Naturalist

Nature can be calm and nurturing, but she can also be savage and downright murderous. This capricious, wildly variable nature is mirrored in those who receive her gifts. Naturalists are among the most physical of professions under the umbrella we call herbalism, gladly wading into battle with nature quite literally watching their back.

Role: Naturalists take a path between. Among the various herbalism professions, the naturalist gathers the least plants with which he can ply the foundation of his trade, but he still isn’t sufficiently adept in the martial arts to match a barbarian. Nevertheless, naturalists generally find themselves drawn to the front lines in combat and make up for their deficiencies by raising enormous, autonomous carnivorous plants to bridge the martial divide.

Alignment: Any Neutral. As allies of nature, those of the herbalism persuasion must be Neutral in at least one of the two alignment axes. (Neutral Good, Lawful Neutral, True Neutral, Chaotic Neutral, Neutral Evil)

Hit Die: d8

Starting Wealth: 3d6 x 10 gp (average 105 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Skills: The naturalist’s class skills are Climb (Str), Craft (any) (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Str), Spellcraft (Int), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

Skill Ranks per Level: 2 + Int modifier

Table: The Naturalist
Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special Find Herbs Rolls Earthenware Jars
1st +0 +2 +0 +2 Earthenware jars, find herbs, plant companion, plant companion talent 1 1
2nd +1 +3 +0 +3 Bonus feat 1 1
3rd +2 +3 +1 +3 Plant companion talent 2 1
4th +3 +4 +1 +4 Companion cultivation – 2 pts/day 2 1
5th +3 +4 +1 +4 Companion cultivation – 3 pts/day 3 1
6th +4 +5 +2 +5 Plant companion talent 3 2
7th +5 +5 +2 +5 4 2
8th +6/+1 +6 +2 +6 Bonus feat 4 2
9th +6/+1 +6 +3 +6 Plant companion talent 5 2
10th +7/+2 +7 +3 +7 Companion cultivation – 4 pts/day 5 2
11th +8/+3 +7 +3 +7 6 2
12th +9/+4 +8 +4 +8 Plant companion talent 6 3
13th +9/+4 +8 +4 +8 7 3
14th +10/+5 +9 +4 +9 Bonus feat 7 3
15th +11/+6/+1 +9 +5 +9 Companion cultivation – 5 pts/day, plant companion talent 8 3
16th +12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +10 Floral duality 8 3
17th +12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +10 9 3
18th +13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +11 Plant companion talent 9 4
19th +14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +11 10 4
20th +15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +12 Bonus feat, companion cultivation – 6 pts/day, symbiotic being 10 4

Class Features

Weapon Proficiency

Naturalists are proficient with simple weapons, as well as martial weapons containing no metal.

Armor and Shield Proficiency

Naturalists are proficient with light and medium armor, as well as shields. They are also proficient with nonmetallic tower shields. A naturalist wearing armor or using a shield with which he is not proficient incurs a percent chance equal to the item’s normal arcane spell failure chance for the contents of each of his preservation vessels to lose their potency and become useless overnight. This penalty applies if the naturalist uses such equipment for even a moment, and reapplies itself each day until he quits using that equipment.

Earthenware Jars (Su)

At 1st level, a naturalist begins a collection of earthenware jars used for the storage of herbalism plants and plant products. There are two types of earthenware jars: cultivation pots and preservation vessels, and their uses are detailed below.

A naturalist begins play with his choice of a single cultivation pot or a single preservation vessel, and gains an additional earthenware jar of his choice at 6th level and every six naturalist levels thereafter, for a total of four earthenware jars divided up however he wishes between cultivation pots and preservation vessels at 18th level.

Cultivation Pots

Cultivation pots are the means by which a naturalist carries his favorite plants with him no matter where he goes. If a naturalist plants three units of the same herbalism plant with the herb descriptor in an empty cultivation pot, a process that takes 10 minutes, he produces a fully-grown plant in that pot by the following morning. Each day, the naturalist can pick from each of his filled cultivation pots, a standard action, gaining one unit of the plant held within. This acquisition of herbalism plants is separate from that of the find herbs class feature and need not be done at the same time. At any time, he may empty a filled cultivation pot, a process that takes 10 minutes, removing the occupying plant and clearing the vessel for a new plant.

