Wildheart (3.5e Prestige Class)

Wildheart

“	At the dawn of our people we were frequently hunted and ruled by savages spirits and forces. Their law was violence so we banished them to preserve ourselves. They left a trace of adoration of nature in us, though far less wild. Now they are back.	”
—Myrrlesine the Ancient, wild elf druid, from the oral cycle "The Long Spring"

Wildhearts are savage warlocks who adore and gain powers from the entity called the Wild Heart. Their powers are largely inherited through blood: feral races or with strong connection with their bestial side are the most common among them, but some rituals to gain these powers seem to have been devised. They are a physical manifestation of chaos and wildness, imitating animals and dire beasts with their powers.

More warlock prestige classes here.

Becoming a Wildheart

Warlocks that pursue this class thematically are similar to druids and rangers, only their worship of nature is raw and extreme. They gain powers that make their bodies more resistant and stronger, making them more adept to melee combat.

Entry Requirements

Alignment:	Any chaotic
Base Attack Bonus:	+5
Skills:	Intimidate 5 ranks, Jump 4 ranks, Knowledge(nature) 3 ranks
Feats:	Eldritch claws
Invocations:	Invocation: Call of the beast

Table: The Wildheart

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Invoking
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+2	+2	Savage claws	+1 level of existing invocation-using class
2nd	+2	+3	+3	+3	Eldritch blast +1d6, New least invocation: Animal pace	+1 level of existing invocation-using class
3rd	+3	+3	+3	+3	New lesser invocation: Primal senses	+1 level of existing invocation-using class
4th	+4	+4	+4	+4	Eldritch blast +1d6, Wild mysteries (+1/+2)	+1 level of existing invocation-using class
5th	+5	+4	+4	+4	Chaos claws	+1 level of existing invocation-using class
6th	+6	+5	+5	+5	Callous hide, Eldritch blast +1d6	+1 level of existing invocation-using class
7th	+7	+5	+5	+5	New greater invocation: Ancestral pack	+1 level of existing invocation-using class
8th	+8	+6	+6	+6	Eldritch blast +1d6, Wild mysteries (+2/+3)	+1 level of existing invocation-using class
9th	+9	+6	+6	+6	New dark invocation: Wild cry	+1 level of existing invocation-using class
10th	+10	+7	+7	+7	Chaos infusion, Eldritch blast +1d6	+1 level of existing invocation-using class
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level) Balance (Des), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Concentration (Con), Handle animal (Cha), Hide (Des), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge(arcana) (Int), Knowledge(nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move silently (Des), Sense motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str).

Table: The Epic <-class name->

Level	Special
11th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
12th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
13th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
14th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
15th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
16th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
17th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
18th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
19th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
20th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the wildeheart.

Weapons and Armors proficiency: A wildheart gains no proficiency with weapons or armors.

Invocations: At each level, you gain new invocations and an increase in caster level as if you had also gained a level in a invoking class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained.

Savage claws (Ex): Your eldritch claws become stronger: you gain a +1 to attack rolls and damage with the claws, you gain the benefit of the feat Multiattack only for your eldritch claws. Also your unarmed damage die increases by one step (or natural claws damage if you have them and you must use the claws instead of unarmed attacks).

If you are a shifter you channel the eldritch blast through your claws, bite or horns, while shifting. You apply the bonus damage for natural attacks from your trait to the eldritch claws (bite or horns) as well, only while shifting.

Reverence to the Wild Heart grants you more competence when using the eldritch claws, as it's the favorite method of attack of a wildheart. Shifters wildheart adapt this power to fit their natural attack.

Eldritch blast (Sp): As the class feature of the same name of the warlock. It increases by +1d6 at 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th level.

New least invocation: Animal pace (Sp): This invocation grants the user a +20 feets (6 meters) enhancement to all kind of movement speed it has for 24 hours. This is the equivalent of a 1st level spell.

To imitate beasts hunting one must abandon the slowness of an urban creature for a swift pace to catch its prey.

New lesser invocation: Primal senses (Sp): With this invocation you gain a +10 bonus to Listen, Search, Spot and Survival checks for one hour. This is the equivalent of a 3rd level spell.

Instinct surges in you making you more alert and ready to strike or respond to any danger.

Wild mysteries (Su): The wildheart gains a +1 to its invocations' DC and caster level check. If the wildheart is a shifter the bonus is +2. At level 8 the bonus increases by one and your natural weapons, unarmed attacks and eldritch blast count as chaotic for the purpose of damage reduction.

The wilderness in your soul attunes to the wild around you, making you more strong and efficient.

Chaos claws (Ex): Savage claws improves and now you can channel essence invocations through your eldritch claws (or equivalent) as you attack. The damage from eldritch claws increases by 1 for each damage die.

