Metamorphic Transfer for the Unbodied?

[John Callaghan]

Hello all.

I've got a 13th level Psion Unbodied. Can she use her racial Assume Likeness ability to exploit the Metamorphic Transfer feat? In other words, does Assume Likeness count as changing her form "such as through the Metamorphosis power"? If not, why not? If so, are there limits to this in the rules? If there are no given limits, what would people suggest?

This feat strikes me as being very open to abuse, you see.

If this has been answered elsewhere, I'd be grateful for a link to the discussion.

Cheers!

 

[Marius Delphus]

You mean a psion uncarnate, using the class ability Assume Likeness?

I would say no, this ability does not change your form. It changes only your appearance, as explicitly stated in the description of the class ability.

 

[John Callaghan]

Actually, I did mean Unbodied, as in the intangible monstrous humanoid race of psions. I reckon the intention behind the rules for Incarnates and Unbodied is the same, so I imagine your answer is appropriate to my situation.

Thanks for taking the time to reply!

I'm now wondering if I could get away with taking the Metamorphosis power to become tangible for a few rounds but I imagine that'd be cheeky in the extreme, so I won't push my luck. It can be amusing to watch the faces of my fellow players go that funny shade of purple when I try and wangle this stuff, though.

Only kidding. I'm a good boy really.

 

[Marius Delphus]

Do pardon my ignorance. I've been having that kind of day.

Metamorphosis doesn't *allow* you to assume an incorporeal form, so you'll have to decide how cheeky you feel like being. Bummer of a LA on the unbodied, though... 8 levels and only 4 HD....

 

[John Callaghan]

Oh, no worries. D&D makes my head spin. The only way I've been able to cope is by just using the Expanded Psionic Handbook and ignoring the PHB and other books.

I would agree that +4 levels is a bit rough on my Unbodied, especially considering she can't use magic items to catch up with the rest of the party as they begin to overtake her. On the other hand, our GM is a kindly soul who understands when things are narratively appropriate and good fun, so I do get away with murder in some regards. I've arranged a compromise using a Craft Item feat to adapt items to incorporeality at a cost of XP and GP. Seems fair - until we try it and discover it isn't, I suppose...

I quite like the poetry of using Greater Metamorphosis to get a fleeting experience of tangibility. I'll have to wait until 19th level to get that, though!

And I hope your day picks up!

 

[Aran Thule]

I'm now wondering if I could get away with taking the Metamorphosis power to become tangible for a few rounds but I imagine that'd be cheeky in the extreme, so I won't push my luck. It can be amusing to watch the faces of my fellow players go that funny shade of purple when I try and wangle this stuff, though.

Only kidding. I'm a good boy really.

As a completely unrelated question...
Is it possible to cast ghost touch on a fish and then use it to slap incorporial creatures?

 

[John Callaghan]

As a completely unrelated question...
Is it possible to cast ghost touch on a fish and then use it to slap incorporial creatures?

Not only is it possible - it's obligatory!

 

[Jack Simth]

considering she can't use magic items to catch up with the rest of the party

A few feats you might like:
Vow of Poverty (Book of Exalted Deeds: Requires Sacred Vow, and a Gooder-than-good alignment): you lose the ability to keep stuff, but gain bonuses designed to make that still a feasible character
Ghostly Grasp (Libris Mortis): Lets an incorporeal critter pick stuff up... and use it (explicitly including the ability to wear magic items).
Flyby Attack (Monster Manual): Lets a flying critter take their standard action halfway through their move action. Oh yes, and incorporeal critters can dive underground. Have fun when about the only way to hurt you is with a readied action, or a long-duration area effect

 

[John Callaghan]

Thanks for the suggestions!

There's no way I could get away with Vow of Poverty, although I like the idea of that Vow which prevents other people fighting around the PC. It'd be amusing having the rest of the party trying to get my PC to bog off before they can have a scrap. And we'd have a chance to talk the antagonists around to our way of thinking, although to be fair this is how most of our fights start anyway.

Flyby Attack: as most of my PC's attacks aren't touch-based, she could spend the entire fight under the floor or in the ceiling, using the psicrystal to locate her targets. However, because her HPs are comparable to the fighters in the group, and she's more difficult to hurt, I've found it helpful to provide a decoy target to waste the enemies' attacks.

Ghostly Grasp sounds like exactly what she'd need, but the group already feel she's overpowered (I've stuck to what it says in the book, honest) so the GP/XP payoff for adapting items seems to be the best compromise for group harmony. I don't mind.

I did consider customising the Uncarnate template so the incorporeality abilities were reversed... but decided against it as it would have been rubbish.

Thanks again for your indulgence and advice! Now I'm off to look up Ephemeral Exemplar...