The Cadyran is a master of the bow that has taken the druidic oaths, and also has a bit of arcane mastery.  Where the arcane archer focuses on the mastery of the arrow, the Cadyran focuses on the power of the living bow.  They were commonly found at the height of the Karatikan Alliance, around 760 Avard, and well into the Storm Wars.  Since the fall of the Alliance, the Cadyrans have fallen out of sight -- although their secrets are still yet there for the druids that would seek them out.

Druids are the obvious choices to become Cadyrans, but rangers, too, feel the calling of the naturalistic bow.  Few other classes can even elect to master the powers inherent in the Cadyran.  (For most druids to take the Cadyran prestige class, the feat 'Natural Archer' is required, so that they do not violate their druidic oaths by taking up the bow.)

Hit Die: d8

Requirements
To qualify to become Cadyran, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria:
Spellcasting: Ability to cast 3rd-level natural spells, and 2nd-level arcane spells.
Base Attack Bonus: +5.
Craft (bowmaking):  8 ranks.
Knowledge (nature):  8 ranks.
Knowledge (arcana):  4 ranks.
Feats: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Point Blank Shot, Weapon Focus (bow).

Class Skills
The Cadyran's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Craft (Int), Concentration (Con), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Spellcraft, Spot (Wis), and Survival (Wis).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 +Int modifier.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Cadyran prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Cadyran is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, small and medium armor, and shields. Note the penalties for armor heavier than leather apply to the skills Hide and Move Silently.
Spell-casting:  A Cadyran continues to advance in her casting abilities, choosing whether to advance as an arcane or natural spell-caster every other time she levels up.
Bow-master:  A Cadyran is such a master of the bow that she can grow one at a moment's notice, or continue to enchant her own special bow.  When grafting such powers onto a personally-crafted bow, the Cadyran can choose any of the applicable ranged enchantment abilities from the Dungeon Master's Guide, so long as the Cadyran's total arcane and natural levels is equal to or greater than the Caster Level requirement for each ability.  There are no gold piece or experience point requirements to manufacture such bows -- only the time required to make them.  This is because the Cadyran grows her bow -- it is a living entity, requiring sunlight during the day, and darkness at night.  Spells that affect living creatures or plants can affect a Living Bow, and each is treated as a creature (see below).  Growing a living bow takes as long as manufacturing would, due to the natural magics of the Cadyran.

Living Bow, small plant:  Size S; HD 4d8; hp 20; AC 16 (+1 size, +5 natural); SV Fort +2, Ref -8, Will +0; Str 2, Dex 0, Con 14, Int 1, Wis 10, Cha 10; SQ damage reduction 5, regeneration 2.  Note -- immune to mind-affect effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, polymorph, stunning, and critical hits.

Living Bow (Sp):  A 1st-level Cadyran must shape a bow of her own from a live sapling.  When completed, this Living Bow has a +1 bonus to hit, infuses any normal arrow placed in it with a +1 bonus to damage, and has any one of the +1 bonus cost special abilities (as per p223 of the Dungeon Master's Guide).  In addition, the weapon is considered 'composite' for all purposes of determining range and strength enhancements.  Any special abilities that would normally only apply to the arrows fired by a Living Bow are automatically infused into the arrows, from the bow.  Note that this ability cannot overcome arrows already enhanced by magics.  After 1st-level, a Cadyran may only attempt to remake another Living Bow is her original is destroyed or disjuncted.  When new Living Bows are crafted, they have all of the abilities of the previous Living Bows -- the only difficulty is the time required to 'refashion' (by growing) a new Living Bow.
Close Bow (Su):  Because the Living Bow is such a part of the Cadyran, any spells that normally are limited only to 'self' or 'personal' can also infuse the bow.
Bow Enhancement (Su):  At successive levels, the Cadyran's natural and arcane energies automatically enhance a Living Bow, depending on her level.  (See chart below.)
Weapon Purpose (Sp):  By 10th-level, the power of the Cadyran has so infused her Living Bow, that it becomes a sentient, special-purpose weapon, taking on the Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma of its wielder, as well as her alignment.  The item receives one dedicated power, determined by the Dungeon Master.  The weapon's Ego can never be in conflict with the Cadyran's, unless she is under the influences of a spell that alters her alignment, ethos, or will.  If under the influence of such a spell for more than one week, however, the Living Bow begins to take on the Cadyran's new alignment, ethos, and will.
Bow-casting:  By 2nd-level, a Cadyran is so familiar with her bow, and it is so much a part of her, that she can cast natural spells through the bow.  She can cast natural spells while armed with her Living Bow.  At 5th-level, this ability extends even to her arcane spells.  Whenever the Cadyran gains the ability to cast spells, even while her bow is in hand, she also gains the ability to imbue any arrows she fires with her Living Bow with area-effect spells.  When the arrow is fired, the spell's area is centered on where the arrow lands, even if the spell could normally be centered only on the caster.  This ability allows the archer to use the bow's range rather than the spell's range.  It takes a standard action to cast the spell and fire the arrow.  The arrow must be fired within the round the spell is cast, or the spell is wasted.

 

Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2	Craft Living Bow +1, +1 special ability, Close Bow.
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+3	Natural bow-casting.	+1 Caster Level
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+3	Living Bow +2.
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4	+1 special ability.	+1 Caster Level
5th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Arcane bow-casting.
6th	+4	+5	+2	+5	Living Bow +3.	+1 Caster Level
7th	+5	+5	+2	+5	+2 special ability.
8th	+6/+1	+6	+2	+6		+1 Caster Level
9th	+6/+1	+6	+3	+6	Living Bow +4.
10th	+7/+2	+7	+3	+7	+3 special ability, Weapon Purpose.	+1 Caster Level