Bard of the Old Lore

The Colleges of the Old Lore are an order of bards appended to the druidic society of the Old Faith. Very few of these archetypal bards are left, as their traditions are primarily those of the ancient Flan. Bards of the Old Lore are distinguished from today’s common bards and minstrels by their noble origins, tradition of scholarship, and their use of druidic magic. The prospective Old Lore bard must be of human descent and noble birth, although half-elves are permitted, as well. Tradition demands that each candidate have proven skill in warmaking and stealth, in addition to surpassing grace, in order to receive druidic training. The Old Lore legacy also includes a small number of magical, stringed instruments specifically for each of the seven colleges of the Old Lore. Recovery of any such instrument is of prime concern to the remaining members of these colleges, and the true enchantments worked by the ancient craftsmen come alive only at the touch of a bard of the Old Lore.

Table 1: Bard of the Old Lore
Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	College	Spells per level
Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	College	0	1	2	3	4	5	6
1	+0	+2	+2	+2	Bardic lore, bardic music, druid, nature sense	(Probationer)	3	0
2	+1	+3	+3	+3	Bonus language, woodland stride	Fochlucan	3	1	0
3	+2	+3	+3	+3	Bonus language, trackless step, uncanny dodge	Fochlucan	3	2	1	0
4	+3	+4	+4	+4	Bonus language	Mac Fuirmidh	3	3	2	1
5	+3	+4	+4	+4	Bonus language, resist nature’s lure	Mac Fuirmidh	3	3	3	2	0
6	+4	+5	+5	+5	Bonus language	Doss	3	3	3	3	1	0
7	+5	+5	+5	+5	Bonus language, slippery mind	Canaith	4	3	3	3	2	1	0
8	+6	+6	+6	+6	Bonus language	Cli	4	4	4	3	3	2	1
9	+6	+6	+6	+6	Bonus language, venom immunity	Anstruth	4	4	4	4	4	3	2
10	+7	+7	+7	+7	Bonus language, improved evasion	Ollamh	4	4	4	4	4	4	4

-from the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, © Wizards of the Coast, 2000

Far more than simple performers or historians, Bards of the Old Lore are the living repositories of the legends, histories, and accumulated knowledge of the Flan peoples. It is their destiny to travel the Oerth seeking the deeds of heroes and lore that should not be forgotten.

Bards of the Old Lore are often drawn from those adventurous enough to be worthy of song themselves. The order knows that the path it walks is a dangerous one. It would not allow those unprepared to walk it. To this end, probationers to the Colleges of the Old Lore must demonstrate their skills in defending themselves both by knowing the blade and when not to use it.

Note: In the following class description, the term bard refers specifically to Bards of the Old Lore and not to the bard class of the PHB.

Hit Die: d8

Requirements

To qualify to become a bard of the Old Lore, a character must fulfill the following criteria.

Alignment: any neutral combination; lawful neutral, neutral good, etc.

Race: Human or half-elf

Base Attack Bonus: +8

Hide: 8 ranks

Move Silently: 8 ranks

Climb: 4 ranks

Perform: 4 ranks (must include a stringed instrument)

Innuendo: 4 ranks

Speak Language: Must speak at least 3 languages besides automatic languages

Knowledge (Religion): 2 ranks

Feats: any four from the list available to fighters as bonus. These feats need not have been earned as a fighter, but they must appear on that list.

Special: Evasion and Uncanny Dodge class abilities. Must be accepted for training. Must own a stringed instrument.

Class Skills

The bard’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Alchemy (Int), Animal Empathy (Cha, Exclusive), Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int, Exclusive), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills taken separately, Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Pick Pocket (Dex), Profession (Wis), Scry (Int, Exclusive), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), Wilderness Lore (Wis). See chapter four of the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions.

Skill points at additional levels: 4 + Int modifier

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Bards are proficient with all types (including exotic) of the following weapons: club, dagger, dart, javelin, scimitar, sling, spear, and staff. They are also proficient with the bastard sword, long sword and short sword. Bards are proficient with light armor but not with shields. Note that armor check penalties for armor heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble. Also, Swim checks suffer a –1 penalty for every 5 pounds of armor and equipment carried.

Spells: Bards cast divine spells according to Table 1: The Bard of the Old Lore. Bards may prepare and cast any spell on the Old Lore spell list (in the Magic section, below) provided they can cast spells of that level. They prepare and cast spells the way a cleric does (though they cannot lose a prepared spell to cast a cure spell in its place.) Their caster level is equal to their class level. The bard must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spell’s level to prepare and cast it. The save DC is 10 + the spell’s level + the bard’s Charisma modifier. Bonus spells are based on Wisdom (table 1-1, pg 8, PHB.)

College: College is an important distinction to bards; they will not willingly associate with a bard of a lesser college. The exceptions are the Magna Alumnae, who will happily aid (by advice and suggestion) any bard of any level.

Lawful, chaotic, good and evil spells: Bards cannot cast spells of an alignment opposed to their own.

Bonus Languages: Bards speak Druidic. This secret language is known only to the druidic cults and their members are forbidden to teach it to outsiders. Druidic has its own alphabet. Bards also learn a new language at every level after first. Bards normally have no restrictions when choosing languages though the DM may prohibit them from learning exceptionally obscure languages until they have heard it once.

Bardic Lore: Bards pick up a lot of stray knowledge while wandering the land and learning stories from other bards. A bard may make a special bardic lore check with a bonus equal to twice the bard’s level + Intelligence modifier to see if some relevant information is known about local notable people, legendary items, or noteworthy places. This check will not reveal the powers of a magical item but may give a hint as to its general function. The bard may not take 10 or 20 on this check; this sort of knowledge is essentially random. The DM will determine the Difficulty Class of the check by referring to the table below.

Table 2: Bardic Lore
DC	Type of Knowledge	Examples
10	Common, known by at least a substantial minority of the local people	A local mayor’s reputation for drinking, common legends about a powerful place of magic
20	Uncommon but available, known only by a few people in the area	A local priest’s shady past, legends about a powerful magic item
25	Obscure, Known by few, hard to come by	A knight’s family history, legends about a minor place of mystery or magic item
30	Extremely obscure, known by very few, possibly known only by those who do not know the significance of the knowledge	A mighty wizard’s childhood nickname, the history of a petty magic item.

Once per item as a spell-like ability, a bard may make this check and also receive information as if casting an identify spell (page 216, PHB).

Bards may also, once per day as a spell-like ability, make a bardic lore check and receive information as if casting a legend lore spell (page 219, PHB). The bardic lore check will treat rumors as detailed information for the purposes of determining the completeness of the lore gained as outlined in the spell description.

Bardic Music: Once per day per rank in Perform, bards can use their song or poetics to produce magical effects on those around them. Depending on ranks possessed in the Perform skill, they can inspire courage in allies, sing a countersong to protect those around them from sound-based magic, fascinate a creature, make a magical suggestion to a fascinated creature, help others perform skills better, or inspire greatness. While these abilities fall under the category of bardic music, they can include reciting poetry, chanting, singing lyrical songs, singing melodies, whistling, or playing an instrument in combination with some spoken performance. As with casting a spell with verbal components (see Components, page 151, PHB,) a deaf bard suffers a 20% chance to fail with bardic music. If failed, the attempt still counts against the daily limit.

Inspire Courage: Bards can use song or poetics to inspire courage in allies, bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must hear the bard sing for a full round. The effect lasts as long as the bard sings and for 5 rounds after the bard stops singing (or 5 rounds after an ally can no longer hear the bard.) While singing, the bard can fight but cannot cast spells, activate items by spell completion (such as scrolls or activate magic items by magic word (such as wands.) Affected allies receive a +2 morale bonus to saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus to attack and weapon damage rolls. Inspire courage is a supernatural, mind-affecting ability.

Countersong: Bards can use their music or poetics to counter magical effects that depend on sound (but not spells that simply have verbal components.) As with inspire courage, a bard may sing, play or recite a countersong while taking other mundane actions, but not magical actions. Each round of the countersong requires a Perform check. Any creature within 30 feet of the bard (including the bard) who is affected by a sonic or language-dependent magical attack (such as sound burst or command) may use the bard’s Perform check result in place of their own saving throw if, after rolling the saving throw, the Perform check result proves to be better. The bard may keep up a countersong for 10 rounds. Countersong is a supernatural ability.

