Tome of Storms: Heralds of the Seasons (Patreon)

This article reprints and modifies the four herald archetypes for the Stormbound, bringing them more in line with each other and granting them each a unique niche. This article also features a new prestige class that combines their powers; the Herald of the Confluence.

In ancient lore it is said that the seasons themselves, Autumn, Spring, Summer, and Winter, were once ancient god-like beings that roamed the realms, altering reality and thus the weather to suit their whims. The stories are unclear what happened to these beings, whether they were defeated or agreed to let go of their powers, but mortals occasionally tap into this ancient and potent power to emulate these ancients. Known as heralds, these powerful wielders of weather carry the seasons in their wake.

Herald of Winter (Stormbound Archetype)

These heralds travel the realm to bring ice and snow in their wake. The very air around these veilweavers chills to the bone, disabling their foes and allowing their allies to act upon those weaknesses.

Winter’s Weave (Su): The herald of winter gains access to a unique veil shot: the Storm slot. The herald of winter gains an additional veil each day that must be used to shape a Storm veil. Unlike a normal stormbound, a herald of winter may freely invest their essence to or from their storm veils.

The biting chill of winter permeates the herald of winter’s soul, allowing them to call upon unique and devastating winter storms from beyond the mortal realms. Whenever the herald of winter shapes a Storm veil with the Acid, Electricity, or Fire descriptors, they can choose to shape that veil with the Cold descriptor instead. Any acid, cold, or electricity damage dealt by this veil instead deals cold damage.

This replaces the stormbound’s stormweaving class feature.

Winterproofing (Su): Due to their unique connection to the primeval forces of winter, the herald of winter’s protection from the natural elements and the protection from their storm veils only applies to weather that draws upon the power of winter itself.

The benefits of endure elements provided by the herald of winter’s weatherproofing class feature only applies to cold environments (from -50 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit) and their weatherproofing’s ability to negate the damage of their Storm veils only applies to cold damage dealt by their Storm veil, rather than all damage.

This modifies the stormbound’s weatherproofing class feature.

Beacon of Cold (Su): At 1st level, the herald of winter’s connection with the forces of ice and snow is powerful enough to chill the very air and flesh of nearby creatures. Creatures who end their turn within Close range (25 feet + 5 feet per 2 caster levels) of the herald of winter have all of their modes of movement reduced by 5 feet for 1 round (minimum 5 feet). This penalty stacks with itself, and each application refreshes the 1 round duration. Solid objects block the effects of this ability, and it does not spread around corners. Against creatures with the (fire) subtype, the penalties imposed by this ability are doubled.

The herald of winter, allies affected by their weatherproofing ability, and creatures immune to cold damage are immune to this ability. A creature who is affected by this ability who gains immunity to cold damage or starts benefitting from the herald of winter’s weatherproofing immediately loses any penalties imposed by this ability.

The herald of winter can choose to activate or deactivate their beacon of cold as a move action.

Frigid Powers: If the herald of winter gains a storm power that can be invested as if it were a storm veil, they may instead invest essence in it as if it were a normal essence receptacle. In addition, if they select a storm power which deals acid, electricity, or fire damage, when they select the storm power they can choose for it to deal cold damage instead.

This modifies the stormbound’s storm powers class feature.

Shifting Winter (Su): The herald of winter’s command over frigid storms allows them to easily and effortlessly shift their storms into a new devastating shape. At 2nd level, when the herald of winter rolls initiative, or at the beginning of each of their turns, they can choose to take 2 points of essence burn to unshape a single shaped Storm veil, and immediately shape a new one in its place. If the Storm veil they unshaped was bound to their chakra, the new Storm veil they shape in its place is also bound. If the unshaped Storm veil and the newly shaped Storm veil both have one of the following descriptors the herald of winter can use this ability without taking essence burn: the Cold descriptor, Darkness descriptor, Death descriptor, or Water descriptor. The two veils do not need to match for this ability: the herald of spring can replace an Electricity storm with one that deals no damage without suffering essence burn, or vice versa.

