Most druids are very knowledgable of their forest homes. They know the animals by their names, know where all the special places are, and know what supernatural creatures live within, and where. However, some druids become so ingrained in this that they physically become "part" of the forest, gaining the name ascended druid. When this is done, the druid gains truly marvelous powers and a choice, this being what form they are to take.
The abilities common to all ascended druids are as follows:
Oakenport (Sp): The druid may enter into any tree it touches as a free action and exit any other tree in the forest as a move-equivalent action. This allows for near-instantaneous travel through even the largest of forests.
Treemind (Su): The druid may sense anything that happens to a tree in the forest. This ability allows a form of clairsentience, making it so that the druid's senses come from a tree somewhere in the forest, rather than from where he is. He cannot sense his own surroundings during this time, unless the tree he picks is close enough to perceive him. This works as a standard action.
Alternate Form: Upon becoming an ascended druid, the character may (there is no immediate requirement, and the character can choose at any later time to transform) choose one of the below forms. This form becomes the druid's new base/standard form. Once this choice is made it is permanent.
Alternate Forms
Drulich: This form is actually one of the least chosen and one of the least physically altering. As the name sort of implies, the druid becomes somewhat like a lich. Though they do not become evil, or undead (they become magical creatures instead), they do gain a form of immortality. A drulich places its soul within a tree and as long as that tree stands the drulich does not age. They also gain regeneration 5, except from fire. If the drulich should die, the tree will grow him a new body, much like a stasis clone spell. Once it is finished, the drulich will again have his body and continue to act. Otherwise his spirit resides within the tree, as his phylactery. Should the tree be felled, however, the drulich immediatley begins to age again, and he can gain no more levels or espereince, as his soul has been destroyed.
Nyad: Nyads are like a cross between a nymph and a dryad, just as the name implies. The druid who becoms a nyad gains the Fey creature type and the special powers of a nymph and a dryad. Like a dryad, the nyad is connected to a tree, but like a nymph they may wander far.
Treant: The druid may embrace the forest and its trees to the upmost and become one of them. The druid becomes a standard treant with his own powers, plus those of the treants. If a treant would have a higher stat in an Ability, then the druid's increases to the lowest normal for a treant, but if his are equal or higher, than they stay where they are. Just like a treant, the druid will be virtually timeless, but will be compelled to sleep like treants often do.
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