Acquiring templates (and how can you acquire a subtype?)

[Changing Man]

Under what circumstances (aside from building monsters and baddies and whatnot) do characters or their allies acquire templates? I know that a paladin's bonded mount gets the Celestial Template at a certain level; but aside from that...

And: is there any way for a character or their allies to acquire a type or subtype they didn't have before (such as an alignment subtype, or an element subtype)? Any spells or feats?

Thanks in advance!

[Shimesen]

Vampire bites, lecanthropy, turning yourself into a liche. Lots of ways. Read the beastiary.

[StDrake]

feats can't really change what you are, some classes might change your type+subtype, reincarnation spell might do the same, but basically it all gets down to what happens to your character as part of his story, not mechanics.

Every template has its own way, your GM might invent others, mostly to get any template your character needs to (at least partially) die and be recreated anew as something else, as templates and types are part of ones race.

[Changing Man]

Thank you for your replies.

I've looked in the Monster Advancement section of the Bestiary, and the brief entries regarding acquired and inherited templates; I was wondering mainly what other (unusual) circumstances could cause the acquisition of a template. I can respect it being more of a story element than a mechanical one.

Thanks again for your help!

[ShadowcatX]

I believe the monk capstone changes the monk's creature type, and the orc bloodline (which can be taken with any race) grants the orc subtype.

[Claxon]

In general characters recieveing templates is (or should be) rare. If not all characters recieve templates it can upset the relative power of characters which is unfair to individuals in the group.

That being said, there are lots of templates and lots of ways to acquire them. Some require being "born" or created that way. Some templates are acquired templates. Some templates are really only for use by the GM to enhance the CR of certain enemies to keep them relevant in a fight against PCs.