Fascinate: Bards can use their music or poetics to cause a single creature to become fascinated with them. The creature to be fascinated must be able to see and hear the bard and must be within 90 feet. The bard must also see the creature. The creature must be able to pay attention to the bard. The distraction of nearby combat or other dangers prevents this ability from working. The bard makes a Perform check, and the target can negate the effect with a Will saving throw equal to or greater than the bard’s check result. If the saving throw succeeds, the bard cannot attempt to fascinate that creature again for 24 hours. If the saving throw fails, the creature sits quietly and listens to the bard for up to 1 round per level of the bard. While fascinated, the target’s Spot and Listen checks suffer a –4 penalty. Any potential threat (such as an ally of the bard moving behind the fascinated creature) allows the fascinated creature a second saving throw against a new Perform check result. Any obvious threat, such as casting a spell, drawing a weapon, or aiming, automatically breaks the effect.

While fascinating (or attempting to fascinate) a creature, the bard must concentrate, as if casting or maintaining a spell. Fascinate is a spell-like, mind-affecting charm ability.

Inspire Competence: Bards with 6 or more ranks in Perform can use music or poetics to help an ally succeed at a task. The ally must be able to see and hear the bard and must be within 30 feet. The bard must also see the creature. Depending on the task that the ally has at hand, the bard may use bardic music to lift the ally’s spirits, to help the ally focus mentally, or in some other way. The ally gets a +2 competence bonus on all skill checks as long the bard’s music is heard. The DM may rule that certain uses of this ability are infeasible- chanting to make a rogue move more quietly, for example, is self-defeating. The bard can maintain the effect for 2 minutes (long enough for an ally to take 20.) Inspire confidence is a supernatural, mind-affecting ability.

Suggestion: Bards with 9 or more ranks in Perform can make a suggestion (as the spell) to a creature already fascinated (see above.) The suggestion does not count against the bard’s daily limit on bardic music performances (once per day per character level,) but the fascination does. A Will saving throw (DC 13 + the bard’s Charisma modifier) negates the effect. Suggestion is a spell-like, mind-affecting ability.

Inspire Greatness: Bards with 12 or more ranks in Perform can use song or poetics to inspire greatness in another creature, granting extra fighting capability. For every three levels the bard has, the bard can inspire greatness in one additional creature. To inspire greatness, the bard must sing and the creature must hear the bard sing for a full round, as with inspire courage. The creature must also be within 30 feet. A creature inspired with greatness gains temporary Hit Dice, attack bonuses, and saving throw bonuses as long as it can hear the bard continue to sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. (All these bonuses are competence bonuses.) The target gains the following boosts:

· +2 Hit Dice (d10’s that grant temporary hit points)

· +2 competence bonus on attacks

· +1 competence bonus on Fortitude saves

Apply the target’s Constitution modifier, if any, to each bonus Hit Die. These Hit Dice count as regular Hit Dice for determining effects such as sleep spell. Inspire greatness is a supernatural, mind-affecting enchantment ability.

Additionally, some magic items have increased efficacy when used by the bard:

· Drums of Panic (add half the bard’s level to the DC to save)

· Horn of Blasting (blasts do 150% damage)

· Lyre of Building (effects are doubled)

· Pipes of the Sewers (twice the rats are summoned in half the usual time)

Druid: Bards of the Old Lore are considered druids of their class level whenever the distinction is called for.

Nature Sense: Bards can identify plants and animals (their species and special traits) with perfect accuracy. He can tell whether water is safe to drink or dangerous (polluted, poisoned, or otherwise unfit for consumption.)

Woodland Stride: At 2^nd level, bards may move through natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain at normal speed and without suffering damage or other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion still affect the bard.

Trackless Step: At 3^rd level, bards leave no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked.

Uncanny Dodge: At 3rd level and above, bards retain their Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) if caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker.

Add together the all the class levels of the classes that grant uncanny dodge and determine the character’s uncanny dodge ability on that basis.

Resist Nature’s Lure: At 4^th level, bards gain a +4 bonus on saving throws against the spell-like abilities of feys.

