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Naturalists has an affinity with plants. They are able to animate plant life and other natural phenomena (phosphorescence, etc.) and use it to craft turrets that damage their opponents.

The naturalist is an archetype of the druid class.

Archetype Main Ability Scores:
The naturalist mainly focuses on STR/DEX for combat and WIS for their class features and spells.

Archetype Feature Replacements:
1st – Limit Breaks, Nature Bond. 3rdTrackless Step. 4thHomefield Advantage. 5th Wild Shape.

Limit Breaks (Su)

At 1st level, the naturalist gains the following limit breaks (Enlarging Plants and Speedy Turrets).

Enlarging Plants (Su): This Limit Break allows the naturalist to enhance all allied plants within 30 feet, enlarging them by 1 size step. This lasts for a duration of 1 round + 1 round per four druid levels after 1st. This limit break only requires a swift action.

Speedy Turrets (Su): This Limit Break allows the naturalist to enhance his turrets, causing all turrets to have haste. In addition, all turrets can use their extraordinary abilities an additional time per round.  This lasts for a duration of 1 round + 1 round per four druid levels after 1st. This limit break only requires a swift action.

These abilities replaces the druid’s standard limit breaks.

Growth of the Wild (Su)

At 1st level, a naturalist can summon plant creatures in the form of immobile plant turrets. The plant turrets have a amount of hit points equal to half the maximum hit points that the naturalist has plus their Constitution modifier and gains natural armor and STR/DEX bonuses (as primary/secondary based on the plant turret type) as an animal companion does as the naturalist levels. They also gain a bonus to saving throws equal to their natural armor bonus. In addition, it has the same base saving throws as the naturalist, using their own stat modifiers. The plant turrets stay around until they die from lost of health, until the naturalist moves more than 100 feet away from it, or when the naturalist summons another turret beyond what he is capable of. As a standard action, the naturalist can summon one of the three following turrets anywhere up to 30 feet away (at 5th level and every four druid levels thereafter, the naturalist can summon an additional turret with the same standard action):

Forest’s Spirit
Starting Statistics
Size: Small Plant; Speed: -; AC: +2 natural armor; Attack: acidic spore cloud (supernatural ability, 1d6 + Wis mod (earth damage, affects objects, does not affect other turrets or the naturalist) per round in a 10-ft.-radius, Fort save DC 10 + half of the naturalist’s level + the Forest’s Spirit’s Wisdom modifier for half damage); Ability Scores: Str 10, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 16, Cha 12; Special Qualities: Plant immunities. Primary: Wisdom. Secondary: Constitution.

4th level Advancement

Size: Small Plant; AC: +2 natural armor; Attack: acidic spore cloud (2d6 + Wis mod (earth damage, affects objects, does not affect other turrets or the naturalist) per round in a 15-ft.-radius, Fort save DC 10 + half of the naturalist’s level + the Forest’s Spirit’s Wisdom modifier for half damage); Ability Scores: Con +2, Wis +2

7th level Advancement

Size: Medium Plant; AC: +3 natural armor; Attack: spore cloud (3d6 + Wis mod (earth damage, affects objects, does not affect other turrets or the naturalist) per round in a 20-ft.-radius, Fort save DC 10 + half of the naturalist’s level + the Forest’s Spirit’s Wisdom modifier for half damage); Ability Scores: Con +4, Wis +4

Grove’s Assailant
Starting Statistics
Size: Small Plant; Speed: -; AC: +1 natural armor; Attack: seed (ranged touch, 30 foot range, uses the druid’s BAB, 1d4 + Cha mod); Ability Scores: Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 16; Special Qualities: Plant immunities. Primary: Charisma. Secondary: Dexterity.

4th level Advancement

Size: Small Plant; AC: +1 natural armor; Attack: seed (ranged touch, uses the druid’s BAB, 2d4 + Cha mod); Ability Scores: Dex +2, Cha +2

7th level Advancement

Size: Medium Plant; AC: +2 natural armor; Attack: seed (ranged touch, uses the druid’s BAB, 3d4 + Cha mod); Ability Scores: Dex +4, Cha +4

Plant’s Battler
Starting Statistics
Size: Small Plant; Speed: -; AC: +3 natural armor; Attack: slam (uses the druid’s BAB, 1d6); Ability Scores: Str 16, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 12; Special Qualities: Plant immunities. Shriek. Primary: Strength. Secondary: Constitution.

Shriek (Ex): Once per round, as a swift action, the plant’s battler can shriek, causing one target within 30 feet to be inflicted with Antagonize for a number of rounds equal to half of the naturalist’s level unless they make a Will save (DC 10 + half of the naturalist’s level + the Plant’s Battler’s Constitution modifier) to negate.

4th level Advancement

Size: Small Plant; AC: +3 natural armor; Attack: slam (uses the druid’s BAB, 1d6); Ability Scores: Str +2, Con +2. Special Qualities: Thorny Body.

