Mechamorphosis - Sizing for standard d20

Since Mechamorphs would actually be the minority in my campaign, should I add +10 to their STR, which is reverse of using humans in the setting? Also, would the +6 Level Adjustment take that into account?

Finally... What about combiners that AREN'T made up of 5 robots? I wanted to attempt a Headmaster ala Transformers..


Thanks
Chris

"Headmasters" would be a Link. And I suppose you could just make up combiners that are more or less than 5, simply adjust the size requirements of each mech and play the rest by ear.

Hm.. yes...

Now we're running into size problems when there's one mechamorph, and the rest humans. The easiest way would be to just raise the STR and CON and lower the DEX as per the rules for increasing the size of a creature in the MM. But that'd be a +16 to STR if you assume that medium is the starting size... You could also take the max load (x10) and see what the relevant ability score would be... hm... Still trying to figure out how to make this work...



Chris

I've been working on that, too. Not much luck so far. The Strength rules for Mechamorphs (i.e. that the hardness, hit points, and break DC of all non-Mechamorph objects are treated as being 1/10th normal when a Mech tries to damage/break them, including the hp's of critters like humans) make it nigh-impossible to incorporate Mechamorphs into any other D20 game.

1/10? I think you mean -10 for all rules. or did I misread that section wrong?

Both, actually. Any non-Mechamorph attacking a Mechamorph treats their Str score as being 10 lower for purposes of melee attack rolls and melee damage rolls. A 10th level Barbarian with a Str of 17 (+3) attacking a Mech' is treated as having a Str of 7 (-2) for purposes of melee attack and damage rolls.

If a Mechamorph attacks a non-Mechamorph object/target, that object's Hardness, hit points, and Break DC are all divided by 10. Thus, a massive steel door that has a Break DC of 30 instead has a Break DC of 3 if a Mechamorph tries to break it down. The book sez this rule should also technically apply to humans (even though most humans in the game are 1st- or 2nd-level at most), so the aforementioned 10th level Barbarian that has 90 hit points is treated as having 9 hp's when being attacked by a Mechamorph.

I wish they had used something more... mechanically sound than "-10"... Formulas are so much easier to work with. I haven't had anyone introduce a mechamorph into the campaign yet because.. well... I don't know how.. It's easier to alter THAT than to alter everyone else..


Chris

I wish they'd done something other than the "divide by 10." The rules as is make it very difficult to cross over with, say, D20 Modern or D20 Future, but even harder to cross over with D&D (and, yes, there have been eps of Transformers where some were sent to D&D-ish worlds). Should the "-10 to Str" & "divide hp's by 10" rule apply to, say, Golems? Dragons? The Tarrasque? Epic-level characters? Should it apply to the advanced alien races seen in D20 Modern/Menace Manual/D20 Future?

The notes I have so far on coverting them include using the rolled stats as "medium"... and then you adjust as necessary using the chart in the Monster Manual to resize a creature. You would also need to give the mechamorph Hit Dice, or it'll die very quickly (though the DR helps)..


Chris