The Gaming Den

Moved from http://tgdmb.com/viewtopic.php?p=214479#214479

The idea is to have a class that retains the flavor of a summoner / secondary healer / secondary blaster who gets nature-based and form- changing abilities but to put it all on a fire-mage style chassis with the at-will power schedule and to have fewer exclusions to the immunities and resistances in order to end up with something that a precocious five-year old could handle playing.

Needless to say, this is almost certainly a major nerf from the core druid, but hopefully the class is still on par with other Tome Classes, such as Samurai, Jester and Snowscaper.

I don't particularly like calling it a Druid, but I am at a loss for alternative names.

Probably not completed yet.




Druid (simplified)
"I speak for the trees"

The Druid has a magical connection to nature, especially animals, plants and the elements.

Playing a Druid: Druids have spell-like abilities based off of their wisdom, so it's expected they will put such as their highest stat. They also have a few abilities that a high Charisma and Dexterity can help with.

Alignment: Nature and the elements tend to be impassive, so most Druids are some shade of neutral. However nature falls on the just and unjust alike, so this is not required.

Races: Druids may be of any race, but are most frequently drawn from races closer to nature. That can mean races who live in elaborate houses constructed so as not to harm the living trees they are carved from, but it can just as easily mean races who reverted to savagery when they had all their cities burnt down by the "civilized" races.

Starting Gold: 2d4x10 (50 gp)

HD: D8

Class Skills: The druid’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str)

Skill Points per Level: 4+ Int

Skill Points at Each Additional Level 4 + Int modifier.

Saves: Good Fort, Good Will

BAB: Medium (as cleric)


Level : Special
1 Animal Summoning, Elemental Affinity, Nature Sense, Natural Remedy
2 Nature Walk, Improved Wild Empathy, Grow Fangs and Claws
3 Immune to Charms, Grow Fins, Elemental Blast
4 Venom, Venom Immunity, Turn Into a Tiny Animal
5 Feast or Famine, Jaggerbushes, Improved Natural Remedies, Grow Wings,
6 Skin of Oak, Turn into a Tree, Improved Elemental Blast
7 Circle of Life, Tree Stride
8 Nature's Wisdom, Turn into a Great Beast
9 Elemental Storm
10 Animal Kingdom


Class Features:

Weapon and armor proficiency: Druids are proficient with simple weapons as well as the scimitar, trident, greatclub and net. They are proficient with Light Armor and Shields but not with Great Shields. If a Druid wears armor or wields a shield she is not proficient in, then all of her Spell-like abilities suffer as if from spell an arcane spell failure chance.

Animal Summoning (Sp): A Druid may magically call forth any creature from the Summon Nature's Ally I list at will. The Druid can communicate with and direct such a creature. She may only have one such ally summoned at any given time, but allies she summons this way remain until dismissed or slain. Any creature the Druid summons with this ability gain a +2 morale bonus on all d20 rolls (attacks, saves, checks). At 3rd level, this ability improves so that the Druid may choose creatures off of the Summon Nature's Ally II list, At 5th level she may choose creatures off of the Summon Nature's Ally III list and so on, gaining access to higher level allies every odd class level.

Elemental Affinity (Su): Each druid has an affinity with one of the four elements of Greek Myth. The druid chooses one element as her affinity. This may be Fire, Acid (Earth), Electricity (Air) or Cold (Water). The druid gains resistance against that element equal to her character level and she is considered to have any spell with the relevant descriptor(s) on her spell list for purposes of activating magical items. Additionally any time the Druid deals damage from any source, whether with weapon, spell, ability or item, she may choose to change that damage to the type of her chosen affinity, and a druid who does so with her unarmed strikes counts as armed.

Nature Sense: A druid knows a whole lot about nature, she adds her class level to Knowledge (nature) and Survival skill checks. Since druids also learn about things that aren't necessarily natural, A druid may also make untrained knowledge checks to identify any type of creature.

Natural Remedies (Sp): Druids have a magic ability to heal. As a full-round action, a Druid may heal a target an amount of hit point damage equal to her Character level plus Wisdom Bonus. This ability requires the Druid to touch the patient and may be used at-will.

Improved Wild Empathy (Ex): At 2nd level, Druids gain an extraordinary ability to influence animals and magical beasts. The druid may, as a full-round action, attempt to influence the attitude of an animal or magical beast within her reach. The Druid rolls 1d20 + her character level + her Cha Mod against a DC of 10 + target's HD + target's Wis modifier. If the target is a magical beast, the Druid takes a -4 circumstance penalty to her check. If the Druid succeeds, the Druid may adjust the target's attitude one step along the Hostile / Unfriendly / Indifferent / Friendly / Helpful axis, effectively making the creature more friendly towards herself or more hostile towards someone else. This ability may be used multiple times on the same creature, but may only adjust the attitude of any particular creature by up to two steps per day.

