NeoExodus Chronicles: Fleshwraith (PFRPG) PDF

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My, yes, I love animals and insects. Built for survival, perfect predators—even the prey is somewhat incredible. You learn a lot studying them…and don’t think I’ve no idea what you’re thinking about. Or that I’ve never heard people talking behind my back. I’ve seen them, heard them. Saying I’m weird, crazy, creepy, ugly. All stupid and jealous. Except this one, a great boy. Not the brightest one…I think he had a crush on me. A farm boy—orphan—watching over another awkward orphan girl, top of her class…the perfect couple, you see? Poor sap defended me every time, until he took one too many blows for me. Classic story: I was in the woods searching for some rare Hymenoptera, him glued to me like crap on my shoes, and right there: boom, a hungry bear! Fun fact: The boy had always been dead afraid of bugs. But unlike me, he had great eyesight and jumped first. Yep, he took on a damn bear long enough for some lumberjacks to hear our cries and chop through it. My own personal 10-year-old little-big hero. He didn’t make it through the night. Thinking back on it, he had pretty eyes…wanna see? I always keep a copy of his eyeballs in my lab to watch over me.

The Fleshwraith includes:

  • New Base Class: Fleshwraith
  • New Augmentations: Genetic Lab & Hivemind
  • Host and Symbiont
  • Nine All new Fleshwraith Spells including Caustic Spit, Grant Evolution, Sticky Net and Toxin Graft
  • Fleshwraith Feat: Body Horror
  • 2-Point Evolution: Survival of the Wisest

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An Endzeitgeist.com review

2/5

This pdf is 13 pages long, 1 page editorial/SRD, leaving us with 12 pages of content for the class, so let's take a look!

The Fleshwraith, (very) loosely based mechanically on the Machinesmith, gets 4+Int skills per level, proficiency with simple and natural weapons and light armors, 3/4 BAB-progression, good fort and ref-saves and access to prototypes of up to 6th level. Unfortunately, the pdf fails to specify the type of HD the class gets, though I assume d8 analogue to the Machinesmith. Nevertheless, a major glitch that renders the class potentially unusable.

Like the Machinesmith, the Fleshwraith can create a greatwork, though there's a major difference here - a fleshwraith's greatwork is a bioengineered construct with d10, fast BAB-progression, no good saves and no skill points. Their whole features are provided in a comprehensive list (and yes, being bio-constructs, they can be healed) before we delve into the different types of bioengineered greatworks.

The Mechanus, Mobius Weapons and Mobius Puppets (Check RiP's excellent "Secrets of Renegade Archetypes" for those) get some additional rules to set the fleshwraith-take on them aside from the machinesmith-take. The class also gets two new greatworks - the Genetic Lab. Unlike other greatworks, this one is not particularly mobile, though a new one can be set up via either some time or a shorter time-frame supplemented by monetary investment. This lab produces so-called gesigner-cells, but more on them later. This lab also provides an array of low-level at-will/charge abilities as well as the option to get 1/2 class level to Knowledge (Nature) and create toxins via this skill instead of Craft (Alchemy) as well as the poison use ability.

The second greatwork would be a more disturbing one - the hivemind, which allows the Fleshwraith to cultivate insects to bring forth 1/2 level + Int-mod hivemasters, which act as a kind of charges. Fleshwraiths with this greatwork gain a vermin companion and use the hivemasters for a limited array of basic spell-like abilities. In contrast to Machinesmiths, Fleshwraiths get a scaling healing touch, usable 3+int mod times per day, which is not based on positive energy and makes for an interesting ability - allowing for non-divine healing.

The Intelligent Design ability is also interesting: The Fleshwraith gets 1/2 level in evolution points, with which s/he can modify her own body just as if s/he were an eidolon. The rules are relatively solid here, but there's a weird disjunction regarding fluff and crunch here: At first, from the description, I thought the Fleshwraith could only modify her constructs via this ability when in actuality it is his/her body that is being modified - the fluff here is just confusing and needs a rewrite.