Slippery Mind: At 7^th level, if a bard is affected by an enchantment and fails the saving throw, 1 round later the bard can attempt the saving throw again. The bard only gets this one extra chance to succeed. This is an extraordinary ability.

Venom Immunity: At ninth level, the bard gains immunity to all organic poisons, including monster venoms but not mineral poisons or poison gas.

Improved Evasion: This extraordinary ability, gained at 10th level, works like evasion (see PHB p48). The bard takes no damage at all on successful saving throws against attacks that allow a Reflex saving throw for half damage (breath weapon, fireball, and so on). What’s more, the bard takes only half damage on a failed saving throw, since the bard’s reflexes allow the character to get out of harm’s way with incredible speed.

Code of Conduct: A bard of the Old Lore will never serve as a cohort for longer than one to four months. As their people’s historians and keepers of knowledge they must continue seeking new songs and stories of heroics. They are also unable to employ cohorts other than humans, elves and half-elves with druid, fighter or rogue levels. Only bards of 16^th level, the Magna Alumnae, may settle down and construct a stronghold of any sort.

Old Lore Spell List

Bards of the Old Lore chose their spells from the following list:

0 level - dancing lights, daze, detect magic, flare, ghost sound, light, mage hand, mending, open/close, prestidigitation, read magic, resistance.

1^st level – alarm, animal friendship, cause fear, charm person, cure light wounds, delay poison, detect animals and plants, detect secret doors, detect snares and pits, entangle, erase, expeditious retreat, feather fall, grease, hypnotism, identify, magic fang, magic weapon, message, pass without trace, protection from chaos/evil/good/law, resist elements, silent image, sleep, speak with animals, summon nature’s ally I, unseen servant, ventriloquism.

2^nd level – animal messenger, animal trance, blindness/deafness, blur, bull’s strength, cat’s grace, cure moderate wounds, darkness, daylight, delay poison, detect chaos/evil/good/law, detect thoughts, enthrall, glitterdust, hold animal, hold person, hypnotic pattern, invisibility, levitate, locate object, magic mouth, minor image, mirror image, misdirection, obscure object, protection from elements, pyrotechnics, scare, see invisibility, shatter, silence, snare, sound burst, speak with plants, suggestion, summon nature’s ally II, summon swarm, Tasha’s hideous laughter, toungues, undetectable alignment, whispering wind.

3^rd level –bestow curse, blink, charm monster, clairaudience/clairvoyance, confusion, control plants, cure serious wounds, diminish plants, dispel magic, displacement, emotion, fear, gaseous form, greater magic fang, greater magic weapon, gust of wind, haste, illusory script, illusory sphere, keen edge, lesser geas, magic circle against chaos/evil/good/law, major image, neutralize poison, phantom steed, plant growth, remove curse, remove disease, scrying, sculpt sound, sepia snake sigil, slow, summon nature’s ally III, tiny hut, tree shape, water walk, wind wall.

4^th level – break enchantment, cure critical wounds, detect scrying, dimension door, dismissal, dominate person, freedom of movement, hallucinatory terrain, hold monster, improved invisibility, legend lore, locate creature, modify memory, neutralize poison, nondetection, polymorph self, rainbow pattern, secure shelter, shout, summon nature’s ally IV, tree stride.

5^th level – contact other plane, control water, dream, false vision, greater dispelling, healing circle, mind fog, mirage arcana, mislead, nightmare, persistent image, summon nature’s ally V.

6^th level – control weather, eyebite, geas/quest, greater scrying, mass haste, mass suggestion, permanent image, plane shift, programmed image, project image, repulsion, summon nature’s ally VI, veil.

Hierophant of the Old Faith

Those adventurous enough to ascend to the rank of Grand Druid are often dissatisfied with the position given that it is primarily a political achievement. Others recognize the post of Grand Druid for what it is and avoid it altogether. These elder druids seek knowledge and experience elsewhere, abandoning their post and wandering the world as a hierophant, becoming more and more a living force of nature.

Note: In the following class description, the term hierophant refers specifically to Hierophants of the Old Faith and not to the hierophant prestige class of the FRCS and D&D3.5 DMG.

