Man of the Land (Part 2): A Look at the new Animist Barbarian

Time for our final content preview! Today we look at the new animist archetype for barbarians, which greatly changes the way the class plays.

Rather than raging, the animist summons a totem that provides buffs to allies (sort of like skald in a way). Where it gets more interesting it that the animist can take multiple lines of “totem” rage powers and attach them to the totem she summons, granting a lot of flexibility in her group’s approach to combat compared to a skald’s raging song. Eventually the totems take on a life of their own, too, acting as spiritual weapons or spirit guardians to attack nearby foes!

The Kickstarter ends this Friday! We still have a looooong way to go, so help us get the word out in any way you can!

Animist (Barbarian Archetype)

Most believe that the soul only exists in the living. The animist knows that this is a lie. An ancient tradition, these contemplative warriors summon mystical totems that invite the innumerable wild souls of the world to turn the tide in battle.

Totem (Su): An animist has learned a mystical technique to create spiritual totems out of natural power. The animist can summon a single totem as a standard action in an open space within close range (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels). At 7th level, she can summon a totem as a move action instead of a standard action, and at 13th level she can do so as a swift action. The animist can maintain a totem for a number of rounds each day equal to 4 + her Wisdom modifier. Each animist level gained after 1st lets her summon totems an additional 2 rounds per day, and she can dismiss the totem as a free action. The animist can only have one totem summoned at a time.

The totem is a small object (about 2 feet in diameter and 4 feet high) and must be placed on a horizontal surface. It is semi-solid and made of a mixture of magical power and wild energy: it has 10 hit points per level the animist has and hardness 5. Being semi-intangible, it can be destroyed through damage but cannot be moved, and creatures can move through its space unimpeded. Once a totem is dismissed, it cannot be summoned again for a number of rounds equal to the number of rounds the totem was summoned. If the totem is destroyed (and not simply dismissed), the animist cannot summon another totem for the previously described duration or for 1 minute, whichever is longer.

While the totem is summoned, it grants enhanced power to the animist and her allies, so long as they remain within 30 feet of the totem. The totem grants a +1 morale bonus to one of the following:

  • Weapon attack and damage rolls

  • Armor class and saving throws

The bonus is chosen when the totem is summoned and cannot be changed until the animist summons a new totem. The bonus increases by +1 at 5th, 11th, and 17th levels, to a maximum of +4.

Allies affected by an animist’s totem are treated as under the effects of rage for the purpose of other effects that mimic and/or do not stack with rage, such as a barbarian’s rage, a skald’s raging song, or the rage spell. 

This ability replaces rage. Abilities and effects that grant additional rounds of rage, such as the Extra Rage feat, instead grant additional rounds the animist can summon her totem.

Totemic Powers: When selecting rage powers, the animist can only select “totem” rage powers, such as Spirit Totem or Beast Totem. Unlike most barbarians, an animist is not limited to only a single totem set and can learn any number of totem powers. She must otherwise meet the requirements of these rage powers, as normal.

When she summons a totem, she can select a single type of totem rage power she has. The animist and her allies gain the benefits of all rage powers of that totem type that the animist has, but only while they are within 30 feet of the totem. She can choose a different set of totem powers to share with allies each time she summons her totem. If the rage power’s effects depend on the animist’s ability modifier (such as lesser spirit totem), affected allies use the animist’s ability modifier instead of their own for the purposes of this effect. An animist never qualifies for the Extra Rage Power feat. This alters rage powers. 

Spirit Sense (Sp): Starting at 3rd level, the animist can contact the spirits that exist in all of creation to guide her. She may cast her choice of either whispering lore or detect snares and pits as a spell-like ability. She may do so once per day.

For every three levels she gains past 3rd, she gains an additional use of this ability, as well as new spells she can use, as listed below:

  • signs of the land (6th)

  • speak with plants (9th)

  • commune with nature (12th)

  • find the path (15th)

  • stone tell (18th)

She can spend her daily uses of spirit sense to cast any combination of the above spells that she has access to. All effects use her animist level for her caster level, and the DC of any saving throw is equal to 10 + the spell’s level + her Wisdom modifier. She must use the spell’s normal casting time. This replaces trap sense and the rage power gained at 4th level.

Spirit Guardian (Su): At 11th level, the animist’s totem can manifest its own life force, acting of its own will. When summoned, the animist can choose to invoke this power, causing the totem to act as a spiritual weapon in its space. The guardian must be given a target (as described in spiritual weapon), but it may only move and attack foes within 30 feet of the totem’s space and will not pursue a target outside of this range. The animist uses her level for the caster level of this effect and it lasts as long as the totem remains summoned. Each round she has the ancient guardian summoned requires her to spend an additional round of her totem ability for the day. This ability replaces greater rage.

Hasten Spirits (Su): At 17th level, the animist can summon totems immediately without delay, regardless of whether the totem was dismissed or destroyed. This replaces tireless rage.

Ancient Guardian (Su): At 20th level, the life force of the totem becomes indomitable. The spirit guardian now acts as a spiritual ally, using the animist’s level for its caster level. The totem becomes impervious to damage, and only effects that can specifically destroy a spiritual ally can destroy the totem (whether the guardian is summoned or not). This ability replaces mighty rage.

Man of the Land: Archetypes and Options for Path of the Wilds

Let’s take a look at the final chapter (well, technically the second, but it’s the last one to preview) in Path of the Wilds: archetypes and class options!

New options featured in Path of the Wilds start off by hitting the obvious choices: archetypal nature-based classes including druid, ranger, and shifter are all getting new ways to interact with their environment, alongside some nature-adjacent classes like barbarian and kineticist.

A big focus of the archetypes and options for this book are to provide significant changes to theme and mechanics, rather than the small incremental changes you see in most archetypes. Shifter, for example, will be getting a more magically-inclined variant with the Mystic Shifter. It gets a more flexible wild shape and the ability to cast spells of levels 0-4; great for those that want to focus more on shapeshifting than the druid, but don’t want to fully give up spellcasting. The barbarian’s new animist archetype replaces rage entirely, instead allowing you to summon ancestral totems to support allies: what’s more, the animist will be able to learn multiple “totem” rage power sets to grant to allies, giving them a lot of flexibility in how they buff the group.

Of course, there’s some new options to give elemental and natural powers to other classes, too. The sorcerer, for example, gets the new Elemental Savant archetype. It loses some of its base spells known, but instead gets to swap its “focus” between air, earth, fire, and water magic: each focus gets its own set of spells to choose from that you can cast while you have that focus. The often-overlooked medium class will be getting an entirely new set of six alternate spirits that focus on natural themes. The sage spirit, for example, lets you access druid spells, while the savage spirit grants you natural attacks and limited shapeshifting ability.

The three new classes in the book will also get archetypes of their own to change up their play style. Elementalists can choose to focus more heavily on the combat or magical capabilities of the class with the Aegis Knight and Planar Conduit archetypes, respectively, or specialize in some elemental themes with the Stormcaller and Volcanist archetypes. Invokers that want more flexibility in their spirit choices can take the Wanderer archetype to invoke any spirit for a limited time each day, while invokers that prefer to play solo can choose the Spiritbound archetype to forgo their spirit companion and learn spellcasting on their own. Lastly, the warden can take the Primal Guardian archetype to focus on straight-defensive power over healing and support, or can take the Verdant Ascetic to shed traditional arms and armor in favor of monk-based unarmed combat.

There’s still plenty more not mentioned here, but that’s all we’ll show for now. We’ll leave off with one of our new archetypes for the book: the geomancer, a druid that learns new spells based on her environment. We’ll preview another archetype early next week!


DRUID - GEOMANCER (ARCHETYPE)

While all druids draw their powers from nature, the geomancer’s bond with the land is deeper than that of their brethren. They draw power from the earth beneath their feet, letting the world guide their hand and shape their mystic potential.

Earthen Bond (Ex): At 1st level, the geomancer gains a single favored terrain, as the ranger class feature of the same name. She continues to gain new favored terrains (and increases the bonuses granted by her terrains) at 6th level and every five levels thereafter, as described in the ranger class. If she selects a plane, she can only select the Plane of Air, the Plane of Earth, the Plane of Fire, or the Plane of Water. This ability counts as the favored terrain class feature for the purpose of meeting prerequisites.

This ability replaces nature bond.

Earth Magic: A geomancer gains Earth Magic as a bonus feat at 1st level. This replaces nature sense.

Geomancy: At 1st level, the geomancer learns to channel the power of the land. Each favored terrain she can take has a corresponding cleric domain (and possibly subdomain), as listed below:

  • Cold: Water (ice)

  • Desert: Sun

  • Forest: Animal

  • Jungle: Plant

  • Mountain: Air (wind)

  • Plains: Weather

  • Plane of Air: Air

  • Plane of Earth: Earth

  • Plane of Fire: Fire

  • Plane of Water: Water 

  • Swamp: Plant

  • Underground: Earth (caves)

  • Urban: Travel

  • Water: Water (ocean)

While she is in her favored terrain, she can channel her stored spell energy into the corresponding geomancy spell. She can “lose” a prepared spell to cast any domain spell for her favored terrain of the same level or lower. She does not gain any domain powers from these domains. This replaces spontaneous casting.

Sure-Footed (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, a geomancer ignores natural difficult terrain while in one of her favored terrains. This replaces trackless step (a geomancer still leaves no trail and cannot be tracked in her favored terrains, as described in favored terrain).

Acclimated (Ex): At 4th level, a geomancer gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against natural hazards and weather while in her favored terrains. She also gains the constant benefit of endure elements whether she is in her favored terrain or not. This replaces resist nature’s lure.

