|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
This is a base class concept I've been working on for a while. The metamorph has a focus on evolutionary adaption to a variety of environments, a special kind of natural attack called mutated weaponry, and an "influence" that grants special abilities.
Hit Points: 7
Stamina Points: 7 + Constitution modifier
Key Ability Score: Constitution
Base Attack Bonus = Level
Base Fort Save = 2 + 1/2 Level (good)
Base Ref Save = 2 + 1/2 Level (good)
Base Will Save = 1/3 Level (poor)
Skill Ranks: 4 + Intelligence modifier
Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Athletics (Str), Intimidate (Cha), Life Science (Int),
Perception (Wis), Profession (Int/Wis/Cha), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis)
Proficiencies:
Light armor
Basic and advanced melee weapons, small arms
ADAPTIVE (EX) - 1st level
Your strange adaptations allow you to be prepared for anything. You gain a +1 insight bonus on Survival skill checks. At 5th level, every 4 levels thereafter, and at 20th level, this bonus increases by 1.
INFLUENCE - 1st level
You've been exposed to some kind of influence. Whether that influence comes from an ancient bloodline, genetic splicing, or a strange magical source, they all manifest in their own way. You must pick one influence upon taking your first level of the metamorph class. Once made, this choice can't be changed. Each influence grants you an additional class skill.
INFLUENCE POWER - 1st level
At 1st level, 3rd level, and every 4 levels thereafter, you gain a power related to your influence. These powers are listed in the description of that influence.
MUTATED WEAPONRY (EX) - 1st level
Your body has been subject to mutation that unleashes a hidden potential. Your hands (or whatever hand-like features your form possesses) are considered mutated weapons. At first level, you must choose whether your mutated weapons deal bludgeoning, piercing or slashing damage. This decision can be changed at each new metamorph level. Your mutated weapons are treated as advanced one-handed melee weapons with the analog property, and you are always considered proficient with them. They deal 1d4 damage at 1st level. This damage increases to 1d8 at 4th level, 2d8 at 8th level, and increases by an additional 1d8 at 12th level and every 2 levels thereafter. You add your Strength modifier to the damage as normal for melee weapons. Many evolutions, influence powers, and other metamorph features change how your mutated weapons function.
You can purchase special augmentations that improve your mutated weapons. Solarian weapon crystals can be purchased in the form of augmentations that have the same price and item level as the crystal they are based on; they enhance your mutated weapons by adding critical effects and other weapon special properties the base weapon crystal would provide to a solarian’s solar weapon. These augmentations follow all the normal rules for augmentations, and occupy the special mutated weapon system. In addition, you can apply weapon fusions to these augmentations as part of their installation (but not after they are installed) and the effects of the applied weapon fusions apply to your mutated weapons. These weapon fusions have the same cost as a weapon fusion applied to a weapon of the same item level, and the normal restriction on the maximum number of weapon fusions applies. If your mutated weapons are modified by a weapon fusion in this way, they are considered magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
METAMORPH EVOLUTIONS - 2nd level
As you gain power, you adapt and evolve in response to dangers you have faced, or even those you expect to face. You gain your first metamorph evolution at 2nd level, and you gain an additional evolution at 4th level and every 2 levels thereafter. If a metamorph evolution allows a saving throw to resist its effects, the DC is equal to 10 + half your metamorph level + your Constitution modifier. You cannot learn the same evolution more than once unless it says otherwise.
WEAPON SPECIALISATION (EX) = 3rd level
You gain Weapon Specialisation as a bonus feat for each weapon type this class grants you proficiency with. Your mutated weapons gain the benefit of Weapon Specialisation as though they were advanced melee weapons.
ENVIRONMENTAL ADAPATIONS - 5th level
At 5th level and every 4 levels thereafter, you grow to become perfectly suited for living in certain extreme environments. These are called environmental adaptations, and are selected from the list below. Some environmental adaptations require you to reach a certain metamorph level to select them; this level is indicated in parentheses after the adaptation’s name. If an adaptation has another adaptation as a prerequisite, that prerequisite is mentioned in its description.
Aquatic Adaptation (Ex)
You gain the ability to breathe water. In addition, are immune to the harmful effects of being at extreme depths, and you do not suffer the normal attack roll and damage penalties for underwater combat when using your mutated weapons.