This replaces the stormbound’s shifting storms class feature.

Winter’s Blessing (Su): The herald of winter’s involvement with the primordial forces of winter grants them protection against its effects. At 2nd level, the herald of winter and any allies benefiting from their weatherproofing ability gain 5 cold resistance. This resistance increases by an additional 5 at 4th level, and every 2 levels thereafter.

Winter’s Boon (Su): At 6th level, the herald of winter becomes particularly adept at surviving the hazards of winter storms. They ignore difficult terrain or movement penalties imposed by ice and snow, and can also see through ice and snow without penalty, treating it as if it were translucent and ignoring any reductions to visibility and any penalties to sight-based Perception checks imposed by it.

At 12th level, the herald of winter’s touch causes ice to spiderweb across surfaces that they can adhere to to walk where they couldn’t otherwise. The herald of winter gains a climb speed equal to their base land speed, and can climb across any surface as the spider climb spell. They do not need free hands to use this ability. Additionally, they can use this ability to walk on water and other liquids as if it were solid terrain.

At 18th level, the herald of winter gains the ice glide ability of an ice elemental with a burrow speed equal to their base movement speed.

Herald’s Essence (Ex): At 11th level, the herald of winter’s internal pool of essence begins to swell with the primordial wellsprings of winter, granting them an additional point of essence. They gain an additional point of essence at 12th level, and every level thereafter.

This replaces the stormbound’s twinveil storm class feature.

Expansive Beacon (Su): At 12th level, the range of the herald of winter’s beacon of cold increases to Medium range (100 feet + 10 feet per level). Movement speed reductions imposed by their beacon of cold now persist for 1 minute, rather than only 1 round.

Whenever the herald of winter activates their beacon of cold, they can choose whether they wish it to extend to Close or Medium range.

This replaces the stormbound’s improved stormweaving class feature.

Cataclysmic Beacon (Su): At 18th level, the range of the herald of winter’s beacon of cold increases to Long range (400 feet + 40 feet per class level). The chill imposed by their beacon of cold becomes so encompassing that it no longer has a maximum duration; the penalties imposed by it persist until the creature leaves the area of the beacon of cold and sufficiently warms themselves (usually 1 minute by an open fire, 15 minutes in a hot environment, or 30 minutes in a temperate environment).

Whenever the herald of winter activates their beacon of cold, they can choose whether they wish it to extend to Close, Medium, or Long range.

Avatar of Winter: At 20th level, the primordial forces of winter infuse the herald fully with its power, transforming them into its avatar. The herald of winter’s type changes to fey, they gain low-light vision (or doubles the range of their low-light vision if they already possessed it), and immunity to cold damage. With their body fully sustained by the powers of winter they no longer age, need to eat or drink, or need to breathe. If the herald of winter is slain their body and equipment discorporeates into snow and ice and they are revived during the zenith of the next naturally occuring winter storm on the planet they died (or plane they died, if the plane they died on has no distinct planets). They are revived at full hit points with all of their equipment, and may immediately shape their veils as if they had rested for 8 hours. If winter storms do not exist on the planet or plane in which they died (such as the plane of fire), or if the planet or plane they died on has no natural weather (such as a demiplane without weather), the herald of winter cannot be revived with this ability. For the purposes of this ability, a winter storm is any storm that occurs during the winter season, or any storm which produces ice or snow.

This replaces the stormbound’s avatar of the elderstorm class feature.

Herald of Spring (Stormbound Archetype)

These heralds travel the realm to bring rain and growth in their wake. Able to bolster their allies and the natural environment, these veilweaving utilize both bolstering and destructive storms.

Spring’s Weave (Su): The herald of spring gains access to a unique veil shot: the Storm slot. The herald of spring gains an additional veil each day that must be used to shape a Storm veil. Unlike a normal stormbound, a herald of spring may freely invest their essence to or from their storm veils.

