Fable Wright
2010-09-27, 10:20 PM
I came across this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169939) thread a while ago, and it caught my interest. What would it be like to play as a swarm of other characters? And thus, you now have the schizophrenic hive mind:
Schizophrenic Hive Mind:
"Schizophrenic hive mind" is an inherited template that can be added to any living, corporeal creature with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher (referred to hereafter as the base creature).
Size and Type
The creature’s size and type remains the same.
Speed
As base creature.
Special Qualities
A Schizophrenic hive mind has all the special qualities of the base creature, plus the following special qualities.
Split: Whenever a schizophrenic hive mind gains 3 character levels, a schizophrenic hive mind gains another personality. This personality has the same character level as the base base creature, of any LA+0 race the character chooses. Each day, at dawn, the character may do any of the following:
Alter personality: The character becomes one alternate personality of their choosing. They lose all of their racial traits and class features, such as hit points and base attack bonus, as well as spellcasting and bonus feats, but gains all of the traits and class features of the selected alternate personality.
Gain body: The character, and each alternate personality, loses 1 level for the day. This acts as if they had actually lost a level that belongs to a class that they have. It cannot be dispelled or recovered in any way while this ability is in effect. The character, for each additional level lost this way, may give one of his alternate personalities a physical form. For example, if Tordek the 6th level dwarf cleric wanted to manifest one of his alternate personalities, he may become a 4th level cleric, and his alternate personality, Kedrot, the 6th level half-orc barbarian, appears as a 4th level half-orc barbarian. If Tordek also wanted to manifest his third personality, Torked, the 6th level Elf Wizard, he may become a 3rd level cleric, Kedrot would become a 3rd level barbarian, and Torked would become a 3rd level elf wizard. A schizophrenic hive mind must have a minimum number of active personalities equal to 1/2 their total personalities. (For example, Tordek has 3 personalities: His base personality, and 2 alternate personalities.) Each personality manifested this way may communicate telepathically to each manifested personality. However, although these forms have individually separate minds, if one is affected by a mind-effecting spell, each personality in the schizophrenic hive mind is affected by it, as if the spell was targeted at all of them.
Conflicting personalities: Whenever a schizophrenic hive mind is faced with a situation that would place one of their other personalities under duress, it must make a control check.
Each personality rolls a will save. The personalities then choose in order, counting down from highest result to lowest. They choose a manifestation to take over. If there are no more manifestations available, the remaining personalites are dormant. If a dormant personality takes over a manifestation it does so as by the 'alter personality' ability
In the event that two will saves are identical reroll those two saves, with the higher taking the first choice and the lower taking the second.
A personality may choose to remain dormant, if it so desires.
If a personality has a very good reason for coming forth (AKA, fighting a wizard who burned his hometown, talking to a mayor that owes one of the personalities money, etc.) the DM may add a situational modifier to any save, but to +5 or -5 to any different will save, depending on how good their motive is.
Note: Personalities which are not manifested at the beginning of the day, if they come back later, they are treated as if they had not recovered their use of daily abilities (Such as rage, spell slots, wildshape, etc.) unless they rest in their new form for 10 minutes, or, in the case of spells per day, 1 hour of meditation. Until they do this, they are treated as not having recovered their abilities. Characters who have taken hit point damage heal points as if they had rested for 8 hours when they are manifested again. If a manifested personality dies, it may not manifest again unless Resurrection, True Resurrection, or Miracle is cast on the corpse of the dead personality.
Saves
All forms of a schizophrenic hive mind has a -2 penalty on all reflex and will saves, due to their internally conflicting minds. This deadens their reaction time, and over the course of their life, weakens their will, as the minds conflict with each other.
Challenge Rating
Same as base creature.
Alignment
Any.
Level Adjustment
Same as base creature.
So, what do you think? I'm happy to hear advice and/or corrections to my (probably poorly worded) abilities.
Schizophrenic Hive Mind:
"Schizophrenic hive mind" is an inherited template that can be added to any living, corporeal creature with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher (referred to hereafter as the base creature).
Size and Type
The creature’s size and type remains the same.
Speed
As base creature.
Special Qualities
A Schizophrenic hive mind has all the special qualities of the base creature, plus the following special qualities.
Split: Whenever a schizophrenic hive mind gains 3 character levels, a schizophrenic hive mind gains another personality. This personality has the same character level as the base base creature, of any LA+0 race the character chooses. Each day, at dawn, the character may do any of the following:
Alter personality: The character becomes one alternate personality of their choosing. They lose all of their racial traits and class features, such as hit points and base attack bonus, as well as spellcasting and bonus feats, but gains all of the traits and class features of the selected alternate personality.
Gain body: The character, and each alternate personality, loses 1 level for the day. This acts as if they had actually lost a level that belongs to a class that they have. It cannot be dispelled or recovered in any way while this ability is in effect. The character, for each additional level lost this way, may give one of his alternate personalities a physical form. For example, if Tordek the 6th level dwarf cleric wanted to manifest one of his alternate personalities, he may become a 4th level cleric, and his alternate personality, Kedrot, the 6th level half-orc barbarian, appears as a 4th level half-orc barbarian. If Tordek also wanted to manifest his third personality, Torked, the 6th level Elf Wizard, he may become a 3rd level cleric, Kedrot would become a 3rd level barbarian, and Torked would become a 3rd level elf wizard. A schizophrenic hive mind must have a minimum number of active personalities equal to 1/2 their total personalities. (For example, Tordek has 3 personalities: His base personality, and 2 alternate personalities.) Each personality manifested this way may communicate telepathically to each manifested personality. However, although these forms have individually separate minds, if one is affected by a mind-effecting spell, each personality in the schizophrenic hive mind is affected by it, as if the spell was targeted at all of them.
Conflicting personalities: Whenever a schizophrenic hive mind is faced with a situation that would place one of their other personalities under duress, it must make a control check.
Each personality rolls a will save. The personalities then choose in order, counting down from highest result to lowest. They choose a manifestation to take over. If there are no more manifestations available, the remaining personalites are dormant. If a dormant personality takes over a manifestation it does so as by the 'alter personality' ability
In the event that two will saves are identical reroll those two saves, with the higher taking the first choice and the lower taking the second.
A personality may choose to remain dormant, if it so desires.
If a personality has a very good reason for coming forth (AKA, fighting a wizard who burned his hometown, talking to a mayor that owes one of the personalities money, etc.) the DM may add a situational modifier to any save, but to +5 or -5 to any different will save, depending on how good their motive is.
Note: Personalities which are not manifested at the beginning of the day, if they come back later, they are treated as if they had not recovered their use of daily abilities (Such as rage, spell slots, wildshape, etc.) unless they rest in their new form for 10 minutes, or, in the case of spells per day, 1 hour of meditation. Until they do this, they are treated as not having recovered their abilities. Characters who have taken hit point damage heal points as if they had rested for 8 hours when they are manifested again. If a manifested personality dies, it may not manifest again unless Resurrection, True Resurrection, or Miracle is cast on the corpse of the dead personality.
Saves
All forms of a schizophrenic hive mind has a -2 penalty on all reflex and will saves, due to their internally conflicting minds. This deadens their reaction time, and over the course of their life, weakens their will, as the minds conflict with each other.
Challenge Rating
Same as base creature.
Alignment
Any.
Level Adjustment
Same as base creature.
So, what do you think? I'm happy to hear advice and/or corrections to my (probably poorly worded) abilities.