Verdant strikers are the enemies of creatures that would despoil the natural world, and they seek to maintain balance with civilization and industry to ensure the sanctity of wild spaces.
The verdant striker is an archetype of the geomancer class, available only to mandragora geomancers.
Archetype Main Ability Scores:
The verdant striker mainly focuses on STR/DEX for combat and WIS for their class features and spells.
Archetype Feature Replacements:
1st – Spellcasting, Base Attack Bonus, Hit Dice, Geomancy, Nature Sense. 2nd – Eyes of the Storm, Geomancy Trick. 4th – Geomancy Trick. 5th – Endure Elements. 6th – Geomancy Trick. 8th – Nature’s Armor. 11th – Timeless Body. 13th – Storm Lord. 19th – Planar Acclimation.
Limited Spellcasting
A verdant striker loses access to 7th through 9th level spells and has a lower Base MP as noted below.
Table: 3/4th MP Progression
| Level | Base MP | Spell Level |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | 1st |
| 2nd | 3 | 1st |
| 3rd | 4 | 1st |
| 4th | 5 | 2nd |
| 5th | 6 | 2nd |
| 6th | 8 | 2nd |
| 7th | 10 | 3rd |
| 8th | 13 | 3rd |
| 9th | 16 | 3rd |
| 10th | 20 | 4th |
| 11th | 24 | 4th |
| 12th | 29 | 4th |
| 13th | 34 | 5th |
| 14th | 39 | 5th |
| 15th | 45 | 5th |
| 16th | 51 | 6th |
| 17th | 57 | 6th |
| 18th | 64 | 6th |
| 19th | 71 | 6th |
| 20th | 79 | 6th |
Martial Prowess
A verdant striker’s base attack bonus increases by one step (from 3/4 BAB to Full BAB). Also increases verdant striker’s hit dice from d8 to d10.
Verdant Body (Su)
At 1st level, a verdant striker takes on plant qualities as vines grow over her body, flowers bloom in her hair, and bark grows from her skin. The verdant striker is treated as both her normal creature type and a plant creature for purposes of spells or effects that target a creature by type (such as bane weapons and favored enemy). Verdant body also grants the verdant striker a 25% immunity to critical hits and precision damage (such as sneak attack).
At 5th level, the verdant striker gains a +2 enhancement bonus to her Constitution score.
At 8th level, the enhancement bonus to her Constitution score increases to +4 and her immunity to critical hits increases to 50%.
At 15th level, the enhancement bonus her Constitution score increases to +6.
This ability replaces geomancy.
Thorns (Su)
At 1st level, the verdant striker can grow thorns all over her body. She can use these thorns to deal extra piercing damage on a successful grapple attack. She can also make a regular melee attack (or off-hand attack) with the thorns, and they count as a light weapon in this case. (She can’t also make an attack with her thorns if she has already made an attack with another offhand weapon, and vice versa.) The thorns inflict 1d4 points of damage plus her Strength modifier. At 5th level, the thorns become poisonous. She can use her thorns for a number of rounds per day equal to 3 + her Wisdom modifier.
Thorn Toxin: type poison, injury; save Fortitude DC 10 + half of the geomancer’s level + her Constitution modifier; onset 1 round; frequency 1/round for 4 rounds; effect 1 Con damage and 1 Wis damage; cure 1 save.
This ability replaces nature sense.
Photosynthesis (Ex)
At 2nd level, the verdant striker feeds upon nature’s raw essence. Her need to eat and sleep is reduced as if wearing a ring of sustenance, and she gains a +2 racial bonus on saving throws made against poison and sleep effects. At 8th level, these bonuses increase to +4.
This ability replaces eyes of the storm.
Wild Armor (Ex)
At 2nd level, a verdant striker gains a +2 natural armor bonus to her AC while unencumbered and either wearing no armor or wearing light or medium non-metal armor. This bonus increases by 1 at 6th level and every four geomancer levels thereafter, to a maximum of a +6 natural armor bonus to AC at 18th level.
This ability replaces a geomancy trick gained at 2nd level.
Vegetable Durability (Ex)
At 4th level, the verdant striker gains immunity to one of the following: paralysis, poison, polymorph, sleep effects, or stunning. At 10th level, choose another immunity from the list. At 16th level, choose a third immunity from the list. Once these choices are made, they cannot be changed.
This ability replaces a geomancy trick gained at 4th level.
Plant Arcana (Su)
At 5th level, whenever the verdant striker casts a spell with a range of personal, her skin toughens, granting her a natural armor bonus equal to the spell’s level for 1d4 rounds. This bonus does stack with any other natural armor bonuses she might have.
This ability replaces endure elements.
Cruel Thicket (Su)
At 6th level, as a standard action, the verdant striker can cause the ground in a 5-foot-radius burst centered on her to sprout twisting, thorny vines. Any creature moving through it must travel at half speed or take bleed damage equal to half her geomancer level; if she activates this ability in an area with numerous plants (grass, weeds, trees, etc.), the area also becomes difficult terrain. These effects last for 1 minute, after which the vines crumble to dust. Creatures able to move through natural undergrowth unhindered ignore the effects of this ability. She can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Wisdom modifier.
This ability replaces a geomancy trick gained at 6th level.
Enlarge (Sp)
At 8th level, as a swift action, the verdant striker can enlarge herself for 1 round, as if she was the target of the enlarge spell. She can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Wisdom modifier.
This ability replaces nature’s armor.
Alluring Scent (Su)
At 11th level, the verdant striker can emit certain scents that attract and influence the behavior of insects. As a result, she can call forth a wasp swarm (as per insect plague spell) as a standard action. The swarm arrives in 2d6 rounds. As long as she concentrates by spending a swift action each round, the swarm moves and attacks as she desires. If she ceases concentrating, the swarm attacks or pursues the nearest creature (other than her) as best it can. She can regain control of an uncontrolled swarm as a standard action. An uncontrolled swarm disperses after 2 rounds. At 15th level, a called swarm arrives in 2d4 rounds. At 19th level, a called swarm arrives in 1d6 rounds.
This ability replaces timeless body.
Rooting (Ex)
At 13th level, as a move action, the verdant striker can extend roots into the ground. Her speed is reduced to 5 feet, but she gains a +4 bonus to natural armor (that stacks with other natural armor) and a +10 bonus to CMD against bull rush, overrun, reposition, and trip maneuvers. She also gains tremorsense 30 feet and fast healing 1. She can use this power for a number of minutes per day equal to her geomancer level. This duration need not be consecutive, but it must be used in 1-minute increments.
This ability replaces stormlord.
Shepherd of the Trees (Su)
At 20th level, the verdant striker’s verdant heritage fully manifests. She gains a +4 natural armor bonus (that stacks with other natural armor bonuses). She gains immunity to paralysis, poison, polymorph, sleep, and stunning, and she gains tremorsense 30 feet even when not rooted.
This ability replaces earthen ascension.