The electric currents of  spring storms imbues the herald of spring’s soul, allowing them to call upon unique and devastating winter storms from beyond the mortal realms. Whenever the herald of winter shapes a Storm veil with the Acid, Cold, or Fire descriptors, they can choose to shape that veil with the Electricity descriptor instead. Any acid, cold, or fire damage dealt by this veil instead deals electricity damage.

This replaces the stormbound’s stormweaving class feature.

Blessing of Spring (Su): Due to their unique connection to the primeval forces of spring, a herald of spring’s protection from the power of storms is altered. The herald of spring and their allies do not gain the benefits of endure elements from the herald of spring’s weatherproofing. Instead, affected creatures gain a pool of temporary hit points equal to the herald of spring’s class level + 3. If lost, these temporary hit points recover at a rate of 1 point per minute.

If weatherproofing is removed from a creature these temporary hit points are immediately lost. If a creature is provided weatherproofing by the herald of spring once again, the temporary hit points are restored at the exact value they were when weatherproofing was removed.

This modifies the stormbound’s weatherproofing class feature.

Voltaic Powers: If the herald of spring gains a storm power that can be invested as if it were a storm veil, they may instead invest essence in it as if it were a normal essence receptacle. In addition, if they select a storm power which deals acid, cold, or fire damage, when they select the storm power they can choose for it to deal electricity damage instead.

This modifies the stormbound’s storm powers class feature.

Shifting Spring (Su): The herald of spring’s command over spring’s storms allows them to easily and effortlessly shift their storms into a new shape. At 2nd level, when the herald of spring rolls initiative, or at the beginning of each of their turns, they can choose to take 2 points of essence burn to unshape a single shaped Storm veil, and immediately shape a new one in its place. If the Storm veil they unshaped was bound to their chakra, the new Storm veil they shape in its place is also bound. If the unshaped Storm veil and the newly shaped Storm veil both have one of the following properties the herald of spring can use this ability without taking essence burn: the Air descriptor, Electricity descriptor, Healing descriptor, Water descriptor, or Storms that have no capability of dealing damage. The two veils do not need to match for this ability: the herald of spring can replace an Electricity storm with one that deals no damage without suffering essence burn, or vice versa.

This replaces the stormbound’s shifting storms class feature.

Boon of Spring (Su): At 6th level, the herald of spring’s connection to their storms is enhanced when they shape storms that are used for defense and for support, rather than for offense. Whenever the herald of winter shapes a Storm veil that has no capability of directly damaging a creature, such as The Enshrouding or The Tempest, or if they possess a storm power that can be invested with essence has no capability of dealing damage to a creature, such as Distracting Current or Soothing Rain, they can choose to treat those veils and powers it as if they were invested with an additional point of essence. This effective essence bypasses the veil's normal essence capacity. Whenever the herald of winter invests their essence, or when they shape such a Storm veil, they can choose whether this ability is active or not. This ability does not stack with a stormbinder’s crook, or similar abilities that allow the herald of spring to bypass their normal essence capacity.

At 12th level, and again at 18th level, this ability improves, treating the affected veils as invested with 1 additional point of essence.

Herald’s Essence (Ex): At 11th level, the herald of spring’s internal pool of essence begins to swell with the primordial wellsprings of spring, granting them an additional point of essence. They gain an additional point of essence at 12th level, and every level thereafter.

This replaces the stormbound’s twinveil storm class feature.

Improved Boons (Su): At 12th level, the temporary hit points granted by the herald of spring’s boon of spring ability are increased by 50% (rounded up), and they now recover at a rate of 1 point per round.

In addition, whenever the herald of spring grants an ally temporary hit points or heals an ally using a veil or storm power, the healing or temporary hit points granted are increased by 50%.

This replaces the stormbound’s improved stormweaving class feature.

