Snow Born (3.5e Prestige Class)

Snow Born

Becoming a Snow Born

“	There is nothing more beautiful than the clearest ice pools or the whitest snow.	”
—Celeste, Elf Snow Born

With the ability to strike foes down with icy vengeance what can get in the way?

A Snow Born studies the basic building of nature, deciding to harness the power of cold, ice, and sleet. Eventually they transcend their mortal forms and become elemental beings themselves.

Before one can become a Snow Born they must first meet peacefully with a snow or sleet elemental or creature with a snow subtype that can choose to test their affinity to snow. The Test of the Snow Born is unknown to the participant and up to the DM.

A Snow Born often are intrigued by all forms of nature before they ever take levels in the prestige class, these spellcasters typically find themselves drawn to the snow energy type. They find satisfaction in the unleashed purity of the snow energy forms, and they become a Snow Born to grow closer to snow's purity.

Most Snow Born come from druids, although some Wizards or Sorcerers venture to the class, it is rare to see one. A cleric with the Cold Domain could also qualify for the prestige class.

Entry Requirements

Skills:	Knowledge (Nature) 8 ranks Knowledge (The Planes) 4 ranks
Feats:	Beckon the Frozen
Spells:	Able to cast at least 4 spells that deal cold type damage. One of the spells has to be of at least 3rd level.
Special:	Must make a peaceful contact with a cold or water elemental, or outsider that has a cold or water subtype (can be a summoned creature). Must display an affinity to snow by way of a test given by the elemental (up to DM decision -- see Test of the Snow Born).

Table: The Snow Born

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Spellcasting
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2	Cold Specialty, Cold Resistance 5	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+3	Immunity to Sleep, Bonus Feat	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+3	Cold Penetration +2	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Cold Resistance 10, Cold Adaptation, Spell Secret	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
5th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Cold Focus +1, Summon Ice Elemental 1/day	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
6th	+4	+5	+2	+5	Wild Shape Cold +1/day	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
7th	+4	+5	+2	+5	Cold Resistance 20	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
8th	+5	+6	+2	+6	Cold Penetration +4, Bonus Feat	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
9th	+6	+6	+3	+6	Immunity to Paralysis and Poison	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
10th	+7	+7	+3	+7	Cold Perfection, Cold Focus +2, Cold Immunity	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level) Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Snow Born gain no additional proficiency in weapons or armor.

Spells Per Day: When a new Snow Born level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in a spell casting class she belonged to before adding the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained, except for an increased effective level of spell casting. If a character had more than one spell casting class prior to becoming a Snow Born, she must decide which class she adds the new level for the purpose of determining spells per day.

Cold Specialty: Beginning at 1st level, the Snow Born may as a free action substitute for the snow type in any spell she casts with an element descriptor. For bards and sorcerers, this supersedes the requirement that a meta-magic feat applied to a spell takes a full-round action to cast. Note that the spell's normal casting time (typically 1 action) must still be taken.

Cold Resistance: Beginning at 1st level, the Snow Born gains increasing resistance to snow. This resistance is 5 points at level 1, and increases to 10 points at level 4, 15 at level 7, and becomes full immunity at level 10.

Immunity to Sleep: At 2nd level, as a Snow Born continues to transcend her mortal form, she gains immunity to sleep effects. She also at this point begins to look slightly more elemental (a little red/orange/yellow in the eyes, hot and smoky to the touch, possibly a faint orange glow begins to show through her skin).

Bonus Feat: At 2nd and 8th levels a Snow Born gains extra feats.

Cold Penetration: The Snow Born begins to further refine their snow energies, and gains the ability to penetrate spell resistance with greater ease, if they are using a snow spell. She gains a +2 competence bonus on caster level checks (1d20 + caster level) to overcome a creature's resistance. At 8th level, this bonus increases to +4. These bonuses stack with those granted by the Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration feats.

Cold Focus: From 5th level on, a Snow Born is better able to manipulate snow. The save DC for any snow spell increases by 1. At 10th level, these save DCs increase by 1 again (total increase of 2). These increases are cumulative with those granted by the Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus feats.

Cold Adaptation: At 4th level, the Snow Born no longer takes environmental damage or suffers from hazards relating to snow or dust. In addition, she suffers no ill effects and has no difficulty moving and navigating through snow or dry climates. However, spells that duplicate snow environments (i.e. Wall of Snow) do inflict their normal damage, after the snow resistance is factored in.

Spell Secret: A Snow Born can choose one spell known to her that then becomes permanently modified as though affected by one of the following meta-magic feats: Enlarge Spell, Extend Spell, Quicken Spell, Silent Spell. The spell's level does not change and once the choice of spell and modification are chosen they cannot be changed. She does not need to know the meta-magic feat she applies.

Summon Ice Elemental: Once per day, the Snow Born can now summon an Ice Elemental to fight their enemies.

