Transformation PRCs. The Good and the Bad.

[ZardozSpeaks]

Hi Everyone, longtime lurker, but I come with questions.

I'm currently designing a PRC for a character in a 3.5 game. The prc is pretty loose at this point, the working title is Regenerating Mutant. It focuses on the Regeneration ability (maybe fast healing) and gaining interesting physiology changes. The structure of the class is still very up in the air,and I wanted to do some field study to help guide me.

I've noticed lots of PRCs on this board are what I'd call Transformational. The PRC or Base Class offers the character methods of becoming more than or less than their original racial choice. With in official content this idea was first seen with PRCs like Oozemaster and Dragon Disciple, and includes Green Star Adepts and Fleshwarpers as well. There are too many to name, and here at GITP there are maybe hundreds more.

So in this category, what works well? What are systems that are both flavorful and mechanically sound? Do you like customization or prefer that the transformation is the same for all members of the class? What are homebrew PRCs here that you like, what mechanics in them work well? What should I avoid in designing my class? Feel free to point out official or custom PRCs that don't function well, but be critical and respectful of the makers.

Here's what I like

Heavy Flavor and Low Customization. Classes like Green Star Adept are quite interesting thematically with out having the player select any abilities.
Low Flavor and Heavy Customization. Classes like Fleshwarper allow lots of cool options for the player, while providing a simple Mad Doctor alibi for the changes.

Here's what I don't like
Big Mechanics. A class like the Fleshwarper or Totemist offers lots of customization but requires a lot of supplemental rules. I'd like my prc to be fairly streamlined, and not reference to many things outside itself. A good example is fleshwarper. You're reading fleshwarper in Lords of Madness, then looking at a Mohrgs Tongue in Libris Mortis, Then you have to go look at Mohrgs in MM and then Finally paralysis in the DMG. Too much.

Human Centrism. A lot of transformation classes assume a humanoid for the base creature. This gets kind of funny when Ghouls get the Dragon type from being Dragon Disciples or when you start wondering if your Awakened Snake Dragon Disciple should grow arms for its claw attacks. These are kind of extreme examples, but you get the idea.

Well, thats enough for now. What do you guys think?

[Yora]

Regeneration is a fun ability. But what would the class actually do?

A fighter or barbarian who forgets about defense but just doesn't want to fall would be one concept. But for any class the question is "how does it help the party?"

[Epsilon Rose]

I see two fairly simple ways to work this: the first is the wolverine rout give them a fast healing progression and a capstone that converts any fast healing they acquire into regen (not sure about the balance on that) and sprinkle in some feral feeling combat abilities so they can still do things (maybe a basic initiator progression?). Alternatively you could go a shape-shifter rout, same basic idea as the first one but you'd have to scale back the progression (and maybe nix the regen) but give them also give them a shape shifting progression that is either based on wild shape or working off of a fixed list of forms and demi-forms.