Thorny Body (Ex): Any melee attacks except manufactured weapons with reach that strike the Plant’s Battler take 1d6 points of piercing damage.

7th level Advancement

Size: Medium Plant; AC: +4 natural armor; Attack: slam (uses the druid’s BAB, 1d8); Ability Scores: Str +4, Con +4. Special Qualities: Thorny Body, Mass Shriek.

Mass Shriek (Ex): Works like Shriek but affects all enemies within 30 feet.

This ability replaces nature bond.

Turret Talents

At 2nd level and every two druid levels thereafter, a naturalist can choose a druidic talent or a turret talent from the list below.

Enhanced Turrets (Ex): With this talent, a naturalist’s turrets get a +1 enhancement bonus to their attack and damage rolls. In addition, their DCs for their abilities increases by 1. For every four druid levels after 4th, these bonuses increase by 1. Prerequisite: The naturalist must be at least 4th level to select this talent.

Hidden Roots (Ex): With this talent, a naturalist’s turrets spreads out roots in a 5-ft.-radius around it. Creatures that end their turn adjacent to the naturalist’s turrets must make a Reflex save (DC 10 + half of the druid’s level + his Wisdom modifier) or become entangled as the entangle spell.

Imbued Turrets (Su): A naturalist with this talent grants his elemental resistance to his turrets.

Improved Hidden Roots (Ex): In addition to causing entangle, area within 10 feet of the turret are now considered difficult terrain. The naturalist is immune to this and the entangling ability. Prerequisite: The naturalist must be at least 6th level to select this talent.

Improved Plant Growth (Su): A naturalist with this talent can now buff multiple turrets equal to his Wisdom modifier using a single move action. Prerequisite: The naturalist must be at least 4th level to select this talent.

Prickly Turrets (Ex): With this talent, a naturalist’s turrets all sprout prickly thorns. Anytime a creature attacks a turret at melee range (reach weapons are exempt from this), they take 1d3 points of piercing damage. If the mandragora also has the Cactuar-kin racial trait, the damage increases by half his druid level. At 6th level, the damage a creature takes from attack the naturalist’s turrets increases to 1d6. At 12th level, the damage a creature takes from attack the naturalist’s turrets increases to 1d10. Lastly, at 18th level, the damage a creature takes from attack the naturalist’s turrets increases to 2d6 plus the naturalist’s Wisdom modifier. If a Plant’s Battler is summoned and has Thorny Body, this talent adds to the damage.

Protective Sap (Ex): With this talent, the naturalist’s turrets gain a DR of 2/-. At 6th level, the damage reduction increases to 3/-. At 12th level, the damage reduction increases to 4/-. Lastly, at 18th level, the damage reduction increases to 5/-.

Sunlight Sustenance (Su): With this talent, the naturalist’s turrets gain a Fast Healing 2 while within sunlight (natural or spell). At 6th level, the Fast Healing increases to 3. At 12th level, the Fast Healing increases to 4. Lastly, at 18th level, the Fast Healing increases to 5.

These abilities may replace druidic talents.

Turret Displacement (Su)

At 3rd level, as a swift action, a naturalist can move a number of turrets equal to his Wisdom modifier up to 30 feet from its current position a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Wisdom modifier.

This ability replaces trackless step.

Plant Growth (Su)

At 4th level, as a move action, a naturalist can buff up his growth of the wild turrets within line of sight, granting them temporary hit points equal to his maximum hit points that lasts until the end of combat. If he has more than 1 turret, he must choose which turret gains this buff, but otherwise can spend move actions to buff up other turrets. He can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Wisdom modifier.

This ability replaces homefield advantage.

Sporelings (Su)

At 5th level, a naturalist can summon short-timed plant turrets within 30 feet. They have exactly 1 hit point, AC of 13, uses the druid’s saving throws, and have 1 attack (ranged touch up to 30 feet, inflicts 1 damage that improves by 1 point per four druid levels above 5th level, and uses the druid’s BAB and Dexterity modifier). They last a number of rounds equal to half the druid’s level. He can use this ability a number of times per day equal to half of his druid level + his Wisdom modifier. As a standard action, the naturalist can summon one of the three following plant turrets:

  • Ligneous Sheath: This plant turret grants all allies within 30 feet temporary hit points equal to 5 plus another 5 temporary hit points for every four druid levels above 5th level. Each ally can only gain these temporary hit points once per Ligneous Sheath, but otherwise stacks with other Ligneous Sheaths.
  • Sporespawn Seedling: This plant turret reduces spell damage by 1 by enemies within 30 feet plus an additional point for every four druid levels above 5th level.
  • Sporespewer: This plant turret reduces melee/ranged damage by 1 by enemies within 30 feet plus an additional point for every four druid levels above 5th level.

This ability replaces wild shape.

Naturalist