Avatar of Spring: At 20th level, the primordial forces of spring infuse the herald fully with its power, transforming them into its avatar. The herald of spring’s type changes to fey, they gain low-light vision (or doubles the range of their low-light vision if they already possessed it), and immunity to electricity damage. With their body fully sustained by the powers of spring they no longer age, need to eat or drink, or need to breathe. If the herald of spring is slain their body and equipment discorporeates into electricity and a burst of wind and they are revived during the zenith of the next naturally occuring spring storm on the planet they died (or plane they died, if the plane they died on has no distinct planets). They are revived at full hit points with all of their equipment, and may immediately shape their veils as if they had rested for 8 hours. If spring storms do not exist on the planet or plane in which they died (such as the plane of cold), or if the planet or plane they died on has no natural weather (such as a demiplane without weather), the herald of spring cannot be revived with this ability. For the purposes of this ability, a spring storm is any storm that occurs during the spring season, or any storm which causes lightning and rain.

This replaces the stormbound’s avatar of the elderstorm class feature.

Herald of Summer (Stormbound Archetype)

These heralds travel the realm to bring heat and tempest in their wake. The heat wielded by these veilweavers is particularly potent, even able to burn those normally enured to such torments.

Summer’s Weave (Su): The herald of summer gains access to a unique veil shot: the Storm slot. The herald of summer gains an additional veil each day that must be used to shape a Storm veil. Unlike a normal stormbound, a herald of summer may freely invest their essence to or from their storm veils.

The encompassing heat of summer permeates the herald of summer’s soul, allowing them to call upon unique and devastating summer storms from beyond the mortal realms. Whenever the herald of summer shapes a Storm veil with the Acid, Cold, or Electricity descriptors, they can choose to shape that veil with the Fire descriptor instead. Any acid, cold, or electricity damage dealt by this veil instead deals fire damage.

This replaces the stormbound’s stormweaving class feature.

Summerproofing (Su): Due to their unique connection to the primeval forces of summer, the herald of summer’s protection from the natural elements and the protection from their storm veils only applies to weather that draws upon the power of summer itself.

The benefits of endure elements provided by the herald of summer’s weatherproofing class feature only applies to hot environments (from 15 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit) and their weatherproofing’s ability to negate the damage of their Storm veils only applies to damage dealt by their veils with the Air or Fire descriptors, rather than all damage.

This modifies the stormbound’s weatherproofing class feature.

Summer’s Intensity (Su): The herald of summer’s connection to the powers of fire and heat is so intense that it permeates their essence entirely, intensifying their fire-based akasha. Whenever the herald of summer deals fire damage to a creature with one of their storm powers or veils, they treat that creature's fire resistance as if it were 5 lower (to a minimum of 0). They treat their foe’s resistance as an additional 5 lower at 3rd level, and every 2 levels thereafter. This ability to reduce a creature's resistance to fire damage does not stack with other similar effects.

Scorching Powers: If the herald of summer gains a storm power that can be invested as if it were a storm veil, they may instead invest essence in it as if it were a normal essence receptacle. In addition, if they select a storm power which deals acid, cold, or electricity damage, when they select the storm power they can choose for it to deal fire damage instead.

This modifies the stormbound’s storm powers class feature.

Shifting Summer (Su): The herald of summer’s command over scorching storms allows them to easily and effortlessly shift their storms into a new devastating shape. At 2nd level, when the herald of summer rolls initiative, or at the beginning of each of their turns, they can choose to take 2 points of essence burn to unshape a single shaped Storm veil, and immediately shape a new one in its place. If the Storm veil they unshape was bound to their chakra, the new Storm veil they shape in its place is also bound. If the unshaped Storm veil and the newly shaped Storm veil both have one of the following descriptors the herald of winter can use this ability without taking essence burn: the Air descriptor, Fire descriptor, Light descriptor, or Poison descriptor. The two veils do not need to match for this ability: the herald of spring can replace an Electricity storm with one that deals no damage without suffering essence burn, or vice versa.

