(3.5) Beast Machine (Warforged PrC)

[Hyooz]

BEAST MACHINE

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vH-TpntmgaU/Rm0Do6vR33I/AAAAAAAAAAo/K4Vrdf6Ee08/s320/optimus+primal.JPG

Maximals, MAXIMIZE!! - Optimus Primal; Ancient Beast Machine

Warforged often get stuck with the stigma of being detached from the natural world. They are basically robots, but the stereotype is hurtful. A number of Warforged find nature lovely, and some have been known to go as far as to become druids. Standard druidic nature is hard for a Warforged to master, those who do, however, become known as Beast Machines. Or, in some regions, Beast Warriors.

BECOMING A BEAST MACHINE
How you would normally become a member of this prestige class.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Race: Warforged
Special: Wildshape class feature
Spellcasting: Must be able to cast 3rd level divine spells

Class Skills
The Beast Warrior's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + Int

Hit Dice: d10

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+0|
+2|
+0|
+2|Wildshape; Wild Empathy; Gilded Wildshape

2nd|
+1|
+3|
+0|
+3|Metal Claws

3rd|
+2|
+3|
+1|
+3|Steel Hide

4th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+4|Mechanical Efficiency

5th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+4|Natural Machine[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: A Beast Machine gains no new weapon or armor proficiencies.

Spellcasting: Every level, your spell casting increases as if you had gained a level in a divine casting class you had before. If you had more than one divine spellcasting class, you must pick which one to advance.

Wildshape: Levels of Beast Machine stack with levels of Druid for determining Wildshape forms you have access to and Wildshapes per day.

Wild Empathy: Levels of Beast Machine stack with levels of Druid for the purposes of determining your druid level for Wild Empathy.

Gilded Wildshape: You have the option to maintain your Warforged racial traits in Wildshape form. This has the added effect of making your Wildshaped form look, well, warforged.

Metal Claws: Since you are, in fact, a giant metal bear instead of a normal-type bear, your natural attacks do more damage than they normally would. You can add your Constitution modifier to the damage of your natural attacks while in Gilded Wildshape.

Steel Hide: When using Gilded Wildshape, you gain DR X/Adamantite where X is equal to your Wildshape form's usual hit dice, e.g. if a Druid 5/Beast Machine 5 Gilded Wildshaped into a Giant Eagle, he would have DR 4/adamantite.

Mechanical Efficiency: You can now wildshape, or gilded wildshape, as a swift action instead of a standard action.

Natural Machine: When you return to your Warforged shape, you can morph your slam attack into an attack from the creature you had just become. When reverting to Warforged form, choose a natural attack from your current wildshape. Treat your slam attack as if it were that natural attack.

[DracoDei]

Put in the traditional column for spellcasting. I skimmed, and thought it didn't give any spell-casting advancement at all. This costs a feat at first level for a body-type that won't prevent your class abilities, but I am not sure if that is enough of a cost, let alone a fair one since you pay it at 1st level, and don't see the benefits until 6th.
I would give full advancement for the animal companion and wild empathy, even if that means dropping the spellcasting to 4/5.

[Ashtagon]

Metal Claws: This presumably needs a note that it only works when using the gilded wildshape feature.

Robot in disguise: This effectively removes the cool visuals of the class. If it is in at all, it should be delayed till the end.

Natural Machine: I see potential for abuse here. Wildshape into some form that has at least one high damage natural attack, then the est of the day you have that damage boost. And what if that natural attack relies on a body part the warforged does not normally have?

I'd consider adding a steel skin feature for gilded wildshape, giving, say, DR 2/- or something like that.

[DracoDei]

And what if that natural attack relies on a body part the warforged does not normally have?
That is actually half the point... giant scorpion claw incorporated into a hand... that sort of thing.

[Hyooz]

Metal Claws: This presumably needs a note that it only works when using the gilded wildshape feature.


Noted.



Robot in disguise: This effectively removes the cool visuals of the class. If it is in at all, it should be delayed till the end.


It's an optional thing. If there's a need to look like a normal cat, surveillance or whatever, then the option is there. If you want to look like a freaking robo-hydra, then you can.



Natural Machine: I see potential for abuse here. Wildshape into some form that has at least one high damage natural attack, then the est of the day you have that damage boost. And what if that natural attack relies on a body part the warforged does not normally have?

I'd consider adding a steel skin feature for gilded wildshape, giving, say, DR 2/- or something like that.

Draco got it right in that that's kind of the idea. Plays back into the Beast Wars/Machines theme, and it's hardly any more powerful than just, say, wildshaping into the form that has that attack.


Put in the traditional column for spellcasting. I skimmed, and thought it didn't give any spell-casting advancement at all. This costs a feat at first level for a body-type that won't prevent your class abilities, but I am not sure if that is enough of a cost, let alone a fair one since you pay it at 1st level, and don't see the benefits until 6th.

I would give full advancement for the animal companion and wild empathy, even if that means dropping the spellcasting to 4/5.


Eh, spellcasting is there, and I hate cluttering up my tables with it. The only cost for the PrC is, basically, "be playing a warforged druid." If you've made it that far, well, like you said, I'm not going to make you pay anything more. That's already a feat down. I left spellcasting at full at the expense of animal companion progression. I can throw wild empathy in there without much issue.

[Ashtagon]

It's an optional thing. If there's a need to look like a normal cat, surveillance or whatever, then the option is there. If you want to look like a freaking robo-hydra, then you can.

If you absolutely need to look like a normal animal, the plain vanilla wildshape still exists, right? A druid with this feature has no reason to "out" himself by going into robobeast mode, since robots in disguise grants all the benefits of robobeast with none of the visuals that might alert anyone. Once you have this feature, there's no reason to ever not use it.

[Hyooz]

Ah, I see what you're getting at. Misunderstood at first. I might have been pushing for the 'Robot in Disguise' "pun" too hard.

[Admiral Squish]

I think we're not taking into account that a warforged going into this PRC would ineed ironwood body or unarmored body, so they wouldn't look very much like a traditional robot at all, but instead, one made of wood or stone. However, you can't be expected to get five levels of druid while wearing adamantine plating. Well, you could, but you'd have to be, like, twelve kinds of awesome.

Maybe you should make an ability that lets you add ironwood body's AC bonus to your AC in animal form? Perhaps put that into the gilded form.

[lightningcat]

This is humorous. While I was at work this week I was brainstroming a similar idea. But I was going as race, rather then class.