Awakened tree stats etc

[The Souljourner]

My friends and I got into a funny conversation about Awaken, and it got me thinking about how cool it would be to have an awakened tree as an NPC (or even a PC! ). However, the rules seem pretty sketchy.

First and foremost, is there a clarification anywhere?

The pertinent text of awaken is this:

An awakened tree has characteristics as if it were an animated object, except that it gains the plant type and its Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores are each 3d6. An awakened plant gains the ability to move its limbs, roots, vines, creepers, and so forth, and it has senses similar to a human’s.

The problems start when you try to reconcile this with the animated object stats. Plants have constitution scores, animated objects don't (because they're constructs), yet there's no listing for what happens to the tree's constitution score.

From Animated Construct:
Improved Speed (Ex): The base land speed given in the statistics block assume that an animated object lurches, rocks, or slithers along.

Objects with two legs (statues, ladders) or a similar shape that allows faster movement have a +10 foot bonus to speed. Objects with multiple legs (tables, chairs) have a +20 foot bonus to speed. Wheeled objects have a +40 foot bonus to speed.

Objects might have additional modes of movement. A wooden object can float and has a swim speed equal to half its land speed.

Would a tree count as having multiple legs (on the assumption it can uproot itself)?

I assume that since the awaken description says the tree has human-like senses, that it doesn't get the darkvision detailed in Animated Object.

-The Souljourner

 

[dcollins]

For what it's worth, I developed statistics for every different size of animated shrub & tree for the d20 System version of Rob Kuntz's "Garden of the Plantmaster".

When I did that, I gave them a speed of 10 ft. (I guess I was looking at the treant's ability to "animate trees" when I did that). I suppose you could drive over and I could show you my document.

 

[Felnar]

what does a treant use to awaken trees?

 

[Jack Simth]

what does a treant use to awaken trees?

From SRD:

Animate Trees (Sp): A treant can animate trees within 180 feet at will, controlling up to two trees at a time. It takes 1 full round for a normal tree to uproot itself. Thereafter it moves at a speed of 10 feet and fights as a treant in all respects. Animated trees lose their ability to move if the treant that animated them is incapacitated or moves out of range. The ability is otherwise similar to liveoak (caster level 12th). Animated trees have the same vulnerability to fire that a treant has.

Liveoak
Transmutation
Level: Drd 6
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Touch
Target: Tree touched
Duration: One day/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This spell turns an oak tree into a protector or guardian. The spell can be cast on only a single tree at a time; while liveoak is in effect, you can’t cast it again on another tree. The tree on which the spell is cast must be within 10 feet of your dwelling place, within a place sacred to you, or within 300 feet of something that you wish to guard or protect.

Liveoak must be cast on a healthy, Huge oak. A triggering phrase of up to one word per caster level is placed on the targeted oak. The liveoak spell triggers the tree into animating as a treant.

If liveoak is dispelled, the tree takes root immediately, wherever it happens to be. If released by you, the tree tries to return to its original location before taking root.

 

[The Souljourner]

10 feet per round is agonizingly slow. And if a solid cube of stone can be animated to move at 20' per round, a tree using its roots to move should be able to do at least as well.

One of the cool things I was thinking of was making a tree druid. If the caster of awaken has a rod of empower and maximize (or can just use one of the feats on the spell), when you awaken the tree, it'll have 18 + 3d6/2 for int, wis, and charisma. Makes for a really awesome NPC (talking trees are always really intelligent and wise, right?) Plus... the tree could then wildshape into animals.... imagine a cute little fox running up to you and WHAM huge tree. Too cool.

Plus, the plant type is freakin' awesome (assuming you actually get a Con score).

DCollins - I might just take you up on that offer sometime

-The Souljourner

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

One of the cool things I was thinking of was making a tree druid.

Perhaps the most powerful druid in the Eberron campaign setting is Oalian, an awakened oak tree.

 

[The Souljourner]

Perhaps the most powerful druid in the Eberron campaign setting is Oalian, an awakened oak tree.

Sweet... does it have a Con score? What's it's movement rate? Any other info?

-The Souljourner