How Would You Build An Aberration Druid?

[Palanan]

I could’ve sworn Pathfinder had an archetype for this, but I can’t seem to find one, so I could use advice on how to build it myself.

My concept is a rather demented druid who is obsessed with aberrations, and who believes the world would be a better place if its existing wilderness was replaced with entire ecosystems of aberrations. To this end, the druid will be summoning, breeding, and “gardening” aberrations of all kinds.

I’d like the druid to be able to wildshape into aberrations, and he should have an aberration-only version of wild empathy. Aberration companion, aberration summoning, aberration augmenting, all of these should be part of his build.

So, is this possible in Pathfinder? How much of it can be done from official Pathfinder sources, and how much would need to be imported from 3.5?

[Eldonauran]

Considering aberrations and undead are the two things Druids abhor above even civilization encroachment on nature, you'd only find Druid like that in a warped and twisted version of Golarion's reality. The most that Druids deviate is via death and decay (as a part of renewal) or outright blighting the land.

tldr: I found nothing that fits your need, at least among 1st party resources.

[Palanan]

As I said above, this is a decidedly deranged druid following his own half-maddened path, so what an ordinary druid might think doesn’t really apply.

This druid will be pursuing aberrations, and the art of aberration ecology, in every way he can. Are there really no options for this in Pathfinder? And if not, what would serve this purpose from 3.5 sources?

[Malimar]

Alienist (Complete Arcane) appears to be fully compatible with Druid. Progresses familiar and not animal companion, though you could always either house rule that change or at worst just ignore those class features.

[Eldonauran]

As I said above, this is a decidedly deranged druid following his own half-maddened path, so what an ordinary druid might think doesn’t really apply. The problem with that is that druids (in the Pathfinder universe, especially) gain their powers from reverence to nature. A druid that reveres aberrations, even one outside of his mind, would lose that connection with nature and no longer be a Druid. They would literally fall and become an ex-Druid. Aberrations, like undead, have no 'natural' place within nature. Plants, fungi, swarms, rot; those are things you can do as a Druid. As an ex-Druid, you can get into Planar abilities (Antihero's handbook) and maintain some level of your druidic abilities.


This druid will be pursuing aberrations, and the art of aberration ecology, in every way he can. Are there really no options for this in Pathfinder? And if not, what would serve this purpose from 3.5 sources?You may be able to mimic abilities similar to aberrations, such as with Mutated Shape (to grow an extra appendage), within the Pathfinder game system. However, turning into an actual aberration? No, not until you get access to high level magic, such as Shapechange.

[Yanisa]

There is Aberrant Wild Shape in Lords of Madness. But 3.5 wildshape is hard to convert to pathfinder. Especially since there isn't a "Aberration Form" line of polymorph spells.

Edit:

However, turning into an actual aberration? No, not until you get access to high level magic, such as Shapechange.
Not even shape change allows aberrations in pathfinder.

A few mutations based things are the closest thing you can get.

[Psyren]

Closest I can find is Naga Aspirant (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/uncommon-races/arg-nagaji/naga-aspirant-druid-naga/); unfortunately that is less about aberrations in general and more about becoming a naga specifically.

My suggestion is that you take a more generally off-beat Druid archetype like Blight, Urban, or Skinshaper, then start bolting aberration themes onto it in other ways - e.g. Eldritch Heritage for the Abberant Bloodline, or VMC Alchemist for some squicky discoveries like Tentacle and Tumor.

[Val666]

You could play a Spirit Guide (Dark Tapestry) Oracle of the Dark Tapetry lol. Pick the Many Forms revelation and the Alien Summons hex. Also pick spells that go with theme of the character. You could fluff it as a "summoner" or "prophet" of the Dark Tapestry and start "opening rifts" on the material plane, summoning aberrations. Then as you level, use your Many Forms to turn into other creatures (just ask the dm to fluff them with tentacles and stuff). Eventually you'll be able to turn into full formed aberrations.

I know it's not a druid but hey, can't find anything like Aberrant Wildshape from 3.5 :( I cry.

PD: If you can convince your DM to let you slip in Dual-Cursed Oracle (I think you can't with the above combination, not sure) it would be even cooler.

[Jack_Simth]

Planar Extremist (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/druid/archetypes/paizo-druid-archetypes/planar-extremist-ex-druid-archetype/) using an Abberration Eidolon (www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/unchained-classes/summoner-unchained/eidolons-unchained/#TOC-Aberration), perhaps?

[Eldonauran]

Planar Extremist (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/druid/archetypes/paizo-druid-archetypes/planar-extremist-ex-druid-archetype/) using an Abberration Eidolon (www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/unchained-classes/summoner-unchained/eidolons-unchained/#TOC-Aberration), perhaps?

The Planar bond has to be with an outsider with an alignment subtype that match the alignment of the druid. Aberrations are not allowed without GM approval (house rule).

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Malimar
Alienist (Complete Arcane) appears to be fully compatible with Druid. Progresses familiar and not animal companion, though you could always either house rule that change or at worst just ignore those class features.

