The Guyver Template (possible PrC forthcoming)

Azaar

Explorer
Okay, I admit it, I'm twisted. :p

Someone at the WOTC forums brought up the idea of symbiote PrCs, like the Guyver, Venom/Carnage from the Spider-Man comics, and the like. Being the Guyver fan that I am, I began sketching one out, if it were in a D&D world. I'd done this before in sketching out the Guyver if it were a character in the DC Universe RPG from West End Games, and had tinkered about with the Heroes Unlimited system in making one.

However, I realized that trying to make a Guyver PrC would not be quite possible, at least to a certain degree. To do it, I need something a la Dragon Disciple. With no real experience in trying to create a prestige class of that magnitude, I opted to begin with the Guyver template. The prestige class will be forthcoming at a later time, but for now, I think this template will be a good start.

The Guyver Template

The Guyver is a template that can be added to any humanoid or monstrous humanoid creature (referred to hereafter as the 'base creature'). The creature's type becomes 'shapeshifter'. It uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Prerequisites: Base attack bonus of +6.

Summoning The Guyver: The Guyver can be summoned as a free action, imbuing the base creatures with the abilities presented below. When in combat situations, The Guyver remains activated until the end of combat. In all other instances, the Guyver can be activated for 10 rounds plus 1 round every other level. (Note: The Guyver, in combat, will occasionally violate the maximum given in non-combat situations. This reflects The Guyver's symbiotic relationship with it's host in protecting it's host from serious harm.)

Hit Dice: d10

Speed: Add 40 ft. per round to base creature's speed.

AC: Natural armor improves by +5 (stackable with any other natural armor bonuses of the base creature, if any).

Damage: The Guyver deals unarmed damage as a first-level monk (unless the base creature has monk levels, in which case those levels stack with the subsequent levels gained with The Guyver template). Each level gained after The Guyver template is applied to the base creature, the unarmed damage improves as per the Monk table in the PHB. (Example: Gabriel is a 6th level fighter. The Guyver template is applied, and he now does unarmed damage as per a 1st level monk. At his next level, he does unarmed damage as a 2nd level monk, so on and so forth.) If The Guyver chooses to wield a weapon, then he uses the standard methods of determining damage.

Special Attacks: The Guyver is unable to use any of the special attacks of the base creature while The Guyver is activated. However, The Guyver bestows special attacks of its' own, as follows:

Arm Blades: The Guyver possesses a retractable arm blade on each forearm, which deals 1d10 damage (modified by Str), and acts for all intents and purposes as +3 weapons. The armblades use the unarmed attack bonus portion of the Monk table in the PHB to determine attacks per round. Using both arm blades at the same time incurs the standard penalty for two-weapon fighting in addition to off-hand fighting, unless the feats Ambidexterity and Two-Weapon Fighting are already taken.

Megasmasher: The left and right torso of The Guyver can be opened up according to specific circumstances, usually when the life of The Guyver's host is in danger of being killed. When opened, the megasmasher is activated. This is considered a disintegrate spell cast by a 20th level wizard, with the enhancement of the Enlarge Spell metamagic feat. All other details are as per the disintegrate spell listed in the PHB (DC save for the spell calculated as normal). This is considered a supernatural ability, usable once per day.

Special Qualities: The Guyver is unable to use any of the special qualities of the base creature while The Guyver is activated. However, The Guyver bestows special qualities of its' own, as follows:

Damage Reduction: The Guyver's natural armor is extraordinarily resilient, giving The Guyver damage reduction 20/+3.

Fast Healing: The Guyver heals 5 points of damage each round, so long as it possesses at least 1 hit point. If reduced to 0 hit points or lower, The Guyver is slain, but undergoes the Resurrection Ability as described below.

Unarmed Attack Bonus: The Guyver makes use of the unarmed attack bonus when determining attacks per round when fighting unarmed or using the arm blades, beginning as a 1st level monk. The BAB of the base creature stacks with the BAB bonuses as the base creature advances in levels. If The Guyver wields any weapons other than the use of his unarmed attacks or arm blades, then attack bonuses and attacks per round are determined as normal.