Nature Walk (Su): At 2nd level, a Druid may, as a free action, ignore any effect which reduces her movement rate or entangles her. This includes difficult terrain, caltrops, the Subtle Cut feat, Spike Stones, Entangle and so forth. It does not let her pass through solid objects.

Grow Fangs and Claws(Ex): At 2nd level, a Druid may, as a free action, shift her form to gain Bite and Claw natural weapons appropriate to her size. For a medium sized druid, a Bite deal 1d6 and Claws deal 1d4 (See MM page 296 for other sizes). As usual, if the druid uses manufactured weapons and natural weapons as part of the same attack routine, all natural weapons count as secondary weapons that attack at -5 and only add half the druid's strength bonus.

Immune to Charms: At 3rd level, the Druid becomes immune to any Charm effect.

Grow Fins (Su): At 3rd level, the Druid has gained form-shifting abilities that let her take on the aspect of a fish. She may, as a free action, sprout fins and gills which grant her a Swim speed of 80' and the Aquatic Subtype. The druid may resume her normal form as a free action.

Elemental Blast (Su) At 3rd level, the Druid gains the ability to use her chosen element to damage her foes. As a standard action she may project a ray at any target within Close range. This strikes as a ranged touch attack, that deals 1d6 damage of the relevant type per character level.

Venom (Sp) At 4th level, the Druid gains the spell-like ability to use Poison at will with a caster level equal to her character level.

Venom Immunity: At 4th level, a Druid becomes immune to all poisons.

Turn Into a Tiny Animal (Su) At 4th level, a druid may, as a free action change her form to that of a rabbit, housecat, chicken or other such tiny animal. Her ability scores, saves, and movement speeds do not change, but she does gain the Tiny Size bonuses of +8 to Hide, +2 to AC, +2 to Attack and the tiny size penalty of -8 to Grapple. While in animal form, she may not use her Elemental Blast nor any of her (Sp) class abilities while in this form nor use any items which require hands or speech. She retains all other non-(Sp) class abilities as well as her knowledge and skills. She may resume her normal form as a free action.

Grow Wings (Su): At 5th level, the Druid has gained form-shifting abilities that let her take on the aspect of a bird. She may sprout a pair of wings as a free action. These wings provide her with a flight speed of 80' (Average). The druid may resume her normal form as a free action.

Feast or Famine (Sp) At 5th level, a Druid gains the ability to influence the growth or withering of plants. She may use Plant Growth and Diminish Plants at will with a caster level equal to her character level.

Jaggerbushes (Sp): At 5th level, a Druid may cause thorns and roots to sprout forth, entangling and scratching her foes. She may choose up to 1 target per class level within medium range and cause each to take 1d6 magical piercing damage per the druid's character level and become entangled. A successful Reflex save (DC = 10 + 1/2 Druid's Character level + Druid's Wisdom Modifier ) negates the entaglement and halves the damage. A target who is entangled may escape as a move action with a successful Escape Artist or Grapple check against a DC equal to the save DC, or they may simply take a full round action to pick themselves carefully out of the thorns.

Improved Natural Remedies(Sp): At 5th level, a Druid may, as a full round action, heal an amount of Ability Damage or Ability Drain equal to her Wisdom Bonus. This ability requires the Druid to touch the patient and may be used at will.

Improved Elemental Blast(Su):At 6th level, the druid's Elemental Blast gains an additional effect upon targets it strikes. The precise effect depends on the elemental affinity chosen.
A water affinity druid's cold blast fatigues enemies it strikes for one round. (no save)
A fire affinity druid's fire blast sets enemies it strikes on fire until the fire is extinguished.
An earth affinity druid's acid blast knocks enemies prone (no save).
An air affinity druid's lighting blast now causes foes to become both deafened and dazzled for one round (no save).

Turn into a Tree (Sp): A 6th level druid may use Tree Shape at will.

Skin of Oak (Su): Even when not turning into a tree, a Druid retains the durability of one. At 6th level, a Druid gains an enhancement bonus to her natural armor equal to one third of her class level.

Circle of Life (Sp): At 7th level, the Druid gains the ability to force the cooperation of plants and animal as part of the greater whole. She may now use Command Plants and Dominate Animal at will with a caster level equal to her character level.

Tree Stride (Sp): At 7th level, the Druid gains the ability to use Tree Stride at will

Turn Into a Great Beast (Su) At 8th level, a druid may, as a free action, change her form to that of Large or Huge animal. Her ability scores, saves, and movement speeds do not change, but she does gain the relevant size modifiers to Hide, Attack, AC, Grapple and carrying capacity. Also, her reach and the damage of any natural weapons she has is increased to the appropriate values for a creature of that size. While in animal form, she may not use any Elemental Blast nor any of her (Sp) class abilities nor use any items which require hands or speech. She retains all other non-(Sp) class abilities as well as her knowledge and skills. She may resume her normal form as a free action.

