Races with Class: The Nymph
Monster races. They’re fun, right? Everyone likes playing with a race out of a monster manual. You get to be different. Special. Or, at the very least, you get to be pretty bad-ass, a lot of the time. Sometimes it’s nothing too exotic: a goblin, perhaps. Or those lovable, scrappy kobolds. But other times you want something more. Maybe you’ve always wanted to play a rakshasa. Or maybe… a vampire? Whatever the case, monster-PCs have long been a very fun prospect that was, unfortunately, rarely given much support by game designers. But you didn’t come here to hear about that, did you? You came for the delicious, crunchy new content.
Today’s workshop offering is a monster class, similar to those you might find in a certain 3.0 sourcebook which shattered conceptions of what monster PCs could do. The monster in question? The Pathfinder nymph? Why the Pathfinder nymph? Why even bother making monster classes when Pathfinder has so eloquently handled the problem by hand-waving it so CR=ECL? Because sometimes that eloquent equation just doesn’t quite work, as anyone who’s ever been laughed out of a game for asking a DM if he can play a nymph will know. To say that the nymph is too powerful to be a level 7 PC is a major understatement, which is why astute observers will notice that this class has 10 levels (though only 8 hit dice). Yes, it’s weaker than what the Pathfinder Bestiary technically recommends. On the other hand, you may actually be able to play with it. So… enjoy. Oh, and if you’d like to see more monster classes, speak up, either in the forum or via e-mail.
A quick note about monster classes, for those not familiar with them: PCs who take a monster class use it for their race as well as their class, and may not choose an additional race (ie, human, elf, etc), and so gain no racial benefits besides those presented in the class. Monster classes may only be taken at 1st level (though with DM permission a character may be able to “transform” from one race to another gradually at a later point in the campaign) and once a character enters a monster class, he cannot multi-class until he has completed the class (this has actually been changed slightly; be sure to look at the Nymph Ascension class feature, below). Further, a PC with a Pathfinder monster class always treats the monster class as his or her favored class.
In some cases (including the nymph) a PC may not gain a new hit die at each level of progression in the class. The PC’s base attack, saves, hit points, hit dice, caster level, etc, do not increase at these levels. Additionally, these levels do not count when calculating how many feats and additional ability score points a character has earned: use the PC’s hit dice to determine that instead. Finally, note that in some cases an ability may, during progression in the class, be “replaced” by another ability, such as stunning glance replacing dazing glance, below. Once this occurs, the replaced ability is no longer usable: the character can only use the ability which replaces it.
Nymph
One of the more famous of the mysterious and otherworldly fey, nymphs appear as extraordinarily beautiful women. Like most fey, they tend to be unearthly and strange, and their actions are sometimes difficult for mortals to fully understand. They enjoy close ties to nature, and many legends exist of nymphs aiding travelers and heroes with magical blessings.
Role: Though nymphs possess the spellcasting abilities of druids, they do not benefit from a druid’s ability to wildshape, and are physically relatively weak, preferring to stay away from direct combat (although their unearthly grace and damage reduction leave them remarkably well-defended against most attacks). Their beauty is perhaps their most powerful weapon, eventually allowing them to stun opponents and blind all who look upon them.
Hit Die: d6
Starting Gold: 1d6 x 10 gp
Class Skills:
The nymph’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Fly (Dex), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex), Swim (Str), Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Ranks Per Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Class Features:
The following are class features of the nymph.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Nymphs are not proficient with any type of armor, or with shields. Nymphs are proficient with all simple weapons.
Spells: A nymph casts divine spells, which are drawn from the druid spell list. Her alignment may restrict her from casting certain spells opposed to her moral or ethical beliefs; see Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells. A nymph must choose and prepare her spells in advance.
To prepare or cast a spell, the nymph must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a nymph’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the nymph’s Wisdom modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a nymph can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Nymph. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score.
A nymph must spend 1 hour each day in a trance-like meditation on the mysteries of nature to regain her daily allotment of spells. A nymph may prepare and cast any spell on the druid spell list, provided that she can cast spells of that level, but she must choose which spells to prepare during her daily meditation.
Unlike most spellcasting classes, the nymph’s spells per day and caster level do not increase every level: they do not increase at levels 4, 7, 9, 11 or 16. Thus, an 11th-level nymph has a caster level of 7. Further, if the nymph should ever take levels in the druid class, her nymph levels stack with her druid levels for the purposes of determining her caster level and how many spells she can cast per day, though the four levels mentioned above do not count for this purpose, so a nymph 10/druid 5 would cast spells as a 12th-level druid.
Fey Traits: A 1st-level nymph gains the fey type and all traits associated with it. See the Pathfinder Bestiary for more details.
Wild Empathy (Su): This works like the druid's wild empathy class feature, except the nymph has a +6 racial bonus on the check. The nymph's effective druid level is equal to her HD for determining her total modifier to the check.
Ability Score Bonuses: The nymph gains a number of racial bonuses to her ability scores. At each level indicated on Table: The Nymph, increase the listed ability scores by the amount indicated. These bonuses stack. After 10 levels, a nymph will have a total racial modifier of +10 Dex, +8 Con, +6 Int, +6 Wis, and +12 Cha.
Swim Speed: At 2nd level, the nymph gains a swim speed of 20 feet.
Unearthly Grace (Su): Starting at 2nd level, a nymph adds her Charisma modifier as a racial bonus on all her saving throws, and as a deflection bonus to her Armor Class.
Dazing Glance (Su): At 3rd level, as a standard action, a nymph can daze a creature within 30 feet with a look. The target must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ nymph’s level + nymph’s Charisma modifier) or be dazed for 1d4 rounds.
Dazzling Beauty (Su): At 4th level, a nymph’s beauty becomes powerful enough to dazzle her opponents. This ability affects all humanoids within 30 feet of the nymph. Those who look directly at her must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ nymph’s level + nymph’s Charisma modifier) or become dazzled as long as it remains within range of this ability. A nymph can suppress or resume this ability as a free action.
Damage Reduction: At 5th level a nymph gains DR 5/cold iron. At 10th level, this ability increases to 10/cold iron. At 15th level, this ability increases to 10/cold iron and law. Finally, at 20th level this ability increases to 15/cold iron and law.
Stunning Glance (Su): At 6th level, a nymph’s glance becomes potent enough to stun opponents. This ability replaces dazing glance, and functions identically to that ability except that targets are stunned instead of dazed, and the effect lasts 2d4 rounds.
Fascinating Beauty (Su): At 7th level, the nymph’s beauty becomes so potent it can cause her opponents to forget everything but her. This ability replaces dazzling beauty, and functions identically to that ability except that targets become fascinated instead of dazzled. Though the nymph can suppress her beauty, this is an all-or-nothing suppression, and the nymph cannot choose to use dazzling beauty instead of fascinating beauty.
Fey Step (Sp): Starting at 8th level, a nymph can use dimension door as a spell-like ability once per day. Her caster level for this ability is equal to her hit dice.
Inspiration (Su): Beginning at 9th level, a nymph can choose an intelligent creature to inspire and serve as a muse by giving that creature some token of her affection (typically a lock of her hair). As long as the nymph retains her favor for this creature and as long as the creature carries the nymph's token, the creature gains a +4 insight bonus on all Will saving throws, Craft checks, and Perform checks. A bard who has a nymph for a muse in this way can use his bardic performance for an additional number of rounds per day equal to his nymph muse's Charisma modifier. The nymph retains a link to her token and its carrier as if she had cast a status spell on the carrier. The nymph can end this effect at any time as a free action. A single nymph may only inspire one creature at a time in this manner.
Blinding Beauty (Su): At 11th level, the nymph’s beauty can permanently blind mortal eyes. This ability replaces fascinating beauty, and functions identically to that ability except that targets are permanently blinded instead of fascinated. Though the nymph can suppress her beauty, this is an all-or-nothing suppression, and the nymph cannot choose to use dazzling beauty or fascinating beauty instead of blinding beauty.
Nymph Ascension: Once a nymph reaches 11th level, she has unlocked enough of her inner potential to be able to pursue other interests, if she so chooses. An 11th level nymph may freely multi-class into other classes, and can return to the nymph class later without penalty. Characters with more than 11 levels in nymph represent paragons of the nymph race, who, whether through hard work or an accident of birth, possess abilities in excess of most of their kind.
Animal Guardian (Ex): At 12th level, a nymph gains a loyal animal companion who follows and protects her wherever she goes. This ability functions identically to the animal companion option of the Nature Bond class feature druids possess. Her effective druid level for this ability is equal to her nymph level.
One with the Land (Su): Beginning at 13th level, a nymph can bind herself to a specific location, drawing on the connection to make her abilities more potent as long as she remains on the land. A nymph can be bound to only one location at a time, and can only be bound to a “natural” location (for example, a nymph could choose a grove, river, or pool for her location, but could not choose a fountain in a town square. Final say as to what counts as “natural” lies with the DM). Once the nymph binds with a location, she gains the benefits of this ability as long as she is within 100 feet per nymph level of the location in question (for locations that exceed this distance, such as rivers, only a section of the location grants the nymph the benefit).
In order to bind with a location, the nymph must perform a complex ritual which takes three days to complete. During these three days, the nymph must spend at least eight hours a day performing the ritual, and cannot perform any strenuous activities during the rest of the day without disrupting the ritual.
As long as the nymph is in her bound location, she gains a +2 competence bonus to the DCs of all her supernatural abilities. Further, her spellcasting improves dramatically, and she can prepare and cast spells as a druid of her level (for example, a 13th level nymph in her bound location would be able to prepare and cast spells as a 13th level druid, instead of a 9th level druid, as she normally would. She still could not spontaneously cast summoning spells, however). If the nymph leaves her bound location, her caster level and save DCs immediately return to normal, and she loses any prepared spells she would not normally be able to prepare. Upon returning to her bound location, her save DCs and spellcasting immediately improve again, but she does not regain prepared spells until she takes the time to prepare them again.
A nymph can instinctively feel the boundaries of her bound location, and knows if she would cross them. A nymph who stays away from her bound location for 28 days without returning loses her connection to it, and must either bind it again or bind a new location if she wants to gain the benefits of this ability. A nymph can voluntarily end her connection to a given location by binding a new location.
Maddening Glance (Su): At 14th level, a nymph gains the ability to literally drive mortals mad with a look. This ability functions identically to dazing glance, except that the nymph may use it only once per day, and the target permanently gains the confused condition if it fails its save. This ability does not replace stunning glance, and the nymph may continue to use that ability. The nymph can use this ability a second time each day beginning at 17th level.
Bewitching Beauty (Su): At 16th level, a nymph’s beauty becomes potent enough to make mortals fall in love with her at first sight. This ability functions like dazzling beauty, except that affected targets become affected as though by the spell charm person. This is a mind-affecting charm effect. The nymph gains this ability in addition to the blinding beauty ability, and can continue to use that ability. This ability also functions independently of blinding beauty, and the nymph may choose to have either or both active or suppressed at any given time.
Greater Animal Guardian (Ex): At 18th level, the nymph’s animal companion becomes even more impressive, fueled by her latent nature magic. Apply the Advanced Creature template to the nymph’s animal companion.
Inspire the Land (Su): Beginning at 19th level, the nymph gains the ability to encourage her bound location to grow into a fertile paradise. At will, she can have her bound location produce an effect similar to the goodberry spell. It need not take the form of berries: for example, a nymph bound to a lake or river might grant the benefits through fish or fresh spring water. The nymph need not specify exactly which items (in the case of berries or fish) produce the effect; if desired, the nymph can simply make it so that all such items in her bound location produce the effect.
Additionally, the nymph’s bound location is constantly affected as though by the hallow spell. The nymph chooses which spell effect is tied to the bound location, and can change this choice every 28 days. She can suppress this effect as a free action as long as she remains in her bound location.
Finally, once per day, the nymph can have her bound location produce an effect similar to a heal spell. As with the goodberry effect, above, this is manifested through a natural facet of her bound location, such as fruit, water, fish, or similar. Unlike the goodberry effect, this ability affects only a single item at a time.
Deadly Glance (Su): At 20th level, a nymph can give a glance strong enough to stop a mortal’s heart. This ability functions identically to dazing glance, except that the nymph may use it only once per day, and the target is slain if it fails its save. This ability does not replace stunning glance or maddening glance, and the nymph may continue to use those abilities.