Class record
Botanist
Gatherer / Utility
- Tier
- 2
- Difficulty
- 2 / 5
- Main role
- Gatherer
- Secondary role
- Utility
Rules reference
Class mechanics
Entry requirements and the complete level-by-level advancement path.
Entry
Requirements
Forager mastered
Advancement
Progression
- UnlockKey ability
- Level 2Ability 1
- Level 3SkillsYou gain +5 skill points to spend on Foraging.
- Level 4Ability 2
- Level 5HeartYou gain +1 to Fitness, Reason or Awareness.
- Level 6Ability 3
- Level 7SoulYou gain +1 to Focus, Toughness or Agility.
- Level 8Ultimate ability
Identity & lore
Class overview
The frigid passes surrounding Mt. Merlin were inhospitable places. Cutting winds, icy ground, and regular blizzards made them nearly impassable during the winter months, not that dangerous conditions stopped the adventurous from making the trek into the mountains. Small villages populated by hardy men and women were scattered through the passes and valleys. And each had their share of myths and legends passed down through the years. For the village of Cartrmyn, the Princess of the Mountain was theirs.
As the story was told, the Princess of the Mountain influenced the chill, the snow, and the storms of the little valley Cartrmyn was nestled in. Said to have the form of a “woman made of ice”, offerings were left regularly at the beginning and end of winter. A common game among the children of the village was to stay up into the deep night in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the Princess as she collected the offerings. Gifts of wild berries, mosses, lichens, mushrooms of all kinds, stacks of wood from unknown trees, and unheard of herbs would be given by the Princess in thanks. And the types of gifts exchanged would tell the villagers how the winter would go or…as an apology for a harsh season. When piles of berries and nuts and extra firewood was left, the village knew they were in for a dangerous winter; but gifts of wild flowers and herbs told of a mild winter approaching. By heeding the signs left by the Princess, Cartrmyn was able to thrive in even the most extreme seasons.
However, it wasn’t long before word spread about their guardian Princess and those seeking riches and knowledge would come in search of her. For those who were respectful of the village and of the mountain, they would leave with wisdom and the grace of the Princess and would forever find safe passage in the winter chill. But for those with greed in eyes and evil in their hearts, the Princess was as unforgiving as a sudden winter storm. The unearthly shrieks of those that crossed her echoed across the mountain side like the roars of a hundred mountain lions and the gnashing of a thousand teeth, a dire warning to all that would cross--
Miyu closed the book with a sharp snap and sighed. “It was just a chainsaw,” she complained to no one. “And why do they make it sound like I’m hundreds of years old?!” Grudgingly, she tucked the book back into the pack that had been prepared by the villagers. Dried meats and fish, metal tools and knives, and a small collection of glowing crystals that she could use to produce more magical fuels. In return, she had laid out hand woven baskets of whatever she’d been able to find over the last week that she wasn’t keeping for herself. Berries, tubers, and bundles of medicinal flowers.
“Why is it so hard to get people to leave me alone?”
Tactical guidance
Playing Botanist
The botanist, like the forager, is a gathering and utility class. Their only in combat ability is Felling Strike. At first glance it may look like a normal knockback move, but you get to move before doing the knockback, which lets you more easily do things like push enemies of ledges or knock an enemy back into your team.
Craft Pemmican lets you convert food units into rations without the cost of any actions. These rations are easier to carry, don't require a kit to prepare and less likely to be ruined. It's a nice little bonus and there's little reason not to do it whenever you can.
During gathering, Memory of the Grove synergizes with the forager abilities as well as the other botanist ability, Stalks of Comparison. Memory can be used in several ways, you can reroll a very low dice to get a better roll, but you can also use it on a higher value one to store it for later use with Stalks or Divining Petalfall.
For stalks of comparison, it's always a good ability since it can apply to either Node points or Lucky points. Getting the bonus for it can be made easier or even guaranteed with the use of other abilities. Using the stored value of memory along with the pre-determined rolls of Verdant Instinct can get you that bonus.