I thought about Alienist, although the 3.5 version doesn’t really impress me. I tried homebrewing an improved version a few years ago, so I might revisit that.


Originally Posted by Eldonauran
A druid that reveres aberrations…would literally fall and become an ex-Druid.

Do you have any specific rules text to support this? There's nothing in the CRB section on druids that mentions aberrations in particular.


Originally Posted by Yanisa
Not even shape change allows aberrations in pathfinder.

Does this mean there’s no easy way for a PC to change to aberration form in Pathfinder?

I’m wondering if this was deliberate, and if so, why.


Originally Posted by Psyren
My suggestion is that you take a more generally off-beat Druid archetype like Blight, Urban, or Skinshaper, then start bolting aberration themes onto it in other ways - e.g. Eldritch Heritage for the Abberant Bloodline, or VMC Alchemist for some squicky discoveries like Tentacle and Tumor.

Very interesting, thanks. Can you suggest any other sources for aberration themes that could be bolted?

[Jack_Simth]

The Planar bond has to be with an outsider with an alignment subtype that match the alignment of the druid. Aberrations are not allowed without GM approval (house rule).
From the archetype: "Alignment: A planar extremist must have an alignment of chaotic evil, chaotic good, lawful evil, or lawful good.

This alters the druid’s alignment."

From the Unchained Eidlon entry for an Abberration: "Alignment: Chaotic evil, chaotic neutral, neutral, or neutral evil."
CE is valid in both.

Where's the problem, exactly?

[Eldonauran]

Where's the problem, exactly?

...

The second option is to form a close bond with an outsider from an Outer Planes. The abilities of this outsider companion are determined using the rules for eidolons for the unchained summoner class, as if the planar extremist were a summoner of her druid level, except the outsider companion gains no additional evolution pool (only the evolutions from its base form and base evolutions for its subtype), and it must be of a subtype whose alignment exactly matches the alignment of the planar extremist. ...
Bolded for your convenience. I would like to point out that the site you mentioned took special care to hyperlink those 'outsider' callouts to the Outsider monster description. That doesn't happen in the actual source material, but take that for what you will.


Do you have any specific rules text to support this? There's nothing in the CRB section on druids that mentions aberrations in particular.Ok, you got me. I assumed that you were playing in such a manner as to reflect the flavor and roleplay aspects of the Druidic circles outlined in the Pathfinder/Golarian source material. If you are limited simply to the Core rule book, and are playing with just the numbers absent flavor, you only have to deal with the pesky question of whether or not a Druid can still continue to revere nature while encouraging and furthering the cause of explicitly unnatural creatures. If you GM is ok with this, then you are good. I am just saying there is no rule support for your idea outside of homebrew/houserule.

[Psyren]

As a quick note, Eldonauran does have a point - without a more lax archetype, devoting your druid to aberrations might result in a fall depending on the GM.



Does this mean there’s no easy way for a PC to change to aberration form in Pathfinder?

I’m wondering if this was deliberate, and if so, why.

It's 'deliberate' in the sense that they wanted to nerf shapeshifting overall and simply haven't gotten around to creating spells for some of the game's creature types. Whether they will or not is anyone's guess. Worse still in my eyes though is that the general "toolbox" shapeshifting spells like Polymorph, Greater Polymorph and Shapechange don't get updated with the new toys when they are made. Needless to say, we houserule both.

As for becoming an aberration yourself, there's always Possession and similar effects.



Very interesting, thanks. Can you suggest any other sources for aberration themes that could be bolted?

I think someone else suggested this, but the other big thing you could do is an aberrant eidolon or familiar in place of your animal companion.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Eldonauran
…you only have to deal with the pesky question of whether or not a Druid can still continue to revere nature while encouraging and furthering the cause of explicitly unnatural creatures.

This is interesting, because of Pathfinder’s definition of an aberration:

“An aberration has a bizarre anatomy, strange abilities, an alien mindset, or any combination of the three.”

Spiders have an alien mindset. Cuttlefish have strange abilities. Horseshoe crabs have a bizarre anatomy. But those are all considered part of “nature” because they’ve evolved on our world. Other species might evolve on other worlds, adapted to other environments and selective pressures, which would have structures and behaviors which might seem outré only because we’re not familiar with them. They would only be “unnatural” because they aren’t part of the living fabric of our own world.

But they would be perfectly natural for whatever world they come from, and it’s that expanded sense of “nature” this aberration-focused druid is working with.


Originally Posted by Psyren
…devoting your druid to aberrations might result in a fall depending on the GM.

I’m the GM, so it’s all good, or at least all tentacley. (And really, isn’t that the same thing?)


Originally Posted by Psyren
Worse still in my eyes though is that the general "toolbox" shapeshifting spells like Polymorph, Greater Polymorph and Shapechange don't get updated with the new toys when they are made. Needless to say, we houserule both.

How exactly do you houserule them? Is it a brief handwave and “this works,” or do you have something more detailed worked up?