Preservation Vessels

Preservation vessels prevent the spoilage of a naturalist’s herbalism plants. Whatever herbalism plants a naturalist places into a preservation vessel do not decay overnight like everything else he picks and produces. A single preservation vessel can store 4 points worth of plants. To prevent contamination, a preservation vessel can only carry a single kind of plant? No mixing is permitted.

Find Herbs (Su)

At 1st level, the naturalist has learned the secret to finding useful plants and unlocking their true potential, wherever he may be.

To pick herbalism plants, the naturalist must first consult his surroundings to determine his current “biome”. Biomes, large, naturally-occurring communities of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat, are divided into nine standard categories for the purpose of this ability: desert, forest, grassland, jungle, mountains, tundra, underground, underwater, and wetlands.

Once the naturalist has determined his biome, he rolls once on that biome’s find herbs table, plus an additional time for every two naturalist levels he possesses beyond 1st, to a maximum of 10 rolls at 19th level. (See the Naturalist Find Herbs Tables). For each roll, he collects the plants listed for the rolled result and can use them in the manner described in the Herb Log. All find herbs rolls produce 6 “points” worth of herbs. These plants are invested with the blessing of Mother Nature herself, and any attempt to use the find herbs class feature a second time in a single day will simply result in the acquisition of nonfunctional plants.

Plants granted the blessing of nature tend to decay very rapidly, for they represent life firing on all cylinders. As such, all plants and plant products (the output from recipes) not stored in preservation vessels overnight will denature to a useless state come the following morning. A naturalist has an effective herbalist level equal to his naturalist class level for the purpose of his herbalism plants.

Full rules for the use of picked herbs are presented at the beginning of The Herb Log.

Plant Companion (Su)

At 1st level, a naturalist forms a bond with a plant companion in much the same way that a ranger or a druid forms a bond with an animal companion. Unlike the variety inherent in animal companions, however, a naturalist always ends up forming a bond with a species of carnivorous plant, such as a venus fly trap or a pitcher plant, and that carnivorous plant occupies a special terra cotta pot that the naturalist can carry on his back. As a standard action, if the plant companion is in reach, then the naturalist may strap it onto his back. Similarly, if the plant companion is on his back, then he may place it in an unoccupied square he can reach as a standard action. These actions both provoke attacks of opportunity.

A plant companion has a reach of 5 feet with its bite attack, hit points equal to eight times its master’s naturalist level, hardness equal to its master’s Wisdom modifier, saving throw modifiers equal to its master’s saving throw modifiers, an attack modifier equal to its master’s naturalist class level + his Wisdom modifier, and is treated as though it were Medium-sized for the purpose of determining the base damage of its bite attack. The equivalent size and reach of a plant companion’s bite is independent of its master’s size. A plant companion applies its master’s Wisdom modifier to its damage rolls. For example, if the naturalist has a Wisdom of 16, which is a Wisdom modifier of +3, then the plant companion deals 1d6+3 damage on a successful bite attack. Finally, regardless of its master’s size, a plant companion is considered to take up a space of 5 feet when not strapped to its master’s back. While strapped to its master’s back, it takes up the same space as its master.

A plant companion is always in one of two states at any given time: active or inactive. The plant companion is active when it is strapped it its master’s back, and is inactive when it is not. Should its master die, a plant companion is rendered inactive until its master is resurrected, but, so long as its master is alive, a plant companion on its master’s back remains active even if the master is unconscious, helpless, or otherwise incapacitated.

While active, the plant companion exhibits the following traits. First and foremost, an active plant companion is effectively invincible and can neither be damaged nor targeted. The master must be killed first. With the exception of size alterations, spells that grant a bonus or penalty to an active plant companion’s naturalist also affect the companion. Once per round on its master’s turn, an active plant companion may make a single attack, using its own action, against a creature within reach of its bite natural attack. Finally, a number of passive plant companion talents (see next page) only provide benefit while the plant companion is active.

While inactive, the plant companion is treated as its own separate creature and may be targeted, attacked, damaged, and destroyed. An inactive plant companion is considered to be helpless, and it has an AC of 5.

Replacing a Plant Companion

If a plant companion is destroyed, the naturalist can grow a replacement at no cost, though it takes a week of growing for the new plant companion to be large enough to use. As all replacement plant companions are grown from seeds or cuttings from the original, they have the same talent loadout (see below) as the original. Should the naturalist’s plant companion pot be lost, then he cannot grow a new plant companion until he replaces the pot itself. New plant companion pots cost 100 gp, and can be found wherever absurdly-expensive horticultural equipment is sold.

