The Forest Cult
Trees of the Sleeping Soul

On the Outer Continent of Fallen Sun, a new faith is gaining followers and influence across many cultures, including Geilem, the Imbata people and even in Dar a'Droaz. This is the Cult of the Soul Tree, that promises eternal life amongst groves of trees that carry the consciousness of all who have gone before, as well as bringing green to the desert lands.

The normal funeral rites of the cult are to plant a seed of the soul tree with the corpse. From this, a tree grows that carries the soul of the deceased. Cult members are given this seed when they join, and they carry it with them wherever they go, as a holy symbol and as insurance for their future rebirth. The soul trees have an awareness, of a sort, and are said to be able to commune with relatives and loved ones who visit them. A grove of ten or more soul trees is able to influence the dreams of anyone who sleeps within 300 ft. of the grove.

Sometimes a different ritual is conducted on a willing volunteer, and this person becomes a creature known as a child of the soul tree. He or she retains all knowledge of their former life, but becomes a plant-like version of their former self, with hair and nails that match the colours of the leaves of a soul tree. A child of the soul tree becomes a special emissary for the soul trees, able to travel far from the grove yet still maintain an empathic contact with the soul trees.

Sometimes the bodies of enemies are infused with the sap of the soul tree in another ritual. These rise as zombie-like plant creatures known as soul tree guardians. These creatures lose all knowledge of their former life, becoming slaves to the soul tree, used to defend groves from attackers. Their will is that of the cult. A child of the soul tree, or those with strong ties to the soul trees themselves, can use magic to see through the eyes of any soul tree guardian within one mile of the grove. A soul tree guardian's skin becomes the texture of bark, and any discerning features gradually fade to give a vague, tree-like humanoid creature.

Using the Forest Cult
The Cult of the Soul Tree, also known as the Tree Cult and the Forest Cult by outsiders, is an organization that has sinister overtones but is not inherently evil. The cult claims that its intentions are benign, and that it has no desire for conquest, but it could easily turn hostile, forcibly converting enemies to soul tree guardians and threatening to cover all the civilised lands with the soul trees. It may be that the cult is guided by a powerful plant spirit that has goals of its own, unknown to its unwitting mortal followers.

The Forest Cult Domain
The Forest Cult Domain is specific to worshippers of the Soul Tree, granting spells that follow the doctrine of becoming one with the dreams of the Soul Tree. The entity worshipped as the Soul Tree has no favoured weapon, but worshipper favour those predominantly made of wood, particularly quarterstaffs and clubs.

Granted Powers
Knowledge (nature) and Survival are class skills. You can command Soul Tree Guardians, and can bolster them against turning as an evil cleric can with undead.

  1. Tree shape: You look exactly like a tree for 1 hour/level.
  2. Barkskin: Grants +2 (or higher) enhancement to natural armour.
  3. Create soul tree guardian: Animates zombie-like plant creature.
  4. Create child of the soul tree: Creates free-willed plant creature.
  5. Dream: Send message to anyone sleeping.
  6. Nightmare: Send vision dealing 1d10 damage, fatigue.
  7. Liveoak: Soul tree becomes treant guardian.
  8. Scrying (soul tree): Spies on subject from a distance.
  9. Foresight: "Sixth sense" warns of impending danger.
Create soul tree guardian and create child of the soul tree function the same as animate dead except that the corpse revived gains the appropriate template given below. Both spells require a seed of the soul tree as a divine focus, which is consumed by the casting of the spell.

Liveoak cast by a forest cultist animates a soul tree rather than an oak, but otherwise functions exactly the same.

Soul tree scrying functions as greater scrying except that the caster must be touching part of a soul tree for the focus. The spell allows the caster to see through the eyes of any soul tree guardian, child of the soul tree, or grove of ten or more soul trees.

The gamesmaster may also wish to allow Forest Cultists access to the Plant and Repose domain. Third-party variants of a Dream domain also exist, which could be used.

