How to bestow Templates in-game?

[krupintupple]

Think about it! A undead army which can turn into sand and travel as sand storm!

you might want to reserve this template only for your most trusted (and sturdy) minions, because it'd be really crappy to waste this template - not to mention thousands of gold and xp - on zombies, skeletons and ghouls, only to see a single fireball permanently take out half of your swarm-shifted army.

 

[Slife]

If you want to get something close to swarm-shifter, figure out how to be small for a while (I recommend screwing with a rod of wonder).

Technically speaking, swarms of rats and bats are allowable candidate creatures for the lycanthrope template, provided you're small or tiny respectively.

Search out a were-rat-swarm halfling, get infected, and away you go. Ask your DM if you can make it a swarm of scarabs with the stats of rats.

Alternatively, if you can't get the swarm allowed, at least you can turn into a giant bug

 

[whorobbedme]

is there a LA for giving a character the undead subtype?

im trying to come up with a new undead template
which will give the player the undead subtype, a breath weaopn of flys dealing 1d6 per HD up to 5d6. and +1 natural AC and the urge to eat rotting meat

my idea is that the player's character becomes infected by a swarm of paracitic flys which turn the charactor undead

 

[krupintupple]

is there a LA for giving a character the undead subtype?

im trying to come up with a new undead template
which will give the player the undead subtype, a breath weaopn of flys dealing 1d6 per HD up to 5d6. and +1 natural AC and the urge to eat rotting meat

my idea is that the player's character becomes infected by a swarm of paracitic flys which turn the charactor undead

i'd say to try to compare it to existing templates. presumably, your template also kills their Con., and leaves all other stats alone? that, combined with the breath weapon might be a +1, assuming the urge to eat rotten meat could somehow be used to exploit them.

 

[Slife]

Undead subtype? You mean undead type, right?

I'd suggest combining the necropolitan template with dragonborn (talk to your DM about tweaking dragonborn into "graveborn" and making the breath weapon deal piercing damage).

 

[whorobbedme]

I think +1 sounds about right, i dont want to be forcing a player to be paying to much xp and not having fun seeing as it will be a forced LA that they have no choice in the matter.

I have another idea, not to sure if it would be a template seeing as it only gives extra skill points per lvl and a a feat every 5 lvls, and is gained from putting on a magic helm.

The helm of lost knowledge, once put on all knowledge from the helm passes to the charactor and the helm is no longer useful, but can still be used for protection.
The character gains 4 extra skill points to spend straight away and 1 feat to pick straight away.
Every lvl after the character gains 4 extra skill points and every 5 lvls gains a feat. once per day the charactor gains a +10 bounes to a skill being proformed.

im trying to keep the LA as close to +1 as posibal.
Do ya think more things should be added to the template or taken from it?

 

[Slife]

That's a little overpowered. The skill point bonus is about even with a +4 to intelligence (gain skill points as if +8 to int, but no bonuses to checks or whatever), and the bonus feats push it out of even a high LA+1 range.

The skill bonus (provided it's a competence bonus) is less problematic, though I'd suggest making it equal to 5 + half your level.

 

[whorobbedme]

That's a little overpowered. The skill point bonus is about even with a +4 to intelligence (gain skill points as if +8 to int, but no bonuses to checks or whatever), and the bonus feats push it out of even a high LA+1 range.

The skill bonus (provided it's a competence bonus) is less problematic, though I'd suggest making it equal to 5 + half your level.

the 4 extra skill points would be considered as a misc bonous to skill checks and not affect int. i dont realy see extra skill points affecting game play to much as the likes of an abality or power would.
change the extra feats from 1 every 5lvls to just gaining 1 when the helm is put on.
as for the 5+ half your level thats very good idea

 

[whorobbedme]

i have a new idea for a template. if anyone can help?

Steam Agumented

the character is fitted with steam pistons to agument his body and recives
+2 str +2 can & +2 dex also natural ac+2
due to the aguments his size increses 1 size catagory
and they suffer a 50% damage increse form all cold effects due to the fine water & fire element that dwel inside there piston driven body.
id like to keep this to an LA+1 if posibal