The Fruits of Nature
"I dance in the flames, ever burning but never consumed, I flow in the rivers, ever running but always still, and I fly on the wind, ever borne aloft but always connected to the land. I draw strength from nature and power - you do not, unless I say so."
- Ralafk Don Tarrarf
Nature is a powerful force. Earth, fire, wind, and storm, all forces of great destruction, of immense, raw strength. And it is to this power that many turn. Often times, nature has champions that disregard the life of sentient species - and oftimes more, they are opposed by other champions of nature. Such is the great balance of life.
As one species rises in power, so does another rise to oppose it; become stronger, live, or die. Evil druids, rangers, and barbarians revel in the destructive, unforgiving cruelty of mother nature, of the baby rabbits born to be eaten by the old and wily foxes, and the maggots that live in the corpse of that same fox, years later. Nature is a harsh mistress, they say.
And as these ravagers rise in power, so do those who oppose them. And oftimes, they take it upon themselves to work in fires of man and with steel, stone, and hide, items that have the magic of nature pinned to them as flowers pressed between the pages of a wizards' tome...
Emblem of the Benefactor: This is a suit of hide armour, was designed and worn by the druidic tyrant Ralafk Don Tarrar's brother, Ralafk Don Cactaur. Equipped with this armour, he was able to assume the form of plants that lived in the area, and as such was able to defeat his brother through stealth and guile, but not without losing his own life. After the druids slew one another, the desert sands washed over their armours, hiding them from prying eyes and thieves forever.
Emblem of the Benefactor is a suit of +2 Wild Hide Armour. When worn by an good druid, the armour confers upon the wearer the ability to assume a plant form with which they are familiar when wildshaping.
Caster Level: 18th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Polymorph Other. Market Price: 125,990 gp; Weight: 20 lb.
Emblem of the Ravager: This is a suit of hide armour, designed and worn by the druidic tyrant Ralafk Don Tarrar of Soloria's deserts. Equipped with this armour, he assumed the form of dread creatures unexpected by those with whom he dealt in the cities, and squeezed the people of Soloria for tribute, which they surrendered, lest they be slain by the strange shapeshifter. Eventually, Ralafk and his twin brother slew one another, consigning their armours to the deserts forever...
Emblem of the Ravager is a suit of +2 Wild Hide Armour. When worn by an evil druid, the armour confers upon the wearer the ability to assume a beast form with which they are familiar when wildshaping.
Caster Level: 18th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Polymorph Other. Market Price: 125,990 gp; Weight: 20 lb.
Pained Husk: These suits of Hide Armour are all that remain of the Thri-Kreen Clix's family. Composed of Thri-Kreen hide, the armour's extra arms have been animated to grant the wearer a pair of extra arms. There were twelve suits of this armour crafted, and they all carry with them the mark of evil. Any good character donning this armour receives two negative levels. These negative levels never result in actual loss of levels, but they persist until the armour is removed. Pained Husks resemble an adult Thri-Kreen, and feature a helmet composed of a Thri-Kreen skull, as well as two long arm bracers that guard the wearer's hands.
A Pained Husk is +2 Light Fortification Hide Armour with the special property that it grants the wearer an extra pair of Thri-Kreen hands. These hands aren't particularly powerful, but they, along with the clawed bracers, allow the wearer to make four claw attacks a round as if they were natural weapons, for 1d4 damage each, following all the rules for multiple natural weapons. These two extra arms are completely unsuitable for wielding weaponry or holding anything.
Caster Level: 11th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Alter Self, Animate Dead, creator must be evil, requires one Thri-Kreen carcass. Market Price: 17,400 gp; Weight: 25 lb.
The Scorpion's Brand: This broad, gold-filigree shield is decorated with the symbol of a scorpion, its tail arched up from the shield and curving back over. This tail is sharpened to razor point, to many's surprise, and deals 2d6 slashing damage when the shield is used as a shield of bashing.
The Scorpion's Brand is a +2 Large Steel Shield which, as well as its slashing edge, channels an envenerating charge of negative energy. When the shield is used to perform a successful shield bash, the shield inflicts 1d4 negative levels upon its target. These levels fade in but an hour, and do not require a fortitude save to remove. Furthermore, once per day, the wielder of the Scorpion's Brand can wild shape into a Large Monstrous Scorpion, gaining all the extraordinary abilities.
If wielded by one capable of channelling positive energy, the shield is rendered utterly inert and functions only as a masterworked large steel shield.
Caster Level: 7th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Polymorph Other, Enervation, Sword Stream. Market Price: 47,570 gp; Weight: 15 lb.
Preyfinder: These arrows are typically only created and crafted by druids and rangers who seek to ward their forests from specific threats. Preyfinders are +1 arrows, and a target struck by them is immediately marked by the woods. Within 1d4 minutes of being in an appropriate forested area, the target will attract to their location 1d3 Dire Bears, which immediately attack.
Caster Level: 13th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Summon Nature's Ally VII. Market Price: 6,550 gp; Weight: 1 lb.
Denkledorth's Glove of Nature's Fury: First designed by the gnomish druid Denkledorth, the Glove of Nature's Fury is far less impressive than it sounds. Tired of being weak and small in comparison to his fellows - including a half-elf ranger of no small strength - Denkledorth created the first glove to ensure he'd always have a weapon to hand. The glove allows the wearer to summon a flaming scimitar into their hand at will, as a free action.
These scimitars deal 1d6+1 fire damage. Attack rolls made with them are resolved as touch attacks, and the wielder does not apply their strength modifier to damage rolls. Due to the weapon's incorporeal state and lack of significant substance, the blade cannot be used for Expertise, Disarms, Trips, Power Attacks, Sunderings, Sneak Attacks, or anything else that requires putting weight behind the blade. Since Denkledorth's pioneering efforts, the gloves are seeing widespread use amongst the smaller folk. Occasionally, gloves are found with the flaming effect substituted for another element.
Caster Level: 3rd. Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Flame Blade. Market Price: 4,000 gp; Weight: 1 lb.
Iron Lodestone: This simple hunk of iron, when the command word is spoken, allows the person touching it to their skin, to immediately know the direction of north. This power can be used once per hour, and the command word is traditionally carved into the lodestone.
Caster Level: 1st. Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Know Direction. Market Price: 800 gp; Weight: 1 lb.
Romulus' Mask: This mask constantly affects the wearer as per an Invisibility to Animals spell.
Caster Level: 1st. Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Invisibility To Animals. Market Price: 2,000 gp; Weight: 1 lb.