Sentinel (3.5e Class)

Sentinel

A sentinel is a guardian of nature, ceaselessly watching and protecting.

Making a Sentinel

Any given sentinel is probably going to be unlike like the last. However, most are tough combatants who compliment their physical prowess with "divine" natural power.

Abilities: Wisdom powers most of the sentinel's abilities and therefore is likely a sentinel's most important ability. Sentinels have some use for high Charisma but only for skills. Dexterity and Constitution assist in survivability since the sentinel can only wear light armor.

Races: Any Race with that sufficiently reveres nature is eligible. Humans, elves, and half-elves, obviously are decent candidates.

Alignment: Must be neutral on at least one axis. Good aligned sentinels tend to wander the world looking to help people while evil aligned ones tend to take a more aggressive stance on protecting nature.

Starting Gold: 5d4x10 (110 gp).

Starting Age: Moderate.

Table: The Sentinel

Hit Die: d6

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Invocations Known
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2	Animal Companion, Wild Empathy,Least Invocation, Landblast 1d6	1
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+3	Woodland Stride	2
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+3	Trackless Step, Landblast 2d6	2
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Remember Landblast	3
5th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Landblast 3d6	3
6th	+4	+5	+2	+5	Lesser Invocation	4
7th	+5	+5	+2	+5	Landblast 4d6	4
8th	+6/+1	+6	+2	+6	Remember Landblast	5
9th	+6/+1	+6	+3	+6	Landblast 5d6	5
10th	+7/+2	+7	+3	+7		6
11th	+8/+3	+7	+3	+7	Greater Invocation, Landblast 6d6	7
12th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+8	Remember Landblast	7
13th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+8		8
14th	+10/+5	+9	+4	+9	Landblast 7d6	8
15th	+11/+6/+1	+9	+5	+9		9
16th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10	Remember Landblast, Primal Invocation	10
17th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10	Landblast 8d6	10
18th	+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+11		11
19th	+14/+8/+4	+11	+6	+11		11
20th	+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+12	Remember Landblast, Landblast 9d6	12
Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (Nature), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str) Class Features Sentinels draw on their extensive knowledge and familiarity with the natural world, in addition to using their formidable magical skill when adventuring. All of the following are class features of the sentinel. Languages: A sentinel automatically gains Druidic as a bonus language Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Sentinels are proficient with the following weapons: club, dagger, dart, quarterstaff, scimitar, sickle, shortspear, sling, and spear. Sentinels are also proficient with light and medium armor but are prohibited from wearing metal armor; thus, they may wear only padded, leather, or hide armor. (A sentinel may also wear wooden armor that has been altered by the ironwood spell so that it functions as though it were steel. See the ironwood spell description) sentinel are proficient with shields (except tower shields) but must use only wooden ones. A sentinel who wears prohibited armor or carries a prohibited shield is unable to cast invocations or use any of her supernatural or spell-like class abilities while doing so and for 24 hours thereafter. Wild Empathy (Ex): A sentinel can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person. The sentinel rolls 1d20 and adds her sentinel level and her Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly. To use wild empathy, the sentinel and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time. A sentinel can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but she takes a –4 penalty on the check. Landblast (Sp): A sentinel's first special ability is the Landblast, a sentinel becomes so attuned to the world around her that she can use it as a spell like ability. The attack affects a single target within 30ft. The blast is a ranged touch attack and deals 1d6 damage Landblast is not in itself an invocation but can be enhanced by invocations (see below). The type of damage and it's bonus is also indicated on the table. Landblast's damage type starts with whatever environment she was raised in. After one day of traveling or living in a new environment, landblast will change to the specified damage type. The Fortitude DC of the landblast effects is equal to 10+ equivalent invocation spell level + Wis. A landblast scores a critical hit on a 20 and deals double damage; on a critical hit. All landblast damage is counts a magical with an enhancement bonus equal to CL/5 (rounding down) for the purpose of overcoming damage resistance. Table: Landblast by Environment Environment Blast Damage Type Desert Hot sand Fire / Slashing Woodland Thorny vines Piercing Plains Sand and grit Slashing Arctic Ice Cold Mountains Stone spikes Piercing