Must Affix Everything to Everything! (Grafts That Don't Make Me Cry Myself To Sleep)

[Kellus]

The Xenoalchemist

"On a scale of one to ten, how angry would you be if I cut off your hand and replaced it with a second head? Like, one that breathes fire. I mean, hypothetically."

http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs37/f/2008/269/d/3/d35740926aab5f5771f9e33c3639a0a3.jpg
Image credit keithherrschaft (http://keithherrschaft.deviantart.com/) of deviantart.com.

There are a lot of weird and wild monsters out there. From aboleths to yrthaks, there are a metric ton of things in the wild that would like nothing more than to remove your skin and slurp out your insides like a Mountain Dew Blue Shock Slurpee (now available at 7-Elevens for a limited time). If you're very very lucky, some of these monsters might wait until after you're dead before laying their eggs inside of you and having their babies chew their way out of your brain cavity.

Basically, the number of horrifying creatures in the wilderness right now that actively want to hunt down and eat every last humanoid on the planet is really high. A while ago, a clever adventurer decided that being humanoid just wasn't good enough anymore. It's a brutal campaign setting out there, and two arms, two legs and twenty nonlethal digits just don't cut it when the enemy has actual tentacles that dissolve your skin by touching you.

That's where xenoalchemy comes in. Xenoalchemy is the careful scientific practice of chopping up strange and alien monsters and stapling their pieces onto people. If we're going to survive in this messed-up world we're going to need every advantage we can get, up to and including voltronning a frost worm's giant frigid mandibles to your torso. Why? BECAUSE WE CAN.

Hit Die: d6
Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

Class Skills: A xenoalchemist's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (all) (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the Planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Cha), Speak Language (n/a), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Use Rope (Dex).

The Xenoalchemist
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |
Graft Level

1st|+0|+0|+0|+2|Harvest material, surgical precision +1d6, xenoalchemy|
1

2nd|+1|+0|+0|+3|Bedside manner +1, postop procedure, thesis monster|
1

3rd|+2|+1|+1|+3|Accurate analysis, surgical precision +2d6|
1

4th|+3|+1|+1|+4|Combat medic, thesis monster|
1

5th|+3|+1|+1|+4|Surgical precision +3d6|
2

6th|+4|+2|+2|+5|Battlefield diagnosis, thesis monster|
2

7th|+5|+2|+2|+5|Steady hand, surgical precision +4d6|
2

8th|+6/+1|+2|+2|+6|Back on their feet, thesis monster|
2

9th|+6/+1|+3|+3|+6|Bedside manner +2, surgical precision +5d6|
3

10th|+7/+2|+3|+3|+7|Thesis monster, waste not want not|
3

11th|+8/+3|+3|+3|+7|Attack its weak point for massive damage, surgical precision +6d6|
3

12th|+9/+4|+4|+4|+8|Emergency action, thesis monster|
3

13th|+9/+4|+4|+4|+8|Surgical precision +7d6|
4

14th|+10/+5|+4|+4|+9|Advanced cryogenics, thesis monster|
4

15th|+11/+6/+1|+5|+5|+9|Conjoined grafts, surgical precision +8d6|
4

16th|+12/+7/+2|+5|+5|+10|Always on call, bedside manner +3, thesis monster|
4

17th|+12/+7/+2|+5|+5|+10|Surgical precision +9d6|
5

18th|+13/+8/+3|+6|+6|+11|Autoimmunity, thesis monster|
5

19th|+14/+9/+4|+6|+6|+11|Medical mastery, surgical precision +10d6|
5

20th|+15/+10/+5|+6|+6|+12|God will be cut, thesis monster|
5

[/table]

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the xenoalchemist.

Weapon and Armour Proficiencies: A xenoalchemist is proficient with all simple weapons and light armour. They are not proficient with any kind of shield.

Harvest Material (Ex): As a trained xenoalchemist you can quickly identify, catalogue and remove for future use the pieces of monsters which make them so dangerous. Harvesting remains requires two minutes of work with a helpless creature or recently dead (within one hour) corpse. It requires two skill checks.

First, you must make a Knowledge check relating to the monster's type. The relevant Knowledge skill required is described under the uses of Knowledge, but since that's kind of obscure I'll just list them here for you. It's worth noting that if you don't know what type the monster was you can simply attempt a broad Knowledge check and the DM will choose the appropriate skill for you.

{table=head]Knowledge Skill|Monster Types
Knowledge (arcana)|Constructs, dragons, magical beasts
Knowledge (dungeoneering)|Aberrations, oozes
Knowledge (local)|Humanoids
Knowledge (nature)|Animals, fey, giants, monstrous humanoids, plants, vermin
Knowledge (religion)|Undead
Knowledge (the Planes)|Outsiders, elementals[/table]

The DC for the Knowledge check is equal to 10 + the monster's HD. You can always attempt these checks, even untrained thanks to your broad training in general monstrous physiology.

If the Knowledge check is successful, the DM shall describe to you the pieces available for harvest. In general, this consists of informing you about supernatural and extraordinary abilities, breath weapons, natural weapons, movement modes, and so on. This might seem a little vague, but you can always request particular information about an aspect of the monster. If there is a piece of the monster you wish to harvest for one of your grafts, you can move on to the second skill check. You can only harvest material if it's appropriate for a graft you currently have access to.

Once you decide which piece of the monster you want (each graft has a particular requirement in the original monster and you can harvest one graft's worth of material from any given monster) you make a Heal check at the same DC. If successful you manage to procure the material needed for the chosen graft. The material is usable for about three days. If it's not used before then it begins to go rancid and becomes unusable unless you store it in a freezing environment (time spent in such a state effectively pauses the time limit).

If the Heal check is unsuccessful you cannot try again to harvest that material from the monster, but you can attempt additional pieces that you find useful. If you successfuly harvest one, however, the rest of the monster becomes contaminated and unusable.

You can store as many of these monster pieces as you want, but the DM should decide on their weight and the space required to store them based on the monster they came from.

Surgical Precision (Ex): Although a xenoalchemist is a lover not a fighter, he's trained in physiology and can quickly determine how a monster's body is put together. As a swift action you can study a creature within 30ft. of you. You immediately make a Knowledge check, as if for harvesting materials (as described above). If the check passes then the next successful weapon attack you make against that creature within the following three rounds deals an extra +1d6 damage. This damage is precision-based, which means it is not effective against creatures without a discernable anatomy or who are immune to effects such as sneak attacks or critical hits.

At 3rd level, and every second level thereafter the extra damage granted by this ability increases by +1d6.

Xenoalchemy (Ex): Here's what you showed up for. As a xenoalchemist you know how to chop things up and stick them onto other things. Once you've harvested a piece of a monster as described above, you can attach it to a living being. The target must either be willing or helpless for the duration of the procedure in order to perform the graft. The procedure requires 1d3 hours + 1/2 hour per graft level. You can attach a graft to yourself, but you must make a DC 20 Concentration check to endure operating on your own body. If you fail this skill check the time for the operation is wasted but your monstrous material is not.

You only have access to level 1 grafts at 1st level, but at 5th level and every four levels thereafter you gain access to an additional level of grafts. Grafts have body slots, but they do not stop someone from wearing a magic item in the same slot. You cannot, however, have two grafts in the same body slot. Furthermore, a creature can only have at any one time a number of grafts equal to 1 + their Constitution modifier (minimum 1). If a creature's Constitution is reduced so that they can no longer hold their current grafts the grafts are rejected, starting with the most recently acquired. Rejected grafts are destroyed, and all benefits they confer are lost. A creature can only have a single 5th level graft at a time.

A xenoalchemist can remove a graft at a later point, either to replace it with a mundane body part (treated as a level 0 graft) or to make way for a different graft. This may or may not impose a penalty (see the Graft Rejection section below for more information on empty body slots).

Performing xenoalchemy requires access to basic medical equipment (which might include things like bandages, knives, electroshock therapy, and so on at the player's discretion). If you would also like to make a loud ka-chunk sound effect as you perform the operation you may do so as you see fit.

Bedside Manner (Ex): As a medical professional you're expected to remain calm and in control at all times. At 2nd level you gain a +1 bonus on all Fortitude saves, and you can use a calm emotions effect on yourself at will with a caster level equal to your Hit Dice. This bonus increases to +2 at 9th level and +3 at 16th level.

Thesis Monster (Ex): Your studies take you far and wide, and you'll end up seeing a lot of monsters. At 2nd level and every 2nd level thereafter you can select a thesis monster type. In order to pick a thesis monster type, you must have successfully analysed at least two monsters of that type previously. Choosing a thesis monster gives you access to a special technique. If the technique requires a saving throw, the Difficulty Class is 10 + 1/2 your xenoalchemy level + your Intelligence modifier. You can only use a single thesis monster technique on an attack, and you must choose which one to use before declaring the attack roll.

An Inside Job [Outsiders]: As planar intruders, outsiders remain fundamentally tied to their home Plane. You can use this to your advantage. With a successful surgical precision attack against a monster native to another Plane you can attempt to cut their astral connection to the Prime Material. In order to use this ability you must be wielding a silver weapon and be on the Material Plane. The target must make a Will save or be subject to a dismissal effect. This technique upgrades to a banishment effect at 13 HD. In addition, you gain 5 false Hit Dice for the purposes of any effects such as holy word whose effects are based on the number of Hit Dice you possess. You also gain a +2 bonus on Knowledge (the Planes) checks. You must have 7 HD to select this technique.

Arcane Intervention [Magical Beasts]: Magical beasts are some of the only beasts in nature to turn the forces of magic against humanoids. Luckily you know how their arcane magic moves around their bodies. With a successful surgical precision attack against a creature with one or more spell-like abilities you can disrupt one of them. You can either select a spell-like ability you know the creature has or let the DM select one by chance or by decee. After you make your decision, the monster loses one charge of the ability. If the ability selected is at-will, the monster instead cannot use it until the start of your next turn. A successful Will save avoids this effect. In addition, you gain a +2 bonus on saves against spells and spell-like abilities and a +2 bonus on Knowledge (arcana) checks.

Black Thumb [Plants]: Plants aren't any less complex than humanoids, just different. You've spent enough time dissecting monstrous vegetation to see just what's going on in there. You can now deal precision damage to plants. With a successful surgical precision attack you can disrupt an enemy's fast healing. The target must make a Fortitude save or stop recovering health for the following 5 rounds. At 17 HD this effect upgrades, now disrupting regeneration for the duration of the effect (although this version only lasts for 1 round). In addition, you gain a +2 bonus on Knowledge (nature) checks.

Deconstructionism [Constructs]: After spending some time rooting around inside of clockwork creatures you know what makes them... TICK. You can now deal precision damage against constructs. With a successful surgical precision attack against a mindless construct you can instill new arcane programming in it. If you use the programmed constructs (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55682) variant you can cause a replace command effect (using your xenoalchemy level as your caster level). If you don't use that variant (since you probably don't, though you really should) you can instead give one plain English sentence command of ten words or less to the construct, which will attempt to follow it to the best of its ability. This effect (the second) lasts for 3 rounds, at which point the construct's innate programming will overwrite your command. In addition, you gain 25% fortification, as well as a +2 bonus on Knowledge (arcana) checks.

Faerie Tail Collector [Fey]: The fae are sly and subtle folk who slip into our world sideways. You must have had a heck of a time finding a few to dissect, but it's paying off now. If you make a successful surgical precision attack against a shapeshifted creature you force it to resume its normal form. This covers anything from illusory glamours (such as alter self) all the way up to major shapechanging (lycanthropy, shapechange, and so on). A Will save avoids this effect. In addition, you gain damage reduction 5/cold iron and a +2 bonus on Knowledge (nature) checks. You must have 11 HD to select this technique.

Monstrous Manhunter [Monstrous Humanoids]: Monstrous humanoids come in all shapes and sizes, and have a variety of weaknesses. You've had a chance to look at how they derive these special protections, and have found some methods to circumvent them. When you deliver a successful surgical precision attack against a creature with damage reduction the damage reduction is reduced by the number of extra damage dice your attack carries. This penalty lasts for the duration of the encounter, but does not stack with itself for multiple uses. A succesful Fortitude save negates this effect. In addition, you can select any two languages spoken by monstrous humanoids to immediately learn and also gain a +2 bonus on Knowledge (nature) checks.

Primordial Precision [Elementals]: You have discerned the way elemental energies bind together into living entities, and in turn can unbind them. You can now deal precision damage against elemental enemies. If you make a successful surgical precision attack you can disable one of the following abilities in an enemy: burn, push, vortex, or whirlwind. If the enemy possesses one of these abilities they must make a Fortitude save or lose access to the ability until they spend a move action reassembling their elemental components. In addition, you gain fire and cold resistance 5 and a +2 bonus on Knowledge (the Planes) checks.

Rest in Pieces [Undead]: Undead may not have working metabolisms anymore, but pure negative energy sustains them instead. By interrupting the flow of this energy you can disable their function. You can now deal precision damage against undead enemies. If you make a successful surgical precision attack against a mindless undead you can disconnect their necrotic senses, causing them to be stunned until the beginning of your next turn. A successful Will save avoids this effect, even though mindless creatures are normally immune to any effect requiring a Will save and undead are normally immune to stunning. In addition, you gain a +2 bonus on saves against death effects and a +2 bonus on Knowledge (religion) checks.

Take Your Breath Away [Dragons]: With a successful surgical precision attack against a monster with a breath weapon you can remove the monster's ability to use it. The target must make a Fortitude save or have their breath weapon be used up, with the normal recharge time. If the breath weapon doesn't have a recharge time, the monster must instead wait 1d4 rounds before using it again. This technique cannot be used if the monster doesn't have a breath weapon available to use. In addition, you gain a +2 bonus on Reflex saves and a +2 bonus on Knowledge (arcana) checks.

The Bigger They Are [Giants]: You can turn the tables on the big folk and bring them to their knees. With a successful surgical precision attack you can cut vital tendons and ligaments in big creatures (at least one size categories bigger than yourself). The target must make a Fortitude save or have their base land speed cut in half and lose one attack of opportunity each round. This effect lasts for 5 rounds or until the start of your next turn if the target has the regeneration special ability. In addition, you gain a +4 bonus on defending grapple checks and a +2 bonus on Knowledge (nature) checks.

They Call Me the Exterminator [Vermin]: Some people kill vampires. You kill rats. Maybe not as glamourous, but someone's got to do it. You're definitely not messing around, though. You know how to get the job done even when the place is crawling with pests. You deal full damage to swarms with all weapon attacks and can even deal precision damage to swarms. In addition, you are immune to distraction and gain a +2 bonus on Knowledge (nature) checks.

Unknowable Amputation [Aberrations]: You've put your sanity at risk by examining the horrific beings that come from the Far Realms, and you've gleaned a few scraps of knowledge from the ordeal. You've begun to see a reason to the madness, and can discern the way these beings bend reality to their will. With a successful surgical precision attack you can fight back, damaging an aberration in such a way that it loses access to a single supernatural ability of your choice. Unlike other such effects you must name the ability you would like to disable. If you choose an ability the creature does not possess this effect is wasted. However, if you correctly guess a supernatural ability which the creature has in its repertoire they must make a Fortitude save or lose access to the ability until they are subject to a regenerate effect (you're basically slicing off the body part which activates the power). If you don't know the name of the ability you can describe its effects, but it must be sufficiently specific to convince the DM that you know what you're talking about. In addition, you gain a +2 bonus to your AC against rays and a +2 bonus on Knowledge (dungeoneering) checks. You must have 13 HD to select this technique.

Wasting Slime [Oozes]: Oozes are some of the creepiest and weirdest creatures out there, since nobody really knows what they are. Except you, of course. Thanks to your long study of the ooze anatomy you have discerned some vital components to its internal operation. You can now deal precision damage to oozes. With a successful surgical precision attack against a creature with the split special ability you can remove its ability to split until the start of your next turn. There is no save to avoid this effect. In addition, you gain a +2 bonus on saves against paralysis and being engulfed. You also gain a +2 bonus on Knowledge (dungeoneering) checks.

Postop Procedure (Ex): The initial operation is only the beginning. A graft's effects are often based on the level of the xenoalchemist. Since a xenoalchemist might increase in level after the procedure has been performed, it's nice to have the graft increase in power along with the surgeon's skills. Beginning at 2nd level as a ten minute procedure you can touch up a graft so that the xenoalchemist level of the graft is adjusted to your current xenoalchemy level.

Accurate Analysis (Ex): Beginning at 3rd level whenever you use your surgical precision class feature you can add your Intelligence modifier to the attack roll in addition to the normal ability modifier.

Combat Medic (Ex): Starting at 4th level you're adept at providing medical attention to your allies in tight conditions. By making a successful Heal check (DC 10 + their HD) as a standard action you can remove all nonlethal damage on an adjacent ally or heal them 1 hit point per class level. You can only provide this benefit to an ally once every three hours. You can treat yourself with this ability, but within the same time restriction. This ability provokes attacks of opportunity.

Battlefield Diagnosis (Ex): Beginning at 6th level, whenever you succeed on an attack with your surgical precision class feature, you automatically analyse the target for harvesting. The time required to harvest materials from the monster drops to only a single standard action now that you know just what to take.

Steady Hand (Ex): Beginning at 7th level your skills with the knife progress. Thanks to your razor calm you can salvage the worst situations. If you botch the Heal check to remove a piece of a monster's corpse you can retry the check by taking an additional ten minutes.

Back On Their Feet (Ex): Beginning at 8th level when you successfully treat someone with your combat medic class feature you provide far more than a few bandages. With the whole of your medical expertise you can also allow them to make a new saving throw against any ongoing condition affecting them. You can now provide aid to a given creature once per hour.

Waste Not Want Not (Ex): Starting at 10th level you have learned how to more carefully remove monster bits so as to more efficiently get what you want. You can remove up to two graft components from a given corpse before the entire thing becomes unusable.

Attack its Weak Point for Massive Damage (Ex): No matter how big or tough a monster is, there's always a vulnerability. Starting at level 11, whenever you deliver a surgical precision attack the enemy's natural armour bonus to AC is reduced by the number of extra damage dice you deal (to a minimum of +0 natural armour). This effect lasts until the end of the encounter or until the target is subject to a regeneration effect. If the target has the regeneration special ability, the bonus returns at the start of your next turn. This effect stacks with itself, and thus can be used multiple times against the same enemy.

In addition, your surgical precision class feature can now be used at a distance of 60ft.

Emergency Action (Ex): Beginning at 12th level, you can use your combat medic class feature to save an ally a lesser surgeon might have lost. If you can perform this ability on an ally who has died within two rounds of their death you can bring them back from the brink with no penalty. Your combat medic ability now heals 2 hit points per class level and can be used on a given creature once every ten minutes.

Advanced Cryogenics (Ex): Starting at 14th level you have devised a special technique which preserves body parts indefinitely. Your monster parts no longer go bad after three days, and instead can be kept around as long as you please.

Conjoined Grafts (Ex): Starting at 15th level you have mastered the art of fusing two disparate grafts together. You can now attach up to two grafts to the same body slot.

Always on Call (Ex): Beginning at 16th level you can provide aid to your allies perpetually with your combat medic class feature. You can now use the ability as often as you like.

Autoimmunity (Ex): Starting at 18th level your body is now used to changing conditions and wildly different states of being. Whenever you receive energy damage you can activate this ability as an immediate action to gain immunity to that energy type (after receiving the initial damage). The effect lasts until you change to a different energy type.

Medical Mastery (Ex): Starting at 19th level you're a master of life and death, and probably the best doctor in the world. Whenever you use your combat medic class feature you restore the target to full hit points plus an additional ten percent temporary hit points.

God Will Be Cut (Ex): A xenoalchemist of 20th level has reached the pinnacle of her craft. Once you achieve this impressive milestone you get the incredibly cool ability to chop up gods and attach their pieces to people. You can remove pieces from a god's body just like from a normal monster, using the Knowledge (religion) skill to analyse it. Unlike a normal creature, you can remove as many pieces from the god as they had salient divine abilities.

Basically, the grafts that you can make using godly tissues grant the salient divine abilities the god possessed. Treat these as 6th level grafts that you can attach, even though your class table states that you only have access to 5th level grafts. Unlike normal grafts, godly grafts can be attached to any body part thematically appropriate to the salient divine ability (such as inserting a god's eye to grant the Clearsight divine ability). All effects of the divine abilities granted are based on the divine rank of the god at the time of death. They do not grant a divine rank to the recipient of the graft.

All deific grafts grant a +5 perfection bonus to a single ability score, chosen at the time of grafting. You can only have a single deific graft at a time.

[Kellus]

Grafts
"Come now, that's no way to get ahead in life!"

Grafts are pieces of monsters that occupy a body slot. They don't take up magic item slots, but instead cannot share a space with another graft. A xenoalchemist has access to any graft at or below his level of achievement (as shown on the class table). Any character can have a number of grafts at one time up to 1 + his Constitution modifier (minimum 1 graft). If a graft offers an ability that requires a saving throw, the DC for the save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the xenoalchemist level of the graft + an appropriate ability modifier as described in the graft's entry. The body slots used by grafts are: Arms, Body, Eyes, Hands, Head, Legs, Shoulders, Throat, Torso, and Waist.

Most grafts merely have a requirement in the monster they're harvested from, such as a natural attack form or a special ability. In rare cases a graft may be specific to one particular monster or kind of monster. These are fairly uncommon so as to give the player a chance to get access to a lot of grafts no matter what campaign he's in. You may also sometimes find a monster that can donate a graft but which doesn't fit with the flavour attached to the graft. Please feel free to change the name of the graft to something more suitable for the donating monster.

Although many grafts grant supernatural abilities, grafts themselves are extraordinary in nature. In practice, this means they can't be dispelled or suppressed, and going into an antimagic field doesn't make them fall off. On the other hand, a graft that gives supernatural abilities cannot be used in such a situation. Grafts that grant supernatural abilities are marked as such in the graft entry.

Lastly, some grafts build off of an earlier graft, usually a basic natural attack graft. These grafts are marked with a tag such as or [Tentacle]. In order to attach one of these grafts the subject must first have the corresponding base graft. The advantage is that this graft doesn't need to occupy a new body slot. The downside is that it still counts as two grafts. You can only have one graft with such a tag for each slot.

1st Level Grafts

Bite
Level: 1
Body Slot: Head
Monster Requirement: Must have a bite natural attack
Example Monsters: Ghoul, winter wolf

You gain a natural bite attack which deals 1d6 piercing damage.

Bonemail
Level: 1
Body Slot: Body
Monster Requirement: Undead with a natural armour bonus (and bones)
Example Monsters: Skeleton

You gain a natural armour bonus of +1 + 1 per four xenoalchemist levels. You also get decked out in pretty sweet armour that grows out of your bones.

Claw
Level: 1
Body Slot: Hands
Monster Requirement: Must have a claw natural attack
Example Monsters: Bear, badger

You gain a natural claw attack which deals 1d6 slashing damage. You can gain this graft once in the same slot for every functioning arm you have.

Desert Hump
Level: 1
Body Slot: Shoulders
Monster Requirement: A camel or any creature with no need to drink
Example Monsters: Camel, flesh golem

Although perhaps not the sexiest graft, you might be glad of it when your friends are dying of dehydration in the desert wastes. You can now go three times as long without water. You also get a hump.

Digestive Acid Compound
Level: 1
Body Slot: Body, Torso or Waist
Monster Requirement: Must have the acid special ability
Example Monsters: Black pudding, gelatinous cube

You can activate this graft as a free action on a turn that you deal acid damage. Wherever the acid comes from (I really don't want to know) the digestive compound mixes with it. The acid no longer harms metal or stone.

Enhanced Voicebox
Level: 1
Body Slot: Throat
Monster Requirement: Must have the mimicry special ability
Example Monsters: Green hag, kenku

You get a pimped-out voicebox that can imitate anyone whose voice you've hear before. You get the mimicry ability. You can perfectly mimic familiar sounds, voices, and accents. This ability does not enable you to speak languages you can't normally speak. To duplicate a specific individual's voice, you make a Bluff check; a listener familiar with the voice being imitated must succeed on an opposed Sense Motive check to discern that the voice isn't genuine.

Gore
Level: 1
Body Slot: Head
Monster Requirement: Must have a gore natural attack
Example Monsters: Minotaur, rhinoceros

You gain a natural gore attack which deals 1d6 piercing damage. From your sweet new pair of horns or whatever.

Fiery Infusion
Level: 1
Body Slot: Arms (Su)
Monster Requirement: Must have the heat special ability
Example Monsters: Fire elemental, salamander

Your arms are now on fire. You can turn this fire on and off as a free action. While active you can light things on fire by touching them, and you deal 1d6 extra fire damage with natural attacks and metal weapons. This damage increases by 1d6 damage per six xenoalchemist levels.

Flexible Spine
Level: 1
Body Slot: Shoulders
Monster Requirement: Must have a spine longer than you are tall
Example Monsters: You tell me

Your spine is now much more segmented and can squeeze into tiny spaces. You count as one size category smaller to determine the spaces you can squeeze into and you gain a +2 racial bonus on Escape Artist checks.

Hauling Back
Level: 1
Body Slot: Shoulders
Monster Requirement: Must have four legs
Example Monsters: Camel, horse

Your back is now modified to carry a massive amount of weight. You're basically a packhorse now. You can double your Strength score to determine your carrying capacity.

