Need a Treant Lumberjack build, please.

[SangoProduction]

I'm not good at making builds. The playground seems to be filled with people who can make great builds from nothing. I ask you for help.

3e or PF is allowed. Dragon mag and homebrew are very much on a case by case basis. Let's focus on PF if possible, because that's where the chainsaw is.

1st problem: How do I even become a treant? There's that class from Savage Species....but....it leaves stuff to be desired, even when we homebrew full HD and regular (or even human) feats.
There's just not much that this class can do but full attack...occasionally...

Ideally, I'd want to be a druid of some kind, and take exotic weapon proficiency for an adamantine chainsaw.

What the build would be at level 1, 5, and 10 would be nice too.

[Troacctid]

Does it have to be a treant, specifically, or will other types of plant creatures work? Woodling creatures (MM3 pp197-199) are only +3 LA, which is a lot less prohibitive for a player character.

[nedz]

7 RHD and +5 LA means that you can only take your first character level at ECL 13 — unless you use the Savage Species build that is. This is pretty poor for anything really.

[SangoProduction]

Does it have to be a treant, specifically, or will other types of plant creatures work? Woodling creatures (MM3 pp197-199) are only +3 LA, which is a lot less prohibitive for a player character.

That would probably work, I'm looking at it now.

EDIT: Probably exactly as I wanted. Just slap it on to a human and call it a treant.

[Troacctid]

If you're a Druid, I think Woodling is actually even better than Treant, thematically speaking, because you have bark and leaves as an extraordinary special quality, which means you retain it even while wildshaped. So where the Treant who morphs into a dinosaur becomes an ordinary dinosaur, the Woodling becomes a Bulbasaur.

[Telonius]

Treants are technically playable characters, but the level adjustment of +5 and the 7 racial hit dice really make them pretty weak. (To put it in perspective, you'd be starting as though you were a 15th level character, but the CR of a Treant is 8).

The other problem you're going to run into is casting. Starting at 15, you'd be (at most) a Druid 5 by the time you get to ECL 20. Meaning, only one Wild Shape and no Natural Spell at all. There's also the problem of a lumberjack having sufficient "respect for nature" to become a Druid. You might just barely be able to justify it if you emphasize tree maintenance rather than tree removal - keeping the forest as a whole healthy - but that would be a pretty hard sell.

[SangoProduction]

Treants are technically playable characters, but the level adjustment of +5 and the 7 racial hit dice really make them pretty weak. (To put it in perspective, you'd be starting as though you were a 15th level character, but the CR of a Treant is 8).

The other problem you're going to run into is casting. Starting at 15, you'd be (at most) a Druid 5 by the time you get to ECL 20. Meaning, only one Wild Shape and no Natural Spell at all. There's also the problem of a lumberjack having sufficient "respect for nature" to become a Druid. You might just barely be able to justify it if you emphasize tree maintenance rather than tree removal - keeping the forest as a whole healthy - but that would be a pretty hard sell.

I was thinking more of an ironic avenger of the wilds sort of deal. But yes, this is why I asked the playground for help. Treants aren't great, so there had to be better, more thematically appropriate options out there.

[PrismCat21]

How about an Awakened Tree? They're treated as Animated Objects of their size, and their mental ability scores become 3d6 each. You'd have to work out a level adjustment with your DM, if any. Animated objects aren't very tough.
You could be a small sapling with no lost levels at all, they have 1hd.
Medium have 2hd.
Large have 4hd.
Fluff-wise, when the other characters go to bed, you can submerge your roots into the earth and draw up nutrients. Sunlight can be absorbed with regular travel throughout the day.
Enjoy :smallbiggrin:

[Ruethgar]

An Ironwood Warforged would work it refluffed.

[SangoProduction]

Here's a question. Is there a martial- or mixed martial-and-magical-style class with a nature theme? Ranger sucks. Druid might seem a tad bit off, but I would like a couple of abilities/spells.

[Cerefel]

Here's a question. Is there a martial- or mixed martial-and-magical-style class with a nature theme? Ranger sucks. Druid might seem a tad bit off, but I would like a couple of abilities/spells.

Ranger can be pretty good, especially if you take mystic ranger and/or wildshape ranger ACFs. What class works for you depends on what tier you're aiming for.

[nedz]

Treants are technically playable characters, but the level adjustment of +5 and the 7 racial hit dice really make them pretty weak. (To put it in perspective, you'd be starting as though you were a 15th level character, but the CR of a Treant is 8).

The other problem you're going to run into is casting. Starting at 15, you'd be (at most) a Druid 5 by the time you get to ECL 20. Meaning, only one Wild Shape and no Natural Spell at all. There's also the problem of a lumberjack having sufficient "respect for nature" to become a Druid. You might just barely be able to justify it if you emphasize tree maintenance rather than tree removal - keeping the forest as a whole healthy - but that would be a pretty hard sell.
Your maths is a little out, but you are right otherwise.
7+5=12

Here's a question. Is there a martial- or mixed martial-and-magical-style class with a nature theme? Ranger sucks. Druid might seem a tad bit off, but I would like a couple of abilities/spells.
You can re-fluff anything.

[daremetoidareyo]

You're in luck, I just played with this the other day.

