Arboreal Shepherd
Creature 5 — plant
MenderWeaverLANDplant
Shepherds develop an eccentric fascination with local fauna. These shepherds eagerly bear fruit to feed their friends, provide roosts for bats, and invite beasts to gnaw nesting niches directly into their trunks. An arboreal's abilities gradually change as it grows, explores, and fulfills its forest's needs. After decades of life as an unremarkable tree, an arboreal sapling uproots itself to discover its greater purpose, often guided by elders. Occult Nutrients While drawing water, nutrients,
Source: wardens-of-wildwood-bestiary
Perception +15; low-light-vision
Languages arboreal, common, fey; speak with animals
Skills athletics +11, diplomacy +12, nature +14, stealth +8 (+12 in forests)
Str
+4
Dex
+1
Con
+3
Int
+2
Wis
+5
Cha
+3
AC 22
Fort +12
Ref +10
Will +14
HP 80
Resistances bludgeoning 5, piercing 5
Weaknesses axe-vulnerability 5, fire 5
Speed 25 feet
Offense
Melee Branch (reach-15) +15, Damage 2d8+6 bludgeoning
Abilities
Constant Spells — A constant spell affects the monster without the monster needing to cast it, and its duration is unlimited. If a constant spell gets counteracted, the monster can reactivate it by spending the normal spellcasting actions the spell requires.
Axe Vulnerability — An arboreal shepherd takes 5 additional damage from axes.
Defend the Friends —
Exalt the Little Ones (auditory, linguistic, primal) — The arboreal shepherd encourages its friends to overcome titanic odds. For 1 round, allies with the animal trait in a 50-foot radius gain a +1 status bonus to attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws. If the animals have the swarm trait, the saving throw DCs to resist their damaging actions gain a +1 status bonus. This bonus increases to +2 for allies whose level is 2 or lower.
Healing Haven (healing, manipulate) — Frequency Once per hour
Effect The arboreal shepherd scoops up a willing Medium or smaller animal (or animal with the swarm trait) within its reach, sequestering the animal into a recess in the arboreal's trunk. While sequestered, the animal cannot act, gains greater cover, and gains fast healing 5. At the beginning of its turn after regaining Hit Points, the animal can choose to exit by reappearing in any space adjacent to the arboreal as a free action.
Effect The arboreal shepherd scoops up a willing Medium or smaller animal (or animal with the swarm trait) within its reach, sequestering the animal into a recess in the arboreal's trunk. While sequestered, the animal cannot act, gains greater cover, and gains fast healing 5. At the beginning of its turn after regaining Hit Points, the animal can choose to exit by reappearing in any space adjacent to the arboreal as a free action.
Primal Innate Spells DC 22, attack +14
2nd Animal Messenger, Speak with Animals (Constant)
1st Animal Allies (×2)
WORKS WELL WITH
AnvilLANDAn Anvil anchors the frontline while the shepherd delivers support from behind reach, resolving the positioning tension for a caster-adjacent body.
CrasherLANDA Crasher receives the shepherd's buffs and pushes aggressively, aligning the Mender's supportive tempo with an aggressive damage curve.
SniperLANDA Sniper benefits from the shepherd's reach-based zone control to claim and hold advantageous range, solving priority conflicts over the midline.
PUNISHES
✖ clumping
Stacking Menders leaves the encounter without enough sustained damage output to close fights reliably.
Works well with · Punishes · Pairing advice
Unlock with Tactics
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