Nature's Wisom (Sp) At 8th level, the Druid gains the spell-like ability to Commune With Nature once per hour, with a caster level equal to her character level.

Elemental Storm (Sp) At 9th level, the Druid gains the spell-like ability to call forth a magical storm that rains her chosen element upon her foes. At a full-round action, she may summon forth dark stormclouds that hover and over and around her for one round per class level. These clouds provide the druid (but not her foes) with Concealment, and while they are present, she may use her (Improved) Elemental Blast out to Long range as a swift action.

Animal Kingdom(Su) At 10th level, the Druid gains the ability to shift the forms of others. As a standard action, she may use Grow Fangs and Claws, Grow Fins, Turn into a Tiny Animal, Grow Wings, Turn into a Great Beast or any combination of those abilities on a willing ally. The ally must be within short range when the druid activates the transformation, but can later move any distance away. A transformed ally may resume their normal form as a free action., and automatically reverts to their normal form if they are knocked unconscious or fall asleep.

Edit: Simplified Elemental blast, removed elemental affinity damage add, added Improved elemental blast rider. Lowered the level on Grow Fins and Grow Wings and added Grow Fangs and Claws, added Turn into a Tiny Animal and Turn into a Great Beast and Animal Kingdom to better cover shapeshifting options.

If you're going with form-changing abilities, I'd add a "turn into an ordinary-looking animal for spying purposes" ability like:

Animal Form - The druid can turn into an animal within one size category of themselves. This does not change their stats except for size, but can be combined with Grow Wings and/or Grow Fins for flying or aquatic animals. They can use the animal's natural weapons, but only get their normal number of attacks, no extra ones.

And maybe an improved version, for turning into mice:
Harmless Form - When using Animal Form, the druid can assume a form any number of sizes smaller than themselves. When in this form, they cannot use their Spell-like Abilities or Elemental Blast.

Not to steal your thunder or anything, but here's my take:

The Naturalist

1st Natural Alchemy, Shillelagh
2nd Companion, Whisperer
3rd Mist, Wind
4th Improved Alchemy, Plant Growth
5th Animality
6th Sun Torch, Thunderstorm
7th Advanced Alchemy, Oaken
8th Animalize
9th Commune with Nature, Stonegate
10th True Alchemy, Hedge Maze

(All of the Naturalist's abilities are supernatural unless otherwise noted)

Natural Alchemy: Given access to a forest or well-stocked kitchen and an hour's time, a naturalist can brew various natural remedies. A brew can be used as a full-round action that provokes an attack of opportunity, either on the user or a willing target. The naturalist can create as many brews as she wants at a time, but no more than her Wisdom modifier in 24 hours, and the brews remain potent for only a day. The naturalist can crate either a healing brew (restores 1d6 hit points per level) or a restorative (restores 1d6 points of attribute damage or one point of drain).

Shillelagh: Any staff, club, or natural weapon that the Naturalist wields gains an enhancement bonus of 1/3 her level, rounded up.

Companion: The naturalist has befriended an animal spirit. This spirit can merge with any animal that has a CR of less than the Naturalist's level. When merged, the animal is essentially under the Naturalist's control. The spirit's mental attributes replace the animal's, and the animal gains the spirit's communion ability. The animal's soul, however, is not supressed, and it will keep its normal instincts and desires.

Whisperer: The naturalist can communicate with animals and magical beasts as though they share a language, and she adds a competence bonus to Handle Animal equal to her level.

Mist: The naturalist can call eight 10' cubes per level of fog into being. Once created, the fog is completely mundane. Each cube must touch another. The naturalist can also see through fogs and clouds unimpeded.

Wind: The naturalist can increase or decrease the wind speed by one step per three levels, rounded up. This affects a cylinder of up to 100' per level radius and height within medium range. The naturalist can also ignore wind effects.

Improved Alchemy: Neutralize poison (as the spell) and remove disease (as the spell) are added to the naturalist's natural alchemy repitoire.

Plant Growth: The naturalist can cause rapid plant growth. This affects one 5' cube per level, and any creature in an affected square must make a reflex save (Wisdom based) or be entangled.

Animality: The Naturalist can take the form of an animal of less than her CR and larger than tiny size. This works as polymorph.

Sun Rod: The naturalist can cause a wooden object to glow like the sun. This works as the spell daylight, except it can only be used on one object at a time and it lasts until the Naturalist wills it to dim.

