So I have an idea of construct version of a WTW. Beside changing Vermin to construct and adding a lightning vulnerability, what other conversations would you do?
WTW template copied for convenience:
Creating a Worm that Walks
“Worm that walks” is a template that can be added to any evil spellcasting creature. A worm that walks retains all the base creature’s statistics and abilities except as noted here.
CR: Same as the base creature +2.
Alignment: Any evil.
Type: The base creature’s type changes to vermin. It gains the augmented subtype. Do not recalculate BAB, saves, or skill ranks. Worms that walk are intelligent and do not possess the standard mindless trait of most vermin. Note that while a worm that walks has the ability to discorperate into a swarm, and while its body is made up of countless wriggling worms, it does not itself gain the swarm subtype.
Size: Although the worms that make up the worm that walks’s body are Fine creatures, the worm that walks is treated as a creature the same size as the base creature.
Senses: As the base creature, plus darkvision 60 feet and blindsight 30 feet.
AC: The worm that walks loses any natural armor bonus the base creature may have had, but gains an insight bonus to its AC equal to its Wisdom bonus (minimum of +2).
Hit Dice: Change the base creature’s racial Hit Dice to d8s. All Hit Dice derived from class levels remain unchanged.
Defensive Abilities: A worm that walks retains all of the base creature’s defensive abilities and special qualities. It also gains the following additional defensive abilities.
Worm that Walks Traits: A worm that walks has no discernible anatomy, and is not subject to critical hits or flanking. Reducing a worm that walks to 0 hit points causes it to discorporate (see below)—a worm that walks at 0 hit points is staggered, and one at negative hit points is dying. Worms that walk are immune to any physical spell or effect that targets a specific number of creatures (including single-target spells such as disintegrate), with the exception of such spells and effects generated by the worm that walks itself, which treat the worm that walks as one single creature if it so chooses. Mind-affecting effects that target single creatures function normally against a worm that walks, since the creature’s individual components share a hive mind. A worm that walks takes half again as much damage (+50%) from damaging area effects, such as fireball and splash weapons. Worms that walk are susceptible to high winds—treat a worm that walks as a Fine creature for the purposes of determining wind effects.
Damage Reduction: A worm that walks loses any damage reduction possessed by the base creature and gains damage reduction 15/—.
Fast Healing: A worm that walks gains fast healing equal to its CR.
Immunities: Worms that walk are immune to disease, paralysis, poison, and sleep effects.
Melee Attacks: A worm that walks loses any natural attacks the base creature had, but gains a slam attack that deals damage based on its size. This slam has the grab ability and affects creatures up to one size larger than the worm that walks. A worm that walks retains any weapon proficiencies the base creature had.
Special Attacks: A worm that walks retains all of the base creature’s special attacks. It also gains the following additional special attacks.
Discorporate (Su): A worm that walks can collapse into a shapeless swarm of worms as a free action. All held, worn, and carried items fall and its Strength score drops to 1. The worm that walks functions as a true swarm while discorporated, with a reach of 0 feet (its space remains unchanged). While discorporated, the worm that walks loses all of its defensive abilities and gains all of the standard swarm traits. It loses its slam attacks and all special abilities and special attacks, but can make a swarm attack that deals damage equal to its engulf attack. A worm that walks can reform into its true form (including equipping all gear in reach) as a full-round action as long as it has at least 1 hit point.
Squirming Embrace (Ex): If a worm that walks grapples a foe, as a swift action, it can cause a swarm of worms to squirm over the grappled creature. These worms deal automatic swarm damage with no attack roll needed (see the table below). If a creature takes damage from the swarm, it is also subject to the swarm’s distraction ability, and must make a Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round. The save DC equals 10 + 1/2 the worm that walks’s HD + its Con modifier).
A worm that walks can only have one embraced target at a time, but it does not have to continue grappling in order to maintain the embrace. If the worm that walks moves more than 5 feet from the swarm or dismisses the swarm (a free action), the swarm dies. Any area attack that damages the swarm or any severe or stronger wind effect that affects the swarm’s target kills it.
HD Engulf Damage
1-5 1d6 + 1.5 Str bonus
6-10 2d6 + 1.5 Str bonus
11-15 3d6 + 1.5 Str bonus
16-20 4d6 + 1.5 Str bonus
21or more 5d6 + 1.5 Str bonus
Tenacious (Ex): A worm that walks gains a +4 racial bonus on CMB checks made to grapple and a +4 racial bonus to its CMD.
Abilities: Dex +4, Con +4.
Skills: Worms that walk gain a +8 racial bonus on Perception, Sense Motive, and Stealth checks.
Feats: Worms that walk gain Diehard as a bonus feat.