Hit Die: d8

Requirements

To qualify to become a Hierophant of the Old Faith, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

Alignment: True neutral

Race: Human, half-elf, elf

Spells: Ability to cast 7^th level divine spells including ice storm, control weather, fire storm, and wind walk.

Knowledge (Nature): 15 ranks

Wilderness Lore: 15 ranks

Concentration: 10 ranks

Knowledge (Religion): 8 ranks

Speak Language: Must speak the following languages: Draconic, Druidic, Elven, Giant, Gnome, Sylvan, and Treant

Special: Nature Sense and Woodland Stride class abilities. Must contact the Druids of the Old Lore and pass through their “Nine Circles of Initiation.”

Class Skills

Table 1: Hierophant of the Old Faith
Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells
1	+0	+2	+0	+2	Druid, Prime of Life, A Thousand Faces, Venom Immunity	+1 level of druid
2	+1	+3	+0	+3	Conjure Elemental (1/day), Enter Elemental Plane of Earth, Hibernate	+1 level of druid
3	+2	+3	+1	+3	Conjure Elemental (2/day), Enter Elemental Plane of Fire	+1 level of druid
4	+3	+4	+1	+4	Conjure Elemental (3/day), Enter Elemental Plane of Water	+1 level of druid
5	+3	+4	+1	+4	Conjure Elemental (4/day), Enter Elemental Plane of Air	+1 level of druid
6	+4	+5	+2	+5	Enter Para-Elemental Planes	+1 level of druid
7	+5	+5	+2	+5	Enter Plane of Shadow	+1 level of druid
8	+6	+6	+2	+6	Enter Plane of Concordant Opposition	+1 level of druid
9	+6	+6	+3	+6	Enter Inner Planes	+1 level of druid
10	+7	+7	+3	+7	Enter Inner Probability Planes	+1 level of druid

The class skills of the Hierophant of the Old Faith (and the key ability for each skill) are Animal Empathy (Cha, Exclusive,) Climb (Str,) Concentration (Con,) Craft (Int,) Diplomacy (Cha,) Handle Animal (Cha,) Heal (Wis,) Hide (Dex,) Intuit Direction (Wis,) Jump (Str,) Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int,) Listen (Wis,) Move Silently (Dex,) Scry (Int, Exclusive,) Search (Int,) Spellcraft (Int,) Spot (Wis,) Swim (Str,) Use Rope (Dex,) and Wilderness Lore (Wis.) See chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions.

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Intelligence modifier.

Class Features

The following are class feature of the Hierophant of the Old Faith.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Hierophants are proficient with club, dagger, dart, halfspear, quarterstaff, scimitar, sickle, shortspear, sling and longspear. Their spiritual oaths prohibit them from using weapons other than these. They are proficient with light and medium armors but are prohibited from wearing metal armor (thus they may wear only padded, leather and hide armor). They are skilled with shields but may not use metal ones. Note that armor check penalties for armor heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble. Also, Swim checks suffer a –1 penalty for every 5 pounds of armor and equipment carried.

A hierophant who wears prohibited armor or wields a prohibited weapon is unable to use any magical powers while doing so and for 24 hours thereafter. (Note: A hierophant may use wooden items that have been altered by the ironwood spell so that they function as though they were steel. See the spell description, page 218, PHB.)

Spells: At each level, hierophants gain a level of spell-casting ability in the druid class. This stacks with any levels of druid the hierophant already has.

Druid: Hierophants of the Old Faith are considered druids of their level in this class whenever the distinction is called for. Any levels they have in another druid class stack for these purposes.

Hierophants also continue their druidic studies throughout their careers. Their effective druid caster level determines the level of druidic abilities they gain from Table 3-8: The Druid, page 34, PHB.

Prime of Life: Hierophants gain extra longevity expressed as a number of decades equal to character level. The hierophant no longer suffers penalties due to aging (this includes penalties already assessed, they are now ignored) and cannot be magically aged. Bonuses still accrue and hierophants still die of old age when their time is up.

A Thousand Faces: Hierophants can change appearance at will, as if using the spell alter self (p 172, PHB.) Note, however, that this alteration is non-magical and so cannot be detected short of true seeing or the like.

