Playing a campaign with a kind of mad science feel and I thought it might be fun to make a character who is all about plants, along the lines of Poison Ivy from Batman. My first thought was to go leshykineticist but that looks kinda weak. I'm also considering the Verdant sorcerer bloodline (which looks okay), and wondering if there's any particular kind of druid with maybe a sciencey feel. I'm also looking at a plant-based summoner but the party already has a pretty solid tank so I feel like that might be redundant. We also already have an alchemist so I don't want to just be another of those.
Leaf leshy herbalist alchemist, or leshy warden druid.
You want to be the leaf leshy because it lets you grow plant creatures.
Leaf leshy herbalist alchemist, or leshy warden druid.
You want to be the leaf leshy because it lets you grow plant creatures.
We also already have an alchemist so I don't want to just be another of those.
We also already have an alchemist so I don't want to just be another of those.Leaf leshy herbalist alchemist, or leshy warden druid.
You want to be the leaf leshy because it lets you grow plant creatures.
then leshy warden druid.
Leshy warden druid looks kind of weak compared to other druids. Also leshys are probably a bit too cutesy for this game.
Leshy warden druid looks kind of weak compared to other druids. Also leshys are probably a bit too cutesy for this game.
cute can go dark real fast if you want it to. thirsting entanglement for example
And a familiar that grants a domain is in no way weak.
Real talk: Plant focused characters are not going to be on the high end of power level. They're going to be dependent on the environment OR your ability to bring plants with you, which is important for your "mad botanist" theme. The druid is the class that does that the best.
Anyone that has access to, and takes, Druidic Herbalism seems to be a valid option.
If you were considering a kineticist even for a moment I don't see how any variety of druid could be too weak for you. That said take a look at the supernaturalist druid if you want a sciency feel, and they're not weak.
Ghoran's are alternative to Leshy's as plant people.
I think you could make a good argument for gathlains as well even though i think they're technically fae.
edit: There's also the Grasping Vine shaman archetype.
If you were considering a kineticist even for a moment I don't see how any variety of druid could be too weak for you. That said take a look at the supernaturalist druid if you want a sciency feel, and they're not weak.
True. I generally try to avoid thinking of any classes as better than any others, since it makes the game less fun for me, but sometimes it's just true.
I think supernaturalist looks a bit too mystical in flavour for this. Seances aren't what I'm going for, and leshy warden has a bigger focus on plants so I'll have another look at that.What's the big advantage to being from a plant race?
What's the big advantage to being from a plant race?
Well, aside from being able to use the same spells and effects on yourself that you use on your plant "friends". The only advantage I'm aware of is that it's easier to make use of the feat Grow Plant Creature
Plant creatures are particularly adept at growing other plant creatures of the same type. Sentient creatures of the plant type gain a +5 racial bonus on their Knowledge (nature) checks to cultivate other plant creatures, halve the time required to grow the creature, and reduce the materials cost by 25%. A plant creature improves the success chance of any awakening ritual it personally performs by 5% per Hit Die it possesses.
of course if you just want to create a leshy you don't need the feat, but you get the same discounts for being a plant creature yourself.
What's the big advantage to being from a plant race?Well, aside from being able to use the same spells and effects on yourself that you use on your plant "friends". The only advantage I'm aware of is that it's easier to make use of the feat Grow Plant Creature
Plant creatures are particularly adept at growing other plant creatures of the same type. Sentient creatures of the plant type gain a +5 racial bonus on their Knowledge (nature) checks to cultivate other plant creatures, halve the time required to grow the creature, and reduce the materials cost by 25%. A plant creature improves the success chance of any awakening ritual it personally performs by 5% per Hit Die it possesses.of course if you just want to create a leshy you don't need the feat, but you get the same discounts for being a plant creature yourself.
That does look pretty cool. I was thinking of using this character to fortify our base of operations with a garden of killer plants so this looks like what I would want for that.
I'm kind of resistant to playing a plant race, though. I want to look more-or-less human(oid). Maybe I could be a ghoran and just disguise myself with some low-level illusion or transmogrification spell.
Well, if you think Leshy Warden is weak, and the party already has an Alchemist and a solid tank-character, then Sorcerer with Verdant Bloodline is probably the way to go. What are the other characters in your party?
Alchemist (Beastmorph and Visisectionist archetypes)
Oracle (Dual-cursed archetype, Deaf and Wolfscarred curses, Lunar mystery)Bloodrager (Aberrant bloodline, primalist archetype, also is a girallon)
Psychic (Rebirth discipline)
There's one other player who is undecided but leaning towards Slayer.
So we'll be a very melee-heavy party, it looks like.
I don't really know about Dual-cursed Oracles or Psychics. Do they have good healing?
It seems like a Sorcerer with powerful offensive spells is more like what the party needs, and like you said, the Verdant Bloodline seems fine and in keeping with what you want.
This oracle looks like he'll be a passable healer, and our alchemist can pick up a bit of the slack too with potions. I think he is planning to take the Healing Touch discovery.