Heart of Steel
Level: 1
Body Slot: Body
Monster Requirement: Any construct
Example Monsters: Animated object, flesh golem

You are now part machine and as such no longer know fear as humanoids do. You gain a +2 racial bonus on saves against fear, rage, confusion, and charm effects.

Improved Retinas
Level: 1
Body Slot: Eyes
Monster Requirement: Must have low-light vision
Example Monsters: Elf, giant owl

You gain low-light vision from your super-sweet eye implants.

Magic Eye
Level: 1
Body Slot: Eyes (Su)
Monster Requirement: Must have detect magic as a supernatural ability or spell-like ability
Example Monsters: Ethereal filcher, rakshasa

You can use detect magic at will with a caster level equal to the xenoalchemist level. You can get a second one, but it doesn't really do anything extra. Except look SWEET since it's a glowing magical eye.

Mephit Lungs
Level: 1
Body Slot: Throat (Su)
Monster Requirement: Any mephit
Example Monsters: Dust mephit, salt mephit

You get a mephit's puny little breath weapon. The particular breath weapon depends on the donating mephit, but the save DC is Con-based and the weapon can be used once every 1d4 rounds.

Metabolic Reserve
Level: 1
Body Slot: Body
Monster Requirement: Must have a way of dealing energy damage with an (Ex) special ability or a (Su) special ability other than a breath weapon
Example Monsters: Ankheg, arrowhawk

You get a natural energy weapon that you can discharge as a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 20ft. This attack deals the same kind of energy damage that the donating monster was able to deal (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic). With a successful ranged touch attack you can deal 1d6 energy damage, with an additional 1d6 damage per three xenoalchemist levels.

Olfactory Implants
Level: 1
Body Slot: Head
Monster Requirement: Must have the scent special ability
Example Monsters: Hydra, shark

These implants are installed into your nasal cavities, heightening your sense of smell. You gain the scent special ability.

Slam
Level: 1
Body Slot: Shoulders
Monster Requirement: Must have a slam natural attack
Example Monsters: Vampire, zombie

I guess you get spiked pauldrons or something, because you get a natural slam attack that deals 1d6 bludgeoning damage.

Stench Gland
Level: 1
Body Slot: Any
Monster Requirement: Must have the stench special ability
Example Monsters: Ghoul, troglodyte

You get the stench special ability. All living creatures without the stench ability within 30ft. must make a Fortitude save (Con-based) or be sickened for 10 rounds. Creatures that save cannot be affected by the stench for 24 hours. You're also probably not that popular at parties anymore. What were you thinking with a graft called 'stench gland'?

Sturdy Knees
Level: 1
Body Slot: Legs
Monster Requirement: Must have the stability special quality
Example Monsters: Duergar, dwarf

This graft is an enhancement for your knees which allows them to take a much greater weight than normal. You get the stability ability, which grants you a +4 bonus to avoid being bull rushed or tripped while on the ground. In addition, if your knees were harvested from dwarves (or dwarf variants) you get the dwarf special ability to move at your base land speed even when wearing medium or heavy armour or when carrying a medium or heavy load.

Tail Slap
Level: 1
Body Slot: Waist
Monster Requirement: Must have a tail slap natural attack
Example Monsters: Ravid, salamander

You gain a tail that gives you a natural tail slap attack that deals 1d6 bludgeoning damage. It also gives you a +2 racial bonus on Balance and Climb checks, since it's a tail.

Tentacle
Level: 1
Body Slot: Any
Monster Requirement: Must have a tentacle natural attack
Example Monsters: Kraken, octopus

You gain a natural tentacle attack which deals 1d6 slashing damage. The tentacles can seriously be attached to any body part. You can gain this graft multiple times, but not in the same body slot.

Venom Bladder
Level: 1
Body Slot: Body, Torso or Waist
Monster Requirement: Must be able to deal poison with a natural attack
Example Monsters: Homunculus, purple worm

You get a bladder inside you that you can fill with poison to use with a natural attack. To start with it's filled with a single charge of the donating monster's poison, but you can fill it with other poisons that you purchase or make yourself. Your bladder can hold three seperate poison charges at a time, and you can coat a natural weapon with one of them as a swift action.

2nd Level Grafts

Constricting Tail [Tail Slap]
Level: 2
Body Slot: Waist
Monster Requirement: Must have constrict damage
Example Monsters: Chuul, monstrous scorpion

You get constrict damage from your incredibly muscular tail. On a successful grapple check you deal extra damage equal to 2d6 + your Strength modifier. This damage increases by 1d6 for every six xenoalchemist levels.

Devil Eye
Level: 2
Body Slot: Eyes (Su)
Monster Requirement: Any devil
Example Monsters: Imp, pit fiend

Your devilish eye implant glows red with infernal might. You can see through darkness like a devil, even magical darkness.

Disease Incubator
Level: 2
Body Slot: Body
Monster Requirement: Any creature that naturally carries disease
Example Monsters: Barbazu, dire rat

You get a strange organ implanted inside of you which can carry and incubate disease without infecting you. You can store any nonmagical disease in it, and normally it comes already filled with the disease carried by the donating monster. You can replace the disease inside at will if you come into contact with any other disease and succeed on the Fortitude saving throw to avoid infection (or you can store it anyway after you shake it off).

Once you have a disease incubating you can activate it at will depending on the infection vector.

Vector (Contact): The disease is spread by contact. Any creature who comes in contact with you in any way is infected with your disease.

Vector (Ingestion): The disease is spread by ingestion. This means that it automatically affects anyone who consumes a contaminated piece of food. You can contaminate a food sample you're touching with a standard action.

Vector (Inhaled): The disease is spread by inhalation. As a standard action which provokes attacks of opportunity you can attempt to infect all breathing creatures within 5ft. of you. Creatures with scent can be infected from 10ft. away and take a -2 penalty on the saving throw.

Vector (Injury): The disease is spread through injuries. As a swift action you can infect all of your natural weapons with the disease. The next successful attack you make with each of them attempts to infect the target.

The Fortitude save required for your disease is Con-based.

Giant Muscle Implants
Level: 2
Body Slot: Arms
Monster Requirement: Any giant with rock throwing and rock catching (ie all of them)
Example Monsters: Frost giant, storm giant

You get huge veiny arms that can lift massive stones. You get the rock throwing and rock catching abilities of giants. Your range increment with rocks is 30ft.

Grasping Mandibles [Bite]
Level: 2
Body Slot: Head
Monster Requirement: Must have improved grab
Example Monsters: Monstrous scorpion, tojanida

Your bite is upgraded with clamping action that allows it to chomp down on people it hits. You gain the improved grab ability with your bite attack, which means that you can automatically start a grapple as a free action against a target of your size or smaller that you hit with the bite.

Heightened Senses
Level: 2
Body Slot: Head
Monster Requirement: Must have blindsense
Example Monsters: Bat, shark, batshark

You gain the blindsense special ability within 30ft., probably through sonar. Just like a submarine.

Inevitable Cog
Level: 2
Body Slot: Body or torso (Su)
Monster Requirement: Any inevitable
Example Monsters: Kolyarut, anhydrut

You get a giant mechanical cog implanted in your back which reminds you that Mechanus is always turning. You gain the [Lawful] subtype and get damage reduction 3/chaotic. You suffer no penalties if you have this graft and are not actually lawful. Your damage reduction increases by 3 for every 10 xenoalchemist levels.

Legs Legion
Level: 2
Body Slot: Legs
Monster Requirement: Anything with 12 or more legs or the stability ability
Example Monsters: Behir, dwarf

You attach a bunch of extra limbs to your torso that let you crawl up walls. If you've ever seen The Human Centipede it's like that but weirder. You get a climb speed equal to half your base land speed, and get a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks for unusual actions. You can always take 10 on such checks, even if stress or distraction would normally prevent you from doing so.

Magic Feathers
Level: 2
Body Slot: Any (Su)
Monster Requirement: Must have a natural attack that penetrates damage reduction as if it were magical
Example Monsters: Grick, lich

Your natural weapons get the constant benefit of a greater magic fang effect with a caster level equal to the xenoalchemist level. The magic was in you all along!

Massive Horns [Gore]
Level: 2
Body Slot: Head
Monster Requirement: Must have powerful charge
Example Monsters: Minotaur, rhinoceros

Your horns are extra big and sharp. You get the powerful charge ability. Whenever you make a charge attack with your gore natural weapon you deal an extra 2d6 damage + 1.5 x your Strength modifier. This damage increases by 1d6 for every six xenoalchemist levels.

Massive Feet
Level: 2
Body Slot: Legs
Monster Requirement: Must have the trample special ability
Example Monsters: Gorgon, razor boar

You get massive elephant-style feet that can crush the little folk underneath your tread. You get the trample special ability. Your trample deals 2d6 damage + 1.5 x your Strength modifier. Your trample has a Reflex save (Str-based) for half damage.

Nightmare Lung Implant
Level: 2
Body Slot: Throat
Monster Requirement: Anything with the smoke special ability
Example Monsters: Cauchemar, nightmare

You now have infernal lungs that constantly cough up a greasy black smoke. As a standard action you can fill a 15-foot cone with a hot, sulfurous smoke that chokes and blinds opponents. The smoke also fills your square, although you are immune to the effects. Anyone in the cone must succeed on a Fortitude save (Con-based) or take a -2 penalty on all attack and damage rolls until 1d6 minutes after leaving the cone. The cone lasts 1 round.

As long as you remain in the cone,you have concealment against creatures 5ft. away and total concealment against creatures 10ft. or farther away. The smoke does not obscure your vision at all.

Raking Claw [Claw]
Level: 2
Body Slot: Hands
Monster Requirement: Must have the rake special ability
Example Monsters: Dire tiger, sphinx

You get the rake ability. Whenever you are grappling an enemy you can make two extra claw attacks against them each round at the normal -4 penalty for attacking with a natural weapon in a grapple. You have to begin your turn grappling to use the rake ability.

Rending Claws [Claw x2]
Level: 2
Body Slot: Hands
Monster Requirement: Must have rending damage
Example Monsters: Dire ape, troll

You must have two claws to attach this graft, which makes them way sharper and maybe puts little hooks in them or somethng. If you hit with both claw attacks on the same round you deal extra damage equal to 2d6 + 1.5 x your Strength modifier. This damage increases by 1d6 every six xenoalchemist levels.

Slime Jelly Excretion Sphincter
Level: 2
Body Slot: Body or Torso
Monster Requirement: Anything that mentions 'slime' in its description
Example Monsters: Babau, delver

Your body starts to excrete a slimy red jelly. Any weapon that touches it takes 1d6 points of acid damage from the corrosive goo, and the weapon’s hardness does not reduce this damage. A magic weapon may attempt a Reflex save (Con-based) to avoid taking this damage. A creature who strikes you with an unarmed attack, unarmed strike, touch spell, or natural weapon takes this damage as well but can negate the damage with a Reflex save as well.

Vampiric Fangs [Bite]
Level: 2
Body Slot: Head
Monster Requirement: Must have the blood drain ability
Example Monsters: Dire weasel, gibbering mouther

Your bite attack has been upgraded with giant fangs. Whenever you're grappled with an enemy you automatically deal 1d4 points of Constitution damage every round. This damage increases by 1d4 for every 10 xenoalchemist levels.

Wakeful Mind
Level: 2
Body Slot: Head
Monster Requirement: Any intelligent creature with no need to sleep
Example Monsters: Kolyarut, vampire

As you continue to become more machine than man you no longer need to sleep, or trance if you're weird like that.

Webspinner Apparatus
Level: 2
Body Slot: Torso
Monster Requirement: Must have the web special ability
Example Monsters: Aranea, ettercap

You get the superpower of spinning webs from your torso. You can throw one web per day for every two xenoalchemist levels. This is similar to an attack with a net but has a maximum range of 50ft., with a range increment of 10ft., and is effective against targets of up to Large size. The web anchors the target in place, allowing no movement.

An entangled creature can escape with a Reflex save (Con-based). The web has 6 hit points, hardness 0, and takes double damage from fire.

Wolftail [Bite]
Level: 2
Body Slot: Waist
Monster Requirement: Must have the trip ability
Example Monsters: Wolf, worg

You get the trip ability. Whenever you hit with your bite attack you can make a free trip attack with your tail as a free action. Although this graft builds off your bite it uses the Waist slot instead.

Zombie Arm [Slam]
Level: 2
Body Slot: Shoulders (Su)
Monster Requirement: Any undead with a slam attack
Example Monsters: Mohrg, zombie

Your slam attack is infused with necrotic energy that causes it to rot and fester. Wounds it inflict are infected like this too, and they bleed continually dealing 1 point of damage every round until they're healed with divine magic or treated with a DC 15 Heal check. These wounds don't stack.

3rd Level Grafts

Amphibious Adaptation
Level: 3
Body Slot: Body or lungs
Monster Requirement: Anything that breathes underwater and on land
Example Monsters: Chuul, mermaid

With an amphibious adaptation you have assumed the traits of a fish or possibly a lobster. You can breathe equally well underwater and on land and you gain a swim speed equal to your base land speed. You can take 10 on Swim checks to perform special actions, even if stress or distraction would normally prevent you from doing so. You gain a +8 racial bonus on these Swim checks.

Angel's Tongue
Level: 3
Body Slot: Throat (Su)
Monster Requirement: Any angel or archon with a tongue
Example Monsters: Not a lantern archon

By ripping out an angel's tongue and replacing your own with it you can talk with heavenly grace. You are under a perpetual tongues effect.

Burrowing Claws [Claw]
Level: 3
Body Slot: Hands
Monster Requirement: Must have a burrow speed
Example Monsters: Ankheg, dire badger

Thanks to a clever graft you're now the living equivalent of a shovel. You gain a burrow speed of half your base land speed. You can choose to leave a tunnel behind you or to close off the tunnel as you see fit.

Coiled Legs
Level: 3
Body Slot: Legs
Monster Requirement: Anything with both pounce and legs
Example Monsters: Griffon, sphinx

You gain the pounce ability. Whenever you charge a creature you can make a full attack against them. And you managed to do it without even using that cheesy Lion Totem alternate class feature!

Crown of Eyes
Level: 3
Body Slot: Head
Monster Requirement: Any floating creature with several eyestalks attached to it
Example Monsters: Can't think of any

You've got a whole bunch of eyestalks attached to your head where hair would normally go. They're looking out for you if you know what I mean. You gain immunity to flanking.

Draconis Fundamentum
Level: 3
Body Slot: Body or torso or throat (Su)
Monster Requirement: True dragon with breath weapon that deals energy damage
Example Monsters: Blue dragon, gold dragon

By installing the draconis fundamentum into your own chest you can harness the mighty power of the dragon for yourself. You gain the breath weapon of the donating dragon, with a Reflex save (Con-based) for half damage. The area and shape remains the same as for the original dragon. Your breath weapon deals 1d6 energy damage for every two xenoalchemist levels. You can use the breath weapon once every 1d4 rounds.

Dragonheart
Level: 3
Body Slot: Body
Monster Requirement: Any dragon with frightful presence
Example Monsters: Bronze dragon, green dragon

With the heart of a dragon beating away inside you, you need fear no one. You gain immunity to fear and paralysis.

Extra Sensory Receptor
Level: 3
Body Slot: Head
Monster Requirement: Must have blindsight
Example Monsters: Porpoise, whale

Much like the beluga whale you no longer technically need eyes. You gain blindsight to 60ft.

Frost Worm Mandibles [Bite]
Level: 3
Body Slot: Head
Monster Requirement: Must have the trill and cold special abilities
Example Monsters: Frost worm

Although it's a fairly specific graft it's really quite useful. Your bite now deals an extra 3d6 cold damage, and this increases by 1d6 for every 5 xenoalchemist levels. In addition, once per day you can let out a trill that affects all living creatures except frost worms and you within 100ft. This sonic mind-affecting compulsion forces all such creatures to make Will saves (Cha-based DC) or be stunned for 1d4 rounds.

Ghost's Eye
Level: 3
Body Slot: Eyes (Su)
Monster Requirement: Anything with the Incorporeal subtype or the blink special ability
Example Monsters: Allip, blink dog

This ghostly flickering eye peers into the realms beyond. It grants you the ability to see incorporeal creatures and things on the Ethereal Plane as they overlap with the Material Plane.

Mummified Hand [Slam]
Level: 3
Body Slot: Hands (Su)
Monster Requirement: Any mummified creature or a creature infected with mummy rot
Example Monsters: Mummy

This dusty old hand allows you to infect people with an ancient tomb curse known as mummy rot. Your slam attacks now carry the magical disease which has a Fortitude save DC based on your Constitution. Although this graft builds off your Slam graft it fills the Hands slot.

Oceanic Infusion
Level: 3
Body Slot: Arms (Su)
Monster Requirement: Must have the drench ability
Example Monsters: Water elemental

You gain the drench ability, which allows you to put out fires of Large size and smaller just by touching them. You can dispel magical fires you touch as if with a dispel magic effect with a caster level equal to the xenoalchemist level.

Positronic Tentacle [Tentacle]
Level: 3
Body Slot: Any (same as the tentacle) (Su)
Monster Requirement: Anything with the positive energy lash ability or any good outsider with a tentacle attack
Example Monsters: Ravid

Your tentacles are infused with the power of the Upper Planes. Your tentacle natural attacks now deal positive energy damage, which heals living creatures and damages the undead. You can turn this ability on and off as a free action. Against undead the tentacles deal an extra 3d6 damage + an additional 1d6 damage for every five xenoalchemist levels.

Smoke Claws [Claw]
Level: 3
Body Slot: Hands (Su)
Monster Requirement: Must have a way to assume gaseous form
Example Monsters: Belker, vampire

You can assume gaseous form for 10 rounds per day for every five xenoalchemist levels, activating or deactivating it as a free action. While in gaseous form you can engulf creatures as a standard action that doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity, forcing a Fortitude save (Con-based). Failure indicates that you can solidify your claws inside of the creature, making a free full attack with your claw natural attacks.

Sonic 'Protrusion'
Level: 3
Body Slot: Head (Su)
Monster Requirement: Must have sonic lance ability
Example Monsters: Yrthak

You get a yellow-green (chartreuse?) protrusion sticking out of your forehead that can emit really loud noises. Once every two rounds you can activate as a standard action to fire a 60ft. ray. This is a ranged touch attack that deals 4d6 sonic damage. The damage increases by 1d6 for every three xenoalchemist levels. If you use the sonic lance on a solid object it's subjected to a shatter effect.

Squidly Sac
Level: 3
Body Slot: Torso or waist
Monster Requirement: Must have either the jet ability or the ink cloud ability
Example Monsters: Kraken, squid

You gain both the jet ability and an ink cloud sac. You can only use these abilities underwater. Once per round you can jet backwards as a full-round action, moving four times your swim speed in a straight line without provoking attacks of opportunity. As a swift action you can emit a cloud of jet-black ink that fills an area of 10ft. by 10ft. by 10ft. once per minute. The cloud provides total concealment. All vision within the area is obscured.

Telepathic Station
Level: 3
Body Slot: Head (Su)
Monster Requirement: Must have telepathy
Example Monsters: Couatl, pseudodragon

By implanting a telepathic station into your head you can send and receive psychic signals, much like a radio covered with meat (ham radio?). You gain telepathy out to 200ft.

Unnatural Sprinter
Level: 3
Body Slot: Legs
Monster Requirement: Must have the rush or sprint ability
Example Monsters: Cheetah, tarrasque, and so on in that fashion

Once an hour you can use your incredibly toned new cheetah legs to move ten times your normal speed in a single move action.

Whirlwind Infusion
Level: 3
Body Slot: Arms (Su)
Monster Requirement: Must have the whirlwind ability
Example Monsters: Air elemental, bralani

By virtue of having an air elemental attached to you the winds are yours to command. You can whip up a gust of wind at will. With a xenoalchemist level of 16 or higher it also allows you to create a whirlwind as the spell once per day. The caster level for both effects is equal to the xenoalchemist level. The save DCs are Cha-based.

Wings
Level: 3
Body Slot: Body or shoulders
Monster Requirement: Must fly with wings
Example Monsters: Blue dragon, roc

This graft attaches wings to you. Take to the sky with your new fly speed equal to your base land speed (average maneuverability).

4th Level Grafts

[b]Demon Skin
Level: 4
Body Slot: Body or shoulders (Su)
Monster Requirement: Any demon
Example Monsters: Babau, marilith

By wrapping a demon's skin around you the chaotic energies of the Abyss provide you with incredible resistance. You gain immunity to electricity and poison and resistance 10 to acid, cold, and fire.

Earth Infusion
Level: 4
Body Slot: Arms (Su)
Monster Requirement: Anything with the earth glide ability
Example Monsters: Earth elemental, xorn

Your arms can now merge with the earth, allowing you to swim through earth, dirt and stone as easily as a fish swims through water. You gain the earth glide ability. You also get to breathe while submersed in earth.

Evil Eye
Level: 4
Body Slot: Eyes (Su)
Monster Requirement: Anything with a petrifying gaze attack
Example Monsters: Medusa, basilisk

You get a gaze attack that turns people to stone. It has a range of 30ft. and requires a Fortitude save on contact (Cha-based). You can turn it on and off as a free action. Your petrification is a little weak to start with, only lasting for 1d4 rounds. Once the xenoalchemist level reaches 17, the petrification becomes permanent.

Extra Limb
Level: 4
Body Slot: Arms
Monster Requirement: Anything with more than two manipulating arms
Example Monsters: Marilith, Thri-Kreen

You gain a fully functional and manipulative extra arm. Yeah, that's right.

Eye of Antimagic
Level: 4
Body Slot: Eyes (Su)
Monster Requirement: Anything with a big central eye that releases an anti-magic effect
Example Monsters:

You get a third eye (assuming you have two eyes) that can shoot a cone of antimagic out of your forehead. This is equivalent to a 30ft. cone that causes an antimagic field effect inside of it. You can keep the cone going as long as you want, and can flick it on and off as a free action.

Ghost-Stitched Soul
Level: 4
Body Slot: Body (Su)
Monster Requirement: Anythings with the rejuvenation ability
Example Monsters: Ghost

This spooky process attaches your soul to the fabric of the world. You become very very hard to kill as you gain the rejuvenation ability. 2d4 days after your apparent death you can return to life with a successful DC 20 HD check. This only works if your body hasn't been totally destroyed (such as through disintegration) or if your soul hasn't been stolen.

Hand of the Balor
Level: 4
Body Slot: Hands (Su)
Monster Requirement: Anything with the Vorpal Sword (Su) ability
Example Monsters: Balor

With the mighty hand of the Balor attached to your wrist you can summon a +1 vorpal longsword that looks like a wicked bolt of lightning or flame. This requires a swift action. The sword disappears as soon as you let go of it.

Hydra Blood
Level: 4
Body Slot: Body or torso
Monster Requirement: Anything with fast healing
Example Monsters: Hydra, vampire

You gain fast healing 1. If the donating monster was a hydra, it also allows you to regrow pieces of you that are chopped off 1d4 rounds after they're removed. You can suppress this ability if you like, in order to make further surgery possible.

Lycan's Heart
Level: 4
Body Slot: Body or torso (Su)
Monster Requirement: Anything with a specified Alternate Form
Example Monsters: Werelephant, werewolf

With the still-beating heart of a shapeshifter inside you, you can transform yourself into something greater. You gain use of the Alternate Form ability, but only for the very specific purpose of transforming into the donating monster's specified Alternate Form. You can only assume this form if the form has a CR equal to or less than your ECL.

Mental Relay [Telepathic Station]
Level: 4
Body Slot: Head (Su)
Monster Requirement: Anything with telepathy
Example Monsters: Couatl, pseudodragon

A mental relay is an advanced graft which allows you to act as a go-between for other telepathic creatures. If you're in telepathic contact with an ally who can use mind-affecting abilities, they can use their abilities through your mind and senses, effectively using you as the source of the ability.

Minotaur Synapses
Level: 4
Body Slot: Head
Monster Requirement: Anything with the natural cunning ability
Example Monsters: Minotaur

This brain implant allows you to access higher brain functions. You get the natural cunning ability, which means that you never get lost. You also get immunity to maze effects, you cannot be caught flat-footed, and enables you track people.

Mortality Tusks [Gore]
Level: 4
Body Slot: Head
Monster Requirement: Anything with a vorpal natural attack
Example Monsters: Razor boar

Your gore attack becomes brutally sharp as you now have tusks that can slice peoples' heads off. Your natural gore attack gains the vorpal ability.

Nimbus of Light
Level: 4
Body Slot: Body or shoulders (Su)
Monster Requirement: Anything with the light ray ability
Example Monsters: Ghaele, lantern archon

A nimbus of angelic light surrounds you. You get the light ray ability. This allows you to fire a ranged touch attack that deals 4d4 damage. It deals an additional 1d4 damage for every three xenoalchemist levels. This light ray overcomes damage reduction of all kinds.

Nymph's Face
Level: 4
Body Slot: Head
Monster Requirement: Any fey with 19 or more Cha
Example Monsters: Nymph

By ripping off a nymph's face and attaching it to your own you get the power to look really incredibly very beautiful. You get the blinding beauty ability, which causes every humanoid who looks at you to go blind permanently unless they succeed on a Will save (Cha-based).

Paralytic Tentacles [Tentacle]
Level: 4
Body Slot: Any (same as the tentacle)
Monster Requirement: Anything with natural paralysis
Example Monsters: Chuul, ghoul

Your tentacles are covered in a paralytic slime. When you succeed on a natural attack with a tentacle the target must make a Fortitude save (Con-based) or be paralyzed for 1d6 rounds.

