Groot

[bootzin]

Hey guys!

So, can you help me to build some sort of groot?

My main problem is finding a plant as race or a template that gives me plant traits, as they all have some nasty LA and RHD

Can you suggest me any race or template and some classes that would fit perfectly into the Groot concept?

[Mr. Bitter]

Just re-skin a giant and tack on some druid levels.

[Pilo]

There is the Woodling template from MM3 p197 which only have a +3 LA.

[Telonius]

Pathfinder has the Oakling (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/3rd-party-races/alluria-publishing/oakling). Maybe look into that?

[Chronos]

I think he's just plain a treant. This does give him considerable LA and RHD, but then, is there any evidence that he has class levels?

[bjoern]

Somewhat of a tangent, but I suggest having him say more than just Groot. We had a player make a guy that was illiterate and only spoke one language, his own. And his race was from a far away place or something so there was no readily available place to learn it. He thought it would be interesting. It sucked. Not being able to commuictar with him was such a burden.
We nicknamed him Groot. Because no one could talk to him (no one was a raccoon )

[Zaq]

Um, what the hell is a groot? I've never heard of this character concept.

Getting the Plant type without massive LA/RHD is pretty hard. WotC really didn't want anyone playing a capital-P Plant. I see the Woodling template has already been mentioned—I think it's the lowest ECL adjustment you're going to get for a Plant, though I could be wrong.

I played in a game that had a Wood Woad (MM3) as a much-beloved NPC tagging along with the party, but with 8 RHD and 3 LA, they're not super accessible to players.

[Maglubiyet]

Um, what the hell is a groot? I've never heard of this character concept.
Guardians of the Galaxy.


Getting the Plant type without massive LA/RHD is pretty hard. WotC really didn't want anyone playing a capital-P Plant. I see the Woodling template has already been mentioned—I think it's the lowest ECL adjustment you're going to get for a Plant, though I could be wrong.

Volodni, from the FR Unapproachable East sourcebook, are LA +2.

[Ephemeral_Being]

You can play an Awakened Plant! The rules for that are actually very simple. It's got the stats for an Animated Object of the size that you want, but you change whatever is different between the Construct and Plant templates.

I HONESTLY don't think that was ever meant to be used as a player character. But you can probably make it work with your DM. It's not like an Awakened Plant is going to horribly break the game in any way. A Medium size should have two RHD, and no LA. Small should be one. And Tiny, zero. So you could play a Tiny Awakened Plant with no RHD. In theory. In practice, your DM may throw the book at you. But it's worth bringing up.

In cast you were curious, here's what a Plant would essentially have for racial bonuses.


A plant creature has the following features.

8-sided Hit Dice.
Base attack bonus equal to 3/4 total Hit Dice (as cleric).
Good Fortitude saves.
Skill points equal to (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1) per Hit Die, with quadruple skill points for the first Hit Die, if the plant creature has an Intelligence score. However, some plant creatures are mindless and gain no skill points or feats.

Traits

A plant creature possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

Low-light vision.
Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning.
Not subject to critical hits.
Proficient with its natural weapons only.
Proficient with no armor.
Plants breathe and eat, but do not sleep.


So. That's worse than virtually any standard race out of the PHB. But as far as I can tell, this is the best way to do what you'd like without a LA. Personally, as a DM, I would let a player use the racial traits of the plant as their race with no RHD for a medium size character. But yours might not.

[Mehangel]

Why dont you take a look at the pathfinder race Ghoran (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/more-races/advanced-races-11-20-rp/ghoran-19-rp), it seems to fit thematically with what Groot is. Just spend a couple of feats or levels to give him access to the power expansion, and you are good to go.

[thecrimsondawn]

Open up Savage Species. I was just looking over that for something else and I saw a level progression chart made for a plant type tree guy :P

Also depending on your starting level, Druids can shift into a Trent at the mid teens.

Another thought is DM intervention of a poly morph spell gone wrong

Lastly in Neverwinter Nights 2, there is a prestige class called Forest Master that becomes more and more tree like as he goes up in level.

[Forrestfire]

Don't open up Savage Species. The monster classes are almost universally underwhelming compared to even-leveled PCs, and it's likely to be an unfun experience.

