[3.5 PrC] Going Green: The Viridian Aspirant (PEACH)

Viridian Aspirant

http://www.billcasselman.com/oak_creature.jpg

Who will speak for the trees? Will ye not let the trees speak for themselves?

While some who spend their time in the wilderness seek to emulate animals and learn to take their forms, others instead look to the trees. Tall, long-lived, and unyielding, trees seem to be the perfect model for those who would stand as a bullwark agaist the tides of civilization. Viridian aspirants gradually take on aspects of plants, growing leaves, branches, flowers, and thorns, until finally they become a greenman, an immortal being more plant than person.

Hitdie
d8.

Requirements
To qualify to become a viridian aspirant, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.

Alignment
Neutral good, lawful neutral, neutral, chaotic neutral, or neutral evil.

Skills
Knowledge (Nature) 8 ranks, Survival 8 ranks.

Feats
Greenbound Summoning and one of Music of Growth, Green Ear, Eldeen Plantgrafter, Ironwood Body, or Plant Devotion

Spells
Able to cast 3rd-level spells.

Table: Viridian Aspirant

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2	Viridian Evolution 1, Wild Empathy	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+3	Low-light vision, Plant Body (DR 2), Vegetative mind +2)	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
3rd	+1	+3	+1	+3	Viridian Evolution 2	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
4th	+2	+4	+1	+4	Light Fortification 25%, Plant Body (+2 AC, DR 4), Slam Attack	-
5th	+2	+4	+1	+4	Viridian Evolution 3	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
6th	+3	+5	+2	+5	Plant Body (+4 AC, DR 6)	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
7th	+3	+5	+2	+5	Viridian Evolution 4	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
8th	+4	+6	+2	+6	Light Fortification 50%. Plant Body (+6 AC, DR 8), Vegetative mind +4	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
9th	+4	+6	+3	+6	Viridian Evolution 5	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
10th	+5	+7	+3	+7	Viridian Apotheosis	-

Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level): Climb, Concentration, Craft, Disguise, Handle Animal, Heal, Hide, Knowledge (Geography), Knowledge (Nature), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival

Class Features
All of the following are Class Features of the viridian aspirant prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Viridian aspirants are proficient with the natural attacks they gain as they become more plant-like.

They cannot wield any weapons (excluding ammunition) not made primarily of plant material nor can they wear armor or carry a shield made from anything other than plant material. Thus they cannot wear any of the armors described in the Players' Handbook, but they can wear wooden armor altered by the ironwood spell so that it functions as though it were steel or armor made from special materials such as Thistledown (RotW), Leafweave (RotW), Wildwood (RotW), or Bronzewood (ECS).

A viridian aspirant who wears prohibited armor, carries a prohibited shield, or wields a prohibited weapon loses all viridian aspirant abilities, including increased spell casting, for 24 hours. If they have undergone Viridian Apotheosis, they also revert to their original form, losing the Greenman template for the same period of time

Spells per Day/Spells Known
At each level other than 4 and 10 the viridian aspirant gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in whatever spellcasting class she belonged to before he added the prestige class level. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If a character had more than one spellcasting class before he became a viridian aspirant, he must decide to which class he adds each level of viridian aspirant for the purpose of determining spells per day and spells known.

Viridian Evolution (Ex)
The viridian aspirant becomes more and more plant-like. At 1st level and every second level thereafter she chooses one viridian evolution from the appropriate stage (see Viridian Evolution, below).

Wild Empathy (Ex)
Beginning at 1st level, a viridian apirant can improve the attitude of an animal. See the druid class feature, page 35 of the Player's Handbook. If you have levels in another class that grants the wild empathy ability, your viridian aspirant level stacks with levels of any other classes that grant the wild empathy ability for the purpose of determining the bonus. You are able to use the ability to influence Plant creatures, and gain a +2 bonus to Wild Empathy checks to do so. If you do not have levels in another class that grants the wild empathy ability, you take a -2 penalty to checks to influence animals and magical beasts, in addition to the normal -4 penalty to influence magical beasts.

Low-light vision (Ex)
At 2nd level, the viridian aspirant gains low-light vision. She can see twice as far as a human in conditions of dim illumination. If she already has low-light vision, she gains improved low-light vision, and can now see four times as far as a human in conditions of dim illumination.

