Pathfinder 1E [3.P] Engineering races

[ImperatorK]

Sometimes in fiction or in D&D fluff there is this thing were a race (or a unique creature) is created (magically, scientifically, alchemically, or whatever) by another race. For example War Trolls are normal trolls that were bred and magically modified to be perfect soldiers by some greedy mages.
My question here is: mechanically, what level, classes, abilities, skills or whatever would you require (at the least) for something like that to be reasonably possible?
I'm asking because in my future game I will deal with such a scenario and I don't know how to build the NPCs who are actually doing this stuff.
Also while you're at it, do you know any more examples of this? Another one I know is Saruman creating his uruk-hai (but that's a little different from D&D).

 

[Umbran]

Examples? Victor Frankenstein (not quite fantasy, but it is kind of iconic). Sauron (on of Tolkien's ideas for orcs have them as corrupted elves). Saruman (uruk hai). Warforged are usually taken to be a created race.

Depends what game you are playing - my answers are different for 3e and 4e.

In 4e, monsters (and by extension, antagonists in general) are not built under the same rules as PCs. You can thus create such NPCs in any manner you wish - give them whatever collection of powers and abilities you think is fitting - they are a "monster" not a classed PC character.

In 3e, in theory, you are supposed to build classed NPCs the same way you build PCs. However, engineering a new race isn't in the normal PC classes and powers. You'll probably need a special prestige class and some unique spells for the purpose - maybe such things exist in a splatbook somewhere, but I might just as soon make them up whole-cloth as search for such. At that point, what's required is probably "high level spellcaster of a type appropriate to the flavor I see to have".

 

[Tuft]

How about making a variant of a Golem Manual ( http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/a-b/book-golem-manual ) to add flavor to this kind of project?