Archetype - Naturalist

## In Harmony with the Natural World

The Naturalist represents Characters in fiction who have a close bond with and awareness of the Natural world.

They might be druids and witches who seek to protect the natural world, or a eco-warriors who want to maintain harmony between the natural and civilized worlds, or creatures who have a spiritual connection with the spirits of the natural world. The ways your Naturalist harnesses and interacts with nature defines them.

The Naturalist draws power from the Natural Tradition of magic through they deep connection to the Natural World. This connection may be sometimes, but not always, represented by a Deity or a spiritual force of nature. As Naturalist gain further levels they gain the ability to Channel their connection to Nature to either request further aid from the natural world, empower an Animal Companion or become an Animal themselves.

## Level 0

In addition to the features your *Character* gains at Level 1, they gain the following for starting their adventure as a Naturalist.

### Initial Improvement

* You may add +1 to one Ability Score. You may not increase an Ability Score above 17 with this feature.
* Alternatively you may choose one *Starter* *Feat* from the *Starter Feats* section.
	+ For Naturalists we recommend choosing the Leadership Feat, or another Feat from the Support Starter Feat list.

### Additional Hit Points

* Begin with an additional 8 + Constitution Modifier Hit Points.

### Saving Throw Proficiencies

* Awareness Saving Throw Proficiency
* Intelligence Saving Throw Proficiency

### Starting Equipment

* Spellcasting Focus (See **Spellcasting**)
* Weapons: Choose any Two Simple Weapons available within the setting, each with a cost of no more than 25 Credits.
	+ We recommend choosing one melee weapon and one ranged weapon, such as a Quarterstaff and a Shortbow.
	+ Weapons requiring costly ammunition (1 Credit or more) include 10 rounds of ammunition. Weapons requiring uncostly ammunition (1 Credit or less) include 20 rounds of ammunition if ammunition is being tracked in your setting.
* Armor: Choose any set of Light Armor with a cost less than 50 Credits
* Shield: Choose any Shield with a cost less than 50 Credits

## Level 1

### Hit Points

* Add 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution Modifier Hit Points for each level of Naturalist you have.

### Weapon and Armor Proficiencies

* You are proficient with Simple Weapons.
* You are proficient with Light Armor and Shields

### Additional Proficiencies

* You gain the Survival Skill Proficiency.
	+ If you already have proficiency in this Skill, choose a different Skill Proficiency of your Choice.
* You gain one additional Tool Proficiency of your choice.

### Natural Language

* You learn the Natural Language.
	+ If you have already learned this Language, such as through an Ancestry feature, you learn two languages of your choice.
* Natural Language is a simple language consisting of a range of animalistic noises and gestures, ranging from grunts and chirrups to clicks and gestures.
* Natural Language is understood by Characters who have close ties to the Natural World, such as Animals, Elementals, Dragons and Naturalists.
	+ Characters who understand Natural Language are able to communicate simple ideas to each other using nouns, verbs and adjectives that would be encountered in the Natural World.
		- For example, "Castle" would become "Big Person Cave", and "Car" would become "Giant Fast Beetle"
* The written Language of Natural Language consists of a series of symbols formed in Nature, such as arrangements of rocks, branches and leaves.
	+ You recognize such symbols when you see them and you may leave such symbols to communicate messages to other speakers of this language. Similar to spoked Natural Language, you may only communicate Simple Ideas.
* You may wish to devise a Natural Language name for yourself for other speakers of the Language to know you by. A short phrase including a combination of five or less nouns, verbs or adjectives relating to Nature are common.
	+ For example, "Hunter of Sky and Sea", "Little Fire Monkey", "Bird from Stone Tree" etc

### Support Die

* At Level 1 your Support Die is a d4.
* This die represents your Character's ability to provide help and guidance to those around them.
* At levels 5, 11 and 17 of Naturalist, the Improved Support Die feature increases the size of your Support Die to a d6, a d8 and a d10 respectively.
	+ If you gain the Improved Support Die feature from another source (such as the Champion or Summoner Archetypes or the Mentor Subtype), increase the Support Die by one size category.
	+ The maximum die size the Support Die can use is a d12.

### Spellcasting

You have an empathic link with Nature and can use this bond to harness the latent power of the Natural World.

#### **Spell List**

* You may learn Spells from the Natural Tradition of Magic.
* Spells learned through this Archetype or the Subtypes you gain through this Archetype are referred to as Naturalist Spells.

**Cantrips**

* Cantrips are a subset of Spells which you may cast without expending a Spell Slot.
* You learn three Cantrips of your choice from the Natural Spell List.
* You learn additional Natural Cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Naturalist Spellcasting Table.
* You may replace one Cantrip of your choice with another from the Natural Tradition of Magic whenever you Level Up.

**Spell Slots**

* The Naturalist Spellcasting Table shows how many Spell Slots you have to cast your Spells of 1st Level and higher.
* To cast one of these Spells, you must expend a slot of the Spell's level or higher.
	+ For example, if you know the 1st-level Spell Entangle and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast Entangle using either slot.
* You regain all expended Spell Slots when you finish a Long Rest.

**Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher**

* You may learn any Spell from the Natural Tradition of Magic.
* The number of Spells you may learn increases as you level up.
	+ You may not learn a Naturalist Spell of higher level than that granted by the Spell Slots you gain from this Archetype (see the Naturalist Spellcasting Table)
* The total number of Spells you may learn from this Archetype is equal to the number of Spell slots available to you (shown in the Naturalist Spellcasting Table).
	+ We recommend that new players prepare a number of Spells of each level which corresponds to the same number of Spell Slots.
		- For example, a 5th Level Naturalist may know 9 Spells, choosing four 1st Level Spells, three 2nd Level Spells and two 3rd Level Spells.
	+ More experienced players may prefer to learn a different number of Spells from the number of Spell Slots.
		- For example, the same 5th Level Naturalist may prefer to know three 1st Level Spells, three 2nd Level Spells and three 3rd Level Spells.

#### Replacing Spells Known of 1st Level or Higher

* Whenever you gain a New Level, you may in addition to learning new Spells replace as many Natural Spells you know with other Spells available from the Natural Tradition of Magic.
* Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can replace one Spell known with another Spell available from the Natural Tradition of Magic.

**Spellcasting Ability**

* Awareness is your Spellcasting ability for your Naturalist Spells. Your magic comes from your empathic connections with the forces of the material world.
* You use your Awareness whenever a spell refers to your Spellcasting Ability.
* In addition, you use your Awareness Modifier when setting the saving throw DC for an Awareness Spell you cast and when making an Attack roll for such a Spell.
	+ **Spell save DC** = 8 + your Proficiency bonus + your Awareness modifier
	+ **Spell Attack modifier** = your Proficiency bonus + your Awareness modifier

**Ritual Casting**

* You can cast any Spell you have learned as a Ritual if that Spell has the ritual tag.
* The duration to cast a Ritual is the Spell's usual casting time plus 10 minutes.
* When you Cast a Spell as a Ritual you do not expend a Spell Slot.
	+ Casting a Spell as a Ritual requires you maintain Concentration on the Spell throughout performing the Ritual.

**Spellcasting Focus**

* You may use a Spellcasting Focus whenever a costless material component is required to perform an Explorer Spell.
* Naturalists may use any objects which represents their connection to the Natural World.
	+ Wooden Staves, wands and branches are common in fantasy and medieval settings, while in modern and futuristic settings these objects take the form of crystals or tomes of natural knowledge.
* Choose a physical object which may be easily held in one hand which would act as a Spellcasting focus for your Explorer Spells.
	+ You may not choose a Weapon or an object you may wear such as a Shield or item as a Spellcasting Focus unless a feature specifically grants you that ability.
* You may have only one Spellcasting Foci, and you may change the objects representing your Spellcasting Foci at the end of a Long Rest.
* If you lose a Spellcasting Foci, you may replace it by performing a 10 minute Ritual in which you prepare another suitable object for the task.
	+ Whether an object is deemed suitable or not as a Spellcasting Focus is at the GM's discretion.

## Level 2

### Natural Bond

* At Level 2 you gain one of the following Features due to your dedication to Bond to Nature: Wild Shape, Wild Intervention or Wild Companion.
* Each of these Features includes benefits which are granted when you use your Natural Bond.
* At Level 2 you may use your Natural Bond once before needing to regain uses of your Natural Bond.
	+ You regain all uses of your Natural Bond when you finish a Long or Short Rest.
	+ You may only gain the benefits of a Short Rest twice, after which you must take a Long Rest to gain further benefits from a Short Rest.
* You gain addition uses as you increase in Naturalist Level. You may use your Natural Bond twice per Short Rest at Level 5, three times per Short Rest at Level 11 and four times per Short Rest at Level 17.
	+ You may only gain the benefits of a Short Rest twice, after which you must take a Long Rest to gain further benefits from a Short Rest.
* You gain additional uses of your Natural Bond as you gain levels in this Archetype.
	+ You may use Natural Bond twice at Level 5, three times at Level 11 and four times at Level 17.
	+ You may gain additional uses for your Natural Bond from your Naturalist Bond of Nature Subtype.
	+ If you gain uses of the Natural Bond feature from another feature, your total number of uses of Natural Bond is the sum of the uses you gain from each feature.

#### Wild Shape

* As an Action, you may use the Natural Bond feature to grant yourself Temporary Hit Points.
* You retain these Temporary Hit Points for a number of hours equal to half your Naturalist Level (rounded down), or until you finish a Short or Long Rest.
	+ You may also voluntary remove the Temporary Hit Points and the benefits granted by them as a Bonus Action, or by replacing them with Temporary Hit Points granted by another Effect.

##### Animal Form

* While you have these Temporary Hit Points, you take on the form of a Small or Medium Sized Animal of your choice.
	+ The number of Temporary Hit Points you gain depends upon the Size Category of the Animal Chosen.
		- Small Animals grant Temporary Hit Points equal to 2 times your Naturalist Level.
		- Medium Animals grant Temporary Hit Points equal to 3 times your Naturalist Level.
		- Other size Categories such as Large and Huge Animals become available through the Wild Shape Benefits feature as you increase in Naturalist Level.

* While you are in this Animal Form, the following changes occur:
	+ Your Size Category Changes to match the Size Category of the Animal Chosen.
	+ Your Character type changes to Beast.
	+ Some of your Ability Scores change
		- Your Constitution, Charisma, Awareness, Intelligence and Luck Ability Scores remain unchanged while in this form.
		- If you became a Medium Sized Animal, your Strength and Dexterity Scores become equal to your Awareness Score.
		- If you became a Small Sized Animal, your Strength Scores become equal to your Awareness Score - 2, and your Dexterity Score becomes equal to your Awareness Score +2.
	+ Your Equipment is all dropped or merges to become part of you. Items which may be worn by the form chosen move to locations such as they are worn by the new form.
		- You are unable to wield weapons, shields or use tools while in this form.
		- You are unable to wear armor while in this form, unless the armor has been specifically designed to be worn by the Animal you transformed into (e.g. Barding for a Horse).
		- Consequently your typical Armor Class is as follows:
			* Medium Sized Animal Armor Class: 10 + Dexterity Modifier (which typically matches your Awareness Modifier)
			* Small Sized Animal Armor Class: 10 + Dexterity Modifier (which typically matches your Awareness Modifier + 1)
	+ You may make an Unarmed Strike using a combination of all your Animal's Natural Weapons, including but not limited to teeth, claws, limbs, wings and tails. Consequently, you may choose the Damage Type when you Hit a Target with an Attack, choosing any one of the Physical Damage Types (Piercing, Bludgeoning or Slashing Damage).
	+ Additionally, you may roll your Support Die for the Damage these Attacks cause.
		- For Example, a Lvl 2 Naturalist in the form of a Medium Sized Animal with an Proficiency bonus of +2 , an Awareness Modifier of +3 (consequently giving them an Strength Modifier of +3) would have a +5 Bonus to Attack a Target with an Unarmed strike, causing 1d4 + 3 Damage on a Successful Hit.
		- However, if the same Naturalist were a Small Sized Animal their Strength Modifier would be 1 less, consequently their Bonus to Attack a Target would be a +4, causing 1d4 + 2 Damage on a Successful Hit.
	+ You cannot Cast Spells while in this form, but you may maintain Concentration on Spells you cast before entering this form and perform Actions and Bonus Actions to trigger the effects of those Spells.
	+ You retain your other abilities
		- You retain the ability to speak and understand languages.
		- You retain your Saving Throw and Skill proficiencies while in this form.
		- You retain your Archetype and Ancestry Features, including Movement Speed bonuses.

##### Wild Shape Benefits

* Additionally, while you are in Animal Form you gain one benefit from the Wild Shape/Companions Benefits List, presented at the end of this Archetype.
	+ As you Level up as a Naturalist, more Benefits become available to you, such as the ability to become a Large or bigger Animal. Some benefits require you expend multiple uses of your Natural Bond.

#### Wild Companion

* You gain the Starter Feat: Animal Companion. If you already have this Feat, you gain another Starter Feat of your Choice.

##### Healing Bond

* While your Animal Companion is within 5ft of you, you may as an Action expend a use of your Natural to restore their Hit Points to their Maximum Value. If it was previously reduced to 0 HP, it is no longer incapacitated and it may engage in Conflicts as normal.

##### Wild Animal

* Instead of the Animal Companion's usual Strength, Dexterity and Awareness Scores, you may choose for them to use your Awareness Modifier for these three Abilities instead.
* While your Animal Companion is replacing an Ability Score with your Awareness modifier the following bonuses and penalties based upon their size category apply.
	+ If your Animal Companion is Medium Sized they have no additional bonuses or penalties to their Ability Modifiers.
	+ If your Animal Companion is Small Sized they have an additional +1 Bonus to their Dexterity Modifier and a +1 Penalty to their Strength Modifiers.
	+ If your Animal Companion is Large Sized they have an additional +1 Bonus to their Strength Modifier.
* Assuming your Animal Companion replaces their Strength and Dexterity Modifiers with your Awareness Modifier, their typical Armor Class will be as follows:
	+ Medium or Large Sized Animal: 10 + Your Awareness Modifier
	+ Small Animal: 10 + Your Awareness Modifier + 1
* Additionally, when your Animal Companion makes an Unarmed Strike, they may replace their usual Damage die with your Support Die.

* Your Animal Companion's other features and Abilities are determined by the Animal Companion Starter Feat or the Improved Animal Companion Starter Feat.

#### Nature's Intervention

* You may call on Nature to assist in the Casting of a Spell, allowing you to exceed the limits of your own Spellcasting.
* When you Cast a Natural Spell of 1st Level or Higher, you may expend one or more uses of your Natural Bond to increase the Level at which the Spell is Cast, granting it the benefits of being Upcast at a higher Level.
	+ For each use of Natural Bond expended, the Spell's Level increases by one, even if the Spell's Level exceeds the Level you may usually Cast a Spell at.
	+ For example, a 5th Level Naturalist Casts the Natural Spell Thunderwave with a 1st Level Spell Slot. They may expend a use of their Natural Bond to increase the Spell's Level to that of a 2nd Level Spell, gaining the benefits of it being Upcast at that level.
		- Alternatively, they may choose to expend two uses of their Natural Bond to increase the Spell's Level to that of a 3rd Level Spell.

##### Hand of Nature

* When you Cast a Spell in this way, the Spell is channeled through Nature itself. You do not need to provide Somatic, Verbal or Uncostly Material Components for Spells which benefit from Nature's Intervention.
* Additionally, if the Spell has a range other than Self, you may choose a point within 30ft of you which you can see from which the Spell originates. Treat the Spell as having been Cast as though you were in the location you chose.

## Level 3

### Subtype Choice

* At level 3 you can further specialize your Naturalist by selecting a Branch of Nature Subtype, granting them access to a range of powerful features.
* Choose a Branch of Nature Subtype, each time you gain a level which grants features from your Branch of Nature Subtype, refer to the rules for your Subtype.

## Level 4

### Ability Score Increase or Feat

* You may add +2 to an Ability Score, +1 to two different Ability Scores.
* Alternatively you may choose an Advanced Feat which will grant your Naturalist powerful new abilities.

## Level 5

### Improved Support Die

* Your Support Die increases from a d4 to a d6.

### Improved Natural Bond

* You gain one additional use of your Natural Bond whenever you finish a Long or Short Rest.

## Level 6

### Subtype Features

* At level 6 you gain additional abilities from your Branch of Nature Subtype.

## Level 7

### Improved Natural Bond

* At 7th Level your Natural Bond feature gains the following improvements.

#### Improved Wild Shape

* From 7th Level, when you use your Wild Shape feature you may expend additional uses of your Natural Bond feature to grant yourself upto two different benefits from the Wild Shape/Companion Benefits table.
	+ For example, a Level 7 Naturalist may as an Action expend one use of their Natural Bond to Transform into an Animal with the Large Benefit. Alternatively they could as an Action expend two uses of their Natural Bond to Transform into an Animal with both the Large and Pack Tactics Benefits.
	+ You retain all the Wild Shape Benefits chosen until you revert to your Original Form, or until you use this Feature again.

#### Improved Wild Companion

* From 7th Level, you may as an Action expend uses of your Natural Bond to grant your Animal Companion one Benefit from the Wild Shape/Companion Benefits table, provided you are of high enough level for the Benefit listed and the Companion may benefit from it.
	+ They retain this Benefit for a number of Hours equal to your Naturalist Level. It also ends when:
		- The Animal Companion is reduced to 0 Hit Points.
		- You finish a Long Rest
		- You use a Bonus Action to end the Effect
		- or you use this Feature again.
		- Benefits which change the size of your Wild Companion end when the Temporary Hit Points they grant are lost or replaced.

#### Improved Nature's Intervention

* You may draw directly from the vast power of Nature to conserve your own Spell Slots.
	+ At 7th Level, when you Cast a Natural Spell of 2nd Level of Higher, you may expend uses of your Natural Bond to decrease the required Spell Slot for that Spell.
		- For example, if a 7th Level Naturalist Casts the 4th Level Spell Polymorph, they may expend one use of their Natural Bond to expend a 3rd Level Spell Slot instead of a 4th Level Spell Slot.
* When you Cast a Spell in this way you gain the benefits of the Nature's Hand feature.

## Level 8

### Ability Score Increase or Feat

* You may add +2 to an Ability Score, +1 to two different Ability Scores.
* Alternatively you may choose an Advanced Feat which will grant your Naturalist powerful new abilities.

## Level 10

### Subtype Features

* At level 10 you gain additional abilities from your Branch of Nature Subtype.

## Level 11

### Improved Support Die

* Your Support Die increases from a d6 to a d8.

### Improved Natural Bond

* You gain one additional use of your Natural Bond whenever you finish a Long or Short Rest.

## Level 12

### Ability Score Increase or Feat

* You may add +2 to an Ability Score, +1 to two different Ability Scores.
* Alternatively you may choose an Advanced Feat which will grant your Naturalist powerful new abilities.

## Level 14

### Subtype Features

* At level 14 you gain additional abilities from your Branch of Nature Subtype.

## Level 15

### Improved Natural Bond

* Your Natural Bond feature gains one of the following benefits:

#### Improved Wild Shape

* From 15th Level, when you use your Wild Shape feature you may expend additional uses of your Natural Bond feature to grant yourself upto three different benefits from the Wild Shape/Companion Benefits table.
	+ For example, a Level 15 Naturalist may as an Action expend three uses of their Natural Bond to Transform into an Animal with the Large, Pack Tactics and Natural Armor Benefits.
	+ You retain all the Wild Shape Benefits chosen until you revert to your Original Form, or until you use this Feature again.

#### Improved Wild Companion

* When you use your Natural Bond to grant your Animal Companion a Benefit from the Wild Shape/Companion Benefits Table, you may expend additional uses of your Wild Gift feature to grant them up to two different Benefits. For each Benefit chosen, expend the number of Wild Gift uses required for that Benefit.
* From 15th Level, when you use your Natural Bond to grant your Animal Companion a Benefit from the Wild Shape/Companion Benefits Table, feature you may expend additional uses of your Natural Bond feature to grant them up to two different benefits from the Wild Shape/Companion Benefits table.
	+ For example, a Level 15 Naturalist may as an Action expend two uses of their Natural Bond to grant their Animal the Large and Pack Tactics Benefits.
	+ They retain all the Wild Shape Benefits chosen until they revert to their Original Form, or until you use this Feature again.

#### Improved Nature's Intervention

* As an Action, you may spend two uses of your Natural Bond to replace one Natural Spell you know with another Natural Spell of the same Level.
* If the Spell Chosen requires one Action to Cast, you may Cast the Spell as part of the same Action (expending Spell Slots as usual).

## Level 16

### Ability Score Increase or Feat

* You may add +2 to an Ability Score, +1 to two different Ability Scores.
* Alternatively you may choose an Advanced Feat which will grant your Naturalist powerful new abilities.

## Level 17

### Improved Support Die

* Your Support Die increases from a d8 to a d10.

### Improved Natural Bond

* You gain one additional use of your Channel Virtue whenever you finish a Long or Short Rest.

## Level 18

### Immortality

* You determine the rate at which your body ages, and you cannot be aged against your will through magic or other effects
* You do not need food or water to live.

## Level 19

### Ability Score Increase or Feat

* You may add +2 to an Ability Score, +1 to two different Ability Scores.
* Alternatively you may choose an Advanced Feat which will grant your Naturalist powerful new abilities.

## Level 20

### Champion of Nature

* At Level 20 your Bond with Nature is at it's strongest. You gain the following benefits to your Natural Bond:

#### Improved Wild Shape

* Once per Long Rest, when you use your Wild Shape feature you may choose the Kaiju Benefit, described in the Wild Shape/Companions Benefit's Table.

#### Improved Wild Companion

* Once per Long Rest, when you use your Wild Transformation feature you may choose the Kaiju Benefit, described in the Wild Shape/Companions Benefit's Table.

#### Improved Nature's Intervention

* Once per long rest, you may expend four uses of Natural Bond and a 9th level Spell Slot to request Nature perform a 10th Level Natural Spell on your behalf.
* The 10th Level Natural Spells include Summon Volcano, Summon Forrest, Summon Meteor, Cataclysm, Summon Desert, Summon Flood, Summon Blizzard, Hold Day/Night.\*

*Designer Notes: These Spells are to be completed when Spells are revised. Spell names are included above to give a players an understand of the types of effects 10th Level Naturalist Spells may involve.*

### Epic Improvement

* At Level 20 you may add +2 to an Ability Score or +1 to two different Ability Scores. This Ability Score Increase can increase an Ability Score beyond 20, but not beyond 30.

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## Copyright Notice

This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

## Credit this Work

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This work includes material taken from "7e” by Peter Rees and materials taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC. Both "7e" and the "SRD5.1" are Licensed under the Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 International License, available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode