Okay, in my continuing quest to create a balanced, shapeshifting core class, I think I've stumbled onto an interesting idea - Magic/Shapeshifting transparency. This class is the result of that concept, the Wizard-like Form Mage.
I apologize for the lack of flavor text, this is just a dry run to see what people think. All opinions appreciated!
Hit Dice: d6
Saves: Poor Fortitude, Poor Reflex, Good Will
Base Attack Bonus: Poor (As Wizard)
Starting Gold: 4d4 x 10
Class Skills: Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Survival (Wis).
Skill Points: 4 + Int Modifier (x4 at 1st Level).
Abilities: Intelligence determines how many forms the Form Mage can assume a day, and how likely he is to learn a form. A high Dexterity score is helpful to a Form Mage, who typically wears little armor, as it provides him with a bonus to Armor Class. A good Constitution score gives a Form Mage extra hit points, which can be useful as a Form Mage will often find himself in combat situations.
Alignment: Any
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Form Mages are proficient with the club, dagger, light crossbow, and quarterstaff, but not with any form of armor or shield. Form Mages are also proficient with the natural weapons of any assumed form.
Forms:
A Form Mage may assume the form of any creature he has recorded in his Monster Manual.
Assuming a form is an extraordinary ability that takes a standard action and works as the Shapechange spell with the following exceptions:
The Form Mage may assume a creature of any type, size, and of any Hit Dice (though he is still limited by his Challenge Rating/Day)
A form’s power is established by its Challenge Rating(CR), a Form Mage may prepare only a certain number of CRs a day. He may spread his allotted CRs among several forms, but he may never assume a form with a CR greater than his Form Mage level. Thus, a level 2 Form Mage could prepare one Dire Badger Form(2 CR) and two Camel Forms (1 CR), but he could not assume the form of a Griffon (CR 4). A Form Mage with a high Intelligence score receives bonus Hit Dice per day as if they were 1st level Wizard Spells.
The Form Mage may retain an assumed form for a number of hoursequal to his Form Mage level.
Summon Familiar:
A Form Mage may summon a familiar, exactly as a Wizard or Sorcerer, with the following exception:
“Share Spells” becomes “Share Form,” as the Metaform feat Shared Form (see below.)
“Deliver touch spells” is replaced by “Familiar Form*.”
*Familiar Form: The Form Mage’s Familiar has learned to mimic his master’s abilities. The Form Mage may now choose to apply a prepared form to his familiar, as opposed to assumi ng the form himself.
Bonus Feats:
At 1st, 5th and every five levels there after, a Form Mage gains bonus feats. The Form Mage may select any Monstrous or Metaform feat as a bonus feat, though Monstrous feats apply only when in an applicable form.
Monster Manual:
Akin to the Wizard’s spellbook, The Form Mage’s Monster Manual is largely the source of his power, though Manual’s often contain less arcane script and more diagrams and notations. A Form Mage must study his Manual each night to renew his knowledge of his many forms. He can not assume any form not recorded in his Monster Manual.
A Form Mage begins play with a Monster Manual containing 3 CR of forms of the Form Mage’s choice. For each point of Intelligence bonus the Form Mage has, the Monster Manual holds one additional CR of forms. At each new Form Mage level, he gains 4 additional CR for his Manual. These CR may be spread over any number of forms.
A Form Mage can also add a form to his Manual whenever he encounters a creature. To learn a creature’s form, the Form Mage must spend at least a day studying the beast. The creature can be dead, but it is preferable to have a live subject. At the end of the day, the he must make a Knowledge check (DC 10 + the creature’s Challenge Rating). For every day the creature has been dead, the check DC increases by +2. The Knowledge skill used is based on the type of subject being studied:
Knowledge (Arcana) for Magical Beasts
Knowledge (Dungeoneering) for Aberrations and Oozes
Knowledge (Local) for Humanoids
Knowledge (Nature) for Animals, Fey, Giants, Monstrous Humanoids, Plants and Vermin
Knowledge (The Planes) for Outsider and Elementals.
If the check succeeds, the Form Mage learns the basics of the creature’s anatomy and may copy it into his Monster Manual (see Writing a New Form into a Monster Manual, below).
