Plant Domain
Deities: Erastil, Gozreh.
Granted Powers: You f ind solace in the green, can grow
defensive thorns, and can communicate with plants.
Wooden Fist (Su): As a free action, your hands can become
as hard as wood, covered in tiny thorns. While you have
wooden fists, your unarmed strikes do not provoke attacks
of opportunity, deal lethal damage, and gain a bonus on
damage rolls equal to 1/2 your cleric level (minimum +1).
You can use this ability for a number of rounds per day
equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
Bramble Armor (Su): At 6th level, you can cause a host of
wooden thorns to burst from your skin as a free action.
While bramble armor is in effect, any foe striking you
with an unarmed strike or a melee weapon without
reach takes 1d6 points of piercing damage + 1 point per
two cleric levels you possess. You can use this ability for
a number of rounds per day equal to your cleric level.
These rounds do not need to be consecutive.
Domain Spells: 1st—entangle, 2nd—barkskin, 3rd—plant
growth, 4th—command plants, 5th—wall of thorns, 6th—repel
wood, 7th—animate plants, 8th—control plants, 9th—shambler
The druid shapechanges into an earth element often, while technically not an unarmed attack, I can at least imagine it's fists sprouting thorns and I am uncertain wether I should allow it.
He hasn't picked a domain yet, I just figure this would be a logical domain choice and I am considering this before he asks me.
I would only apply it to unarmed attacks, not natural attacks like slams.
I would allow it, its flavorful, has good imagery (if described well), and in the end he'd only be getting 1/3rd (the damage bonus) of the effects of a minor ability that he did make a particular choice to get (his domain choice).
If a non-enhancement bonus on damage rolls of 1/2 his cleric level is going to be game breaking, then I would say you have far bigger problems. No snark intented.
Short version: This fits the spirit of the character, and is hardly gamebreaking enough to be a problem with balance.
I think I am going to allow it, but I will review the other characters first.
They are at the moment 3.5 chracters that are going to be remade into pathfinder core rules, so I am a bit hesitant to houserule too much.
(but I probably will anyway)