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The Swanmay
Prestige Class by Colin
Chapman
Swanmays are members of a dedicated sisterhood of human women,
famed for their ability to assume the forms of large, graceful,
white swans. This ability to transform stems from the divine
feather token that each Swanmay carries, the form of which
varies, and includes swan feather cloaks, caps with swan feather
plumes, etc. These tokens are gifted to new members of the
sisterhood upon their induction, and each may only be used by the
Swanmay it is created for. The Swanmays are devoted to the
protection of the natural world, vigorously defending the
countryside and its wildlife.
Practically all Swanmays are druids or rangers, although a
handful of clerics devoted to appropriate nature deities have
also been welcomed into the sorority.
Swanmays dwell in communal lodges near bodies of water, deep
within pristine forests, and enjoy strong relations with most
woodland inhabitants. Despite this, the sisterhood is extremely
secretive and close-knit, with membership being by invitation
only when a human female is judged worthy. Swanmays seldom even
reveal their true natures to close companions, and are
notoriously tight-lipped regarding the sisterhood and its
rituals.
Hit Die: d10
Requirements:
To qualify to become a Swanmay, the character must fulfill
all the following criteria:
Race: Human (female only)
Alignment: Any good; Neutral
Base Attack Adjustment: +4
Animal Empathy: 14 ranks
Wilderness Lore: 14 ranks
Special: The character must have performed a great deed
benefiting the natural world, and this deed must be recognized by
the Swanmay sisterhood
The Swanmay
| Level |
Attack Bonus |
Fort. Save |
Ref. Save |
Will Save |
Special |
| 1 |
+1 |
+2 |
+0 |
+0 |
Feather Token
Spell Resistance 11 |
| 2 |
+2 |
+3 |
+0 |
+0 |
Spell Resistance 12 |
| 3 |
+3 |
+3 |
+1 |
+1 |
Spell Resistance 13 |
| 4 |
+4 |
+4 |
+1 |
+1 |
Nature's Boon
Spell Resistance 14 |
| 5 |
+5 |
+4 |
+1 |
+1 |
Spell Resistance 15 |
| 6 |
+6 |
+5 |
+2 |
+2 |
Spell Resistance 16 |
| 7 |
+7 |
+5 |
+2 |
+2 |
Serene Grace
Spell Resistance 17 |
| 8 |
+8 |
+6 |
+2 |
+2 |
Spell Resistance 18 |
| 9 |
+9 |
+6 |
+3 |
+3 |
Spell Resistance 19 |
| 10 |
+10 |
+7 |
+3 |
+3 |
Serene Wisdom
Spell Resistance 20 |
Class Skills:
The Swanmay's class skills (and the key ability for each
skill) are Animal Empathy (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft
(Int), Disable Device (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis),
Hide (Dex), Intuit Direction (Wis), Knowledge (nature)(Int),
Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Scry (Int),
Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Wilderness Lore (Wis). See
Chapter 4: Skills in the Player's Handbook for skill
descriptions.
Skill
Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features:
All of the following are class features of the Swanmay
prestige class.
All of the following are class features of the Swanmay
prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Swanmay is
proficient with the longbow, longsword, shortbow, and
short sword. Swanmays are proficient with Light armor,
but no shields. Note that armor check penalties for armor
heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb,
Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket,
and Tumble. Also, Swim checks suffer a -1 penalty for
every 5 pounds of armor and equipment carried.
Feather Token: The Swanmay is given the enchanted
token that grants her the ability to transform into a
swan at will. Such tokens are unique to the Swanmay
sisterhood, and are crafted specifically for the
individual members, making them unusable by anyone else.
While wearing the token, the Swanmay
may shapeshift at will into the form of a large,
beautiful swan, gaining the ability to fly in the
process, and an invulnerability to ordinary weapons. The
transformation either way requires a single round. The
Swanmay's clothing and equipment does not transform with
her, with the sole exception of the feather token (which
becomes part of the swan form's plumage). Because
clothing and equipment must be discarded while
transformed, Swanmays prefer to travel light, and hide
their belongings well.
The token can be spotted with a Detect
Magic spell, and if stolen, the Swanmay is trapped in
their current form until the token is recovered. If the
token is destroyed, the sorority sends the Swanmay on a
special quest to earn the right for a replacement. Use
the following statistics for the character's swam form: SWAN FORM
Medium-size Animal
Hit Dice: as character
Initiative: as character (note modified Dex)
Speed: 10 ft., fly 40 ft. (average), swim 10
ft.
AC: (Base: 10, modified by character's
improved Dex)
Attacks: Bite (# attacks: as character, bonus:
as character unarmed)
Damage: 1d2
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: None
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 0/+1
Saves: as character
Abilities: Str character's -2, Dex character's
+2, Con as character, Int as character, Wis as
character, Cha as character
Skills: Swim +4
The Swanmay's swan form is that of a large,
elegant white swan. While in this form it is
impossible for the character to cast any spells, or
perform practically any task requiring manual
dexterity. Although this form is extremely
ineffectual in combat, it provides the Swanmay with
several notable advantages, including the ability to
fly, disguise her natural form, and swim, as well as
near immunity to attacks by normal weapons.
- Damage Reduction: While in swan form,
the Swanmay has 15/+1 damage reduction. This
is a Supernatural ability. See Chapter 3:
Running the Game in the Dungeon Master's
Guide for details.
- Nature's Boon: The Swanmay may choose
to gain Nature Sense (as per the Druid
ability) or the Track feat.
- Serene Grace: The Swanmay gets a bonus
of +1 to her Dexterity.
- Serene Wisdom: The Swanmay gets a
bonus of +1 to her Wisdom.
- Spell Resistance: The secret rituals
performed on the Swanmay grant her an innate
Spell Resistance. This Spell Resistance
increases as the Swanmay advances in levels.
This is an Extraordinary ability. See Chapter
3: Running the Game in the Dungeon Master's
Guide for details.
The Swanmay Prestige Class - Creator Notes:
The idea that Swanmays should be treated as a "race" of
characters was always a poor one, especially given the fact that
they were human female rangers and druids that joined the
sorority, and were given magical tokens that enabled them to
transform. This made it patently obvious that becoming a Swanmay
should be a significant achievement, and that is the domain of
the new Prestige Classes.
Swanmays are protectors, necessitating the good Base Attack
Bonus, Hit Dice, and Fort Save. It was also obvious that the
feather token should be granted at first level, marking the
induction into the sorority. The increasing Spell Resistance
Swanmays are noted as having in 2nd ed. was easily added, and is
notably lower than that of drow and svirfneblins of similar
level. 2nd ed., swanmays were also noted as possessing a +1 bonus
to Dex and Wis, and Tracking and Weather Sense (Nature Sense), so
these bonuses were added as unique abilities at different levels.
Although the Damage Reduction of the swan form may worry some
DMs, it is balanced against the relative uselessness of the swan
form for anything other than flying. Additionally, although some
DMs may worry about a PC gaining Spell Resistance, it is, as
noted, lower than comparative drow/svirfneblins, and is balanced
against the fact that this prestige class has very few
"cool" special abilities, feats, etc. Given these
factors, and the strict requirements for entry, it is felt that
the Swanmay prestige class is well-balanced. That said, on with
the show!
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