Exalted Prestige Class : Swanmay
Swanmays are members of a secretive order sworn to protect wilderness areas from evil. Their most distinctive feature is their ability to adopt the form of a swan, which they use primarily for mobility. The order accepts only women who are committed to the cause of good and who already possess a strong affinity for the natural world. Only druids and rangers can become swanmays. It is very rare for even multiclass characters to join the swanmay order. Swanmays often live in communal lodges near bodies of water secluded in deep forests. On the rare occasions when they travel beyond their woods to adventure, it is to oppose an evil force that threatens the larger wilderness. They are very secretive, and avoid revealing their true nature even to adventuring companions.
To qualify to become a Swanmay, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Gender: Female
- Alignment: Any good
- Skills: Knowledge (nature) 8 ranks, Speak Language (Sylvan), Survival 8 ranks
- Feats: Sacred Vow, Vow of Purity,
- Spells: Able to cast speak with animals.
- Special: The character must have the wild empathy class feature.
- Special: Knowingly or not, a character must perform a great service for another swanmay before she can join the order.
Class Skills
The swanmay's class skills are Concentration, Craft, Handle Animal, Heal, Hide, Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (nature), Listen, Profession, Ride, Search, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival, and Swim.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the swanmay prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Swanmays gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Shifting (Su): The hallmark of the swanmay is the ability to assume the form of a swan. She can assume this form and return to her normal form once per day at 1st level. This is identical to the druid's wild shape ability, except that the swanmay can only assume the form of a swan. The swanmay can use this ability more times per day at 2nd, 3rd, 6th, and 10th level, as noted on the table below.
Swan: CR 1/3; Small Animal; HD 1d8; hp 4; Init +2; Spd 10 ft., 60 ft. (average); AC 14 (+1 size, +2 Dex, +1 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 12; Atk +1 melee (1d3-1, 2 slams) and -4 melee 1, bite); SQ damage reduction 5/cold iron; AL N; SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1; Str 8, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6.
Skills and Feats: Listen +7, Spot +3; Alertness.
Damage Reduction (Ex): While in swan form, a swanmay gains image reduction 5/cold iron.
Spell Resistance (Ex): A swanmay has spell resistance equal 2 + her swanmay level.
Wild Empathy (Ex): A swanmay adds her class level to her 1 or ranger level when making a wild empathy check. In addition, at 4th level she gains a +2 bonus on wild empathy checks. This bonus increases to +4 at 8th level and +6 at 10th level.
Spells per Day: Starting at 2nd level, and at each swanmay level thereafter, the character gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in either druid or ranger, whichever class she belonged to before adding the prestige class level. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If the character was both a druid and a ranger before becoming a swanmay, she must decide to which class she adds each swanmay level for the purpose of determining spells per day.
Favored Enemy (Ex): At 2nd level, a swanmay gains a favored enemy. This works just like the ranger's favored enemy ability, and if the swanmay has one or more favored enemies already, the bonus against one of her favored enemies increases as if she had just gained another favored enemy from her ranger class. The swanmay does not choose this favored enemy herself; rather, each order of swanmays has its own favored enemy, typically related to a group that frequently threatens their home region.
Low-Light Vision (Su): At 3rd level, a swanmay gains low-light vision.
Charm Person (Sp): At 4th level, a swanmay can use charm person, as the spell, three times per day. Her caster level is equal to her swanmay level, and the saving throw DC is equal to 13 + her Charisma modifier.
Speak With Animals (Sp): At 5th level, a swanmay can use speak with animals, as the spell, at will. Her caster level is equal to her swanmay level.
Speak With Plants (Sp): At 6th level, a swanmay can use speak with plants, as the spell, at will. Her caster level is equal to her swanmay level.
Charm Monster (Sp): At 7th level, a swanmay can use charm monster, as the spell, two times per day. Her caster level is equal to her swanmay level, and the saving throw DC is equal to 15 + her Charisma modifier.
Fey Transformation (Ex): At 10th level, a swanmay's type changes to fey. Additionally, she gains damage reduction 10/cold iron, regardless of whether she is in humanoid form or swan form.
| Swanmay | Hit Die: d8 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Spells per Day |
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +0 | +0 | Shifting 1 /day, spell resistance, wild empathy | - |
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +0 | +0 | Shifting 2/day, favored enemy | +1 level of existing class |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +1 | +1 | Shifting 3/day, low-light vision | +1 level of existing class |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Charm person 3/day, wild empathy +2 | +1 level of existing class |
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Speak with animals | +1 level of existing class |
| 6th | +6 | +2 | +2 | +2 | Shifting 4/day, speak with plants | +1 level of existing class |
| 7th | +7 | +2 | +2 | +2 | Charm monster 2/day | +1 level of existing class |
| 8th | +8 | +2 | +2 | +2 | Wild empathy +4 | +1 level of existing class |
| 9th | +9 | +3 | +3 | +3 | - | +1 level of existing class |
| 10th | +10 | +3 | +3 | +3 | Shifting 5/day, wild empathy +6, fey transformation | +1 level of existing class |
Source: Book of Exalted Deeds