My suggestion: use a warforged and reskin it. Mechanically, you get immunities and resistances that fit for being a living alien tree, it comes with a Slam natural attack, the ability to grab a feat for "natural armor", and is just all-in-all a solid race. For your class, you could go for whatever you want, really, but one neat possibility is to take a level of Egoist for the Minor Change Shape alternate class feature (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070314a), then request to the DM that it allow you to enter Warshaper. This would get you a more powerful slam attack and the option of growing vine/tendrils/tree claw attacks, larger reach, fast healing, and more plantlike immunities (crits and sneak attack).

Requires a bit of houseruling (since it's "Minor" Change Shape, not Change Shape), but would be a decent approximation of Groot, I feel.

[thecrimsondawn]

Don't open up Savage Species. The monster classes are almost universally underwhelming compared to even-leveled PCs, and it's likely to be an unfun experience.

My suggestion: use a warforged and reskin it. Mechanically, you get immunities and resistances that fit for being a living alien tree, it comes with a Slam natural attack, the ability to grab a feat for "natural armor", and is just all-in-all a solid race. For your class, you could go for whatever you want, really, but one neat possibility is to take a level of Egoist for the Minor Change Shape alternate class feature (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070314a), then request to the DM that it allow you to enter Warshaper. This would get you a more powerful slam attack and the option of growing vine/tendrils/tree claw attacks, larger reach, fast healing, and more plantlike immunities (crits and sneak attack).

Requires a bit of houseruling (since it's "Minor" Change Shape, not Change Shape), but would be a decent approximation of Groot, I feel.

He is right about that, but its not ALL underpowered.
If you are already playing a Succubus then you are already facing huge LA, so its best to get more for your buck then a flat bonus from a penalty.

[Jackofalltrades]

Don't open up Savage Species. The monster classes are almost universally underwhelming compared to even-leveled PCs, and it's likely to be an unfun experience.

My suggestion: use a warforged and reskin it. Mechanically, you get immunities and resistances that fit for being a living alien tree, it comes with a Slam natural attack, the ability to grab a feat for "natural armor", and is just all-in-all a solid race. For your class, you could go for whatever you want, really, but one neat possibility is to take a level of Egoist for the Minor Change Shape alternate class feature (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070314a), then request to the DM that it allow you to enter Warshaper. This would get you a more powerful slam attack and the option of growing vine/tendrils/tree claw attacks, larger reach, fast healing, and more plantlike immunities (crits and sneak attack).

Requires a bit of houseruling (since it's "Minor" Change Shape, not Change Shape), but would be a decent approximation of Groot, I feel.

that would be a good build. also if pisoincs are not allowed, he could go Warforged druid into Landforged walker, basically you be become 6-7 ft. tall walking plant (don't get the plant subtype or template though for some dumb reason:smallconfused:). but it does fit with your Groot theme.
edit: it doesn't any plant (type abilities) but it does give you plant (related abilities).

[dysprosium]

You can even take the warforged idea even further.

There is a prestige class called Landforged Walker from Secrets of Xendrik that is warforged only. It's five levels long but the last level gives you plant wildshape which includes huge forms. So you can turn yourself into that big hulking tree (treant)!

edit: landforged walker'ed

[Segev]

Chiming in to support "warforged druid." It would cover most of the bases with careful fluffing of spells and such.

[danzibr]

You can play an Awakened Plant! The rules for that are actually very simple. It's got the stats for an Animated Object of the size that you want, but you change whatever is different between the Construct and Plant templates.

I HONESTLY don't think that was ever meant to be used as a player character. But you can probably make it work with your DM. It's not like an Awakened Plant is going to horribly break the game in any way. A Medium size should have two RHD, and no LA. Small should be one. And Tiny, zero. So you could play a Tiny Awakened Plant with no RHD. In theory. In practice, your DM may throw the book at you. But it's worth bringing up.

In cast you were curious, here's what a Plant would essentially have for racial bonuses.



So. That's worse than virtually any standard race out of the PHB. But as far as I can tell, this is the best way to do what you'd like without a LA. Personally, as a DM, I would let a player use the racial traits of the plant as their race with no RHD for a medium size character. But yours might not.
And you can swap that out for a class level (I think).