[RPG] have plant allies

pathfinder-1e

I'm playing a cleric with the plant domain, and I'd like to have be able to summon or otherwise have plant allies, but my options seem limited, extremely so at low levels. The options I'm aware of are

  • Command Plants (4th)
  • Control Plants (8th)
  • Shambler (9th)

Summon monster and summon nature's ally both seem to lack any plants. Are there any options to have plant allies, preferably available to a cleric?

Best Answer

Acquiring Plant Allies Is Difficult without D&D 3.5 Materials

Getting plant allies as a cleric--even if the cleric has the plant Domain--is just not a well supported option in Pathfinder. Summoning them appears impossible, and even making Diplomacy skill checks versus low-Intelligence plants (wild plants?) requires the wild empathy ability then the feat Greater Wild Empathy, and unlike so many things in Pathfinder (like the once class-feature-only ability to use the Disable Device skill to disable magical traps that can now be gotten with a trait) wild empathy is--so far--only ever offered as a class feature, requiring multiclassing into druid or ranger or whatever.

Options

There are only a handful of options, and none of them are what you want, but maybe you can make do.

  • The feat Leadership allows trying to attract a saguaroi as a 9th-level monster cohort. Hey, it's a plant, and it's the only plant on the list.
  • It's possible to participate in the creation of leshy and purchase, create, or participate in the creation of living topiary. Alternately--and without druidic interference--, the 3rd-party feat Create Wondrous Creature only requires a caster level of 5 and can just make a variety of weird plant creatures that are loyal enough.
  • Discuss with the DM what your deity might send you with spells from the planar ally line. If he's fine with extraplanar creatures instead of exclusively outsiders, your deity could send a melfesh monster or fungus queen when you cast the the spell planar ally, or a zomok when you cast the spell greater planar ally. Unsurprisingly, there aren't a lot of extraplanar plants.
  • The spell awaken has been revised and clarified from its D&D 3.5 roots to make the affected creature more like a follower than just a new sentient who digs you. But the spell's not on your spell list.

    • Take either the trait Dangerously Curious or Underlying Principles and the 3rd-party feat Preserve Scroll and perhaps even the feat Divine Deception and purchase a scroll of awaken (3,125 gp; 0 lbs.) and spend 2,000 gp each time you cast the spell preserving the scroll via the Preserve Scroll feat. The feat's requirement of 9 ranks in the Spellcraft skill makes this a mid-game option, however.
    • Acquire the Use Magic Device skill as above and employ a custom staff incorporating the awaken spell. I've included one I designed below.
    • The DM may approve a custom wondrous item of awaken. I've included one I designed below.

The Staff of Because Talking Plants Are Awesome
Aura: Transmutation and abjuration; CL: 9th; Slot: None; Price: 12,070 gp; Weight: 5 lbs.

Description: This hollow steel staff depicts clerics in metal armor carrying light steel shields and wielding morningstars beating up sobbing hippies. When used as a weapon, it makes a deeply satisfying hollow clang that seems louder when the victim is a druid. The staff allows use of the following spells:

  • awaken (5th-level Drd spell) (10 charges)
  • shield of faith (1st-level Clr spell) (10 charges)

Construction Requirements: Craft Staff, awaken, shield of faith. Cost: 6,035 gp (Math: ((400 gp x 5 for the spell awaken x 9 for the caster level) + (2,000 gp for material components x 50 to charge the staff) / 10 for 10 charges per use) + ((300 gp x 1 for the spell shield of faith x 9 for the caster level) / 10 for 10 charges per use)).

Note: A cleric can recharge the staff of because talking plants are awesome because of the presence of the shield of faith spell in the staff but must make Use Magic Device skill checks to employ the awaken function. The awaken spell has a 24-hour casting time anyway, so whatever. This staff permits a cleric who has access to 5th-level spells and is willing to commit the resources to being able to use it and recharge it to awaken a plant once every 10 days. You weren't going to use it to cast shield of faith anyway.


The Crown of Bow before Your New Master, Plant Dudes
Aura: Transmutation; CL: 9th; Slot: Head; Price: 36,200 gp; Weight 1 lb.

Description: Once per day on command, this light steel crown depicting moping hermits being evicted from a forest by a valiant metal-armored cleric allows the wearer to spend 24 hours to use the magic of the awaken spell.

Construction Requirements: Craft Wondrous Item, awaken; Cost: 18,100 gp (Math: ((1,800 x 5 for the spell awaken x 9 for the caster level) + (2,000 gp for material components x 50 for an uncharged item)) / 5 for 1 use per day).

Note: The spend 24 hours in the description is not a new requirement but a reminder of the awaken spell's casting time. This has the advantage of being usable by anyone without needing the Use Magic Device skill.