You have 3 plant themed prestige classes to look at:
Holt Warden
Verdant lord
Landforged Walker

The question becomes: How soon do you want to be a treant? Druid 7 into Verdant Lord gets you into treant shape by level 13. Remember, the spells Control plants and Command plants are switched when 3.0 became 3.5.


You can save a feat to become a landforged walker by going warforged dragonborn to get rid of your composite plating. Further, you can take the druid's Aspect of the Dragon ACF from Dragon Magic. Druidic Avenger gives you barbarian fast movement and rage in exchange for spontaneous spells and your animal companion.

So I would go dragonborn warforged 5/Landforged walker 5 and then wildshaping prestige classes. You may not like that. I can respect your decision. But you can totally be a fast moving raging dragonwinged shambling mound or treant with this build.

[Troacctid]

Here's a question. Is there a martial- or mixed martial-and-magical-style class with a nature theme? Ranger sucks. Druid might seem a tad bit off, but I would like a couple of abilities/spells.

Druid, Ranger, Scout, Totemist, Totem Barbarian, Wilderness Rogue, Spirit Shaman, Cleric with appropriate domains. Those would be the main ones from 3.5, I think. Swift Hunter and Swift Avenger are standard multiclass options, and there are several ACFs that make Druids more martial-oriented, like the PH2 shapeshift variant and both of the Unearthed Arcana variants.

[DrMotives]

Do you have access to "Unnaproachable East"? It's a Forgotten Realms book, but the Volodni race in are plants that look much like woodling humans, but are only LA +2 with no racial HD.

[torrasque666]

You can save a feat to become a landforged walker by going warforged dragonborn to get rid of your composite plating.

Not really save a feat. It's either Ironwood Body or skill focus (knowledge nature)

[BWR]

If this is PF a treant starts off as a level 8 creature (ECL = CR)

[Ruethgar]

There is also the Sculpt Self feat with the rules for custom Prestige Race creation. The main points are Expansion, Tree Form, and Expeditious Retreat. That results is a huge tree with an effective Dex of 1 and movement of 30ft. Modifies Str/Dex/Con appropriate to your base race.

[SangoProduction]

What are some good Prestige Classes for Spirit Shaman then? Since I'm not going to be using wild shape, I figure getting two spell lists would be better than just the druid's, and it has some decent abilities to start with.
Can I dip Cleric for an extra set of domains, or no? Meh, not really interested in it for the character, but I'm curious.

If I want to go more martial, I could probably go for a slightly changed fluff for crusader.

[Troacctid]

What are some good Prestige Classes for Spirit Shaman then? Since I'm not going to be using wild shape, I figure getting two spell lists would be better than just the druid's, and it has some decent abilities to start with.
Spirit Shamans only get one spell list, not two. It's just the Druid list.

Since they have mediocre class features and relatively few spells, I like them as a base for a theurge build. Spirit Shaman/Wizard/Mystic Theurge; Spirit Shaman/Psion (or Ardent)/Psychic Theurge; Spirit Shaman/Warlock/Eldritch Disciple; and Spirit Shaman/Crusader/Ruby Knight Vindicator are all reasonable. (For the latter two, ask your DM if chastise spirits can count as turn undead.)


Can I dip Cleric for an extra set of domains, or no? Meh, not really interested in it for the character, but I'm curious.
Is it really an "extra" set of domains if it's your first set of domains? And if it's a dip, you're only getting the 1st level spells and granted powers, so it's more like 20% of those domains, tops. For a proper extra domain, you want something like Divine Oracle or Contemplative.

I like the Cleric dip if there's something specific you want out of it, like turn undead or a particular domain feat.

[avr]

If you're playing PF, the Ghoran (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/more-races/advanced-races-11-20-rp/ghoran-19-rp) is a plant race which makes them easier to fluff as treants.

Nature/martial PF characters include nature fang archetype druids, oracles with any appropriate mystery (nature, lunar, various elemental ones), hunters (if you like an animal companion) and of course rangers. If you can mix in 3.5 an urban druid can have an animated object as an animal companion, which might fit your anti-nature vibe. If you're playing a ghoran you'd probably prefer a charisma-based caster - an oracle or a 3.5 urban druid.

[SangoProduction]

Spirit Shamans only get one spell list, not two. It's just the Druid list.

Since they have mediocre class features and relatively few spells, I like them as a base for a theurge build. Spirit Shaman/Wizard/Mystic Theurge; Spirit Shaman/Psion (or Ardent)/Psychic Theurge; Spirit Shaman/Warlock/Eldritch Disciple; and Spirit Shaman/Crusader/Ruby Knight Vindicator are all reasonable. (For the latter two, ask your DM if chastise spirits can count as turn undead.)


Is it really an "extra" set of domains if it's your first set of domains? And if it's a dip, you're only getting the 1st level spells and granted powers, so it's more like 20% of those domains, tops. For a proper extra domain, you want something like Divine Oracle or Contemplative.

I like the Cleric dip if there's something specific you want out of it, like turn undead or a particular domain feat.

Perhaps the online reference I have for spirit shaman is incorrect then. Can you point me to a correct one?

[torrasque666]

Best we can say is Complete Divine, page 14.

[Platymus Pus]

Maybe look into treelike curses to save on LA?