If you are a shifter and shifting you gain these temporary abilities:

-Malicious tear: razorclaws shifters gain the rend ability, inflicting +1d6+1.5 Strength modifier damage if they hit with both their claws in one round,

-Bestial knockdown: gorebrute shifters gain the trample ability and count as a size bigger while trampling. They must attack and hit with a charge, they do not provoke attacks of opportunity by the target (contrary to the normal special ability) and they inflict +2d6+double Strength modifier. The target must pass a Reflex save (DC=11+Charisma modifier+half class level) or fall prone,

-Feral maul: longtooth shifters gain the maul ability and can grapple automatically an enemy bitten (they receive a +4 to grapple checks for this and the next ones). Enemy bitten suffer the bite and eldritch blast every round after the bite, until they are released or manage to free themselves (suffering 2d6 damage in the process). You must resolve the grapple check before inflicting the maul damage.

Waves of chaos fill your muscles, bones and chitinose parts granting you stronger attacks and the ability to channel your invocations through the claws or equivalent.

Callous hide (Ex): The wildheart skin becomes tough as leather: it gains a bonus on natural armor equal to half its Constitution modifier (rounded up), minimum +1.

Defense is important when you jump into the heat of battle, tearing and gnashing at your prey: your skin becomes hard from the various wounds you endure.

New greater invocation: Ancestral pack (Sp): You gain an animal companion for one day. You must find it and intimidate it into submission. You count as druid of your wildheart + warlock level - 3. Having call of the beast active grants a +6 to intimidate for this check. If it dies you must still wait the next day before using it again.

You may even intimidate, and gain as a companion, a magical beast or a fey, if they have Intelligence 1 o 2.

You may not have more than one animal companion using this invocation.

This is the equivalent of a 6th level spell.

The art of Wildcalling is ancient and powerful, as the more successful predators are often social animals. Druids and rangers no longer claim alone this privilege.

New dark invocation: Wild cry (Sp): You unleash a baneful cry. It affects everyone in 40 feets (12 meters) around you inflicting the eldritch blast damage and causing them to flee from you. Everyone in the area must do a Will save (DC is 15 + Charisma modifier): those who succeed half the damage and avoid the fear effect (immunity to fear is an automatic success). Those who fail and have half or less than half of your HD/levels are panicked, if they have more HD/levels than half your level but less than you are shaken, if they have equal or more HD/levels than you they don't suffer any fear effect. After the cry you gain a +2 to every physical scores for the duration of the encounter, but you can't unleash another cry until the battle ends (effectively you are still using the same invocation). This is the equivalent of a 9th level spell.

A raging lion roars inside you and you let its pride leave you to strike your opponents. There's little fun in hunting if the prey isn't running.

Chaos infusion (Su): Your eldritch claws work as anarchic weapons: they deal an extra 2d6 points of damage against all enemies of lawful alignment.

The core of the Wild Heart is chaos and now you are one with it, tearing away at trembling foes, as you unleash your fury.

The epic <-class name-> gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic <-class name-> feats) every <-# of levels-> levels after <-usually the last non epic level->.

Epic <-class name-> Bonus Feat List: <-list of bonus epic feats->

Ex-Wildhearts

A wildheart who turn away from chaos can no longer progress in the class and loses its class features, a part for eldritch blast damage and any not unique invocation. But returning to your chaotic nature fixes everything, giving back your powers and another chance at the wildheart's twisted path.

Campaign Information

Playing a Wildheart

Combat: Wildhearts are melee fighters, but they mostly lack the endurance other classes have. They need to resort to alternative ways to deal damage, not with frontal hits but as flankers or ambushers, using guerrilla tactics. They can still overcome punier enemies, with their superior speed and reckless attacks. With their warlock powers they can do efficient crowd control.

Advancement: Some wildhearts choose to become rangers, scouts, fighters or rogues to implement their powers and cushion their weaknesses. Barbarian would be a good choice but the rage feature interferes with their eldritch claws invocation.

Resources: Many wildhearts live in packs, relying on eachother to survive, while others tend to stay alone. Anyway they don't offer any precious material resources, just practical help to those who deserve it.

Wildhearts in the World

“	Don't come near! This is my territory and everyone in it is prey!	”
—Giuderana, shifter wildheart

These warlocks stray far from urbanized areas, preferring the wilderness of nature as their home. They are almost beasts and they make fine adventurers, needing almost no motivation to travel. This class is suited for shifters that often choose to revere the Wild Heart, tapping in their savage heritage.

NPC Reactions: NPCs treat them and fear them no better than wolves, possibly hunting them down. Wild races or druids, rangers and similar characters may treat them differently, depending on their perspective on nature.

Wildheart Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge(nature) can research wildhearts to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge(nature)

DC	Result
11	This wild people act as bears, wolves and apes, using strange powers to hunt.
16	They adore a force called Wild Heart, which empowers them in a feral state.
21	They have no concept of civilation and utterly refuse it. Their claws are infused with chaotic force.
26	Ancient wild spirits probably inhabit them, granting them powers. Shifters probably where created by the same spirits.

Wildhearts in the Game

They fill the same niche as rangers and barbarians and sorcerers as well. NPCs may be allies or enemies, maybe in a campaign about the clash of urbanization and nature.

Adaptation: If you don't like the Wild Heart concept they may be loose from it and simply be wild and chaotic warlocks. If you don't like the class features for shifters you may drop it.

Sample Encounter: <-DM placement for NPC of this class->

EL whatever: <-Encounter scenario and character info on sample NPC including stat block. The CR of the NPC is typically the same as the EL for the encounter->

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