General Prestige Class : Master of the North Wind
by David Noonan, Dragon #314
Masters of the north wind are the least likely group to spend much time at the Palace of the Four Winds; Kiu-Shanat bids them live by the following credo: "Shake the leaves from the forest trees, bend the grasses of the plains as you pass, and leave seafoam on the water behind you." Inveterate travelers, masters of the north wind are comfortable spending months or even years away from the comforts of civilization.
Druidic training is practically a prerequisite for master of the north wind training, as is the martial arts prowess of the monk. In a fight, the master of the north wind has the fierce countenance of an animal fighting for its life, but his movements have the serene grace of a trained monk.
Thakaula the Manyshaper (female elf Drd 5/Mnk 5/master of the north wind 10) is the head of the masters of the north wind, but she hasn't been seen for more than a year. While it's not unusual for a master of the north wind to spend a year away from the palace, Thakaula is aware of her greater responsibilities to the order. Her second-in-command - and only child - Galyerian (male half-elf Drd 5/Mnk 5/master of the north wind 3) has heard rumors that she's been captured by an evil cabal of druid-fiends. In the short term, Galyerian is gathering a team to check out the rumors, and he'll mount a rescue effort if the tales prove true.
Another major effort for the masters of the north wind is helping to maintain a shaky cease-fire between two warring nations. Both sides are controlled by feudal warlords who are largely independent from the monarchs who came to peace, and some warlords are plotting revenge attacks against their rivals on the other side. The masters of the north wind and their allies must patrol the border to make sure no warlord crosses it, and they are trying to spy on the more powerful and unscrupulous lords to find out what they have planned.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Master of the North Wind, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Alignment: Lawful neutral.
- Skills: Climb 10 ranks.
- Spellcasting: Ability to cast 3rd-level divine spells.
- Other: Ki strike (magic) class feature, ability to change shape into a flying creature.
Class Skills
The master of the north wind's class skills are Balance, Climb, Concentration, Diplomacy, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (nature), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival, and Swim.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the master of the north wind prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The master of the north wind gains no weapon or armor proficiencies.
Monk Abilities: A master of the north wind's class levels stack with her monk levels for the purpose of determining her unarmed damage, AC bonus, and unarmored speed bonus. If a master of the north wind doesn't have monk levels prior to becoming a master of the north wind, she gains the unarmed damage, AC bonus, and unarmored speed bonus of a monk of a level equal to her master of the north wind level.
Spells per Day: When a new master of the north wind level is gained (except 6th), the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if she had also gained a level in whatever divine spellcasting class in which she could cast 3rd-level spells before she added the prestige class level. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (more frequent wild shapes, for example). If a character had more than one divine spellcasting class in which she could cast 3rd-level spells before she became a master of the north wind, she must decide to which class she adds each level of master of the north wind for the purpose of determining spells per day.
Wild Shape: Starting at 2nd level, a master of the north wind improves her ability to wild shape. Half her master of the north wind levels (rounded down) stack with her druid levels to determine how often she can wild shape and into which forms. Masters of the north wind who could not previously wild shape gain the ability to wild shape as a 5th-level druid when they become 2nd-level masters of the north wind, then improve at the same rate less the first level (wild shaping as a 6th-level druid when they become 3rd-level masters of the north wind, for example).
At 6th level, a master of the north wind can expend one of her wild shape uses that day to take on a gaseous shape. This functions like the gaseous form spell from a caster of the master of the north wind's class level, except that it expends a wild shape use and the master of the north wind can affect only herself. Unlike other uses of the wild shape class feature, taking a gaseous shape is considered a spell-like ability.
Air Domain: A master of the north wind who reaches 10th level is granted access to the Air domain. In the likely event that she has druid levels rather than cleric levels, the master of the north wind can cast an extra spell per day of each spell level she has access to, which must be the spell from the Air domain for that level. She uses the Air domain's granted power, substituting her master of the north wind levels for cleric levels.
| Master of the North Wind | Hit Die: d8 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Spells per Day |
| 1st | +0 | +2 | +0 | +0 | Monk abilities | +1 level of existing class |
| 2nd | +1 | +3 | +0 | +0 | Wild shape | +1 level of existing class |
| 3rd | +2 | +3 | +1 | +1 | - | +1 level of existing class |
| 4th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +1 | - | +1 level of existing class |
| 5th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +1 | - | +1 level of existing class |
| 6th | +4 | +5 | +2 | +2 | Wild shape (gaseous) | - |
| 7th | +5 | +5 | +2 | +2 | - | +1 level of existing class |
| 8th | +6 | +6 | +2 | +2 | - | +1 level of existing class |
| 9th | +6 | +6 | +3 | +3 | - | +1 level of existing class |
| 10th | +7 | +7 | +3 | +3 | Air domain | +1 level of existing class |
Source: Dragon #314