This is a work in progress, but represents a class based on certain aspects of my home campaign setting. It has elements of the barbarian, the summoner, and other influences. In essence, it uses the rage style mechanic to apply the abilities of the symbiont to the host. While I don't have it mentioned in the flavor text just yet, the two can't be separated without killing both, i.e. two minds in one body.
One of the downsides of the class, as a whole, is the ability of the symbiont to exert dominance in cases where conflicting desires occur (as per ego and intelligent items).
The name of the class is in the air, at the moment (just a placeholder), and I'm working on refining the evolutions to less generic descriptions and abilities (see the hydra evolution, for example).
* Base Class: Living Weapon Class
* Evolutions
I'd appreciate constructive comments, criticisms, and so on.
Bump.
It's an interesting class, outside of flavor reasons why have the symbiont at all? Why not just have the manifestation of abilities be similar to barbarian or shifter from eberron?
It's an interesting class, outside of flavor reasons why have the symbiont at all? Why not just have the manifestation of abilities be similar to barbarian or shifter from eberron?
Mechanically, it functions similar to a hybrid of barbarian and summoner; flavor is the only reason for the symbiont, so it could be modified in terms of flavor to create just about anything (such as some form of aberrant or what have you). I've done a shifter-style base class previously, which is still in work in progress, but didn't really fit the more limited scope and mechanics I was aiming for with the Living Weapon.
Edit: Wanted to add, I also really liked the idea of the "dual mind" mechanic (see intelligent items and ego) which can cause some conflict between the PC and the symbiont.
so this is very similar in premise to the Electus then.
Until you mentioned it, I was unfamiliar with the Electus. There were several mentions of it, but I only found one actual link with the class (there was one which referenced a pdf, but the link was dead). I definitely like the Electus, and may add it as an option in my setting.
As to similarity, definitely, once I read it. The big differences I noticed were:
1. This class has no spellcasting ability.
2. It mimics (as of the current version) only natural weapons and "natural" abilities (winged flight, claws, etc).
3. It can't be lost/stolen, as it is part of the character, i.e. the symbiont and host are inseperable: death of one kills both.
4. It functions on a limited duration (rounds per day).
WOuld you apply the dual mind effect as a player or as a DM? Seems a dangerous way to possbily rob a player of control...or a fun way for a player to explain radically different viewpoints.
Generally, it is supposed to function in a similar fashion to the Bladebound magus' black blade mechanic for ego, etc.
You bring up a very good point, however, and my policy is to allow the player control until such time as they ignore or find some way to abuse the mechanics.
I may have to reconsider the Ego mechanics, however, or perhaps revise the class as a less specific version (i.e. without the symbiont) and just use the symbiont as an archetype.
Awesome, I wanna make Venom and speak in the Royal We.
Awesome, I wanna make Venom and speak in the Royal We.
Truth be told, that's exactly what made me think of putting it together in the first place. =)