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So I might have a Pathfinder campaign coming up and one of my players, who is himself versed in 3.0 DnD and a bit of 3.5 told me about his character idea.
what he wanted to play is a construct (something like a warforged) hitman/bounty hunter type of character who would customize his own body. His idea was that his character is a centuries old construct that has been used to carry out killings in the names of its previous masters and over the time started to get independent and develope an identity.
First thing that sprang to my mind (since I'm going to use Golarion as my campaign world) was a Numerian hitman construct.
So today I whipped up the ARG playtest to see what i can do about that. Neither the Construct type (which with 20 RP would not end up with a playable character) nor the half-construct type (which just doesn't seem to fit) seemed appropriate to me so I took the construct type rules and cropped them down and altered them to make a living construct type, which is only kind of like the living construct idea under which warforged are made. Basically my idea is that they are arcane synthetic life. So without further babbling here's the type:
Living Construct (8 RP)
A living construct race is a self sustenant group of artificially created
creatures that are so highly complex that their physical properties resemble
living creatures in many ways, due to their complex physique and highly advanced
mental capabilities, they have many of the benefits and weaknesses of living
creatures but also retain construct like traits..A construct race has the following
features.
• Living constructs cannot heal or sustain damage through
positive or negative energy, but can be repaired via exposure
to a certain kind of effect or though the use of the Craft
Construct feat. Living constructs can also be healed through
spells such as make whole.
If a living construct is dying, a mending spell (but never
a stabilize spell) can stabilize it but never heals hit
point damage.
A construct with the fast healing special quality still
benefits from that quality.
• Living constructs are immune to poison and disease but can
be affected by any effects that affect constructs.
• Living constructs gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws
against mind-affecting effects, and effects that cause either
exhaustion or fatigue.
• Living constructs cannot be raised or resurrected.
• Living constructs do not breathe, eat, or sleep, unless
they want to gain some beneficial effect from one of these
activities. This means that a construct can drink
potions and can sleep in order to regain spells, but
neither is required to survive or stay in good health.
To compare this with a half-construct (7 RP) directly here are the differences between the two:
• Living constructs are immune to poison and sickness instead of just having a +2 to saves against them.
• Living constructs are unaffected by positive and negative energy, making them essentially immune to one type of damaging energy but also takes from them the most common source of healing.
• Living constructs are subject to anything that affects constructs
So while they have benefits over half-constructs, they also have some striking penalties.
Also since he was asking for the ability to build in weapons and armor into his character I came up with the following ability:
Customizable physique (2 RP)
Prerequisites: Construct, half-construct or living
construct type.
Benefit: The bodies of this race can be altered to include
installed weapons or armor. Weapons, shields and armor must be
specifically created for the purpose of installing into the body
of a living construct of the same race. The base price and cost
for masterwork of such items equals twice the regular cost.
Installing a set of armor takes one day of work. Installed armor
infers no penalties for sleeping in armor. Installed armor can
never be made of hide or leather except for dragonhide.
Installed armor must always be masterwork. As long as the
creature is wearing installed armor it can not wear any other
armor.
Shields and weapons are installed into the forearms and only one
item may be included per arm. Only size-appropriate bucklers,
light shields, hand crossbows, light mêlée weapons and one-handed
firearms may be installed. Installing a weapon or shield takes
4 hours of work. Weapons and shields are retractable and
extending them is treated the same way as drawing weapons and
donning shields (including the use of related feats such as
quick draw). Retracting installed weapons and shields takes a
move action to complete. All installed items can be retracted as
part of the same action. Installed weapons and shields can not
be dropped or removed through the disarm or steal combat
maneuvers, however they can still be sundered as long as they are
extended. While a weapon or shield (other than a buckler) is
extended the hand on the same arm is not able to hold any objects
(it might be retracted to make room for the weapon, locked in a
different position to protect it from harm, or the weapon extends
through the hand occupying it).
Installed items can only be removed by disassembling the item,
which takes one hour to complete per item. If an installed item
is destroyed it can no longer be used, in case of shields and
armor it still infers armor check penalty, movement penalties and
arcane spell failure chance but no armor or shield bonus.
Installed items can be upgraded the same way as regular items
(for example with armor or shield spikes), if the item is a
masterwork it can be enchanted the same way as any other weapon,
shield or armor, they can be enchanted either while installed or
prior to installation.
