My friend and I had an idea for a character that is essentially a spirit controlling a construct. However, the construct racial type seemed a little overpowered for a standard campaign (20 RP). I attempted to modify it Here. The idea was that it would have some physical traits of a construct but would still feel fear, be susceptible to mind control, etc because it is an intelligent entity controlling another body. I also used Soul-Forge as a placeholder name because I was creatively lacking at the time and I haven't gotten around to changing it. I haven't tried something like this before and I would love any feedback. Thanks!
Any suggestions on making it better / more viable?
I did realise I didn't include info on at tuning a new body. I was thinking normally a short rest but that a limited number of times a day be able to make a concentration check to shorten it to a standard or full round action. I want it to be an achievable option but be difficult and definitely not something you can attempt an unlimited number of times.
Soul-Forge
Standard Racial Traits
Ability Score Racial Traits:
Soul-Forged are hardy but other races find them unsettling.
They gain +2 Strength and -4 Charisma Soul-Forged have no Constitution score. Any DC or statistic requiring a Constitution treats a Soul-Forged’s score as 10.
Size: Soul-Forged are medium creatures and receive no bonuses or penalties due to size.
Type:Soul-Forged are humanoids with the (modified) construct
subtype
Speed:Soul-Forged have a base speed of 30 ft.
Languages: Soul-Forged start speaking Common and Celestial. Soul-Forged with high intelligence can pick from the following: Abyssal, Aklo, Infernal, Sylvan, Elven, Auran, Aquan, Terran, and Ignan.
Defense Racial Traits________________________________________________
Unnatural Anatomy:
Soul-Forged are hard to destroy and have 20 extra hit points.
Otherworldly Control:
Rather than being a simple awakened construct, a Soul-Forge is an extraplanar entity controlling a foreign body. When the Soul-Forge’s body is destroyed it becomes an ethereal entity until it inhabits a new body. Its statistics remain the same but its health is reduced to 1/5th of its total. Ethereal entities may not interact with material ones, have a base speed of 15 (in any direction, including through solid objects), and may only see or hear in a 60ft radius. They are still affected by Force effects and abjurations.
Constructed Physicality:Due to their constructed form, Soul-Forged are immune to certain physical ailments. They are unaffected by disease, necromancy effects, poison, and any effect requiring a Fortitude save (unless the effect works on objects or is harmless). They are not subject to non-lethal damage, physical ability damage or drain, fatigue, or exhaustion. Self-induced conditions resulting in fatigue or exhaustion still effect the Soul-Forge as they strain her control of her physical body. Soul-Forged are not at risk of death from massive damage, instead their body is destroyed upon reaching 0 hit points.
Intelligent Being:
Unlike an awakened construct, a Soul-Forge is controlled by an extraplanar entity. As such they are not immune to mind-affecting effects. In addition, they may be subjected to mental ability damage or drain.
Natural Durability:
Wooden Soul-Forged have +2 natural armor. Metal Soul-Forged have +4 natural armor and have their speed reduced by 10 feet.
Feat and Skill Racial Traits___________________________________________
Self-Repair: Soul-Forged are not able to fully rely on healing magics and must learn to repair themselves. They start with the Craft Construct Feat and treat Heal as a class skill in relation to themselves.
Magical Racial Traits________________________________________________
Imperfect Materials:
Wooden Soul-Forged must add 5 to the DC of any save to avoid catching fire. Metal Soul-Forged must add 5 to the DC of any save to avoid electrical effects.
Half-Life: Soul-Forged are not effected by healing potions or sleep, and receive ½ healing from standard healing spells. However, they may be healed by spells such as make whole and by the use of their Craft Construct Feat. Soul-Forged may drink other potions to gain their benefits and may sleep to restore spells, though they do not require
sleep, food, or water for survival. A Soul-Forge’s body may not be raised or resurrected.
Magical Dependency:
Soul-Forged depend on magic to control their bodies. They can survive in Anti-Magic Fields for a number of rounds equal to twice their intelligence score. If they take any action the number of rounds they remain in control is decreased by 1. After this period, they much make a DC 10 Intelligence check to remain in their body. Every round the DC increases by 1. In addition, should a spell caster attempt to dispel the Soul-Forged, they get a DC 10 will save to avoid the effect.
Offensive Racial Traits_______________________________________________
Weapon Familiarity:
Soul-Forged are familiar with any weapon built in to their frame even if they are otherwise unfamiliar with a weapon of that type.
Senses Racial Traits_________________________________________________
Dark Vision:
Soul-Forged have Dark Vision up to 60 feet.
Check out the mechanics for the Warforged from the Eberron Campaign setting or the Gearforged for the Midgard setting. They have a fairly good balance on construct/living set up.
That said, I would make some changes.
Revised Soul-Forged:
+2 Str, +2 Dex, -2Cha. Soul Forged bodies are durable and strong, but are artificial bodies animated by an extraplanar entity, so have difficulty relating to most living creatures. (Specialized, 1RP)
Durable Form: Soul-Forged have a Natural Armor Bonus of +1. (2RP)
Material Weakness: Being constructed of wood and metal, Soul-Forged take a -2 penalty on saves vs Fire and Electricty. (-1RP)
Soul Forged have a base speed of 30 ft. (0RP)
Soul Forged are medium sized and have no bonus or penalty based on size.(0RP)
Languages: Soul-Forged start speaking Common and Celestial. Soul-Forged with high intelligence can pick from the following: Abyssal, Aklo, Infernal, Auran, Aquan, Terran, and Ignan. (Standard 0RP)
Soul Forged have Low-Light Vision, and Darkvision up to 60ft.
Soul Forged are extraplanar entities bound to a constructed form, giving them a modified Construct subtype.
As such they have no Constitution score. They receive +1 hp per hit die, and are immune to spells and effects that require a Constitution Saving throw, unless the spell or effect also affects objects, in which case they are treated as having a Con modifier of +0.
They are immune to bleed effects, poison, disease, physical ability damage or drain, non-lethal damage, or energy drain.
They are immune to physical fatigue and exhaustion, unless self-induced (such as Barbarian Rage). Magical and supernatural effects that cause fatigue or exhaustion affect them normally, (such as the spells Waves of Fatigue/Exhaustion).
Their physical form is rendered inoperative when reaching 0hp or fewer, and cannot be raised or resurrected, though it might be repaired to functionality.
Soul-Forged bodies do not heal damage on their own, but can be repaired via the use of the Craft Construct feat, and treat appropriate Craft skills as the Heal skill for purposes of their physical form. They can also be healed through spells such as make whole. Any source of magical healing heals only 1/2 the normal amount. They gain no HP from sleeping, although provided tools they or another character can make a Craft check (DC=10+their HD) to regain HP equal to their HD, after at least 4 hours of repairs. They can benefit from this no more than once every 24 hours. A construct with the fast healing special quality still benefits from that quality.
They are subject to mind affecting spells and effects, as well as mental ability drain and damage, as this interferes with the ability of the possessing soul to control the construct form.
Soul-Forged are not immune to sleep spells and effects, and need to spend the requisite time resting in order to regain spells. They do not need to breathe or eat, unless they wish to gain some beneficial effect from these actions (such as gaining the benefits of a potion).
(Approx 14 RP of the standard construct 20RP, as the HP, immunity to mind effects and sleep, and immunity to mental ability damage/drain is not included)
Otherworldly Control:
Rather than being a simple awakened construct, a Soul-Forge is an extraplanar entity controlling a foreign body. When the Soul-Forge’s body is destroyed it becomes an ethereal entity until it inhabits a new body. Its statistics remain the same but its health is reduced to 1/5th of its total. Ethereal entities may not interact with material ones, have a base speed of 15 (in any direction, including through solid objects), and may only see or hear in a 60ft radius. They are still affected by Force effects and abjurations while in this state.
Magical Dependency: Soul-Forged depend on magic to control their bodies. They can survive in Anti-Magic Fields for a number of rounds equal to twice their intelligence score. If they take any action other than moving their normal speed, the number of rounds they remain in control is decreased by 1. Every round thereafter, they must make a Will save to remain in their body. The DC starts at 10 and increases by 1 each round. In addition, should a spell caster cast a Dispel Magic, Disjunction, or similar effect on the body, the Soul-Forged must make a will Saving Throw at the DC of the spell in order to maintain control of the body. Failure means they are ejected from the body, although they may re-enter the body if it is otherwise intact after one round per level of the spell used. (-2 RP)
I think that is about 15 points total, so similar to Aasimar/Tiefling in terms of power.
Similar to other races like this, a couple of Racial feats to make better forms could be had. Each of these would have to be taken at 1st level, or taken with retraining as being rebuilt to suit.
RACIAL FEATS AVAILABLE:
Wooden Body: This body is made using as little metal as possible, in order to move more quietly and be lighter, for various purposes. Soul-forged made in this style have a +4 racial bonus to stealth, and a +4 to swim checks, although they lose their racial bonus to Natural Armor.
Armored Body: This body is made to be a defender or protective unit. Soul-Forged crafted in this way increase their Natural Armor Bonus to +3, and gain a +2 bonus to Intimidate. However, they are slower and more cumbersome, causing them to start with a movement speed of 20 and lose the racial bonus to Dexterity.
I found your edit very helpful but I had a quick question. I realized I didn't have anything addressing if they had to switch bodies. I was thinking a short rest to attune a new body but am playing with the idea of letting them attempt to do it as a full-round action a number of times a day equal to their level / 4. Do you think that is too broken? If not would a DC 20 Intelligence check be reasonable?
It depends on how bad you want to make "Dying" on them.
To make it matter so that "Death" is more than an oops moment, I would make it 10 minutes, minus 1 minute for each HD they have, but never faster than a Full Round. They could attempt a DC 20 WILL save, not intelligence check, in order to do it in half/quarter/whatever, but still never faster than a full round, and that speed would impose a -2 penalty on all die rolls until they have the time to adjust to the form properly.
I would personally go so far as to make changing bodies from one to another require 10 minutes out of body as well, so that players don't just think of it as easy to do in a dungeon situation. Although comfortably at home, you might have several bodies for different functions available.
These guys are described as NEEDING these forms in order to interact with the material plane, they should be as paranoid as is possible to achieve about losing access to one as other races are about their own bodies.
Fair enough. I wanted to make it serious but potentially recoverable. Similar to death saving throws from 5e. In regard to the check type, will makes sense. I wasn't sure what it should be cause you don't often see a player taking an opportunity to initiate a saving throw on their own.
