons as undead, but at +4 bonus to resist. Near a druid's grove, they cannot be turned.

Though rare it is sometimes possible for long-serving vine soldiers to gain sentience, as the vines cognizance combines with the memories of the dead to become more than either alone. Still loyal to the druids cause but they have their own purposes. For this reason, many druids retire them after a few years as these mixed beings are sorrowful creatures, unable to fit in either with the living, the dead or other sentient plant creatures,

Prestige Class - Cult of the Vine (Unholy Drunks)

Cult of the Vine

Cult of the Vine is a low-level menace found in virtually every city on Nyssa and are especially active in the warmest parts of the domain. They believe intoxication is a divine state of being and most would prefer to be inebriated as often as they can. While not seen as a grave threat, many communities are torn apart by their celebrations. Their history and lack of culture makes other groups find them distasteful. Even worse they have significant connections with evil groups. Their presence does portend significant dangers.  Many lawful groups ban them but do not actively pursue them, trying to make it more difficult for them to meet or gain new members.

They exploit their members to gain abilities to temporarily boost their capacity to enable them to commit acts. Very few common members understand that this group has dark, twisted intentions as most just associate them with wild, fun communal events. Virtually everything they do is to sow mistrust and dissension so the cult and their allies can grow in their power.

Role: To share their love of excess, engage in fun activities and to watch for signs, then report what they see. Most times, it is meaningless, but these cultists always seem to be watching and preparing for a time to strike their foes down.

Alignment: Any non-lawful or good. They are chaotic by nature.

Hit Dice: D6

Requirements: To qualify to become a Vine Cultist  a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

Base Attack Bonus: +1
Skills: Acrobatics 3 ranks and Perform 3 ranks or Knowledge (Religion) +2 and Knowledge (nature)

Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Beer or Winemaking) Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (Religion), Perform (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex), and Swim (Str).

Attack and saving Throws as a rogue

Class Features: They gain no new weapons or armor

Cult of the Vine

1st: Hideous Laughter (1 + 1/cha bonus), Feat, +6 skill points
2nd: Drunken Rage 1/3 levels; Bonus to Poison Saves (+2), +3 skill points, Gain +2 to any ability score
3rd: Share Damage 1; Share a Drink Effect, +3 skill points, Feat
4th: Hideous Shaking, Debauchery 1/day, +3 skill points
5th: Share Damage 3;  +3 skill points, Gain +2 to any ability score, Bonus to Poison Saves (+5 to saving throws)
6th: Drunk Dance (1/day, ten round max);  Hideous Stare, +3 skill points, Feat
7th: Touch of Drunkenness, Debauchery 3/day, +3 skill points
8th: Share Damage 5; Immunity to mind-affects , +3 skill points, Gain +2 to any ability score
9th Share Damage 9;  +3 skill points, Feat, Immunity to Poison
10th: Debauchery 5/day, +10 skill points, Feat,, Gain +2 to any ability score

Hideous Laughter: Afflicts a subject with uncontrollable laughter as per the spell for 1+ 1/cha bonus rounds. Victim can save every round to avoid. DC 10+Caster Level+Cha Bonus

Drunken Rage: The same as a barbarian's rage, except they can only induce this if they are drinking. It takes one round to be in affect. They do not need to be actually drunk, but once they are in the drunken rage, they cannot exit it until combat is over. They collapse for two times the number of rounds spent in rage induced combat.

Share a Drink: This is a ritual that has long been utilized but rarely recognized unless it's too late. Anyone who shares a drink with a cult of the vine member, has a 24 hour reprieve from taking actions against that cult member, equivalent to a charm person spell. There is no saving throw against the effect though magic resistance is effective. At the end of the drink, the cult member usually announces the effect. If the cult member, leaves without making the announcement, then the effect is nullified. If the drinker leaves and they break the social protocol, or they are not otherwise coerced or tricked, the charm effect is still in place. This trick rarely works more than once, although it could work with another cult member.

Hideous Shaking: Afflicts the subject with uncontrollable shaking, causing victims to take -4 to their dexterity, checks and move at half speed. Victims can save every round to avoid. DC 10+Caster Level+Cha Bonus

Debauchery: Cult of the vine members can psyche themselves up to perform acts of vileness or danger. They can add +3 to any wisdom saving throw or  ability check if they can spend one round preparing themselves. They can hold this advanced save adjustment for the next situation that calls for that roll, but if an unavoidable situation happens, they will use that bonus even if its not what they intended. At 7th level they can gain a +4 to their wisdom save, at 10th level this increases to +5.

Drunk Dance: While looking drunk and awkward, they are incredibly focused on completing their tasks.  They gain +6 to dexterity skill checks and +2 to reflex saving throws.

Hideous Stare: afflicts the subject with an impenetrable and uncontrolled stare, doing nothing else for 4-6 rounds. Victim can save every round to avoid.  DC 10+lev+Cha Bonus

Touch of Drunkeness: Victims who are touched, immediately feel inebriated, they begin to sway, talk loudly and take -4 on dexterity or strength checks due to awkwardness, -2 on attacks, (stacks with dexterity loss). They can take one round to calm down taking no physical action, and they can make a saving throw to throw off the drunken effects. DC 10+lev+Cha Bonus

Gain Bonus to Poison Save: Cult of Poison members prepare themselves by building up a significant range of poisons they have build up resistances to. At 9th level assume they have immunity to any poison that has a DC 24 or under.

Share Damage:  Just as the crowd somehow seems to share mindful tactics, those involved in the cult of the vine divide damage among themselves. They pass along damage to other cult members that are within 20 feet, they can pass one point of damage every round that they take damage. They can do this automatically once every round as long as the recipient would not die or be incapacitated by this damage. At higher levels, they can share more damage, but no recipient can take more than 1 damage any round. For example, if they share 3 damage, none of those members would have been inflicted shared damage from a different cult member that round.

Shared Damage 1 Range: 20 ft
Shared Damage 3 Range: 25 ft
Shared Damage 5 Range: 30 ft
Shared Damage 9 Range: 50 ft