Girl Genius's Jaegers.

[Natan Linggod 327]

IF you haven't read Girl Genius, I recommend you do so immediately.

Brief recap, the Jaegers (or Jaegermunsters) are mutated humans (and at least one bear that I know of) created by a family of genius mad scientists, the Heterodynes.

The alchemical process gives them a vastly extended lifespan, superhuman strength and stamina, the ability to survive and recover from tremendous physical damage and physical alterations such as unusual skin colour, fangs, claws and odd horns. Some seem to have enhanced senses such as better eyesight or sense of smell.

Their fearlessness and bloodthirst seems to be an underlying trait of the people who undergo the process rather than a result of the process.
As is, apparently, their tendency to think with their fists and a fascination with fancy hats (the taller and fancier the hat, the more important they think the wearer...)

So, what do I give them in the template?
A bonus to Str and Con obviously. I'm not sure how much though.
They don't regenerate but I'm not sure how to model their recovery abilities. Diehard feat for free maybe? Automatic stabilization when under 0 hp?
As for the random physical stuff I was thinking of rolling on the tiefling table and ignoring any spell like ability result.

Anyone got any ideas to add?

[Mudfoot]

Agreed: GG is required reading. Very clever, very funny and with superb artwork and attention to detail.

Jaegers could probably get much faster natural healing and ability damage recovery. As for how much, and how much Str and Con (maybe +4 each?) that largely depends on what you want the CR adjustment to be. GG combat is frequently rather cartoony so you can justify anything. Consider Gil vs Vole: the damage they take is absurd.

And as they were all probably a reasonable level before the Jaegerdraught and have had many years of combat since, they're not exactly 1st level. And a 10th level martial can take an immense amount of damage.

[Snively]

Possibly a half-orc reflavor? Tiefling?

If you want a Template, how about
Prereq: Orc, Half Orc, Assimir, or Tiefling.
+2 to any one physical stat
-2 to any one mental stat

A limited number of times per day, they may take any damage from a single source, and convert it into Nonlethal damage. They may do this (Con Bonus) times per day. This is an immediate effect.

[Natan Linggod 327]

Mudfoot wrote:

Agreed: GG is required reading. Very clever, very funny and with superb artwork and attention to detail.

Jaegers could probably get much faster natural healing and ability damage recovery. As for how much, and how much Str and Con (maybe +4 each?) that largely depends on what you want the CR adjustment to be. GG combat is frequently rather cartoony so you can justify anything. Consider Gil vs Vole: the damage they take is absurd.

And as they were all probably a reasonable level before the Jaegerdraught and have had many years of combat since, they're not exactly 1st level. And a 10th level martial can take an immense amount of damage.

Oh yeah, I forgot that they'd have much higher lvls than normal.

The Jaegerdraught is almost like a permanent effect Alchemists mutagen...

Now that I think about it, a permanent mutagen works well. All I need to do now is write up a table for the some random discoveries that take effect like claws etc...

[haruhiko88]

You could make it like a barbarian archetype similar to the mutagenic mauler. Just change the morale bonuses from rage to alchemical like an alchemist and you have a decent start. Trade off damage reduction for fast healing maybe?

[Doomed Hero]

I'd just use Orcs and reflavor them. Class levels in Barbarian will do the rest.

[Paladin of Baha-who?]

They need to have the scent ability too. How else can they tell when some schmot gurl smells goot, like de heterodyne?

[Doomed Hero]

Paladin of Baha-who? wrote:

They need to have the scent ability too. How else can they tell when some schmot gurl smells goot, like de heterodyne?

I don't think that's Scent. I think Jaegers can smell the Spark. Different Sparks have varying scents. The Heterodyne Sparks smelled good to them.

Call it an alternate racial trate that replaces Orcish weapons or something

[Aelryinth]

They are definitely inhumanly strong.
They also usually have claws, and they all have fangs. If they don't have an odd skin and/or hair/eye color, they have horns.

As they get older, they get bigger and stronger, i.e. they keep growing in size and strength over time.

Being a Jaeger is probably a template that changes a human to a monstrous humanoid - they are probably closer to a minotaur then a human.

I'd do something like:

Str and Con +4
Wisdom -2
Scent.
Nat Armor +4.
+ DR 4/-
Change type to Monstrous Humanoid.
Give them 2 HD of Monstrous Humanoid.
Can rage as a Barbarian of equal Hit Dice.
Gain slam attack (d6) and the Improved Sunder feat.
No age limit, does not suffer physical aging penalties, but does get the mental benefits over time.
Str and Con +1 for every 50 years the Jaeger lives, to a maximum of 30.
Genetic loyalty to the Heterodynes (+6 to any Will saves involving going against the will of a Heterodyne).

All Jaegers have class levels, usually of a Fighter with weapon spec in their favorite killing implement, or a Barbarian. As a society, their long lives result in a medley of eccentric personalities, but their eagerness to join a fight, their fascination with ornate hats, and their impulsive, destructive playfulness have typified them for centuries. The average Jaeger is a 6th level character, but officers and generals can have levels up to 15 quite easily...and the magnificent hats to go with it.

==Aelryinth

[Natan Linggod 327]

I like that Aelryinth.

Not sure about the racial rage. I don't remember seeing them go into battle rage all that much. Enthusiastic and reckless definitely but I think that's just more of that impulsiveness you mentioned.

And I'd probably give them a penalty to Int rather than Wis. They are fairly instinctual beings, imo.

Also anyone with an impressive hat gets a +1 to +4 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy checks made against a Jaeger, depending on the magnificence of the hat...

[BigNorseWolf]

They also get stronger as they age. Look what happened when they yanked that guy out of mechanicsburghs timestream. The human aged to dust. The jaeger got bigger and more spikey and... jaggery

[Kobold Catgirl]

I'd give them the Aberration type, or, more linearly, Construct. That covers a lot. Obviously, aberrations need to breathe and eat and stuff, which Jagermonsters clearly don't.

Also, bear in mind that they don't just "not get physical penalties from aging": They get bigger.

EDIT: Shoot, BigNinjaWolves.

[BigNorseWolf]

Do not shoot the big ninja wolves!

[Natan Linggod 327]

I'm pretty sure the Jaegers do need to eat. And breathe. Just maybe not as much as others.

[Kobold Catgirl]

Well, hanging sure didn't do a thing to them.

[Aelryinth]

That just meant they had strong necks.

Note that I DID accommodate getting bigger and stronger with age.

I gave them a Wis penalty because they are impulsive, reckless, and VERY willing to follow orders without questioning things. They aren't stupid, however...they don't 'think things through' much, and leave such stuff up to the Heteros and the few Jaegers who look out for their own and end up becoming officers.

A clever Jaeger is a veeeeery dangerous Jaeger.
But they definitely aren't constructs or aberrations. They are mutated humans.

Given the way they are drawn and how they act, you might even give female Jaegers swashbuckler levels. :)

==Aelryinth