====== Nature ======

{{:misc:magic:nature.png?nolink }} **Nature** is a Sorcerous path of [[Magic]]. It is in some ways the most "Elemental" of the four, dealing in things of the world as they are, as long as those things are living. On the other hand, its spells are as subtle as snakes.

Nature mirrors [[Death]] in many respects, due to the green path's association with life. It governs far lower aspects of existence than [[Astral]]. And while [[Glamour]] and Nature go together well, Nature handles things squarely on the "waking" side of existence.

Nature is an unmistakably ancient path in Dominions, but one that the civilized races struggle to understand. Out in the wild, many wise or intelligent fellows have become masterful **Nature Mages**; in a controlled or comfortable setting, however, most struggle to surpass basic competence. A few nations in the [[nations-ma|Middle Ages]] try to "cultivate" or exploit Nature magic, but their "farms" either wither or grow sour by the [[nations-la|Late Ages]], resulting in the path's precipitous decline. And at this point, in an Age where fighters survive blows with [[Protection|armor]] instead of [[hit points|endurance]], only a few nations offer the old path the respect it deserves...

===== Nature Spells =====

Nature has a very long list of spells, the longest of the ten paths. Aside from the [[Animal|Animals]], these are mostly subtle effects that bolster or undermine the body... subtle by the standards of other paths, anyway, which [[fire|set people on fire]] or [[death|turn them into skeletons]]. Picture Astral, without the light.

{{:abilities:resist_poison.png?nolink }} [[Poison Damage|Poison]] is the preferred "element" of Nature's offensive spells. It acts slowly but surely; a poisoned fellow will still have time to make their peace (and/or kill things), but they can't do a thing about the poison once it's in their body.

Typically, the best counter to a Nature Mage is another Nature Mage, at least to apply [[Poison Resistance]] or befuddle the vast hordes of Animals. One can also narrow down a Nature nation's capabilities by process of elimination: one using [[Natural Protection|Barkskin]] might not have the [[Research]] invested for applying [[Regeneration]], for example, so a Fire Mage may get to dump flames on them without their hard work going to waste.

==== Pure Nature ====

^ Skill Level ^ Early Research (0 - 3) ^ Medium Research (4 - 6) ^ Late Research (7 - 9) ^
| {{path>N1}} (a dabbler) | Melee Poisoning \\ Lesser [[Entanglement]] \\ Lesser [[Darkvision]] \\ Personal [[Precision|Aim-Assisting]] \\ Lesser Barkskin \\ Lesser [[Poison Resistance]] \\ Entangling Projectiles \\ Healing \\ Shambling Mounds \\ Wolves \\ Big Snakes \\ Lesser Missile-Poisoning \\ [[Swiftness]] \\ Lesser [[Mounted|Mount]]-buffing \\ Lesser [[Animal]]-buffing \\ Poisoned Projectiles \\ Animating Trees | [[Undead]]-Poisoning \\ Personal [[Elemental Resistance]] \\ Lesser [[Berserker|Berserking]] | |
| {{path>N2}} (average) | [[Animal]]-Summoning \\ Giant Praying Mantises \\ Lesser [[Size|Enlargement]] \\ Personal [[Regeneration]] \\ [[Fatigue]]-dumping \\ [[Magic Sites|Site-Searching]] \\ [[Fear]]-causing \\ Forest [[Scrying]] | Wingless Gryphons \\ Entanglement \\ Barkskin \\ Bug-Mobbing \\ Lesser [[Size|Shrinking]] \\ Poison-bombing \\ Greater Animal-buffing \\ Poison Resistance \\ Mount-buffing \\ Animal-berserking \\ Missile-Poisoning \\ Animal-[[Charm|Charming]] \\ Self-[[Transform|Transformation]] | Lesser Forced Transformation \\ Greater Entangling Projectiles |
| {{path>N3}} ("mastery") | Lesser Regeneration | Giant Shambling Mounds \\ Wood Golems \\ Animal-[[confusion|befuddling]] \\ Greater Swiftness \\ Greater Missile-Poisoning \\ Forest Trolls \\ Wolf-Calling \\ Classical Dryads \\ Army Darkvision \\ Regeneration \\ Battlefield Undead-Eating \\ Forest Giants \\ Lamias \\ Remote Economy-Destroying \\ Army Aim-Assisting \\ Greater Barkskin \\ Enlargement \\ [[Instakill|Life-Overloading]] | Greater Bug-Mobbing \\ Greater Forced Transformation |
| {{path>N4}} ("god-like") | Remote Wolf Invasions | [[Disease Healer|Disease Healing]] \\ Fort-Trolling \\ Commander-Making \\ Supreme Missile-Poisoning \\ Greater Berserking | Greater Animal-Summoning \\ Shambling Mound Kings \\ Supreme Barkskin \\ Gassing Distant Provinces \\ Greater Regeneration \\ Greater Poison Resistance \\ Greater Animal-buffing \\ Greater Entanglement |
| {{path>N5}} | | **Gem Generating** \\ Fatigue Reduction \\ [[Domes]] | Magic Super-Boars \\ Tree Mages \\ Greater Enlargement \\ Supreme Regeneration \\ Magic Bug Piles \\ Godzillas \\ Greater Shrinking \\ Mass Tree-Animating |
| {{path>N6}} | | | **Health-Improving Global** \\ Full-Army Animal-[[Enslavement|Stealing]] |
| {{path>N7}} | | | **Forest-Stealing Global** \\ **Crop-Improving Global** |