Sensitive Antennae
Level: 4
Body Slot: Head
Monster Requirement: Anything with tremorsense
Example Monsters: Monstrous spider, xorn

The ultimate in sensory apparatuses, these snazzy antennae provide you with tremorsense to 60ft.

Suicide Organ
Level: 4
Body Slot: Body or torso
Monster Requirement: Anything with the death throes ability
Example Monsters: Balor, frost worm

Perhaps the strangest and most useless of grafts, this graft allows you retribution against your killer. When your hit points are reduced to -10 the suicide organ triggers a chain reaction that causes you to explode. You deal damage that matches the kind of energy released by the donating monster in its death throes. Your death throes deal 1d6 damage per xenoalchemist level in a 100ft. radius around you to eveything in the area. The effect offers a Reflex save (Con-based DC) for half damage.

Tentacle of Servitude [Tentacle]
Level: 4
Body Slot: Any (same as the tentacle) (Su)
Monster Requirement: Must have the enslave ability
Example Monsters: Aboleth

Your tentacle now excretes a powerful agent which causes psionic enslavement. When you succeed on an attack with a tentacle natural attack the target must make a Will save (Cha-based) or be affected by a charm monster effect at a caster level equal to the xenoalchemist level. Once you achieve a xenoalchemist level of 17 this ability upgrades to a dominate monster effect.

That Damn Pincer [Claw]
Level: 4
Body Slot: Hands
Monster Requirement: That damn crab
Example Monsters: THAT DAMN CRAB (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20040221a)

Too specific? Maybe. Your claw has been upgraded to a massive damn pincer claw. Its damage is upgraded to 4d6 damage, and you gain the improved grab ability with it. In addition, you gain constrict damage equal to 3d6 + your Strength modifier. The pincer grants a +8 bonus on grapple checks.

True Seeing Eyes
Level: 4
Body Slot: Eyes (Su)
Monster Requirement: Anything with true seeing as a supernatural or spell-like ability
Example Monsters: Avoral, marut

These eyes, taken from the skulls of only the mightiest planar creatures, allow you to penetrate all illusions as if with a perpetual true seeing effect.

5th Level Grafts

Carapace
Level: 5
Body Slot: Body or shoulders
Monster Requirement: Any creature with the carapace ability
Example Monsters: Tarrasque, also known as big T

You now have attached to yourself the mighty carapace of the tarrasque. It grants you the same benefits it once gave him. Rays, lines, cones, and magic missiles simply bounce off you, with a 30% chance of being deflected back at the caster.

Cerebral Expansion
Level: 5
Body Slot: Head
Monster Requirement: Any creature with Int of 25 or greater
Example Monsters:

Your cerebral expansion is a brain modification that advances your cognitive reasoning abilities as well as your memory. You know a lot of things you didn't know before, which lets you get a +10 racial bonus on all kinds of Knowledge checks. If you can prepare spells your mind can now hold one additional spell of each spell level you can cast.

Devouring Ribcage
Level: 5
Body Slot: Torso (Su)
Monster Requirement: Any creature with the trap essence ability
Example Monsters: Devourer

Your ribcage has gotten an expansion pack, allowing it to trap souls inside of it. To trap a soul you must forgo normal attacks and make a special melee trap essence attack. This is a regular attack roll, but it deals no damage. The target must make a Will save (Cha-based) or be killed instantly and trapped inside your ribcage. This is a necromantic death effect. Once you have a soul trapped you can use it offensively or defensively. If you have any spell-like abilities or spontaneous spells of 8th level or below you can burn Hit Dice from the trapped soul in order to gain extra uses of them (at a rate of 1 HD per level of the spell-like ability). Alternatively, whenever you're affected by a spell or spell-like ability you can redirect the effect towards your trapped soul, burning off Hit Dice equivalent to the spell level of the effect in order to protect you (for example, a fireball would burn off 3 Hit Dice).

If any of the following spells are cast you, they affect the imprisoned essence instead: banishment, chaos hammer, confusion, crushing despair, detect thoughts, dispel evil, dominate person, fear, geas/quest, holy word, hypnotism, imprisonment, magic jar, maze,suggestion, trap the soul, or any form of charm or compulsion. In many cases, this deflection effectively neutralizes the spell. Some of these effects might eliminate the trapped essence, depriving you of its benefits until you can consume another victim.

Ethereal Skin
Level: 5
Body Slot: Body or torso (Su)
Monster Requirement: Any creature with the ability to move to the Ethereal Plane
Example Monsters: Couatl, phase spider

With the skin of an ethereal traveller grafted onto your own you now have the ability to walk between Planes yourself. You can become ethereal at will as a swift action, and you can phase back similarly.

Formian Command Cortex [Telepathic Station]
Level: 5
Body Slot: Head
Monster Requirement: Must have the hive mind ability
Example Monsters: Formian queen

A formian command cortex is a brain implant taken from a formian queen herself. It increases your telepathy to 20 miles, and allows you to command all formians (aside from other queens) within that area at will. If you try to command a formian with more HD than the xenoalchemist level it's allowed a single Will save (Int-based) to avoid the effect.

Golem's Eye
Level: 5
Body Slot: Eyes (Su)
Monster Requirement: Any creature with immunity to magic
Example Monsters: Flesh golem, will-o-wisp

A golem's eye implanted in your forehead gives you immunity to magic. At the time of surgery the xenoalchemist must select two or three spells of 5th level or below to which you are not immune. These spells disrupt your spell immunity for 3 rounds if they hit you.

Invisible Blood
Level: 5
Body Slot: Body
Monster Requirement: Any creature with the natural invisibility ability or greater invisibility as a superatural ability
Example Monsters: Invisible stalker, phantom fungus

Invisible blood pumping through your arteries makes the rest of you invisible too. You are invisible as an extraordinary ability. Always.

Noble Blood
Level: 5
Body Slot: Body (Su)
Monster Requirement: Any creature with wish as a spell-like ability
Example Monsters: Noble djinn

Only the purest of blood carries the powers to rewrite the cosmos. With a successful transfusion you get to tap into this primal power yourself. You can use wish as a spell-like ability once per day at a caster level equal to the xenoalchemist level. This wish has a few restrictions, however. You can use it to imitate any spell as normal for the spell, but you must provide any costly material components, and you cannot replicate a spell with an XP cost. You also cannot use the wish to provide you with magical or nonmagical items and equipment.

Second Head
Level: 5
Body Slot: Shoulders
Monster Requirement: Any creature with multiple intelligent heads
Example Monsters: Chimera, ettin

You have attached a second head onto your shoulders. This head has the mental ability scores of the creature it was taken from, but none of the personality or memories. Your two heads can act independantly of each other, although you gain no new actions. This does, however, let you concentrate on a verbal effect such as bardic music while still being able to talk or perform verbal actions with your other head. You also gain a new Head and a new Eyes graft slot on your new head as well as a new Face and a new Head magic item slot.

Trollskin
Level: 5
Body Slot: Body or torso
Monster Requirement: Any creature with regeneration overcome by fire
Example Monsters: Troll

This incredible skin graft heals at an astounding rate. You're basically Wolverine if he were vulnerable to fire. You gain regeneration 1, which is only overcome by fire.

[Kellus]

The Biolinguist

"I know words that would make your skin crawl. No, seriously. As in crawl across the floor."

http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/115/c/2/Pi_Hai__The_Orator_by_Punchinello_Punch.jpg
Image credit Punchinello-Punch (http://punchinello-punch.deviantart.com/) of deviantart.com.

There are words and then there are Words. Xenoalchemists seeking the secret of immortality may find that what they are searching for is the same thing that linguists and scholars have been searching for for eons: the True Language. This tongue is none other than the divine language that shaped the world when it was raw and new. Truespeech holds many secrets for the inquisitive mind, and a xenoalchemist is certainly that. Biolinguists are surgeons who have learned to use fragments of Truespeech to control the flesh and the body. Truespeech is a powerful and frightening tool, and those who know its secrets can perform many feats others might call... unnatural.

Requirements: To become a biolinguist you must meet all of the following criteria.
Skills: Heal 8 ranks, Knowledge (local) 8 ranks, Truespeak 6 ranks
Special: Combat medic class feature
Truenaming: Must be able to speak 1st level vocalizations (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90961)
Xenoalchemy: Must be able to attach 1st level grafts

Hit Die: d6
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier
Absolute Limit Increase at Each Additional Level: 3 + Int modifier

Class Skills: The biolinguist's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all) (Int), Perform (oratory) (Cha), Speak Language (n/a), and Truespeak (Int).

The Biolinguist
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |
Truenaming|
Xenoalchemy

1st|+0|+0|+0|+2|Command flesh (miraculous), loquacious surgeon|
+1 level of existing truenaming class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

2nd|+1|+0|+0|+3|Command flesh (back on their feet)|
+1 level of existing truenaming class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

3rd|+1|+1|+1|+3|Command flesh (reversed)|
+1 level of existing truenaming class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

4th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Command flesh (resilience)|
+1 level of existing truenaming class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

5th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Command flesh (stimulating)|
+1 level of existing truenaming class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

6th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Command flesh (beyond the pale)|
+1 level of existing truenaming class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

7th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Command flesh (lingering)|
+1 level of existing truenaming class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

8th|+4|+2|+2|+6|Command flesh (potent words)|
+1 level of existing truenaming class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

9th|+4|+3|+3|+6|Command flesh (invigorating)|
+1 level of existing truenaming class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

10th|+5|+3|+3|+7|Command flesh (instantaneous), six words to make you live forever|
+1 level of existing truenaming class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

[/table]

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the biolinguist.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: The biolinguist gains no additional weapon or armour proficiency.

Command Flesh (Ex): A biolinguist's main talent is the power to use potent words of power to knit flesh and sinew back together. More cutting than any scalpel, your words can penetrate the body and restore your allies to fighting condition. Instead of using your combat medic class feature, you can now use this ability instead. This ability works like an utterance, and follows all of the same rules including line-of-sight range, move-action activation, and subject to the target's absolute limit. Allies, as usual, can choose to allow a vocalization to target them regardless of their absolute limit.

The base Truespeak DC to use the command flesh ability is 15. However, as you attain levels in the biolinguist class you learn valuable augments to this ability which you can add on to the ability by increasing the DC of the skill check. Unlike normal vocalizations there is no limit to the amount you can choose to increase the DC of this ability so long as you feel comfortable attempting the skill check. As previously mentioned, the normal benefit of the ability is to effect the benefits of the combat medic class feature. Your truenaming level stacks with your original xenoalchemist class levels to determine the health restored with this ability (as a reminder, the ability heals 1 hit point per class level or removes all nonlethal damage, and can be used on any given ally once every three hours). If the skill check fails there is no penalty aside from the wasted action, and the subject can be targeted with the ability again on subsequent actions (without waiting the full recharge time).

Miraculous: By increasing the DC of the check by 3, you can cause the healing factor to go further than the superficial wounds and assist in truly miraculous deep healing. You need only wait another 5 rounds before using this ability on the target again instead of three hours. Yes, this gives you unlimited out-of-combat healing.

Back on Their Feet: Starting at 2nd level, by increasing the DC of the check by 4 you can allow the target to immediately make another saving throw against an ongoing condition affecting them.

Reversed: Starting at 3rd level, by increasing the DC of the check by 5 you can reverse the vocalization, dealing negative energy damage as you cause the flesh to wither and die instead of being healed. This ability is probably the one most likely to be resisted, which means your absolute limit is important to keep in mind. As negative energy damage, this reversed ability heals the undead. This only reverses the normal health healed, and does not interact with the other augments. You can stack them together, but they still have their beneficial effects.

Resilience: Starting at 4th level, by increasing the DC of the check by 6 you can imbue the subject's body with preternatural resilience. They gain a +5 truespeak bonus on Fortitude saving throws for the next 5 rounds.

Stimulating: Starting at 5th level, by increasing the DC of the check by 7 you can cause the body to go into overdrive, boosting the subject to incredible levels of ability. They gain a +4 truespeak bonus to their physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity and Constitution) for the next 5 rounds.

Beyond the Pale: Starting at 6th level, by increasing the DC of the check by 8 you can revive a subject who has recently died. If you use this ability within 1 round of their death (assuming their body is not destroyed) you can revive them to 0 hit points and stable. This overwrites the normal health you would restore to them.

Lingering: Starting at 7th level, by increasing the DC of the check by 9 you can cause your words to linger in the subject's body. To use this ability you must know the subject's truename, as well as at least one recitation. You can grant the benefits of one recitation you know to the subject, although this consumes an additional move action on the same turn in order to speak the second vocalization. The recitation lasts for 5 rounds, and you need to make a Truespeak check to speak it correctly as well.

Potent Words: Starting at 8th level, by increasing the DC of the check by 10 you can heal twice the normal amount of health. For each additional +10 modifier applied to the DC you can heal an additional hit point per level (for example, by increasing the DC by 30 you can heal four hit points per level). Any hit points above the target's maximum health are granted as temporary hit points (although like normal temporary hit points they don't stack with multiple applications). The temporary hit points last for ten minutes.

Invigorating: Starting at 9th level, by increasing the DC of the check by 11 you can grant the benefits of the iron heart surge martial maneuver to the target.

Instantaneous: Starting at 10th level, by increasing the DC of the check by 12 you can attempt to use this ability as an immediate action.

Loquacious Surgeon (Ex): With your talent for truespeech you have no need for mundane tools. You can perform surgery with your voice alone, substituting Truespeak checks for all Heal checks.

Truenaming: At every level you learn additional vocalizations as if you had gained a level in any one truenaming class you have previously gained levels in. These levels stack with your previous levels to determine your truenamer level.

Xenoalchemy: At every level you add +1 to your xenoalchemy level from one existing class of your choice that you have levels in. This increases your effective xenoalchemist level for the benefits of grafts as well as the level of graft you can achieve. This does not provide you with any other benefit a member of your previous class would have received, such as class features, skill points, spellcasting, or hit points.

Six Words to Make You Live Forever (Ex): The ultimate goal of the biolinguist is to discover the words from the dawn of time which the gods spoke to ascend. At 10th level you have discovered a tiny part of this divine speech, which grants the lesser benefit of immortality. You learn six Words, each of which can be spoken with a DC 65 Truespeak check. Each Word grants immortality (immunity to aging, disease and death by old age) to one target of your choice whose truename you know. Each Word can only be used once.


The Fleshwarper

"It's like a parakeet but with a second nose that spews acid. Awesome, right?"

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/lom_gallery/88163.jpg
Image credit Wayne Reynolds for WotC, 2004.

Although most xenoalchemists prefer to use their abilities to enhance their allies' abilities to fight monsters, a fleshwarper is interested in knowledge for its own sake. Their studies range from arcane spellcasting to the secrets of xenoalchemy and a fleshwarper knows how to blend the two disciplines together. A fleshwarper usually uses their arcane familiar as a guinea pig for their grafting, which usually ends up turning it into a horrifying monstrosity. But some sacrifices have to be made in the name of SCIENCE.

Requirements: To become a fleshwarper you must meet all of the following criteria.
Feat: Improved Familiar
Skills: Heal 7 ranks, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 7 ranks, Spellcraft 7 ranks
Spellcasting: Must be able to cast 2nd level arcane spells
Xenoalchemy: Must be able to attach 1st level grafts

Hit Die: d4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Skills: A fleshwarper's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (all) (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the Planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), and Survival (Wis).

The Fleshwarper
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |
Spellcasting|
Xenoalchemy

1st|+0|+0|+0|+2|Familiar advancement, spellgrafting (1st)|
+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

2nd|+1|+0|+0|+3|Familiar experimentation|
+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

3rd|+1|+1|+1|+3|Spellgrafting (2nd)|
+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

4th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Familiar experimentation|
+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

5th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Spellcrafting (3rd)|
+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

6th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Familiar experimentation|
+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

7th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Spellgrafting (4th)|
+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

8th|+4|+2|+2|+6|Familiar experimentation|
+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

9th|+4|+3|+3|+6|Spellgrafting (5th)|
+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

10th|+5|+3|+3|+7|Aberrant apotheosis, familiar experimentation|
+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

[/table]

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the fleshwarper.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: A fleshwarper gains no additonal weapon or armour proficiencies.

Familiar Advancement: Levels in fleshwarper stack to determine the benefits of having a familiar.

Spellcasting: At every level you gain new spells per day as if you had also gained a level in whatever arcane spellcasting class you belonged to previously. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. This means that you add the level of fleshwarper to the level of one other arcane spellcasting class you have levels in, then determine spells per day and caster level accordingly.

Spellgrafting (Su): As a fleshwarper you can combine your arcane spellcasting with your talent for xenic biology. You can attach grafts to people which are charged with an arcane spell. In order to use this ability you need to select a single 1st level arcane spell you can cast. You can attach a graft which grants use of that spell as a spell-like ability once per day in any body slot. As long as the graft is attached you permanently lose one 1st level spell slot per day. The spell selected cannot require costly material components or an XP cost. The graft is treated as a 1st level graft, and the save DC (if any) is calculated the same way as other grafts.

Every two levels thereafter you can graft a higher level spell as indicated on the class table. It still only requires a 1st level graft.

Xenoalchemy: At every level you add +1 to your xenoalchemy level from one existing class of your choice that you have levels in. This increases your effective xenoalchemist level for the benefits of grafts as well as the level of graft you can achieve. This does not provide you with any other benefit a member of your previous class would have received, such as class features, skill points, spellcasting, or hit points.

Familiar Experimentation (Su): Thanks to your ongoing experiments and study you continue to make improvements on your familiar. The two of you share a special bond, and attaching wings and a venomous stinger really just strengthens that bond. Every time you gain this ability you can make a magical alteration to your familiar. This takes the form of a free graft at a level you can access that you can attach to your familiar without having to find the neccessary monster pieces first. These grafts don't count against the normal limit of grafts on your familiar (1 + Con).

These grafts are explicitly supernatural in nature.

Aberrant Apotheosis (Ex): You have altered your physiology so deeply that you are no longer strictly speaking a person. You gain the Aberration type and darkvision to 60ft. Your familiar gains this feature as well.


The Medicineer

"Somebody, at some point, has wondered what it would be like if their broom had a venomous buzzsaw attached to it. Today we answer that question."

http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs42/i/2009/161/b/e/mad_science_by_nicop1.jpg
Image credit nicop1 (http://nicop1.deviantart.com/) of deviantart.com.

Xenoalchemists as a rule are tinkerers and scientists, but among this league of mad geniuses it takes a truly special individual to pioneer new advances in magical biology. A medicineer is a thinker of all persuasions, both an engineer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=114229) and a surgeon. Talented in many different fields, medicineers are trying things nobody has ever tried before, and are constantly inventing new biomagical contraptions. If attaching bits of monsters to other people isn't enough for you, the medicineer combines crafting and grafting into one big exercise in invention.

Requirements: To become a medicineer you must meet all of the following criteria.
Skills: Heal 8 ranks, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) 8 ranks
Special: Metabolic Jump vocation, precision class feature, surgical precision +1d6
Xenoalchemy: Must be able to attach 1st level grafts

Hit Die: d6
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

Class Skills: The medicineer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (all) (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (architecture and engineering), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the Planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Cha), Speak Language (n/a), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Use Rope (Dex).

The Medicineer
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |
Innovation|
Xenoalchemy

1st|+0|+1|+0|+2|Crafter vitae, masterful precision +1/+1d6|
2|
+1 level of existing grafting class

2nd|+1|+1|+0|+3|Vocation|
4|
+1 level of existing grafting class

3rd|+2|+2|+1|+3|Xenoforgemaster|
6|
+1 level of existing grafting class

4th|+3|+2|+1|+4|Masterful precision +2/+2d6, vocation|
8|
+1 level of existing grafting class

5th|+3|+3|+1|+4|Crafter aberrant|
10|
+1 level of existing grafting class

6th|+4|+3|+2|+5|Vocation|
12|
+1 level of existing grafting class

7th|+5|+3|+2|+5|Masterful precision +3/+3d6|
14|
+1 level of existing grafting class

8th|+6|+4|+2|+6|Vocation|
16|
+1 level of existing grafting class

9th|+6|+4|+3|+6|Magical biomechanic|
18|
+1 level of existing grafting class

10th|+7|+5|+3|+7|Crafter egoist, masterful precision +4/+4d6, vocation|
20|
+1 level of existing grafting class

[/table]

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the medicineer.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: A medicineer gains no additional weapon or armour proficiencies.

Crafter Vitae (Ex): You are trained both in an engineer's crafting skills and the biology disciplines of a xenoalchemist. Combining the two, you can create tools and weapons that are actually alive. This requires crafting an item or piece of equipment like normal, and also requires organic material. This material can seriously come from any creature as long as it was attached to a living body within the last 24 hours.

During the crafting, you must make a Heal check in addition to any other checks. The DC is 25 for this check, and benefits from the crafter extraordinaire class feature of the engineer. If you fail this check the crafting can proceed as normal but you lose the benefits of this ability and the organic material is wasted.

A living item has damage reduction (DR/–) instead of hardness, and fast healing 1 as it knits its flesh back together. It's treated as an object or a living creature, whichever is more helpful at the time.

Innovation: Medicineers benefit from being able to think fast and apply those thoughts to their actions. You receive innovation points in the amount listed on the class table, plus your Intelligence modifier, on a daily basis. You must rest uninterrupted for 8 hours to recharge this amount. A medicineer's pool of innovation stacks with innovation gained through engineer levels.

Xenoalchemy: At every level you add +1 to your xenoalchemy level from one existing class of your choice that you have levels in. This increases your effective xenoalchemist level for the benefits of grafts as well as the level of graft you can achieve. This does not provide you with any other benefit a member of your previous class would have received, such as class features, skill points, spellcasting, or hit points.

Masterful Precison (Ex): A medicineer has an incredibly analytical mind, a keen knowledge of anatomy, and a penchant for finding the weak point in an enemy's defenses. Whenever you use the engineer's precision ability you gain the benefits of the surgical precision class feature without having to spend a swift action. In addition, the benefits of your precision ability increase by +1, and the benefits of your surgical precision ability increase by +1d6. These benefits advance again at 4th level, 7th level, and 10th level as indication on the class table.

Vocation (Ex): Although you have diversified somewhat you still maintain your engineer's training and approach. At 2nd level and every two levels thereafter you may learn a new vocation, selected from the engineer list, the archiater (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=133965) list, or from the following list. Alternatively, you may select a new thesis monster.

Biochemistry
Prerequisite: Chemistry, metabolic jump
Description: You're practiced in matters concerning hormones and metabolisms, and can alter peoples' physiologies. By spending 3 Innovation points you can cast cat's grace, cure serious wounds, gaseous form, or poison as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to half the sum of your engineer level and your xenoalchemist level.

Insanity Algorithm
Prerequisite: Neuroarcanics
Description: You've discerned equations governing the mathematics of madness. This has given you insight into the madness behind the physical world. By spending 2 Innovation points you can cast confusion, hypnotic pattern, rage, or shatter as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to half the sum of your engineer level and your xenoalchemist level.

Mutation Cannon
Prerequisite: Chemistry, dynamo cannon
Description: Your dynamo cannon has been upgraded in order to massively alter the victim's genome. Whenever you fire your dynamo cannon you can use this ability instead of one of the normal enhancements by spending 3 Innovation points. The dynamo cannon deals normal damage, and forces the target to make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the sum of your engineer level and your xenoalchemy level + your Int modifier). On a failed save the target's form mutates out of control, giving them a -2 penalty on all saving throws. They also gain the benefit of a graft of 1st to 4th level, determined randomly (roll 1d4 to determine the level of the graft and roll 1d20 to determine the actual graft inflicted). Both effects last for 1 minute before the creature's form reverts to its natural state. This graft does not count against the normal limit of grafts on a single creature, and can be placed even if the appropriate body slot is already filled with another graft.

Ultravision Implants
Prerequisite: Surveyor, ultravision lenses
Description: Having mastered the secrets of ultravision you can now use your knowledge of anatomy to implant ultravision lenses into the retinas of your allies. You can grant the benefits of the ultravision vocation as if it were a graft of 1st level that occupies the Eyes body slot. You don't need any organic material to attach this graft. Allies with ultravision can activate their see invisibility spell-like ability once per day at a caster level equal to the sum of your engineer class levels and xenoalchemy levels.

Xenoforgemaster (Su): As of 3rd level you've been hand-on with so many bodies of magic beasts and other supernatural creatures that you can use their magic to your advantage. You gain a caster level equal to your xenoalchemy level for the purposes of crafting magic items. If you need a spell for the creation of a magic item, you can substitute monstrous material taken from a creature with that spell as a spell-like ability. This can be harvested as if appropriate for a 1st level graft.

Crafter Aberrant (Ex): Starting at 5th level, whenever you create a living item with the crafter vitae ability, you can add an extra capability to the creation. This requires using material for a graft instead of generic organic material during the crafting. The graft must be of a level you can access, and the Heal check DC becomes 10 + the HD of the monster it was taken from.

If the grafting is successful during the creation process, the tool grants the benefits of the graft when used. If the tool is an item to be worn, the graft chosen must fit the body slot of the item. Grafts attached to worn items count against the graft limit (1 + Constitution), but held grafted tools have no limitation aside from being wielded. Otherwise, these grafts work exactly like normal grafts created by xenoalchemy. You can only attach grafts of levels 1 to 5 with this ability.

