Swanmay (3.5e Template)

Swanmay


A strange sisterhood of humanoids, they are able to assume a swan form. They were all former female humanoids, usually humans themselves, which voluntarily gained this power by accepting a toen such as a feathered garment or signet ring from a current swanmay. The true purpose of the swanmay sisterhood is unknown, but they appear to be the peaceful protectors of nature and, in particular, water fowl. They live in deep forests in small lodges often surrounded by a large number of swan and other water birds. In normal form they are indistinguishable from their base creature (usually human) but may assume swam form almost at will. Any garments they are wearing, particularly the feathered garments, become part of the plumage when they do so. Swanmays attack with whatever weapons they have when in normal form, but prefer to attack with their beaks and claws in swan form. Abhorring violence, swanmays will as soon fly away as attack. Swanmays rarely associate with other creatures, only communing regularly with feys, sylvan elves, and certain priests.

The large majority of swanmay are good, for a swanmay would never willingly adopt a non-good person. However rarely neutral or even evil swanmay appear, former good swanmay who have been corrupted by some means.

Creating a Swanmay
This template an acquired template which can be applied to any female humanoid. When gaining this template, the creature loses all abilities from their original race except for racial ability scores, movement modes, and abilities associated with gross physical body parts (such as natural weapons) but not anything which isn't visible (as such, breath weapons are lost).

Size and Type
The swanmay gains the Subtype::Shapechanger subtype.

Speed
The base creature's movement does not change, nor does it lose any abilities which augment movement (such as a dwarf's ability to move in heavy armor).

Special Attacks
Speak With Animals : A swanmay can use speak with animals (water birds only), as the spell, at will. Her caster level is equal to her HD.

Special Qualities
Low-Light Vision : A swanmay gains low-light vision.

Shifting : The hallmark of the swanmay is the ability to assume the form of a swan and return to her normal form once per day at 1st level. This is identical to the druid's wild shape ability, except that the swanmay can only assume the form of a swan. Even so, the swanmay doesn't qualify as having wild shape until 5 HD (including qualifying for Natural Spell. The swanmay can use this ability more times per day as a druid of her character level.

''Swan: CR 1/3; Small Animal; HD 1d8; hp 4; Init +2; Spd 10 ft., fly 60 ft. (average); AC 14 (+1 size, +2 Dex, +1 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 12; Atk +1 melee (1d3—1, 2 slams) and —4 melee (1d2—1, bite); SQ vulnerability to cold iron; AL N; SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1; Str 8, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6. Skills and Feats: Listen +7, Spot +3; Alertness.''

Vulnerability to Cold Iron : A swanmay who takes damage from a cold iron weapon takes an additional +50% damage.

Wild Empathy : A swanmay has wild empathy of a druid of their HD. If they already have wild empathy, they gain a +4 bonus on it.

Environment
Temperate Forests and Rivers

Organization
Swanmay have a loose organization together, much like druids, much most are found solitary.

Challenge Rating
+0.

Alignment
Usually Neutral Good.

Level Adjustment
+Level Adjustment::0

Special
A swanmay who levels in the prestige class SwanmayBoED can ignore all pre-requisites other than alignment: good. In addition, once they take a level they lose the vulnerability to cold iron and gain DR/cod iron as normal. At fey transformation, her DR becomes DR/cold iron and magic instead.