Some beastmasters turn to the timeless growth of nature for solace, finding allies among the great trees themselves, and even leading the forest’s plants into combat.
The tree guardian is an archetype of the beastmaster class, available to mandragora beastmasters.
Archetype Main Ability Scores:
The tree guardian mainly focuses on STR/DEX for martial combat and WIS and CHA for their class features.
Archetype Feature Replacements:
1st – Limit Breaks, Animal Companion, Wild Empathy, Animal Focus. 6th – Speak With Animals. 7th – Second Animal Focus. 8th – Scent. 10th – Beast Shape. 13th – Third Animal Focus. 20th – Mastery of Beasts.
Limit Break (Su)
At 1st level, the tree guardian receives the Limit Break (Photosynthesis Master).
Photosynthesis Master (Su): The Limit Breaks activates the regenerative properties of plants in both himself and his companion. For the duration of 1 round + 1 round per four beastmaster levels after 1st, the tree guardian and his companion gain fast healing equal to his beastmaster level that stacks with any fast healing either currently have. This limit break requires only a swift action.
This ability replaces the Limit Break (Bestial Fury).
Plant Companion (Ex)
At 1st level, a tree guardian may begin play with any of the plants listed below. This plant is a loyal companion that accompanies the tree guardian on her adventures. Except for the companion being a creature of the plant type, drawn from the list below, this ability otherwise works like the standard beastmaster’s animal companion ability.
Carnivorous Flower
N Small Plant
Init +3; Senses low-light vision, scent
DEFENSE
AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+3 Dex, +2 natural)
hp (based off of animal companion chart)
Saves (based off of animal companion chart)
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee bite (1d6)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
STATISTICS
Str 10, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10
4th-Level Advancement
Size Medium; Attack bite (2d6); Ability Scores Str +4, Dex –2, Con +2; Special Attacks rage (1/day, as the berserker class feature for 6 rounds).
Crawling Vine
N Medium Plant
Init +3; Senses low-light vision, scent
DEFENSE
AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+3 Dex, +2 natural)
hp (based off of animal companion chart)
Saves (based off of animal companion chart)
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft.; Climb 20 ft.
Melee slam (1d4)
Special Attacks grab
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
STATISTICS
Str 13, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2
4th-Level Advancement
Size Large; AC +1 natural armor; Attack slam (1d6); Ability Scores Str +8, Dex –2, Con +4; Special Attacks constrict 1d6.
Puffball (Floating Fungus)
N Small Plant
Init +3; Senses low-light vision
DEFENSE
AC 13, touch 12, flat-footed 11 (+2 Dex, +1 natural)
hp (based off of animal companion chart)
Saves (based off of animal companion chart)
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft.; Fly 60 ft. (average)
Melee thorn (1d4 plus poison)
Special Attacks poison (Frequency 1 round [6], Effect 1 Con damage, Cure 1 save, Con-based DC)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
STATISTICS
Str 10, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6
4th-Level Advancement
Ability Scores Str +2, Con +2
Sapling Treant
N Medium Plant
Init +3; Senses low-light vision
DEFENSE
AC 13, touch 11, flat-footed 12 (+1 Dex, +2 natural)
hp (based off of animal companion chart)
Saves (based off of animal companion chart)
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.; Climb 30 ft.
Melee 2 slams (1d6)
Special Qualities double damage against objects
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
STATISTICS
Str 15, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 7
4th-Level Advancement
Size Large; AC +2 natural armor; Attack 2 slams (1d8); Ability Scores Str +8, Dex –2, Con +4.
This ability modifies and replaces animal companion.
Plant Empathy (Ex)
At 1st level, a tree guardian can improve the attitude of a plant creature. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person. The tree guardian rolls 1d20 and adds her beastmaster level and her Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical wild plant creature has a starting attitude of indifferent.
To use plant empathy, the tree guardian and the plant creature must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing a plant creature in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time. A tree guardian can also use this ability to influence an animal, but she takes a –4 penalty on the check.
This ability modifies and replaces wild empathy.
Plant Focus (Su)
At 1st level, a tree guardian can take on the aspect of a plant as a swift action. He must select one type of plant to emulate, gaining a bonus or special ability based on the type of plant emulated and his beastmaster level. The tree guardian can use this ability for a number of minutes per day equal to his beastmaster level. This duration does not need to be consecutive but must be spent in 1-minute increments. He can emulate only one plant at a time.
