Bamboo Warrior

Table

Arising from the offspring of humans and woodland spirits in an age past, bamboo spirit folk are unique in that their life-force is tied to a particular stand of sasa (bamboo). Damage to the stand can result in serious injury and even the demise of an entire family of spirit folk associated with it. Thus, the concealment and defense of the home grove is of paramount importance in bamboo spirit folk society.

At the fore of the defenders is a cadre of tough warriors ready to defend their namesake to the death. Bamboo warriors take upon themselves the fate of their entire clan in this regard.  While most of their skills derive from their association with the forest, having a bamboo warrior at one's side is a favorable circumstance indeed.

Bamboo warriors are not limited to home defense, however.  Among their self-expectation are initiating and maintaining alliances with other bamboo spirit groves and even human samurai houses.  They may also take up arms in response to requests from such allies, or adventure to increase the prestige of their home clan.

    Hit die: d10

Requirements

Race Bamboo Spirit Folk
Alignment Any non-evil
Base attack bonus +6 of higher
Skills Diplomacy 4 ranks, Knowledge (Nature) 4 ranks, Wilderness Lore 4 ranks
Feats Track
Experiences Must have remained faithful to the home grove and responded to calls from the family in times of need

Skills & proficiencies

Skills The class skills and the abilities on which they are based are Animal Empathy (Exclusive skill, Cha), Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Hide (Dex), Iaijutsu Focus (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Nature, Int), Move Silently (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), and Wilderness Lore (Wis). Using the Hide and Move Silently skills while wearing armor or more than lightly encumbered may impose penalties.
    Skill points (2 + Int modifier)/level

Proficiencies Bamboo warriors gain proficiency with all simple and martial weapons as all light, medium, and heavy armor. They typically eschew shields.

Class features

Grove Bond (Su) - On account of the charge placed on himself, a bamboo warrior has an uncanny sense of threats to his home grove. As a result, he can sense whenever his grove is in immediate danger, no matter the distance to the grove (though he must be on the same plane). This feeling is so overwhelming it will even wake him from sleep. The grove must be in immediate, physical danger, however. An enemy simply spying on it will not trigger his grove bond, but a foe seeking to set it afire will.

Favored Enemy - The bamboo warrior may choose one specific enemy of his home grove against which his attention is directed. This is similar to the ranger's favored enemy ability except that the category is narrower - bakemono in the neighboring mountains (vs. all bakemono), for example, or a clan of oni who historically threaten the grove. Against this enemy, he gains a +1 attack and damage bonus, and can add a +1 bonus to Bluff, Intimidate, and Wilderness Lore skill checks when using them in relation to this enemy. When using a missile weapon against a favored foe, the attack and damage bonus only applies if the enemy is within 30 feet since distances greater than that preclude accuracy. At fifth level, the bonus increases to +2, and at tenth level the bonus increases to +3.

Spells - The spirit warrior gains the ability to cast some divine spells at an effective caster level equal to half his spirit warrior level. He can cast a particular spell if he has a Wisdom score of at least 10 plus the spell level. He does not gain bonus spells for high Wisdom unless the listing is "0," in which case he can cast one spell of the stated level if he has high enough Wisdom to normally have a bonus spell of that level. The bamboo spirit warrior's spell list is as follows:

Level I: Animate Wood, Backbiter, Calm Animals, Detect Snares and Pits, Endure Elements, Obscuring Mist, Pass without Trace, Wood Shape.

Level II: Animal Trance, Animal Messenger, Barkskin, Elemental Burst (wood only), Hold Animal, Speak with Animals, Summon Nature's Ally I, Whispering Wind.

Level III: Barkskin, Create Spring, Diminish Plants, Entangle, Plant Growth, Protection from Arrows, Quench, Weapon Bless, Wood Shape.

Level IV: Antiplant Shell, Commune with Lesser Spirit, Possess Animal, Plant Growth, Resist Elements, Protection from Spirits, Speak with Plants, Solid Fog.

Animal Camaraderie - At second level the character can add +2 to Animal Empathy skill checks when used with woodland animals. He must still have at least one rank in the skill to use it, however.

Nature Acumen - Also at second level is the ability to add +2 to Knowledge (Nature) skill checks when used in conjunction with woodland or forest settings.

Bonus Feats - At third and eighth level, the bamboo warrior gains a bonus feat. These feats must come from the list available to fighters as bonus feats, though Weapon Specialization is not among them.

Wilderness Acumen - At fourth level the warrior may "take 10" on any Wilderness Lore skill check.

Scry - At fifth level the bamboo warrior may scry on his home grove and the immediate vicinity (up to one mile beyond its border).  This is a spell-like ability cast at the level of the warrior as if her were a sorcerer.

Fire Resistance - The bane of forestlands is fire, and as a result, spirit warriors are especially vigilant against it. They thus train themselves to resist its effects, and at sixth level gain fire resistance of 5 hp per round. This increases to 10 hp per round at ninth level.

Woodland Awareness - At seventh level, the bamboo warrior can add +2 to Spot and Listen checks when in woodland settings. These bonuses stack with any others, including those of the Awareness.

Recall (Sp) - At tenth level, the bamboo warrior gains the ability to teleport without error to his home grove as if cast by a sorcerer of the same level.  This spell-like ability takes a standard action to initiate, and he must be on the same plane as his grove. He can use this ability once per week and 24 hours must pass between each use.

The Bamboo Warrior

The Wu Jen