Wild Shape Cold: The Snow Born gains the Wild Shape ability (as Druid's first gaining of Wild shape). If she already knows Wild Shape, then she gets another usage of Wild Shape, per day. She can now transfer any basic wild shape creature into a snow subtype version.

Immunity to Paralysis and Poison: As a Snow Born approaches Snow Perfection, she gains immunity to paralysis and poison at 9th level.

Cold Perfection: At 10th level, a Snow Born, through long association with elemental entities and extensive study of their secrets, completely transcends her mortal form to become an elemental creature (Ice Elemental (DnD Creature)). Her type changes to elemental. She no longer needs to eat, sleep, or breathe (though she must still rest to regain spells). She gains an elemental creature's immunity to stunning, and she is no longer subject to extra damage from critical hits or flanking. A Snow Born gains the speed and movement modes, natural attacks, special attacks, and special qualities of a Medium ice elemental, except that the save DC against her elemental attack form, if any (Burn) is 20 + her Con modifier. Unlike a normal elemental, a Snow Born retains a soul separate from her body. She can be raised from the dead as normal for a creature of her previous type.

Cold Immunity: From 10th level on, a Snow Born gains immunity to Cold effects.

Ex-Snow Borns

If a Snow Born wanders from seeking the purity of snow for any reason (since it is an independent study), no negative affects become present in the character. But if they choose to pick it up again later, after a year of inactivity, they must regain alignment with the snow by meeting with the elemental again, and possibly testing again.

Playing a Snow Born

Combat: While it is thought to be mostly a spellcasting class, it is derived from the druid class, therefore they can fill many different roles needed in the party.

Advancement:

Resources: The resources for a Snow Born are limited.

Snow Borns in the World

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NPC Reactions:

Snow Born Lore

Snow Born Lore stretches back through the ages, much more ancient than druids, and more potent than Elemental Savants. Very few have been made even in the last millennia and those that have rarely dedicate themselves fully to the task. There has been no deity that Snow Born lore points to but it seems that they simply worship the elements themselves and nature as more powerful than any deity ever to exist. At one time the Snow Borns were not the only elemental children. There are even rarer classes (Snow Born, Air Born) that they ruled with. As man came to being and began settling more and over taking nature itself many of them have dwindled to non-existence. Only the Snow Born are even seen rarely because of the snow climate that the snow spirit dwells in the Snow Born are the most active of the classes. Snow Borns are pre-chosen before birth and their nature drives them into the class. When they are born they are visited by the very elemental that will test them. This elemental will sometimes bear supernatural gifts to the child that can only be unlocked by the Snow Born through years of personal search. Many times the character will be restless before taking up the Snow Born path, they often get a sense of incompleteness or just a yearning for something (snow -- see Elemental Children)

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (nature) can research Snow Borns to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge (nature)

DC	Result
21	They become Ice Elementals
26	They are more ancient than savants
31	Many Snow Borns go into solitude for ages
40	Snow Borns are pre-chosen before birth and their nature drives them into the class. When they are born they are visited by the very elemental that will test them. This elemental will sometimes bear supernatural gifts to the child that can only be unlocked by the Snow Born through years of personal search.

Elemental Children

This group known as The Children of the Elements (Elemental Children) were once a great and powerful group. Very few, if any, have been made in the last millennia. And the ones who have been made, are rarely able to find the resources to dedicate themselves to the task. None are known to worship deities, but rather worship nature itself, and the elements themselves. As man came to being, and began settling more, and overtaking nature itself, many of them have dwindled into non-existence. Only the Snow Born are even seen rarely, because of the cold climate that the cold spirit dwells in. The Snow Born are the most active of the classes.

Elemental children are all pre-chosen before birth and their nature drives them to this path. When they are born they are visited by the very elemental that will test them. This elemental will sometimes bear supernatural gifts to the child that can only be unlocked by the Snow Born through years of personal search. Many times the character will be restless before taking up the path -- they often get a sense of incompleteness or just a yearning for something.

Snow Borns in the Game

Adaptation:

Sample Encounter:

EL whatever:

Test of the Snow Born

The Player rolls a d4 and depending on the roll must complete 1 of the following tests:

• 1: Cast a harmful cold spell on a nearby creature
• 2: Sit in a cube of ice, until they reach the point at which they might die. (If they stay in, until released at the last moment, then they pass)
• 3: Create a small snow in a bowl using no spell components
• 4: Survive a week in a cold climate with nothing but what they can carry.

These tests can take any amount of time as the participant is taken to the frozen time dimension and no time passes in the normal dimension.

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Related

Elemental Children
Medium Ice Elemental (3.5e Creature)
Air Born (DnD Prestige Class)
Earth Born (DnD Prestige Class)
Fire Born (DnD Prestige Class)

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