Companion Cultivation

Starting at 4th level, whenever the naturalist collects herbalism plants with the find herbs class feature, the plant companion grows a few more plants that can be picked as though the plant companion were a cultivation pot. Unlike the chaos of going out and looking for plants, the naturalist has absolute control over which plants his plant companion produces, but each herbalism plant he chooses must obey the following criteria.

  • The chosen plant can be found in the current biome.
  • The chosen plant has a point value of 1 or 2.

The summed point value of all chosen plants must be less than or equal to 2 + 1/5 the naturalist’s class level, rounded down.

If the naturalist is in an area that does not support plant life at all, then the plant companion somehow produces herbalism plants as though it were still in the most recent plant-bearing biome that it and its master occupied.

Plant Companion Talents

A plant companion begins play knowing one plant companion talent. When its master achieves naturalist level 3rd and every three levels thereafter, the plant companion gains an additional talent, for a total of seven plant companion talents at 18th level. A talent’s prerequisites must be met in order to take it.

Advanced Microcosm Attunement (Su)

Whenever the plant companion produces herbalism plants for the day, it also produces two 1-point plants of the naturalist’s choice chosen from those herbalism plants in available microcosms as though it were a cultivation pot. This does not count toward the plants it normally produces daily. If the naturalist is in an area that does not support a single microcosm, then the plant companion somehow produces one unit of common yarrow.

A naturalist must be at least 12th level and have the microcosm attunement plant companion talent to take this talent.

Assisted Mobility (Ex)

While active, the plant companion pushes along the ground with various roots and vines that pour out of its pot, thereby granting its master a +5-foot bonus to base land speed.

Cellulose Shield (Ex)

While active, the plant companion grants its master a +1 insight bonus to natural armor bonus to AC.

Chuckster (Su)

Rather than make an attack, the plant companion may consume a unit of herbalism plant that, when applied to a weapon as though it were a weapon oil, grants that weapon the ability to deal additional damage on a successful hit. If it does, it vomits up a ball of energized goo. Make a ranged touch attack with a range of 60 feet, dealing the plant companion’s base bite damage + the naturalist’s Wisdom modifier + 1/2 the naturalist’s class level, rounded down, points of energy damage on a successful hit. The type of energy damage dealt by the vomited goo corresponds to the type of damage the consumed herbalism plant normally grants when used as a weapon oil. For example, if the weapon oil plant normally granted additional fire damage, then the vomited goo deals fire damage. Additionally, the huckster plant companion talent now produces two copies of the chosen herbalism plant rather than just one.

A naturalist must have the huckster plant companion talent in order to take this talent.

Double Tap (Ex)

Three times per day, the plant companion may spend its attack for the round to bite twice at the same target at its full attack bonus.

A naturalist must be at least 12th level to take this plant companion talent.

Elongated Neck (Ex)

The reach of the plant companion’s bite increases by +5 feet, to a total of 10 feet.

Enhanced Maw (Ex)

When taking this plant companion talent, choose cold iron or silver. The plant companion’s bite natural attack is treated as though it were made of the chosen metal for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Special: Enhanced maw can be taken three times. Taken twice, the plant companion’s bite natural attack overcomes both silver and cold iron damage reduction, while, taken three times, it overcomes cold iron, silver, and adamantine damage reduction.

Enlarged Maw (Ex)

The plant companion is treated as though it were one size category larger for the purpose of determining the base damage of its bite attack.

Enlarged Pouch (Su)

The capacity of the preservation pouch talent increases by +2. If unmodified by any other means, the preservation pouch talent can now store any number of herbalism plants whose point value adds up to 4 or less.

A naturalist must be at least 9th level and have the preservation pouch plant companion talent in order to take this talent.

Extreme Halitosis (Ex)

Twice per day, the plant companion may use the halitosis plant companion talent without sacrificing its attack for the round. If a plant companion has multiple talents that allow it to perform an action without sacrificing its attack for the round, it may only use one such talent per round, for a total of two actions per round. It may, however, still sacrifice its attack as normal.

A naturalist must be at least 6th level and have the halitosis plant companion talent to take this talent.

Extremophile (Ex)

The plant companion becomes hardened to extreme conditions, and it passes this protection on to its master. While active, the plant companion grants its master resistance to cold and fire equal to the naturalist’s Wisdom modifier.