Extreme Atmosphere Adaptation (Ex)
You no longer need to breathe, and are immune to suffocation. You cannot unwillingly be exposed to harmful inhaled poisons or airborne diseases. You ignore the harmful effects of thin and thick atmosphere, including severely thin and severely thick atmosphere. You also don’t take any bludgeoning damage from exposure to a vacuum or from decompression.
Extreme Temperature Adaptation (Ex)
You are immune to the damaging effects of cold and hot environments that grant a Fortitude save to avoid. This does not protect against effects that do not grant a Fortitude save to avoid (such as lava).
High-Gravity Adaptation (Ex)
You are always considered acclimated to high-gravity environments, and your speed is not reduced due to high-gravity environments. You treat equipment and items as their normal weight and bulk for the purpose of your carrying capacity and encumbrance.
Mountainous Adaptation (Ex)
You are always considered acclimated at high altitudes. You always take minimum damage from falling and gain a +5 circumstance bonus on Acrobatics skill checks to reduce falling damage.
Radioactive Adaptation (Ex)
When you attempt a saving throw against radiation, you treat the DC as if it were 4 lower. You treat the poison effect of radiation as though it had a frequency of 1/minute.
Underground Adaptation (Ex; 9th level)
You gain blindsight (vibration) to a range of 30 feet that allows you to detect creatures and objects touching the same solid surface or object as you.
Zero-g Adaptation (Ex)
You become immune to the off-kilter condition. You gain a +5 circumstance bonus on Acrobatics and Athletics checks related to moving in a zero-g environment.
RAPID STRIKES - 7th level
When making a full attack using only your mutated weapons, you take a –3 penalty instead of the normal –4 penalty.
METAMORPH ONSLAUGHT - 13th level
When making a full attack, you can make up to three attacks instead of two attacks. You take a –6 penalty to these attacks instead of a –4 penalty. If you have the rapid strikes feature, you only take a –5 penalty to each attack so long as you only use your mutated weapons.
ULTIMATE ADAPTATION (EX) - 20th level
You can adapt perfectly to any situation. After a 10-minute rest to regain Stamina Points, you can select one environmental adaptation you do not already have and that you meet the prerequisites for and gain its benefits until your next 10-minute rest to regain Stamina Points.
In addition, you can spend 1 Resolve Point as a move action and any one metamorph evolution that you do not already have and that you meet the prerequisites for to gain the benefits of that evolution for 1 minute.
____
INFLUENCES
The following is a small sample of the common influences for metamorphs.
You are influenced by a classical elemental force. This is often caused by experimentation (willing or not) with gates to the elemental planes or arcane mutation. When you gain this influence, choose air, earth, fire, or water. Once this choice has been made, it cannot be changed. Each element has an associated energy damage type and movement type that its powers are dependent on, as shown on the following table.
Element: Energy; Elemental movement
Air: Electricity; fly 60 feet (average)
Earth: Acid; Burrow 30 feet
Fire: Fire; +30 feet land speed
Water: Cold; Swim 60 feet
You gain Physical Science as a class skill.
Elemental Strike (Su) - 1st level
Your mutated weapons are infused with elemental energy. When making a mutated weapon attack, you can choose to deal damage of your element's energy type instead of the normal damage type. When doing so, your mutated weapons have their damage dice reduced from d4s to d3s, or from d8s to d6s if your mutated weapons use d8s. Elemental strikes target EAC instead of KAC.
If you have an augmentation in your mutated weapon system, you only add half of the additional damage dice provided by that augmentation (rounded down, minimum 1 additional damage die) when making an elemental strike.
Elemental Resistance (Ex) - 3rd level
You develop a natural resistance to damage from your energy type. You gain resistance 5 against your element's energy type, and a +2 insight bonus on saving throws against effects with a descriptor matching your element or its energy type. At 7th level, 11th level, and 15th level, the resistance increases by 5. Also at 15th level, the bonus on saving throws increases to +4. At 19th level, you gain immunity to your element's energy type.
