Naturalism

Epic Path \ Skills \ Naturalism

• Ability Score Used: Wisdom, Strength or Dexterity
• Usable Untrained? No (Bailiwick)
• Armor Check Penalty Applies? Yes, if strength or dexterity are used. No, if wisdom is used.

Only Barbarians, Druids and Rangers may learn this bailiwick skill. No other class may place ranks in it unless they have an ability which specifically states they may put ranks into a bailiwick skill not normally offered by their class. A bailiwick skill is a new skill that represents the core competency of a style of adventure, and has many useful applications.

The Naturalism skill is an expression of your practical knowledge of the wilderness and nature. For each rank a character places in Naturalism, the character receives a free rank in Knowledge (Nature). Note that no character may ever have more ranks in a skill than her character level.

At the time the player places her first ranks in this skill, she must select either Wisdom, Dexterity or Strength, and use that ability modifier as the key ability modifier for this skill. Note that this skill is subject to Armor Check Penalties if Strength or Dexterity is chosen. Once selected, this ability modifier may not be changed.

Check

Naturalism is used to simulate your ability at being an explorer of the untamed wilds. With Naturalism, you can identify spells as they are being cast, improve your party's overland travel speed and create better campsites.

Task	Naturalism DC
Identify a spell being cast in combat	15 + Spell Level
Create a secure campsite	15
Improve Overland Travel	20
Identify the properties of a magic item	15 + item's caster level
Craft a magic item with the Creator feat	Varies by item

Action

Identify Spell Being Cast

Identifying a spell as it is being cast requires no action, but you must be able to clearly see the spell as it is being cast, and this incurs the same penalties as a Perception skill check due to distance, poor conditions, and other factors.

Create a Secure Campsite

Creating a secure campsite takes one hour of searching for a useful site (which can be combined with travel time), and another hour of campsite preparation to establish clear sight-lines, set up warning triplines, and other minor activities. If successful, the chance for a random encounter while camped is reduced by half. Furthermore, anyone on watch receives a +4 circumstance bonus to their Perception checks to notice approaching creatures. If more than one character has the Naturalism skill, they may assist each other on this roll.

Improve Overland Travel

Improving overland travel for your party is a continuous process, but it is part of the movement. You must make a check each hour you travel. If successful, you can increase your party's overland movement by 1 mile for that hour, whether the party is walking or hustling.

Determine Properties of Magic Item

Attempting to ascertain the properties of a magic item takes 3 rounds per item to be identified and you must be able to thoroughly examine the object.

Crafting Magic Items

Naturalism is one of the skills which, when combined with the Creator feat, may be used to create new magic items.

Try Again

Identify Spell Being Cast

You cannot retry checks made to identify a spell.

Create a Secure Campsite

No. The check represents your best efforts, and building up the camp site a second time doesn't let you anticipate something that you never considered in the first place.

Improve Overland Travel

No. Any check which is failed grants no benefits to overland speed for the next hour of travel. You get to make a new check each hour, however.

Crafting Magic Items

Yes, but resources used in the creation of the item are often expended and must be repurchased. Additionally, the process of the item's creation must be restarted from the beginning.

Determine Properties of Magic Item

When attempting to learn the properties of magic items, you can only attempt to ascertain the properties of an individual item once per day. Additional attempts that day reveal the same results. Note that this skill may be used to assist another party member's attempt at determining the properties of a magic item, even if the other party member is using a different skill to make the check.

Epic Skill Uses

Note: All uses below require a minimum of 21 Ranks in the skill to use.

Ideal Campsite

(DC 100) - create a campsite with no chance of random encounters for 8 hours.

Ignore Overland Movement Penalties for Terrain

(DC 90 + 2 per additional person with you).