This replaces the stormbound’s shifting storms class feature.

Summer’s Blessing (Su): The herald of summer’s involvement with the primordial forces of summer grants them protection against its effects. At 2nd level, the herald of summer and any allies benefiting from their weatherproofing ability gain 5 fire resistance. This resistance increases by an additional 5 at 4th level, and every 2 levels thereafter.

Boon of Summer (Su): At 6th level, the herald of summer becomes better able to survive the hazards of summer and heat. They become immune to inhaled poisons and can breathe smoke as if it were air without penalty. They can also see through ash, fire, and smoke without penalty, treating it as if it were translucent and ignoring any reductions to visibility and any penalties to sight-based Perception checks imposed by it. The herald of summer and all equipment they are carrying also cannot unwillingly catch fire, even from magical effects.

At 12th level, the herald of summer becomes so infused with summer’s oppressive heat that their very body becomes hot enough to cause the air around them to shimmer. Whenever the herald of summer is successfully attacked by a creature within 5 feet of them, whenever the herald of summer succeeds on a grapple check against a creature, or whenever a creature maintains a grapple against the herald of summer, the attacker or creature the herald of summer is grappling suffers 1d6 points of fire damage. This damage benefits from their summer’s intensity class feature as if it were a storm power. At 14th level, and every 2 levels thereafter, this damage increases by one step on the following track: 1d6 -> 1d8 -> 2d6 -> 2d8 -> 2d10.

Herald’s Essence (Ex): At 11th level, the herald of summer’s internal pool of essence begins to swell with the primordial wellsprings of summer, granting them an additional point of essence. They gain an additional point of essence at 12th level, and every level thereafter.

This replaces the stormbound’s twinveil storm class feature.

Encompassing Heat (Su): At 12th level, the herald of summer’s essence becomes so scorchingly hot that it becomes able to harm even those normally immune to summer’s enveloping heat. Whenever the herald of summer deals fire damage to a creature who has immunity to fire damage with a storm power or veil, they treat that creature as if it has 50 fire resistance instead. This resistance is then reduced by their summer’s intensity ability, as normal for fire resistance.

This replaces the stormbound’s improved stormweaving class feature.

Avatar of Summer: At 20th level, the primordial forces of summer infuse the herald fully with its power, transforming them into its avatar. The herald of summer’s type changes to fey, they gain low-light vision (or doubles the range of their low-light vision if they already possessed it), and immunity to fire damage. With their body fully sustained by the powers of summer they no longer age, need to eat or drink, or need to breathe. If the herald of summer is slain their body and equipment discorporeates into ash and flame and they are revived during the zenith of the next naturally occuring summer storm on the planet they died (or plane they died, if the plane they died on has no distinct planets). They are revived at full hit points with all of their equipment, and may immediately shape their veils as if they had rested for 8 hours. If summer storms do not exist on the planet or plane in which they died (such as the plane of cold), or if the planet or plane they died on has no natural weather (such as a demiplane without weather), the herald of summer cannot be revived with this ability. For the purposes of this ability, a summer storm is any storm that occurs during the summer season, or any storm which produces ash, fire, or intense heat.

This replaces the stormbound’s avatar of the elderstorm class feature.

Herald of Autumn (Stormbound Archetype)

These heralds travel the realm to bring rot and disease in their wake. Reality decays in the wake of these veilweavers, death nipping at the heels of any foe who dares to obstruct their pilgrimage.

Autumn’s Weave (Su): The herald of autumn gains access to a unique veil shot: the Storm slot. The herald of autumn gains an additional veil each day that must be used to shape a Storm veil. Unlike a normal stormbound, a herald of autumn may freely invest their essence to or from their storm veils.

