User:Thelandrin/Panther

Those who have the Bloodtrait blood ability will eventually transform into an idealised and powerful image of a natural or heroic creature as the divine blood of the old gods takes its toll. These people are known as latent ehrsheghlien until they start to transform and as emerging ehrsheglien until they finish their transformation.

It is well known that the emerging ehrshegh known as the Panther used to be a Sidhe druid named Thelandrin Dubh, a powerful scion of Anduiras and resident in Suiriene. Now the Panther roams the Rhuannadaraight, hunting down those who would despoil nature or harm the mebhaighl.

• Magical Beast (Ehrshegh): Upon gaining the bloodtrait ability, the latent Panther replaces their former type (and any subtypes) with the Magical Beast (Ehrshegh) type and subtype. They also gain darkvision 60 ft, lowlight vision and proficiency with their natural weapons. (Whether or not they access to any previous racial abilities such as Elf Blood is up to the DM.)
  

• Hit Dice: d10.
  

• Class skills: The class skills for the Panther shegh levels are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen ( Wis ), Move Silently (Dex) and Spot ( Wis ).
  

• Skill points per level: 2 + Intelligence modifier per shegh level.
  

• Major/Great: At this level, the latent ehrshegh gains a special ability from the below lists, regardless of the strength of their bloodtrait.
  

• Great only: At this level, only those with bloodtrait (great) gain a special ability from the below lists.
  

As with any ehrshegh transformation, the person will eventually gain both mental and physical abilities, as well as purely cosmetic changes and the occasional disadvantageous transformation. When the ehrshegh gets a special ability by advancing in Shegh hit dice, they may select one ability from either list. To select an ability with a numeral after it, you must also have selected all preceding abilities.

Physical Abilities

• Athletic Prowess I: The ehrshegh gains a +4 racial bonus to all Balance, Jump, Hide and Move Silently checks.
  

• Athletic Prowess II: The ehrshegh's racial bonuses to Balance and Jump increase to +8 and they gain +2 Str. In areas of tall grass or heavy undergrowth, the Hide bonus improves to +8.
  

• Cat's Grace I: The ehrshegh gains +2 Str & +4 Dex, but in embracing his animalian side so thoroughly, he also suffers -2 Cha.
  

• Cat's Grace II: The ehrshegh gains a further +2 Str & +4 Dex, but suffers a further -2 Cha in doing so.
  

• Combat Focus: The ehrshegh gains a +3 natural armour bonus and gains Multiattack as a bonus feat (reducing the attack penalty of his secondary claw attacks in panther form from -5 to -2).
  

• Feline Fortitude I: The ehrshegh gains +2 Con and damage reduction 5/silver. If they later develop the Invulnerability blood ability, silver weapons will always feature in their invulnerability.
  

• Feline Fortitude I: The ehrshegh gains a further +2 Con and their damage reduction increases to 10/silver.
  

• Forest Stalker: The ehrshegh gains +10 ft. to their base land speed and gains Climb 20 ft. This grants them a +10 bonus on all Climb checks and allows them to always take 10 on a Climb checl, even if rushed or threatened.
  

• Heart of the Panther: The ehrshegh gains the supernatural ability to change into a panther at will for any duration he chooses. Whilst in panther form, he can use its entire attack routine, including pounce, rake and improved grab, but cannot speak, manipulate objects etc. All worn equipment melds into his animal form and his abilities, movement capabilities and natural armour alter to match that of a panther's, except that his hit points do not change. As a result, the ehrshegh begins to closely resemble a humanoid panther, growing thick, black body hair on his body and his facial features becoming a lot more feline.
  

Mental Abilities

• Mind of the Panther I: The ehrshegh begins to think like a panther and achieves a firm bond with them. He can communicate with all panthers and leopards as per speak with animals as an extraordinary ability and gains a +4 bonus on all Charisma-based checks against panthers and leopards. In so doing, his mind is never entirely free of the animal bond and he adopts more feline practices, such as sleeping outdoors on tree branches or licking himself all over instead of bathing.
  

• Mind of the Panther II: The ehrshegh's empathic link with panthers increases and he can attract a panther (leopard) animal companion as if his druid level was equal to his shegh level. If the ehrshegh is a druid, then his druid and shegh levels stack for the purpose of his panther companion, but he loses the ability to gain any animal companions other than a panther.
  

• Resolve: The ehrshegh gains the infamous stubborness of all cats and gains +2 Wis. He also gains Iron Will as a bonus feat.
  

• Sensory Awareness: The ehrshegh gains the scent special quality and gains Alertness as a bonus feat.