Mountains (Snow) Ice and rocks Cold/Bludgeoning Mountain (Volcanic) Volcanic ash Fire Swamp Putrid slime Acid Underground Sound Sonic Wetlands Boiling Steam Fire Sea Lightning Bolt Electric Sea (cold) Ice Cold This is a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity. This damage increases by as shown on the table above Invocations (Sp): Sentinels learn the invocations they learn as they gain levels, much like bards or sorcerers choose which spells to learn. However, a sentinel's repertoire is even more limited than that of a sorcerer. A sentinel can use any invocation she knows as a standard action at will. A sentinel's invocations are Spell-Like abilities; using an invocation is therefore a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity. An invocation can be disrupted, just as a spell can be ruined during casting. A sentinel is entitled to a concentration check to successfully use an invocation if he is hit by an attack while invoking, just as a spellcaster would be. A sentinel can choose to use an invocation defensively, by making a successful Concentration check, to avoid provoking attacks of opportunity. The save DC for an invocation is 10 + invocation level + Wis. Each invocation has a grade (least, lesser, greater, or primal), which determines when it becomes available. A sentinel can initially only cast one invocation at a time and may dismiss any invocation as a standard action, just as a wizard can dismiss a spell. Landblast is not an invocation, but some invocations provide a sentinel with the ability to modify his landblast or add new attacks. At any level when a sentinel learns a new invocation, she can also replace an invocation she already knows with another invocation of the same or a lower grade. At 6th level, a warlock can replace a least invocation she knows with a different least invocation (in addition to learning a new invocation, which could be either least or lesser). At 11th level, a sentinel can replace a least or lesser invocation she knows with another invocation of the same or a lower grade (in addition to learning a new invocation, which could be least, lesser, or greater). At 16th level, a sentinel can replace a least, lesser, or greater invocation she knows with another invocation of the same or a lower grade (in addition to learning a new invocation, which could be least, lesser, greater, or primal). Least— Aquarius: 1st, water, gain aquatic subtype, swim speed equal to base land speed, and the ability to breathe water and air for 24 hours. Call of the Wild: Use speak with animals as the spell and +6 on spot and survival checks for 24 hours. Earthen Grasp: 2nd, earth, gain earthen grasp as the spell. Know the Land: 1st, gain +6 on Knowledge (Nature, Geography, Local, and History) for 24 hours. Landstrike: 2nd, blast shape, channel landblast into a melee attack. Fog Cloud: 1st, gain fog cloud as a the spell. Natural Link: 2nd, gain darkvision, scent, and the ability to see and sense through the sense of plants and animals within 20ft + 10ft/level for 24 hours. Traveler: 1st, gain +4 bonus on Balance, Jump, Climb, and Tumble for 24 hours. Radiance: 2nd, light, gain daylight as the spell. Resonance: 2nd, sonic, as shatter, creature holding/wearing destroyed target makes Fort save or be dazed for 1 round and deafened for 1 minute. Venomous Blast: 2nd, blast essence, struck enemies must make a fort save or be sickened for one minute. Spiderwalk: 1st, gain spider climb as a the spell. Summon Swarm: 1st, gain summon swarm as a the spell. Survivor's Shield: 1st, you and allies within 30ft. are affected as if by endure elements for 24 hours. Lesser— Ancient Ward: 4th, gain a deflection AC bonus and resistance bonus to saves against spells equal to landblast dice for one minute. Landblast cannot be used while ancient ward is active. The caster may dismiss this invocation effect as a standard action. Sunblast: 3rd, blast essence, the damage is light damage like the damage from a searing light spell. Struck enemies must make a fort save or be blinded for one round. The damage dice for this increase to d8s against undead and other creatures vulnerable to sunlight. Cascading Landblast: 4th, blast shape, creatures adjacent to the struck target must make a reflex save or take damage equal to half of the damage of the landblast plus the effects of any applied essences. A successful save negates the damage and removes the need to save against blast effects. Consume Magic: 4th, dispel Magic with touch, gain 1hp/spell level dispelled. May not use own invocations, Deadlock: 4th, gain Wall of Bones, as the spell and the ability to cast speak with dead limited to dead creatures of the animal type. Earthen Eruption: 4th, blast shape, landblast hits all targets in a 30ft. line. reflex save for half damage Entangling Blast: 3rd, blast essence, struck enemies must make a reflex save or be entangled for 1 round. Fade Away, 3rd, cast camouflage as the spell, gain Hide in Plain Sight, and a +6 to hide checks made this way. Ironwood, 4th, gain ironwood as the spell. Naturewalk: 