Energy Shroud (Su) - 7th level
You can enshroud yourself in elemental energy for 1 minute as a standard action. When an adjacent creature hits you with a melee attack, they take 2d6 points of damage of your element's energy type. At 13th level and 19th level, this damage increases by 1d6. Once used, you cannot use this ability again until after you spend 1 Resolve Point to regain Stamina Points after a 10-minute rest.
Elemental Movement (Su) - 11th level
You gain a special movement type or bonus based on your element, as noted in the table above. A bonus to land speed does not stack with the improved speed evolution. At 19th level, the speed of the new movement type or the bonus to an existing movement type increases by 30 feet.
Elemental Power (Su) - 15th level
Your elemental strike becomes more powerful. When you use your elemental strike, you ignore all energy resistance the target has against your mutated weapon attacks. If you attack a creature with immunity to your energy type, your elemental strike attacks still deal half of their damage.
Energy Burst (Su) - 19th level
You can spend 2 Resolve Points to unleash a massive burst of energy as a full action. All creatures except you within a 30 foot burst centered on you suffer 1d8 points of damage of your element's energy type per metamorph level you have. Creatures in the area can attempt a Reflex save for half damage. The DC is equal to 10 + half your metamorph level + your Constitution modifier. Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you spend 1 Resolve Point to regain Stamina Points after a 10-minute rest.
You have an unusual psychic gift that allows you to shape your own body. This gift might have come as a result of biological experimentation, exposure to psychic energy, or simply be a natural talent you have. You gain Sense Motive as a class skill.
Awakened (Su) - 1st level
You have gained a glimpse of your potential. Your mutated weapons are a projection of psychokinetic energy that do not require you to have a hand free. In addition, you can cast psychokinetic hand, telekinetic projectile, and telepathic message at will as spell-like abilities. Finally, your base Will save bonus from your metamorph levels is equal to 2 + half your metamorph level, but your base Reflex save bonus from your metamorph levels is equal to one-third your metamorph level.
Channel Ability (Su) - 3rd level
Your innate abilities become stronger, and you can channel the power of your body through your psychic powers. When you use your telekinetic projectile spell-like ability, you treat the attack as a thrown weapon attack, adding your Strength modifier to the damage roll and using your Strength modifier in place of your Dexterity modifier for the attack roll. In addition, you gain specialisation with the attack, adding your character level to the damage roll.
[b]Reaching Influence (Su) - 7th level
You can project your psychic influence even further. The reach of your mutated weapons is increased by 5 feet, and they are considered magic for the purpose of bypassing damage reduction. The range of your psychokinetic hand and telekinetic projectile spell-like abilities are increased to medium range (100 feet + 10 feet/level), and the range of your telepathic message spell-like ability is increased to long range (400 feet + 40 feet/level). Your telekinetic projectile spell-like ability uses your base mutated weapon damage dice (excluding any increase from augmentations) in place of the normal 1d6.
Telekinetic Precision (Su) - 11th level
You can perform telekinetic feats with amazing precision. You can perform any action you could perform using only your hands (such as using a computer, opening a door or pickpocketing) at a range of 30 feet. You can never use this ability to make attacks or take any other offensive actions.
Psychic Senses (Su) - 15th level
You gain telepathy out to a range of 100 feet. You can also detect and locate creatures within 60 feet that have thoughts, as per blindsight (thought). This detects creatures with an Intelligence score so long as this intelligence is not wholly artificial (A humanoid's consciousness uploaded into a construct would be detected, but an artificial intelligence would not). Nondetection and similar effects can prevent a creature from being detected this way.
Psychic Projection (Sp) - 19th level
You can spend 2 Resolve Points to project your consciousness as a psychic image of yourself for up to 1 round per metamorph level. This functions as the transcendence mystic class feature, except you can't cast spells, but you can use spell-like abilties and mutated weapon attacks.
You are influenced by the ferocity of natural hunters and predators. Your genetics are optimised to produce a form capable of stalking and killing prey, sharing the might of hunters like large cats and wolves. You gain Disguise as a class skill.
Natural Hunter (Ex) - 1st level
You can surprise your prey, or you can take to the chase. Your land speed increases by 10 feet while unencumbered and wearing light armor or no armor. Additionally, you gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls with mutated weapons during the surprise round against creatures that are surprised.
Predator's Pounce (Ex) - 3rd level
When you charge, you ignore the normal charge penalties to attack rolls and AC. You can charge as a standard action, and you can choose to make a trip combat manuever instead of the melee attack at the end of the charge.
Vicious Rend (Ex) - 7th level
Your mutated weapons can be used to rip and tear creatures apart. When you hit a single creature with at least two mutated weapon attacks as part of a single action (such as a full attack or your improved pounce), that creature suffers an amount of bleed damage equal to half your metamorph level.
No Escape (Ex) - 11th level
When you make an attack of opportunity, you can choose to attempt to trip the target in place of a normal melee attack. You gain a +4 bonus to the attack roll on such a trip attempt.
Improved Pounce (Ex) - 15th level
When you charge as a full action, you can make two attacks against the same target with your mutated weapons at the normal penalty for making a full attack with your mutated weapons. You may attempt a trip combat manuever in place of the first attack; this trip not take the full attack penalty.
Brutal Rend (Ex) - 19th level
The bleed damage dealt by your vicious rend is increased to be equal to your metamorph level. The DC of the medicine check to stop the bleeding increases to 10 + 1-1/2 × your metamorph level + your Constitution modifier, and healing effects only stop the bleeding if the amount healed exceeds your metamorph level.
____
EVOLUTION
The following is a small sample of the common evolutions for metamorphs. All metamorph evolutions require you to meet a minimum metamorph level, and they are organised accordingly. Some evolutions require you to satisfy other prerequisites, and will detail such prerequisites in their descriptions.
Biohazard Adaptation (Ex)
You are more resistant to many biological and chemical hazards. You add the insight bonus from your adaptive class feature on saving throws against disease and poison effects. This benefit does not apply against radiation.
Combat Instinct (Ex)
You gain a bonus combat feat. You must meet all of that feat's prerequisites.
Lubricant Secretion (Ex)
You can secrete an oily lubricant from your skin that aids your escape attempt. You add double your insight bonus from your adaptive class feature on skill checks to perform the escape task of the Acrobatics skill. You can escape from restraints in half the time.
Mutated Combatant (Ex)
Some part of your body, such as your jaw, becomes a suitable natural weapon, allowing you to make mutated weapon attacks with it while your hands are full. This ability does not allow you to use abilities that require you to make mutated weapon attacks with specific body parts without using those body parts. The damage type is the same as your normal mutated weapon.
Natural Defenses (Ex)
Your skin becomes tougher to pierce and more capable of deflecting attacks. You gain a bonus to KAC equal to your metamorph level and a bonus to EAC equal to your metamorph level – 1. These bonuses are armor bonuses, and do not stack with armor or other spells or abilities that grant an armor bonus.
Rapid Reactions (Ex)
You add double the insight bonus from your adaptive class feature on initiative checks.
Skillful Adaptation (Ex)
Select a skill from the list of metamorph class skills. You add the insight bonus from your adaptive class feature on skill checks with that skill.
Adaptive Movement (Ex)
You gain additional movement types based on the environmental adaptations you have. If you have aquatic adaptation, you gain a swim speed equal to your land speed. If you have mountainous adaptation, you gain a climb speed equal to your land speed. If you have underground adaptation, you gain a burrow speed equal to half your land speed. These speeds are not affected by the improved speed evolution.
Extra Arms (Ex)
You gain a pair of additional arms. While this increases the number of items you can hold in your hands, and the number of different hands you can use to make mutated weapon attacks, this does not increase the total number of attacks you can make in combat.
Improved Speed (Ex)
Your land speed increases by 10 feet. At 10th level, your land speed instead increases by 20 feet. At 14th level, your land speed instead increases by 30 feet.
Scent (Ex)
You gain an acute sense of smell, granting you blindsense (scent) to a range of 30 feet and a +2 circumstance bonus on Survival checks to find and follow a creature’s tracks.
Distant Senses (Ex)
When you make a Perception skill check, you halve any penalties to the check imposed by the distance. In addition, the maximum distance you can see is twice the normal distance for the terrain you are in.
Improved Natural Defenses (Ex)
Your skin becomes even tougher. The armor bonuses provided by the natural defenses talent increase by 1, granting a total bonus to KAC equal to your metamorph level + 1 and a total bonus to EAC equal to your metamorph level. You must have the natural defenses metamorph evolution to select this evolution.
Improved Scent (Ex)
Your sense of smell greatly improves. The blindsense from your scent evolution improves to blindsight (scent) to a range of 30 feet, and the circumstance bonus on Survival checks to find and follow a creature’s tracks from that evolution increases to +4. You must have the scent metamorph evolution to select this evolution.
Nimble Feet (Ex)
You can spend 1 Resolve Point on your turn to take a guarded step without spending an action. You can still take a full action before or after this step, but this guarded step cannot be used during another action. This ability otherwise follows all the normal rules for a guarded step. You can only use this ability once per round.
Versatile Instinct (Ex)
You gain a bonus feat. You must meet all of that feat's prerequisites.
Morphic Body (Ex)
Your body's shape becomes quite malleable. You can move through an area as small as one-quarter of your space without squeezing, or one-eighth of your space when squeezing. In addition, you are immune to critical hits.
Lethal Weapons (Ex)
Your mutated weapons are significantly more lethal. When you make an attack roll and get a natural 19, your attack is considered a critical hit so long as the result would normally hit. Unlike rolling a natural 20, you do not automatically hit on a natural 19 if your result does not meet or exceed the target's AC.
Increased Size (Ex)
You grow massively, and your size category increases by 1 step. Your space and reach increase as normal, and you treat your Strength score as 4 higher for the purpose of determining your carrying capacity. You can take this metamorph evolution more than once, though your size can never become larger than Gargantuan as a result of this evolution.
____
The metamorph is intended to be flexible in its concept (adapting to many environments), while also being extendable and applicable to a wide variety of character concepts. Has your character had dragon parts grafted onto them? Add a draconic influence. Does your character's ability to adapt come from monk training? Add an ascetic influence.
While I suspect balance might be off on some abilities and features, most DCs, bonuses, and damage numbers should be in about the right place.
Please feel free to suggest changes or try the class for yourself. If you're interested, I have a number of other influences and evolutions I can post. ^^
This is a pretty cool concept. Seems a little like a Starfinder adaption of the shifter which I definitely dig.
I am interested in.... more. >:>
|
Definitely interesting. May require some polishing but at first glance it appears to be within the normal power curve, neither too much under or too much above. And it fits Starfinder quite well.
Given that you use Strength more than Dexterity, I'd suggest heavy armor proficiency as well. It's got a bit of the same MADness problems that Solarians have, although making Con the key stat instead of Cha helps a lot. But obtaining a decent AC with light armor requires nearly maxed Dex, and reliably hitting enemies requires high Str, and resolve requires substantial Con. Using heavy armor would help a lot with that, as only a small Dex bonus is required then.
You might also consider some more evolutions to protect the mind; unlike the Soldier and Solarian you give this one a weak Will save, no real interest in Wisdom and no class abilities. The metamorph would be a bit of a sitting duck against Confusion/Mind Thrust/Command/Hold Person. Take a look at the Vanguard playtest, it had several self-protection powers.
It wouldn't be all that strange if you could actually pick 2 out of 3 saves at level 1 to be strong saves, rather than fixing them on Ref and Fort.
I like it. But it's basically a Solarion, but better. Which is a problem. It's not your fault, but it is a problem.
Edit: Reading through the influences and evolutions a lot of them are just simply too strong in the bonuses they grant compared to what Solarion or Soldier grant.
I would suggest reviewing what your powers give versus what soldiers or solarians can get and making them more inline with those values.
For example the speed bonuses that the elemental influences can get are probably too much, as is the energy resistance granted.
Also the ability to damage creatures that are immune to the energy type is definitely too good. I don't think anything else comes close to being able to do this. Most other abilities reduce resistance, but do nothing against immunity. It's too good.
Also the 14th level evolution for immunity to crits and the other that expands the crit range are both probably too powerful.
I'm certain the crit negating one is. The closest thing I'm aware of, is an item which lets you negate a crit at the cost of spending resolve. If you modify the ability that way, it would be acceptable.
The crit range expansion is probably too good, but if you changed it increase the DC to resist crit effects by 4 that would work. Nothing else in game expands crit range as far as I know, so it's probably a dangerous road to go down.