All installed items are used with the same penalties as regular
items of their kind if used without the proper proficiency.
Installed weapons and armor count only half their weight against
the carrying capacity of the wearer but weigh the same as a
regular item of their type when calculating the total weight of
the character (for example when calculating how much the
creature would burden a mount it is riding).
This and a standard +2 Physical, +2 Mental, -2 anything and standard movement would basically be all the race would get.
What do you people think, do the RP costs seem appropriate, or are they too cheap?
I think they seem fine. I rather like the racial trait especially. Now, what abut natural healing? Does that apply to a living construct?
I think they seem fine. I rather like the racial trait especially. Now, what abut natural healing? Does that apply to a living construct?
Yes they heal naturally, like living creatures.
Alright. By the way, I think the RP costs are pretty balanced. Nothing in the living construct subtype seems too powerful if it takes up most of the race's abilities. And the customizable physique is just fine because mechanically it doesn't really add much except immunity to two rare combat maneuvers. And it's got all sorts of flavor. I'll probably be using this for something. It's cool beans.
There seem to be no further objections so here is the race:
Hunter Agent (10 RP)
The Numerian hunter agents are highly advanced constructs capable of learning and adapting like sentient humanoids. They were applied by a secret branch of the Technic League to carry out assassinations and espionage jobs deemed too complex for the more common numerian machines and too dangerous for a living agent to fulfill.
They are capable of replicating their own physique and constructing new hunter agents on their own however this process seems to be unconscious, as hunter agents are incapable of explaining the construction process, and only happens in intervals of at least two to three years when three or four hunter agents are working together to create a single new hunter agent. Every hunter agent replicates traits of its own in the newly constructed agent. It is assumed by scholars that this process is supposed to artificially recreate the processes of evolution through natural selection and biodiversity. Every newly created hunter agent is fully functional the moment it is completed and can communitcate with others of its kind through a language unique to hunter agents that the Technic League refers to as Agent Code.
Due to their elaborate cognitive abilities, hunter agents that are not supervised and maintained for a sufficient amount of time, are capable of developing self conscience and a unique personality albeit with very limited emotional capabilities.
All hunter agents have the following racial traits:
• +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma: Hunter agents have excellent coordination and cognitive abilities but they are emotionally limited and distant from other creatures.
• Medium size: Hunter agents are medium sized and get no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Normal speed: Hunter agents have a base speed of 30 feet.
• Living construct: Hunter agents are artificial construct although their bodies replicate many of the functions of living creatures. They have living construct traits.
• Customizable physique: Hunter agents have apparently been designed for combat application as their bodies are modular capable of having different types of weapons and armor directly installed. They have two arms to install one shield or weapon into each and can wear installed armor.
• Languages: Hunter agents begin play speaking Agent Code. Hunter agents with high intelligence scores can choose between any of the following bonus languages: Common, Hallit, Elven, Halfling and Dwarven.
I made two minor changes to the Customizable physique ability.
They are more of a fix to minor oversights really. I added that extended gauntlet and bracer weapons, like bucklers are exempt from the rule that havng your weapon extended makes your hand incapable of holding things. And that retracting weapons can be done as part of a movement.
So now it looks like this:
Customizable physique (2 RP)
Prerequisites: Construct, half-construct or living
construct type.
Benefit: The bodies of this race can be altered to include
installed weapons or armor. Weapons, shields and armor must be
specifically created for the purpose of installing into the body
of a living construct of the same race. The base price and cost
for masterwork of such items equals twice the regular cost.
Installing a set of armor takes one day of work. Installed armor
infers no penalties for sleeping in armor. Installed armor can
never be made of hide or leather except for dragonhide.
Installed armor must always be masterwork. As long as the
creature is wearing installed armor it can not wear any other
armor.
Shields and weapons are installed into the forearms and only one
item may be included per arm. Only size-appropriate bucklers,
light shields, hand crossbows, light mêlée weapons and one-handed
firearms may be installed. Installing a weapon or shield takes
4 hours of work. Weapons and shields are retractable and
extending them is treated the same way as drawing weapons and
donning shields (including the use of related feats such as
quick draw). Retracting installed weapons and shields takes a
move action to complete (but can be done as part of a move action
used to move). All installed items can be retracted as
part of the same action. Installed weapons and shields can not
be dropped or removed through the disarm or steal combat
maneuvers, however they can still be sundered as long as they are
extended. While a weapon or shield (other than a buckler or bracer
or gauntlet weapon) is extended the hand on the same arm is not
able to hold any objects (it might be retracted to make room for
the weapon, locked in a different position to protect it from
harm, or the weapon extends through the hand occupying it).