Magical Biomechanic (Su): Using your knowledge of magical tools and xenoalchemy you can control magic items by sensing and manipulating the arcane life pulsing through them. Starting at 9th level you can substitute Heal checks for Use Magic Device checks. In addition, you can always take 10 on these checks, even if stres or distraction would normally prevent you from doing so, and even though Use Magic Device cannot normally be used that way. Making this kind of check uses 3 points of innovation.

Crafter Egoist (Su): The true master of xenoforging can create items that think and feel for themselves. At 10th level, whenever you use your crafter vitae ability you can create an intelligent item by using organic material from a sentient creature (Int of 3 or greater). This material can be harvested as if appropriate for a 5th level graft. This intelligent item, above and beyond the normal things it does, has one lesser power and one greater power available. It has the mental ability scores of the monster the material came from, but the personality and memories are not preserved in the grafting. If you wish you can instill a special purpose into the item at the time of crafting.

You can use this in conjunction with the crafter aberrant class feature, but as fair warning the benefit of the graft is under the control of the intelligent item. Attaching a graft to the intelligent item adds +2 ego points during crafting. You must pay the additional cost for the lesser and greater powers for the item as normal.

[Kellus]

The Nosomatic Chirurgeon

"'Do no harm' they said. And look where that's gotten us."

http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs39/f/2008/325/b/7/The_Chirurgeon_by_graver13.jpg
Image credit graver13 (http://graver13.deviantart.com/) of deviantart.com.

One of the fundamental principles of medicine is to do no harm to the patient. Even xenoalchemists, with their twisted practices, firmly believe that every operation they make is to provide an advantage to the patient. A nosomatic chirurgeon is a xenoalchemist who understands that sometimes the only way to heal is to hurt. They use their xenoalchemical talents to develop and spread diseases in order to promote their agenda. No longer content to work with living flesh, they unleash biological weapons, which some people might deem unethical, in order to secure a future for them and their people.

Requirements: To become a nosomatic chirurgeon you must meet all of the following criteria.
Base Fortitude Save: +3
Grafts: Must have a Disease Incubator graft attached to yourself
Skills: Heal 9 ranks, Knowledge (nature) 9 ranks
Special: Thesis monster class feature
Xenoalchemy: Must be able to attach 2nd level grafts

Hit Die: d6
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Skills: The nosomatic chirurgeon's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (all) (Int), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the Planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Survival (Wis).

The Nosomatic Chirurgeon
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |
Xenoalchemy

1st|+0|+2|+0|+2|Alpha strain, enhanced virulence|
+1 level of existing grafting class

2nd|+1|+3|+0|+3|Fast infection|
+1 level of existing grafting class

3rd|+2|+3|+1|+3|Multitudinous incubation, thesis monster|
+1 level of existing grafting class

4th|+3|+4|+1|+4|Beta strain|
+1 level of existing grafting class

5th|+3|+4|+1|+4|Targeted mutation, universal vaccine|
+1 level of existing grafting class

6th|+4|+5|+2|+5|Submolecular surgery, thesis monster|
+1 level of existing grafting class

7th|+5|+5|+2|+5|Gamma strain|
+1 level of existing grafting class

8th|+6|+6|+2|+6|Mutagenic rapidity|
+1 level of existing grafting class

9th|+6|+6|+3|+6|Divine plague, thesis monster|
+1 level of existing grafting class

10th|+7|+7|+3|+7|Magical adaptation, omega strain|
+1 level of existing grafting class

[/table]

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the nosomatic chirurgeon.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: A nosomatic chirurgeon gains no additional weapon or armour proficiencies.

Alpha Strain (Ex): As a nosomatic chirurgeon, you cultivate and carefully manipulate disease to do what you want. Pick one single nonmagical disease that is currently being held in your Disease Incubator graft. This disease becomes your alpha strain, the first disease you will get to alter as you please. You get a number of upgrades equal to your Intelligence modifier, which you can use to modify the existing disease. You may purchase benefits for your strain from the Alpha List. Once modified you cannot change your alpha strain except to apply further benefits as you increase your Intelligence. You can choose to wait to distribute upgrades until a later point if you choose, or even to wait to select a base disease if you don't have one incubated that you want to or can develop. You are always immune to your alpha strain. If your Intelligence later drops you need to remove benefits, in the reverse order they were applied in.

Alpha List

Compound Disease: Pick an associated ability score to the one your disease would normally damage (physical or mental). The disease now deals an equal amount of damage to each ability score, split evenly between them (roll for damage, and then divide the damage by two).

Extra Damage: The disease now deals an additional die of ability damage, no matter what size. For example, a disease which deals 1d4 Strength damage now deals 2d4 Strength damage. You can purchase this upgrade more than once.

Extra Virulence: The DC for your disease increases by +2. You can purchase this upgrade more than once.

Vector (Ingestion): You can purchase this upgrade to allow your disease to be spread by ingestion. This means that it automatically affects anyone who consumes a contaminated piece of food. You can contaminate a food sample you're touching with a standard action.

Enhanced Virulence (Ex): Your Disease Incubator is working overtime in order to make sure that your strains are continually evolving. The Infection DC for all of your strains is changed to the normal DC for your grafts instead of their base DC.

Xenoalchemy: At every level you add +1 to your xenoalchemy level from one existing class of your choice that you have levels in. This increases your effective xenoalchemist level for the benefits of grafts as well as the level of graft you can achieve. This does not provide you with any other benefit a member of your previous class would have received, such as class features, skill points, spellcasting, or hit points.

Fast Infection (Ex): Your diseases now incubate incredibly fast, mutating rapidly to avoid eradication by the host. Starting at 2nd level the incubation period of each of your strains is reduced to 1/24 the original time, effectively changing every mention of 'day' to 'hour'. For example, a strain based off of filth fever now has an incubation period of 1d3 hours instead of 1d3 days. The aftereffects are similarly reduced, with a new check required every hour instead of every day.

Multitudinous Incubation (Ex): Starting at level 3 you may now incubate a number of diseases in your Disease Incubator up to your class level, although you must find raw samples of each of them in the wild or in a body you examine for graft material. You can identify a disease present in any body (living or dead) with a DC 20 Knowledge (nature) check. Whenever you try to infect someone you may now choose which one of your incubated diseases you want to infect them with.

Thesis Monster (Ex): At 3rd level, 6th level, and 9th level you gain a new thesis monster as described in the xenoalchemist class features.

Beta Strain (Ex): At 4th level you get to develop a new disease of your very own, a beta strain. This beta strain must be based off of a normal nonmagical disease in your Disease Incubator graft. You receive a number of upgrades to this disease equal to 1 + your Intelligence modifier. You may purchase benefits from the Beta List or the Alpha List as you see fit. Otherwise this follows all the same rules as the alpha strain class feature.

Beta List

Durable: Your disease now requires three successful saving throws in a row in order to shake off instead of two.

Second Stage: Your disease now has a second stage. If the victim fails their initial save against the disease, the disease incubates and they take the regular ability damage. However, their saves from now on are against both the ability damage and a secondary symptom chosen from the following: dazzled, fatigued, or sickened. If the target fails a subsequent roll the symptom lasts until they shake the disease, even if they receive the benefit of another effect which would normally cure the condition. You pick the condition when you first purchase the upgrade, and cannot change it later on.

Upgraded Damage: The die size of your disease's ability damage increases in the following progression: d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, 2d6, 2d8, and so on in that fashion. You can purchase this upgrade more than once.

Vector (Inhaled): Your disease is now spread by inhalation. As a standard action which provokes attacks of opportunity you can attempt to infect all breathing creatures within 5ft. of you. Creatures with scent can be infected from 10ft. away and take a -2 penalty on the saving throw.

Targeted Mutation (Ex): You've learned how to specifically target your diseases to overcome the natural anatomy of a being whose biology you understand deeply.Starting at 5th level, if you have a thesis monster benefit which allows you to overcome an immunity to precision damage against a certain type of monster you can now have your diseases target them even if they would normally have immunity to disease by virtue of their type.

Universal Vaccine (Ex): Thanks to your tireless research into disease, you've figured out a way to protect those you care about when you decide to initate a doomsday plague. Beginning at level 5, with an hour's effort and 100 gp in materials you can prepare a universal vaccine. This will protect someone permanently from all diseases, mundane or supernatural in nature. Once administered, however, this effect cannot be removed by any effect short of a wish or similar magic. You cannot administer the vaccine to yourself unless you wish to lose all of your other class features, since this vaccine would prevent you from being able to incubate diseases inside your body. This vaccine requires an hour to prepare, but can be administered as a standard action which provokes attacks of opportunity. If the target is unwilling, a melee touch attack is required to apply it.

Submolecular Surgery (Ex): As an expert in viruses and medicine you can create a disease which can alter someone from the inside out. Starting at 6th level, whenever you would normally attach a graft you can instead infect the target with a special custom disease which causes their body to alter on its own, growing the graft for you. This has several effects:

• You no longer need to make a Concentration check to operate on yourself.
• The Heal check to perform surgery is replaced with a Knowledge (nature) check.
• The time required to attach a graft is reduced to only a single hour, no matter what level graft.
• Grafts attached in this way continually update themselves to your new xenoalchemy level, without requiring postop procedures.
• If a graft made in this way is cut off or removed it will grow back within an hour unless a new graft is attached instead.
• Multiple grafts can be made out of the same monstrous source material.
• Finally, anyone immune to disease cannot be operated on in this way.

Gamma Strain (Ex): At 7th level you get to develop a new disease of your very own, a gamma strain. This gamma strain must be based off of a normal nonmagical disease in your Disease Incubator graft. You receive a number of upgrades to this disease equal to 2 + your Intelligence modifier. You may purchase benefits from the Gamma List or any lower List as you see fit. Otherwise this follows all the same rules as the alpha strain class feature.

Gamma List

Divine Immunity: Your diseases are now impossible to get ride of with a remove disease effect.

Full Impact: Your disease must have the compound disease benefit to purchase this upgrade. It now deals its full ability damage to both ability scores targeted.

Tertiary Stage: Your disease must have a second stage already to purchase this upgrade. It now has a third stage which becomes active after the third failed saving throw (the second stage still activates after the second failed save). This works like the second stage upgrade, but you can choose from the following list of conditions: blinded, confused, deafened, or exhausted.

Vector (Injury): As a swift action you can infect all of your natural weapons with your disease. The next successful attack you make with each of them attempts to infect the target.

Mutagenic Rapidity (Ex): Starting at 8th level, your diseases spread out of control. The incubation time for each of your strains is further reduced by 1/60 of their current incubation period, effectively changing each mention of 'hour' to 'minute'. For example, a strain based off of red ache now has an incubation period of only 1d3 minutes instead of 1d3 hours. The aftereffects are similarly reduced, with a new check required every minute instead of every hour.

Divine Plague (Ex): Beginning at 9th level, your diseases automatically overcome anything with the divine health ability which would normally protect it from disease.

Magical Adaptation (Su): At the height of your abilities your diseases transcend mere genetics. All of your strains are now supernatural diseases, and are thus immune to many of the normal ways you would treat disease.

Omega Strain: The omega strain is your final masterpiece, a disease that has the potential to shake the world. At 10th level you get to develop a new disease of your very own, an omega strain. This omega strain must be based off of a normal magical or mundane disease in your Disease Incubator graft. You receive a number of upgrades to this disease equal to 3 + your Intelligence modifier. You may purchase benefits from the Omega List or any lower List as you see fit. Otherwise this follows all the same rules as the alpha strain class feature.

Omega List

Massive Damage: Double the ability damage your disease does after rolling all dice involved. The ability damage can now no longer be restored until the disease is shaken.

Terminal Stage: Your disease must have a third stage already. It gains a fourth stage which becomes active after four failed saving throws. This works like the second stage upgrade, but you can pick from either straight up death, paralyzation, or petrification.

Unlucky Fever: The first successful Fortitude save rolled against your disease must now be rerolled. In addition, natural 20s no longer automatically succeed on saving throws against it.

Vector (Contact): Your disease is now spread by contact. Any creature who comes in contact with you in any way is infected with your disease.


The Shadowstitcher

"A man once asked me how I could bear knowing the things I know and doing the things I do. I told him that it was not such a great burden as all that. This man would spend the rest of his life trapped in his frail old body, would never see the splendours of the worlds beyond, and would die cold and alone. All this knowing is the lighter load by far."

http://th04.deviantart.net/fs44/PRE/i/2009/142/8/3/The_Waltz_with_Death_by_RiNymph.jpg
Image credit RiNymph (http://rinymph.deviantart.com/) of deviantart.com.

For some xenoalchemists, the variety of monsters found on the Material Plane is not enough. Many go searching throughout the Planes for something more potent which can turn the tide in humanity's perpetual war for survival. But some of these planewalkers find something they never could have expected. The pull of the Plane of Shadow is deep and insidious, and it twists even the most benevolent desires into something darker. A shadowstitcher is a xenoalchemist who has experienced the power of pure darkness, and has now brought its power back to the Prime Material. Perhaps a shadowstitcher starts off with noble intentions, but unless he can master shadow's power he may find that the shadows will soon master him.

Requirements: To become a shadowstitcher you must meet all of the following criteria.
Mysteries: Must be able to cast 2nd level mysteries
Skills: Heal 8 ranks, Knowledge (the Planes) 8 ranks, Spellcraft 8 ranks
Special: Surgical precision +1d6, thesis monster class feature
Xenoalchemy: Must be able to attach 1st level grafts

Hit Die: d6
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Skill: The shadowstitcher's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (all) (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the Planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), and Survival (Wis).

The Shadowstitcher
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |
Shadowcasting|
Xenoalchemy

1st|+0|+0|+0|+2|Hands of darkness, harvest shadow|
+1 level of existing mystery-using class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

2nd|+1|+0|+0|+3|Surgical precision +1d6, thesis monster|
+1 level of existing mystery-using class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

3rd|+2|+1|+1|+3|Knit shade|
+1 level of existing mystery-using class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

4th|+3|+1|+1|+4|Surgical precision +2d6, thesis monster|
+1 level of existing mystery-using class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

5th|+3|+1|+1|+4|Shadow grafts|
+1 level of existing mystery-using class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

6th|+4|+2|+2|+5|Surgical precision +3d6, thesis monster|
+1 level of existing mystery-using class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

7th|+5|+2|+2|+5|Graft of initiation|
+1 level of existing mystery-using class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

8th|+6|+2|+2|+6|Surgical precision +4d6, thesis monster|
+1 level of existing mystery-using class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

9th|+6|+3|+3|+6|Sever untouchable|
+1 level of existing mystery-using class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

10th|+7|+3|+3|+7|Dark procedure, surgical precision +5d6, thesis monster|
+1 level of existing mystery-using class|
+1 level of existing grafting class

[/table]

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the shadowstitcher.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: A shadowstitcher gains no additional weapon or armour proficiency.

Hands of Darkness (Su): With your initiation into the mysteries of shadowcasting you can touch what was once beyond your grasp. You can interact fully with incorporeal creatures, effectively adding the ghost touch enchantment to yourself and any natural weapons you possess. If you achieve incorporeality you can use this ability to interact normally with the Material Plane, giving you the best of both possibilities.

Harvest Shadow (Su): Meat is heavy, awkward stuff. To harvest darkness is much simpler. Whenever you make use of the harvest remains ability you can choose to instead steal the mere shadow of the organic material. This works exactly the same, but the material harvested has no expiration date and takes up no space, nor does it weigh anything. However, you can only carry around a maximum number of shadow graft materials equal to your class level.

Mysteries: At every level you gain new mysteries and an increase in caster level as if you had also attained a level in a shadowcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one shadowcasting class before becoming a shadowstitcher, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining mysteries per day, caster level, and mysteries known.

Surgical Precision (Ex): You may be studying the dark secrets of the cosmos, but it's important to keep in practice at your day job. At 2nd level and every two levels thereafter you gain an additional 1d6 damage with your surgical precision ability.

Thesis Monster (Ex): If anything, your study of darkness has added to your knowledge of monstrosities. At 2nd level and every two levels thereafter you gain an additional thesis monster type, chosen from the list available to a xenoalchemist.

Xenoalchemy: At every level you add +1 to your xenoalchemy level from one existing class of your choice that you have levels in. This increases your effective xenoalchemist level for the benefits of grafts as well as the level of graft you can achieve. This does not provide you with any other benefit a member of your previous class would have received, such as class features, skill points, spellcasting, or hit points.

Knit Shade (Su): As a shadowstitcher you know how to steal the shades of your victims. Whenever you deliver a thesis monster technique with your surgical precision ability, you can activate this ability as a free action in order to steal a portion of your victim's shadow. The effect depends on the thesis monster technique used.

An Inside Job: If the target has an alignment component to their type (such as Outsider [Good]) you can activate this ability to gain the effects of a magic circle against x spell effect, where x represents the chosen alignment component. Your caster level for this effect is equal to your mystery caster level.
Arcane Intervention: You gain a single use of the disrupted spell-like ability, which must be used within 1 minute. This only works for spell-like abilities of 8th level and below. All effects, such as caster level and save DC are identical to the original target's spell-like ability.
Black Thumb: You gain the fast healing the enemy loses, for 5 rounds (that is, until the enemy regains their healing factor). At 17 HD you now steal their regeneration, with the same vulnerability (if any) that the enemy had.
Deconstructionism: So long as your command remains active you can communicate with the target through telepathy (200ft. maximum range) and change the command as a free action (although changing the command does not reset the duration).
Faerie Tail Collector: You can activate the illusion or alternate form the enemy was assuming, with exactly the same change in statistics (if any). This effect lasts for 5 rounds, or until the target reassumes the same form.
Monstrous Manhunter: You gain the damage reduction stolen from the enemy, with the same vulnerability (if any). This lasts until the end of the encounter or until the monster is killed, whichever comes first.
Primordial Precision: You gain a bit of the elemental nature of your enemy. You gain immunity to critical hits, flanking, and precision damage until the enemy takes the time to reassemble their elemental components (or 5 rounds, whichever comes first).
Rest in Pieces: You can enhance your own senses at the expense of your enemy's. You gain lifesense out to 120ft., allowing you to immediately pinpoint all living and undead creatures, even through obstructions or barriers. You can tell the difference between living and undead by sight during this effect. This lasts for 5 rounds.
Take Your Breath Away: You gain a single use of the breath weapon disabled, which must be used before the enemy regains their own. The range, effect, and save DC (if any) are all identical to the enemy's original ability.
The Bigger They Are: You steal the shadow of your enemy's grandeur, making you seem much bigger than you really are. You gain all size modifiers appropriate to the size of your target, replacing your original size modifiers. This effect lasts for 5 rounds or until the enemy regains their mobility.
They Call Me the Exterminator: You steal the legion nature of your foe. Many shadowy copies of you seem to flicker through the air around you. Unlike normal illusions these copies really exist, which means that divination magic such as true seeing cannot penetrate them. You gain the benefits of the Swarm subtype for 5 rounds. Note that this effect can be activated whenever you deal surgical precision damage to a swarm, even though there is no dedicated technique against them.
Unknowable Amputation: You gain a single use of the supernatural ability you steal. You must use the ability within 5 rounds or it's lost to no effect. If you try to copy Manipulate Form or some other ridiculously broken ability the DM has the right to hit you over the head as hard as he can with the Dungeon Master's Guide and refuse your request. All effects, such as save DC and range, are identical to the way it would be used by the target.
Wasting Slime: You can steal the oozelike nature of your enemy. For 5 rounds you can assume an aqueous form, squeezing through holes as small as 1/2" without having to make Escape Artist checks. If you're still in a hole like this when the effect ends, I have some bad news for you.

Shadow Grafts (Su): Pure shadowstuff does strange things to a person, and it's stranger still when the shadow is stitched to their living flesh. Starting at 5th level, whenever you attach a graft using shadow material harvested with your harvest shadow ability the graft works differently than normal. Being made of pure shadowstuff it is fully supernatural in nature, which means among other things that in areas of antimagic the graft temporarily disappears. However, shadow is insidious by nature, and the grafts find themselves taking on a life of their own. Whenever a shadow graft is used and forces a saving throw, the DC for the save is increased by your Charisma modifier at the time of grafting (although this can be updated later with the postop procedure ability).

Graft of Initiation (Su): Your grafts are made of pure darkness and having one attached draws people closer into the Plane of Shadow. Starting at 7th level whenever you attach a shadow graft to someone they gain a single fundamental that you know, which they can use three times a day with their Hit Dice as the caster level. If you attach such a graft to yourself you can stack fundamental uses you already have or choose a new fundamental you don't know yet. These fundamentals are always used as Supernatural abilities.

Sever Untouchable (Ex): Your descent into shadow has brought you to the point where creatures of darkness are merely another xenoform of many to be understood. You gain a new thesis monster ability at 9th level which relates to the subtype of incorporeal creatures.

You can now deal precision damage to incorporeal creatures, no matter what their actual type or immunities. In addition, with a successful surgical precision attack you can disrupt the creature's ties to darkness, removing its incorporeality for 5 rounds. You also gain a +2 bonus to your incorporeal touch AC and a +2 bonus on Knowledge (arcana) checks. Thanks to your knit shade ability, this ability confers incorporeality on you for the duration of the effect.

Dark Procedure (Su): At the peak of your talent you can undertake a dark procedure which stitches someone's shadow into their very soul. Starting at 10th level you can undertake this surgery This is treated as a xenoalchemical grafting procedure, for a graft of 1st level. You do not need to collect any organic material for this graft, since you're using the subject's own shadow. The graft, once attached, occupies the Shoulders body slot for grafts, and confers the Dark template described in the Tome of Magic with no need for level adjustment. This graft cannot be removed or replaced like most grafts.

If you perform this procedure on yourself, in so doing you tie an unbreakable bond with the Plane of Shadow. Your mortality is sacrificed in the name of progress, and you will never age further than you already have.


The Supersoldier

"I always try to be the better man."

http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/135/e/8/e831b61d31acd2b8b9ce3c0e7039c694-d3getkc.jpg
Image credit kael360 (http://kael360.deviantart.com/) of deviantart.com.

In the perpetual war against monstrosities, it's pretty clear that humanoids aren't winning. If they were, adventurers wouldn't be going off and dying in dragon's lairs and lich's tombs. Xenoalchemists help in the fight by turning monsters' weapons against them. They rip pieces off of the beasts and attach them to humanoids to give them a fighting chance. Some xenoalchemists, however, want to get into the fight themselves. They're no longer content to sit on the sidelines and wait to see if their people will survive the next umber hulk assault. These brave individuals strap themselves into the patient's chair and turn their scalpel towards their own flesh. With their knowledge of biology these supersoldiers are constantly tuning their body to the singular purpose of ripping apart every monster they can find.

Requirements: To become a supersoldier you must meet all of the following criteria.
Base Attack Bonus: +5
Skills: Heal 9 ranks, Knowledge (any two) 9 ranks
Type: Humanoid
Weapon Proficiency: Proficient with all simple and martial weapons
Xenoalchemy: Must be able to attach 1st level grafts

Hit Die: d10
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Skills: A supersoldier's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Concentrate (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the Planes) (Int), Ride (Dex), and Swim (Str)

The Supersoldier
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |
Xenoalchemy

1st|+1|+2|+0|+0|Beyond mortal limits +1, narrow focus|
+1 level of existing grafting class

2nd|+2|+3|+0|+0|Ability experimentation|
+1 levels of existing grafting class

3rd|+3|+3|+1|+1|Bonus feat|
+1 level of existing grafting class

4th|+4|+4|+1|+1|Beyond mortal limits +2|
+1 level of existing grafting class

5th|+5|+4|+1|+1|Ability experimentation|
+2 levels of existing grafting class

6th|+6|+5|+2|+2|Bonus feat, conjoined grafts|
+1 level of existing grafting class

7th|+7|+5|+2|+2|Beyond mortal limits +3|
+1 level of existing grafting class

8th|+8|+6|+2|+2|Ability experimentation|
+1 level of existing grafting class

9th|+9|+6|+3|+3|Bonus feat|
+1 level of existing grafting class

10th|+10|+7|+3|+3|Beyond mortal limits +4, superhumanoid|
+2 levels of existing grafting class[/table]

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the supersoldier.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: The supersoldier is always proficient with any natural attacks from his grafts, but otherwise gains no additional proficiencies.

Beyond Mortal Limits (Ex): As a biologically superior specimen, a supersoldier's body can take further modification than a normal humanoid. You can attach one additional graft to yourself beyond the normal limit (1 + Con). At 4th level, 7th level, and 10th level you can attach another additional graft beyond this limit.

Narrow Focus (Ex): You have given up exploring general grafting in favour of altering your own body for battle. Xenoalchemist levels gained in this class don't apply to determine the maximum level of graft you can attach to others.

Xenoalchemy: At every level (and twice at 5th level and 10th level) you add +1 to your xenoalchemy level from one existing class of your choice that you have levels in. This increases your effective xenoalchemist level for the benefits of grafts as well as the level of graft you can achieve. This does not provide you with any other benefit a member of your previous class would have received, such as class features, skill points, spellcasting, or hit points.

Ability Experimentation (Ex): When you push your body to the limit, it starts to push with you. At 2nd level, 5th level, and 8th level, your continual modification of your body enhances your innate abilities. You can enhance one of your physical ability scores by +2 as a racial modifier that adds to any existing racial modifiers.

Bonus Feat: It's important to keep up with your training; natural (and unnatural) ability can only get you so far. At 3rd level, 6th level, and 9th level you can select a bonus fighter feat you meet the requirements for.

Conjoined Grafts (Ex): Starting at 6th level you have mastered the art of fusing two disparate grafts together. You can now attach up to two grafts to the same body slot on your own body.

Superhumanoid (Ex): At 10th level you have become so much more than what you were. You become a Monstrous Humanoid (Augmented Humanoid) and gain darkvision to 60ft. In addition, you can handle having two 5th level grafts attached to your body instead of the normal limit of one.


The Xenomorph

"Don't worry, I promise it's a big surprise."

http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/138/2/3/Xenomorph_colored_3_by_COVENS_OZ.png
Image credit *COVENS-OZ (http://covens-oz.deviantart.com/) of deviantart.com.

For some xenoalchemists, hunting down bizarre and alien creatures for their body parts is enough of a delve into the unknown. For a xenomorph, it's not. These savants study the secrets of the Far Realms, a twisted and alien landscape where physical laws have no meaning and cause and effect are redundant. Their research inevitably consumes them, until their minds and bodies are twisted in the image of that maddening place. For those with a strong enough stomach and a hard enough will, they might return from their studies with frightening new powers, but part of them will always reside in another world.

Requirements: To become a xenomorph you must meet all of the following criteria.
Skills: Heal 8 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 6 ranks, Knowledge (the Planes) 8 ranks
Xenoalchemy: Must be able to attach 1st level grafts
Xenotheurgy: Must have access to 5 different murmurs (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122103)

Hit Die: d6
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Skills: The xenomorph's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (history), Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (the planes), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

The Xenomorph
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |
Murmurs|
Xenoalchemy

1st|+0|+0|+0|+2|Warp growth|
–|
+1 level of existing grafting class

2nd|+1|+0|+0|+3|Disturbance|
+1|
+1 level of existing grafting class

3rd|+2|+1|+1|+3|Unleash warp|
–|
+1 level of existing grafting class

4th|+3|+1|+1|+4|Disturbance|
+1|
+1 level of existing grafting class

5th|+3|+1|+1|+4|Warp graft|
–|
+1 level of existing grafting class

6th|+4|+2|+2|+5|Disturbance|
+1|
+1 level of existing grafting class

7th|+5|+2|+2|+5|Maddening procedure|
–|
+1 level of existing grafting class

8th|+6|+2|+2|+6|Disturbance|
+1|
+1 level of existing grafting class

9th|+6|+3|+3|+6|Whispering implant|
–|
+1 level of existing grafting class

10th|+7|+3|+3|+7|Disturbance, strange shape|
+1|
+1 level of existing grafting class

[/table]

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the xenomorph.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: You gain no additional weapon or armour proficiencies.

Warp Growth (Su): As a xenomorph you can internalize the warp energies of the Far Realms in a way lesser xenotheurgists cannot. Using your knowledge of biology you can store warp points inside graft slots on your body. These graft slots cannot be occupied by a graft in order to store energy. You can store a single warp point in each unoccupied slot, up to a maximum of 1 + your Cha modifier (minimum 1). When a warp point is stored in a warp growth you lose all the effects of it as if you had never gained it. Primarily, this means that the save DC of your breaches does not increase because of it.

Storing a warp point is a free action. Warp points stored in body slots do not automatically disappear along with most warp points when you rest. Instead you need to make a Will saving throw when you sleep for each warp growth (DC 20). Failure on such a check means the warp point in question remains in your body until the next time you rest, when you can try again.

Xenoalchemy: At every level you add +1 to your xenoalchemy level from one existing class of your choice that you have levels in. This increases your effective xenoalchemist level for the benefits of grafts as well as the level of graft you can achieve. This does not provide you with any other benefit a member of your previous class would have received, such as class features, skill points, spellcasting, or hit points.

Disturbance (Su): At 2nd level and every two levels thereafter, you become the cause of a new disturbance. For more information, see the xenotheurgist ability of the same name.

Murmurs (Su): At 2nd level and every two levels thereafter, you gain access to a new murmur along with a new incursion. For more information, see the xenotheurgist ability of the same name.

Unleash Warp (Su): Starting at 3rd level you can unleash the powerful alien energy of the warp. In order to use this ability you must have a warp point stored in a warp growth. The warp point is burned off to increase the save DC of any ability gained from a graft by +5 or to increase the effective xenoalchemist level of all of your grafts by +5 for one round. However, there is always a price for immediate power. The next Will save you make from using a breach takes a -5 penalty. Unleashing a warp point is a free action, but you can only do it once per turn.

Warp Graft (Su): Starting at 5th level your mastery of your xenoform has advanced to the point where you can store your warp points in occupied graft slots. The grafts which house the warp energy become twisted and chaotic with the infusion. While occupied in this way, you can replace the save DC for the effect of such a graft with the save DC for the highest DC breach save you have available. You are still limited to a number of warp points stored in graft slots equal to 1 + your Cha modifier (minimum 1).

Maddening Procedure (Su): At 7th level you can initiate others into the secrets of the Far Realms. When you attach a graft to someone, you can choose to store a warp point in it much like you store them in your own grafts. However, without a way to harness the energies of the Far Realms the subject begins to change themselves in its image. They gain a single disturbance you possess, as well as access to a single murmur you have access to as if they were an afflicted xenotheurgist. A creature can only receive a single graft of this type; the second one drives them completely, permanently insane. This requires that you have a warp point on hand to transplant to them at the time of surgery.

Whispering Implant (Su): At 9th level you can perform a procedure on yourself which forges a permanent connection with the Far Realms. Choose one of your graft slots which is unoccupied. That slot is now permanently filled with your whispering implant, which is a part of your body that has begun to twist and shape itself in alien ways. You must choose a single inactive murmur you have access to at this point, which will form the bridge between your whispering implant and the Far Realms.

From now on, that murmur is always active for you, in addition to the normal maximum of three active murmurs. You cannot change murmurs later on. If the graft is ever removed, the flesh evaporates as soon as it loses contact with your body with a loud scream. The graft regrows 1d4 rounds later, with no change in statistics. You cannot store warp points in your whispering implant.

Strange Shape (Su): Your body has become broken and twisted by the energies of the Far Realms. Whenever all of your graft slots are occupied (Arms, Body, Eyes, Hands, Head, Legs, Shoulders, Throat, Torso, and Waist) with either a graft or a warp point, you gain the effects of this ability.

Your alien anatomy grants you full (100%) fortification, protecting you from effects such as critical hits and sneak attacks. The bizarre form is also able to thrive off of the foreign energies of the Far Realms. When you internalize your disturbances they now actually bolster your mental control, granting you a cumulative +1 bonus on Will saves.

However, you now require an additional 2 hours sleep every night above and beyond the 2 additional hours xenotheurgists normally require. You only ever have nightmares, and you always remember them perfectly. This effect occurs whether your slots are full or not.

[Kellus]

Bloodline: Emergent Atrocity

If you like both bloodlines and grafts, Welknair has made an excellent bloodline for this material which can be found here! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=11420366)


Feats

Lab Assistant
You're an excellent asset to have at hand when performing surgery.
Benefit: You can harvest organic material as if with the harvest material class feature. When you're around to assist with performing a xenoalchemical procedure, it takes an hour less than normal and the Heal check to perform surgery gains a +2 circumstance bonus. You can also select two seperate Knowledge skills to gain a +2 bonus on.

Mad Surgeon
You defy the preconceived notions of form and function. Or form anyway. Stuff still functions.
Prerequisite: Must be able to attach 2nd level grafts.
Benefit: Chose one body slot from Arms, Body, Eyes, Hands, Head, Legs, Shoulders, Throat, Torso or Waist. You may now attach grafts to that body slot regardless of which slot the graft would normally belong to.
Special: You may take this feat more than once, choosing a new body slot every time you do so.

Massive Pain Tolerance
You can tolerate enormous amounts of pain and your body can be stretched further than most peoples'.
Benefit: You can have one additional graft beyond normal, up to 2 + your Constitution modifier (minimum 2). You still can't have multiple grafts in the same slot, though. As a side benefit, you gain damage reduction 5/– which only applies to nonlethal damage (ie. pain).

Mutagenic Body
Your body is naturally volatile, and readily accepts foreign grafts. Grafts are more effective on you than on lesser people.
Benefit: Any grafts attached to you are treated as having a xenoalchemist level of 2 higher than normal. This affects, among other things, save DCs and scaling effects. You also gain energy resistance 5 to an energy type of your choice.


Extra Rules

These rules don't come up much, but you might be glad they're here someday.

Starting at Higher Levels

If you're a xenoalchemist starting at a level higher than 1, it's helpful to know how many grafts you've already attached. As a general rule, at each level you skip past in chargen you can claim 1d3 grafts of a level available to you to attach to yourself or an ally.

For example, a xenoalchemist starting at 6th level can claim 4d3 grafts of 1st level, and 1d3 grafts chosen from either 1st or 2nd level.

Graft Rejection

Occasionally you might run into the situation where somebody's body part isn't there anymore. This could happen if you remove a graft by force, or if a graft is rejected by your body. Anyway, when this happens the DM must adjudicate which of the following penalties to apply.

No Penalty: If the graft is an add-on, that is, it is attached in addition to the original body part, there is no penalty for losing it. Examples include a tail slap or wings.

Partial Penalty: Perhaps you lost a single eye or one of your hands. In any case, you can still function but at a reduced level. You take a penalty, but don't entirely lose the benefit of the body part.

Full Penalty: You've entirely lost a piece of your body, and you take a major penalty. This comes mostly from losing grafts that replace a body part instead of adding onto them.

It's also worth mentioning here that a xenoalchemist can always choose to replace a graft or fill an empty body slot with a completely mundane body part, essentially removing the effects of a graft already there or getting rid of the penalty from an empty slot. This clears the body slot (as well as removing the count against your graft limit). A mundane graft is treated as 0th level and can be harvested from any humanoid creature.

One other important thing to note is that if you actually lose a body part you also lose the magic item slot associated with it.

Arms: A partial penalty for your arms is, well, losing one of them. Your Strength is reduced by 6, and you take a -6 penalty on any skill check requiring fine manipulation. You also of course lose the ability to hold things in that arm, like a weapon or a tool. A full penalty for your arms renders you totally harmless. You can't hold things, you can't push things, and so on. Your Strength is reduced by 12 so long as your arms aren't there.

Body: Okay, if you're missing your body you're dead. If a graft is rejected inside of your body, like an organ or a blood transfusion, just assume that the normal stuff inside you takes over again.

Eyes: A partial penalty for losing one eye gives you a -6 penalty on Search and Spot checks, and a -2 penalty on ranged attack rolls. Full penalty is blindness.

Hands: It's like Arms but not quite as bad. You can keep your Strength score, but there's not a lot you can do with it when you don't have hands to hold things.

Head: Please see the Body entry.

Legs: A partial penalty represents losing a leg. This reduces your base land speed by half and gives you a -6 penalty on Balance and Climb checks. A full penalty removes your legs entirely, reducing your base land speed to 5ft. as you have to pull yourself around.

Shoulders: Please see the Body entry.

Throat: Please see the Body entry.

Torso: Take another look at the Body entry.

Waist: One more time.

Handicap Grafts

Although most xenoalchemical grafts are designed to improve the subject's capabilties, some twisted scientists would rather experiment with detrimental grafts. Here's 10 handicap grafts that can be attached on to a helpless creature. These grafts follow all the same rules that regular grafts do, but they don't require monstrous material.

All handicap grafts are level 1, since I'm basically assuming that if the enemy is helpless you've already beaten them. If it's more your style to heal and harm at the same time, you can stack a single handicap graft into a body slot that already has a real graft. Handicap grafts don't count as grafts for your limit (1 + Con).

It's also worth mentioning here that a xenoalchemist can always choose to replace a graft with a completely mundane body part, essentially removing the bonus or penalty. This clears the body slot (as well as removing the count against your graft limit). A mundane graft is treated as 0th level.

Feel free to make up additional handicaps as you like. A good rule of thumb is to have them apply a -2 penalty to two skills or a small penalty to another part of the character. Alternatively, instead of applying a handicap graft you can instead choose to simply empty a body slot, which applies either the partial or full penalty described above.

Anosmic Procedure
Level: 1
Body Slot: Head

Perhaps the most cruel of all such grafts, the anosmic procedure removes the ability to smell. The target loses the scent ability if they have it. Also, they can't smell.

Actual Blindness
Level: 1
Body Slot: Eyes

Not so much a graft as a removal, the subject's eyes are now not there. They're basically blind, and by basically I mean they can't see.

Colour Blindness
Level: 1
Body Slot: Eyes

This handicap removes the subject's ability to see colour. Although this doesn't come up much in the rules, you can rule it as a -2 penalty on Search and Spot checks.

Disfiguration
Level: 1
Body Slot: Head

An aesthetic change more than anything else, this procedure makes the subject incredibly hard to look at. They take a -2 penalty on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks.

Dizziness Implant
Level: 1
Body Slot: Head

A small implant lodged in the brain intensifies vertigo and dizziness. The target receives a -2 penalty to Balance and Climb checks.

Lame Leg
Level: 1
Body Slot: Legs

With this handicap in place a subject's base land speed drops to half the normal value.

Perpetual Bleeder
Level: 1
Body Slot: Body

By thinning the blood you've removed its ability to coagulate. The subject's wounds continue to bleed out, causing all wounds they receive from slashing or piercing weapons to deal an additional 1 damage every round until a successful first aid check is made with the Heal skill (or they receive magical healing).

Nervous Tell
Level: 1
Body Slot: Any

By pinching a particular nerve you've altered the way the subject processes guilt. They now have a particular tell that manifests when they try to lie, giving them a -2 penalty on Bluff checks.

Numbtongue
Level: 1
Body Slot: Throat

This handicap causes the subject's tongue to seize up. They can no longer speak or perform any verbal actions, as if in a continual silence effect.

Useless Wings
Level: 1
Body Slot: Shoulders

The subject's wings are altered in such a way as to stop providing lift. The target loses any fly speed they possess which is granted by wings.

Grafts as Disguises

One thing people might want to do with grafts is steal someone's appearance. It makes sense– replace your face with theirs and something like that. If you want to pursue this, you can treat a disguise graft as a level 0 graft, exactly like a mundane body part. Because it is a mundane body part, just someone else's. It still takes up a body slot, usually the Head slot. Although if you can justify why a different slot would provide you with a disguise, go nuts. If you have a disguise graft attached, you get a +10 bonus on Disguise checks to impersonate that creature, just like if you'd used the disguise self spell.

Disguise grafts are totally mundane, which means that they don't take up a body slot, and they don't count against your total limit of grafts. In fact if you attach them in place of a real graft they can open up your total graft limit for something else.

Reserved for future content, comments, or update log.

Wow! That's everything! I've been working on this for a while, and I'd be glad to hear anything you have to say about it or answer your questions! Please enjoy!

– Kellus

[Owrtho]

I find I quite like this so far, though I'll need to read over everything in more detail to say much more. I was wondering though, since the description on the grafts post didn't make things quite clear. Do grafts replace your existing limbs? If so, would that mean that if it ended up being rejected you'd now be sort a limb with whatever penalties that incurs?

Owrtho

[Kellus]

I find I quite like this so far, though I'll need to read over everything in more detail to say much more. I was wondering though, since the description on the grafts post didn't make things quite clear. Do grafts replace your existing limbs? If so, would that mean that if it ended up being rejected you'd now be sort a limb with whatever penalties that incurs?

Owrtho

Good question. It's not something that's going to come up often (the only two times I can think of off the top of my head are Con damage or a shadowstitcher's patients walking into an antimagic field) but it should still be covered. Most of the grafts are add-ons, not replacements. For example, having your grafted wings fall off doesn't remove your shoulders. That being said, some of them (such as eye replacements) could potentially carry a penalty. That's ambiguous enough that I think I'll leave it up to the DM to decide on an appropriate penalty, especially since the penalty won't be around long. Once the creature's Con is restored you can graft even just mundane parts like a new eye into the socket to get rid of any ad hoc penalty for being partially blind.

[Tanuki Tales]

Why is Regeneration set at a higher level than permanent True Seeing or basically permanent Vorpal weapons?

[JoshuaZ]

I'm a little worried about the 20th level ability with the God grafts since the usefulness of that will be extremely campaign specific. For example, in an FR-like campaign world that would be ridiculously powerful while in say Eberron it would be useless.

Cerebral Expansion- How does this impact beings that have multiple spellcasting classes? Also note that even a regular Elder Brain only has 28 int. So maybe reducing this to 25 int would make sense?

Formian Command Cortex should probably allow some form of save if the Formians in question have more HD than you do.

Thesis Monster- It may make sense to give a small bonus to knowledge checks related to your thesis monsters. Afterall, if you've studied those monsters that much...

That's all for now. Most of this looks very good, as is usually the case for your stuff.

[Kellus]

Why is Regeneration set at a higher level than permanent True Seeing or basically permanent Vorpal weapons?

Because regeneration lets you never die unless someone murders you with fire. True seeing is available as a spell starting at 9th level and the vorpal weapons you summon will only ever have a +6 effective enchantment. Regneration is incredibly incredibly good.


I'm a little worried about the 20th level ability with the God grafts since the usefulness of that will be extremely campaign specific. For example, in an FR-like campaign world that would be ridiculously powerful while in say Eberron it would be useless.

Cerebral Expansion- How does this impact beings that have multiple spellcasting classes? Also note that even a regular Elder Brain only has 28 int. So maybe reducing this to 25 int would make sense?

Formian Command Cortex should probably allow some form of save if the Formians in question have more HD than you do.

Thesis Monster- It may make sense to give a small bonus to knowledge checks related to your thesis monsters. Afterall, if you've studied those monsters that much...

The capstone is definitely useful, but like you say, campaign specific. Actual godslaying isn't really possible until ludicrously high levels, and the game falls apart that high anyway. I wanted to make sure that a xenoalchemist who stuck it out into those massively high levels would at least have something interesting to do. As far as I see it, if you're high enough level to kill a god you're high enough level to steal its stuff. And by stuff I mean body parts.

Cerebral Expansion gives you one additional prepared spell from every spell level you know. If you know for whatever reason 4 different levels of wizard spells and 6 different levels of cleric spells then you definitely get 10 bonus spells just because being a mystic theurge sucks so much. So congratulations, I guess? Also, good call on the Int. I don't have my MM, and was hoping that illithids had a huge Int but couldn't verify. I'll drop it to 25.

Your suggestion on Formian Command Codex is probably a good one, although I can't imagine there being too many. Even the queen only has 20HD.

As for thesis monster, take a closer look at the actual abilities. You do get a bonus on related Knowledge checks.

Thanks for the comments!

[Owrtho]

Another thing I thought of. How do undead, constructs, deathless, and other null con creatures interact with grafts? Are they just limited to the default 1, do they use another ability score, or some other option?

On a different note, given that grafts need to get their energy from somewhere, would a sufficient number of grafts increase the amount of food a character needs to eat?


Good question. It's not something that's going to come up often (the only two times I can think of off the top of my head are Con damage or a shadowstitcher's patients walking into an antimagic field) but it should still be covered. Most of the grafts are add-ons, not replacements. For example, having your grafted wings fall off doesn't remove your shoulders. That being said, some of them (such as eye replacements) could potentially carry a penalty. That's ambiguous enough that I think I'll leave it up to the DM to decide on an appropriate penalty, especially since the penalty won't be around long. Once the creature's Con is restored you can graft even just mundane parts like a new eye into the socket to get rid of any ad hoc penalty for being partially blind.

Wouldn't it also come up if you tried grafting something onto a person when they already have the maximum number of grafts? Also, given that one of the main things people think of with grafts is replacing an existing body part, it seems like a feat or PRC could work around that. Possibly making a graft replacing a part not count toward your max number of grafts, though potentially making you lose other slots for grafts (such as replacing your arm potentially removing your hand slot).

Finally (for this post), while I haven't read through all the grafts yet, there seems to be a distinct lack of negative ones (by which I mean grafts that add penalties rather than benefits). It seems like it could be fun to try playing a character who can immobilize opponents and graft things on them to weaken them, but that currently doesn't seem possible.

Owrtho

[Veyr]

This is awesome!

With your permission, I would like very much to add it to my Fleshwarping list (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=190350)!

[Kellus]

This is awesome!

With your permission, I would like very much to add it to my Fleshwarping list (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=190350)!

No problem. I admit to using your list in order to make sure I hadn't missed any blatantly obvious kinds of grafts. :smallsmile:

Just remember to add a disclaimer that using this material overwrites basically everything already in the rules concerning grafts. There is no way you should be playing a game where both sets of rules are in effect.

[Veyr]

Done; I've only skimmed the classes so far, but let me know if any of the blurbs I've given them are completely wrong.

[Kellus]

Done; I've only skimmed the classes so far, but let me know if any of the blurbs I've given them are completely wrong.

Excellent descriptions. I'm glad you like it. :smallwink:

[Lyndworm]

This is awesome beyond words. I wish I had something constructive to say, but I don't... It's still pretty awesome, though.

[NeoSeraphi]

What's this? A grafting base class? And it's actually both well done and chock full of flavor? I applaud you, Kellus, this is a fantastic piece of homebrew.

I really like the Bedside Manner ability, but what type of action does it consume? If you have to stop the surgery to wipe the sweat from your brow and take a breath, is it a move action? A standard action? Do you need a full-round to calm down? Would you eventually become so jaded that it would only take a swift action for you to shake your head and get back to work?

I think you actually added bonemail to the graft list between when I started reading this post and when I clicked the reply button, but I have to say I like it. Scaling natural armor is a very cool tool, and I bet it gives you some sweet circumstances bonuses to Intimidate (and Disguise, if you want to go there)

WOW

I just looked at the entire graft list. I had no idea it would be so...complete. I am genuinely, seriously, one hundred percent impressed. I don't think I've ever been so impressed by any class on this site as I have with the xenoalchemist, and I mean that sincerely. The vampiric fangs, the sword of balor, every kind of natural attack you could want and every upgrade to those attacks you can think of. This class is like the totemist on sweet, science-y crack. I definitely will be using this class in my next game if I can in any way convince my DM to let me.

[Kellus]

What's this? A grafting base class? And it's actually both well done and chock full of flavor? I applaud you, Kellus, this is a fantastic piece of homebrew.

I really like the Bedside Manner ability, but what type of action does it consume? If you have to stop the surgery to wipe the sweat from your brow and take a breath, is it a move action? A standard action? Do you need a full-round to calm down? Would you eventually become so jaded that it would only take a swift action for you to shake your head and get back to work?

I think you actually added bonemail to the graft list between when I started reading this post and when I clicked the reply button, but I have to say I like it. Scaling natural armor is a very cool tool, and I bet it gives you some sweet circumstances bonuses to Intimidate (and Disguise, if you want to go there)

WOW

I just looked at the entire graft list. I had no idea it would be so...complete. I am genuinely, seriously, one hundred percent impressed. I don't think I've ever been so impressed by any class on this site as I have with the xenoalchemist, and I mean that sincerely. The vampiric fangs, the sword of balor, every kind of natural attack you could want and every upgrade to those attacks you can think of. This class is like the totemist on sweet, science-y crack. I definitely will be using this class in my next game if I can in any way convince my DM to let me.

Haha, I'm glad you like it. :smallwink:

I swear I didn't go back and add any grafts to the list, bonemail was definitely always there. A few things:

• Bedside manner gives you a spell-like ability to use calm emotions. Unless otherwise stated a spell-like ability requires a standard action to use, which provokes attacks of opportunity.

• The sword of the balor is kind of tongue-in-cheek since it's incredibly stupid that they have a magical ability to have a vorpal sword. But it's still a fun graft.

• This list is also by no means complete. One big thing I want to stress for any DM reading this is that the list of grafts is just the beginning. Please feel free to take special abilities you have on monsters in your campaign and adapt them for use with this system. The grafts listed are mainly to give you an idea what abilities are appropriate at what levels. If you have homebrew monsters or monsters from other sources I swear that your players will feel like badasses if they get to chop them up and take their stuff.

EDIT: Thanks for your kind words as well, Lyndworm. :smalltongue:

[Realms of Chaos]

You... you... you are my new best friend. This is awesome.

[Kellus]

You... you... you are my new best friend. This is awesome.

Hey, I'm glad you like it! I loved your xenotheurgy material, even if it was a little hard to wrap my head around at first. :smalltongue:

Also, to anyone interested I added a rule for starting at higher levels in chargen in post #5 for how many grafts you can claim to start with.

[Veyr]

We now need a Xenoalchemist/Xenotheurge PrC. I hesitate to suggest it, but... Xenomorph sounds like a really good name for that PrC.

[Volthawk]

We now need a Xenoalchemist/Xenotheurge PrC. I hesitate to suggest it, but... Xenomorph sounds like a really good name for that PrC.

On a similar note, an Xenoalchemist/Ozodrin (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=153536)PrC would be pretty cool, perhaps with something like an ability that lets you take apart creatures you consume for graft parts and maybe being able to alter your grafts when you manifest your form (perhaps like a special stomach thing that lets you store grafts, and those grafts come out and form properly when you manifest your true form).

[Owrtho]

No, xenomorph generally refers to the aliens from the Alien movies, which it wouldn't be like at all really.


Another thing I thought of. How do undead, constructs, deathless, and other null con creatures interact with grafts? Are they just limited to the default 1, do they use another ability score, or some other option?

On a different note, given that grafts need to get their energy from somewhere, would a sufficient number of grafts increase the amount of food a character needs to eat?



Wouldn't it also come up if you tried grafting something onto a person when they already have the maximum number of grafts? Also, given that one of the main things people think of with grafts is replacing an existing body part, it seems like a feat or PRC could work around that. Possibly making a graft replacing a part not count toward your max number of grafts, though potentially making you lose other slots for grafts (such as replacing your arm potentially removing your hand slot).

Finally (for this post), while I haven't read through all the grafts yet, there seems to be a distinct lack of negative ones (by which I mean grafts that add penalties rather than benefits). It seems like it could be fun to try playing a character who can immobilize opponents and graft things on them to weaken them, but that currently doesn't seem possible.

Thought I'd check if you saw my above post since you seem to have skipped over it.
Adding to it though, any chance of mechanical grafts? For those that want to gain a more cyborgy transhumanist flavour?


On a similar note, an Xenoalchemist/Ozodrin (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=153536)PrC would be pretty cool, perhaps with something like an ability that lets you take apart creatures you consume for graft parts and maybe being able to alter your grafts when you manifest your form (perhaps like a special stomach thing that lets you store grafts, and those grafts come out and form properly when you manifest your true form).

Don't forget the possibility of grafting your features onto others.

Owrtho

[Kellus]

Oh wow, I'm really sorry I missed that post, Owrtho! Let me clear it up!


Another thing I thought of. How do undead, constructs, deathless, and other null con creatures interact with grafts? Are they just limited to the default 1, do they use another ability score, or some other option?

Without a Con score an undead or a construct can only ever have one graft attached to them (1 + Con, minumum 1)


On a different note, given that grafts need to get their energy from somewhere, would a sufficient number of grafts increase the amount of food a character needs to eat?

I think I'll leave that kind of roleplaying decision up to the player. I don't want to make arbitrary rules that get in the way of having fun, and while it would be a neat character quirk it's the sort of thing that doesn't add anything by having rules for it. :smallsmile:


Wouldn't it also come up if you tried grafting something onto a person when they already have the maximum number of grafts? Also, given that one of the main things people think of with grafts is replacing an existing body part, it seems like a feat or PRC could work around that. Possibly making a graft replacing a part not count toward your max number of grafts, though potentially making you lose other slots for grafts (such as replacing your arm potentially removing your hand slot).

Well. You bring up a valid point, although since most players know their Con score the party xenoalchemist shouldn't be trying to attach a new graft in the first place without taking one off first. You're right though, I should probably come up with some rules for graft rejection and penalties for having an empty body slot. I'll see what I can come up with.


Finally (for this post), while I haven't read through all the grafts yet, there seems to be a distinct lack of negative ones (by which I mean grafts that add penalties rather than benefits). It seems like it could be fun to try playing a character who can immobilize opponents and graft things on them to weaken them, but that currently doesn't seem possible.

You're absolutely right, there are no negative grafts. While there is a niche kind of character that would make use of them, again it doesn't really add much to real play. I'll see if I can come up with a list of maybe 20 'handicap' grafts that you can put on helpless creatures to satisfy the mad scientist inside all of use. :smallsmile:

Thanks for the comments, that's some very helpful advice! :smallwink:


On a similar note, an Xenoalchemist/Ozodrin PrC would be pretty cool, perhaps with something like an ability that lets you take apart creatures you consume for graft parts and maybe being able to alter your grafts when you manifest your form (perhaps like a special stomach thing that lets you store grafts, and those grafts come out and form properly when you manifest your true form).

I'll be honest, I haven't really seen the ozodrin, but I'll definitely check it out. From the skim I just did it definitely looks like it would synergize well. If Owrtho doesn't mind, I'll see what I can do.


We now need a Xenoalchemist/Xenotheurge PrC. I hesitate to suggest it, but... Xenomorph sounds like a really good name for that PrC.

Agreed. I'm working on it as we speak, but it turns out that the two of them are very different kinds of characters. Hard to mesh together, but I'll see what I can come up with. :smalltongue:

[Kellus]

Right, I made a sample list of 10 handicap procedures you can perform on people if you're not really a very nice surgeon. Go ahead and make some more if you feel like it adds anything to your game, but it's kind of really depressing just making that list.

EDIT: There's now also rules for missing body parts, which can happen by accident or on purpose if you're a mad scientist. :smalltongue:

[Veyr]

No, xenomorph generally refers to the aliens from the Alien movies, which it wouldn't be like at all really.
I am well aware, hence my hesitation, but the word is still fitting. The Greek comes out to something like "strange form". Plus, if you're a Xenoalchemist/Xenotheurge, you basically must have the dual-progression PrC start with Xeno-.

[Tanuki Tales]

I really fail to see how Regeneration is too good, same thing with Fast Healing. Regeneration does turn a lot of damage to Non-lethal but it doesn't protect from the vast repertoire of what Spellcasters can sling.

By the time you even get 5th level grafts, Spellcasters have had Disintegrate, Cloudkill, Baleful Polymorph, Transmute Rock to Mud, Flesh to Stone, Finger of Death, Limited Wish, and Trap the Soul for a while and are just getting Imprisonment, Power Word: Kill, Weird, Energy Drain, Wail of the Banshee, Shapechange and Wish.

Edit: And that's just core.

All of those things either ignore Regeneration or are mentioned to not be affected by regeneration.

Yes, it gives massive out of combat healing, but it's pretty much a given than once Wands of CLW or Vigor or what have you are cheap then you're a total chump for ever healing at the natural rate.

The Troll should be a perfect example of how overrated Regeneration is. It's mostly CR 5 because of it's large size and high physical stats but the Regeneration also plays a part.

Now if you look at most any other monster that has Regeneration and has a higher CR than a Troll, it's not because the monster has Regeneration but because it has SLAs or Resistances or Immunities or other tricks and nasty maneuvers in its repertoire.

[Shadow Lord]

Where do you get all these good ideas from, Kellus? Every new thing you make seems to make it epic! Have you been sacrificing to some kind of dread god of homebrewing? Perhaps the fearsome and legendary Gygaxasaur?!

[Kellus]

I really fail to see how Regeneration is too good, same thing with Fast Healing. Regeneration does turn a lot of damage to Non-lethal but it doesn't protect from the vast repertoire of what Spellcasters can sling.

By the time you even get 5th level grafts, Spellcasters have had Disintegrate, Cloudkill, Baleful Polymorph, Transmute Rock to Mud, Flesh to Stone, Finger of Death, Limited Wish, and Trap the Soul for a while and are just getting Imprisonment, Power Word: Kill, Weird, Energy Drain, Wail of the Banshee, Shapechange and Wish.

Edit: And that's just core.

All of those things either ignore Regeneration or are mentioned to not be affected by regeneration.

Yes, it gives massive out of combat healing, but it's pretty much a given than once Wands of CLW or Vigor or what have you are cheap then you're a total chump for ever healing at the natural rate.

The Troll should be a perfect example of how overrated Regeneration is. It's mostly CR 5 because of it's large size and high physical stats but the Regeneration also plays a part.

Now if you look at most any other monster that has Regeneration and has a higher CR than a Troll, it's not because the monster has Regeneration but because it has SLAs or Resistances or Immunities or other tricks and nasty maneuvers in its repertoire.

Regeneration is a perfect example of an ability which is so-so on a monster, and incredibly good for a PC. The infinite out of combat healing is only part of it; in fact, there's 4th level graft that grants fast healing (Hydra Blood). The benefit from regeneration is that you're almost impossible to kill unless you can hit the vulnerability. There are, as you mentioned, plenty of save-or-suck spells that can work wonders against these characters. But being essentially immune to hit point damage is really good.

[Kellus]

Where do you get all these good ideas from, Kellus? Every new thing you make seems to make it epic! Have you been sacrificing to some kind of dread god of homebrewing? Perhaps the fearsome and legendary Gygaxasaur?!

Actually, I'm not a big fan of epic play, personally. It's not really that much fun.

SIX VIRGIN BRIDES A WEEK TO APPEASE MY DARK LORD'S HUNGER FOR FLESH

[Tanuki Tales]

Regeneration is a perfect example of an ability which is so-so on a monster, and incredibly good for a PC. The infinite out of combat healing is only part of it; in fact, there's 4th level graft that grants fast healing (Hydra Blood). The benefit from regeneration is that you're almost impossible to kill unless you can hit the vulnerability. There are, as you mentioned, plenty of save-or-such spells that can work wonders against these characters. But being essentially immune to hit point damage is really good.

Only at low levels, that's the thing.

By the time Spellcasters are hitting their stride HP becomes of dwindling importance and by the time a PC gets Regeneration in this class the game has reached a point where HP and AC are getting, if not already, completely superfluous.

I fully understand how Fast Healing/Regeneration can be seen as too good at 1-6. HP still matters and Spellcasters aren't wearing reality as a crown around their ears yet.

(Though honestly it still falls under meh to me. I built a character with decent regeneration and had full BaB before and it was no more than level 6. He got ripped to shreds by a pack of Hellhounds and barely did anything. On paper and in theory he should have been a slaughter machine but actual gameplay showed that all the Regen did was keep me from having to write up a new character sheet.)

[Shadow Lord]

Actually, I'm not a big fan of epic play, personally. It's not really that much fun.

SIX VIRGIN BRIDES A WEEK TO APPEASE MY DARK LORD'S HUNGER FOR FLESH

Only? I gotta sacrifice six virgin brides a day and it barely helps me luck at all! What's your secret?!

[Owrtho]

I'll be honest, I haven't really seen the ozodrin, but I'll definitely check it out. From the skim I just did it definitely looks like it would synergize well. If Owrtho doesn't mind, I'll see what I can do.

Feel free to. I actually thought they would synergize quite well upon first seeing this (given both are about gaining inhuman body parts. Main difference being one takes them from others, the other grows them itself). If you have any questions about the class feel free to ask.


Right, I made a sample list of 10 handicap procedures you can perform on people if you're not really a very nice surgeon. Go ahead and make some more if you feel like it adds anything to your game, but it's kind of really depressing just making that list.

Good to see. I'll be honest, I somehow managed to completely overlook the simple penalty ones of just taking parts off. I'd been thinking more things like putting body parts on that are detrimental, either because they are harmful normally, or the necessary backup is lacking. Examples would be impaling someone with a horn, but routing some of their vitals through the portion inside them, thus making it so it can't be taken out except by a similarly skilled individual and causing penalties due to the unhealing wound it makes, or giving someone acid producing glands, without immunity to the acid they make.
An alternative to the first might be grafting whatever it is that makes vampires weak to sunlight into a person.


EDIT: There's now also rules for missing body parts, which can happen by accident or on purpose if you're a mad scientist. :smalltongue:

Those mainly look good, but I disagree with the arms reducing your strength to 1. After all, you can still push things and carry stuff. You just lack arms to help you, and must rely on using your legs and torso (maybe your head, can't forget those with bite attacks). I could see a small penalty to strength, and inability to use any skills requiring fine manipulation though. Also it should inherently cause a loss of the hand slots. You also have a random bold h in the arm penalties.

With that, how many of each slot does a character have (assuming humanoid), and would non humanoids possibly have more or less? I'd expect a human to have 2 arm slots, 2 leg slots, 2 eye slots, 2 hand slots, 2 shoulder slots, 1 head slot, 1 throat slot, 1 waist slot, and am unsure on body slots (as many of the grafts for there seem to be organs rather than replacing your torso).

Owrtho

[Qwertystop]

The little quote at the top of each class is AWESOME. How do you do it?

[radmelon]

As soon as I saw the XKCD referance, I knew I had to read this. I have just skimmed this so far, and DAMN that is a lot of material. A base class, several PrC's, and a ton of source material. How long have you been working on this?

[Kellus]

As soon as I saw the XKCD referance, I knew I had to read this. I have just skimmed this so far, and DAMN that is a lot of material. A base class, several PrC's, and a ton of source material. How long have you been working on this?

Quite a while. I've been meaning to do an overhaul on grafts for ages, since the execution by WotC is terrible. What this entire system actually is is blue magic for D&D, giving monster powers to the PCs. The main difficulty with the concept is that monster powers vary wildly in power but they're not ranked the way spells are. This system gives you a way to get access to them, and in a level-appropriate order.


The little quote at the top of each class is AWESOME. How do you do it?

I think it makes it more fun. I've learned not to take homebrewing too seriously. There's a ton of puns and jokes hidden in here. :smallsmile:

EDIT: One of my personal favourite lines:


Much like the beluga whale you no longer technically need eyes.


Good to see. I'll be honest, I somehow managed to completely overlook the simple penalty ones of just taking parts off. I'd been thinking more things like putting body parts on that are detrimental, either because they are harmful normally, or the necessary backup is lacking. Examples would be impaling someone with a horn, but routing some of their vitals through the portion inside them, thus making it so it can't be taken out except by a similarly skilled individual and causing penalties due to the unhealing wound it makes, or giving someone acid producing glands, without immunity to the acid they make.
An alternative to the first might be grafting whatever it is that makes vampires weak to sunlight into a person.

Honestly, that sounds way too complicated for too little result. If you want to make some house rules to do that stuff please feel free, but I don't think it's the kind of thing that would really be used much. :smalltongue:


Those mainly look good, but I disagree with the arms reducing your strength to 1. After all, you can still push things and carry stuff. You just lack arms to help you, and must rely on using your legs and torso (maybe your head, can't forget those with bite attacks). I could see a small penalty to strength, and inability to use any skills requiring fine manipulation though. Also it should inherently cause a loss of the hand slots. You also have a random bold h in the arm penalties.

With that, how many of each slot does a character have (assuming humanoid), and would non humanoids possibly have more or less? I'd expect a human to have 2 arm slots, 2 leg slots, 2 eye slots, 2 hand slots, 2 shoulder slots, 1 head slot, 1 throat slot, 1 waist slot, and am unsure on body slots (as many of the grafts for there seem to be organs rather than replacing your torso).

It's not separated into 2 arms and so on. The full list of slots is at the top of the grafts section, but you only have one Arms slot. Even if the graft is a single arm, it still fills the Arms graft slot. That way thri-kreen aren't the best supersoldiers for no reason. If you've got a single Body slot graft, it fills the Body slot entirely even if you could thematically think of a way to put two grafts in there.

I'll take a closer look at the Str penalty, you're probably right.

The h is on purpose. With a full penalty on Arms you're harmless. :smallwink:

[Owrtho]

Honestly, that sounds way too complicated for too little result. If you want to make some house rules to do that stuff please feel free, but I don't think it's the kind of thing that would really be used much. :smalltongue:

I may well do so, and post it here. I'm actually thinking of trying to make a prc (once I get around to reading through everything here, at least for the base class and current grafts) that is able to apply harmful grafts mid combat, by using things like short term paralysis. It wouldn't be able to use most grafts like that, but would gain a smaller selection of harmful grafts made for it.
I can see the quote now: "Sure my work is rushed and sloppy, but it's no skin off my back. It's skin off your's."

Owrtho

[Kellus]

I may well do so, and post it here. I'm actually thinking of trying to make a prc (once I get around to reading through everything here, at least for the base class and current grafts) that is able to apply harmful grafts mid combat, by using things like short term paralysis. It wouldn't be able to use most grafts like that, but would gain a smaller selection of harmful grafts made for it.
I can see the quote now: "Sure my work is rushed and sloppy, but it's no skin off my back. It's skin off your's."

Owrtho

Nice. With a class like this the material really just writes itself. I had a shapeshifting PrC that got scrapped which had the quote, "If I said I wanted to wear your skin like a shirt, would you hold it against me?" :smallwink:

I'm looking through your ozodrin, and it's actually a really cool class. Any ideas on how to merge grafts with your form point abilities? I'm thinking a mechanic where you can plant a graft and fill it with some of your form points and give the recipient the benefits you would normally buy for yourself. Thoughts?

[Owrtho]

Nice. With a class like this the material really just writes itself. I had a shapeshifting PrC that got scrapped which had the quote, "If I said I wanted to wear your skin like a shirt, would you hold it against me?" :smallwink:

I know what you mean.


I'm looking through your ozodrin, and it's actually a really cool class. Any ideas on how to merge grafts with your form point abilities? I'm thinking a mechanic where you can plant a graft and fill it with some of your form points and give the recipient the benefits you would normally buy for yourself. Thoughts?

I was actually thinking of a similar idea myself. A few possibilities would be to have different grafts for each feature, have the grafts either filled with an amount of form points when made (possibly with a level based cap), or allow the class to change it later without redoing the graft, and setting the allotment of points upon making the graft vs. allowing the class to change it like normal features (possibly requiring contact with the person who has it) vs letting the person with the graft control it (but it would be limited by what augments were available to the class when they made it). All of those could likely be implemented as various levels of grafts, depending on where you wanted to go with it. Most likely would want to make an underlying cost for the grafts in form points based on the version, before looking at the form point cost for the feature and augments.

Mind if none of this makes sense or I completely misinterpreted what you meant, I blame my being about to go to sleep.

Owrtho

[Morph Bark]

I actually had in mind to try my hand at a grafting base class sometime, so that there'd be someone who could graft EVERYTHING instead of just one specific group of grafts (and since the artificer doesn't get grafts by default). This saves me time and headaches! Thanks!

Will have to of course look into those PrCs as well, but I have a feeling I will become a fan of this project of yours.

[Kellus]

Did somebody say they wanted a prestige class for xenotheurgy? :smallsmile:


The Xenomorph

"Don't worry, I promise it's a big surprise."

http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/138/2/3/Xenomorph_colored_3_by_COVENS_OZ.png
Image credit *COVENS-OZ (http://covens-oz.deviantart.com/) of deviantart.com.

For some xenoalchemists, hunting down bizarre and alien creatures for their body parts is enough of a delve into the unknown. For a xenomorph, it's not. These savants study the secrets of the Far Realms, a twisted and alien landscape where physical laws have no meaning and cause and effect are redundant. Their research inevitably consumes them, until their minds and bodies are twisted in the image of that maddening place. For those with a strong enough stomach and a hard enough will, they might return from their studies with frightening new powers, but part of them will always reside in another world.

Requirements: To become a xenomorph you must meet all of the following criteria.
Skills: Heal 8 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 6 ranks, Knowledge (the Planes) 8 ranks
Xenoalchemy: Must be able to attach 1st level grafts
Xenotheurgy: Must have access to 5 different murmurs (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122103)

Hit Die: d6
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Skills: The xenomorph's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (history), Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (the planes), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

The Xenomorph
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |
Murmurs|
Xenoalchemy

1st|+0|+0|+0|+2|Warp growth|
–|
+1 level of existing grafting class

2nd|+1|+0|+0|+3|Disturbance|
+1|
+1 level of existing grafting class

3rd|+2|+1|+1|+3|Unleash warp|
–|
+1 level of existing grafting class

4th|+3|+1|+1|+4|Disturbance|
+1|
+1 level of existing grafting class

5th|+3|+1|+1|+4|Warp graft|
–|
+1 level of existing grafting class

6th|+4|+2|+2|+5|Disturbance|
+1|
+1 level of existing grafting class

7th|+5|+2|+2|+5|Maddening procedure|
–|
+1 level of existing grafting class

8th|+6|+2|+2|+6|Disturbance|
+1|
+1 level of existing grafting class

9th|+6|+3|+3|+6|Whispering implant|
–|
+1 level of existing grafting class

10th|+7|+3|+3|+7|Disturbance, strange shape|
+1|
+1 level of existing grafting class

[/table]

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the xenomorph.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: You gain no additional weapon or armour proficiencies.

Warp Growth (Su): As a xenomorph you can internalize the warp energies of the Far Realms in a way lesser xenotheurgists cannot. Using your knowledge of biology you can store warp points inside graft slots on your body. These graft slots cannot be occupied by a graft in order to store energy. You can store a single warp point in each unoccupied slot, up to a maximum of 1 + your Cha modifier (minimum 1). When a warp point is stored in a warp growth you lose all the effects of it as if you had never gained it. Primarily, this means that the save DC of your breaches does not increase because of it.

Storing a warp point is a free action. Warp points stored in body slots do not automatically disappear along with most warp points when you rest. Instead you need to make a Will saving throw when you sleep for each warp growth (DC 20). Failure on such a check means the warp point in question remains in your body until the next time you rest, when you can try again.

Xenoalchemy: At every level you add +1 to your xenoalchemy level from one existing class of your choice that you have levels in. This increases your effective xenoalchemist level for the benefits of grafts as well as the level of graft you can achieve. This does not provide you with any other benefit a member of your previous class would have received, such as class features, skill points, spellcasting, or hit points.

Disturbance (Su): At 2nd level and every two levels thereafter, you become the cause of a new disturbance. For more information, see the xenotheurgist ability of the same name.

Murmurs (Su): At 2nd level and every two levels thereafter, you gain access to a new murmur along with a new incursion. For more information, see the xenotheurgist ability of the same name.

Unleash Warp (Su): Starting at 3rd level you can unleash the powerful alien energy of the warp. In order to use this ability you must have a warp point stored in a warp growth. The warp point is burned off to increase the save DC of any ability gained from a graft by +5 or to increase the effective xenoalchemist level of all of your grafts by +5 for one round. However, there is always a price for immediate power. The next Will save you make from using a breach takes a -5 penalty. Unleashing a warp point is a free action, but you can only do it once per turn.

Warp Graft (Su): Starting at 5th level your mastery of your xenoform has advanced to the point where you can store your warp points in occupied graft slots. The grafts which house the warp energy become twisted and chaotic with the infusion. While occupied in this way, you can replace the save DC for the effect of such a graft with the save DC for the highest DC breach save you have available. You are still limited to a number of warp points stored in graft slots equal to 1 + your Cha modifier (minimum 1).

Maddening Procedure (Su): At 7th level you can initiate others into the secrets of the Far Realms. When you attach a graft to someone, you can choose to store a warp point in it much like you store them in your own grafts. However, without a way to harness the energies of the Far Realms the subject begins to change themselves in its image. They gain a single disturbance you possess, as well as access to a single murmur you have access to as if they were an afflicted xenotheurgist. A creature can only receive a single graft of this type; the second one drives them completely, permanently insane. This requires that you have a warp point on hand to transplant to them at the time of surgery.

Whispering Implant (Su): At 9th level you can perform a procedure on yourself which forges a permanent connection with the Far Realms. Choose one of your graft slots which is unoccupied. That slot is now permanently filled with your whispering implant, which is a part of your body that has begun to twist and shape itself in alien ways. You must choose a single inactive murmur you have access to at this point, which will form the bridge between your whispering implant and the Far Realms.

From now on, that murmur is always active for you, in addition to the normal maximum of three active murmurs. You cannot change murmurs later on. If the graft is ever removed, the flesh evaporates as soon as it loses contact with your body with a loud scream. The graft regrows 1d4 rounds later, with no change in statistics. You cannot store warp points in your whispering implant.

Strange Shape (Su): Your body has become broken and twisted by the energies of the Far Realms. Whenever all of your graft slots are occupied (Arms, Body, Eyes, Hands, Head, Legs, Shoulders, Throat, Torso, and Waist) with either a graft or a warp point, you gain the effects of this ability.

Your alien anatomy grants you full (100%) fortification, protecting you from effects such as critical hits and sneak attacks. The bizarre form is also able to thrive off of the foreign energies of the Far Realms. When you internalize your disturbances they now actually bolster your mental control, granting you a cumulative +1 bonus on Will saves.

However, you now require an additional 2 hours sleep every night above and beyond the 2 additional hours xenotheurgists normally require. You only ever have nightmares, and you always remember them perfectly. This effect occurs whether your slots are full or not.

[Veyr]

That is awesome. I want to play one now.

[Dawn-Dusk]

Holy, Dear Cthulhu stop this epicness!

No really this is epic. I just got a DM that is allowing me to play a Xenotheurge in RL but now you're making me want to be a Xenomorph!

[Kellus]

Holy, Dear Cthulhu stop this epicness!

No really this is epic. I just got a DM that is allowing me to play a Xenotheurge in RL but now you're making me want to be a Xenomorph!

No reason not to. It's a simple system to learn and you only need a one level dip in xenoalchemist to take levels in it. :smallsmile:

Glad you like it.

[Gideon Falcon]

Dude, why do you lie to us? I will be crying myself to sleep from now on... with tears of joy at the overwhelming AWESOMENESS coupled with the knowledge that we will almost never be able to compete with this.:smalltongue:

Anyway, my only major problems are the blood drain, because 3d4 Con damage per round is way powerful, and the Wish graft that doesn't have any XP cost. That, and the Nosomatic Chirurgeon might be a bit excessive with the ability damage potential.

Although, it is a tad unfortunate that the Xenomorph name can only apply to one PrC, since it could apply equally, if not better, to the Ozodrin-Xenoalchemist combination class.

[Kellus]

Dude, why do you lie to us? I will be crying myself to sleep from now on... with tears of joy at the overwhelming AWESOMENESS coupled with the knowledge that we will almost never be able to compete with this.:smalltongue:

Anyway, my only major problems are the blood drain, because 3d4 Con damage per round is way powerful, and the Wish graft that doesn't have any XP cost. That, and the Nosomatic Chirurgeon might be a bit excessive with the ability damage potential.

