General Prestige Class : Arcane Hierophant
"There's nothing unnatural about magic. Magic ebbs and flows through the very earth where you stand, the air that your breathe, and the water that you drink. A fire has some magic of its own, as I'm sure you'll agree when it warms you on a cold day or cooks your food." - Altherion Duniiloli, arcane hierophant
Arcane hierophants wield a blending of arcane magic and divine magic with a heavy emphasis on nature and the elements. Though they possess the learning and discipline commonly associated with wizards, they also have practical knowledge of the natural world commonly associated with druids. Like druids, they can change shape into animal and elemental forms, but they also can wield powerful arcane spells.
Becoming An Arcane Hierophant
Multiclassing as a wizard/druid provides the quickest path to becoming an arcane hierophant, though you can meet the arcane spellcasting requirements as a bard or sorcerer and the divine spellcasting requirements as a relatively high-level ranger. You'll need druid or ranger levels to meet the class feature requirements. Intelligence or Wisdom (either one can govern your spellcasting) is a key ability for you. A high Dexterity score can prove helpful to you in combat, both to improve your Armor Class and to help you beat the opposition to the punch with a quick spell.
Requirements
To qualify to become an Arcane Hierophant, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Alignment: Any non-lawful
- Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 8 ranks, Knowledge (nature) 8 ranks.
- Base Attack Bonus: +4.
- Spells: Ability to cast 2nd-level arcane spells and 2nd-level divine spells.
- Special: Trackless step class feature.
Class Skills
The arcane hierophant's class skills are Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (nature), Listen, Profession, Ride, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival, and Swim.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
As they advance in level, arcane hierophants improve their spellcasting abilities. They also learn how to change shape, and they develop powers that allow them to use plants and animals as weapons and tools.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: You gain no proficiency in any weapons or armor. You abide by the same armor restrictions that druids do, and you lose your divine spellcasting ability and supernatural or spell-like class abilities if you wear prohibited armor or carry a prohibited shield.
Spellcasting: At each level, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class and a level in a divine spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other class feature a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one arcane spellcasting class or more than one divine spellcasting class before becoming an arcane hierophant, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.
Ignore Arcane Spell Failure: When casting an arcane spell, you ignore the arcane spell failure chance for any nonmetallic light or medium armor (padded, leather, or hide armor). You learn to cast arcane spells while wearing the types of armor that druids favor.
Wild Shape (Su): If you do not already possess the ability, you gain no new ability to wild shape. However, you add your arcane hierophant level to your druid level and gain the wild shape ability of a druid of the resulting level. For example, a character who is a 3rd-level wizard/3rd-level druid/4th-level arcane hierophant has the wild shape ability of a 7th-level druid, If you are not a druid, (for example, if you entered the class as a wizard/ranger), you do not gain the ability to wild shape.
Companion Familiar: Upon becoming an arcane hierophant, you must dismiss your familiar, if you have one. (You do not risk losing XP for doing so.) You may retain any one animal companion you already possess. You add your arcane hierophant class level to your druid or ranger level for purposes of determining your animal companion's bonus Hit Dice, natural armor adjustment, and Strength/Dexterity adjustment (see The Druid's Animal Companion). For example, a character who is a 4th-level druid/3rd-level wizard/4th-level arcane hierophant has the animal companion of an 8th-level druid (+4 bonus HD, +4 natural armor, and +2 Strength/Dexterity adjustment, or an animal companion chosen from the 4th- level or 7th-level lists).
In addition, your animal companion (if any) gains many of the abilities that a familiar would normally possess. You add your arcane hierophant class level to your arcane spellcasting class level, and determine the Intelligence bonus and special abilities of your animal companion accordingly (see Familiars). For example, a 4th-level druid/3rd-level wizard/4th-level arcane hierophant has a familiar companion equal to that of a 7th-level wizard and 8th-level druid (Intelligence 9, alertness, improved evasion, share spells, empathic link, deliver touch spells, speak with master, speak with animals of its kind, devotion). The Hit Dice, hit points, attack bonus, saving throws, feats, and skills of the familiar companion are determined as normal for an animal companion. Due to the familiar companion's unusual Intelligence score, it may very well have more skill points than other animals of its kind. The familiar companion is a magical beast (augmented animal), but you can bestow harmless spells on your familiar companion as if it were an animal instead of a magical beast.
If your familiar companion is killed or dismissed, you do not lose XP. You can summon a new familiar companion by performing a ceremony requiring 24 hours of uninterrupted prayer.
Channel Animal (Sp): Starting at 4th level, you gain the ability twice per day to establish a magical conduit between yourself and a single animal that you touch (including your familiar companion). For each use of this class feature, a spell you cast whose range is touch or greater can originate from the animal instead of from you, provided that you have line of sight and line of effect to the animal. The spell's line of effect then extends from the animal to the target based on the senses of the animal, not you.
You can also use this power to deliver touch spells through the animal. Once you cast the spell, the animal is considered to be holding the charge for the spell.
Starting at 8th level, you gain two additional uses of this ability each day.
Channel Plant (Sp): Starting at 6th level, you gain the ability to establish a magical conduit between yourself and a natural, nonanimated plant (but not creatures of the plant type) once per day. This ability functions like the channel animal class feature, except that the line of effect from the plant to the target is based on your senses.
You can use this power to deliver touch spells through the plant. Once you cast the spell, the plant is considered to be holding the charge for the spell, except that the spell is delivered to the first creature or object that can receive the spell when the subject touches the plant.
At 10th level, you gain a second daily use of your channel plant ability.
| Arcane Hierophant | Hit Die: d6 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Spellcasting |
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Companion familiar, ignore arcane spell failure, wild shape | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class and +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | - | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class and +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class |
| 3rd | +2 | +1 | +1 | +3 | - | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class and +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class |
| 4th | +3 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Channel animal 2/day | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class and +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class |
| 5th | +3 | +1 | +1 | +4 | - | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class and +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class |
| 6th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Channel plant 1/day | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class and +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class |
| 7th | +5 | +2 | +2 | +5 | - | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class and +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class |
| 8th | +6 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Channel animal 4/day | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class and +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class |
| 9th | +6 | +3 | +3 | +6 | - | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class and +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class |
| 10th | +7 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Channel plant 2/day | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class and +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class |
Source: Races of the Wild