Venom Immunity: Hierophants gain immunity to all organic poisons, including monster venoms but not mineral poisons or poison gas.

Conjure Elemental: As a spell-like ability, the hierophant can summon an elemental as if a casting a summon nature’s ally spell (page 260, PHB) of the highest level the hierophant could normally cast.

Enter Elemental Plane: As a supernatural ability, hierophants can enter the appropriate plane, survive there and return. The plane is treated as the hierophant’s native plane and there is no limit to the amount of time the hierophant may remain there. The transfer takes one round and is usable at will.

Hibernate: Hierophants can hibernate, suspending animation for the same amount of time as their increased longevity from the Prime of Life ability. While hibernating, hierophants do not age.

Ex-Hierophants of the Old Faith

A Hierophant of the Old Faith who ceases to revere nature or who changes to a prohibited alignment loses all spells and Hierophant of the Old Faith abilities and cannot gain levels as a Hierophant of the Old Faith until he atones (see the atonement spell, PHB, page 176.)

The following prestige class is an adaptation of a warrior kit from the 2^nd edition AD&D product Greyhawk Player’s Guide. It is an example of a custom prestige class a player may submit for approval.

Ranger of the Gnarley Forest

Description

Hit Die: d10

Requirements

Base Attack Bonus: +5

Alignment: any good

The Gnarley ranger
Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells
1	+1	+2	+0	+2	Favored enemy, nature sense	+1 level of existing class
2	+2	+3	+0	+3	Woodland stride	+1 level of existing class
3	+3	+3	+1	+3	Trackless step	+1 level of existing class
4	+4	+4	+1	+4		+1 level of existing class
5	+5	+4	+1	+4	Favored enemy	+1 level of existing class

Innuendo: 3 ranks

Knowledge (Nature): 5 ranks

Wilderness Lore: 8 ranks

Feats: Track, Weapon Focus (any bow except a crossbow)

Class Skills

The Gnarley ranger’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Animal Empathy (Cha, exclusive skill), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Innuendo (Wis), Intuit Direction (Wis), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Scry (Int, exclusive skill), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), and Wilderness Lore (Wis).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Gnarley Ranger.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Ranger of the Gnarley Forest is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields. Note that armor check penalties for armor heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble. Also, Swim checks suffer a -1 penalty for every 5 pounds of armor or equipment carried.

Favored Enemy: At 1^st level, a Ranger of the Gnarley Forest may select a type of creature (usually giants, humanoids [goblin or orc] or monstrous humanoids) as a favored enemy. Due to the extensive study of these foes and training in the proper techniques for combating them, the ranger gains a +2 bonus to Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Wilderness Lore checks when using these skills against this type of creature. Likewise, the ranger adds +2 to damage rolls against creatures of this type. A ranger also gets this damage bonus with ranged weapons, but only against targets within 30 feet (the ranger cannot strike with deadly accuracy beyond that range). The ranger must also be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach a vital spot. A ranger does not gain this damage bonus when striking a target with concealment (see Table 8-10: Concealment, p133, PHB) or striking the limbs of creatures whose vitals are beyond reach.

At 5^th level , the ranger may select a new favored enemy, and the bonuses associated with each favored enemy increase by +2.

If the Gnarley Ranger already has favored enemy as a class skill, these bonuses are added to any the character already has.

Refer to Table 3-14: Ranger Favored Enemies, p45, PHB, for a list of possible favored enemies.

Bonus Languages: Rangers of the Gnarley Forest speak some Druidic in addition to any other languages. This secret language is normally known only to druids, but through their dealings with them, the Gnarley Rangers have managed to decipher part of it. When attempting to communicate in Druidic, a Gnarley Ranger must make an Innuendo check with his Gnarley Ranger level as a bonus to the check. Druidic has its own alphabet.

Nature Sense: A Gnarley Ranger can identify plants and animals (their species and special traits) with perfect accuracy. The Gnarley Ranger can determine whether water is safe to drink or dangerous.

Woodland Stride: Starting at 2nd level, a Gnarley Ranger may move through natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain at his or her normal speed and without suffering damage or other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion still affect the ranger.

Trackless Step: Starting at 3rd level, a Gnarley Ranger leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked.