LA0 plantish type race

[Albions_Angel]

Hi all

Fairly sure I know the answer to this one, but one of my players is looking to make a plant based character, or a plantish type thing. Something planty. The game starts at level 1, no LA, no LA buy off.

I dont know of anything that fits that description.

Does anyone else?

[PrismCat21]

How about a 1HD awakened tree?

[ComaVision]

The Plant type is basically a +1 LA by itself. If you feel like being flexible, the Volodni is a +2 LA race that really shouldn't be +2 LA.

[Malimar]

The closest I can think of is Twig Blight and Junior Worker Myconid, at +2 LA each.

ComaVision is correct. For it to be LA+0, you'd need to come up with something like the [Living Construct] subtype that Warforged get to remove half the immunities.

That said, Undead gives a similar slew of immunities but Necropolitan is "you lose a level" instead of LA+1, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Albions_Angel]

So out of interest, how would you do a level 1 player with a LA+1 when not doing LA buyoffs? Would he just be his race for the first level?

[ComaVision]

So out of interest, how would you do a level 1 player with a LA+1 when not doing LA buyoffs? Would he just be his race for the first level?

There's Negative Level Adjustment... in Savage Species? I think?

Basically they take -1 on all their rolls, and natural armour, until their first level-up gets rid of the NLA.

[Red Fel]

So out of interest, how would you do a level 1 player with a LA+1 when not doing LA buyoffs? Would he just be his race for the first level?

In theory, you could impose across-the-board penalties. I think there's a rule someplace for that, basically -1s to pretty much everything. Another option is, where available, to use a Lesser version (see e.g. PGtF's Lesser Planetouched, Drow, etc.).

Or just don't let them use the LA race.

[Beheld]

You can also just leave them as an ECL 2 character who is more powerful but levels slower until everyone catches up (Which happens initially at level 2, permanently if you start them at zero XP instead of the 1k they by RAW should start at).

The other option is to figure out what they really want from their plant race and then make an LA zero plant race.

IE:

Vine Creature
A Vine Creature has +2 to some stat, and -2 to some other stat. (You could probably justify almost anything here, so pick something that will make your player happy)
Medium or Small: Vine Creatures are either medium or small, whichever your player thinks sounds more plantlike.
Low Light Vision: Vine Creatures have low light vision.
Immunity to Sleep, Polymorph, and Critical hits: Vine Creatures are a mess of vines, so they don't need to sleep, and are immune to sleep effects. They are also immune to critical hits, because honestly, parts of vines aren't more important than others.
Plant (Thoughtful, Fragile): A Vine Creature has the Plant type, but it also has the [Thoughtful] and [Fragile] subtypes.

[Thoughtful]: Thoughtful plants are fully intelligent creatures, but they lack the natural mind affecting immunity of the more base members of their type.

[Fragile]: Fragile plants lack the natural plant immunity to poison, paralysis, and stunning.

You can play around with the immunities, poison immunity added on to that creature is probably still fine, if you take away critical hits you can probably add in stunning immunity instead.

You can definitely be immune to Poison, Sleep, Polymorph, and Paralysis at no LA, just look at Warforged, they get 25% fortification and immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, disease, nausea, fatigue, exhaustion, effects that cause the sickened condition, and energy drain.

[Inevitability]

Killoren look somewhat plant-like.

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/1/13/Killoren.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20150922225400

[Albions_Angel]

I think I have convinced him to go Killoren (or however its spelt). He wants it purely for aesthetics so homebrewing a vine creature also works. We will see. Now on to the other player that wants about 14,000 templates at level 1 (no, you cant be a half dragon, half giant, dragonborn, planestouched, shadow creature. Its a level 1-5 low tier campaign and you dont even know how 3.5 works. Stop trying to rule of cool everything!)

[ComaVision]

Now on to the other player that wants about 14,000 templates at level 1 (no, you cant be a half dragon, half giant, dragonborn, planestouched, shadow creature. Its a level 1-5 low tier campaign and you dont even know how 3.5 works. Stop trying to rule of cool everything!)

Give him the Mongrelfolk race.

[Nashira]

Killoren look somewhat plant-like.

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/1/13/Killoren.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20150922225400

one of my favorite reaches. Though if I recall correctly, they are technically fey. Not that the artists seemed to care...

[Grod_The_Giant]

You could also base something off the Warforged-- call it an "embodied plant" instead of an "awakened construct," with a similar set of resistances and immunities.

[Sayt]

Pathfinder has the Ghoran (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/more-races/advanced-races-11-20-rp/ghoran-19-rp). Pathfinder races are a little stronger than 3.5s, on average, that said, PF's plants don't have all the immunities that they do in 3.5s, so maybe write in a specific vulnerability to SA/Crits?

[Beheld]

You could also base something off the Warforged-- call it an "embodied plant" instead of an "awakened construct," with a similar set of resistances and immunities.

Seems silly, since 2/3rds of Warforged immunities are things that Plants are susceptible to.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Seems silly, since 2/3rds of Warforged immunities are things that Plants are susceptible to.
"Similar set." The idea is to borrow the Warforged's watered-down creature type. An "embodied plant" (or whatever you want to call it) might have Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning, but still be susceptible to mind-affecting effects and critical hits. Add on, oh, the same basic stat adjustments, a bit of NA, something flavorful like feeding yourself through photosynthesis and you've got yourself a race.

[RoyVG]

Based on Grod_The_Giant suggestions, here is an example of how it could look like. It's mostly based on the way Warforged and Living Constructs are written, so most of the changes to the Plant type are listed in the subtype.

Woodsborne
Abilities: A Woodsborne has the following changes to his ability scores: +2 Wisdom, -2 Dexterity. A Woodsborne is naturally more wise due to his plant heritage, but his bark-like skin restricts his movement
Type: Woodsborne are creatures with Plant type and the (Embodied plant) subtype (see below). You are therefore not susceptible to spells that specifically target humanoids, such as hold person (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/holdPerson.htm) or charm person (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/charmPerson.htm). They are however susceptible to spells that specifically target Plants
Size: Woodsborne are medium creatures and thus recieve no bonus or penalties related to their size.
Speed: Woodsborne have a base land speed of 30ft
Skills: Woodsborne gain a +2 racial bonus to Knowledge (Nature) checks and Survival checks.
Barkskin: Woodsborne have +1 natural armor. Your skin is coverered in a thin bark like structure, granting you some extra protection. In addition, once per day you may cast Barkskin (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/barkskin.htm) as a spell like ability with a caster level equal to your character level. You may only target yourself with this spell like ability
Photosynthesis (Ex): You can sustain yourself by sunlight. By spending 1 hour in bright sunlight you do not require any sustenance for that day. In addition, should a Woodsborn be rendered inert (-1 to -9 hitpoint, see below) while remaining in bright sunlight, he will regain hit points at a rate of 1/hour. This effects lasts until the Woodsborne's hit point have reached 0 .
Favored class: Druid
Level adjustement +0

Embodied Plant subtype:
Features
A Woodsborne derives its Hit Dice, base attack bonus progression, saving throws, and skill points from the class it selects
Traits
Unlike other plant creatures, a Woodsborne is susceptible to critical hits and sneak attacks.
Unlike other plant creatures, a Woodsborne is not immune to mind affecting effects
Immunity to poison, magical sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning
Lowlight vision
Unlike other plant creatures, a Woodsborne need to breath, eat and sleep.

-Whereas normal plants do not require sleep, Woodsborne do. They are however still immune to effects that would forcefully put them to sleep, like the sleep (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/sleep.htm) spell
A Woodsborne responds slightly differently from other living creatures when reduced to 0 hit points. A Woodsborne with 0 hit points is disabled, just like a living creature. He can only take a single move action or standard action in each round, but strenuous activity does not risk further injury. When his hit points are less than 0 and greater than –10, a Woodsborne is inert. He is unconscious and helpless, and he cannot perform any actions. However, an inert Woodsborne does not lose additional hit points unless more damage is dealt to him, as with a living creature that is stable.

I wanted to add some interactions with some plant related spells, but... not this time :smalltongue:

[Albions_Angel]

I really dont want to homebrew something.

Its a short, 5 or 6 session campaign so I can DM and my DM can play, and its everyone elses intro to 3.5 (they are all 5e players, I am not and dont like 5e at all but its all I have at the moment).