Although, it is a tad unfortunate that the Xenomorph name can only apply to one PrC, since it could apply equally, if not better, to the Ozodrin-Xenoalchemist combination class.

Hey, I'm glad you like it!

As for your concerns:

• The blood drain only applies when you grapple people, which at high levels is really hard. Most monsters are either much bigger than you are, immune to Con damage, or able to use things like freedom of movement that take grappling straight out of the game. Against some monsters some of the time it's very useful, but a lot of the time it won't be doing much. That's what I was aiming for with level 3 grafts. Situational but strong.

• The wish graft comes online at level 17, and just having it means that you can't have any of the other incredibly good level 5 grafts. At those levels, wish can already be done without an XP cost in a lot of ways. This is a clear rules way to get a single wish a day, which honestly isn't that overpowered at that level. Wish can get pretty ridiculous when you have either an unlimited number or just a very large number of them. A single wish is good, but not gamebreaking at 17th level.

• Nosomatic chirurgeon gets a ton of cool things to do with diseases, but the main obstacle for the class remains that disease isn't that viable in a combat timeframe. Even at the highest levels the disease takes 10 rounds between iterations, and in that time a full caster could have killed someone about 20 times. Again, good, but not overpowering. There are some cool things it can do, but without overshadowing the rest of the party.

Thanks for the comments!

[Veyr]

• The wish graft comes online at level 17, and just having it means that you can't have any of the other incredibly good level 5 grafts. At those levels, wish can already be done without an XP cost in a lot of ways. This is a clear rules way to get a single wish a day, which honestly isn't that overpowered at that level. Wish can get pretty ridiculous when you have either an unlimited number or just a very large number of them. A single wish is good, but not gamebreaking at 17th level.
I completely disagree with you. Wish is incredibly powerful, and at no point is it ever balanced to give players access to a free Wish on a regular basis. This is only a valid argument if you're intending the Xenoalchemist to be Tier-1, and a self-optimizing one at that, and the rest of the class does not seem to suggest that this is the goal.

[Kellus]

I completely disagree with you. Wish is incredibly powerful, and at no point is it ever balanced to give players access to a free Wish on a regular basis. This is only a valid argument if you're intending the Xenoalchemist to be Tier-1, and a self-optimizing one at that, and the rest of the class does not seem to suggest that this is the goal.

Name one overpowered thing for 17th level that you can do with a single wish every day.

[Veyr]

Free magic items; breaking WBL is breaking the game even at high levels.

[JoshuaZ]

Name one overpowered thing for 17th level that you can do with a single wish every day.

Duplicate any 8th level spell at will once a day? That by itself without any XP cost makes one effectively crazy batnman prepared.

You can each day make one very nice magic item. Also, you can use wishes to not just create magical items but add to their power. If each day one adds an ability to is the equivalent of a +1 bonus to a weapon it doesn't take long until you've got a "+ 5 Relevant campaign common enemy bane, dancing, flaming burst, ghost touch, keen, mighty cleaving, shocking burst, speed, spell storing, vicious, vorpal broadsword." That in fact takes... about 2 weeks of work. And that's only a tiny section of all the possible bonuses.

Any NPC you encounter you can offer free of charge a +1 bonus to a stat. That's a quick way to get a lot of people really liking you and willing to help out.

[Kellus]

You guys are probably right. Because of the economy-breaking possibilities I'll figure out a new 5th level graft to replace it.

[JoshuaZ]

You guys are probably right. Because of the economy-breaking possibilities I'll figure out a new 5th level graft to replace it.

If it had the regular XP cost associated with Wish, or even a large fraction of the regular xp cost it would probably be ok.

[Kellus]

If it had the regular XP cost associated with Wish, or even a large fraction of the regular xp cost it would probably be ok.

I don't believe in XP costs as a balancing mechanic. They're terrible for the game.

[JoshuaZ]

I don't believe in XP costs as a balancing mechanic. They're terrible for the game.

Hmm, how about then just once a day duplicate a spell of 7th level or below, and if it has an expensive focus or material component that needs to be supplied?

[NeoSeraphi]

How about a true Wish with no XP cost but can't create magical items? (Replicate any spell, make mundane items, bump stats)

[Kellus]

Hmm, how about then just once a day duplicate a spell of 7th level or below, and if it has an expensive focus or material component that needs to be supplied?

That's not a bad idea. Sort of a restricted wish. I don't even really have a problem with 8th level and lower spells like normal as long as they have to supply the components and can't just wish for free stuff. Good thought!

EDIT: Also a good idea, NeoSeraphi. The key problem is the free money, breaking the economy. Take that away and it might be reasonable.

[JoshuaZ]

Yeah, allowing 8th level would probably be ok.

[Kellus]

In an attempt to put this issue behind us, here's a new version of the 5th level graft in question.


Noble Blood
Level: 5
Body Slot: Body (Su)
Monster Requirement: Any creature with wish as a spell-like ability
Example Monsters: Noble djinn

Only the purest of blood carries the powers to rewrite the cosmos. With a successful transfusion you get to tap into this primal power yourself. You can use wish as a spell-like ability once per day at a caster level equal to the xenoalchemist level. This wish has a few restrictions, however. You can use it to imitate any spell as normal for the spell, but you must provide any costly material components, and you cannot replicate a spell with an XP cost. You also cannot use the wish to provide you with magical or nonmagical items and equipment.

That gets rid of the worst abuses and still provides the benefit it was supposed to, which is an incredibly versatile ability that can be used once a day.

Thanks for the advice, guys!

[Kellus]

Here's a few feats for other people in the party to get the most of the xenoalchemist. :smallsmile:

Lab Assistant
You're an excellent asset to have at hand when performing surgery.
Benefit: You can harvest organic material as if with the harvest material class feature. When you're around to assist with performing a xenoalchemical procedure, it takes an hour less than normal and the Heal check to perform surgery gains a +2 circumstance bonus. You can also select two seperate Knowledge skills to gain a +2 bonus on.

Massive Pain Tolerance
You can tolerate enormous amounts of pain and your body can be stretched further than most peoples'.
Benefit: You can have one additional graft beyond normal, up to 2 + your Constitution modifier (minimum 2). You still can't have multiple grafts in the same slot, though. As a side benefit, you gain damage reduction 5/– which only applies to nonlethal damage (ie. pain).

Mutagenic Body
Your body is naturally volatile, and readily accepts foreign grafts. Grafts are more effective on you than on lesser people.
Benefit: Any grafts attached to you are treated as having a xenoalchemist level of 2 higher than normal. This affects, among other things, save DCs and scaling effects. You also gain energy resistance 5 to an energy type of your choice.

[Gideon Falcon]

Another issue is that it fails to be able to do what it says in the quote: Attach grafts to ludicrous places, like jaws to your torso or a fire-breathing head to your arm.

[Kellus]

Another issue is that it fails to be able to do what it says in the quote: Attach grafts to ludicrous places, like jaws to your torso or a fire-breathing head to your arm.

That's actually a very good point. The rules are set up to handle monsters and characters with lots of natural attacks, so there's really no reason not to allow people to have claws and teeth attached to places like their legs or torso. While I'll be keeping the body slots and the basic thematic ideas for some of them (such as sensory and telepathy abilities for your Eyes and Head) I'll be a little more generous with the body slots allowed for things like natural weapons.

Thanks for pointing that out!

[Gideon Falcon]

Contributing actively to this reserve of awesomeness is enough of a reward in and of itself.

Also, I think you might have forgotten a scent graft, which would be thematically appropriate.

[Volthawk]

Question: Once grafts are attached, can they be removed (say, for better/higher level grafts later on down the line)?

[Draken]

That info can be found on the Handicap grafts spoiler.

But I think it should be in a more readily seen portion of the rules.

Anyway, pretty cool.

As for the "can't really affix everything to everything" comment earlier, how about a feat that allows you to graft anything to a body slot of choice (chosen as of the time of taking the feat)? Something like...

Mad Surgeon
You defy the preconceived notions of form and function, or form anyway, stuff still retains its function.
Prerequisite: Must be able to attach 2nd level grafts.
Benefit: Chose one body slot from Arms, Body, Eyes, Hands, Head, Legs, Shoulders, Throat, Torso or Waist. You may now attach grafts to that body slot regardless of which slot the graft would normally belong to.
Special: You may take this feat more than once, choosing a new body slot every time you do so.

[Kellus]

Mad Surgeon
You defy the preconceived notions of form and function, or form anyway, stuff still retains its function.
Prerequisite: Must be able to attach 2nd level grafts.
Benefit: Chose one body slot from Arms, Body, Eyes, Hands, Head, Legs, Shoulders, Throat, Torso or Waist. You may now attach grafts to that body slot regardless of which slot the graft would normally belong to.
Special: You may take this feat more than once, choosing a new body slot every time you do so.

That's a good idea, and doesn't end up with characters running around with seven different claw attacks (or whatever), which was the main worry for me. Implementing immediately.


Question: Once grafts are attached, can they be removed (say, for better/higher level grafts later on down the line)?

Yes they can, I'll put in a line to explain it more clearly in the original section. I didn't want to get bogged down in too much detail in the class feature section, because that's very intimidating to read. But that's a pretty key element. :smallamused:

[jvluso]

First of all, this class is wonderful.

An NPC Xenoalchemist currently can attach grafts to a PC, and will probably charge them for it. It would be useful to have a base price for a graft. Possibly something like graft level * Xenoalchemist level * some constant?

Also, for the bonemail graft, neither of the example monsters meet the monster requirements.

[DracoDei]

It's also worth mentioning here that a xenoalchemist can always choose to replace a graft with a completely mundane body part, essentially removing the bonus or penalty. This clears the body slot (as well as removing the count against your graft limit). A mundane graft is treated as 0th level.
If I am reading this right, you can steal people's appearances at 1st level if you have a bit of free time and enough people that look like them (probably taking the face directly from their corpse). Not sure if that is a problem or not. The "one successful part take ruins the rest of the corpse" and some RAI keeps it from being easier than that. Perhaps allow such "magic plastic surgery" without any particular requirements on the donors at higher levels? Maybe as without donors at all?

[Kellus]

First of all, this class is wonderful.

An NPC Xenoalchemist currently can attach grafts to a PC, and will probably charge them for it. It would be useful to have a base price for a graft. Possibly something like graft level * Xenoalchemist level * some constant?

Also, for the bonemail graft, neither of the example monsters meet the monster requirements.

Fixed, copypaste error. Thanks.

As for the pricing, definitely not. No more so than spells or maneuvers have prices. If you want to hire an NPC xenoalchemist that's fine, but you'll probably be supplying the monster parts to attach. Add in the rules that already exist for hiring NPCs, and you should be fine. Again, I'm not going to get bogged down in rules that don't add anything. I'm perfectly alright with you having a cohort xenoalchemist or something following you around and grafting if you're comfortable with the level penalty on the grafts because of that.


If I am reading this right, you can steal people's appearances at 1st level if you have a bit of free time and enough people that look like them (probably taking the face directly from their corpse). Not sure if that is a problem or not. The "one successful part take ruins the rest of the corpse" and some RAI keeps it from being easier than that. Perhaps allow such "magic plastic surgery" without any particular requirements on the donors at higher levels? Maybe as without donors at all?

Actually, at one point I was totally thinking that you should be able to get a Disguise bonus based on taking another person's face or something. I'll put something in about in the Extra Rules section.

As for magic plastic surgery, I'm not sure what you mean. If you're talking about things like grafts that flat up improve your Cha score, the answer's probably "no chance". :smallwink:

EDIT: Right, we've now got some basic rules for using grafts to disguise yourself as someone else. Thanks!

[DracoDei]

As for magic plastic surgery, I'm not sure what you mean.
TVTropes warning!
Magic Plastic Surgery (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MagicPlasticSurgery)
In other words, Movie quality, rather than Real Life quality.

If you're talking about things like grafts that flat up improve your Cha score, the answer's probably "no chance". :smallwink:
Not what I meant, and I completely agree with you.

[Draken]

Speaking of copy paste errors... Is The webspinning thingy supposed to give blindsense? On par with that gained from the same level graft obtained from sharks, bats or sharkbats, but that doesn't grant webspinning?

[Kellus]

Speaking of copy paste errors... Is The webspinning thingy supposed to give blindsense? On par with that gained from the same level graft obtained from sharks, bats or sharkbats, but that doesn't grant webspinning?

I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.

Fixed, thanks!

[Lyndworm]

If you have the Leg's Legion graft do you gain the increased stability of a creature with more than two legs? Howabout the increased carrying capacity?

At 15th level, when you get the Conjoined Grafts ability, can you attach two of the same graft to the same body slot? For example, can you attach the Extra Limb graft twice?

[Magicyop]

Wow, this is absolutely amazing. The detail in this is phenomenal, and I'm definitely going to find a way to fit a Xenoalchemist villain into my next campaign.

On the topic of copy paste errors, the Whirlwind Infusion graft lists example monsters "Porpoise, Whale" which I assume is totally false. I don't really picture Porpoises and Whales spinning around to control elemental wind.

EDIT: Can you use other people's body parts for utility, rather than disguise? Say, if you can fly, why not replace your useless feet with another two hands?

[Kellus]

If you have the Leg's Legion graft do you gain the increased stability of a creature with more than two legs? Howabout the increased carrying capacity?

The only benefit that the Legs Legion graft grants is a climb speed, but I could totally see a lower level graft that grants stability. That seems appropriate for a 1st level graft, which is supposed to grant a fairly mundane benefit, the equivalent of which could easily be replicated with normal items. There's already a 1st level graft for carrying capacity, Hauling Back.


At 15th level, when you get the Conjoined Grafts ability, can you attach two of the same graft to the same body slot? For example, can you attach the Extra Limb graft twice?

Yes, you can use Conjoined Graft to attach multiple versions of the same graft to one body slot, much like you can have multiple tentacle grafts at any point because they can fill any slot.


Wow, this is absolutely amazing. The detail in this is phenomenal, and I'm definitely going to find a way to fit a Xenoalchemist villain into my next campaign.

Glad you like it. Please, let me know how it goes!


On the topic of copy paste errors, the Whirlwind Infusion graft lists example monsters "Porpoise, Whale" which I assume is totally false. I don't really picture Porpoises and Whales spinning around to control elemental wind.

Good catch, fixed. I wrote up the crunch for almost every graft in about six hours straight after filling in the rest of the system around it, so I didn't get as much proofreading there as for the rest of the stuff like the classes.


EDIT: Can you use other people's body parts for utility, rather than disguise? Say, if you can fly, why not replace your useless feet with another two hands?

That's the sort of thing that would be covered under the Mad Surgeon feat that Draken proposed. If you want to get really weird with graft locations you can take Mad Surgeon (Legs) and put an Extra Arm graft there. But normally mundane body parts only replace corresponding body slots, so a face can only be attached onto someone's face. I get that it might be neat in a theoretical sense to attach mouths to peoples' eye sockets and stuff like that, but it doesn't really add anything to the game. I prefer to leave things more openended so that people can make up fluff about how exactly their grafts look and work flavour-wise.

[Kellus]

At various peoples' requests, there are now 1st level grafts for scent and for stability/dwarven movement.

[Salbazier]

I... Okay I'm impressed by the first post and actually made speechless by the third post and after. Wow. Usually this kind of class isn't my type but now I'm tempted to play as one. :smallbiggrin: Still have to finished the rest first.

I need to find another homebrew-friendly DM...

EDIT: Curious thought: If someone sold grafts, or grafting service, how would you price it?

[Kellus]

EDIT: Curious thought: If someone sold grafts, or grafting service, how would you price it?

Good question. The answer is that I wouldn't. One of the entire points of this is to provide magic item equivalents that aren't part of the WBL system. If you have an NPC xenoalchemist you can contract them the same way that you would hire an NPC of any other class, but you would be providing the monstrous material yourself.

[Benly]

If you need a guideline for the costs on hiring the xenoalchemist for the actual grafting service of monster chunks you have on hand, you could use the guidelines for hiring spellcasters (treating the graft as analogous to a spell of the level that a wizard would learn at the level that rank of grafts becomes available).

[Pokonic]

Holy crap. Kellus, this looks great! I have the urge to have a fleshwarper as a villan for my next game.

[Salbazier]

Good question. The answer is that I wouldn't. One of the entire points of this is to provide magic item equivalents that aren't part of the WBL system. If you have an NPC xenoalchemist you can contract them the same way that you would hire an NPC of any other class, but you would be providing the monstrous material yourself.

I see.

Another question. Devil Eye doesn't have range listed. Does this means the range is exactly like what the donating devil have, or it is unlimited (I assume its the former but you know what unexplicit ruletext can do sometimes)

[Kellus]

I see.

Another question. Devil Eye doesn't have range listed. Does this means the range is exactly like what the donating devil have, or it is unlimited (I assume its the former but you know what unexplicit ruletext can do sometimes)

Specifically the ability that graft gives you is the following special ability that all devils possess because of being devils.


See in Darkness (Su): Some devils can see perfectly in darkness of any kind, even that created by a deeper darkness spell.

So the answer is that there is no limit to the vision aside from whatever vision you normally have.

[Avalon®]

Awesome class Kellus!

The only nitpick I have with this is that there seems to be a lot of attack and utility grafts but not much in terms of those that aid in defense. On average, there seems to be only one graft per level that helps in keeping you alive longer.

[Shadow Lord]

I return bearing the Crown of Homebrewing, gifted to me by the Lords of Xagyg, after the slaughter of a thousand virgin princess'. To you I give it, Kellus! However, the Lords have demanded from you that you create an adaptation of this most Glorious of Homebrews; that you might create a Pathfinder Adaptation, enabling it's use in campaigns not of the 3.5 Era.What can I say? I'm awesome at making cool re-entrances. And I'm a fan boy.

[JoshuaZ]

Suggested additional graft: A graft that requires a skulking cyst or other being that can give necrotic cysts as a supernatural or spell-like ability. Gives a spell-like ability a certain number of times a day that duplicates the necrotic cyst spell.

[Kellus]

Awesome class Kellus!

The only nitpick I have with this is that there seems to be a lot of attack and utility grafts but not much in terms of those that aid in defense. On average, there seems to be only one graft per level that helps in keeping you alive longer.

This is actually an excellent point. The majority of the grafts replicate monster abilities, which are usually offensive in nature (since most monsters are all offense all the time). The rest of them are mostly natural attacks, which are also offensive. I'll work up a few new grafts for each level to give you a bit more in the way of defense. :smallsmile:

[Welknair]

I finally got around to reading through this amazing piece of work. If you don't mind... I'd like to make a bloodline for it.

[Kellus]

I finally got around to reading through this amazing piece of work. If you don't mind... I'd like to make a bloodline for it.

Please, be my guest. I'd love to see what you can come up with.

As long as it has a funny quote at the top, of course.

[radmelon]

I finally got around to reading through this amazing piece of work. If you don't mind... I'd like to make a bloodline for it.

That sounds both awesome and terrifying at the same time.

[Qwertystop]

I finally got around to reading through this amazing piece of work. If you don't mind... I'd like to make a bloodline for it.

How is "guy who harvests monster limbs and sticks them to people" something that can be a bloodline?

[Welknair]

How is "guy who harvests monster limbs and sticks them to people" something that can be a bloodline?

You'd be surprised. I'm already working on it.

[Qwertystop]

You'd be surprised. I'm already working on it.

But how would being descended from such a person make a difference? Ever? Unless...
:smallyuk::smalleek:

[Volthawk]

But how would being descended from such a person make a difference? Ever? Unless...
:smallyuk::smalleek:

This is Welknair we're talking about. He'll find a way to make it a bloodline. It's what he does.

[Welknair]

This is Welknair we're talking about. He'll find a way to make it a bloodline. It's what he does.

I seem to have acquired a reputation.


I wish I had found this system earlier. It would be perfect for a PrC I've had rolling around in my head for a while. One that manipulates bloodlines.


Finished Bloodline can be found here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=11410280#post11410280).

[Quarian Rex]

I must say that this is one of the most impressive homebrew offerings I have ever seen. Kudos.

I do have a couple observations/suggestions though. First, if a Xenoalchemist can only implant a single Level 5 graft in any given individual then you must spell this out in the Xenoalchemy section, instead of vaguely referring to it in the Supersoldier capstone ability (the only place I could find a reference to the limitation).

The second suggestion has to do with the Supersoldier ability Narrow Focus. The current ability has the Supersoldier inexplicably losing the ability to attach Grafts to anyone but himself. I understand the intent (increased Graft power/access without being able to share it) but I think this might be the wrong way to go about it. How about something like this?

Narrow Focus (Ex): You have given up exploring general grafting in favour of altering your own body for battle. Bonuses to your Xenoalchemy level (for the benefits of grafts as well as the level of graft you can achieve) from taking levels in Supersoldier do not stack with Xenoalchemy levels from other grafting classes for any targets other than yourself. The Postop Procedure ability is restricted by these same limits.

eg. A Xenoalchemist 7/Supersoldier 5 would be able to attach up to level 4 Grafts (with a Xenoalchemist level of 13) to himself, but when Grafting anyone else could only attach up to a level 2 Graft (with a Xenoalchemist level of 7).

This would maintain the self-focus of the Supersoldier while removing the problems of explaining why the Mad Scientist suddenly lost the ability to operate on anyone but himself. This would also nullify any metagame silliness of trying to graft an army prior to entering Supersoldier and that sort of thing.

[Kellus]

I must say that this is one of the most impressive homebrew offerings I have ever seen. Kudos.

I do have a couple observations/suggestions though. First, if a Xenoalchemist can only implant a single Level 5 graft in any given individual then you must spell this out in the Xenoalchemy section, instead of vaguely referring to it in the Supersoldier capstone ability (the only place I could find a reference to the limitation).

The second suggestion has to do with the Supersoldier ability Narrow Focus. The current ability has the Supersoldier inexplicably losing the ability to attach Grafts to anyone but himself. I understand the intent (increased Graft power/access without being able to share it) but I think this might be the wrong way to go about it. How about something like this?

Narrow Focus (Ex): You have given up exploring general grafting in favour of altering your own body for battle. Bonuses to your Xenoalchemy level (for the benefits of grafts as well as the level of graft you can achieve) from taking levels in Supersoldier do not stack with Xenoalchemy levels from other grafting classes for any targets other than yourself. The Postop Procedure ability is restricted by these same limits.

eg. A Xenoalchemist 7/Supersoldier 5 would be able to attach up to level 4 Grafts (with a Xenoalchemist level of 13) to himself, but when Grafting anyone else could only attach up to a level 2 Graft (with a Xenoalchemist level of 7).

This would maintain the self-focus of the Supersoldier while removing the problems of explaining why the Mad Scientist suddenly lost the ability to operate on anyone but himself. This would also nullify any metagame silliness of trying to graft an army prior to entering Supersoldier and that sort of thing.

Wow, good call on the 5th level grafts. I just checked my old versions, and it seems the relevant sentence was cut out at some point in editing. I'll make sure to call it out in the ability proper.

As for the ability, that's a pretty good idea. I'll reword it so it's a little more generous. :smallsmile:

[Quarian Rex]

Wow, good call on the 5th level grafts. I just checked my old versions, and it seems the relevant sentence was cut out at some point in editing. I'll make sure to call it out in the ability proper.

As for the ability, that's a pretty good idea. I'll reword it so it's a little more generous. :smallsmile:

Cool. Glad I could help polish the shiny pile of Awesome you have created. :smallbiggrin:

[Quarian Rex]

I noticed a spot that needs some clarification...

Metabolic Reserve
Level: 1
Body Slot: Body (Su)
Monster Requirement: Must have a way of dealing energy damage with an Ex special ability
Example Monsters: Ankheg, arrowhawk

Bolding is mine. The requirement does not seem to jive with the ability or the examples. The Graft produces a (Su) effect and has an Arrowhawk as an example [whose Electricity Ray is a (Su) ability] but limits the Monster requirement to (Ex) abilities. Me thinks it might be a typo.

Perhaps change it to something like, "Must have a way of dealing energy damage with a non-Breath Weapon (Ex) or (Su) special ability".

My DM pointed this out to me when I was looking for things to harvest. With the ability as-is I'm pretty much limited to Ankhegs and Electric Eels as source material.

[Kellus]

Quite reasonable. The main thing was to stop breath weapons from qualifying, but I suppose a simple exception would be easier for players.

[Justin Time]

I must say that this is one of the most impressive homebrew offerings I have ever seen. Kudos.

I second that. There are a lot of interesting ideas here. Someone in a game I just started playing with is using that class and I'm excited to see what we'll do with it.

Wish I had some suggestions, but this looks too good already. :smalltongue:

I think I'll just put a nice little bookmark on this page.

[Caiphon]

Ok, im moving the project that was born at the prc contest chat thread here for a while, if you don't care :smallsmile: just not to bother everyone over there or fill you with pm's, and also to have some answers from the xenoalchemists group :smallbiggrin:

Well, so, I think I would need some recomendations from you, I really loved this project just as the truenaming one, and congratulations! :smallbiggrin:

Ok, so, first are the classes, I'll do 4 prc's: one based on constructs, another on aberrations and oozes, another on outsiders (good and evil) and another for plants and vermin.

Basically each of them would open the xenoalchemist to new selections of grafts, each one based on a monster, and that opens up the first question:

What about grafts?
I mean, I'll search for every monster I can find and make a graft for each, the problem is rating them according to your 1-6 level of grafts. I'm planning on helping myself by the cr, so... I'll just ask... How have you organized the levels? I mean, for example, does a 1-4 cr equals a 1 level graft for you?