Plant Body (Ex)
At 2nd level the viridian aspirant's body begins to change composition to a woody, fibrous plant material. She gains DR 2/slashing and magic. This increases to DR 4/slashing and magic at level 4, DR 6/slashing and magic at level 6, and DR 8/slashing and magic at level 8. At level 4 her woody skin grants her a +2 natural armor bonus. This bonus increases to +4 at level 6 and +6 at level 8.

If the viridian aspirant has the Ironwood Body feat, she gains DR 3/slashing and magic at level 2, which increases to DR 5/slashing and magic at level 4, DR 7/slashing and magic at level 6, and DR 9/slashing and magic at level 8.

Vegetative Mind (Ex)
The viridian aspirant's mind begins to change even as her body. At 2nd level she gains a +2 bonus to saving throws to resist sleep, poison, paralysis, and stunning. This increases to +4 at 8th level.

Light Fortification (Ex)
Beginning at 4th level, a viridian aspirant gains 25% resistance to critical hits; this is the equivalent of the light fortification armor special ability. At 8th level this fortification increases to 50%.

Slam Attack (Ex)
At 4th level, a viridian aspirant gains a slam attack if she did not already have one. This attack does 1d4 damage if she is small and 1d6 damage if she is medium.

Viridian Apotheosis (Ex)
At 10th level the viridian aspirant completes her tranformation into a greenman. Her type changes to plant (with the appropriate augmented subtype), and gains all the traits of a plant. She no longer takes penalties to her ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that she has already taken, however, remain in place, and bonuses still accrue. She does not die of old age. All her existing d4 or d6 hitdie become d8s. Her natural armor bonus and damage reduction from Plant Body do not stack with the natural armor bonus or damage reduction of the greenman template, and she does not gain an additional slam attack.

Viridian Evolution
Viridian aspirants experience evolution every odd level. She chooses a single stage one evolution at 1st level. At third she chooses an additional stage one evolution and a stage two evolution. At fifth level she chooses a stage one, stage two, and stage three evolution. At 7th level she chooses a stage one, stage two, stage three, and stage four evolution. At 9th level she chooses one evolution from each of the five stages. Any given evolution cannot be selected twice. Unless otherwise stated, these are Extraordinary special abilities and not subject to Dispel Magic, nor are they suppressed in an antimagic field.

Stage One (Gained at levels 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9)

• Moss grows on your skin.
• Your skin turns leaf-green.
• Your skin becomes rough, like tree bark.
• Small flowers bloom on your skin and in your hair.
• Vines crawl up your body.
• Your hair becomes a canopy of leaves and changes color with the seasons.
• Your fingers lengthen and become branches.
• Your legs become tree trunks
• You constantly smell like pine needles.

Stage Two (Gained at levels 3, 5, 7, and 9)

• You bear fruit. (Each morning you produce 6d4 berries. These function as if they had had the goodberry spell cast on them. If a single creature eats all of the berries produced in a day, they receive the benefits of the lesser restoration spell.)
• You begin to photosynthesize. (As long as you spend at least one hour in sunlight each day, you do not need to eat. You still must drink as normal for a creature your size.)
• Your scent is irresistable to pollinators. (Vermin within 30 feet of you must succeed on a DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Charisma modifier each round or be unable to do anything but move closer to you.)
• Fragrant flowers bloom in your hair or on your skin. (You gain a +2 bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Handle Animal, and Wild Empathy checks.)
• Your blood becomes a thick, sticky sap. (The speed at which progressive damage, such as that from wounding or decomposition, affects you is halved.)
• You gain a group of symbiotic ants that protect you. (Any creature striking you with a melee attack takes 1d2 non-lethal damage from biting and stinging, as well as 1 non-lethal damage from biting and stinging for each of the next 1d3 rounds.)
• Birds nest in your hair. (You gain a companion bird. Treat it as a druid's animal companion, except that you cannot choose anything other than a diminutive bird. (Use a raven's statistics except that it is diminutive and has no attack.) Your effective druid level for determining its statistics is equal to your class level.)
• Squirrels nest in your hair. (You gain a companion squirrel. Treat it as a druid's animal companion, except that you cannot choose anything other than a diminutive squirrel. (Use a rat's statistics except that it is diminutive and has no attack or swim speed.) Your effective druid level for determining its statistics is equal to your class level.)