I also like the rules. A lot. Homebrew has always felt off to me. Frankly, there is a part of me going "why do you always have to play something so totally out there?" In our 5e game he got the DM to write in a 4e warforged because none of the core races appealed. Which I sort of understood, 5e is small and the races are bog standard. But its this guys first game and now I have opened up 3.5 to him, Im still greeted by "but I want to play a guy that looks like a vine whenever he wants!"

Sat down with him and tried to get a feel for what he wanted, see if I could find a CLASS that gave him what he was after, and literally he wants a guy that looks like a vine so people think he is a plant when they walk past. No skills. No abilities. No spells. No mechanics. Might just throw him a rogue with a good disguise skill.

I get the game is about playing what you want, but maybe he shouldnt be looking at D&D if thats what he wants. The fact that we have to homebrew almost everything for him speaks volumes to me.

I help out the other DM in the 5e game, because its his second ever game and first time DMing and most of our time is spent trying to fix this guys mistakes. He went Warforged as a race, then took Bladepact Warlock, only he has 12 Dex and 10 Str and 8 Con, 16 Cha 14 Wis and 7 Int (modified). So he stands at the front and then falls over. I had to show the DM the warfrorged feats from 3.5e MMIII, and now we have bumped the guys AC with Mithril Body, convinced him to swap Dex and Wis and homebrewed his pact weapon (a glaive) to be dex based.

Im rather worried if I homebrew him a race it will once again go totally against how he wants to play and he will end up dying. Over, and over, and over again. Its not even like he has a character concept in mind and just builds it badly.

So you know how some people have a class, then pick the best race, then do their stats, or maybe they pick a race, then decide what class that race should be, then do stats, or start with stats, pick a class and modify it with a race. This guy seems to have a physical appearance picked, and simultaneously picks a class he thinks is cool, and picks stats with no regard to the class. And Race, and the racial bonuses and penalties dont seem to factor into it at all, beyond the picture of the race in the book.

I dont know.

Im not a Rule of Cool DM. Im a "Find me the rule in a book if its not one of the allowed books, and Ill see if I think it fits my world. But beware, because I WILL use it against you at some point if I allow it." And I like my games serious and my combat fluid and fast. worries keep building about the upcoming game that they will try describing every hit like they do in our current 5e campaign (where combat with 3 monks, level 2, against 3 PCs, level 4, took 5 hours last night).

Sorry, rant over.

[RoyVG]

I guess I went a little too far then by making a homebrew race. At least now we know more specifics about the situation.

You can fluff a Warforged with the Ironwood Body (from the Races of Eberron book) feat is mostly made of wood, but is as strong as iron. Increase his Disguise and Hide and just roll with it then?

A Warforged Scout (with Ironwood Body) is Small and gets +2 Dex, and makes it easier to pass for a large branch or a small tree compared to a standing treetrunk that a normal Warforged would be.

[Ruethgar]

Get an item that casts Tree Form, Expansion, Compression, and Expeditious Retreat. Be a Ironwood Warforged and have the item be a Prestige Race with Sculpt Self.

Also awakened small tree is an ECL 5 if you want more legalish.

An item familiar can be moved into as a wizard 5/sorc 6/UMD x2 and could be a tree with a little work to be mobile.

Get woodling ritually added to your familiar that you've UMD double Familiar Formed into. No LA, but you don't get all of the benefits.

[Rijan_Sai]

I guess I went a little too far then by making a homebrew race. At least now we know more specifics about the situation.

You can fluff a Warforged with the Ironwood Body (from the Races of Eberron book) feat is mostly made of wood, but is as strong as iron. Increase his Disguise and Hide and just roll with it then?

A Warforged Scout (with Ironwood Body) is Small and gets +2 Dex, and makes it easier to pass for a large branch or a small tree compared to a standing treetrunk that a normal Warforged would be.

Relevant! Maybe? Or not, just the first thing I thought of!
http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/megaman/images/1/11/CW-16-WoodMan-Art.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20100506032010

[Beheld]

Based on Grod_The_Giant suggestions, here is an example of how it could look like. It's mostly based on the way Warforged and Living Constructs are written, so most of the changes to the Plant type are listed in the subtype.