Thunderstorm: The naturalist can call forth rain from the sky, or send it away. The rainstorm covers a radius of up to 200' per level within medium range. While it is raining, the naturalist can call forth a level d8 lightning strike within the area once every 5 rounds. The lightning strikes a single target, which can make a Fortitude save (Wisdom based) for half damage.

Advanced Alchemy: Protection from energy (as the spell) and remove curse (as the spell) are added to the naturalist's natural alchemy repitoire.

Oaken: The naturalist becomes as the mighty oak. Her size changes to large (maximum size increases by one category for every three level after 7th), and her attributes are altered accordingly. She also gains an enhancement bonus to strength of 1/3 her level, a natural armor bonus of 6 + 1/2 her level, a number of slam attacks equal to 1/3 her level, and improved grab.

Animalize: The naturalist can turn a target into an animal with a CR of at least 2 less than the target's. The target can resist with a Will save (Wisdom based).

Commune with Nature: As the spell, at will.

Stonegate: The naturalist can ask the earth to open up. This creates a channel through earth or stone of up to 5' radius and a depth of up to level * 5 feet. If used offensively, it can be avoided with a Reflex save (Wisdom based), which shifts the target to the nearest square bordering the hole. The naturalist can also fill in earth or stone, but doing so takes 60 times as long as creating a channel.

True Alchemy: Break enchantment (as the spell) and raise dead (as the spell) are added to the naturalist's natural alchemy repitoire.

CatharzGodfoot wrote:Not to steal your thunder or anything, but here's my take:

I like that you're going in a different direction than I am with this.

I'm still gonna offer some editorializing, but I do so in the spirit of constructive criticism, and not "mine's better"

The Naturalist

Now that's a workable name.

1st Natural Alchemy, Shillelagh
2nd Companion, Whisperer
3rd Mist, Wind
4th Improved Alchemy, Plant Growth
5th Animality
6th Sun Torch, Thunderstorm
7th Advanced Alchemy, Oaken
8th Animalize
9th Commune with Nature, Stonegate
10th True Alchemy, Hedge Maze

You haven't yet defined the Hedge Maze ability, and the 6th level ability is called both Sun Torch and Sun Rod.

(All of the Naturalist's abilities are supernatural unless otherwise noted)

Natural Alchemy: Given access to a forest or well-stocked kitchen and an hour's time, a naturalist can brew various natural remedies. A brew can be used as a full-round action that provokes an attack of opportunity, either on the user or a willing target. The naturalist can create as many brews as she wants at a time, but no more than her Wisdom modifier in 24 hours, and the brews remain potent for only a day. The naturalist can crate either a healing brew (restores 1d6 hit points per level) or a restorative (restores 1d6 points of attribute damage or one point of drain).

This ability does meet my design goal of simplification via making stuff usable at will. It is basically a watered down version of preparation casting with only two choices and 4-10 slots.

Now if you're not trying to design for a 5-year old, that's fine. I like the flavor of it and my only suggestion would be to specify that you can use brews on unconscious targets.

Companion: The naturalist has befriended an animal spirit. This spirit can merge with any animal that has a CR of less than the Naturalist's level. When merged, the animal is essentially under the Naturalist's control. The spirit's mental attributes replace the animal's, and the animal gains the spirit's communion ability. The animal's soul, however, is not supressed, and it will keep its normal instincts and desires.

Spirit's Communion Ability? I'm not familiar with that.

Whisperer: The naturalist can communicate with animals and magical beasts as though they share a language, and she adds a competence bonus to Handle Animal equal to her level.

That's straightforward and simple and covers most of what people want Wild Empathy to do.

Mist: The naturalist can call eight 10' cubes per level of fog into being. Once created, the fog is completely mundane. Each cube must touch another. The naturalist can also see through fogs and clouds unimpeded.

I would add text specifying that it provides concealment and can be dispersed by winds of blahblahblah

Wind: The naturalist can increase or decrease the wind speed by one step per three levels, rounded up. This affects a cylinder of up to 100' per level radius and height within medium range. The naturalist can also ignore wind effects.

This is hosier than you think at high levels, as the 3.x game rules on wind are stupidly realistic for a heroic fantasy game. So I'm a little worried that at 7th level a character can change a strong wind into "huge or smaller creatures cannot approach and range attacks don't work".

Short of rewriting those rules to let characters use skills and saves to take actions, I think it might be better to reword so that the maximum wind category was level/3, and that way you're not getting into the crazy end until levels are in the double digits.

Of course, the Tome Green Mage already gets to abuse those rules, so it's not like this is a new thing.

Plant Growth: The naturalist can cause rapid plant growth. This affects one 5' cube per level, and any creature in an affected square must make a reflex save (Wisdom based) or be entangled.

You need an escape clause. Sadly there is no uniform rule for getting oneself out of an entangled condition.

You might also want to specify whether this has flavor abilities like growing crops, works in areas without pre-existing vegetation, and/or has a repeat-entangling duration (as the entangle spell does)

Animality: The Naturalist can take the form of an animal of less than her CR and larger than tiny size. This works as polymorph.

Again, it the interest of keeping it simple, I had decided that anything which referenced Polymorph was a not what I wanted.

But realistically anyone using 3.x content pulled off the web in their games probably already has a Polymorph fix they're happy with.

Thunderstorm: The naturalist can call forth rain from the sky, or send it away. The rainstorm covers a radius of up to 200' per level within medium range. While it is raining, the naturalist can call forth a level d8 lightning strike within the area once every 5 rounds. The lightning strikes a single target, which can make a Fortitude save (Wisdom based) for half damage.

Area and range do not compute. Either you mean long range or you mean that the centerpoint of the thunderstorm is within medium range, so the naturalist always makes it rain on herself.

Also, I've had too many arguments about whether prior edition call lightning works indoors to let this slide without wanting some clarification on that. Can you call a bolt in a dungeon? Through a castle window? etc

Oaken: The naturalist becomes as the mighty oak. Her size changes to large (maximum size increases by one category for every three level after 7th), and her attributes are altered accordingly. She also gains an enhancement bonus to strength of 1/3 her level, a natural armor bonus of 6 + 1/2 her level, a number of slam attacks equal to 1/3 her level, and improved grab.

This can cause confusion issues with the stat replacement clause of some Polymorph versions.

I also find it odd that's it's an all-the-time sort of thing. Right now if the naturalist has to go into a small cottage she can transform into a housecat, but not back into her prior-level medium sized human form.

Animalize: The naturalist can turn a target into an animal with a CR of at least 2 less than the target's. The target can resist with a Will save (Wisdom based).

Nitpick: "at least N less than Y" is ambiguous wording, it can mean "greater than (Y-N)" or "less than ( Y minus a number which is (N or greater ) ) ".

My lengthy response to Josh:

Josh_Kablack wrote:

CatharzGodfoot wrote:Not to steal your thunder or anything, but here's my take:

I like that you're going in a different direction than I am with this.

I'm still gonna offer some editorializing, but I do so in the spirit of constructive criticism, and not "mine's better"

Much appreciated.

Josh_Kablack wrote:You haven't yet defined the Hedge Maze ability, and the 6th level ability is called both Sun Torch and Sun Rod.

Thanks, I'll fix that.

Josh_Kablack wrote:

Natural Alchemy...

This ability does meet my design goal of simplification via making stuff usable at will. It is basically a watered down version of preparation casting with only two choices and 4-10 slots.

Now if you're not trying to design for a 5-year old, that's fine. I like the flavor of it and my only suggestion would be to specify that you can use brews on unconscious targets.

Glad you like it. I'll add in the unconscious bit. I thought that unconscious targets were always considered "willing" (try telling that to the jury!), but apparently not.

I'm also thinking of throwing in some basic magic item crafting.

Josh_Kablack wrote:

Companion: The naturalist has befriended an animal spirit. This spirit can merge with any animal that has a CR of less than the Naturalist's level. When merged, the animal is essentially under the Naturalist's control. The spirit's mental attributes replace the animal's, and the animal gains the spirit's communion ability. The animal's soul, however, is not supressed, and it will keep its normal instincts and desires.

Spirit's Communion Ability? I'm not familiar with that.

Yeah, I need to add the spirit's abilities. Oops.

Josh_Kablack wrote:

Mist: The naturalist can call eight 10' cubes per level of fog into being. Once created, the fog is completely mundane. Each cube must touch another. The naturalist can also see through fogs and clouds unimpeded.

I would add text specifying that it provides concealment and can be dispersed by winds of blahblahblah

The SRD description of "fog" covers all that, but I might as well c/p it in.

Josh_Kablack wrote:

Wind: The naturalist can increase or decrease the wind speed by one step per three levels, rounded up. This affects a cylinder of up to 100' per level radius and height within medium range. The naturalist can also ignore wind effects.

This is hosier than you think at high levels, as the 3.x game rules on wind are stupidly realistic for a heroic fantasy game. So I'm a little worried that at 7th level a character can change a strong wind into "huge or smaller creatures cannot approach and range attacks don't work".

Short of rewriting those rules to let characters use skills and saves to take actions, I think it might be better to reword so that the maximum wind category was level/3, and that way you're not getting into the crazy end until levels are in the double digits.

Of course, the Tome Green Mage already gets to abuse those rules, so it's not like this is a new thing.

I'm not interested in making this a 'Tome power creep' class. Changed.

Josh_Kablack wrote:

Plant Growth: The naturalist can cause rapid plant growth. This affects one 5' cube per level, and any creature in an affected square must make a reflex save (Wisdom based) or be entangled.

You need an escape clause. Sadly there is no uniform rule for getting oneself out of an entangled condition.

You might also want to specify whether this has flavor abilities like growing crops, works in areas without pre-existing vegetation, and/or has a repeat-entangling duration (as the entangle spell does)

Actually, you can escape being entangled just by moving out of the entangling region (at half speed).

Josh_Kablack wrote:

Animality: The Naturalist can take the form of an animal of less than her CR and larger than tiny size. This works as polymorph.

Again, it the interest of keeping it simple, I had decided that anything which referenced Polymorph was a not what I wanted.

But realistically anyone using 3.x content pulled off the web in their games probably already has a Polymorph fix they're happy with.

When I wrote "polymorph", I meant Tome polymorph. Which is actually pretty simple. But I need to specify 'self' and 'other'.

Josh_Kablack wrote:

Thunderstorm: The naturalist can call forth rain from the sky, or send it away. The rainstorm covers a radius of up to 200' per level within medium range. While it is raining, the naturalist can call forth a level d8 lightning strike within the area once every 5 rounds. The lightning strikes a single target, which can make a Fortitude save (Wisdom based) for half damage.

Area and range do not compute. Either you mean long range or you mean that the centerpoint of the thunderstorm is within medium range, so the naturalist always makes it rain on herself.

Also, I've had too many arguments about whether prior edition call lightning works indoors to let this slide without wanting some clarification on that. Can you call a bolt in a dungeon? Through a castle window? etc

The intent of using medium range is that you can make a small storm that won't get you wet or a big storm that will. The lightning issue is an interesting one. Maybe I'll just set a minimum altitude for the storm and then require LoE from the storm to the target.

Josh_Kablack wrote:

Oaken: The naturalist becomes as the mighty oak. Her size changes to large (maximum size increases by one category for every three level after 7th), and her attributes are altered accordingly. She also gains an enhancement bonus to strength of 1/3 her level, a natural armor bonus of 6 + 1/2 her level, a number of slam attacks equal to 1/3 her level, and improved grab.

This can cause confusion issues with the stat replacement clause of some Polymorph versions.

I also find it odd that's it's an all-the-time sort of thing. Right now if the naturalist has to go into a small cottage she can transform into a housecat, but not back into her prior-level medium sized human form.

There's no stat replacement with Oaken. Just boosts. But, yeah, the naturalist should be able to take her human form at will. Maybe I'll just give her the Shapechanger subtype.

Josh_Kablack wrote:

Animalize: The naturalist can turn a target into an animal with a CR of at least 2 less than the target's. The target can resist with a Will save (Wisdom based).

Nitpick: "at least N less than Y" is ambiguous wording, it can mean "greater than (Y-N)" or "less than ( Y minus a number which is (N or greater ) ) ".

Oh, the vagaries of English. Fixed.

New & improved:

The Naturalist

1st Natural Alchemy, Shillelagh
2nd Companion, Whisperer
3rd Mist, Wind
4th Improved Alchemy, Plant Growth
5th Animalism
6th Sun Torch, Thunderstorm
7th Advanced Alchemy, Oaken
8th Animality
9th Commune with Nature, Stonegate
10th True Alchemy, Hedge Maze

Base attack bonus: Medium, as a druid.

Saves: Good fortitude and Will, as a druid.

Hit die: 1d8, as a druid.

Skill points: 6 + Intelligence modifier per level.
Skills (& rel attr): Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Profession.

Armor & Weapon proficiencies: A naturalist is proficient with light armor, and the dagger, club, shortspear, spear, longspear, quarterstaff, dart, javelin, sling, shortbow, and longbow.

Natural Alchemy: Given access to a forest or well-stocked kitchen and an hour's time, a naturalist can brew various natural remedies. A brew can be used as a full-round action that provokes an attack of opportunity, either on the user or a willing or unconscious target. The naturalist can create as many brews as she wants at a time, but no more than her Wisdom modifier in 24 hours, and the brews remain potent for only a day. The naturalist can crate either a healing brew (restores 1d6 hit points per level) or a restorative (restores 1d6 points of attribute damage or one point of drain).

Shillelagh: Any staff, club, or natural weapon that the Naturalist wields gains an enhancement bonus of 1/3 her level, rounded up.

Companion: The naturalist has befriended an animal spirit. As a full-round action, the naturalist can compel the spirit to merge with an animal within short range that has a CR of no more than the Naturalist's level minus 2. While merged, the animal is known as the naturalist's companion, and is essentially under her control. The animal's soul, however, will keep its normal instincts and desires. With another full-round action, the naturalist can compel the spirit out of her companion at any range. If the companion dies, this ability is unusable until the next sunrise.

Whisperer: The naturalist can communicate with animals and magical beasts as though they share a language, and she adds a competence bonus to Handle Animal equal to her level.

Mist: The naturalist can call eight 10' cubes per level of fog into being. Each cube must touch another. Once created, the fog is completely mundane, and can be blown away by a strong wind. The naturalist can also see through fogs and clouds unimpeded.

Fog

Whether in the form of a low-lying cloud or a mist rising from the ground, fog obscures all sight, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet. Creatures 5 feet away have concealment (attacks by or against them have a 20% miss chance).

Wind: The naturalist can increase or decrease the wind speed, with a maximum speed of "moderate", plus one step for every three levels (for examle, at 3rd level the maximum wind speed is "strong"). This affects a cylinder of up to 100' per level radius and height within medium range. The naturalist can also ignore the effects of high wind.

Improved Alchemy: Neutralize poison (as the spell) and remove disease (as the spell) are added to the naturalist's natural alchemy repitoire. The naturalist also gains the ability to craft camouflaged clothing, functional clothing, winter clothes, darkleaf armor, and stillsuit armor. Crafting armor takes four hours and requires access to a tailor's shop or forest.

Plant Growth: The naturalist can cause rapid plant growth. This affects one 10' square per level, and any creature in an affected square must make a reflex save (Wisdom based) or be entangled. There must be some kind of vegitation within or adjacent to an affected square for this ability to work, but the naturalist can toss a handful of live seeds into a square as part of using the ability. The naturalist can also call upon plants to move out of the same number of squares.

Entangled

The character is ensnared. Being entangled impedes movement, but does not entirely prevent it unless the bonds are anchored to an immobile object or tethered by an opposing force. An entangled creature moves at half speed, cannot run or charge, and takes a -2 penalty on all attack rolls and a -4 penalty to Dexterity. An entangled character who attempts to cast a spell must make a Concentration check (DC 15 + the spell’s level) or lose the spell.

Animalism: The Naturalist can take the form of various animals. This works as polymorph self with forms limited to animals and unlimited duration. She also gains the shapechanger subtype.

Polymorph Self
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 Standard Action
Range: Self
Duration: 10 minutes/level (D)
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates (Harmless)
Spell Resistance: No

“A Turtle am I? Let’s see how Turtlike I. . . CAN. . . BE!” And with that, the mage was a giant turtle.

You vanish and a monster of your choice appears in your place. The creature shares your alignment,
personality and goals, and will continue to act as you would within the limits of its intelligence and
abilities. The creature must be at least 3 CR less than your character level, may not have the
incorporeal or swarm subtype, and is unexceptional for its type. If the monster is killed, the spell
is ended. When the spell ends, the monster vanishes and you appear where the monster was with
an amount of lethal, nonlethal, and ability damage on you equal to the amount the monster had
suffered when the spell ended (this means that if the spell ended because the monster was slain
and the monster had an equal or greater number of hit points as you, you may well be dead when
you appear).

Sun Rod: The naturalist can cause a wooden object to glow like the sun. This works as the spell daylight, except it can only be used on one object at a time and lasts until the Naturalist wills it to dim.

Daylight
Evocation [Light]
Level: Brd 3, Clr 3, Drd 3, Pal 3, Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Object touched
Duration: 10 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

The object touched sheds light as bright as full daylight in a 60-foot radius, and dim light for an additional 60 feet beyond that. Creatures that take penalties in bright light also take them while within the radius of this magical light. Despite its name, this spell is not the equivalent of daylight for the purposes of creatures that are damaged or destroyed by bright light.

If daylight is cast on a small object that is then placed inside or under a light-proof covering, the spell’s effects are blocked until the covering is removed.

Daylight brought into an area of magical darkness (or vice versa) is temporarily negated, so that the otherwise prevailing light conditions exist in the overlapping areas of effect.

Daylight counters or dispels any darkness spell of equal or lower level, such as darkness.

Thunderstorm: The naturalist can call forth rain from the sky, or send it away. The rainstorm covers a radius of up to 200' per level within medium range. While it is raining, the naturalist can call forth a level d8 lightning strike within the area once every 5 rounds. The lightning strikes a single target directly below the storm clouds, and requires LoE. The target can make a Fortitude save (Wisdom based) for half damage. The clouds need a minimum height of 1,000 feet above the ground to form.

Advanced Alchemy: Protection from energy (as the spell) and remove curse (as the spell) are added to the naturalist's natural alchemy repitoire. She also gains the ability to craft minor magic items (though not ones that mimic spell effects).

Oaken: The naturalist can become as the mighty oak. While using this ability, her size changes to large (maximum size increases by one category for every three level after 7th), and her attributes are altered accordingly. She also gains an enhancement bonus to strength of 1/3 her level, a natural armor bonus of 6 + 1/2 her level, a number of slam attacks equal to 1/3 her level, and improved grab.

Animality: The naturalist can turn a target into an animal. The target can resist with a Will save (Wisdom based) aside from this and the animals-only limitation, animality works as polymorph other.

Polymorph Other
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 Standard Action
Range: Medium
Target: One Creature
Duration: Permanent (D)
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
The witch snarled at the trespasser and pointed her wand vindictively at him. A short incantation
later left nothing but a pig in his place.

Your target vanishes and a creature of your choice appears in its place. The creature shares the
alignment, personality and goals of the target, and will continue to act as it would within the limits
of its intelligence and abilities. The creature must be at least 5 CR less than your character level,
may not have the incorporeal or swarm subtype, and is unexceptional for its type. If the creature
is killed, the spell is ended. When the spell ends, the creature vanishes and the target appears
where the creature was with an amount of lethal, nonlethal, and ability damage on it equal to the
amount the creature had suffered when the spell ended (this means that if the spell ended because
the creature was slain and the creature had an equal or greater number of hit points as the original
target, it may well be dead when it appears).

Commune with Nature: As the spell, at will.

Commune with Nature
Divination
Level: Animal 5, Drd 5, Rgr 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

You become one with nature, attaining knowledge of the surrounding territory. You instantly gain knowledge of as many as three facts from among the following subjects: the ground or terrain, plants, minerals, bodies of water, people, general animal population, presence of woodland creatures, presence of powerful unnatural creatures, or even the general state of the natural setting.

In outdoor settings, the spell operates in a radius of 1 mile per caster level. In natural underground settings—caves, caverns, and the like—the radius is limited to 100 feet per caster level. The spell does not function where nature has been replaced by construction or settlement, such as in dungeons and towns.

Stonegate: The naturalist can ask the earth to open up. This creates a channel through earth or stone of up to 5' radius and a depth of up to level * 5 feet. If used offensively, it can be avoided with a Reflex save (Wisdom based), which shifts the target to the nearest square bordering the hole. The naturalist can also fill in earth or stone, but doing so takes 60 times as long as creating a channel.

True Alchemy: Break enchantment (as the spell) and raise dead (as the spell) are added to the naturalist's natural alchemy repitoire.

Hedge Maze: Thorny vines burst forth from the earth, rapidly forming hedges of great height. The hedges are created within medium range and fill cylinder with a combined radius and height of no more than 10' per level; the naturalist can sculpt any form within those bounds that she desires, although she must leave open spaces for any creatures. Any creature trying to force its way through a hedge-filled square is entangled, and must make a reflex save (Wisdom based) or take 1d6 piercing damage for every two levels of the naturalist. If any damage is taken, the creature is also poisoned (1d6 Strength / temporal stasis until touched; fortitude save is Wisdom based). For hedge maze to work, there must be some soil within or adjacent to the area of the maze.

edited for readability and simplicity

Edited the above for readability and simplified Companion and the animal transformation abilities.


Josh: Why is elemental blast an attack action with d4s? Wouldn't a standard with d6s or d8s be easier?

CatharzGodfoot wrote:Josh: Why is elemental blast an attack action with d4s? Wouldn't a standard with d6s or d8s be easier?

It's an attack action for d4+1s, which is equivalent to d6s and intentionally behind the Fire Mage / Snowscaper d6+ [1 up to Cha/Level]. But that does run against the design goal of simplicity.

I might change the blasts as follows:

Standard attack action, 1d6 damage per level, and one of the following riders.
[*]Acid: as fire but dealing acid damage (see below).
[*]Cold: fatigued (fortitude DC 10 + Level/2 + Wis to avoid).
[*]Electricity: as cold (see above).
[*]Fire: catch fire and shaken (reflex DC 10 + level/2 + Wis once per round removes both).

Would that be too complicated? I'll admit that it's pretty fucking good at 3rd level; perhaps the rider could come in at level 6 or something?

Then elemental swarm can just let the druid use elemental blast as a swift action.

Seems reasonable.

I've changed it to d6/level standard action, got rid of the elemental affinity damage add, added a minor status ailment to elemental blast at 6th level followed your suggestion on elemental storm - while active blast as a swift action (instead of standard) and works all the way out to long range (instead of merely short)

Also tweaked and added a bunch of shapeshifting - along the lines of Ice9's suggestions. Hopefully that's workable without being too complex.

I'm really not seeing enough left to do 10th+ level abilities without going to crazy town and repeating the polymorph errors, so this is probably just a 10 level class. Potentially it works like Tome Knights in that 11-20th are various specific PrCs. (possibly each is animal themed or possibly not)