The encompassing decay of autumn storms imbues the herald of autumn’s soul, allowing them to call upon unique and devastating autumnal storms from beyond the mortal realms. Whenever the herald of autumn shapes a Storm veil with the Cold, Electricity or Fire descriptors, they can choose to shape that veil with the Acid descriptor instead. Any cold, electricity, or fire damage dealt by this veil instead deals acid damage.

This replaces the stormbound’s stormweaving class feature.

Lesser Weatherproofing (Su): The herald of autumn’s weatherproofing does not grant the benefits of the endure elements spell.

This modifies the stormbound’s weatherproofing class feature.

Creeping Decay (Su): The herald of autumn’s very presence brings about decay and rot. Plants within Close range (25 feet + 5 feet per two levels) of the herald of autumn begin to rot and slowly die, and wounds do not heal. All creatures within the area cannot recover hit points naturally. If a creature in the area is affected by magical healing, they must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 the herald of autumn’s class level + their veilweaving modifier) to receive that healing. If they fail, the effects of the magical healing are lost. If the supernatural healing was fast healing or regeneration and they fail this saving throw, they lose the benefits of their fast healing or regeneration for 1 minute. Extraordinary fast healing or regeneration simply has no effect while they are within the area.

The herald of autumn and creatures they have affected with their weatherproofing ability are immune to these effects.

Plants within the area are diminished, becoming less entangled and bushy. For plant creatures, they gain the sickened condition for as long as they are in the area of this ability.

Non-creature plants within the area shrink and wilt, no longer causing areas to become difficult terrain. This ability may also remove concealment or cover granted by plants in the area, and reduce or remove damage caused by moving through an area of plantlife, at the GM’s discretion. The trunk of a tree would still provide cover, but a bush might not, thorn bushes might not cause damage from moving through them, and thick undergrowth may not be treated as difficult terrain, as examples. This ability also temporarily suppresses any spells or effects that enhance plants that enter this area that are of an effective spell level equal to or lower than half the herald of autumn’s class level, rounded up. For effects produced by a veil, they are counted as having a spell level equal to the essence invested in the veil. If a suppressed ability affects an area, only the overlapping areas between this ability and the effect are suppressed.

The herald of autumn can choose to activate or deactivate their creeping decay as a move action.

Festering Powers: If the herald of autumn gains a storm power that can be invested as if it were a storm veil, they may instead invest essence in it as if it were a normal essence receptacle. In addition, if they select a storm power which deals cold, electricity, or fire damage, when they select the storm power they can choose for it to deal acid damage instead.

This modifies the stormbound’s storm powers class feature.

Shifting Autumn (Su): The herald of autumn’s command over autumn’s storms allows them to easily and effortlessly shift their storms into a new shape. At 2nd level, when the herald of autumn rolls initiative, or at the beginning of each of their turns, they can choose to take 2 points of essence burn to unshape a single shaped Storm veil, and immediately shape a new one in its place. If the Storm veil they unshape was bound to their Storm chakra, the new storm veil they shape in its place is also bound. If the unshaped storm veil and the newly shaped storm veil both have one of the following properties the herald of autumn can use this ability without taking essence burn: the Acid descriptor, Death descriptor, Disease descriptor, Fear descriptor, or Poison descriptor. The two veils do not need to match for this ability: the herald of autumn can replace a Poison descriptor storm with an Acid descriptor storm without suffering essence burn, or vice versa. If the herald of autumn changes a storm’s descriptor to Acid using their autumn’s weave ability, it counts as an Acid descriptor storm for this ability.

This replaces the stormbound’s shifting storms class feature.

Autumn’s Corruption (Su): At 6th level, the herald of autumn’s connection to their storms is enhanced when they shape storms that debilitate their foes or the environment, rather than those tied strictly to the elements. Whenever the herald of autumn shapes a storm veil with the Death, Disease, Fear or Poison descriptors, those storms can affect creatures who would normally be immune to death effects, diseases, and poisons. If one of those storms would cause a condition, negative levels, or ability damage or drain, it ignores immunity to those effects as well. If such a storm required a Constitution saving throw, creatures who would normally be immune to Constitution saving throws are still affected by the storm.