Stage Three (Gained at levels 5, 7, and 9)

• Thorns grow on your body. (Your unarmed and slam attacks do piercing damage as well as bludgeoning, and those striking you with natural weapons take 1d3 points of piercing damage per successful hit.)
• The bark covering you becomes even thicker. (Your natural armor bonus increases by 4.)
• Your blood becomes a toxic sap. (Any creature who damages you with a bite attack must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Constitution modifier) against poison. Initial damage is 1d6+1 points of temporary Strength damage; secondary damage is 1d4+1 points of temporary Constitution damage. You can bleed a dose of this poison (which must be ingested to take effect) by taking 1 point of temporary Constitution damage.)
• A predatory bird has decided to use you as a hunting perch. (You gain a companion bird of prey. Treat it as a druid's animal companion, except that you cannot choose anything other than an Owl, Hawk, or Eagle. Your effective druid level for determining its statistics is equal to your class level.)
• Your feet put down roots wherever you walk. (You are immune to bull rushes and trips, but your speed decreases by 5 ft.)
• Armor made from wood or leaves grows into your skin. (If you wear armor made of plant material for 24 hours, its maximum dexterity bonus and armor bonus increase by 1 and its check penalty decreases by 1. You can also sleep in it without becoming fatigued, but it takes two hours for you to take it off.)

Stage Four (Gained at levels 7 and 9)

• Your skin produces an irritating poison. (Any creature striking you with natural weapons must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Constitution modifier) against poison. Initial damage is 1d2 points of temporary Dexterity damage; secondary damage is 1d4 points of temporary Dexterity damage.)
• You sprout short vines that grasp anything you come in contact with. (You gain a +4 bonus on grapple checks)
• Intoxicating flowers bloom in your hair or on your skin. (You are constantly surrounded by a calming aura to a radius of 20 feet. Creatures within the aura must make a successful Will save (DC 10 + one-half your character level + your Cha modifier) or be affected as by the calm emotions spell. Creatures who leave the aura and reenter it receive new saving throws. A creature that makes a successful saving throw and remains in the aura is unaffected until it leaves the aura and reenters. Creatures with the scent special ability take a -2 penalty on their save.)
• You are exceptionally resistant to snow and lightning. (You gain resistance 10 to cold and electricy. Once you become a greenman, your natural resistance to cold and electricity is increased to 20)
• Your flesh becomes even more woody and fibrous. (Your DR x/Slashing and Magic increases by 2)

Stage Five (Gained at level 9)

• Your arms grow into massive trunks. (Your slam natural attack deals damage as if you were two size categories larger)
• Your very presence causes plants to grow wild (You are constantly surrounded by the effects of an entangle spell DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Cha modifier. You are immune to its effects and can suppress it as a free action. The effect reasserts itself at the beginning of your next turn unless you suppress it, even if you are unconscious)
• You grow long vines that can move on their own and attack enemies. (You gain two secondary tentacle attacks, which deal 1d4 damage if you are medium and 1d3 damage if you are small. You gain the Improved Grab special ability, which applies only to these attacks.)
• Your arms grow into long branches. (You gain an additional 5 feet of reach.)

Feats
Continued Evolution
You become even more plantlike than before.
Prerequisites: One viridian evolution from stage five
Benefits: You gain the benefits of one additional viridian evolution from each stage.

Greenman

Example Human Greenman, 5th-level Wild Bard/10th-level Viridian Aspirant
Medium Plant (Augmented Humanoid)
15d8+45 HD (97 HP)
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Init: 10
AC 26; touch 10; flat-footed 26
(+8 natural, +7 +4 Leafweave Studded Leather, +1 ring of protection)
BAB +8; Grp +8
Attack Slam +8 Melee (1d6)
Full-Attack Slam +8 (1d6)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks
Special Qualities Damage Reduction 10/slashing and magic; Resistance 10 to Cold and Electricity; Tremorsense; Go To Seed
Saves Fort +14 Ref +4 Will +11
Abilities Str 10, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 16
Skills Balance +8, Disguise +8, Knowledge (Nature) +18, Listen +18, Perform (any one) +18, Survival +18
Feats Greenbound Summoning, Plant Devotion, Extra Music, Lingering Music, Music of Growth, Green Ear, Melodic Casting
Environment Forest
Organization Solitary
Challenge Rating 17
Treasure Standard
Alignment Neutral
Advancement by character class
Level Adjustment +4

The greenman bard/viridian aspirant presented here had the following ability scores before racial adjustments and increases from HD (all 3 increases from HD went to Charisma): Str 8, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 9, Cha 13.

