Specialty
Pied Piper/Animal Charmer
Qualifications
Standard ability scores.
Elves can become Meistersingers and reach
15th level. (Level limits are not enforced in this campaign)
Introduction
Welcome to Great Wood. My
name is Shellana and I will be guiding you
through this beautiful forest. I've lived here
for as long as I can remember. My father is a
ranger who patrols the forest and my mother
maintains a small cottage for us all.
My dearest friends are Simbiom, a red barn
owl, and Moshma, a jet black panther. They
accompany me wherever I go. And where is
that? Well, I don't really have a job as most
people would define it. I often help the rangers
who patrol the Great Wood. They are concerned with the security of some kingdom or
other and want to keep the forest free of spies
and evil monsters. I help them by reporting
any strange people or creatures I encounter.
But my real goal is to keep the forest and its
animals safe from the encroachment of "civilization." Greedy furriers and loggers and
wasteful travelers are my enemies. I have
freed countless animals from live traps, have
broken numerous logging saws, and have
scared off several dozen city folk this year.
I secretly work with the druids. Together we
have kept the forest and its creatures relatively safe from harm. But our jobs grow
more and more difficult as new villages keep
popping up near the forest's edge. And with
that said, I must go and plant some more trees
before Simbiom eats all of my nuts.
Description
Meistersingers wander the
woodlands, mountains, and deserts, seeking
out those who will listen to their songs. Unlike
other bards, Meistersingers rarely perform for
humankind. They tailor their music to the
tunes of nature. Their audiences are the birds,
the bees, and the behemoths.
Meistersingers have wandered unsettled
lands since the dawn of mankind. Loremasters
tell tales about how the ancient dryads and
nymphs would find lost human children and
teach them the ways of the forest. Others were
taken in by druids. Over the years, these children of nature have evolved into a definable
class of character — the Meistersinger. Whether these tales are true or not, Meistersingers do
exist.
The concerns of Meistersingers center
around nature, especially animals. Lawful
neutral, true neutral, and chaotic neutral
Meistersingers see themselves as one with nature (although each views the structure of nature differently). They protect animals as
humans protect those of their society. Neutral
good Meistersingers look upon animals as innocent children who should be isolated and
protected from the harsh and uncaring realms
of civilization. Neutral evil Meistersingers see
animals as subjects to be controlled and exploited. They use animals as some lords use
slaves. True neutral Meistersingers are closest
to druids in the way they look upon animals.
Role
Meistersingers are the mortal enemies
of ruthless and profiteering hunters, trappers,
and fishermen. They believe such activities
should occur only when the game is needed
for survival and no part of the animal is
wasted.
Forests, deserts, and mountains are the typical arena for the adventuring Meistersinger.
Rarely does a Meistersinger adventure anywhere unless animals are somehow involved
— as mounts, as companions, or perhaps as
captives who need to be set free.
Weapon Proficiencies
The following weapons are forbidden to the Meistersinger: harpoon, lances, mancatcher, polearms, and
trident.
As a hunter and woodsman, a Meistersinger must maintain a variety of weapons:
those that are purely for melee, those that are
purely missile weapons, and those that can be
used in both melee and missile combat (hurled
weapons). At 1st level, a Meistersinger must
select one melee and one missile weapon. Each
additional weapon proficiency slot must be
spent in the following repetitive sequence:
hurled, melee, missile.
Nonweapon Proficiencies
Bonuses
Animal Lore, Musical Instrument, Singing, Survival.
Suggested
Agriculture, Animal
Training, Blacksmithing, Craft Instrument,
Dancing, Direction Sense, Fire-Building, Fishing, Herbalism, Hunting, Mountaineering,
Riding (airborne), Riding (land-based), Rope
Use, Set Snares, Swimming, Tracking, Weather Sense.
Armor/Equipment
Standard
Special Benefits
Song of Companionship
At 1st, 5th, and
10th levels, a Meistersinger can play the Song
of Companionship, which lasts for 2d12
hours.
The DM and player should select six naturally occurring wild animals (not domesticated or fantasy-based) appropriate to the
current terrain. A d6 is then rolled and the selected animal emerges from the nearby woods
or over the next hill. The animal is a faithful
companion to the Meistersinger from that day
onward.
The Meistersinger and animal can communicate simple thoughts and desires. Such communication must be in the form of music or
song by the Meistersinger, and a growl, caw,
hiss, or some other appropriate sound by the
animal. Others cannot understand the communication. The companion has hit points
equal to those of the Meistersinger at his current level. The companion's hit points do not
increase as the Meistersinger rises in level.
The companion gained at 1st level should
be tiny or small (as per the "Size" entry in the
Monstrous Compendia). The animal transfers
its primary sensory power onto the Meistersinger. This is much like the find familiar
spell, but it is not identical and does not take
the place of that spell.
The 5th-level companion should be small or
medium in size. The Meistersinger gains the
ability to polymorph his arms and head into
those of this companion, for purposes of unarmed combat. Attacks are made using the
Meistersinger's THAC0, but successful attacks cause damage equal to that of the animal's natural weaponry. The Meistersinger
also receives multiple attacks, if the animal is
entitled to them.
The 10th-level companion should be medium or large. The Meistersinger gains the ability to shape change (as the 9th-level wizard
spell) into this companion's form once per
day.
A Meistersinger's companions are his best
friends. If one is slain, the mental strain of the
loss forces the Meistersinger to roll a successful system shock check or die. (Likewise, if the
Meistersinger is slain, the companion animals
must roll system shock checks, at 80% + 1%
per hit die.) If the check is successful, the
Meistersinger goes into deep mourning for 101
days, during which he does not adventure. A
Meistersinger can call for one replacement
companion each time he advances in level (he
is not required to call for a replacement). The
replacement is the same size as the lost companion and confers the same abilities upon the
Meistersinger.
Song of Sanction
This song envelops the
Meistersinger, creating a nearly magical barrier of good will around him. Any attacking animal or monster must roll a saving throw vs.
paralyzation with a -1 penalty per three
levels of the Meistersinger or ignore the Meistersinger and those within one foot per level of
him for as long as the song is played. The effect of the song is ended if the Meistersinger
attempts to move or if anyone in the protected
area attacks (including offensive spell use).
Animal Charm
Meistersingers know a
number of songs that have special charm-like
effects upon animals (including giant animals).
If the Meistersinger concentrates, he can attempt to charm one animal within view by his
singing. Only an animal of Hit Dice equal to
or less than the Meistersinger's level can be affected. Furthermore, the total Hit Dice of all
such charmed animals accompanying the
Meistersinger cannot exceed twice the Meistersinger's level.
The song takes 1d10 rounds, but the animal
is held temporarily spellbound during the performance, as long as no hostile advances are
made upon it by the Meistersinger or his allies. After 1d10 rounds, the monster rolls a
saving throw vs. paralyzation with a -1 penalty per three levels of the Meistersinger. If it
fails, it is under the effects of a charm spell. If
it succeeds, it is unaffected and acts normally.
If the roll was a natural 20, the animal is enraged and immediately attacks the Meistersinger.
Influence Reactions
Meistersingers can attempt to influence the reactions of animals
that aren't attacking and that allow the Meistersinger to play for them. This ability is handled exactly as the
True Bard's influence
reactions ability (except that it affects only
animals).
Special Hindrances
Meistersingers do not
gain followers, nor do they build typical
strongholds. Their animal companions serve
as their followers, and they tend to build several small cottages or huts throughout the
lands they patrol.
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