Flavor wise one thing I’d like to add is the ability to take over technology in swarm form. Think dominate person but inly constructs and technology
Well, being made of tiny constructs, the Nanitecloud that Walks should not have a Con score. They should be immune to bleed effects.
Good catch. Probably just give a dex bonus as there is zero reason for a machine to have a high cha.
Who says it is purely a machine?
...what stops someone from undergoing the normal worm that walks process, only using "cleaners" nanobots originally designed to remove waste (read: dead bodies) from the ship? I doubt that low level machines like that have much more consciousness and resistance to possession than a mass of carrion insects.
This would be a nice for some outcast from the technic league that was 'disposed of', but came back for revenge.
In that case, you might want charisma for the regular caster purposes (since worms that walk are all casters that flip the middle finger at death when they are left to rot in a ditch... sorcerers seem appropriate for such drama queens).
Valid point. Dex and CHA it is. However I do want to give it the invulnerabilitys and weakness if machines.
However a non caster variant based off of the T-1000 would make a great enemy. Give it spell like abilities but treat them as Ex abilities like alter shape, something to turn limbs into blades, ventriloquism, etc
Limbs into blades could be treated morphic weaponry of the oozemorph. Nanite sorcerer bloodline ability Nanite strike would be very thematic.
McDaygo.....I had considered a similar thing but using the Swarm Shifter....you may want to give that a looksee ;)
So I found a 3rd party alternate racial class for Android “Living Weapon”
Living Weapon (Brawler; Android)
REPORT AD
Contents [hide]
Brawler’s Flurry (Ex)
Create Energy Weapons (Su)
Improved Energy Weapons (Su)
Malleable Weapons (Ex)
Augmented Energy Weapons (Su)
Finishing Strike (Ex)
The civilization that created the first android bodies specialized a certain model for combat and combat alone. While many of these units have not survived to the present day, a living weapon is occasionally found deep within remote ruins. Built with specialized circuitry and nanites capable of producing weapons made from raw energy, androids of this type make masterful assassins, bodyguards, and sellswords.
Associated Class: brawler
Associated Race: android
Replaced Abilities: unarmed strike, maneuver training, knockout, brawler’s strike, close weapon mastery, awesome blow, improved awesome blow
Modified Abilities: brawler’s flurry
Brawler’s Flurry (Ex)
A living weapon can perform a brawler’s flurry with any combination of unarmed strikes, weapons from the close fighter weapon group, or any energy weapons she creates. She cannot perform a brawler’s flurry with a special monk weapon.
Create Energy Weapons (Su)
As a move action, a living weapon can form up to two semi-solid weapons composed of raw energy, powered and reinforced by her circuitry and nanites. These weapons can take the form of a handaxe, short sword, any simple weapon, or a weapon from the close fighter weapon group. If the living weapon uses these energy weapons with her brawler’s flurry or Two-Weapon Fighting, she suffers any applicable penalties as normal.
An energy weapon lasts indefinitely but dissipates if it leaves her hand or if she dismisses it as a free action. The living weapon’s circuitry can maintain up to two energy weapons at once; if she attempts to create more, any existing energy weapons she is wielding dissipate.
Improved Energy Weapons (Su)
At 3rd level, any energy weapons the living weapon creates possess a +1 enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls. At 7th level and every 4 levels thereafter, this enhancement bonus improves by +1, to a maximum of a +5 enhancement bonus at 19th level.
Malleable Weapons (Ex)
Once she reaches 4th level, the living weapon can create energy weapons as a swift action, rather than a move action. At 10th level, she can use a swift action to change an energy weapon she has already created from one type of weapon to another (such as from a handaxe to a short sword). At 16th level, she can create or change the type of her energy weapons as an immediate action.
Augmented Energy Weapons (Su)
Beginning at 5th level, the living weapon unlocks subroutines that can direct a greater flow of power to her energy weapons. Any energy weapons she creates gain the shock special property, dealing 1d6 electricity damage on a successful hit. At 9th level, her energy weapons are also treated as ghost touch weapons. At 13th level, her energy weapons gain the shocking burst property, and finally, at 17th level, they gain the keen property.
Finishing Strike (Ex)
At 16th level, the living weapon can overload her energy weapons in an attempt to instantly kill a creature. She can use this ability once per day and must decide to use it before making her attack roll. On a successful hit with an energy weapon that deals damage, the target must succeed on a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 the living weapon’s level + the higher of her Strength or Dexterity modifiers) or die. Creatures immune to critical hits are immune to the living weapon’s finishing strike.
After using this ability, any active energy weapons dissipate, and the living weapon must wait 1d4 rounds before creating further weapons.
At 20th level, the living weapon can use this ability twice per day.
I have zero experience with the brawler class, is this 3rd party option balanced in other players eyes? If so I’d apply the WTW to a living weapon and it is what I was looking for.