Woodsborne
Abilities: A Woodsborne has the following changes to his ability scores: +2 Wisdom, -2 Dexterity. A Woodsborne is naturally more wise due to his plant heritage, but his bark-like skin restricts his movement
Type: Woodsborne are creatures with Plant type and the (Embodied plant) subtype (see below). You are therefore not susceptible to spells that specifically target humanoids, such as hold person (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/holdPerson.htm) or charm person (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/charmPerson.htm). They are however susceptible to spells that specifically target Plants
Size: Woodsborne are medium creatures and thus recieve no bonus or penalties related to their size.
Speed: Woodsborne have a base land speed of 30ft
Skills: Woodsborne gain a +2 racial bonus to Knowledge (Nature) checks and Survival checks.
Barkskin: Woodsborne have +1 natural armor. Your skin is coverered in a thin bark like structure, granting you some extra protection. In addition, once per day you may cast Barkskin (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/barkskin.htm) as a spell like ability with a caster level equal to your character level. You may only target yourself with this spell like ability
Photosynthesis (Ex): You can sustain yourself by sunlight. By spending 1 hour in bright sunlight you do not require any sustenance for that day. In addition, should a Woodsborn be rendered inert (-1 to -9 hitpoint, see below) while remaining in bright sunlight, he will regain hit points at a rate of 1/hour. This effects lasts until the Woodsborne's hit point have reached 0 .
Favored class: Druid
Level adjustement +0

Embodied Plant subtype:
Features
A Woodsborne derives its Hit Dice, base attack bonus progression, saving throws, and skill points from the class it selects
Traits
Unlike other plant creatures, a Woodsborne is susceptible to critical hits and sneak attacks.
Unlike other plant creatures, a Woodsborne is not immune to mind affecting effects
Immunity to poison, magical sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning
Lowlight vision
Unlike other plant creatures, a Woodsborne need to breath, eat and sleep.

-Whereas normal plants do not require sleep, Woodsborne do. They are however still immune to effects that would forcefully put them to sleep, like the sleep (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/sleep.htm) spell
A Woodsborne responds slightly differently from other living creatures when reduced to 0 hit points. A Woodsborne with 0 hit points is disabled, just like a living creature. He can only take a single move action or standard action in each round, but strenuous activity does not risk further injury. When his hit points are less than 0 and greater than –10, a Woodsborne is inert. He is unconscious and helpless, and he cannot perform any actions. However, an inert Woodsborne does not lose additional hit points unless more damage is dealt to him, as with a living creature that is stable.

I wanted to add some interactions with some plant related spells, but... not this time :smalltongue:

There is no reason to make this creature have to sleep. Warforged don't sleep, and this creature has less immunities than Warforged, but does have immunity to magic sleep effects. Just let it not sleep.

[RoyVG]

Relevant! Maybe? Or not, just the first thing I thought of!
http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/megaman/images/1/11/CW-16-WoodMan-Art.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20100506032010
Can't beat that :smallwink:

Damn, now I want to play a Warforged Druid


There is no reason to make this creature have to sleep. Warforged don't sleep, and this creature has less immunities than Warforged, but does have immunity to magic sleep effects. Just let it not sleep.
I guess you're right. My reasoning was that Woodsborne are more 'alive' compared to Warforged, so having them needing to sleep would make at least some sense. The immunity to sleep does make that difficult. Then again, Elves are also immune to sleep and still need to go into trance for 4 hours every day, so I could opt to change it to something like that. Dare I say, a vegetative state?

[Troacctid]

Landforged Walkers grow plants all over their bodies so they look like walking Chia Pets, and at 5th level they can shapeshift into plants. It's a prestige class, though, so you can't do it at level 1.

[Falcon X]

Has nobody posted the Adu-jas yet? They were published in Dragon Magazine #317 with a full background and a race I love.

http://wiki.rpg.net/images/thumb/0/0d/Trinity_Adu-ja.jpg/175px-Trinity_Adu-ja.jpg

[edit] Sorry, I forgot that they did indeed have a level adjustment. Though some places on the internet may have tried to reduce it.

[Marlowe]

Killoren look somewhat plant-like.

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/1/13/Killoren.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20150922225400

Except, of course, they're not described as looking anything of the sort. Aren't plants, and have no plant traits. They're supposed to look like Half-Elves with oddball hair and skin colouring. But apparently the artist, as said above, didn't care.

So, they're Plants in the same way that Elves, on the basis of Mialee, are awakened giant grasshoppers.