General Info/History: Some say seedlings are the young of treants. Others say they are wood spirits given physical form. Not even the seedlings know for certain.

Seedling communities are most commonly found in primordial forests that have seen little disturbance from outside forces. Born in a time immemorial to them now, they are one with their forests. Few ever leave the forest in which they were born. A quiet people, they prefer diplomacy to combat. Their ability to go undetected when necessary is usually enough to keep their communities safe. When threatened, they are a force to be reckoned with, as the forest itself rises up to defend them. They are fierce defenders of those who gain their trust and those they consider allies.

Physical Description: Seedlings stand about 5-5 ½ feet tall. Though slender, they are heavier than they appear, weighing an average of 130-160 lbs. Switches, slender and supple twig-like structures with leaves or nettles attached, pass for seedling hair. During spring, small flowers, cones, or berries appear among the switches, adding texture and color to an otherwise grey-green mane. These fade away by winter, although the leaves and nettles remain green year round. Their skin is thick and bark-like, varying in color and texture based on the dominant tree in their home wood. Adult seedlings’ appearance is further enhanced by the ritual scarification received during their rite of passage, which designates clan membership. These scars are always on the face and neck and are dyed using a serum prepared specifically for this purpose. Seedling eye colors are normally a shade of the individual’s skin color, with lighter-skinned seedlings having darker eyes, and darker-skinned seedlings having lighter ones. Seedlings appear androgynous to untrained non-seedlings, but they can recognize gender among themselves through the flowers and berries in their switches. All other such gender-defining characteristics are internal.

Society: Seedlings are communal by nature. They organize themselves in pairs, families, and clans. Families are based on a likeness of type, such as oak or spruce. Clans are based on territorial areas, but may extend to whole geographic regions. A strict hierarchy of elders exists in seedling society. Elders are looked to for their wisdom and guidance when decisions need to be made by consensus.

Relations: Seedlings get along well with fey and other sylvan races. They have a passing acquaintance with elves, often allying with those elves who share their wood. Because seedling communities are remote, they rarely interact with other races. Out of self-defense, they avoid those other races that are nearby, reaching out to them only for necessities, such as trade.

Alignment and Religion: More so than most other races, seedlings are tied to nature and the cycle of birth and death. These ties influence their alignment, with most seedlings being neutral. They venerate gods and goddesses related to natural phenomenon in addition to their own small pantheon: Lifeseed is the seedlings’ creator and keeper; Silverleaf, sometimes called Peacekeeper, preserves family and clan; Knotwood is their defender; and Eldest Elder is the seer who led them to the forests’ refuge in a time long ago lost to myth.

Adventurers: Most seedlings found outside their forests are either members of a clan or family seeking new territory or orphans. These clanless orphans are most likely to take up the adventuring path, either to avenge their lost kin or to find a new clan. Wanderlust is rare among seedlings but not entirely unprecedented. Many seedlings find the druid’s path a good fit to their natural abilities, although there are many rangers among them, and also specialized fighters known as switchers.

Names: Seedling names are composed of a given name, a family name, and a clan name. If a seedling formally introduces herself to another seedling unknown to her, she gives her clan name first, followed by her family ame, and then her given name. With non-seedlings, she shares only her given name to protect her family and clan. Seedlings who spend a large amount of time with non-seedlings often shorten their given name or choose a new name from the culture or race with which they associate. Given names do not differentiate between male and female seedlings.

Clan Names: Autumn Leaf, Short Nettle, Broken Cone

Family Names: Knottwist, Shimmerbark, Goldenbough

Given Names: Moonshade, Sunnyleaf, Lightripple

Standard Racial Traits

• +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, -2 Dexterity: Seedlings are shrewd and hardy, but they are physically less flexible than humans due to their bark-like skin.
• Medium: Seedings are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Normal Speed: Seedlings have a base speed of 30 feet.
• Low-Light Vision: Seedlings can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light. Seedlings make their home in the twilight beneath the thick, intertwined canopy of primordial forests, and they are used to seeing with limited sunlight.
• Natural Armor Bonus: Their plant-like nature has gifted seedlings with a fibrous, stiff skin much like bark. This grants them a +1 natural armor bonus.
• Photosynthesis: While seedlings need to eat and breathe, their leaves and nettles can photosynthesize their own food and oxygen, allowing seedlings to go longer without sustenance. They receive a +2 racial bonus on Constitution checks to resist suffocation, drowning, and starvation.
• Planting: As a standard action, seedlings can extend their feet into the earth below them, rooting themselves to a single point. This spell-like ability functions similar to a tree shape spell with the following changes: the size of the tree is Medium instead of Large, and the seedling can only assume the shape of a tree sapling resembling her own appearance. For example, an oak seedling can assume the shape of an oak sapling but not a pine or maple sapling. While in this form, the seedling gains tremorsense out to 30 feet. A seedling may maintain a planting for up to 24 hours.
• Plant-Resistance: Seedlings receive a +2 bonus on saving throws versus mind-affecting effects and paralysis.
• Plantkin: Seedlings have the following spell-like ability: 1/day—speak with plants. The caster level for this effect is equal to the seedling’s level.
• Languages: Seedlings begin play speaking Common, Seedling and Sylvan. Those with high intelligence can choose the following as bonus languages: Draconic, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, and Orc.

Alternate Racial Traits

The following alternate racial traits may be selected in place of one or more of the standard racial traits above. Consult your GM before selecting any of these new options.

• Burned One: You survived a forest fire or being struck by lightning. You gain your choice of fire or electricity resistance 5. Once chosen, this choice cannot be changed. This racial trait replaces plant resistance.
• Dark Root: Your lineage is more closely related to tubers and other root plants than to soaring sequoia or grand oaks. You gain darkvision 60 feet and a burrow speed of 15 feet. This racial trait replaces low-light vision and plantkin.
• Desert Kin: Your clan’s ancestors were desert-dwelling plants. The whole of your body is covered with small spines. When you are struck with a natural weapon or unarmed strike, your opponent suffers 1d3 points of piercing damage. You also deal this damage to your opponent each round while grappling. This racial trait replaces planting.
• Pestilent: Your lineage began in a stagnant swamp. You gain +2 on Fortitude saves against poison and disease. This racial trait replaces plant resistance.

Favored Class Options

The following favored class options are available to all characters of this race who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward.

• Alchemist: Add +1/6 to the alchemist’s natural armor bonus.
• Barbarian: Add +1 to the barbarian’s base speed. In combat this option has no effect unless the barbarian has selected it five times (or another increment of five). This bonus stacks with the barbarian’s fast movement feature and applies under the same conditions as that feature.
• Bard: Add one spell known from the Plant domain spell list. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level the bard can cast.
• Cavalier: Add +1 hit point to the cavalier’s mount. If the cavalier ever replaces his mount, the new mount gains these bonus hit points.
• Cleric: The cleric gains the wooden fist ability from the Plant domain. If the cleric already has this power, add +1/2 to its number of uses per day.
• Druid: Add +1/2 to the bonus you gain from your nature sense ability.
• Fighter: Add +1/4 to the fighter’s natural armor bonus (maximum +5).
• Inquisitor: Add a +1 bonus on concentration checks when casting inquisitor spells.
• Magus: Add +1/4 to the magus’ arcane pool.
• Monk: Add +1 to the monk’s base speed. In combat this option has no effect unless the monk has selected it five times (or another increment of five). This bonus stacks with the monk’s fast movement class feature and applies under the same conditions as that feature.
• Oracle: Add one spell known from the Plant domain spell list. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level the oracle can cast.
• Paladin: Add +1 hit point to the paladin’s mount. If the paladin ever replaces his mount, the new mount gains these bonus hit points.
• Psion: Add +1 to the psion’s fire resistance (maximum +10). If the psion does not possess fire resistance, the psion gains fire resistance 1.
• Psychic Warrior: Add +1/4 to the psychic warrior’s natural armor bonus (maximum +5).
• Ranger: Add +1/6 to the ranger’s effective druid level when determining the abilities of his animal companion (maximum +3).
• Rogue: The rogue gains +1/6 of a new rogue talent.
• Sorcerer: Add one spell from the druid spell list to the sorcerer’s spells known. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level he can cast. This spell is treated as one level higher unless it also appears on the sorcerer’s spell list.
• Soulknife: Add +1 to the soulknife’s CMD against disarm or overrun attempts.
• Summoner: Add +1/4 to the eidolon’s evolution pool.
• Wilder: The wilder gains 1 psionic talent.
• Witch: The witch gains 1/6 of a new witch hex.
• Wizard: Add one spell from the druid spell list to the wizard’s spellbook. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level he can cast. This spell is treated as one level higher unless it also appears on the wizard spell list.

Racial Archetypes

The following racial archetypes are available to seedlings:

• Switcher
• Tree Spirit Druid

Racial Feats

The following feats are available to a seedling character who meets the prerequisites.

• Collective Memory
• Evergreen
• Grow Roots (Combat)
• Healing Roots
• Improved Grow Roots (Combat)
• Rigid Form
• Root Memory
• Supple Switch (Combat)
• Switch (Combat)

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