Poison Ivy Idea (3.5 help)

[Sutrahariel]

While playing Batman Arkham Asylum I rerecognized how amazing Pamela Lilliam Isley, A.k.a Poison Ivy, was. After trying my best to remember her history from past books, comics, e.t.c, My natural nerd told me to try and recreate her in D&D 3.5.

Given her impressive reputuar of abilities It will most likely be hard, so I come to OotS for assistance. I will write up all the abilities that I can find for her, as well As links for history and such. Anything else that might be needed should be requested.

Abilities:

Spoiler

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Immunity to Poison
Botonist/Poison Making (Craft/Profession Alchemist?)
Gymnast (easy most likely just Balance, Jump, Tumble)
Pheromones that charm others
Telepathy to Plants
Part Plant
Control over Plants
Lethal contact i.e. a kiss

History:

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DC Animated: Poison Ivy
Wikipedia: Poison Ivy

As for the build itself, I was thinking of druid or cleric with the plant domain. I'm not exactly a genius with divine casters so I might be way off. The only things that I really want this character to have is extensive poison use, and the ability to control plants. Everything else would be a bonus. Oh yeah, and It would be nice for it to be powerful enough to actually be used in a campaign >.<

After getting enough ideas I'll eventually write up a skeleton. Lets just say its 20th level with no limits on books (besides incarnum and possibly psionics)

[Dienekes]

Screams druid.

Just give her a plant as a pet somehow.

[Assassin89]

I think that Poison Ivy would carry a lot of black lotus extract and use it for the kiss. She would also need charm person, meaning being a cleric with plant and charm domains would work.

She might also have to work with a bard.

[Salt_Crow]

Woodling (MM3) druid would handle it adequately.

[Xallace]

There's a Dragon magazine somewhere in my collection that allows for a plant companion (rather than an animal companion). I can go dig it out if you're interested.

[Sutrahariel]

yes please, thats one thing I've always looked for >.<

I was thinking woodling too, or having it be aspect of nature using the plant aspect every few hours.

where is black lotus extract from? I can't remember

Would a Druid/Sorcerer/Arcane Hierophant be a good idea? A woodling with a plant Familier companion perhaps

[Ozymandias9]

where is black lotus extract from? I can't remember

Standard core poisons list.

Black lotus extract
Contact [Poison] DC 20
3d6 Con Initial
3d6 Con Secondary
4,500 gp per dose

As noted above, Black Lotus Extract seems the simplest way to recreate the lethal kiss: since it's contact poison however, she'll need to be either immune of highly resistant.

My recommendation would be to use the 3.0 MM Dryad as a race. It covers the majority of Poison Ivy's powers. I reccomend the 3.0 dryad over the 3.5 entry, which adds another 2 hit die and expands the spell list a bit too much. Also, the 3.0 picture is a redhead, which is serendipitous. You'll need to remove the 300 yard tree thing. This will give you the ability to speak with plants at will and the ability to cast charm person 3 times per day. Tack on poison immunity a la woodling or outsider. A LA shouldn't be necessary: the most notable element of the race would be that it isn't humanoid (even though it looks it).

You'll want some ability to rebuke plant creatures. Plant domain is the most accessible option. A single level dip into cleric should be enough, but the other domain spells are nice too.

Bringing in the non-core Charm as the second domain is probably a good choice. This will give you access additional access to charm person. It also lets you boost charisma once a day, which gives you additional attempts at rebuking plants with your plant domain power.

The problem with Cleric is that Pam isn't incredibly wise. You'll probably want to grab the Dynamic Priest feat: this will allow you to use charisma for your casting attribute rather than wisdom. (I think this was from one of the Dragonlance books.) If you're focusing more on the Dr. Isely angle, you might want to go with Int instead: Cloistered Cleric or Academic Priest should work.

Finally, we need to look at the capacity to control non-creature plants. The easiest way to do that, it seems to me, would be to convince the DM to let you prepare your domain only spells in your normal slots (perhaps in exchange for a thematically limited spell list). This will give you reasonable access to entangle (the 1st level plant domain spell), as well as expanding your access to charm person (the 1st level charm domain spell). The later spells are also, as you might imagine, thematically appropriate (suggestion, plant growth, etc).

Another option is to take Spirit Shaman after a dip into cleric for Plant 1: the fluff is a bit off, but you use a spells known mechanic from the druid list, which fits the limited role quite nicely.

The final option would be to tack on the entangle at will ability from the 3.5 dryad: this will likely warrant a level adjustment over the 3.0 dryad, and if this route is taken I would strongly recommend lobbying for the Reducing Level Adjustment variant rule. This is easily the most restrictive option, even without the LA. I would only choose this as my preferred option if I was trying to limit spell casting to fit more closely with comic book characterization (there are, after all, "real" magic users in the DC universe).


Honestly, I think 2nd edition druid would be a better fit. Of course, 2nd ed druids made the people who played them gouge out their eyes because of stupid requirements.

If you want to use a 3.5 druid, I would recommend finding something to trade out for wild shape: it just doesn't fit.

[Salt_Crow]

I was thinking along the line of "cast Poison spell" when duplicating the poisonous kiss ability. Of course, it's not at-will, but neither is black lotus method.

[Ozymandias9]

I was thinking along the line of "cast Poison spell" when duplicating the poisonous kiss ability. Of course, it's not at-will, but neither is black lotus method.

I had considered it, but the damage is far more variable: 1d10 con damage twice will only kill an average human once every two kisses. 3d6 con twice should kill far more reliably against average con.

Edit: wow it's late. My math was very bad. 1d10 twice comes to 10 or more 64% of the time. 3d6 twice comes to 10 or more 96% of the time. Still a big difference in lethality.

It's worth noting that cleric, spirit shaman, and druid all give access to the spell, so it is certainly on the table.

If you really want to go with the inherent natural poison angle, you're going to have to either nerf it rather considerably or put on one heck of a LA.

[Starscream]

I just recently tried to do something like this. I wanted a Swamp Thing/Poison Ivy/Floronic Man sort of character.

So I made a Woodling druid with a lot of plant themed spells. Greenbound summoning was too much a gamebreaker, so I used a homebrewed feat that made any animals I summoned Woodlings as well.

Only problem was the Fire Vulnerability. It killed me twice, and the DM decided to let me un-nerf my character by trading in my template for more levels of druid. Sucked to give it up, but I still keep the plant theme going in other aspects.

[paddyfool]

Fey Druid makes sense for this - her Chr has to be rather higher than her Wis. Come to think of it, Fey Druid may make for a somewhat higher-powered Arcane Hierophant.... hmm.

[Kaiyanwang]

Is there a way to add rogue levels? maybe a PrC similar to arcane trickster but rogue/druid?

I ask because you could take the DoTU Rogue ACF that exchanges trapfinding with poison use, and then take a feat to poisons your weapons (or your lips ) as a swift action.

From complete scoundrels there are 2 feats that increase the poison DC by 1 and the damage of EACH die by 1

DoTU and Dragon Magazine, there are ambush feats to increase the poisons DC by 2 and by 1-5, and to lower enemy saves (so, if you sum everything, you reach +12 CD).

Rogue = skill points, so more ranks in bluff, diplomacy, and other seducing skills.

Finally, take a look in Dragon Compendium: there are poisons less effective in combat (but there are a lot effective in combat too) but more suitable for a PC like this.

MOst Poisons come from plants, so you could simply refluff the poison making skill from Complete Adventurer..

Hope it can help..

[Ozymandias9]

Is there a way to add rogue levels? maybe a PrC similar to arcane trickster but rogue/druid?

I ask because you could take the DoTU Rogue ACF that exchanges trapfinding with poison use, and then take a feat to poisons your weapons (or your lips ) as a swift action.

From complete scoundrels there are 2 feats that increase the poison DC by 1 and the damage of EACH die by 1

DoTU and Dragon Magazine, there are ambush feats to increase the poisons DC by 2 and by 1-5, and to lower enemy saves (so, if you sum everything, you reach +12 CD).

Rogue = skill points, so more ranks in bluff, diplomacy, and other seducing skills.

Finally, take a look in Dragon Compendium: there are poisons less effective in combat (but there are a lot effective in combat too) but more suitable for a PC like this.

MOst Poisons come from plants, so you could simply refluff the poison making skill from Complete Adventurer..

Hope it can help..

If you're willing to take druid far enough, the poison becomes a non-issue: they become immune at 9th level. The problem is, by that point you're sitting around with wild shape and you need to find an excuse not to use it. They've also got alot thematically irrelevent stuff on their spell list unless you limit it (though that goes for clerics too).

Thematically, though, rogue is a good idea (she is a carrier criminal at this point after all). And while I don't think there is a divine equivelent of arcane trickster, it would be easy enough to homebrew. Heck, if you really wanted to stick with the DC setting an limit her to as little casting capacity as possible, you might even make rogue her primary class: having her use diplomacy on plants she can speak to would be interesting.

[Kaiyanwang]

Poison Use is there not to avoid self-poisoning: is as a prereq for the feat that allows to poison as a swift action (IIRC: if it does not, better!).

I agree about wildshape - nevertheless a PrC could fix the issue.

[Sutrahariel]

Alrighty, heres an idea that I formed while reading all these posts:

Rogue/Cleric/Divine Trickster focusing on poisons and the spontanious Domain feat

[Kaiyanwang]

In an O Adv web enhancement, Mahsarpa (spelling chek) there is a shaman domain of snakes. See if there is some poison-ish things there.

Otherwise chek spell compenidum.

[Telonius]

Crystalkeep lists a Dragon Magazine PrC called Thrall of Zuggtony (DR 337, p 45) that could be useful. Re-fluff it to Plants instead of Fungi, and it could be interesting.