4th, earth and teleportation, gain Tree Stride and Meld into Stone as the spell, tree stride's range is limited to 30ft. +5ft/level. Rust Touch: 4th, gain rusting grasp as the spell. Stony Grasp: 4th, earth, gain Stony Grasp as the spell. Voidsense: 3rd, gain blindsense 30ft. for 24 hours. Voodoo Magic: 4th, cast animate dead as the spell. Must provide material components else corpses disintegrate after 1 round/CL. Wild Heart: 3rd, cast charm animal as the spell 1 animal/4 levels. Greater— Ancient Artillery: 6th, blast shape, struck creatures of medium or smaller make reflex save or be hurled 1d6x10 feet away and knocked prone. If the creature strikes a wall within this distance, they take 1d6 damage for each 10 feet flung in this manner. Caustic Mire: 4th, Cover a 20 foot radius spread within Medium range with acidic slime for 1 round/level that slows movement to half. Creatures entering to take 1d6 acid damage for each space entered and 1d6 acid damage if they end their turn in a space affected.. Effects that deal fire damage to creatures within this spell's effect deal and additional 1 fire damage per die. Persists until a second casting. Diffused Landblast: 6th, blast shape, landblast becomes a 30ft. cone. Falling Skies: 5th, gain call lightning storm as the spell. Mutagenic Landscape: 5th, generate five 10 foot cubes +1 10 foot cube/CL at close range of nightmarish terrain for 1 round per level, entangling and dealing 1d6 damage on your turn to those who fail will saves within. Grants concealment to creatures adjacent and total concealment to creatures beyond regardless of Will save, and you may make hide checks even while being observed in this area, but others may not. Nauseating Blast: 6th, blast essence, targets who fail a fort save are nauseated for 1 min. Primordial Blast: 6th, blast essence, landblast is composed of natural energy and ignores spell resistance. Sentinel's Pillars: 5th, blast shape, create one 5ft. square x 30ft. tall pillar/2 levels composed of the material of your landblast. Enemies standing in the square where pillars are summoned may make a reflex save for half damage. Moving though the pillars deals full damage. Pillars persist until landblast is used again. Vampiric Vines: 6th, gain what is functionally black tentacles. Tentacles are made of whatever natural material (e.g. stone, wood, roots) is available. A sentinel gains 1hp per HD per turn for each creature grappled by the vines. Vertigo Wave: 6th, All within 15ft. become nauseated for 1d4 rounds or sickened for 1 round on a successful Fort save. Wildland Barrier: 5th, gain spike growth] and wall of thorns as the spell. Primal— Awaken: 5th, gain awaken as the spell. Command Weather: 7th, gain control weather as the spell. Sentinel's count as a druid for the purpose of using this spell like ability. Draining Blast: 8th, blast essence, enemies struck must make a fort save or take 1 Con damage. This damage heals completely after 8 hours of rest. Natural Blastwave: 8th, blast shape, landblast affects all targets within 20ft. radius. Lightning Glass: 7th, gain the ability to call one bolt as call lightning storm. The strike affects the area as a Vitrify spell. Spirit of the Wild: 8th, become 8 squares of Diminutive bats, birds, or insects for 24 hours; Str = 1, Dex +6; Lose armor and natural armor bonuses to AC, +4 size and + Cha to AC; Diminutive size swarm and Fly 40ft. (Perfect); Swarm subtype traits; Swarm Attack for 4d6 to any creature in your space at end of turn as magic weapon of your alignment; Distraction on any living creature vulnerable to your swarm attack starting turn in your space makes fort save or be nauseated for 1 round and spellcasting in your space requires Concentration; All possessions are nonfunctional and absorbed into your new form. Concussive Blast: 7th, blast essence, struck targets must make a fort save or be stunned for one round and deafened for one minute. A successful save negates the stun and reduces the deafened period to one round. Summon the Pack: 7th, cast summon nature's ally VII as the spell but can only use to summon 1d3 creatures from VI's list, 1d4+1 creatures from a lower list. Lasts either 1 round/level or until concentration is broken. Additional castings cause previously summoned creatures to vanish. Wildsense: 8th, gain foresight as the spell and communicate with target telepathically within 100 feet and line of sight. Animal Companion (Ex): A sentinel gains an animal companion at 4th level selected from the following list: badger, camel, dire rat, dog, riding dog, eagle, hawk, horse (light or heavy), owl, pony, snake (Small or Medium viper), or wolf. If the campaign takes place wholly or partly in an aquatic environment, the following creatures are also available: crocodile, porpoise, Medium shark, and squid. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the sentinel on her adventures as appropriate for its kind. A 1st-level sentinel's companion is completely typical for its kind except as noted below. As a sentinel advances in level, the animal’s power increases as shown on the table. If a sentinel releases her companion from service, she may gain a new one by performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours of prayer. This ceremony can also replace an animal companion that has perished. A sentinel of 7th level or higher may select from alternative lists of animals (see Druid's Animal Companion). Should she select an animal companion from one of these alternative lists, the creature gains abilities as if the character’s sentinel level were lower than it actually is. Subtract the value indicated in the appropriate list header from the character’s sentinel level and compare the result with the sentinel level entry on the table to determine the animal companion’s powers. (If this adjustment would reduce the sentinel's effective level to 0 or lower, she can’t have that animal as a companion.) A sentinel's animal companion advances identically to a Druid's Animal Companion. Woodland Stride (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a sentinel may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at her normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion still affect her. Trackless Step (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, a sentinel leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. She may choose to leave a trail if so desired. Remember Landblast (Sp): At level 4 and every four levels after, a sentinel can choose to remember one of their favorite landscape and may use that landblast even if she is in a different environment. To select a favorite landblast type, a sentinel must have cast that type of blast at least once. Ex-Sentinel's Any sentinel that spends at least two months in an urban or heavily populated setting without communing with nature at least once a month or ceases to revere nature loses her ability to gain levels in sentinel until she Atones with the help of a spellcaster with at least one level of sentinel or druid and spends at least a week isolated in a natural setting. This timer stops if the sentinel is physically unable to travel or held against her will. Epic Sentinel Table: The Epic Sentinel Hit Die: d6 Level Special 21st 22nd Landblast 10d6 23rd Bonus feat 24th 25th Landblast 11d6 26th Bonus feat 27th 28th Landblast 12d6, 29th Bonus feat 30th 2 + Int modifier skill points per level. Landblast: Damage increases 1d6 every three levels after the 19th. Invocations: The sentinel gains no additional invocations but may choose to gain an invocation instead of a feat at any level a feat is gained. Animal Companion: The epic sentinel's animal companion continues to increase in power as normal. Bonus Feats: The epic sentinel gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic sentinel feats) every three levels after 20th. Epic Sentinel Bonus Feat List: Armor Skin, Augmented Alchemy, Blinding Speed, Combat Archery, Distant Shot, Epic Endurance, Epic Prowess, Epic Speed, Epic Toughness, Epic Weapon Focus, Fast Healing, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Manyshot, Improved Spell Capacity, Legendary Climber, Legendary Rider, Legendary Tracker, Perfect Health, Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting, Permanent Emanation, Spontaneous Spell, Storm of Throws, Swarm of Arrows, Two-Weapon Rend, Uncanny Accuracy. Campaign Information Playing a Sentinel Religion: Sentinel vary by location, thus they may worship any deity, though deities of nature are most common. Other Classes: Sentinels have much in common with Druids and Rangers as they all revere nature and spend much of their time on the outskirts of society. They lack formal education like barbarians as well. They respect rogues, as they too often wander the world. Most sentinels have an ingrained prejudice against arcane spellcasters due to their lack of physical ability and "unnatural" form of spellcasting. Thus sentinel's views on bards are typically mixed since bards are wanderers who also use limited arcane magic. Combat:A sentinel is a magic user primarily with her dangerous invocations. They're less durable than fighters or barbarians due to their lack of medium armor and have a smaller hit die but also more skilled. They can support their team in mid-range combat with their invocations and landblast. A sentinel's respectable skill list and reasonable number of points per level can make a sentinel valuable out of combat as well. “ What separates us from the beasts is the capacity for self improvement. ” —Selenar Greenwall, Elven Sentinel Sentinel Lore Characters with ranks in Knowledge (nature) can research sentinels to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs. Knowledge (history) DC Result 5 Sentinels are natural guardians who wander the land with varying intentions. 10 Sentinels view arcane magic as 'unnatural' 15 Powerful sentinels are capable divine invokers who can use the very land around them as a weapon. 20 Sentinels who lose touch with nature are unable to use their spellcasting abilities. Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Classes → Base Classes -->