If the check fails, the Form Mage does not quite grasp the workings of the beasts form. He cannot attempt to learn or copy that form again until he gains another rank in the appropriate Knowledge skill.
Writing a New Form into a Monster Manual: Once a Form Mage understands a new form, he may record it into his Monster Manual.
Time: The process takes 24 hours, regardless of the form’s Challenge Rating.
Space in the Monster Manual: A form takes up one page of the Monster Manual per point of CR, so a form with a Challenge Rating of two takes up two pages, a 5 CR form would take five pages, and so forth. A Monster Manual has one hundred pages.
Materials and Costs: Materials for recording the form (special quills, inks, and other supplies) cost 100 gp per page.
Note that a Form Mage does not have to pay these coasts in time or gold for the forms he gains for free at each new level. He simply adds these to his Monster Manual as part of his ongoing research.
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Metaform Feats: As a Form Mage’s knowledge of anatomy (both physical and magical) grows, he can learn to prepare forms in ways slightly different from the ways in which the form’s were originally recorded or learned. Preparing and assuming a form in such a way is harder than normal but, thanks to metaform feats, at least its possible.
A Form Mage can apply multiple metaform feats to a single form. Changes to is CR are cumulative. An Extended, Sculpted Wolf Form, for example, would be prepared as a 5 CR form (a 2 CR form, increased by one CR level for each of the metaform feats).
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Empowered Form [Metaform]:
You have learned to increase the power of your assumed forms.
Benefit: You can add more Hit Dice to any form known, advancing it as a creature. These added hit dice work exactly as stated in the Monster Manual.
An empowered form’s is assumed as a form of CR = Form's original + added Hit Dice +1. So, if a Form Mage were to empower a 2 CR with 4 add Hit Dice, he would assume it as a 7 CR form.
Quicken Form [Metaform]:
You can assume a new form with a moments thought.
Benefit: Assuming a quickened form is a free action. You can perform another action, even assuming another form, in the same round as you cast a quickened spell. You may only assume one quickened spell per round.
A quickened form is assumed at +1 CR.
Extend Form [Metaform]:
Your assumed forms last longer than normal.
Benefit: An extended form lasts twice as long as normal.
An extended form is assumed at +1 CR.
Augment Form [Metaform]:
You have learned to alter the base nature of an assumed form.
Prerequisite: Sculpt Form.
Benefit: You may apply a template to any form known. The form must still meet the requirements of the applied template.
An augmented form is assumed as a creature of its CR + the CR adjustment of the applied template +2. Thus, a Ape (2 CR) with the Fiendish template (+1 CR) applied would be prepared as an HD 3 creature.
The Form Mage may use Augment Form to apply templates to his own body, though the applied template only lasts as long as an assumed form would. When augmenting his own form, the Form Mage counts as a 0 CR creature. Thus, a 4th Level Form Mage (0 CR) apply the Fiendish (1 CR) template to himself, would assume the template itself as a 2 CR creature
Sculpt Form [Metaform]:
You can alter the physical form of an assumed form.
Prerequisite: Any other Metaform feat.
Benefit: You may add or remove minor physical qualities from an assumed form to tailor its usefulness. For each additional CR added, you may add one of the special features to a known form:
Climber – The form becomes easily able to traverse walls and even ceilings, gaining a climb speed equal to its base land speed.
Burrower – The form’s teeth and nails become more durable, as its head grown a bony plow, granting it a Burrow speed equal to half its base land speed.
Swimmer - A large fish tail replaces the form’s hind legs, and a dorsal fin appears its back. Assumed form gains a Swim speed equal to his base Land speed, Land speed becomes 5 ft.
Runner – The form’s leg’s become extend as its muscles strengthen. The form gains a +20 to it’s base Land speed.
Fighter – Assumed form gains two natural weapons of any type and the limbs to support them. appropriate for its size. If the form already has natural weapons, it either gains two additional secondary natural weapons appropriate for its size, or two of its natural weapons deal damage as if they were one size larger. Added Wing weapons do not allow for flight.
Flyer – The creature sprouts large, powerful wings (either birdlike, beetlike, or inesctoid) and is granted a Fly speed equal to its highest speed (average maneuverability.)
Water Breather – The creature gains gills, allowing it to breath freely under water, though it can no longer breath air.
Tool Builder – The form’s front limbs grow humanoid forearms from their elbow joint, and the beast’s vocal chords reshape to allow for humanoid speech. The added forearms do not replace the beasts original forelimbs, and they may move independently from the elbow joint. A form so altered may wield a weapon appropriate for its size, though it still suffers a penalty if the Form Mage is not normally proficient with the weapon, and he may not use any natural attacks in the same round that he attacks with the manufactured weapon. The Form Mage may also speak normally, cast spells with somatic, verbal and material components (provided the material components are not merged with his form).
A sculpted form is assumed as a creature of its CR +1/special feature.
The Form Mage may use Sculpt Form to apply alterations to his own body, though the applied changes only lasts as long as an assumed form would. An alteration for the Form Mage’s body is assumed as a 1 CR creature.
Persistent Form [Metaform]:
You make one of you forms last all day.
Prerequisites: Extend Form
Benefit: A persistent form lasts for 24 hours.
A persistent form is prepared at +6 CR.
Resize Form [Metaform]:
You may alter the size of an assumed form.
Benefit: You may change the size category of an assumed form, granting it the appropriate bonuses and penalties to Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Speed, Armor Class, Attack Bonus, and Hide.
A resized form is assumed at +4 CR for every size category smaller or larger than the original form. A Form Mage may resize his own form, by applying Resized Form to himself. Thus, a Halfling Form Mage who wishes to become Diminutive (+8 CR, as it is two sizes smaller than Small), would assume Resize Form as a 8 CR creature.
Shared Form [Metaform]:
You may take others with you into an assumed form.
Prerequisites: Any other Metaform feat.
Benefit: You may take one creature/class level with you when you assume a new form, merging all of your forms into a single new creature. You may control the assumed form, or designate someone else as the “driver,” but only one person may control the body at a time. While in the assumed form, everyone may see through the creature’s eyes, and hear through it ears, but only the person control it may speak. Anyone in the form may also speak, as if by Telepathy to those merged into the current form.
The Form Mage may attempt to take unwilling creatures into an assumed form, but to do so he must succeed on a unarmed melee touch attack as part of a full-round action that combines the touch attack and assuming a new form. Unwilling creature’s get a Will save (DC 10 + the form’s CR) to resist being pulled into the assumed form. If they succeed on this Will save, they retain their normal form, though the Form Mage still assumes the form.
An unwilling contained within an assumed form may make one opposed Wisdom check against the Form Mage each round to try and wrest control of the form from his captor. Creature’s immune to polymorph are also immune to a shared form. Those with the Shapechanger subtype may revert to its natural form as a standard action.
A shared form is assumed at +2 CR.
Twin Form [Metaform]:
You may assume to forms simultaneously .
Prerequisites: Any other Metaform feat.
Benefit: You may prepare two forms as one creature of their combined Hit Dice. This does not raise the power of either form, instead, at any time within the duration of the form you may assume the second form as a free action. You may shift back and forth between forms as many times as you like, but are still limited to the duration of a single assumed form.
A twin form is assumed at +1 CR.
Thus, if a 4th level Form Mage were to use Twin Form to prepare a Tiger Form (4 CR) and an Owl Form (1/4 CR), he would assume it as a single 5 1/4 CR form, with a duration of 8 hours. During that 8 hours, the Form Mage could shift back and forth between Owl and Tiger as many times as he wanted, but at the end of the 8 hour period, he would revert to his original form.
Thoughts? Opinions? Questions?
I apologize for the lack of flavor text, this is just a dry run to see what people think. All opinions appreciated!
Hit Dice: d6
Saves: Poor Fortitude, Poor Reflex, Good Will
Base Attack Bonus: Poor (As Wizard)
Starting Gold: 4d4 x 10
Class Skills: Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Survival (Wis).
Skill Points: 4 + Int Modifier (x4 at 1st Level).
Code:
[b] BAB Fort Ref Will Abilities CR/Day[/b]
1. +0 +0 +0 +2 Bonus Feat, Summon Familiar 2
2. +1 +0 +0 +3 4
3. +2 +1 +1 +3 6
4. +3 +1 +1 +4 8
5. +3 +1 +1 +4 Bonus Feat 10
6. +4 +2 +2 +5 12
7. +5 +2 +2 +5 14
8. +6/+1 +2 +2 +6 16
9. +6/+1 +3 +3 +6 18
10.+7/+2 +3 +3 +7 Bonus Feat 20
11.+8/+3 +3 +3 +7 22
12.+9/+4 +4 +4 +8 24
13.+9/+4 +4 +4 +8 26
14.+10/+5 +4 +4 +9 28
15.+11/+6/+1 +5 +5 +9 Bonus Feat 30
16.+12/+7/+2 +5 +5 +10 32
17.+12/+7/+2 +5 +5 +10 34
18.+13/+8/+3 +6 +6 +11 36
19.+14/+9/+4 +6 +6 +11 38
20.+15/+10/+5+6 +6 +12 Bonus Feat 40Abilities: Intelligence determines how many forms the Form Mage can assume a day, and how likely he is to learn a form. A high Dexterity score is helpful to a Form Mage, who typically wears little armor, as it provides him with a bonus to Armor Class. A good Constitution score gives a Form Mage extra hit points, which can be useful as a Form Mage will often find himself in combat situations.
Alignment: Any
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Form Mages are proficient with the club, dagger, light crossbow, and quarterstaff, but not with any form of armor or shield. Form Mages are also proficient with the natural weapons of any assumed form.
Forms:
A Form Mage may assume the form of any creature he has recorded in his Monster Manual.
Assuming a form is an extraordinary ability that takes a standard action and works as the Shapechange spell with the following exceptions:
The Form Mage may assume a creature of any type, size, and of any Hit Dice (though he is still limited by his Challenge Rating/Day)
A form’s power is established by its Challenge Rating(CR), a Form Mage may prepare only a certain number of CRs a day. He may spread his allotted CRs among several forms, but he may never assume a form with a CR greater than his Form Mage level. Thus, a level 2 Form Mage could prepare one Dire Badger Form(2 CR) and two Camel Forms (1 CR), but he could not assume the form of a Griffon (CR 4). A Form Mage with a high Intelligence score receives bonus Hit Dice per day as if they were 1st level Wizard Spells.
The Form Mage may retain an assumed form for a number of hoursequal to his Form Mage level.
Summon Familiar:
A Form Mage may summon a familiar, exactly as a Wizard or Sorcerer, with the following exception:
“Share Spells” becomes “Share Form,” as the Metaform feat Shared Form (see below.)
“Deliver touch spells” is replaced by “Familiar Form*.”
*Familiar Form: The Form Mage’s Familiar has learned to mimic his master’s abilities. The Form Mage may now choose to apply a prepared form to his familiar, as opposed to assumi ng the form himself.
Bonus Feats:
At 1st, 5th and every five levels there after, a Form Mage gains bonus feats. The Form Mage may select any Monstrous or Metaform feat as a bonus feat, though Monstrous feats apply only when in an applicable form.
Monster Manual:
Akin to the Wizard’s spellbook, The Form Mage’s Monster Manual is largely the source of his power, though Manual’s often contain less arcane script and more diagrams and notations. A Form Mage must study his Manual each night to renew his knowledge of his many forms. He can not assume any form not recorded in his Monster Manual.
A Form Mage begins play with a Monster Manual containing 3 CR of forms of the Form Mage’s choice. For each point of Intelligence bonus the Form Mage has, the Monster Manual holds one additional CR of forms. At each new Form Mage level, he gains 4 additional CR for his Manual. These CR may be spread over any number of forms.
A Form Mage can also add a form to his Manual whenever he encounters a creature. To learn a creature’s form, the Form Mage must spend at least a day studying the beast. The creature can be dead, but it is preferable to have a live subject. At the end of the day, the he must make a Knowledge check (DC 10 + the creature’s Challenge Rating). For every day the creature has been dead, the check DC increases by +2. The Knowledge skill used is based on the type of subject being studied:
Knowledge (Arcana) for Magical Beasts
Knowledge (Dungeoneering) for Aberrations and Oozes
Knowledge (Local) for Humanoids
Knowledge (Nature) for Animals, Fey, Giants, Monstrous Humanoids, Plants and Vermin
Knowledge (The Planes) for Outsider and Elementals.
If the check succeeds, the Form Mage learns the basics of the creature’s anatomy and may copy it into his Monster Manual (see Writing a New Form into a Monster Manual, below).
If the check fails, the Form Mage does not quite grasp the workings of the beasts form. He cannot attempt to learn or copy that form again until he gains another rank in the appropriate Knowledge skill.
Writing a New Form into a Monster Manual: Once a Form Mage understands a new form, he may record it into his Monster Manual.
Time: The process takes 24 hours, regardless of the form’s Challenge Rating.
Space in the Monster Manual: A form takes up one page of the Monster Manual per point of CR, so a form with a Challenge Rating of two takes up two pages, a 5 CR form would take five pages, and so forth. A Monster Manual has one hundred pages.
Materials and Costs: Materials for recording the form (special quills, inks, and other supplies) cost 100 gp per page.
Note that a Form Mage does not have to pay these coasts in time or gold for the forms he gains for free at each new level. He simply adds these to his Monster Manual as part of his ongoing research.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Metaform Feats: As a Form Mage’s knowledge of anatomy (both physical and magical) grows, he can learn to prepare forms in ways slightly different from the ways in which the form’s were originally recorded or learned. Preparing and assuming a form in such a way is harder than normal but, thanks to metaform feats, at least its possible.
A Form Mage can apply multiple metaform feats to a single form. Changes to is CR are cumulative. An Extended, Sculpted Wolf Form, for example, would be prepared as a 5 CR form (a 2 CR form, increased by one CR level for each of the metaform feats).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Empowered Form [Metaform]:
You have learned to increase the power of your assumed forms.
Benefit: You can add more Hit Dice to any form known, advancing it as a creature. These added hit dice work exactly as stated in the Monster Manual.
An empowered form’s is assumed as a form of CR = Form's original + added Hit Dice +1. So, if a Form Mage were to empower a 2 CR with 4 add Hit Dice, he would assume it as a 7 CR form.
Quicken Form [Metaform]:
You can assume a new form with a moments thought.
Benefit: Assuming a quickened form is a free action. You can perform another action, even assuming another form, in the same round as you cast a quickened spell. You may only assume one quickened spell per round.
A quickened form is assumed at +1 CR.
Extend Form [Metaform]:
Your assumed forms last longer than normal.
Benefit: An extended form lasts twice as long as normal.
An extended form is assumed at +1 CR.
Augment Form [Metaform]:
You have learned to alter the base nature of an assumed form.
Prerequisite: Sculpt Form.
Benefit: You may apply a template to any form known. The form must still meet the requirements of the applied template.
An augmented form is assumed as a creature of its CR + the CR adjustment of the applied template +2. Thus, a Ape (2 CR) with the Fiendish template (+1 CR) applied would be prepared as an HD 3 creature.
The Form Mage may use Augment Form to apply templates to his own body, though the applied template only lasts as long as an assumed form would. When augmenting his own form, the Form Mage counts as a 0 CR creature. Thus, a 4th Level Form Mage (0 CR) apply the Fiendish (1 CR) template to himself, would assume the template itself as a 2 CR creature
Sculpt Form [Metaform]:
You can alter the physical form of an assumed form.
Prerequisite: Any other Metaform feat.
Benefit: You may add or remove minor physical qualities from an assumed form to tailor its usefulness. For each additional CR added, you may add one of the special features to a known form:
Climber – The form becomes easily able to traverse walls and even ceilings, gaining a climb speed equal to its base land speed.
Burrower – The form’s teeth and nails become more durable, as its head grown a bony plow, granting it a Burrow speed equal to half its base land speed.
Swimmer - A large fish tail replaces the form’s hind legs, and a dorsal fin appears its back. Assumed form gains a Swim speed equal to his base Land speed, Land speed becomes 5 ft.
