I am currently running a game in the Mwangi Expanse, and right now the PCs are with a Harvestman Guide. Now I'm not sure if there are rules in one of the adventure paths or whatever for harvestmen, but this is what I've got:
Harvestmen:
+2 to one Ability score, Con –: As undead, Harvestmen do not have a constitution score.
Undead: Harvestmen are undead with the (Harvestman) subtype
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 ft.
Harvestman Subtype: Harvestmen are treated as undead creatures except for the following traits:
-Harvestmen are healed by positive energy and harmed by negative, just as living creatures.
-Although they are intelligent undead, Harvestmen do not heal naturally. Instead they must repair injuries by replacing the damaged flesh with pieces from humanoid or monstrous humanoid corpses. This process requires a full-round action and 1 lb. of flesh for each 20 points of hit point damage. During this process the Harvestman is helpless.
-Harvestmen technically are not true undead creatures, thus they are immune to turning and rebuking attempts.
-Raise dead, resurrection and true resurrection spells work on Harvestmen, but return them to life as Harvestmen. There is no known way to cure the Curse of the Harvestmen.
Languages: Polyglot.
Bonus Languages: Abyssal, Common, Sylvan.
I'd just like some opinions on if its balanced or not.
Thank you
I am unfamiliar with the source material, but this does not seem to be immediately unbalanced... until you look at all of the undead immunities.
Undead are immune to death effects, disease, mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, phantasms, and patterns), paralysis, poison, sleep, stun, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless). Undead are not subject to ability drain, energy drain, or nonlethal damage. Undead are immune to damage or penalties to their physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects. Undead are not at risk of death from massive damage.
They would make hellacious barbarians (with short fits of rage). I would think it would be the equivalent of at least a 2 or 3 HD character if it had a class level.
Still, it would be easy enough to remove some of these immunities with other traits to make it more playable. Since it's an intelligent undead, you could make the case that it isn't immune to compulsion and such, and that - while it doesn't require food, water, air, or sleep - it can still be damaged from extensive wear (extended forced marches, maybe?) and requires regular repair. Just some ideas.
As for source material, they are mentioned in the Heart of the Jungle supplement as being natives of the Mwangi Expanse, although they don't present any rules for them.
Here is my second attempt at it as a race:
Harvestman Draft 2:
+2 to one Ability score, Con –: As undead, Harvestmen do not have a constitution score.
Undead: Harvestmen are undead with the (Harvestman) subtype
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 ft.
Harvestman Subtype: Harvestmen are treated as undead creatures except for the following traits:
-Harvestmen are healed by positive energy and harmed by negative, just as living creatures.
-Although they are intelligent undead, Harvestmen do not heal naturally. Instead they must repair injuries by replacing the damaged flesh with pieces from humanoid, monstrous humanoid, or animal corpses. This process requires a full-round action and 1 lb. of flesh for each 20 points of hit point damage. During this process the Harvestman is helpless.
-Every 48 hours, Harvestmen must replace pieces of themselves that have rotted away. They must use 3 lbs, of flesh following the rules above.
-Harvestmen technically are not true undead creatures, thus they are immune to turning and rebuking attempts.
-Since Harvestmen are technically still mortal, they are not immune to mind-affecting effects.
-Raise dead, resurrection and true resurrection spells work on Harvestmen, but return them to life as Harvestmen. There is no known way to cure the Curse of the Harvestmen.
Languages: Polyglot.
Bonus Languages: Abyssal, Common, Sylvan.
I also tryed my hand at a template version:
Harvestman Template:
‘Harvestman’ is a acquired template that can be added to any corporeal Humanoid, Monstrous Humanoid, or Animal creature (hereafter referred to as the base creature).
CR: +1 (or maybe +0)
Type: The creature’s type changes to Undead and gains the Harvestman subtype. It keeps subtypes relating to race and species.
Alignment: Alignment remains unchanged.
HD: All racial hit dice are changed to d8s. Class hit dice remain unchanged.
Abilities: The creature’s Constitution score becomes 0. Other abilities are unchanged.
BAB: It’s BAB from racial HD equals ¾ it’s HD.
Saves: Base saves for Racial HD change to: Fort +1/3 HD, Ref +1/2 HD, Will +1/3 HD +2.
Well Healing magic works on pretty much everything else so I think its only fair. Saying they can ONLY heal themselves by playing choppy-choppy would be unfairly penalizing them as a PC race. What I meant was that they can't heal NATURALLY. Healing Magic isn't technically natural.
-Every 48 hours, Harvestmen must replace pieces of themselves that have rotted away. They must use 3 lbs, of flesh following the rules above.
You didn't mention any consequences for failing to do this. Probably treat it like starvation, plus obvious rotting meat smell.
Yeah I forgot about that. Probably something like 'takes a cumulative -1 penalty on all charsima checks for every 48 hours after it started'. I just thought I'd add the whole thing in to make it more balanced, even though in the background I have on them it doesn't mention anything like that.
Actually now one of my players was turned into a harvestman. Well it was either that or be turned into a giant, evil Easter-Island Head that feasts on blood, but thats a story for another day.....
My point is that I've discovered a loophole that could be easily exploited by rules-lawyers. All the PC harvestman needs to do is carry around a big sack o' body parts and a sewing kit and he can heal himself quickly between every combat. Do I need to fix this or something? And if so, I would definitely welcome all suggestions.
Yeah I forgot about that. Probably something like 'takes a cumulative -1 penalty on all charsima checks for every 48 hours after it started'. I just thought I'd add the whole thing in to make it more balanced, even though in the background I have on them it doesn't mention anything like that.
Actually now one of my players was turned into a harvestman. Well it was either that or be turned into a giant, evil Easter-Island Head that feasts on blood, but thats a story for another day.....
My point is that I've discovered a loophole that could be easily exploited by rules-lawyers. All the PC harvestman needs to do is carry around a big sack o' body parts and a sewing kit and he can heal himself quickly between every combat. Do I need to fix this or something? And if so, I would definitely welcome all suggestions.
Body parts are heavy. Just the average human arm weighs about 7 pounds. Each leg supposedly represents ~20% of your body, so a human weighing just 100 lbs would have 20 lbs legs. That stuff would get very heavy. Considering all of their immunities already though, this doesn't seem to be a big deal. Let em carry a couple of arms or a leg around just in case.