At 12th level, this ability applies to all of the herald of autumn’s shaped veils with the Death, Disease, Fear, or Poison descriptors, rather than only their storm veils. They also treat every veil with the Death, Disease, Fear, or Poison descriptor as if it were a veil on the stormbound veil list. This however does not grant them the ability to shape veils of esoteric chakras, such as Blood or Ring slot veils, even if they are added to their veil list using this ability.

At 18th level, whenever the herald of autumn affects one of their enemies with a harmful effect from a Death, Disease, Fear, or Poison descriptor veil that lasts for 1 or more minutes, its duration doesn’t expire as long as that enemy remains within the area of the herald of autumn’s storm veil.

Herald’s Essence (Ex): At 11th level, the herald of autumn’s internal pool of essence begins to swell with the primordial wellsprings of autumn, granting them an additional point of essence. They gain an additional point of essence at 12th level, and every level thereafter.

This replaces the stormbound’s twinveil storm class feature.

Festering Decay (Su): At 12th level, the range of the herald of autumn’s creeping decay ability increases to Medium range (100 feet + 10 feet per class level). Whenever a creature takes damage while being affected by the herald of autumn’s creeping decay ability, their wounds begin to rot and fester and can only be healed by magical healing, even after they leave the area of this ability.

Plants within this area are further diminished by decay as well. Any non-creature non-magical plant that spends a minute within the area of the creeping decay has their growth and food production halved for the following year.

Whenever the herald of autumn activates their creeping decay, they can choose whether they wish it to extend to Close or Medium range.

This replaces the stormbound’s improved stormweaving class feature.

Rotting Decay (Su): At 18th level, the range of the herald of autumn’s creeping decay ability increases to Long range (400 feet + 40 feet per class level). Festering wounds caused by the herald of autumn’s creeping decay begin to rot, causing them to resist being healed even by magic. Creatures must make a Fortitude save to have these wounds healed by magic, even while outside of the area of creeping decay (DC 10 + 1/2 the herald of autumn’s class level + their Wisdom modifier).

Plants within the area of creeping decay begin to slowly rot as well. Any non-creature non-magical plant that spends 24 hours within the area of creeping decay dies.

Avatar of Autumn: At 20th level, the primordial forces of autumn infuse the herald fully with its power, transforming them into its avatar. The herald of autumn’s type changes to fey, they gain low-light vision (or doubles the range of their low-light vision if they already possessed it), and immunity to acid damage. With their body fully sustained by the powers of autumn they no longer age, need to eat or drink, or need to breathe. If the herald of autumn is slain their body and equipment discorporeates into rot and decay and they are revived during the zenith of the next naturally occuring autumnal storm on the planet they died (or plane they died, if the plane they died on has no distinct planets). They are revived at full hit points with all of their equipment, and may immediately shape their veils as if they had rested for 8 hours. If autumn storms do not exist on the planet or plane in which they died, or if the planet or plane they died on has no natural weather, the herald of autumn cannot be revived with this ability. For the purposes of this ability, an autumn storm is any storm that occurs during the autumn season, or any storm which includes acid or toxins (such as acid rain, or an ash storm).

This replaces the stormbound’s avatar of the elderstorm class feature.

Herald of the Confluence (Prestige Class)

A confluence of seasons is a rare occurrence, bringing unique forms of weather and particularly impressive displays of nature’s ferocity to the realms. Heralds normally dedicate themselves to a single season, but those who experience these rare times when the seasons interact find their experience changed, dedicating themselves anew to understand and master all of the seasons rather than only one.

