This is a convoluted, long-winded, multi-part character development question that probably skirts the boundaries of the RAW somewhat. However, if anyone’s willing to take the time to read through it, I’d be grateful for any and all perspectives.
As a thought experiment (since the apparent demise of our long-standing gaming group, all my characters are thought experiments these days), I was toying with the idea of a Fleshwarper (from Lords of Madness—basically, an arcane spellcasting PrC that specializes in using grafts from other creatures). One of the prerequisite feats, naturally, is the Graft Flesh feat, which requires in turn 10 ranks in Heal. As none of the core arcane spellcasters have Heal as a class skill, the flavor text suggests taking a level of cleric first. Bah, there must be a better alternative than that.
Flipping through Complete Arcane, I find the Blood Magus, which offers Heal as a class skill. Seems like a nice, thematic complement. OK, now I’m starting to imagine a sorcerer5/blood magus 5/fleshwarper 10.
The blood magus gets a “special” homunculus as a 5th level special ability, which can act as a damage sponge for the character due to the “stronger link” this character enjoys with their creation. Cool, but since this character won’t be taking more than 5 levels of blood magus, that homunculus is never going to have more than 2 HD. Wouldn’t it be much better if that homunculus could also become the character’s familiar?
Enter the Improved Familiar feat. Homunculus is listed as a suggested option for a character of at least level 7. It’s also listed under the options for assigning familiars based on the master’s type as a possibility for an undead master, but I’m going to wing that, figuring that the Blood Magus’s “special link” to his homunculus ought to qualify also. This hypothetical character will gain his homunculus at CL 10.
Question 1: Would it be inappropriate to allow a (non-undead) Blood Magus to make his homunculus into a familiar based on the above reasoning?
Question 2: If the character takes Improved Familiar as his 9th level feat, can he wait until the next level in order to “activate” it?
Now he starts taking levels of Fleshwarper. One of the first special abilities the Fleshwarper gains is to start adding abilities to his familiar. That seems interesting. But wait—the familiar’s type changes to Aberration at this point. OK, makes sense…if the familiar started out as an animal/magical beast. But a homunculus is a construct, with all the benefits and drawbacks that entails. It just doesn’t seem to make much sense for the homunculus to suddenly need to eat, drink, and breathe, just because it got a set of tentacles grafted onto it. In fact, going from construct to aberration is a losing proposition on pretty much every level, except for the healing thing.
Question 3: How should we treat the homunculus at this point?
a) It become an aberration; suck it up.
b) It remains a construct but otherwise follows the advancement rules of the PrC.
c) It remains a construct but gains no advantages from the PrC.
d) Other.
Anyway, thanks for any perspectives!
Edit: One more question.
Question 4: Lords of Madness mentions other graft types from other books, such as yuan-ti, beholder, and undead grafts. Could some kind soul give me a quick thumbnail sketch of some of these, just for reference? Thanks!
As a thought experiment (since the apparent demise of our long-standing gaming group, all my characters are thought experiments these days), I was toying with the idea of a Fleshwarper (from Lords of Madness—basically, an arcane spellcasting PrC that specializes in using grafts from other creatures). One of the prerequisite feats, naturally, is the Graft Flesh feat, which requires in turn 10 ranks in Heal. As none of the core arcane spellcasters have Heal as a class skill, the flavor text suggests taking a level of cleric first. Bah, there must be a better alternative than that.
Flipping through Complete Arcane, I find the Blood Magus, which offers Heal as a class skill. Seems like a nice, thematic complement. OK, now I’m starting to imagine a sorcerer5/blood magus 5/fleshwarper 10.
The blood magus gets a “special” homunculus as a 5th level special ability, which can act as a damage sponge for the character due to the “stronger link” this character enjoys with their creation. Cool, but since this character won’t be taking more than 5 levels of blood magus, that homunculus is never going to have more than 2 HD. Wouldn’t it be much better if that homunculus could also become the character’s familiar?
Enter the Improved Familiar feat. Homunculus is listed as a suggested option for a character of at least level 7. It’s also listed under the options for assigning familiars based on the master’s type as a possibility for an undead master, but I’m going to wing that, figuring that the Blood Magus’s “special link” to his homunculus ought to qualify also. This hypothetical character will gain his homunculus at CL 10.
Question 1: Would it be inappropriate to allow a (non-undead) Blood Magus to make his homunculus into a familiar based on the above reasoning?
Question 2: If the character takes Improved Familiar as his 9th level feat, can he wait until the next level in order to “activate” it?
Now he starts taking levels of Fleshwarper. One of the first special abilities the Fleshwarper gains is to start adding abilities to his familiar. That seems interesting. But wait—the familiar’s type changes to Aberration at this point. OK, makes sense…if the familiar started out as an animal/magical beast. But a homunculus is a construct, with all the benefits and drawbacks that entails. It just doesn’t seem to make much sense for the homunculus to suddenly need to eat, drink, and breathe, just because it got a set of tentacles grafted onto it. In fact, going from construct to aberration is a losing proposition on pretty much every level, except for the healing thing.
Question 3: How should we treat the homunculus at this point?
a) It become an aberration; suck it up.
b) It remains a construct but otherwise follows the advancement rules of the PrC.
c) It remains a construct but gains no advantages from the PrC.
d) Other.
Anyway, thanks for any perspectives!
Edit: One more question.
Question 4: Lords of Madness mentions other graft types from other books, such as yuan-ti, beholder, and undead grafts. Could some kind soul give me a quick thumbnail sketch of some of these, just for reference? Thanks!
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