A naturalist must be at least 6th level to take this plant companion talent.

Gleeking (Ex)

Rather than make an attack, the plant companion may fire a jet of acidic saliva at a creature within 30 feet, dealing acid damage equal to the plant companion’s base bite damage on a successful ranged touch attack.

Gleek (noun): An arcing jet of saliva produced by the lower salivary glands in response to thinking about food, particularly of the spicy or sour varieties.

Grabbing Roots (Ex)

While active, the plant companion grants its master the ability to walk on walls and ceilings as the spider climb spell, save that the plant companion may not attack and the master’s base land speed is halved, rounded up, while making use of this ability.

A naturalist must be at least 12th level and have the assisted mobility plant companion talent to take this talent.

Gummy Grip (Ex)

While active, the plant companion grants its master a +4 circumstance bonus to CMD against disarm attempts. This does not stack with the bonus granted by a locked gauntlet.

Hardened Form (Ex)

While active, the plant companion grants its master DR 1/-. This increases to DR 2/-at 12th level.

A naturalist must be at least 6th level to take this plant companion talent.

Halitosis (Ex)

Rather than make an attack, the plant companion may exhale on a creature within reach. Treat its reach as equal to the reach of its bite natural attack +5 feet for the purpose of this ability. The exhaled-upon creature is sickened for 1d4 rounds with a DC 10 + 1/2 the naturalist’s class level + the naturalist’s Wisdom modifier Fortitude save to negate. This ability may be used a number of times per day equal to the naturalist’s Wisdom modifier.

Homogenization Pouch (Su)

1-point herbalism plants placed in the plant companion’s preservation pouch overnight transform into common yarrow the following morning. In addition, the capacity of the preservation pouch talent increases by +1 point. If unmodified by any other means, the preservation pouch talent can now store any number of herbalism plants whose point value adds up to 3 or less.

A naturalist must have the preservation pouch plant companion talent in order to take this talent.

Huckster (Su)

Each morning when the naturalist uses the find herbs class feature, choose a single herbalism plant that fits all of the following criteria.

  • The plant can be found in the current biome.
  • The plant can be applied to a weapon as though it were a poison or a weapon oil.
  • The plant has a point value of 1 or 2.

The plant companion produces one unit of the chosen herbalism plant as though it were a cultivation pot. This does not count toward the plants it normally produces daily with the companion cultivation ability. If no qualifying herbalism plants exist in the current biome, or if the naturalist is in an area that does not support plant life at all, then the plant companion somehow produces one unit of flametongue.

Laden with Yarrow (Su)

Whenever the plant companion produces herbalism plants each morning, it produces 3 units of common yarrow in addition to any other plants it normally produces. The yarrow is produced even if naturalist’s current biome does not normally support the plant.

A naturalist must have the triaging terror plant companion talent in order to take this talent.

Master Chuckster (Ex)

Twice per day, the plant companion may consume a weapon oil plant and vomit up a glob of energetic goo with the chuckster plant companion talent without sacrificing its attack for the round.

If a plant companion has multiple talents that allow it to perform an action without sacrificing its attack for the round, it may only use one such talent per round, for a total of two actions per round. It may, however, still sacrifice its attack as normal.

A naturalist must have the chuckster plant companion talent to take this talent.

Microcosm Attunement (Ex)

Whenever the plant companion produces herbalism plants for the day, up to one-third of the total point value of herbalism plants produced may be from available microcosms.

Philosopher Plantpanion (Ex)

The plant companion gains ranks equal to half its master’s naturalist level, rounded down, in a single Knowledge skill, and treats that Knowledge skill as though it were a class skill. If it has the “plant see, plant do” plant companion talent, then it may aid another if its master attempts that specific Knowledge skill.

Plant See, Plant Do (Ex)

Rather than attack, the plant companion may instead make an aid another check targeting its master. The plant companion is fairly dimwitted, and can only aid another if its master attempts an attack or a skill check that uses Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution as its key ability. The plant companion’s assistance must be justified by its anatomy. For example, a plant companion can help hoist sails by chomping down on a rope and pulling, but it lacks the fine motor skills or required tinkering skills to help repair a watch.

Pouch Pseudopod (Ex)

Twice per day, the plant companion may apply a unit of common yarrow to its master through the use of the triaging terror plant companion talent without sacrificing its attack for the round.