==== Crosspaths ====
The following mention effects with Nature as the **primary** path.
  * Nature/**[[Fire]]**: Causing Diseases with ??Seven-Year Fever??.
  * Nature/**[[Air]]**: Creating Poison [[Clouds]].
  * Nature/**[[Water]]**: Plenty of swampy summons, some [[Underwater]] animals, underwater Fort-making, ??Mossbody??, and ??Foul Vapors??.
  * Nature/**[[Earth]]**: "Gaia" magic providing multiple buffs at the same time, and hardy lion-like beasts.
  * Nature/**[[Astral]]**: Flying Monkeys and the ??Moonvine Bracelet??.
  * Nature/**[[Death]]**: Extreme Poison, extra-dangerous snakes, and viny puppeteers of corpses.
  * Nature/**[[Glamour]]**: Slipping between forests via the ??Faery Trod??s.
===== Indirect Magic =====
{{:abilities:resist_poison.png?nolink }} A mage with {{path>N3}} has 5 extra points of [[Poison Resistance]]. A mage with {{path>N4}} has 10 extra points instead. This indicates a higher understanding of it, given that it's one of Nature's weapons.

{{:abilities:supply_bonus.png?nolink }} Nature Mages have green thumbs, so each level of Nature understanding they have generates **10 more [[Supplies]]** in whichever province they're in. 


{{:dom6:stats:age.png?nolink }} Nature Mages also have a better understanding of their life forces (if they're not [[Undead]], [[Inanimate]], or [[Demon|Demonic]]), and their "Max [[Age|Ages]]" (before getting old) are increased by an additive 50% per level.

{{:misc:gui:magicleadership.png?nolink }} Last but not least, every level of Nature understanding gives a Nature Mage 10 points of [[Magic Leadership]]. This helps them lead the Vine Men (the Shambling Mounds) around, at least!


===== Path Boosting =====

There are nine Nature boosters, two of whom are Artifacts. Of the seven accessed before [[Construction]] 9, only four require Nature skill; that leaves the ??Thistle Mace?? (Const 5, {{path>N2}}), the ??Armor of Twisting Thorns?? (Const 5, {{path>B3N2}}), the ??Moonvine Bracelet?? (Const 7, {{path>N3S1}}), and the ??Treelord's Staff?? (Const 7, {{path>N5}}). The Thistle Mace and the Treelord's Staff are both weapons, with the latter being a 2-handed weapon; however, the Treelord's Staff provides **+{{path>N2}}** instead of +{{path>N1}}.

??Strength of Gaia?? is the battlefield Nature-boosting spell. The problem is that it requires {{path>N3E1}}.