Soul Tree Guardian
Formerly Human War1: CR 1; Medium Plant (Augmented Humanoid); AL N
Abilities Str 13 (+1), Dex 11 (+0), Con 12 (+1), Int -, Wis 10 (+0), Cha 8 (-1)
Initiative +0; Speed 30 ft.
Armour Class 15 (+2 natural, +2 armour, +1 shield) touch 10, flat-footed 15
Saves Fortitude +3, Reflex +0, Will +0
Immunities Mind-affecting/Paralysis/Poison/Polymorph/Sleep/Stunning
Hit Dice 1d8+4; hit points 8
Base Attack/Grapple +0/+1
Melee Longsword +1 (1d8+1, crit. 19-20)
Special Attacks None
Special Qualities Damage reduction 5/slashing, low-light vision, plant traits, regeneration 2
Skills Hide +8 (in forest)
Feats Toughness
Languages None
Possessions Leather armour, light wooden shield, longsword

Soul Tree Guardian Template
This is an applied template that can be applied to any humanoid, monstrous humanoid, animal or magical beast, known as the base creature. The base creature gains the following modifications:

  • Size and Type: Size is unchanged. Type changes to Plant.
  • Hit Dice: All current hit dice become d8.
  • Armour: A soul tree guardian gains a +2 natural armour bonus. This stacks within any exisiting natural armour that the base creature may have.
  • Base Attack: Base attack bonus becomes 3/4 hit dice.
  • Saves: Recalculate saves. Fortitude becomes 1/2HD+2, Reflex and Will become 1/3 HD.
  • Ability Scores: A soul tree guardian has no intelligence score. Other ability scores are unchanged.
  • Feats: A soul tree guardian loses all current feats and gains Toughness.
  • Skills: A soul tree guardian loses all current skills. It has a +8 racial bonus to Hide checks when within natural surroundings.
  • Special Qualities: A soul tree guardian gains all plant traits. It becomes immune to all mind-affecting effects, sleep, poison, paralysis, polymorph, stunning and critical hits.

    The lignified body of a soul tree guardian grants damage reduction 5/slashing.

    A soul tree guardian gains regeneration 2. Fire damage does not regenerate, and the guardian ceases to regenerate if its tree is destroyed.

  • Challenge Rating: As base creature +1

Child of the Soul Tree
Formerly Human Clr2: CR 3; Medium Plant (Augmented Humanoid); AL N
Abilities Str 10 (+0), Dex 8 (-1), Con 13 (+1), Int 12 (+1), Wis 15 (+2), Cha 14 (+2)
Initiative -1; Speed 30 ft.
Armour Class 13 (-1 Dex, +2 natural, +2 armour) touch 9, flat-footed 14
Saves Fortitude +4, Reflex -1, Will +5
Immunities Mind-affecting/Paralysis/Poison/Polymorph/Sleep/Stunning
Hit Dice 2d8+2; hit points 11
Base Attack/Grapple +1/+1
Melee Spear +1 (1d8+1, crit. x3)
Ranged Spear +0 (1d8+1, crit. x3, 20 ft.)
Special Attacks Turn spirits 5/day (+5, 2d6+5 damage)
Special Qualities Damage reduction 5/slashing, low-light vision, plant traits, regeneration 5, spell-like abilities, spontaneous cure spells.
Skills Diplomacy +5, Heal +4, Hide +7 (in forest), Knowledge (nature) +6, Knowledge (religion) +6, Knowledge (spirits) +6
Feats
Languages a'Keshamite, Imbatan
Possessions Leather armour, quarterstaff
Spell-Like Abilities: At-will: speak with plants; 3/day - tree stride.
Spells Typically Prepared:
1st level: (4/day, save DC 13) - bless, detect spirits, sanctuary, tree shape*.
0th level: (4/day save DC 12) - create water, guidance, light, resistance.

Child of the Soul Tree Template
This is an applied template that can be applied to any humanoid, monstrous humanoid, animal or magical beast, known as the base creature. The base creature gains the following modifications:

  • Size and Type: Size is unchanged. Type changes to Plant. Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves or skills.
  • Hit Dice: All current hit dice become d8.
  • Armour: A child of the soul tree gains a +2 natural armour bonus. This stacks within any exisiting natural armour that the base creature may have.
  • Skills: A child of the soul tree gains a +8 racial bonus to Hide checks when within natural surroundings.
  • Special Qualities: A child of the soul tree gains all plant traits. It becomes immune to all mind-affecting effects, sleep, poison, paralysis, polymorph, stunning and critical hits.

    The lignified body of a child of a soul tree grants damage reduction 5/slashing.

    A child of the soul tree gains regeneration 2. Fire damage does not regenerate, and the child of the soul tree ceases to regenerate if its tree is destroyed.

    A child of the soul tree gains the following spell like abilities: At-will: speak with plants; 3/day - tree stride. Caster level is equal to Hit Dice.

  • Challenge Rating: As base creature +1
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