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. 3rd – Trackless Step. 4th – Homefield 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 number of hit points equal to half the maximum hit points of the naturalist plus the plant turret’s Constitution modifier.
They also gain the natural armor bonus and STR/DEX bonuses (as primary/secondary based on the plant turret type) as an animal companion does as the naturalist levels (+2 NA and +1 Primary/Secondary bonus at level 3). They however do not gain any of the other listed bonuses for an animal companion.
In addition, the plant turret shares the same base saving throws as the naturalist, using the plant turret’s stat modifiers in place of the naturalist’s.
The plant turrets stay around until they die from loss 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 (1 at level 1).
As a standard action, the naturalist can summon a single plant turret up to 30 feet away (at 5th level and every four druid levels thereafter, the naturalist can have 1 more turret active at the same time, and may summon all available turrets as a full-round action). The naturalist can only summon a number of plant turrets per day equal to 3 + the naturalist’s level.
The naturalist can summon any of the following three turrets:
Forest’s Spirit
Starting Statistics
Size: Small Plant; Speed: -; AC: +1 natural armor; Attack: acidic spore cloud (1d6) in a 10-ft.-radius;
Ability Scores: Str 10, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 16, Cha 12; Special Qualities: Plant immunities. Primary: Wisdom. Secondary: Constitution.
Acidic spore cloud (Su): This ability creates a 10ft radius cloud around the Forest Spirit that deals 1d6 earth damage to all creatures and objects in the area, excluding itself, other plant turrets, and the naturalist that summoned it. Affected targets can make a Fortitude save DC 10 + half of the naturalist’s level + the Forest’s Spirit’s Wisdom modifier for half damage.
4th level Advancement
Size: Small Plant; AC: +2 natural armor; Attack: acidic spore cloud (2d6) per round in a 15-ft.-radius;
Ability Scores: Con +2, Wis +2
7th level Advancement
Size: Medium Plant; AC: +3 natural armor; Attack: acidic spore cloud (3d6) per round in a 20-ft.-radius;
Ability Scores: Con +2, Wis +2
Grove’s Assailant
Starting Statistics
Size: Small Plant; Speed: -; AC: +1 natural armor; Attack: seed (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.
Grove’s Assailant’s Seed (Ex): The plant turret can make a single ranged attack, using the naturalists’s BAB and the grove assailant’s Dexterity modifier for the attack roll, with a range increment of 30ft, dealing 1d4 + the Grove Assailant’s Charisma modifier in damage.
4th level Advancement
Size: Small Plant; AC: +1 natural armor; Attack: seed (2d4 + Cha mod);
Ability Scores: Dex +2, Cha +2
7th level Advancement
Size: Medium Plant; AC: +2 natural armor; Attack: seed (3d4 + Cha mod);
Ability Scores: Dex +2, Cha +2
Plant’s Battler
Starting Statistics
Size: Small Plant; Speed: -; AC: +2 natural armor; Attack: slam (1d6);
Ability Scores: Str 16, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 12; Special Qualities: Plant immunities. Antagonizing Shriek. Primary: Strength. Secondary: Constitution.
Slam: This natural attack uses the naturalist’s BAB score and the Plant Battler’s Strength modifier for the attack bonus, and 1.5x the Plant Battler’s Strength modifier for damage.
Antagonizing Shriek (Ex): Once per round, as a standard action, the plant’s battler can shriek, causing one target within 30 feet to be inflicted with Antagonize for 1 round unless they make a Will save (DC 10 + half of the naturalist’s level + the Plant’s Battler’s Constitution modifier) to negate. After being targeted by this ability, the same target is immune to further attempts by the same plant battler.
4th level Advancement
Size: Small Plant; AC: +3 natural armor; Attack: slam (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 (1d8);
Ability Scores: Str +2, Con +2; Special Qualities: Mass Shriek.
Mass Shriek (Ex): Works like Antagonizing Shriek but affects all enemies within 30 feet.
Plant immunities: Mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms), paralysis, poison, polymorph, sleep effects, and stunning.
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.
└- 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.
Imbued Turrets (Su): A naturalist with this talent grants his elemental resistance to his turrets.
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 movement provokes Attacks of Opportunity.
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 level + his Wisdom modifier 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 + his Wisdom modifier. 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.
- Sporespawn Seedling: This plant turret grants elemental resistance (all) 1 to allies within 30 feet plus an additional point for every four druid levels above 5th level.
- Sporespewer: This plant turret grants 1 dr/- to allies within 30 feet plus an additional point for every four druid levels above 5th level.
This ability replaces wild shape.