Creating A Greenman
"Greenman" is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature).

A greenman has all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Size and Type
The creature’s type changes to plant with the appropriate augmented suptype. Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. Size is unchanged.

Hit Dice
Increase all current and future d4 or d6 Hit Dice to d8s.

Armor Class
A greenman has a +8 natural armor bonus or the base creature’s natural armor bonus, whichever is better.

Attack
A greenman retains all the natural weapons, manufactured weapon attacks, and weapon proficiencies of the base creature. A greenman also gains a slam attack.

Damage
Natural and manufactured weapons deal damage normally. A slam attack deals damage depending on the greenman’s size. (Use the base creature’s slam damage if it’s better.)

Special Qualities
A greenman retains all the base creature’s special qualities and gains those described below.

Damage Reduction (Ex)
A greenman’s fibrous body is tough, giving the creature damage reduction 10/slashing and magic. Its natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Resistance to Cold and Electricity (Ex)
A greenman gains resistance 10 to cold and electricity.

Tremorsense (Ex)
A greenman has tremorsense out to 30 feet.

Go to Seed (Ex)
When first acquiring the template and each spring thereafter, the greenman produces a single seed. If the greenman dies, the seed can germinate and produce a perfect copy of the greenman, with all the memories and abilities she had before her death. The seed takes 2d10 days to produce this copy, and will not do so unless buried in soil capable of sustaining plant growth. Once the copy is produced, the original (and any previous copies) cannot be brought back to life by any means. If a greenman had multiple seeds planted at the time of her death, only one (selected at random) germinates; the rest remain dormant.

Abilities
Increase from the base creature as follows: STR +2, CON +4 Wis +2.

Skills
Greenmen have a +6 racial bonus on Survival checks. A greenman gains a +10 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks made in forested areas.

Challenge Rating
Same as the base creature + 2.

Alignment
Neutral good, lawful neutral, neutral, chaotic neutral, or neutral evil.

Advancement
By character class.

Level Adjustment
Same as the base creature +4.

A couple of initial observations:

The first sentence under Class Features says something about the "yee naaldlooshii prestige class".

It would appear that the feat Continued Evolution grants an entire set of abilities. The same abilities that took five levels to accrue. Did you intend to make the feat that attractive?

Lastly, a nitpick. Tree's don't live forever, but I understand this PrC is partially based on the Green Star Adept...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Scotchland

A couple of initial observations:

The first sentence under Class Features says something about the "yee naaldlooshii prestige class".

It would appear that the feat Continued Evolution grants an entire set of abilities. The same abilities that took five levels to accrue. Did you intend to make the feat that attractive?

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I think his use of that is deliberate- it allows one to progress in related class features after one has finished the PrC.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Scotchland

A couple of initial observations:

The first sentence under Class Features says something about the "yee naaldlooshii prestige class".

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:smallsigh: Copypaste error. Thanks for catching that.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Scotchland

A couple of initial observations:It would appear that the feat Continued Evolution grants an entire set of abilities. The same abilities that took five levels to accrue. Did you intend to make the feat that attractive?

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Remember that it's impossible to qualify for the feat before ECL 14, so you'd only have two feats left pre-epic, and spellcasters are usually pretty feat-starved to begin with. It's competing with things like Persistant Spell and kin.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Scotchland

Lastly, a nitpick. Tree's don't live forever, but I understand this PrC is partially based on the Green Star Adept...

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They don't live forever, but they don't die of old age, either. There are trees alive today that sprouted while the pyramids were being built.

Can you take Continued Evolution multiple times? I think it would be a neat idea if you could!

Oh, it's so good to see another Oregonian on these boards! And a homebrewer, too! Awesome!

I'm trying to think of a joke about how appropriate it is for an Oregonian to be 'brewing something about a character that takes treehugger to a whole new level, but it's not coming to me.

I'll do a Peach when I don't have an essay due in 12 hours, and PM me if I don't.

I love the idea of a peacful village, commoners just doing whatever the heck commoners do all day. A young boy is sitting in the dirt remembering when a "tree-man" and his friends saved his village from [misc. village threat] when suddenly the tree-man sprouts out of the ground, and curses.

Ok I know it takes 2d10 days to form, but who said it had to be a gradual process that takes all 2d10 days? Who said it couldn't be sudden growth at the end of germation? Cause that's how I'd play it, because its funny.

Otherwise, great job! :smallsmile: