Plant-Based PrC

[soapdude]

I know there are PrCs that change characters Type at Lv10 to Construct, Outsider, Elemental, Fey, Aberration, Magical Beast and Dragon (from what I can find).

Are there 3.5e PrCs that change type to Plant, Ooze, or Undead?

[Phelix-Mu]

I believe there is a plant-apotheosis type thing in Faiths and Pantheons, thought that is 3.0. There was a 3.0 PrC for becoming a plant in...Masters of the Wild? I think it was called Verdant Lord or something.

Ooze is probably only achievable through 3.0 stuff, and I think that was just ooze traits, maybe not a full type-change.

Walker in the Waste (Sandstorm) has a 10th level capstone that turns the character into a dry lich, a type of undead also introduced in that book, IIRC. There may be a couple others, actually. There is probably a guide out there on the internetz that describes the ways to become undead in 3.5 D&D.

[Palanan]

The Verdant Lord is indeed from Masters of the Wild, pp. 73-75. The capstone, Gaea's embrace, changes your type to plant, although it specifically allows you to retain all your previous wild shape options.

As for oozes, Masters of the Wild also has the Oozemaster, whose capstone, One with the Ooze...yes, changes your type to ooze.



*gloop*

[Phelix-Mu]

Why in the world didn't they reprint that stuff? There was just lots of coolness in that book. I wish I'd worked for their development team back in the day *cracks whip*.:smalltongue:

[Palanan]

As a very druid-focused player, Masters of the Wild was one of my favorite early sourcebooks. I loved infusions, and used them whenever I could.

I also liked the rather obscure rule for improving an animal companion's HD, which only costs a day's ritual and a trivial amount of XP. Not a huge boost, but it was a nice option to have.

[ArcturusV]

Thrall of Jubilex (Book of Vile Darkness PrC) won't actually give you the Ooze Type. But most of the traits over it's 10 levels. Including "No Discernable Anatomy" as it's capstone. Rules wise? Not an ooze yet. Description wise? Yeah, quite oozey.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Phelix-Mu
I believe there is a plant-apotheosis type thing in Faiths and Pantheons....

Yup, the Forest Master is a mallet-wielding brother-of-trees from Faiths and Pantheons. It's a ten-level PrC, with features like "oak strength" and "spruce growth," but oddly enough the change to Plant type happens at the seventh level, rather than as a true capstone. The tenth-level ability is an odd salad-toss of very minor boosts.

Without paying it minute attention, I'd have to say it's one of the least impressive PrCs I've seen in a long while. Looks pretty much slapped together to cover the obligatory druid-themed PrC.

.

[nedz]

Well the are some templates which might help.

Wood Elemental Creature (MotP p196) which makes you a wood elemental, which is sort of like a plant.

Yellow Musk Zombie (FF p190)

Woodling (MM3 p198)

Topiary Guardian (MM3 p175)

[Palanan]

Found another one: the Talontar Blightlord from Unapproachable East. The tenth-level capstone, "Winterheart," changes you to the Plant type, although it's a corrupted, blighted kind.

It's a strange PrC, which requires a real commitment: fourth-level divine spellcasting and proficiency with the glaive, of all things. They even point out that a druid who wields a glaive is violating her spiritual oaths--and then suggest taking Martial Weapon Proficiency "and simply refrain from wielding it" until you hit the PrC.

I know very little about whatever backstory is here, but it sounds as if they're trying to replicate some signature villain from one of the countless Forgotten Realms books. The PrC looks custom-built for NPCs.

[ArcturusV]

Well you could make a glaive out of Bone, or Obsidian, or Crystal, and thus have a glaive while also not violating your oaths.

[Jeff the Green]

If homebrew's acceptable, there's the the Viridian Aspirant (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=235831), which gradually turns you into a greenman while advancing Spirit Shaman, Cleric, Druid, or Bard casting, while giving you a bunch of nifty minor abilities along the way.

/shameless self-promotion

[Palanan]

That's quite cool. The illustration alone sold me. :smalltongue:

I do notice, however, that you've essentially granted the aspirant immortality by removing the dies-from-old-age clause. It's very entish, to be sure (hroom, hoom!) but that would seem to be a strong departure from the standard approach to PC age.

[Jeff the Green]

That's quite cool. The illustration alone sold me. :smalltongue:

I do notice, however, that you've essentially granted the aspirant immortality by removing the dies-from-old-age clause. It's very entish, to be sure (hroom, hoom!) but that would seem to be a strong departure from the standard approach to PC age.

That's deliberate, since trees seem not to age. Methuselah (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methuselah_(tree)) was already centuries old when the first pyramid was built in Egypt, and millenia old by the time the Hebrew Bible was being written.

Note that there are several ways to avoid death from old age. Most of them involve becoming undead, sure, but becoming a plant is equally valid.

[Chronos]

For that matter, PrCs that turn you into a construct (Green Star Adept or Renegade Mastermaker) also let you cheat the Reaper.

And how often does an adventurer die of old age, anyway?

[Palanan]

Trees like Methuselah are certainly amazing, but they're also at the far, far tip of a highly skewed curve. Most tree species have fairly well-established lifespans; American sycamores tend to reach five or six hundred at most, while persimmons rarely reach a century. Two to four hundred seems typical for a lot of common temperate trees.

Granted, a carefully maintained tissue culture is technically immortal, but whole organisms have to live in real habitats, which are rife with epiphytes, storm events and disease-bearing tunnelers, among many other issues--not to mention the long-term vicissitudes of naturally shifting climate envelopes.

Even with optimal light, rainfall and nutrient conditions, an ever-growing tree will eventually reach its structural limit, which ultimately depends on gravity. As Avatar reminds us, this will vary from world to world, but eventually the tree will come down.

It's your PrC, and I don't mean to quibble too much on this point. I would just suggest that many folks in the druidical line might feel that effective immortality would be somehow unnatural, setting them apart from the constant moil of sprout and sustenance, decline and decay which defines the forest world.

[eggynack]

Well you could make a glaive out of Bone, or Obsidian, or Crystal, and thus have a glaive while also not violating your oaths.
Or they could just wield a regular metal glaive. The prohibition against metal items only applies to armor and shields. You can use as many types of glaives as you want. The PrC was just being dumb.

[CRtwenty]

Trees like Methuselah are certainly amazing, but they're also at the far, far tip of a highly skewed curve. Most tree species have fairly well-established lifespans; American sycamores tend to reach five or six hundred at most, while persimmons rarely reach a century. Two to four hundred seems typical for a lot of common temperate trees.

Granted, a carefully maintained tissue culture is technically immortal, but whole organisms have to live in real habitats, which are rife with epiphytes, storm events and disease-bearing tunnelers, among many other issues--not to mention the long-term vicissitudes of naturally shifting climate envelopes.

Even with optimal light, rainfall and nutrient conditions, an ever-growing tree will eventually reach its structural limit, which ultimately depends on gravity. As Avatar reminds us, this will vary from world to world, but eventually the tree will come down.

It's your PrC, and I don't mean to quibble too much on this point. I would just suggest that many folks in the druidical line might feel that effective immortality would be somehow unnatural, setting them apart from the constant moil of sprout and sustenance, decline and decay which defines the forest world.

Maybe make it like "Timeless Body" where you don't get aging penalties but still die when you reach the maximum age for your race?

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by eggynack
Or they could just wield a regular metal glaive. The prohibition against metal items only applies to armor and shields. You can use as many types of glaives as you want. The PrC was just being dumb.

In the Forgotten Realms, there's always Mielikki, who's quite popular for her willingness to be understanding about metal gear. Oddly enough, all of my druids were devotees of Mielikki. :smallbiggrin:

Also, I think Unapproachable East is technically 3.0, so there might have been a slightly different wording for 3.0 druids.


Originally Posted by CRtwenty
Maybe make it like "Timeless Body" where you don't get aging penalties but still die when you reach the maximum age for your race?

That's how it's usually done, but again, this is Jeff's PrC. I just couldn't help commenting on that point.

:smalltongue:

[ksbsnowowl]

Or they could just wield a regular metal glaive. The prohibition against metal items only applies to armor and shields. You can use as many types of glaives as you want. The PrC was just being dumb.

Unapproachable East was published during the 3.0/3.5 transition period, coming out a few months before the 3.5 PHB; it contains elements of both (3.0 Damage Reduction, 3.5 skills, etc). In 3.0 druids were prohibited from using any weapons that were not on their class weapon list. Doing so caused them the same problems as using prohibited armor in 3.5.

[Jeff the Green]

Trees like Methuselah are certainly amazing, but they're also at the far, far tip of a highly skewed curve. Most tree species have fairly well-established lifespans; American sycamores tend to reach five or six hundred at most, while persimmons rarely reach a century. Two to four hundred seems typical for a lot of common temperate trees.

Granted, a carefully maintained tissue culture is technically immortal, but whole organisms have to live in real habitats, which are rife with epiphytes, storm events and disease-bearing tunnelers, among many other issues--not to mention the long-term vicissitudes of naturally shifting climate envelopes.

Even with optimal light, rainfall and nutrient conditions, an ever-growing tree will eventually reach its structural limit, which ultimately depends on gravity. As Avatar reminds us, this will vary from world to world, but eventually the tree will come down.

It's your PrC, and I don't mean to quibble too much on this point. I would just suggest that many folks in the druidical line might feel that effective immortality would be somehow unnatural, setting them apart from the constant moil of sprout and sustenance, decline and decay which defines the forest world.

Oh, yeah, most trees do fall to something. Even most bristlecone pines don't live as long as Methuselah; he's just been lucky to live in a relatively stable climate and be a species with few epiphytes, parasites, or storms, and to have avoided wildfires. But trees' deaths tend to be of external causes rather than senescence, just as the Viridian Aspirant can die of axes or fire.

We're pretty off topic, though, so I won't say any more.

[eggynack]

Unapproachable East was published during the 3.0/3.5 transition period, coming out a few months before the 3.5 PHB; it contains elements of both (3.0 Damage Reduction, 3.5 skills, etc). In 3.0 druids were prohibited from using any weapons that were not on their class weapon list. Doing so caused them the same problems as using prohibited armor in 3.5.
Ah, so it wasn't being dumb. It was merely being inaccurate. It was still being inaccurate with reference to 3.5 though, as our noble druid can wield the most metallic of glaives with ease.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by ksbsnowowl
Unapproachable East was published during the 3.0/3.5 transition period, coming out a few months before the 3.5 PHB....

Yeah, I wondered about that. BoED was a few months later, which I gather was still in the Time of Fuzziness.


Originally Posted by soapdude
Are there 3.5e PrCs that change type to Plant, Ooze, or Undead?

Another PrC that's vaguely in the vegetable vogue is the Landforged Walker, from Secrets of Xen'drik. It's only five levels, warforged only, and you never actually attain Planthood, but plants grow on you, you speak and commune with plants, and the hemi-capstone allows you to wildshape into plant creatures. No Plant type per se, but still very, very planty.

[Deth Muncher]

While not a PrC, the Necropolitan template allows you to become undead for a very nominal fee - I think it's about 1 level, and/or some money. So it's LIKE a PrC, that you, uh, take for one level. :smalltongue: