Briar Knight (Archetype)
By Frank Gori
A wise knight knows that strength is not just holding firm like an oak, it also means bending like a willow. Briar knights follow the natural order and partner with a plant companion rather than a noble steed.
Briar knights have the following class features:
Briar-bound (Ex)
At 1st level, a briar knight forms a companion bond with a crawling vine plant companion that he wears as armor. At first level this armor grants a +5 armor bonus to AC, which increases by an additional +2 for every three cavalier levels. Serving as living armor the vine can move independent of the cavalier and does not encumber the briar knight in any way.
Unlike a normal armor, the briar armor has the statistics of the plant companion crawling vine using the briar knight’s level as his effective druid level. If for any reason the briar knight is not wearing the briar armor, it can move independently and advances like any other companion keeping it’s normal natural AC when independent of the briar knight.
When serving as armor, the briars can take one action during its master’s turn as long as the master is engaged in melee. They may make a single attack, a disarm attempt, or grapple attempt to a foe within 5ft of the wearer. If the briars grapple, they leave the master and he loses the benefit of wearing his armor.
If the vine armor is killed while the briar knight is wearing the creature, the briars acts as wooden armor and confers only half the normal AC bonus it would normally and the wearer becomes vulnerable to fire. This wooden armor rots away after a week. If the briar armor is slain while separated from its master it cannot be worn as armor. The briar knight must spent a week growing new armor in terrain that supports plant life to replace lost or deceased briar armor..
For the purpose of being targeted for spells, the briars are treated as armor when worn, as an independent creature when separated from it’s host. The briars cannot be permanently enchanted like normal armor though it can have permanent enchantments via permanency.
This ability replaces the mount ability.
Tanglevine strike (Su)
At 3rd level, a briar knight may, as a standard action, extend a 15-ft. vine from the briar armor and make a single disarm or trip combat maneuver. If a trip attempt is made outside the target’s reach the briar knight does not risk of being tripped in return if the trip attempt fails by 10 or more. This attack is made with the vine’s base attack bonus added to the briar-bound knight’s for the purpose for calculating the CMB.
This ability replaces the mounted charge ability.
Thorn Burst (Su)
At 4th level, as a swift action you can cause sharp thorns to explode outward from your armor. These splinters deal 1d6 points of piercing damage per two briar knight levels (minimum 1d6) to all creatures within a 10-foot radius. A Reflex save halves this damage. The Reflex save DC is 10 + 1/2 the briar-knight’s class level + his Charisma Modifier. In addition, the sharp splinters count as caltrops in the area until the briar knight’s next turn. You can use this ability once per day, plus one additional time per day at 5th level and every five levels thereafter.
This ability replaces expert trainer.
Photosynthetic Healing (Ex)
At 5th level, a briar knight feeds upon nature’s raw essence. The need to eat and sleep is reduced as if wearing a ring of sustenance, and the briar-knight and his briars gain fast healing 1 when in daylight. At 14th level this increases to fast healing 3.
This ability replaces banner and greater banner.
Rooting (Su)
At 9th level, a briar knight can, as a move action, extend roots into the ground. The briar knight’s speed is reduced to 5 feet, but he gain a +2 bonus to natural armor and a +10 bonus to CMD against bull rush, overrun, reposition, and trip maneuvers. He also gains tremorsense with a range of 30 ft. He can use this power for a number of minutes per day equal to his briar knight level. This duration need not be consecutive, but it must be used in one minute increments.
This ability replaces mighty charge.
Oaken Heart (Su)
At 20th level the briar knight gains a +4 bonus to Strength and Constitution and the Plant subtype.
This ability replaces Supreme Charge.
