soulsabre345
2011-02-24, 06:25 PM
Lore: Flammies have existed, and always will exist in the depths of the multiverse in their own little plane of existence completely distinct from any other known plane. It is a paradise, but for a race that seeks knowledge and to experience what the realms have to offer, it is a very boring paradise. Thus, as a whole the race is always waiting for the mortal to bring them into existence so that they can arrive in the mortal's realm of choice and begin experiencing a world both alien and familiar. As such, it is extremely easy for a unfocused mortal to bring one into existence.
Alignment: As a Race, Almost all are some form of good. Given that new life doesn't really exist for them, any flammie brought into existence has the memories of their home realm and past existences, even if they can't act on them, and as such even the evilist flammie in their home plane is probably closest to true neutral because power is completely useless in their home, and as such makes the kind of world annihilating evil that comes up in the material plane kind of pointless when no one can die.
Personality: As a whole, very childlike and full of wonder. Even if each flammie could be older than some planets, they are in the realm of their own will for nothing more than experiencing the world and what it has to offer, and will take every experience they can get. A Flammie could, and indeed might, for example put a paw in boiling water to see how that unique form of pain feels. If a caster, they may use their spells for completely frivolous things, such as throwing a sonic spell at a rock to see the reverberations, or sending a sphere of annihilation at a forest because they haven't seen it done before. However, when they have someone to protect or have made a friend they will be deathly loyal to them and their desire to experience everything will take a backseat to the company of their friend, and will in general do what is asked of them if it's reasonable.
Image:
http://pfcdn.net/site/t/content_image/image/30/11/301148__secret-of-mana-secret-of-mana-flammie.jpeg?569e2cda84
Flammie
Type: Dragon (Air)
Medium Size
30' movement speed
Flight speed: Starting at 6 HD, gain a 10' fly speed +10' more for every 3 HD past 6 (20 at 9, 30 at 12, etc.). Perfect manuverability
Quadrupedal: A Flammie normally walks on all fours, Although if necessary a Flammie can walk on two legs at 15' speed and use their forelegs for manipulation, but they cannot fight like that. Because of this quality, their carrying capacity is twice that of a bipedal creature and reach increases as for a quadrupedal creature upon size changes. As normal for quadrupedal creatures, they can use barding, although as a whole the race prefers the feel of the winds on it's fur and usually avoids manufactured armor.
Moonlit Sustenance: Due to the odd nature of their form and internal chemistry, a flammie can gain susentence from one hour of starlight or moonlight. However, if they cannot access this source, they need to eat 10x normal for a humanoid. The phase of the moon if irrelevant for this ability, as long as the flammie has a unobstructed path to the skies above at night this ability activates.
Knowledge Seeker: All Flammies start with one knowledge as a class skill (Flammie's choice), and gain a +2 racial bonus to it. As well, a Flammie may make any knowledge check untrained, and may add Nd4-2N to any knowledge check made, where N is equal to half the flammie's HD. This does not apply to anything that would change significantly in 100 years.
Natural Weapons: A flammie starts with 2 claws (1d6) Primary and 1 bite (1d8). and at level 10 they add 1 (1d6) wing attack. At level 15 they get the other wing attack (1d6) The claws are primary, all others are secondary. All of the natural weapons count as monk weapons, and the claws can be used for iteratives. Due to their quadrepedal nature, they cannot use conventional weapons unless specially designed, but see the secondary effect of breath of Disjunction
Sizechanger (Ex): A Flammie can spend a number of rounds each day equal to their level times 1 + their con bonus in a size one above or one below their current size. This gives no increase in stats, but normal size changes apply. Manufactured weapons and armor do not change with this transformation. It is a swift action to activate and a free to end.