If a plant companion has multiple talents that allow it to perform an action without sacrificing its attack for the round, it may only use one such talent per round, for a total of two actions per round. It may, however, still sacrifice its attack as normal.

A naturalist must have the preservation pouch and triaging terror plant companion talents to take this talent.

Preservation Pouch (Su)

The plant companion gains a pouch that can store any number of herbalism plants whose point value adds up to 2 or less. Plants placed in the plant companion’s pouch are treated as though they are stored in a preservation vessel and do not spoil overnight.

Rapid Aid (Ex)

Twice per day, the plant companion may make an aid another check targeting its master (using the restrictions from the “plant see, plant do” plant companion talent) without sacrificing its attack for the round.

If a plant companion has multiple talents that allow it to perform an action without sacrificing its attack for the round, it may only use one such talent per round, for a total of two actions per round. It may, however, still sacrifice its attack as normal.

A naturalist must be at least 6th level and have the “plant see, plant do” plant companion talent to take this talent.

Recuperate (Su)

Rather than attack, the plant companion may heal its master of points of damage equal to its bite base damage die + its master’s Wisdom modifier. This ability may be used once per day, plus an additional time per day for every six naturalist levels its master possesses.

A naturalist must be at least 3rd level to take this plant companion talent.

Reflexive Plant (Ex)

While active, the plant companion may make an attack of opportunity each round. If a creature provokes an attack of opportunity from the naturalist, it also provokes one from the plant companion. These attacks of opportunity may be resolved in whichever order the naturalist desires. The plant companion cannot make attacks of opportunity unless its master would also be able to make one.

A naturalist must be at least 6th level to take this plant companion talent.

Rending Maw (Ex)

Whenever the plant companion hits a creature in melee with its bite natural attack, its master gets a +1 circumstance bonus to attack and damage rolls made against that creature until the beginning of his next turn.

Repetition Expertise (Ex)

Each plant companion talent that can be used a limited number of times per day may be used an additional time per day.

A naturalist must be at least 12th level to take this plant companion talent.

Resinous Sheath (Ex)

While active, the plant companion grants its master resistance to acid and electricity equal to the naturalist’s Wisdom modifier.

A naturalist must be at least 9th level to take this plant companion talent.

Shared Potassium Channels (Ex)

While active, the plant companion grants its master a +1 alchemical bonus to Strength.

A naturalist must be at least 9th level to take this plant companion talent.

Shared Signal Chemicals (Ex)

While active, the plant companion grants its master a +1 alchemical bonus to Dexterity.

A naturalist must be at least 9th level to take this plant companion talent.

Shared Sugars (Ex)

While active, the plant companion grants its master a +1 alchemical bonus to Constitution.

A naturalist must be at least 9th level to take this plant companion talent.

Sharpened Maw (Ex)

The base damage die of the plant companion’s bite natural attack increases by +2 damage. For example, if the plant companion’s base bite damage is 1d8, it is now 1d8+2.

A naturalist must be at least 9th level and have the enlarged maw plant companion talent to take this talent.

Special: This plant companion talent can be taken multiple times. Each time beyond the first, the base damage die of the plant companion’s bite natural attack increases by an additional +1 damage.

Note: As this is an (unorthodox) increase to the plant companion’s base damage, it affects other plant companion talents that use said base damage to define the power of their own functionality, such as gleeking and chuckster.

Shielding Fronds (Ex)

While active, the plant companion grants its master 1 temporary hit point at the beginning of each of his turns. At 6th level and every six naturalist levels thereafter, the plant companion grants an additional temporary hit point, to a maximum of four temporary hit points at 18th level. These temporary hit points last for 1 round.

Speed Gleeking (Ex)

Twice per day, the plant companion may fire a jet of acidic saliva as the gleeking plant companion talent without sacrificing its attack for the round. This increases to two jets of acidic saliva without sacrificing its attack at 13th level. Each jet of saliva must target a different creature, and a plantpanion will attack an ally, or even its master, in this manner if sufficient targets are unavailable. If a plant companion has multiple talents that allow it to perform an action without sacrificing its attack for the round, it may only use one such talent per round, for a total of two actions per round. It may, however, still sacrifice its attack as normal.

A naturalist must have the gleeking plant companion talents to take this talent.

Tanglespew (Ex)

Rather than attack, the plant companion may spew a glob of sticky resin at a creature within 60 feet, coating it in material that acts equivalent to a tanglefoot bag on a successful ranged touch attack. This ability may be used once per day, plus an additional time per day for every six naturalist levels its master possesses.