As the Machinesmith, Fleshwraiths get tricks, to be precise at 2nd level and every 2 levels after that. Beyond Machinesmith tricks, we get 3 new ones for the genetic lab that allow for the addition of alchemical extracts to be added to the list of his/her prototypes, consume unused prototypes to duplicate healing effects or imbibe poisons and drugs to create clouds of spores with the respective effect - nice for an escape-bluff, for example. Adheres to the Hivemind-type of Fleshwraith may get vermin affinity, improved stealth when moving slowly or 1/day web shelter. Other tricks enable her to reappropriate 1/day one point of her evolution pool to another evolution as a standard action, more often at higher levels or gain the craft construct feat - all, of course, with a distinct focus on her/his biomechanical work.

As the machinesmith, greatworks get updates over the levels - this time around a rather cool one: They may essentially highjack racial abilities via RP and temporarily grant racial abilities to the recipient (whether willing or unwilling) of the injection. I'm not particularly sure whether detrimental racial abilities like light blindness and similar traits with negative RP-costs fracture into this ability, though - which is relevant, since the potential for offensive use is there and the lack of save against it means that a cocktail of racial weaknesses might make for a powerful tool. The amount of creature-types that can be used as well as the spell-like abilities are further expanded.

Hivemind-Fleshwraiths can add evolutions to their vermin, as granted per intelligent design class features and mount vermin and even vermin swarms (like a certain Spiderman villain) and heal themselves via their hivemaster insects. Chitinous plating and finally, frightfully powerful insects complement this greatwork's upgrades.

After that, we get a second new base-class, the Host. The Host gets 4+Int skills per level 3/4 BAB-progression, proficiency with simple weapons, good ref and fort-saves and no spell-casting. The lack of class HD here really hurt the class, since whether d12, d10 or d8 are granted really would make a difference - after all, the class is rather melee-centric. Essentially, the basic idea is to allow you to play a creature akin to my most beloved Spidey-villain Venom. The Symbiont that melds with you allows you to create gory shields and also permanently enhance your physical attributes and gain faster healing. Per se a great concept - but the execution makes some mistakes: Level 18 is an empty level - no benefits, nothing - that does not confirm with PFRPG-design standards. Also, the class is terribly linear, offering only a minimum of choice and no e.g. talent/trick-selection etc., rendering its characters more exchangeable than I've come to expect from classes. The decision to make the class 3/4 BAB would require it to be supplemented with abilities on par with that of e.g. the monk and honestly, I don't see that right now. It doesn't happen often, but here I'm actually asking for a power-boost - tricks, full BAB, something in that vein. Oh, and we NEED those HD to play this in the first place.

9 new spells/prototypes for the Fleshwraith have been included in the deal as well, many of which are exclusive to the class: Making animate objects bioengineered constructs is cool, though spells in the description have not been properly italicized. Spitting or sneezing corrosive acid, grant 1-point evolutions, grow spiky exoskeletons, add poison to target creature's attacks, implant brains into bioengineered constructs, throw sticky nets - it's there. Two prototypes in particular are awesome: Larval clone grows a cocoon and makes your body grow a tumor-like larva that can carry your consciousness from your dead body and rejuvenate you or even carry it to other creatures, allowing you to dominate them bodysnatchers-style. The other lets you, as an immediate action, fall prone and be covered with a rather powerful defensive mucus and crawl only while under its effects, leaving a slimy trail - awesome imagery there!

We also get a new feat that allows you to demoralize flat-footed creatures in the surprise-round and a new 2-point evolution that nest your eidolon a small pool of 1-point evolutions that can be changed for a more versatile companion.

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are not particularly impressive: While I didn't stumble across any too glaring glitches, non-italicized spells in text and the overall formatting and at times disjunction between fluff and crunch make this pdf a harder read than it ought to be - especially with complex classes like this , this is an issue. Layout adheres to NeoExodus 2-column full-color standard and is beautiful to behold, as is the alternate, slightly more printer-friendly standard in the second version of the pdf. The pdf comes extensively bookmarked with nested bookmarks as well as several pieces of full color artwork which will be familiar to fans of NeoExodus-products, as they've been used before.

Damn. This is one of the cases where I just don't like being a reviewer. Why? Because I LOVE THE IDEAS TO DEATH. Author Benjamin Rombeaut has created a compelling class/variant with cool abilities and a sufficiently icky feeling. However, this pdf features several issues beyond the subpar formatting - while now the class-tables are included, the pdf still lacks the HD of the respective classes, which renders them unusable as written.

Worse, I somehow feel as if the Host-class just doesn't belong - linear design, dead level, overall rather weak, this one feels like it desperately needs another takeover/its own pdf to properly shine. Said space should have been devoted to providing more abilities/greatworks and especially, tricks, for the fleshwraith - as provided, the Host feels like half-done filler material that has been dropped into a pdf where it doesn't really belong.

This pdf has/had potential galore, but as written, it falls terribly and painfully flat of its own potential, with the lack of necessary information and the none-too-easy to process presentation conspiring with these glitches to force me to rate this at a verdict the pdf doesn't really deserve - 1.5 stars, upgraded to 2 for the purpose of this platform - I hope the issues will be addressed and that I'll be able to upgrade this pdf's rating in a manner similar to what happened with the Machinesmith back in the day.

Endzeitgeist out.


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Now available!

Silver Crusade

Thanks Liz !
If you meet any difficulty with creating a character, do not forget the following informations:

- the Fleshwraith is an alternate class for the Machinesmith base class. As such, it has the same Hit Dice, BAB and Skill Ranks progression as a Machinesmith;
- You don't need to own the Machinesmith's PDF, as everything you need to know (character progression, what class abilities the fleshwraith replaces...) is available right there for free on d20pfsrd.com;
- For class abilities dealing with the "Race Builder" rules introduced in Paizo's Advanced Races Guide, or the Construct Creation rules, or 3PP spells... you'll find again everything you need with a quick search on d20pfsrd.com.

I hope you'll like it ! ;)


Nice review, Endzeitgeist!


Thanks, though I really hope this will be revised - it is a GREAT concept, an awesome collection of ideas - and yet, there's a lot that needs fixing and greatly impedes this pdf's usability. I would have loved to rate this the score the ideas deserve.

Silver Crusade

Thanks for the review, Endzeitgeist. I came several times a day on endzeitgeist.com since the pdf has been made available to see your review ! I'm sad you didn't like the execution, but rest assured I will issue an errata worthy of a Seal of Approval as soon as I have some time for me (getting a full-time job in-between an active social and sportive life has some petty disadvantages).

Just to clarify some things :

- since that was my first experience writing professionally a full base class, I sometimes didn't know which informations I had to put in myself ; I should have asked LpJr how the content would be treated before handing the final corrected version. Believe it or not, the public playtest document actually included both Hit Dice and progression tables, but I removed them since they were based on D20pfsrd.com format and I thought it would have been deleted to give place to a better-looking table made with professional editing software. Again, I should stop assuming and start communicating more as to know what I should exactly hand to my bosses.
- Level 18 is not so much of a dead level since you actually receive +1 BAB, +1 to all saving throws, 3 daily prototypes, and 1 more evolution point. The gap actually is a leftover bone from a time when the benefits granted by the symbiont were closer to an eidolon's abilities (think the Draker archetype), which improve considerably at 18th level. I understand how it rightly feels underwhelming though as it is now, and I will provide some cool candies to complement the class.
- The Host is based on an alchemist archetype I made two years ago for a friend, revised as to make a perfect fit for the Fleshwraith base class, using the experience I gained writing my previous supplements. The design intent was to provide a balanced synthesist-like character, and from your review I guess I was a bit heavy-handed with the nerfbat (reduced natural attacks/round, shared hit points and MAD were all intentional decisions based on the synthesist's major issues). Believe it or not, the Host is actually most probably the option in the pdf that in the end received the most feedback, playtest, and time going for it, and also why it feels so cutted down. I do get that the linear progression feels shoehorned and reduces options; and if there is something I don't like, it's shoehorning concepts.

Thanks again for the complete review.
I hope the upcoming errata will impress you enough to reconsider your judgment over this work, and I'm glad you loved my ideas yet again. :)


Reviewed first on Endzeitgeist.com, then submitted to GMS magazine and Nerdtrek and posted here and on OBS.