AC Bonus: The Guyver allows the base creature to make use of the additional monk AC bonuses when determining The Guyver's AC. Wisdom modifiers to AC, as well as the level-dependent AC bonus granted to monks. This AC Bonus is only allowed whenever The Guyver is activated.

Resurrection Ability: Should The Guyver be slain, this supernatural ability will be activated. The Guyver will undergo the effects of both the resurrection spell and the regenerate spell (cast as a 20th level cleric in both instances), but all clothing and items worn at the time of death are irretrievably lost unless either wish or miracle are cast for each item and for each piece of clothing lost in the resurrection process.

Additional Visions: The Guyver has low-light and darkvision with a range of 120 feet.

Spell-Like Abilities: The Guyver gains these spell-like abilities while activated: levitate (3/day), light at will.

Miscellaneous Special Qualities: The Guyver is granted acid, cold, electricity and fire resistance 15, and is considered immune to all poisons so long as the Guyver remains activated. When the Guyver is not activated, the base creature receives a +4 racial bonus to Fortitude saves against poison.

Saves: Same as the base creature.

Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows, while The Guyver is activated: Str +4, Dex +4, Con +4, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +2. Hit points gained by The Guyver are considered temporary hit points and are removed first, if lost.

Skills: The Guyver has 4 skill points, plus it's Intelligence modifier, per Hit Die. Treat skills from the base creature's list as class skills and all other skills as cross-class. If the creature has a class, it gains skills for class levels normally.

Feats: The Guyver has one feat for every four levels or the base creature's total of feats, whichever is greater.
 
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Well, it deems like a reasonably accurate translation of the Guyver, but it is pretty obscenely powerful. Of course the Guyver is pretty obscenely powerful, so short of a munchkiny-monty haul campaign. I'm not sure what use there would be for such a template. But somebody is doing a another D20 superheroes system and hopefully that one won't suck. Something like the guyver would probably fit better in that sort of enviroment.
 

Agreed. I admittedly did this for two reasons: 1) A WOTC forum poster asked about it, and 2) just to see if I could actually pull it off. I think that's a rather workable rough draft template, considering I spent two hours typing it up.
 


Hmm... a good question. Given ability score adjustments, special attacks and abilities (and taking a little away from disallowing the use of 'natural' special attacks and abilities), and all that... hmm. I'll assign a bare minimum of ECL +12 and ranging up to possibly ECL +15. That sound pretty fair for a guess-timation?
 

I doidn't notice tyhis before, but your template has a prerequiste. That's interesting, i've never seen a template with one of those.

I think the ecl of +15 is a little on the high side. Have you created any characters with this template? It's an interesting idea making it a template, but I think it would better serve as a prestige class. Ya, a strong prestige class, but one of the abilities of the calss can be the learning control of the powers. Granted it's been a long time since I've seen the this, so my memory might be a little off on my suggestions. :D
 

Creature Catalog has a few templates with prerequisites, the Death Knight template (which is a rather nice one, btw) among them, so I'm not quite the first to do it this way.

The Guyver template will actually go hand-in-hand with a prestige class, a la the Dragon Disciple from Tome & Blood. It takes time to learn about the abilities the Guyver possesses as it enhances it's host. Probably will be a day or two before I get it written out, though. I'm gonna look at the Dragon Disciple rather closely to see how they do the special abilities as the character progresses in levels, and use that knowledge as the basis for when I write up the Guyver PrC.

ECL +15 is likely a bit high, yes, but I'm also trying to err on the side of caution when making my guess-timation on determining it's ECL modifier. I think ECL +10-12 is pretty fair, myself, but I also realize that some may choose to say it should be higher or what not. We'll see.
 

I like the prestige class idea. I think that works better then just applying the template. Good luck on this, I'm really looking forward to seeing what you come up with.
 

Any other comments? I'm beginning to work on the prestige class, and make it somewhat similar to the Dragon Disciple from Tome & Blood, so it should be up in the next day or two.
 

I would make the base Template = to an unskilled user.
If the person manages to find a unit but never activates he cannot take said PrC.

The PrC should increase the time he can be in Guyver state and unlock the various weapon systems. And perhaps stat increases as well.

Secondly the swords should negate non-magical armor/natural AC.
 

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