Thorny Stem (Ex)

While active, creatures that hit the plant companion’s master in melee take 1 point of piercing damage. This increases to 2 points of piercing damage at 11th level and 3 points of piercing damage at 17th level. Damage dealt by thorny stem is treated as bite damage for the purpose of overcoming metallic damage reduction via the enhanced maw plant companion talent.

A naturalist must be at least 3rd level to take this plant companion talent.

Toxic Maw (Ex)

As a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity, the naturalist may feed his plant companion, if active, an herbalism plant with a point value of 1 that can be applied to a weapon as though it were an injury poison. Neither the naturalist nor the plant companion can accidentally poison themselves in this manner. The next creature bitten by the plant companion is affected by the fed poison. If the naturalist feeds his plant companion a second poison plant before the first has been delivered, then the first poison plant is lost.

A naturalist must be at least 6th level to take this plant companion talent.

Triaging Terror (Su)

Rather than attack, the plant companion may instead apply a unit of common yarrow from the naturalist’s inventory, if available, to its master. The plant companion is considered to have an effective herbalist level equal to half its master’s effective herbalist level, rounded down, for the purpose of this talent. In addition, whenever the plant companion produces plants each morning, it produces 1 unit of common yarrow in addition to any other plants it normally produces. This yarrow is produced even if the biome in which the plant companion is located does not normally support the plant.

A naturalist must be at least 9th level to take this plant companion talent.

Vine Flick (Ex)

Rather than attack, the plant companion may instead perform the disarm combat maneuver against a creature within reach of its bite natural attack with a CMB equal to its master’s naturalist class level + its master’s Wisdom modifier. This does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

A naturalist must be at least 3rd level to take this plant companion talent.

Vine Mastery (Ex)

The plant companion gets a +2 enhancement bonus to its CMB.

A naturalist must be at least 12th level and have one of the following plant companion talents to take this talent: vine flick, vine swat, or vine whip.

Vine Swat (Ex)

Rather than attack, the plant companion may instead perform the reposition combat maneuver against a creature within reach of its bite natural attack with a CMB equal to its master’s naturalist class level + its master’s Wisdom modifier. This does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

A naturalist must be at least 3rd level to take this plant companion talent.

Vine Whip (Ex)

Rather than attack, the plant companion may instead perform the trip combat maneuver against a creature within reach of its bite natural attack with a CMB equal to its master’s naturalist class level + its master’s Wisdom modifier. This does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

A naturalist must be at least 3rd level to take this plant companion talent.

Watchplant (Ex)

Whenever its master is sleeping, helpless, or unconscious, the plant companion rolls twice and takes the better result for all attack and damage rolls it makes.

A naturalist must be at least 6th level to take this plant companion talent.

Bonus Feat (Ex)

At 2nd level and every six levels thereafter, the naturalist gains a bonus feat. This bonus feat must either be a combat feat or require the plant companion class feature as a prerequisite. He must meet all of a feat’s prerequisites in order to select it as a bonus feat.

Special: If the naturalist takes an archetype that replaces the plant companion class feature, he may instead take bonus feats that require the class feature replacing plant companion as a prerequisite.

Floral Duality (Su)

At 16th level, the naturalist’s bond with his plant companion reaches such a point that his faunal identity begins to blur. Once per day as an immediate action, the naturalist may change his creature type to plant until the beginning of his next turn.

In addition to other, more obvious, uses of changing creature type, this allows the naturalist to evade spells and abilities that cannot affect plants by making himself an illegal target and, thus, forcing that spell or ability to fizzle.

Symbiotic Being (Su)

At 20th level, if the naturalist is slain while his plant companion is active and on his back, then the plant companion digs its roots into the naturalist’s body and continues the fight, effectively propping up the naturalist’s failing organ systems and using what meat remains as a sort of marionette. Treat this state, known as a composite, as the naturalist himself, using his ability scores, size, base speed, and so on, with the following exceptions.

When created, the composite enters play with current hit points equal to half the naturalist’s maximum hit points. Any ability damage, ability drain, negative levels, or conditions the naturalist had at the moment of his death are removed when transforming into the composite, and the composite’s creature type is plant rather than the native creature type of the naturalist himself. “Composite” is a bit of a misnomer, for while the plant companion is sharing its bodily systems to keep its master alive, after a fashion, plant companion and composite are still separate in terms of action economy. As a meat-marionette, the composite may only perform move actions, and is considered to be permanently staggered. The composite may still use the find herbs class feature to find new herbalism plants daily.