Role: Heralds of the confluence give up some of their veilweaving ability to instead focus on their storms above all, allowing them to change their attunement to their season with some effort. Utilizing their ability to alter their season, a herald of the confluence can utilize their storms to perform a number of roles, most commonly either in the support, control, or damage-dealing roles.

Alignment: Heralds of the confluence embrace all seasons and the boons and blights brought by each. These enigmatic veilweavers tend to be neutral in alignment, though good-aligned or evil-aligned heralds that focus entirely on the bolstering or destructive elements of the seasons are not unheard of.

Hit Die: d6

Requirements

To become a herald of the confluence, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:

• Class: 6 levels of stormbound with one of the following archetypes: herald of winter, herald of spring, herald of summer, or herald of autumn.
• Skills: Survival 6 ranks, Knowledge (nature) 6 ranks

Class Skills: A herald of the confluence gains no additional class skills.

Skill Ranks: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features

Table: Herald of the Confluence

Level

Base Attack Bonus

Fort Save

Ref Save

Will Save

Special

1st

+0

+1

+1

+1

Strength of the Confluence, Embrace of the Seasons, Storm Essence

2nd

+1

+1

+1

+1

3rd

+1

+2

+2

+2

Meditative Embrace

4th

+2

+2

+2

+2

5th

+2

+3

+3

+3

Shifting Confluence, Twinveil Storm

6th

+3

+3

+3

+3

Meditative Embrace

7th

+3

+4

+4

+4

8th

+4

+4

+4

+4

9th

+4

+5

+5

+5

Meditative Embrace

10th

+5

+5

+5

+5

Entwined Seasons

Strength of the Confluence: At each herald of the confluence level, they gain new chakra binds, storm powers, essence, and class features as if they gained a level in stormbound. However, they do not gain any additional veils shaped from their veilweaving class feature from their herald of the confluence levels. The herald of the confluence otherwise adds this class’s level to their stormbound level when determining the effects of all of their stormbound class features, and for their veilweaving level.

Embrace of the Seasons: When the herald of the confluence shapes their veils for the day, they choose which of the four seasons they wish to attune to: winter, spring, summer, or autumn. They gain the class features of the herald of seasons archetype associated with that season, and immediately lose any of the class features granted by their previous associated season, essentially instantly retraining the archetype for another. If they possess any storm powers that deal elemental damage, they may change their elements as described by their newly gained frigid powers, voltaic powers, scorching powers, or festering powers class feature.

Meditative Embrace (Su): At 3rd level, by meditating for 10 minutes the herald of the confluence can change the season they chose with embrace of the seasons. They can unshape any Storm veils they have shaped and reshape them as part of this ability. They may bind these veils as part of this ability.

At 6th level, the time required in meditation is reduced to 1 minute.

At 9th level, the time required in meditation is reduced to a full-round action. If used in combat, this provokes attacks of opportunity.

Shifting Confluence: At 5th level the herald of the confluence gains the Shifting Confluence storm power as a bonus storm power. If they already have this storm power, they gain a bonus storm power of their choice in its place. Whenever the herald of the confluence uses their meditative embrace ability, they may change their confluence feats using this storm power as if they were shaping their veils for the day.

Twinveil Storm: At 5th level, the herald of the confluence gains an additional veil shaped each day that may only be used to shape a Storm veil, and they gain the ability to shape two Storm veils in their Storm chakra. This doesn’t stack with similar abilities, such as the Twin Veil feat.

Entwined Seasons: At 10th level, when the herald of the confluence shapes their veils for the day they select two seasons instead of one, gaining the class features of both archetypes associated with that season in place of their currently chosen seasons. Creatures under the effects of their weatherproofing gain the benefits of both archetype’s modification of that feature. When determining the elements of their storm powers or Storm veils, they can choose any of those available to either archetype. When the herald of the confluence uses their meditative embrace ability, they choose which of their two seasons to change.

When the herald of the confluence gains their avatar ability when reaching an effective stormbound level of 20, they choose which of the two effects they use when slain.