Reynard (3.5e Vestige)
Reynard, the Duplicitous Fox[edit]
Level: 2
Binding DC: 17
Special Requirement: No
Legend[edit]
Open a book, people!
Reynard The Fox, hero of several medieval European cycles of versified animal tales that satirize contemporary human society. Though Reynard is sly, amoral, cowardly, and self-seeking, he is still a sympathetic hero, whose cunning is a necessity for survival. He symbolizes the triumph of craft over brute strength, usually personified by Isengrim, the greedy and dull-witted wolf. Some of the cyclic stories collected around him, such as the wolf or bear fishing with his tail through a hole in the ice, are found all over the world; others, like the sick lion cured by the wolf’s skin, derive by oral transmission from Greco-Roman sources. The cycle arose in the area between Flanders and Germany in the 10th and 11th centuries, when clerks began to forge Latin beast epics out of popular tales. The name “Ysengrimus” was first used as the title of a poem in Latin elegiac couplets by Nivard of Ghent in 1152, and some of the stories were soon recounted in French octosyllabic couplets. The Middle High German poem “Fuchs Reinhard” (c. 1180) by Heinrich (der Glîchesaere?), a masterpiece of 2,000 lines, freely adapted from a lost French original, is another early version of the cycle.
Manifestation[edit]
When you summon Reynard, a small fox dressed in a tunic and leather boots appears out of nowhere and bows deeply, flourishing his wide-brimmed hat. He then attempts to engage you in a game of words, and should you win, he acquiesces to serve you for the day.
Sign[edit]
Reynard's sigil appears as a curled fox tail.
Influence[edit]
Reynard despises honesty. Whenever the opportunity to lie or deceive others presents itself, you must make a Will save (DC 25) or attempt to do precisely that even at the risk of your reputation... or even your very life.
Granted abilities[edit]
Reynard shares some of his thief-y traits with you.
Hehehe, You'll Never Catch Me: You can shift into the form of a fox, just as a druid of your effective caster level. This ability works exactly like wild shape, only you must wait 5 rounds after shifting back to your true form before you can attempt to turn into a fox again.
Master of Traps: You gain the trapfinding ability of a rogue. In addition, you may take 10 on Disable Device, Escape Artist, Open Lock, Search, and Tumble checks even under stress, and you may use these skills untrained. For every two effective binder levels you have (round up), you also gain a +1 competence bonus when using these skills for the duration of your bond with Reynard.
Silver Tongued: You may cast glibness once per encounter as a free action. It is treated as if it were prepared with the Silent Spell feat.
Spring In Your Step: You are treated as if you possessed the feat Spring Attack even if you would otherwise not meet the prerequisites. When charging, you also gain the advanced of the Pounce ability, allowing you to follow a charge with a full attack—including rake attacks if you also have the rake ability.
Vanish!: You can use the Hide skill even while being observed. As long as you are within 10 feet of some sort of shadow or other form of cover, you can hide yourself from view in the open without having anything to actually hide behind. You cannot, however, hide in your own shadow.
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