Installed items can only be removed by disassembling the item,
which takes one hour to complete per item. If an installed item
is destroyed it can no longer be used, in case of shields and
armor it still infers armor check penalty, movement penalties and
arcane spell failure chance but no armor or shield bonus.
Installed items can be upgraded the same way as regular items
(for example with armor or shield spikes), if the item is a
masterwork it can be enchanted the same way as any other weapon,
shield or armor, they can be enchanted either while installed or
prior to installation.
All installed items are used with the same penalties as regular
items of their kind if used without the proper proficiency.
Installed weapons and armor count only half their weight against
the carrying capacity of the wearer but weigh the same as a
regular item of their type when calculating the total weight of
the character (for example when calculating how much the
creature would burden a mount it is riding).
I imagine when you sat down and discussed character creation with this player, the conversation went a little like this:
You (DM): Okay, so basically any golarion race is available.
Player: Hmmm...
You (DM): Well, do you know what sort of role you'd like to play? What class? That might help in determining what race you're going to want.
Player: I want to be really stealthy, and kill things.
You (DM): Have you thought about playing a halfling? They sound like they could be what you're looking for.
Player: No, halflings are lame. I'm not playing Bilbo Baggins.
You (DM): Okay, who are you playing?
Player: The Terminator.
Haha! No, actually the player (who in fact himself DMed most of our 3E campaigns) came to me at a party last night and asked me if there is a warforged-like race in Pathfinder and then proceeded to explain to me his already very elaborate idea for a character, complete with the fighting style and background story he wanted it to have.
Also more changes to the customizable physique ability:
Living and half-constructs can always install items on their own body or that of other indiviudals of their own race but if any other creature tries to install something on them they need the Craft construct feat to do so.
Customizable physique (2 RP)
Prerequisites: Construct, half-construct or living
construct type.
Benefit: The bodies of this race can be altered to include
installed weapons or armor. Weapons, shields and armor must be
specifically created for the purpose of installing into the body
of a living construct of the same race. The base price and cost
for masterwork of such items equals twice the regular cost.
Installing a set of armor takes one day of work. Installed armor
infers no penalties for sleeping in armor. Installed armor can
never be made of hide or leather except for dragonhide.
Installed armor must always be masterwork. As long as the
creature is wearing installed armor it can not wear any other
armor.
Shields and weapons are installed into the forearms and only one
item may be included per arm. Only size-appropriate bucklers,
light shields, hand crossbows, light mêlée weapons and one-handed
firearms may be installed. Installing a weapon or shield takes
4 hours of work. Weapons and shields are retractable and
extending them is treated the same way as drawing weapons and
donning shields (including the use of related feats such as
quick draw). Retracting installed weapons and shields takes a
move action to complete (but can be done as part of a move action
used to move). All installed items can be retracted as
part of the same action. Installed weapons and shields can not
be dropped or removed through the disarm or steal combat
maneuvers, however they can still be sundered as long as they are
extended. While a weapon or shield (other than a buckler or bracer
or gauntlet weapon) is extended the hand on the same arm is not
able to hold any objects (it might be retracted to make room for
the weapon, locked in a different position to protect it from
harm, or the weapon extends through the hand occupying it).
Installed items can only be removed by disassembling the item,
which takes one hour to complete per item.
A living construct or half-construct with the customizable physique
ability can always install or disassemble items from itself and
other individuals of its race. Other creatures need the Craft
Construct feat to install items into a creature with Customizable
Physique. If an installed item is destroyed it can no longer be used,
in case of shields and armor it still infers armor check penalty,
movement penalties and arcane spell failure chance but no armor or
shield bonus.
Installed items can be upgraded the same way as regular items
(for example with armor or shield spikes), if the item is a
masterwork it can be enchanted the same way as any other weapon,
shield or armor, they can be enchanted either while installed or
prior to installation.
All installed items are used with the same penalties as regular
items of their kind if used without the proper proficiency.
Installed weapons and armor count only half their weight against
the carrying capacity of the wearer but weigh the same as a
regular item of their type when calculating the total weight of
the character (for example when calculating how much the
creature would burden a mount it is riding).