While the composite lives, double the daily uses of all limited use per day plant companion talents the plant companion possesses. Additionally, upon creation of the composite, replenish the plant companion’s daily uses of its limited use plant companion talents. The heightened control enjoyed by the plant companion grants it the ability to perform three actions of its own per round while the composite exists, and it may expend two of its per-round actions to use an herbalism plant or cast a spell should the naturalist have had the ability to cast them. Spells cast by the plant companion in this manner draw from the composite’s daily allotment, which replenishes as normal despite being a composite. The composite cannot speak, though it can read, write, and understand all languages the naturalist knows.

Furthermore, as the plant companion is rooted to the composite, they cannot be separated by any means. As a result, if the composite is slain or destroyed, the plant companion is also destroyed. Spells and abilities that raise a creature from the dead can return a composite to his native naturalist form, removing any permanent rooting the companion performed to make the composite, and the especial care taken by the plant companion to keep its master alive keeps the body fresh as though it were permanently subject to the gentle repose spell, a supernatural effect.

A naturalist can only become a composite if his last composite transformation ended more than a week ago.

Ex-Naturalists

A naturalist who ceases to revere nature or changes to a prohibited alignment loses all naturalist abilities (not including weapon, armor, and shield proficiencies). He cannot thereafter gain levels as a naturalist until he atones (see the atonement spell description).

Favored Class Bonuses

Instead of receiving an additional skill rank or hit point whenever they gain a level in a Favored Class, some races have the option of choosing from a number of other bonuses, depending upon their Favored Classes. The following options are available to the listed race who have maestros as their Favored Class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the listed Favored Class reward.

  • Aasimar Every 4 times this bonus is selected, the plant companion produces a unit of common yarrow daily in addition to those herbalism plants it produces with the companion cultivation ability.
  • Drow Every 4 times this bonus is selected, the plant companion produces a unit of drowning man daily in addition to those herbalism plants it produces with the companion cultivation ability.
  • Dwarf Every 4 times this bonus is selected, the plant companion produces a unit of hair of the mountain daily in addition to those herbalism plants it produces with the companion cultivation ability.
  • Elf Treat the naturalist’s level as though it were +1 higher for the purpose of determining how many points worth of herbalism plants the plant companion produces daily with the companion cultivation ability.
  • Gnome Every 4 times this bonus is selected, choose a plant companion talent that can be used a limited number of times per day. The chosen plant companion talent may be used an additional time per day.
  • Half-elf When the naturalist dies, if the plant companion was active at the moment of the naturalist’s death, then it remains active for rounds equal to the number of times this bonus has been selected. While active in this manner, the plant companion can itself be targeted, damaged, and killed.
  • Halfling Add +1/6 of a plant companion talent.
  • Half-orc When the naturalist dies, if the plant companion was active at the moment of the naturalist’s death, then it remains active for rounds equal to the number of times this bonus has been selected. While active in this manner, the plant companion can itself be targeted, damaged, and killed.
  • Hobgoblin Add +1/3 to the plant companion’s base bite damage.
  • Human Add +1/6 of a plant companion talent.
  • Kobold Add +1/2 to the plant companion’s base bite damage, but only if the victim is a gnome.
  • Orc Add +1/3 to the plant companion’s base bite damage.
  • Puddling Every 4 times this bonus is selected, choose a plant companion talent that can be used a limited number of times per day. The chosen plant companion talent may be used an additional time per day.
  • Tiefling Every 4 times this bonus is selected, the plant companion produces a unit of drowning man daily in addition to those herbalism plants it produces with the companion cultivation ability.

Archetypes

  • Creationist The Creationist trades focus on their plant companion for 4th-level spellcasting drawn from the druid spellcasting list.
  • Mycologist The Mycologist focuses on finding and using mushrooms for surprising and potent new effects.
  • Sporekeeper Sporekeepers carry around a fungus hive that can launch spores at their foes for various effects.

Note: Plant Companions and Multiple Actions

When performing multiple actions with a plant companion, treat each such action as a discrete instance. As such, even if the plant companion bites or spits multiple times, each of these attacks are made at its full attack bonus rather than in an iterative fashion like a full attack.

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