Feat: Craft Creature (I - IV)
Crafting time: (Creature Tier ^3 + creature’s level) days, the last half of which uninterrupted.
Tables mentioned can be found in doc here.
Craft Creature Tier I: 4 ranks in Life Science and Mysticism
Craft Creature Tier II: 8 ranks in Life Science and Mysticism, Craft Creature I
Craft Creature Tier III: 12 ranks in Life Science and Mysticism, Craft Creature I & II
Craft Creature Tier IV: 16 ranks in Life Science and Mysticism, Craft Creature I, II, & III
This feat gives you the knowledge and ability to genetically create a novel creature based on field research and gathered samples. The creature is always sentient and operates under its own control, though as the creator you have influence over it. The DCs for Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive against the creature are 5 lower than normal for the creator.
Beginning at Tiny size with the Tier I feat, subsequent higher tiers unlock larger size options
Craft Creature Tier I: Creature size Tiny
Craft Creature Tier II: Creature size Small
Craft Creature Tier III: Creature size Medium
Craft Creature Tier IV: Creature size Large
The basis of creature building is to mashup the various special abilities confronted in foes to build a custom amalgamation. A creature must be created in a Science Lab for the entire duration of the build time and a crafted Creature can only have special abilities applied from samples of creatures that you have gathered or been given. Every creature starts with one of the three base stat arrays in Table 1-1. They are then leveled according to Table 1-2 up to the Creator’s desired build level. The maximum level a creature can be created at is the average of the Creator’s Ranks in Life Science and Mysticism - 3, rounding down. (E.g. 4 ranks in both Life Science and Mysticism yields a level 1 creature, while 6 ranks in Life Science and 4 in Mysticism yields a level 2 creature.)
A creature can purposefully be created at any level between the Creator’s maximum and 1. The time it takes to create them in a lab is found in days by the “creature’s Tier ^3 + creature’s level” or can be referenced in Table 1-3. The project can be moved to a new lab only during the first half of the build time, rounding down. Once the second half of the build time is started the creature must stay in its current lab and the remaining of the build time must continue in uninterrupted days until completion. Both Tiny and Small projects can be packed up and moved on one’s person, while a Small project also renders the carrier encumbered. Medium and Large projects must be transported by vehicles with adequate space for the project’s creature type. The project has hit points equal to the number of days spent on it and ACs of 5.
The Constitution modifier does apply to total HP (per every level) and Fortitude saves, as the Dex modifier applies to ACs and Reflex saves, and the Wisdom modifier applies to Will saves.
The creature levels along with its Creator, gaining improvements to its stats and feats, but the Special Abilities must be added on through surgery.
Only one creation can exist at one time, else they succumb to Frankenstein Jealousy and fight each other to the death. A crafted creature can be set free and thus released from the creator-child bond. To break a bond this way requires a successful Life Science check of DC 10 + (Rank Prerequisite for tier *1.5) that can be attempted once per day. Other options are abandonment and death. These both cause you to enter a mourning state that prohibits you from beginning the crafting another creature after as many weeks as your highest Craft Creature Tier.
Intimidation to make it flee makes more sense, I think I was trying to key too much off of one key stat. I agree there were too many feats and abilities as well. It's been scaled back now power-wise. My intent was to make the creature have the power level of a familiar, not a companion as to not step on the Mechanic's toes or shatter the level of benefit that a single feat should carry.
The sibling thing was and attempt at clever wording, but the point to it is to avoid people making an army of these creatures. I feel like the power curve will get blown away if more than one is able to exist at a time.
Ethics being grey here is completely true, but I strongly disagree with the statement that this feat chain's purpose is to make slaves. The intent is to synthesize new biological lifeforms that would be similar to pets or mental equals. If you run an evil campaign and allow players to go down a dark path, that's up to you, but the intent is to have a hands on approach to building a familiar. Once the creature is born and leaves the incubation chamber it will be fully sentient and it's own being. While the creator has some emotional leverage over the creature due to their relationship, they do not possess any out right control. The result is akin to a literal child or a pet, and I for one can't get my cats to do a single chore around the house.
Reasons I think it is needed:
1) There are no familiars
2) There is none or little gene manipulation/DNA splicing sci-fi in the current setting. This allows players and GMs to make characters that focus in the life sciences rather than computer or engineering to develop sentient things.
It's easy to go cyberpunk right now, but what about biopunk? Frankenstein is argued as the original Sci-fi story and I think something like these feats gives it a place in Starfinder.