Arctic Druid (CDH)

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==Arctic Druid==
Description: Arctic druids feel at home on the frozen polar tundra or on the slopes of snowcapped mountains and ancient glaciers. They even venture at times across lifeless ice fields to assist lost animals. If an Ice Age took place in the distant past, arctic druids may very well claim to belong to the oldest druidic branch, tracing their ancestry all the way back to the days when humans huddled within caves.
Glydo, a typical arctic druid, (illustrated above) concerns himself more with animals than with plants. Guardian of caribou herds, penguins, auks, seals, polar bears, and other arctic and subarctic animals, he relentlessly pursues those who exploit animals out of desire for profit. However, he faithfully befriends hunters and trappers who respect the land and take from it no more than they need.
Minimum Ability Scores: Wisdom 12, Constitution 13, Charisma 15.
Races Allowed: Human, half-elf. Optional—alaghi (11).
Armor and Weapons Permitted: Leather armor, wooden shield; club, dagger, dart, harpoon, knife, sling, spear, staff. Arctic druids can use metallic weapons if they find them, but mining is extremely rare in arctic areas, making such items rare as well.
Weapon Proficiencies: Recommended—knife, harpoon, spear.
Nonweapon Proficiencies:
* Required— (general) fire-building, weather sense; (warrior) survival (arctic);
* Recommended— (general) animal handling, animal training, direction sense, fishing, swimming; (priest) ancient history, healing; (warrior) endurance, hunting, mountaineering, tracking.
Spheres of Influence: All, Animal, Divination*, Elemental, Healing, Plant*, Weather. (The arctic druid's minor access to the Plant sphere reflects the less abundant plant life in arctic climes.)
Granted Powers: An arctic druid like Glydo has the following granted powers:
* Receives a +2 bonus to all saving throws vs. cold-based attacks.
* Learns the languages of intelligent monsters whose natural habitats are tundra, arctic, and subarctic regions. The arctic druid gains one extra proficiency slot for this purpose every three levels (at 3rd, 6th, etc.). Such languages include those spoken by ettins, frost giants, ice toads, selkies, werebears, white dragons, winter wolves, verbeeg, yeti, and others.
* Ignores the effects of freezing weather upon himself at 3rd level.
* Identifies with perfect accuracy arctic plants and animals, thin ice (ice that would give way under the weight of a person or a sled), and pure water at 3rd level.
* Passes over ice and snow without leaving a trail and can move over such terrain at full movement rate at 3rd level.
* Shapechanges up to three times a day at 7th level. The druid can assume the form of a land mammal, marine mammal, or bird that dwells in arctic and subarctic climates: a caribou, penguin, polar bear, seal, reindeer, snowy owl, wolf, wolverine, and so on. The druid can't take the same animal's shape more than once each day.
Special Limitation: An arctic druid is used to a cold climate and suffers a -1 penalty to attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks in environments with temperatures above 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Holy Symbol and Grove: Glydo, as an arctic druid, uses as his holy symbol a bone of an arctic animal that has been carved into the shape of a knife, whistle, flute, or other instrument. If the druid dwells beyond the arctic tree line, he chooses as his "grove"—usually near a glacier—an ancient cave whose walls are covered with prehistoric paintings of animals.