Oncce 7 HD are attained, if desired the size modifcation can be increased one step further, but while in this form any form of combat reverts it down one size (To a maximum of huge outside of combat, large in combat, and a minimum of tiny out of combat, small in combat). As well, provided the Flammie is not in combat this size can be maintained without draining their daily usage of the ability. At 14 HD, the size modification is increased yet another step, to a maximum of Gargantuan outside of combat, large in combat, and a minimum of Diminutive out of combat, small in combat
Breath of Disjunction (Su):
Primary Effect: This comes into play if the breath is used on a unattended Magical Item, provided that this item can be equipped to a normal body slot. It takes 10 minutes of focus on a item to convert it's energy into a form the Flammie can modify. Once completed, the item transferred to the flammie's form in the same approximate location and takes up the same body slot as the item would normally. Artifacts cannot be transferred in this fashion unless the Flammie is level 20 or above. If another item is converted the Flammie can choose which enchantment to replace, but only one enchantment can occupy one body slot. The Flammie can choose whether to display this enchantment or not, and the appearance is also up to the Flammie to designate. The item still exists in a manner of speaking, and can still be targeted by dispel magic as normal. However, the enchantment is immune to disjunction. Regardless, the magical auras persist in the same locations even if not visible. There are 2 weapon slots (Representing the 2 claws), and one armor slot. If a weapon, armor, or something with a effective enhancement bonus is converted, then the following applies:
The Flammie can choose any enchantments on the armor or weapon and transfer it to their natural armor or claws, adding to the effective enhancement bonus of their natural armor or claws, and causing the base item to lose those bonuses. Each claw and the natural armor are separate body slots, and must be enchanted independently. As well, then can choose instead of take on certain bonuses instead of transferring the full effect, paying the normal cost for enchanting a item if their base effective enchantment bonus increases.
For example, let's say he starts with these items.
A) +5 soulfire padded armor
B) +1 Heavy Fortification padded armor,
He starts off with B equipped, leaving
A) +5 soulfire padded armor
B) padded armor,
Equipped: +1 Heavy Fortification Natural Armor
He decides he wants a +5 Heavy Fortification Natural Armor, So he starts by adopting armor A to bring him up to a +9 enhancement bonus:
A) padded armor
B) +1 Heavy Fortification padded armor,
Equipped: +5 soulfire Natural Armor
then for the armor he wants he has to swap soulfire for heavy fortification, which would bring him up to a +10 enhancement bonus. He does not have a +10 armor, so he has to pay the difference between a +9 and a +10 item to complete the swap, leaving;
A) padded armor
B) +1 soulfire padded armor,
Equipped: +5 Heavy Fortification Natural Armor
lost 19k gold to do so.
This logic can also apply to any other items and use a similar process to determine cost.
There is also an option when using the breath on a piece of non-magical armor to adopt the non-magical bonuses of the armor, but doing so turns the armor to dust (Non-Magical meaning AC (Although the AC is converted to natural armor), ACP, ASF, Max dex, and so on. Speed reduction and penalties of heavy and medium armor do apply). When this property is used scaled plates grow all along the flammie's form, such that heavy armor almost entirely covers them and could allow them to pass for a normal dragon.
DM option: If the DM allows, if one claw has no enchantments and the other is, then both claws make take on the same enchantments
Racial Feats:
Force Spit
Requirements: Flammie, Con 13
Gain a Spit Attack that does 1d4+1d4/2 levels force damage as a ranged touch attack, with a 1d4+1 round cooldown. Range increment of 25' + 5' per 2 HD, and can go up to 10 increments.
Tail Attack
Requirements: Flammie, 6+ HD
Gain a 1d8 tail attack
Force Breath
Requirements: Flammie, Con 15, Force Spit
Gain 2 alternate forms for the force spit. Either form doubles the cooldown to 2d4+2 rounds. Neither effect can be saved against
Choice 1: Force spit turns into a line of multicolored energy that is breathed out. it has a range equal to 1 range increment at 1 HD, and increases by one increment for every 5 HD (1 at 5, 2 at 10, 3 at 15, etc.)
Choice 2: Force spit becomes a splash attack, affecting any adjacent creatures to the target if the attack hits. The attack must land on a enemy target for the splash to occur, you cannot pick a empty square to target this ability on. The splash hits all targets adjacent to the target creature, provided the target only takes up one square. if the target takes up more than one square, pick one that the target occupies as the originator for the effect. The range of the splash increases with your HD, 5' range for every 5 HD the Flammie posseses. This hits the middle of the square for the purposes of area.
I.E.
ASCII drawing of the aoe effect
1-5 HD
XXXXX
XXOXX
XOTOX
XXOXX
XXXXX
6-10 HD
XXOXX
XOOOX
OOTOO
XOOOX
XXOXX
11-15 HD
XXXOXXX
XXOOOXX
XOOOOOX
OOOTOOO
XOOOOOX
XXOOOXX
XXXOXXX
etc.
I posted this race a while back on the forums, and it was mentioned as being very underpowered, so I took the criticism and ran with it, and this is where I currently have the idea. The goal is to have a dragonic race that doesn't use conventional armor or weapons, but is not powerful enough to merit a LA, So, I pose it to the forums to rip apart and give me advice on how to balance it for that LA.
Please, PEACH, this is only my second real foray into fiddling seriously with homebrew. Formatting advice is also welcome and I will edit the post per advice.
Alignment: As a Race, Almost all are some form of good. Given that new life doesn't really exist for them, any flammie brought into existence has the memories of their home realm and past existences, even if they can't act on them, and as such even the evilist flammie in their home plane is probably closest to true neutral because power is completely useless in their home, and as such makes the kind of world annihilating evil that comes up in the material plane kind of pointless when no one can die.
Personality: As a whole, very childlike and full of wonder. Even if each flammie could be older than some planets, they are in the realm of their own will for nothing more than experiencing the world and what it has to offer, and will take every experience they can get. A Flammie could, and indeed might, for example put a paw in boiling water to see how that unique form of pain feels. If a caster, they may use their spells for completely frivolous things, such as throwing a sonic spell at a rock to see the reverberations, or sending a sphere of annihilation at a forest because they haven't seen it done before. However, when they have someone to protect or have made a friend they will be deathly loyal to them and their desire to experience everything will take a backseat to the company of their friend, and will in general do what is asked of them if it's reasonable.
Image:
http://pfcdn.net/site/t/content_image/image/30/11/301148__secret-of-mana-secret-of-mana-flammie.jpeg?569e2cda84
Flammie
Type: Dragon (Air)
Medium Size
30' movement speed
Flight speed: Starting at 6 HD, gain a 10' fly speed +10' more for every 3 HD past 6 (20 at 9, 30 at 12, etc.). Perfect manuverability
Quadrupedal: A Flammie normally walks on all fours, Although if necessary a Flammie can walk on two legs at 15' speed and use their forelegs for manipulation, but they cannot fight like that. Because of this quality, their carrying capacity is twice that of a bipedal creature and reach increases as for a quadrupedal creature upon size changes. As normal for quadrupedal creatures, they can use barding, although as a whole the race prefers the feel of the winds on it's fur and usually avoids manufactured armor.
Moonlit Sustenance: Due to the odd nature of their form and internal chemistry, a flammie can gain susentence from one hour of starlight or moonlight. However, if they cannot access this source, they need to eat 10x normal for a humanoid. The phase of the moon if irrelevant for this ability, as long as the flammie has a unobstructed path to the skies above at night this ability activates.
Knowledge Seeker: All Flammies start with one knowledge as a class skill (Flammie's choice), and gain a +2 racial bonus to it. As well, a Flammie may make any knowledge check untrained, and may add Nd4-2N to any knowledge check made, where N is equal to half the flammie's HD. This does not apply to anything that would change significantly in 100 years.
Natural Weapons: A flammie starts with 2 claws (1d6) Primary and 1 bite (1d8). and at level 10 they add 1 (1d6) wing attack. At level 15 they get the other wing attack (1d6) The claws are primary, all others are secondary. All of the natural weapons count as monk weapons, and the claws can be used for iteratives. Due to their quadrepedal nature, they cannot use conventional weapons unless specially designed, but see the secondary effect of breath of Disjunction
Sizechanger (Ex): A Flammie can spend a number of rounds each day equal to their level times 1 + their con bonus in a size one above or one below their current size. This gives no increase in stats, but normal size changes apply. Manufactured weapons and armor do not change with this transformation. It is a swift action to activate and a free to end.
Oncce 7 HD are attained, if desired the size modifcation can be increased one step further, but while in this form any form of combat reverts it down one size (To a maximum of huge outside of combat, large in combat, and a minimum of tiny out of combat, small in combat). As well, provided the Flammie is not in combat this size can be maintained without draining their daily usage of the ability. At 14 HD, the size modification is increased yet another step, to a maximum of Gargantuan outside of combat, large in combat, and a minimum of Diminutive out of combat, small in combat
Breath of Disjunction (Su):
Primary Effect: This comes into play if the breath is used on a unattended Magical Item, provided that this item can be equipped to a normal body slot. It takes 10 minutes of focus on a item to convert it's energy into a form the Flammie can modify. Once completed, the item transferred to the flammie's form in the same approximate location and takes up the same body slot as the item would normally. Artifacts cannot be transferred in this fashion unless the Flammie is level 20 or above. If another item is converted the Flammie can choose which enchantment to replace, but only one enchantment can occupy one body slot. The Flammie can choose whether to display this enchantment or not, and the appearance is also up to the Flammie to designate. The item still exists in a manner of speaking, and can still be targeted by dispel magic as normal. However, the enchantment is immune to disjunction. Regardless, the magical auras persist in the same locations even if not visible. There are 2 weapon slots (Representing the 2 claws), and one armor slot. If a weapon, armor, or something with a effective enhancement bonus is converted, then the following applies:
The Flammie can choose any enchantments on the armor or weapon and transfer it to their natural armor or claws, adding to the effective enhancement bonus of their natural armor or claws, and causing the base item to lose those bonuses. Each claw and the natural armor are separate body slots, and must be enchanted independently. As well, then can choose instead of take on certain bonuses instead of transferring the full effect, paying the normal cost for enchanting a item if their base effective enchantment bonus increases.