Runner – The form’s leg’s become extend as its muscles strengthen. The form gains a +20 to it’s base Land speed.
Fighter – Assumed form gains two natural weapons of any type and the limbs to support them. appropriate for its size. If the form already has natural weapons, it either gains two additional secondary natural weapons appropriate for its size, or two of its natural weapons deal damage as if they were one size larger. Added Wing weapons do not allow for flight.
Flyer – The creature sprouts large, powerful wings (either birdlike, beetlike, or inesctoid) and is granted a Fly speed equal to its highest speed (average maneuverability.)
Water Breather – The creature gains gills, allowing it to breath freely under water, though it can no longer breath air.
Tool Builder – The form’s front limbs grow humanoid forearms from their elbow joint, and the beast’s vocal chords reshape to allow for humanoid speech. The added forearms do not replace the beasts original forelimbs, and they may move independently from the elbow joint. A form so altered may wield a weapon appropriate for its size, though it still suffers a penalty if the Form Mage is not normally proficient with the weapon, and he may not use any natural attacks in the same round that he attacks with the manufactured weapon. The Form Mage may also speak normally, cast spells with somatic, verbal and material components (provided the material components are not merged with his form).
A sculpted form is assumed as a creature of its CR +1/special feature.
The Form Mage may use Sculpt Form to apply alterations to his own body, though the applied changes only lasts as long as an assumed form would. An alteration for the Form Mage’s body is assumed as a 1 CR creature.
Persistent Form [Metaform]:
You make one of you forms last all day.
Prerequisites: Extend Form
Benefit: A persistent form lasts for 24 hours.
A persistent form is prepared at +6 CR.
Resize Form [Metaform]:
You may alter the size of an assumed form.
Benefit: You may change the size category of an assumed form, granting it the appropriate bonuses and penalties to Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Speed, Armor Class, Attack Bonus, and Hide.
A resized form is assumed at +4 CR for every size category smaller or larger than the original form. A Form Mage may resize his own form, by applying Resized Form to himself. Thus, a Halfling Form Mage who wishes to become Diminutive (+8 CR, as it is two sizes smaller than Small), would assume Resize Form as a 8 CR creature.
Shared Form [Metaform]:
You may take others with you into an assumed form.
Prerequisites: Any other Metaform feat.
Benefit: You may take one creature/class level with you when you assume a new form, merging all of your forms into a single new creature. You may control the assumed form, or designate someone else as the “driver,” but only one person may control the body at a time. While in the assumed form, everyone may see through the creature’s eyes, and hear through it ears, but only the person control it may speak. Anyone in the form may also speak, as if by Telepathy to those merged into the current form.
The Form Mage may attempt to take unwilling creatures into an assumed form, but to do so he must succeed on a unarmed melee touch attack as part of a full-round action that combines the touch attack and assuming a new form. Unwilling creature’s get a Will save (DC 10 + the form’s CR) to resist being pulled into the assumed form. If they succeed on this Will save, they retain their normal form, though the Form Mage still assumes the form.
An unwilling contained within an assumed form may make one opposed Wisdom check against the Form Mage each round to try and wrest control of the form from his captor. Creature’s immune to polymorph are also immune to a shared form. Those with the Shapechanger subtype may revert to its natural form as a standard action.
A shared form is assumed at +2 CR.
Twin Form [Metaform]:
You may assume to forms simultaneously .
Prerequisites: Any other Metaform feat.
Benefit: You may prepare two forms as one creature of their combined Hit Dice. This does not raise the power of either form, instead, at any time within the duration of the form you may assume the second form as a free action. You may shift back and forth between forms as many times as you like, but are still limited to the duration of a single assumed form.
A twin form is assumed at +1 CR.
Thus, if a 4th level Form Mage were to use Twin Form to prepare a Tiger Form (4 CR) and an Owl Form (1/4 CR), he would assume it as a single 5 1/4 CR form, with a duration of 8 hours. During that 8 hours, the Form Mage could shift back and forth between Owl and Tiger as many times as he wanted, but at the end of the 8 hour period, he would revert to his original form.
Thoughts? Opinions? Questions?
Last edited:
Perhaps I should go back to the first system, eh?
![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
B