The tree guardian can also apply one of these aspects to his plant companion. An aspect applied in this way does not count against the hunter’s minutes of duration per day—it remains in effect until he changes it. The companion’s aspect can be the same aspect the hunter has taken on or a different one. A tree guardian can select or change the plant foci on both himself and his plant companion as part of the same swift action.
At 20th level, each day when the tree guardian rests, he chooses one plant focus to be active on himself for the entire day. This focus is in addition to using his plant focus class ability (including the additional focus ability he is able to use on himself if his plant companion is dead).
- Assassin Vine: The creature gains a +2 bonus on combat maneuver checks to grapple. This bonus increases to +3 at 8th level and +4 at 15th level.
- Brambles: When the creature is hit by an unarmed strike or natural attack, the attacker takes 1 point of piercing damage. This increases to 2 points at 8th level and 3 points at 15th level.
- Creeping Vine: The creature gains a +4 competence bonus on Climb checks. This bonus increases to +6 at 8th level and +8 at 15th level.
- Giant Flytrap: The creature gains a +4 competence bonus on Stealth checks. This bonus increases to +6 at 8th level and +8 at 15th level.
- Mushroom: The creature gains a +4 enhancement bonus on saves against poison. This bonus increases to +6 at 8th level and +8 at 15th level.
- Oak: The creature gains a +2 enhancement bonus to CMD. This bonus increases to +4 at 8th level and +6 at 15th level.
- Shrieker: The creature gains darkvision with a range of 60 feet. At 8th level, the range increases by 30 feet. At 15th level, the creature also gains blindsense with a range of 10 feet.
- Spore: The creature gains a +4 competence bonus on Fly checks. This bonus increases to +6 at 8th level and +8 at 15th level.
- Water Lily: The creature gains a +4 competence bonus on Swim checks. This bonus increases to +6 at 8th level and +8 at 15th level.
This ability modifies and replaces animal focus.
Speak with Plants (Su)
At 6th level, a tree guardian may comprehend and communicate at will with all plant creatures.
This ability modifies and replaces speak with animals.
Second Plant Focus (Su)
At 7th level, whenever a tree guardian uses his plant focus ability, he selects two different plant aspects for himself instead of one, and can assign two aspects to his companion instead of one. As with the companion’s previous aspect, the second one does not count against the minutes per day a tree guardian can take on an aspect.
If the tree guardian’s plant companion is dead and the tree guardian has applied the companion’s plant aspect to himself, that aspect does not count toward his maximum of two aspects at once. The tree guardian can still apply only one of his dead companion’s aspects to himself, not both.
This ability modifies and replaces second animal focus.
Plant Shield (Ex)
At 8th level, a tree guardian and his companion are distasteful to plant creatures. Creatures of the plant type with an Intelligence score of 2 or lower will not willingly attack either the tree guardian or his companion unless magically compelled to do so or the tree guardian or his companion attacks the creature first.
This ability replaces scent.
Plant Shape (Su)
At 10th level, the tree guardian gains the ability to turn herself into the same form as her plant companion at will. A tree guardian loses her ability to speak while in plant form because she is limited to the sounds that a normal plant can make. Changing form (to plant or back) is a standard action and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity.
- Small plant: If the form you take is that of a Small plant, you gain a +2 size bonus to your Constitution and a +2 natural armor bonus.
- Medium plant: If the form you take is that of a Medium plant, you gain a +2 size bonus to your Strength, a +2 enhancement bonus to your Constitution, and a +2 natural armor bonus.
- Large plant: If the form you take is that of a Large plant, you gain a +4 size bonus to your Strength, a +2 size bonus to your Constitution, and a +4 natural armor bonus.
This ability modifies and replaces beast shape.
Third Plant Focus (Su)
At 13th level, whenever a tree guardian uses his plant focus ability, he selects three different plant aspects for himself instead of two, and can assign three aspects to his companion instead of two. As with the companion’s previous aspect, the third one does not count against the minutes per day a tree guardian can take on an aspect.
If the tree guardian’s plant companion is dead and the tree guardian has applied the companion’s plant aspect to himself, that aspect does not count toward his maximum of three aspects at once. The tree guardian can still apply only one of his dead companion’s aspects to himself, not all three.
This ability modifies and replaces third animal focus.
Mastery of Plants (Ex)
At 20th level, the tree guardian gains this ability that functions the same as the beastmaster’s mastery of beasts class feature but works only with plant creatures.
This ability modifies and replaces mastery of beasts.