Originally Posted by Psyren
I think someone else suggested this, but the other big thing you could do is an aberrant eidolon or familiar in place of your animal companion.

Okay, thanks—I must have missed that the first time around. I do like this idea.

.

[Eldonauran]

This is interesting, because of Pathfinder’s definition of an aberration:

“An aberration has a bizarre anatomy, strange abilities, an alien mindset, or any combination of the three.”

Spiders have an alien mindset. Cuttlefish have strange abilities. Horseshoe crabs have a bizarre anatomy. But those are all considered part of “nature” because they’ve evolved on our world. Other species might evolve on other worlds, adapted to other environments and selective pressures, which would have structures and behaviors which might seem outré only because we’re not familiar with them. They would only be “unnatural” because they aren’t part of the living fabric of our own world.

But they would be perfectly natural for whatever world they come from, and it’s that expanded sense of “nature” this aberration-focused druid is working with.Yes, all good points. However, using the information we have about Golarion's universe, alien animals are still animals. Alien magical beasts are still magic beasts. Alien humanoids are still humanoids. And when I say 'alien' in this way, i simply mean 'not from the planet'. Aberrations are creatures that have 'alien' features other than what 'natural' creatures of the material realm possess. They defy the 'natural' order that Golarion's Druids revere and worship. They are truly 'alien' to existence as we know it and we are unable to adequately define/understand it. If you are familiar with 3.5e, think of the Far Realms.


I’m the GM, so it’s all good, or at least all tentacley. (And really, isn’t that the same thing?)Well, that's great! With your approval, the character is question might have a chance to see the light of day. I just hope it is not too difficult to fit it into the world for you. It is a stretch, but not too much, to simply make the Druid a 'druid' of whatever realm of existence (note: I don't mean plane) the aberrations actually come from.

[Jack_Simth]

Bolded for your convenience. I would like to point out that the site you mentioned took special care to hyperlink those 'outsider' callouts to the Outsider monster description. That doesn't happen in the actual source material, but take that for what you will.It doesn't take special care. Quite the opposite - it appears to have a search routine that tries to match up certain things.

So really, the problem is "It's still an outsider, rather than being an abberration" - which is true. But it's about as close as you're going to get.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Eldonauran
However, using the information we have about Golarion's universe….

I just hope it is not too difficult to fit it into the world for you.

The game world isn’t Golarion, so I don’t have to worry about those constraints.


Originally Posted by Eldonauran
Aberrations are creatures that have 'alien' features other than what 'natural' creatures of the material realm possess.

And yet, there’s this additional line from the PFSRD entry for aberrations:

“Aberrations breathe, eat, and sleep.”

So they respire, they take in nutrients from their surroundings, and they have periods of metabolic dormancy. Those are fundamental commonalities with terrestrial life.

.

[Eldonauran]

The game world isn’t Golarion, so I don’t have to worry about those constraints.Good to know.



And yet, there’s this additional line from the PFSRD entry for aberrations:

“Aberrations breathe, eat, and sleep.”

So they respire, they take in nutrients from their surroundings, and they have periods of metabolic dormancy. Those are fundamental commonalities with terrestrial life.

.Yes, but having alien characteristics doesn't have to be an all or nothing condition. Some things can behave similarly, like the need to eat, sleep, or breathe, but function differently in ways that don't resemble 'natural' processes. Regardless, I won't tell you how to run your games, especially if they aren't taking part in the normal setting. That is your creative right vs my opinion, and I will always submit in that area, though might make a comment or two, just to help keep things logically sound. :smallwink:

[Psyren]

This is interesting, because of Pathfinder’s definition of an aberration:

“An aberration has a bizarre anatomy, strange abilities, an alien mindset, or any combination of the three.”

Spiders have an alien mindset. Cuttlefish have strange abilities. Horseshoe crabs have a bizarre anatomy. But those are all considered part of “nature” because they’ve evolved on our world. Other species might evolve on other worlds, adapted to other environments and selective pressures, which would have structures and behaviors which might seem outré only because we’re not familiar with them. They would only be “unnatural” because they aren’t part of the living fabric of our own world.

But they would be perfectly natural for whatever world they come from, and it’s that expanded sense of “nature” this aberration-focused druid is working with.


I think "whatever world they come from" is precisely the problem. Ultimately, aberrations hail from (or were created as a result of) the Far Realm/Dark Tapestry. In other words, they are never truly "natural." The fact that there are druid and ranger archetypes dedicated to fighting them is an indicator of that.

But I'm not trying to discourage your idea, by all means make an aberration-focused druid - I'm just saying that Eldonauran isn't wrong, in standard Golarion (not in your setting) such a druid might fall.



How exactly do you houserule them? Is it a brief handwave and “this works,” or do you have something more detailed worked up?

We rule that Polymorph, GP, PAO and Shapechange can duplicate any polymorph subschool spell at least one level lower than they are. Thus for example, Polymorph (5th-level spell) can get you Beast Shape I&II / Alter Self/ Elemental Body I like it can now, but also Vermin Shape I and Monstrous Physique I.