For example, let's say he starts with these items.
A) +5 soulfire padded armor
B) +1 Heavy Fortification padded armor,
He starts off with B equipped, leaving
A) +5 soulfire padded armor
B) padded armor,
Equipped: +1 Heavy Fortification Natural Armor
He decides he wants a +5 Heavy Fortification Natural Armor, So he starts by adopting armor A to bring him up to a +9 enhancement bonus:
A) padded armor
B) +1 Heavy Fortification padded armor,
Equipped: +5 soulfire Natural Armor
then for the armor he wants he has to swap soulfire for heavy fortification, which would bring him up to a +10 enhancement bonus. He does not have a +10 armor, so he has to pay the difference between a +9 and a +10 item to complete the swap, leaving;
A) padded armor
B) +1 soulfire padded armor,
Equipped: +5 Heavy Fortification Natural Armor
lost 19k gold to do so.
This logic can also apply to any other items and use a similar process to determine cost.
There is also an option when using the breath on a piece of non-magical armor to adopt the non-magical bonuses of the armor, but doing so turns the armor to dust (Non-Magical meaning AC (Although the AC is converted to natural armor), ACP, ASF, Max dex, and so on. Speed reduction and penalties of heavy and medium armor do apply). When this property is used scaled plates grow all along the flammie's form, such that heavy armor almost entirely covers them and could allow them to pass for a normal dragon.
DM option: If the DM allows, if one claw has no enchantments and the other is, then both claws make take on the same enchantments
Racial Feats:
Force Spit
Requirements: Flammie, Con 13
Gain a Spit Attack that does 1d4+1d4/2 levels force damage as a ranged touch attack, with a 1d4+1 round cooldown. Range increment of 25' + 5' per 2 HD, and can go up to 10 increments.
Tail Attack
Requirements: Flammie, 6+ HD
Gain a 1d8 tail attack
Force Breath
Requirements: Flammie, Con 15, Force Spit
Gain 2 alternate forms for the force spit. Either form doubles the cooldown to 2d4+2 rounds. Neither effect can be saved against
Choice 1: Force spit turns into a line of multicolored energy that is breathed out. it has a range equal to 1 range increment at 1 HD, and increases by one increment for every 5 HD (1 at 5, 2 at 10, 3 at 15, etc.)
Choice 2: Force spit becomes a splash attack, affecting any adjacent creatures to the target if the attack hits. The attack must land on a enemy target for the splash to occur, you cannot pick a empty square to target this ability on. The splash hits all targets adjacent to the target creature, provided the target only takes up one square. if the target takes up more than one square, pick one that the target occupies as the originator for the effect. The range of the splash increases with your HD, 5' range for every 5 HD the Flammie posseses. This hits the middle of the square for the purposes of area.
I.E.
ASCII drawing of the aoe effect
1-5 HD
XXXXX
XXOXX
XOTOX
XXOXX
XXXXX
6-10 HD
XXOXX
XOOOX
OOTOO
XOOOX
XXOXX
11-15 HD
XXXOXXX
XXOOOXX
XOOOOOX
OOOTOOO
XOOOOOX
XXOOOXX
XXXOXXX
etc.
I posted this race a while back on the forums, and it was mentioned as being very underpowered, so I took the criticism and ran with it, and this is where I currently have the idea. The goal is to have a dragonic race that doesn't use conventional armor or weapons, but is not powerful enough to merit a LA, So, I pose it to the forums to rip apart and give me advice on how to balance it for that LA.
Please, PEACH, this is only my second real foray into fiddling seriously with homebrew. Formatting advice is also welcome and I will edit the post per advice.