Channel Terrain (Sp): Starting at 9th level, a geomancer can cast terrain bond as a spell-like ability once per day. She can also expend a single use of wild shape to cast terrain bond as a spell-like ability. Either method uses her druid level as her caster level for the effect. 

When she uses channel terrain, rather than treating the current terrain as her highest favored terrain (as the normal effect of terrain bond), she can instead gain the current terrain as a temporary favored terrain. The bonuses granted to initiative and skill checks by this temporary terrain are only +2, but it otherwise acts as one of her favored terrains for the duration. This ability replaces venom immunity.

Magic Mysteries (Part 3): Plant Magic

Today is our last spell preview for Path of the Wilds! The spells contained here are focused on manipulation of plants. Plant magic is fairly wide-spread when it comes to utility and control (like the ever-popular goodberry and entangle), but as a whole is seriously lacking in straight offensive power. For Path of the Wilds, we wanted to give players the ability to go all-in on a plant-based spellcaster by giving them ways to use verdant life on the attack. Check out some examples below!

Stay tuned for our updates later this week, where we’ll finally explore the archetypes and class options chapter for Path of the Wilds!

STINGING THORN

School conjuration (creation); Level druid 1, invoker 1, shaman 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect wooden splinter
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

A long sliver of wood flies from your outstretched hand, piercing a single target as a ranged attack. On a hit, the thorn deals 1d6 piercing damage per caster level (max 5d6). A creature struck begins bleeding for 1 point of damage each round. The bleeding can be stopped as normal with a DC 15 Heal check or the application of any effect that restores hit points. At 3rd caster level, the bleed damage increases to 1d4, and at 5th caster level the bleeding increases to 1d6.

SPORE BURST

School conjuration (creation) [acid, poison]; Level druid 3, shaman 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area 15-ft.-radius burst
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Reflex half; Spell Resistance no

A sudden cloud of spores bursts forth from a point you specify within range. Each creature in the area takes 1d8 acid damage per two caster levels (max 5d8) and is sickened for 1d4 rounds. A successful Reflex save halves the damage and negates the sickening effect. The sickening effect is considered a poison effect.

TOXIC BLOOM

School conjuration (creation) [poison]; Level druid 5, shaman 5, witch 5
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a drop of nectar)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect toxic flower blossom
Duration 1 round/level (D); see text
Saving Throw Fortitude half, partial, negates (see text); Spell Resistance no

The nectar dissolves in your hand as an oversized flower springs forth from the ground nearby. The toxic bloom is considered a small object (roughly 3 feet in height and diameter) and must be conjured in a space sufficient to hold it. It must grow on a surface, but the surface does not have to be conducive to plants: the bloom can grow upon solid stone as easily as it can in rich soil.

The bloom itself is magically hardened, having hardness 8, 40 hit points, and an AC of 5. Fire damage ignores its hardness and deals full damage to it. While the bloom remains, it emits a cloud of noxious vapor in a 15-foot-radius spread around itself, depending on the type of flower conjured. You can choose one of three flower types to create with toxic bloom:

  • Nightshade: The bloom is surrounded by an aura of deadly poison. Creatures that fail their saving throw take 1d3 Constitution damage. A successful save halves the damage (minimum 0).

  • Rafflesia: The bloom emits a disgusting aroma. Any creature that fails its saving throw is nauseated for 1 round. A successful save renders the creature sickened for 1 round instead.

  • Rose: The bloom is sickeningly sweet. Creatures with 8 HD or less that fail their saving throw fall asleep. Creatures with more than 8 HD become drowsy, taking a -5 penalty on perception checks and staggering them for 1 round. A successful save negates the effect for that turn only.

Regardless of form, destroying the toxic bloom ends the spell’s effect, but any already-applied penalties remain. Creatures with the scent ability take a -4 penalty on their saving throws against this spell’s effects. Spells that wither and destroy plant life like defoliate destroy the blossom, ending its effects.

CRUSHING ROOTS

School conjuration (creation); Level druid 7, shaman 7
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one creature/four caster levels, no two of which are more than 30 feet apart
Duration 1d3+1 rounds
Saving Throw Reflex partial (see text); Spell Resistance no

You conjure massive roots to ensnare and crush your foes. Each creature takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage per caster level (max 15d6), is dazed for 1 round by the constricting plants, then wrapped by the roots, entangling them for 1d3+1 rounds (though they can still move). A successful saving throw halves the damage, negates the dazing effect, and halves the duration of the entanglement. These effects only occur once when the roots are first conjured.

After the initial effects, a creature entangled by the roots must make a Reflex save at the start of its turn each round or take a further 3d6 bludgeoning damage as the plant matter continues to crush it. Succeeding on this Reflex save negates the damage for that round only. An entangled creature can attempt to break free as a standard action by making a Strength or Escape Artist check: the DC of this check is equal to the DC of this spell + 5. If they succeed they escape the roots, ending the spell for that target only.