Psychics - Rebirth psychics in particular - seem to be generally a good magical Swiss Army Knife class. Not good at blasting, but pretty good for most other things. Kind of equivalent to a wizard. I don't think the Rebirth discipline gives access to healing though.
Verdant sorcerers look like mediocre blasters but I think we have enough melee DPS that I'm not too concerned by that. They seem to mostly be about summoning and battlefield control, which is fine, but I feel like what the party really needs right now might be a good debuffer.
Maybe I should go back to the drawing board and try to make a sciencey witch or something?
The kineticist really isn’t a weak option. But it is “tricky”, since you are much better off as a melee build that can switch hit when necessary. The first instinct for most is to focus on range, but the class doesn’t shine in that role.
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The kineticist really isn’t a weak option. But it is “tricky”, since you are much better off as a melee build that can switch hit when necessary. The first instinct for most is to focus on range, but the class doesn’t shine in that role.
Did not know this. I feel like that's really another reason not to take it, though, since we're already full to the gills with melee characters. We need some artillery and/or ranged debuffing.
BTW I like your avatar. The world needs more crocodile-headed rakshasas drinking tea.
Having a look at some of the bard archetypes. What does everyone think of the archivist? Could be a fun know-it-all type character with a bit of a Velma Dinkley vibe, and there's some buffing and debuffing that looks like it would come in handy. A little more healing couldn't hurt, either.
There's a plant focused hunter prc as well that you might be able to make use of.
Honestly if you've got a lot of melee? I'd like to introduce you to Shared Training Its a great way to pre-buff your melee by giving them things like outflank or paired opportunists
There's a plant focused hunter prc as well that you might be able to make use of.
Honestly if you've got a lot of melee? I'd like to introduce you to Shared Training Its a great way to pre-buff your melee by giving them things like outflank or paired opportunists
Oh dang, that would be a great spell for this party.
Do you remember the name of the prestige class? Or do you mean the Plant Master archetype?
Its the plant master archetype, plus hunter has (late) access to all of the plant based druid spells you'd want to be a poison ivy character.
Its the plant master archetype, plus hunter has (late) access to all of the plant based druid spells you'd want to be a poison ivy character.
Yeah, that looks pretty cool. And then if I go big into the teamwork feats (which the hunter seems to be all about, although I've never played one before) then I can get great use out of that Shared Training spell.
It says in the d20pfsrd entry on Plant Master that they get an animal companion with the plant type but otherwise unchanged, right? So I'd get a wolf or something but it would be made of plant matter and have a plant's immunities? Is that how that works?
Here is a really good guide on teamwork feats, hunters, and animal companions.
that shows the kind of "meat" choices you make with a hunter (or the inquisitor archetype thats basically the same) for various combat styles.
It seems like the outflank/paired opportunists/broken wing gambit package is probably best for your melee heavy party, it also lets you pick up a bow and add wounded paw gambit later if you are inclined.
So...
A druid, a witch, and an alchemist walk into a tavern...
Sorry I couldn't resist
Seriously though a Wyrwood Witch for flavors.
It says in the d20pfsrd entry on Plant Master that they get an animal companion with the plant type but otherwise unchanged, right? So I'd get a wolf or something but it would be made of plant matter and have a plant's immunities? Is that how that works?
Oh, I just found the Plant Companions list. I guess Carnivorous Flower looks like what I'm going for.
Seriously though a Wyrwood Witch for flavors.
Yeah, that's a cool concept, and mechanically great. If we pick up another player I might suggest that.
It says in the d20pfsrd entry on Plant Master that they get an animal companion with the plant type but otherwise unchanged, right? So I'd get a wolf or something but it would be made of plant matter and have a plant's immunities? Is that how that works?Oh, I just found the Plant Companions list. I guess Carnivorous Flower looks like what I'm going for.
Baby treant is good too, but that might take some negotiation from the gm because the baby treant is listed under the treesinger druid.
Baby treant is good too, but that might take some negotiation from the gm because the baby treant is listed under the treesinger druid.
Doesn't Plant Master get access to the same bunch of plant companions as the treesinger? Or do I just get a plant version of a regular (animal) companion? The wording is ambiguous.
It references pages in the Advanced Race Guide. Those pages list Carnivorous Flower, Crawling Vine, Puffball, Sapling Treant on page 26, but page 182 doesn't list companions so must be in some sort of error.
Edit: I see now that the page 182 is in the same source of Ultimate Wilderness. I don't own that source, so can't tell you which creatures it adds, but I just assume any plant-type companion should be good.
I see now that the page 182 is in the same source of Ultimate Wilderness. I don't own that source, so can't tell you which creatures it adds, but I just assume any plant-type companion should be good.
It adds a few more plant companions to the ones in Advanced Race Guide.
I get to pick from all of these.I guess the ones that appeal most to me are Snapping Flytrap and Carnivorous Flower.