@Benjamin: I'm a big fan of your designs and think that my review reflects this - as always, if you do make a revision, I'll gladly update my review accordingly! :D

Cheers!

Liberty's Edge

Is there any reason why there is not a way to spend all of your charges per day for the hivemind greatwork until 5th level?

Silver Crusade

Editing artifact - the first draft had an ability to spend your hivemaster charges into cut after some other parts were given a boost.

Expect this to be corrected soon.

Silver Crusade

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It’s time to flesh things out !

I originally designed the Fleshwraith class variant for Louis Porter Jr. Design’s Machinesmith base class. As written, the Fleshwraith required a revision… and after much tweaking, there it is. Feel free to give me your feedback !

Here is the list of revisions :

- Progression tables for each class variant
- Hit dice precised for each class (both are based on the machinesmith but the Host received a little boost)
- Fluff and crunch rewritten to remove any confusion
- Little balance tweaks there and there
- New fluff to introduce the Host
- Balance revisited for the Host’s powers (including no more “dead” level in terms of abilities)
- 17 Aberrant Traits for the Host archetype, improving customization through cool, icky abilities

In addition to the revisions themselves, you will find quite a sum of goodies as bonus content (written in green in the document) to thank people who supported, support or will support the class :

- ... did I mention the 17 aberrant traits ?
- ... the Phyto Lab : a complete, brand new greatwork to warp the vegetal kingdom to your liking
- ... which comes complete with 5 greatwork augmentations
- ... and to make all greatworks even, 2 new augmentations for the Genetic Lab and the Hivemind !

The revised version's playtest is available HERE.
I hope you’ll enjoy it !

- Benjamin “Maxximilius the Brain-in-a-Jar” Rombeaut

Silver Crusade

I updated the document, which you will now find HERE.

Here is the list of 2.1 revisions :

- Clearer text for the Phyto-lab, its upgrades and greatwork upgrades
- Little tweak to the phyto-lab itself
- Clearer text for the new, bonus greatwork upgrades
- Added the "Insight pool" missing prerequisite for the Brawn Booster aberrant talent
- Clearer text and some tweaks for some aberrant talents (notably Blood Jet and Sticky Tongue)

Right now my only feedback has been positive, regarding the Hivemind greatwork's tweak allowing the fleshwraith to feed hivemasters gorged with magic to her own vermin companion as to grant it a short bonus to an ability score.

You may find the playtest thread HERE. :)

Silver Crusade

Since there are no more suggestions for the playtest, and now that I gave a resolution to all issues found in reviews and the messageboards, I'm validating the current version and sending it to Louis Porter Jr. Design's staff. Thanks to everyone who supported, support or will support the class in the future !

If you don't want to wait, you can see all the corrections and clarifications (including the bonus content !) with the following link :

-> HERE IS THE CURRENT ERRATA <-


Did the revised edition ever get released?


Considering how the most recent update on this is a year old, I'm going to assume this update is never coming out. Is this a correct assumption?


A quick download showed me that the Fleshwraith-pdf has not been updated yet.


Endzeitgeist wrote:
A quick download showed me that the Fleshwraith-pdf has not been updated yet.

You are correct, this has not been updated. The main raison that we planned to update was during my wife's issues with cancer. This project revision has been placed on the back burner since then. I do plan to update these rules I just can't give you an exact date.


Understandable, Louis. No problem, just wanted to answer fafnir_bane's question in case you hadn't seen this with CoF's KS running.

Silver Crusade

I'm working on a creating an NPC using armor similar to Iron Man armor 51 (the current one based on symbiote biology) and I figured that the fleshwraith and transmechanical ascendant would work toward that goal. Which brings me to my question: does the fleshwraith's repair flesh ability count toward the prerequisites to enter the transmechanical ascendant prestige class? While I'm inclined to say yes, getting an official answer would be great in cutting out any potential calls of shenanigans I might hear in the future.


Huh? Where am I?


My apologies for the necro .... but I was wondering if Maxximilius' errata file was ever added to the revised Fleshwraith final product. See the conversation up above.

^^^

I'm inquiring because I'd like to buy this Fleshwraith files - assuming the revised material was instituted.

Thank you!

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