Bushes, Trees, and Vines, Oh My!
Today marks the beginning of Plant Week here at Necromancers of the Northwest, a week devoted to everything from assassin vines to yellow-musk creepers, and everything in between. As druids and frogs are quick to point out, it’s not easy being green, so it’s important for nature-lovers to stick together, and that’s why I was pretty shocked to discover that while druids (and, by extension, rangers, and anyone with the animal domain) have the option to have dozens of different animals as companions, and even a few vermin, there are no options at all for plant companions. Naturally, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to right that particular wrong, so here is a selection of plant companions to choose from.
Plant Companions
In most ways, plant companions function identically to animal companions. Any character that would gain an animal companion can instead choose to gain a plant companion (except for characters that would gain an animal companion from the animal domain, who cannot select a plant companion, instead). Plant companions follow the same rules as animal companions, and gain the same benefits as the druid increases in level, with the following exceptions:
Plant Traits
Plant companions have low-light vision, and are immune to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms), as well as paralysis, poison, polymorph effects, sleep effects, and stunning. Certain spells and effects that specifically affect plants may bypass these immunities.
Saving Throws
Plant companions have poor Reflex saves. When determining a plant companion’s base Reflex save, use the bonus listed for Will saves on Table: Animal Companion Base Statistics (from the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook), instead of the bonus listed for Reflex saves.
Tricks
While plants cannot normally learn tricks, plant companions can. However, the number of tricks that they can learn is limited to the number of bonus tricks they are allotted, as listed on Table: Animal Companion Base Statistics (from the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook). A plant companion cannot learn any tricks as a result of its Intelligence score (if it has one).
New Plant Companions
The following section provides a number of plant companions. They are listed in alphabetical order.
SHRUB, FRUIT-BEARING
STARTING STATISTICS
Size Small; Speed 20 ft.; AC +3 natural armor; Attack slam (1d6); Ability Scores Str 12, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 11; Special Qualities plant traits
7TH-LEVEL ADVANCEMENT
Size Medium; Speed 30 ft.; AC +3 natural armor; Attack slam (1d8); Ability Scores Str +4, Dex -2, Con +2; Special Qualities fruit-bearing
Fruit-Bearing (Ex): A fruit-bearing shrub produces enough fruit each day to sustain 1 Medium-sized creature per four druid levels its master possesses. Additionally, it can cast goodberry as a spell-like ability three times per day.
TREE, OAK
STARTING STATISTICS
Size Medium; Speed 15 ft.; AC +4 natural armor; Attack slam (1d8); Ability Scores Str 10, Dex 8, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 9; Special Qualities plant traits
7TH-LEVEL ADVANCEMENT
Size Large; Speed 20 ft.; AC +2 natural armor; Defensive Abilities stand tall; DR 2/slashing; Attack slam (2d6); Ability Scores Str +8, Dex -2, Con +4
Stand Tall (Ex): When the oak tree is targeted by a spell or ability that allows a Fortitude or Will save to negate some or all of its effects, it can choose to automatically succeed on that saving throw. If it does, it immediately becomes exhausted. The oak tree can use this ability once per day.
TREE, WILLOW
STARTING STATISTICS
Size Medium; Speed 20 ft.; AC +3 natural armor; Attack two slams (1d6); Ability Scores Str 12, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 11; Special Qualities plant traits
7TH-LEVEL ADVANCEMENT
Size Large; Speed 30 ft.; AC +2 natural armor; Defensive Abilities bend in the wind; Attack two slams (1d8); Ability Scores Str +8, Dex -2, Con +4.
Bend in the Wind (Ex): When the willow tree is the target of a melee attack, before the attack roll is made, it can choose to roll with the attack, allowing itself to be hit in the hopes of mitigating some of the damage. If it does so, the attack automatically hits, but deals only half damage (rounded up), and the attack cannot result in a critical hit. The willow tree cannot use this ability more than once per minute.
VINE, FRUIT-BEARING
STARTING STATISTICS
Size Small; Speed 10 ft.; AC +2 natural armor; Attack slam (1d3 plus grab); Ability Scores Str 10, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 11; Special Qualities plant traits; CMB +4 grapple; CMD can’t be tripped
7TH-LEVEL ADVANCEMENT
Size Medium; Speed 15 ft.; AC +2 natural armor; Attack slam (1d6 plus grab); Ability Scores Str +4, Dex -2, Con +2.; Special Attacks constrict (1d8); Special Qualities fruit-bearing
Fruit-Bearing (Ex): A fruit-bearing vine produces enough fruit to sustain 1 Medium-sized creature per four druid levels its master possesses. Additionally, it can cast goodberry as a spell-like ability three times per day.
VINE, THORNY
STARTING STATISTICS
Size Small; Speed 10 ft.; AC +2 natural armor; Attack slam (1d2 + 1d4 slashing plus grab); Ability Scores Str 12, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 9; Special Qualities plant traits; CMB +4 grapple; CMD can’t be tripped
7TH-LEVEL ADVANCEMENT
Size Medium; Speed 15 ft.; AC +2 natural armor; Attack slam (1d4 + 1d4 slashing plus grab); Ability Scores Str +4, Dex -2, Con +2.; Special Attacks constrict (1d6 + 1d4 slashing).