[Kellus]

That's a really good question about graft organization. Here's the way that I originally divided up the grafts and determined where they would be placed.

First Level: These grafts are supposed to be basic replacements for tools and equipment that most people would be able to buy. Fairly mundane and on par with most nonmagical options. I think the wildest I got was metabolic reserve, and even that is basically on par with alchemist's fire at low levels. While these grafts can be situationally handy, they shouldn't be worth much more than a masterwork item, armour or a weapon, and so on.
Second Level: Good utility abilities or specialized combat abilities. Things that make you say "I'm glad I have that" but nothing incredible. Combat abilities should not come up every combat and utility powers should not be useful all the time. No save-or-suck.
Third Level: Higher quality utility powers that interact with the world. Give some straight up new capabilities. Same caliber combat powers but more useful in general. Okay if they come up in every combat or if they're good against a multitude of different enemies. Limited save-or-suck.
Fourth Level: Deeply helpful utility powers that grant entirely new abilities or change the way your character can be played. Combat abilities are exceptionally good, but specialized. Great in some situations, not that useful in others. Save-or-sucks are fair game, and limited save-or-die.
Fifth Level: Character-defining abilities. The character should be recognizable based solely on the graft. Limit of a single fifth level graft. Incredible passive ability that is useful all the time or combat powers that completely change the way the character works.

As for the rest of it, if you have any questions about the system feel free to ask. For prestige classes based on particular monster types, you might find it easiest to just make a 'specialist' prestige class that can be molded to any of the types you mentioned, with different class features depending on your particular type specialization. This is easy to do since the class already has a chance to pick minor specializations against types. Requiring, for example, the an inside job class feature instead of the deconstructionism class feature already makes a character more focused on outsiders than constructs.

[Caiphon]

Ok, that was really interesting, and I'll have in mind the idea you suggested...
But maybe I'll go with the grafts first, seems kind of a big project, so I better forget about the prc entry :smallfrown:
But let's do it, I'm currently working at another projects, so this will take some time, specially If Im going to make a graft for each monster, and I'll think of adding a magical beast, or undead prc too :smallsmile:
Allright I think i'll may be aiming to high, but well, what can I say :smalltongue:

The problem with the grafts will be leveling, and some creatures are kinda weird for them, for example, I can make easily an epic hecatoncheires graft, because it's kinda obvious, but it would be much harder to make a... Say.... Flumph one ? :smalltongue:

And this is one of my first homebrew projects, the other being a lovercraftian one (making a prc for each of the great old ones and outer gods) and one to "revive" the ideas laying down in the depths of the forums (with author's permission, of course)

[Kellus]

Honestly, if you want my advice I'd suggest getting some practice homebrewing things that interest you first. There are a lot of things to learn about class-building and ability writing, and it's a terrible idea to start with a system that's not even part of the core mechanics. While I'm glad that you like my system, I think you'd have a much easier time getting into homebrewing if you started with material of your own.

I look forward to seeing what you come up with! :smallsmile:

[mootoall]

A note on the Supersoldier PrC:

It doesn't work. It just doesn't. I love the idea, and I think it's something that should, but the way you have it written does not function properly. Giving it crap skill points and only the knowledge skills for two creature types makes it completely non-functional, especially at higher levels. For ten whole levels, in order to be effective at his job, you're buying cross-classed knowledge skills with 2+Int skills per level. That is completely insufficient. Either give them all of the knowledge skills they had as Xenoalchemists and keep their reduced skill points, increase their skill points to 4+Int points per level, or, ideally, do both. Otherwise there are a huge category of creature that the Supersoldier can't do jack squat with.

[Kellus]

A note on the Supersoldier PrC:

It doesn't work. It just doesn't. I love the idea, and I think it's something that should, but the way you have it written does not function properly. Giving it crap skill points and only the knowledge skills for two creature types makes it completely non-functional, especially at higher levels. For ten whole levels, in order to be effective at his job, you're buying cross-classed knowledge skills with 2+Int skills per level. That is completely insufficient. Either give them all of the knowledge skills they had as Xenoalchemists and keep their reduced skill points, increase their skill points to 4+Int points per level, or, ideally, do both. Otherwise there are a huge category of creature that the Supersoldier can't do jack squat with.

Thank you for the heads-up. Class skills are one of those things that have a tendency to slip through the cracks since a lot of it is c/p, and it's not what I usually think about for revisions. With this project in particular I should have been paying more attention to make sure that all of the classes would have the Knowledge skills needed for dissection. I apologize for the mistake.

They'll get the additional Knowledge skills, as well as a small boost in skill points to 4 + Int. The supersoldier is kind of a weird case where it works very differently from both the base class and any of the other prestige classes, because it's not a team player anymore. It's all about personal enhancement, which is presumably why I had originally gone with a less 'skill' focused chassis. But with the mechanics of the system, it really does need to have those extra skill points, especially since it has more of a need for combat abilities than other xenoalchemists, and can't invest in Intelligence to the same degree.

[mootoall]

Thank you for the heads-up. Class skills are one of those things that have a tendency to slip through the cracks since a lot of it is c/p, and it's not what I usually think about for revisions. With this project in particular I should have been paying more attention to make sure that all of the classes would have the Knowledge skills needed for dissection. I apologize for the mistake.

They'll get the additional Knowledge skills, as well as a small boost in skill points to 4 + Int. The supersoldier is kind of a weird case where it works very differently from both the base class and any of the other prestige classes, because it's not a team player anymore. It's all about personal enhancement, which is presumably why I had originally gone with a less 'skill' focused chassis. But with the mechanics of the system, it really does need to have those extra skill points, especially since it has more of a need for combat abilities than other xenoalchemists, and can't invest in Intelligence to the same degree.

No problem, I really loved the idea (had a backstory for a "mommy and daddy wanted me to be a doctor, but I always loved the stories of those adventurers, so now I'm going to use my skills to fight evil!"), and I was psyched to make the character. Then, when I realized it didn't work, I got very :smallsad:.

And then I realized that I never congratulated you on your awesome job! I just took it for granted that you knew I loved every bit of this project, and how you made a bunch of theurges for ... well, pretty much everything! And you did at least mitigate one of the problems with the tri-stat dependency of the Supersoldier by giving it built-in stat boosts. Also, I like how the base class is pretty much solely dependent on Int and Con, two stats that it wants for skills, DCs, graft number and graft obtaining.

So congratulations on making a new, cool system that I hope to see played very soon!

[Doorhandle]

Loving this class. Always had a soft spot for mad scientists of all flavors, finding new uses for monster corpses is always a fun activity, and best of all while pathfinder already has the alchemist class, this looks like it would still be pathfinder-compatible.

[mootoall]

Oh, and another little concern- as it reads, the Surgical Precision attack only works on the attack immediately after you make the knowledge check to identify them. Since Knowledge checks are a "Try again: no" skill, is this meant to mean *all* subsequent attacks on that enemy get this bonus, that you only get the bonus once, or that you can keep making knowledge checks about it? Currently it reads like the second one.

[Kellus]

Oh, and another little concern- as it reads, the Surgical Precision attack only works on the attack immediately after you make the knowledge check to identify them. Since Knowledge checks are a "Try again: no" skill, is this meant to mean *all* subsequent attacks on that enemy get this bonus, that you only get the bonus once, or that you can keep making knowledge checks about it? Currently it reads like the second one.

It is in fact the second interpretation.

The surgical precision Knowledge check is a special kind of check which doesn't relay the information that you would normally glean with an actual Knowledge check about the creature. It doesn't follow the normal rules for a traditional knowledge check (for example, you make it as a swift action), and instead references the harvest material class feature.


If the Knowledge check is successful, the DM shall describe to you the pieces available for harvest. In general, this consists of informing you about supernatural and extraordinary abilities, breath weapons, natural weapons, movement modes, and so on.

Obviously this is a different activation and effect than a normal Knowledge (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/knowledge.htm) check, in much the same way that Diamond Mind maneuvers that require Concentration skill checks don't use the same rules as a normal Concentration check. It's a special use of the skill, and while it doesn't explicitly mention that you can try again on them (or even use it multiple times against the same monster) I can't really see anyone being confused about the intent of it. If I was saying that the ability would give the same information as a normal Knowledge check then I would be referencing the original use, but this is a different kind of use for the skill.

EDIT: Glad you liked it, Doorhandle! I'm not the biggest fan of Pathfinder, but feel free to adapt it or use it however you like!

[Nemesis67]

Kellus, this is absolutely magnificent.

I've actually been planning on making a system of Fleshworking, which would have been healing, and making monsters, and plagues, for my personal setting. And you kinda did it here. :smallsmile:

Thank you for this. This system just makes me smile.

[Doorhandle]

I've decided to make this an archetype for the discerning pathfinder alchemist who wishes to dabble in surgery.

Xenoalchemist archetype
You have decided that being humanoid just isn’t enough, and have vowed to improve man (or dwarf, or elf, or ect.)kind not only through chemistry, but through surgery.

You gain the following class features.

Harvest Material (Ex): As a trained xenoalchemist you can quickly identify, catalogue and remove for future use the pieces of monsters which make them so dangerous. Harvesting remains requires two minutes of work with a helpless creature or recently dead (within one hour) corpse. It requires two skill checks.

First, you must make a Knowledge check relating to the monster's type. The relevant Knowledge skill required is described under the uses of Knowledge, but since that's kind of obscure I'll just list them here for you. It's worth noting that if you don't know what type the monster was you can simply attempt a broad Knowledge check and the DM will choose the appropriate skill for you.
Knowledge Skill
Monster Types

Knowledge (arcana) Constructs, dragons, magical beasts
Knowledge (dungeoneering) Aberrations, oozes
Knowledge (local) Humanoids
Knowledge (nature) Animals, fey, giants, monstrous humanoids, plants, vermin
Knowledge (religion) Undead
Knowledge (the Planes) Outsiders, elementals

The DC for the Knowledge check is equal to 10 + the monster's HD. You can always attempt these checks, even untrained thanks to your broad training in general monstrous physiology.

If the Knowledge check is successful, the DM shall describe to you the pieces available for harvest. In general, this consists of informing you about supernatural and extraordinary abilities, breath weapons, natural weapons, movement modes, and so on. This might seem a little vague, but you can always request particular information about an aspect of the monster. If there is a piece of the monster you wish to harvest for one of your grafts, you can move on to the second skill check. You can only harvest material if it's appropriate for a graft you currently have access to.

Once you decide which piece of the monster you want (each graft has a particular requirement in the original monster and you can harvest one graft's worth of material from any given monster) you make a Heal check at the same DC. If successful you manage to procure the material needed for the chosen graft. The material is usable for about three days. If it's not used before then it begins to go rancid and becomes unusable unless you store it in a freezing environment (time spent in such a state effectively pauses the time limit). If you are a vivisectionist, you may use Knowledge: nature instead of a heal check, as normal.

If the Heal check is unsuccessful you cannot try again to harvest that material from the monster, but you can attempt additional pieces that you find useful. If you successfully harvest one, however, the rest of the monster becomes contaminated and unusable.

You can store as many of these monster pieces as you want, but the DM should decide on their weight and the space required to store them based on the monster they came from.

This ability replaces the Alchemist’s normal feat at first level.

Xenoalchemy (Ex): Here's what you showed up for. As a xenoalchemist you know how to chop things up and stick them onto other things. Once you've harvested a piece of a monster as described above, you can attach it to a living being. The target must either be willing or helpless for the duration of the procedure in order to perform the graft. The procedure requires 1d3 hours + 1/2 hour per graft level. You can attach a graft to yourself, but you must make a DC 20 Concentration check to endure operating on your own body. If you fail this skill check the time for the operation is wasted but your monstrous material is not.

You only have access to level 1 grafts at 1st level, but at 5th level and every four levels thereafter you gain access to an additional level of grafts. Grafts have body slots, but they do not stop someone from wearing a magic item in the same slot. You cannot, however, have two grafts in the same body slot. Furthermore, a creature can only have at any one time a number of grafts equal to 1 + their Constitution modifier (minimum 1). If a creature's Constitution is reduced so that they can no longer hold their current grafts the grafts are rejected, starting with the most recently acquired. Rejected grafts are destroyed, and all benefits they confer are lost. A creature can only have a single 5th level graft at a time.

Every time you make a graft, you sacrifice an extract slot equal to the level of the graft created. You do not regain this slot until the graft is lost, or you reclaim the graft. You may use a slot of a higher level than the graft you are placing. A sixth-level extract slot counts as 2 lv-5 slots for the purpose of grafts.

A xenoalchemist can remove a graft at a later point, either to replace it with a mundane body part (treated as a level 0 graft) or to make way for a different graft. This may or may not impose a penalty (see the Graft Rejection section below for more information on empty body slots).

Performing xenoalchemy requires access to basic medical equipment (which might include things like bandages, knives, electroshock therapy, and so on at the player's discretion). If you would also like to make a loud ka-chunk sound effect as you perform the operation you may do so as you see fit..

This ability replaces the alchemist’s Poision use, swift poisoning and poison immunity.

Xenoalchemist-only discoveries:

Postop Procedure (Ex): The initial operation is only the beginning. A graft's effects are often based on the level of the xenoalchemist. Since a xenoalchemist might increase in level after the procedure has been performed, it's nice to have the graft increase in power along with the surgeon's skills. As a ten minute procedure you can touch up a graft so that the xenoalchemist level of the graft is adjusted to your current xenoalchemy level.

Advanced Cryogenics (Ex): You have devised a special technique which preserves body parts indefinitely. Your monster parts no longer go bad after three days, and instead can be kept around as long as you please. You must be at least 12th level to take this discovery.

Conjoined Grafts (Ex): You have mastered the art of fusing two disparate grafts together. You can now attach up to two grafts to the same body slot. You must be at least 16th level to take this discovery.


Basically, it is as a normal alchemist only now you can make/place grafts at the cost of extract slots, and you lose the feat you get at first level, as well as Poison use, swift poisoning and poison immunity.

Also, you now get Conjoined grafts, Advanced cryogenics, and Post-Stop Procedure as discoveries.

Not sure on balance but I THINK it's okay.

[Kellus]

I've decided to make this an archetype for the discerning pathfinder alchemist who wishes to dabble in surgery.

Xenoalchemist archetype
You have decided that being humanoid just isn’t enough, and have vowed to improve man (or dwarf, or elf, or ect.)kind not only through chemistry, but through surgery.

You gain the following class features.

Harvest Material (Ex): As a trained xenoalchemist you can quickly identify, catalogue and remove for future use the pieces of monsters which make them so dangerous. Harvesting remains requires two minutes of work with a helpless creature or recently dead (within one hour) corpse. It requires two skill checks.

First, you must make a Knowledge check relating to the monster's type. The relevant Knowledge skill required is described under the uses of Knowledge, but since that's kind of obscure I'll just list them here for you. It's worth noting that if you don't know what type the monster was you can simply attempt a broad Knowledge check and the DM will choose the appropriate skill for you.
Knowledge Skill
Monster Types

Knowledge (arcana) Constructs, dragons, magical beasts
Knowledge (dungeoneering) Aberrations, oozes
Knowledge (local) Humanoids
Knowledge (nature) Animals, fey, giants, monstrous humanoids, plants, vermin
Knowledge (religion) Undead
Knowledge (the Planes) Outsiders, elementals

The DC for the Knowledge check is equal to 10 + the monster's HD. You can always attempt these checks, even untrained thanks to your broad training in general monstrous physiology.

If the Knowledge check is successful, the DM shall describe to you the pieces available for harvest. In general, this consists of informing you about supernatural and extraordinary abilities, breath weapons, natural weapons, movement modes, and so on. This might seem a little vague, but you can always request particular information about an aspect of the monster. If there is a piece of the monster you wish to harvest for one of your grafts, you can move on to the second skill check. You can only harvest material if it's appropriate for a graft you currently have access to.

Once you decide which piece of the monster you want (each graft has a particular requirement in the original monster and you can harvest one graft's worth of material from any given monster) you make a Heal check at the same DC. If successful you manage to procure the material needed for the chosen graft. The material is usable for about three days. If it's not used before then it begins to go rancid and becomes unusable unless you store it in a freezing environment (time spent in such a state effectively pauses the time limit). If you are a vivisectionist, you may use Knowledge: nature instead of a heal check, as normal.

If the Heal check is unsuccessful you cannot try again to harvest that material from the monster, but you can attempt additional pieces that you find useful. If you successfully harvest one, however, the rest of the monster becomes contaminated and unusable.

You can store as many of these monster pieces as you want, but the DM should decide on their weight and the space required to store them based on the monster they came from.

This ability replaces the Alchemist’s normal feat at first level.

Xenoalchemy (Ex): Here's what you showed up for. As a xenoalchemist you know how to chop things up and stick them onto other things. Once you've harvested a piece of a monster as described above, you can attach it to a living being. The target must either be willing or helpless for the duration of the procedure in order to perform the graft. The procedure requires 1d3 hours + 1/2 hour per graft level. You can attach a graft to yourself, but you must make a DC 20 Concentration check to endure operating on your own body. If you fail this skill check the time for the operation is wasted but your monstrous material is not.

You only have access to level 1 grafts at 1st level, but at 5th level and every four levels thereafter you gain access to an additional level of grafts. Grafts have body slots, but they do not stop someone from wearing a magic item in the same slot. You cannot, however, have two grafts in the same body slot. Furthermore, a creature can only have at any one time a number of grafts equal to 1 + their Constitution modifier (minimum 1). If a creature's Constitution is reduced so that they can no longer hold their current grafts the grafts are rejected, starting with the most recently acquired. Rejected grafts are destroyed, and all benefits they confer are lost. A creature can only have a single 5th level graft at a time.

Every time you make a graft, you sacrifice an extract slot equal to the level of the graft created. You do not regain this slot until the graft is lost, or you reclaim the graft. You may use a slot of a higher level than the graft you are placing. A sixth-level extract slot counts as 2 lv-5 slots for the purpose of grafts.

A xenoalchemist can remove a graft at a later point, either to replace it with a mundane body part (treated as a level 0 graft) or to make way for a different graft. This may or may not impose a penalty (see the Graft Rejection section below for more information on empty body slots).

Performing xenoalchemy requires access to basic medical equipment (which might include things like bandages, knives, electroshock therapy, and so on at the player's discretion). If you would also like to make a loud ka-chunk sound effect as you perform the operation you may do so as you see fit..

This ability replaces the alchemist’s Poision use, swift poisoning and poison immunity.

Xenoalchemist-only discoveries:

Postop Procedure (Ex): The initial operation is only the beginning. A graft's effects are often based on the level of the xenoalchemist. Since a xenoalchemist might increase in level after the procedure has been performed, it's nice to have the graft increase in power along with the surgeon's skills. As a ten minute procedure you can touch up a graft so that the xenoalchemist level of the graft is adjusted to your current xenoalchemy level.

Advanced Cryogenics (Ex): You have devised a special technique which preserves body parts indefinitely. Your monster parts no longer go bad after three days, and instead can be kept around as long as you please. You must be at least 12th level to take this discovery.

Conjoined Grafts (Ex): You have mastered the art of fusing two disparate grafts together. You can now attach up to two grafts to the same body slot. You must be at least 16th level to take this discovery.


Basically, it is as a normal alchemist only now you can make/place grafts at the cost of extract slots, and you lose the feat you get at first level, as well as Poison use, swift poisoning and poison immunity.

Also, you now get Conjoined grafts, Advanced cryogenics, and Post-Stop Procedure as discoveries.

Not sure on balance but I THINK it's okay.

Hey, I'm glad you like it enough to make that! I'm afraid I have no pathfinder-fu, and have no idea if that would be balanced or not. But please let me know how it works out for you, since I know that a lot of people are playing PF now instead of 3.5! :smallsmile:

From my unknowledgeable position I think it might be a little much, unfortunately. Xenoalchemy is kind of awesome, and is probably worth way more than mere poison use and poison immunity. It's seriously character-defining, and opens tons of party synergies for other people in the group. I'd love to hear from someone that knows more about PF, though.

Would have posted sooner, but for some reason your post didn't bump the thread for me. Weird.

EDIT: Just saw the bit about the extract slots. That seems more reasonable, although it's got the problem where they'll run out of extracts to sacrifice. One of the nice things about the xenoalchemist is they can attach as many random grafts as they want as long as they have the material.

Maybe permanently reduce their extract slots by like 2 or 3 per level, to a minimum of 0 (allowing for bonus extracts). Again though, I'd like to hear from someone that knows PF or who has played an alchemist.

[Doorhandle]

Sounds fair. I shall rework it later.

[mootoall]

I'm using the Xenoalchemist in a PbP, I'll tell you how it goes!

[Tacitus]

So I'm curious (and if I missed this forgive me), but if a character wanted to hire a Xenoalchemist (as in, an NPC) to add grafts to them, is there any established pricing system to go by? Or is it between 'hahahahano' and 'Ask-the-DM'?

[Kellus]

So I'm curious (and if I missed this forgive me), but if a character wanted to hire a Xenoalchemist (as in, an NPC) to add grafts to them, is there any established pricing system to go by? Or is it between 'hahahahano' and 'Ask-the-DM'?

hahahahano (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=205119&page=3#post11337394) :smallwink:


I'm using the Xenoalchemist in a PbP, I'll tell you how it goes!

I'm glad you like it enough to play it, and I'd be happy to hear anything you find with it!

[Cogidubnus]

Coiled Legs
Level: 3
Body Slot: Legs
Monster Requirement: Anything with both pounce and legs
Example Monsters: Griffon, sphinx

You gain the pounce ability. Whenever you charge a creature you can make a full attack against them. And you managed to do it without even using that cheesy Lion Totem alternate class feature!

Emphasis mine. Does this mean I can cut the legs off a Lion Totem Barbarian to get their Pounce ability?

[mootoall]

Emphasis mine. Does this mean I can cut the legs off a Lion Totem Barbarian to get their Pounce ability?

For the sake of awesomeness, I hope the answer is yes.

[Zolkabro]

...

I am in shock because of too much sheer awesomeness at once. I think I need to go lie down...

Okay, seriously though, I am in LOVE. This is absolutely amazing.
Congratulation, sir, for you have turned me into a creepy fanboy.

Please may I use this in my own games?

[RollynT.Glal]

If its not too much trouble Kellus I have a request. For one of my character's personal villians I've thought up a wizard who lost his arm in a confrontation with the dragon. My thought is that in the attack that took his arm the wizard's chest was also damaged which leads into my question/request: If a person has multiple grafts from a single type of source (the heart from the dragon he was fighting and a replacement left arm from a dragon of the same type and an appropriate size) is there any sort of synergy?
My thoughts are something such as a small bonus to Con from the dragon heart or Str from the arm.

[Kellus]

Emphasis mine. Does this mean I can cut the legs off a Lion Totem Barbarian to get their Pounce ability?

As per the rules, yes.


Please may I use this in my own games?

Of course. :)


If its not too much trouble Kellus I have a request. For one of my character's personal villians I've thought up a wizard who lost his arm in a confrontation with the dragon. My thought is that in the attack that took his arm the wizard's chest was also damaged which leads into my question/request: If a person has multiple grafts from a single type of source (the heart from the dragon he was fighting and a replacement left arm from a dragon of the same type and an appropriate size) is there any sort of synergy?
My thoughts are something such as a small bonus to Con from the dragon heart or Str from the arm.

Interesting question. It's a little too specific for a general ruleset, but that seems like the sort of thing I would definitely ad hoc in game. If you're looking for my blessing for it, absolutely. Go with what improves the game, for sure. I can only write rules for general situations, you need to make them fit your specific circumstances.

Also, for those interested, a revision and expansion of this system is in the works.

[Deepbluediver]

This is horribly, terrifyingly, awesome.

I'm not sure the mad-science feel fits in with the more hard-core fantasy elements of classic D&D, but any game with rules including slightly more advanced technology (like Pathfinder and guns tech level) would make a great fit. I can even see it being used in a steampunk-esque game.

[Kane0]

This is awesome beyond words. I wish I had something constructive to say, but I don't... It's still pretty awesome, though.


This is horribly, terrifyingly, awesome.

I second this motion, completely.

[Zolkabro]

Having just started a game where I was playtesting the Xenoalchemist, a couple of things have come up.

Firstly, I think that you should always get a thesis monster of your own race type. I'm playing a construct, and so surely I should have thesis monster: construct automatically, as I am one, and know them better than any non-construct could!

Secondly, there should be some kind of mechanism for doing ordinary operations, like organ transplants, things like that. Not adding anything from a monster, but say you go into a hospital and find somebody who needs a kidney, there should be a special xenoalchemist skill for doing that.

I'll keep you updated on any other things that don't quite work as I play with it, but I'm really enjoying it so far, it's such a great class. Without a doubt my favourite original class on the forums.

[Owrtho]

Thought I would reply on what I can here.


Firstly, I think that you should always get a thesis monster of your own race type. I'm playing a construct, and so surely I should have thesis monster: construct automatically, as I am one, and know them better than any non-construct could!

This line of reasoning isn't actually accurate. While an individual would have a better feel for being their own race, that doesn't actually grant them any innate knowledge into the internal workings and anatomy. In real life I expect there are many people who know the insides of some type of machine far better than the insides of a human. There are likewise people who know the insides of animals far better than people. It stands to reason that the same would remain in a fantasy setting, as the detail of anatomy that needs to be known for something to be a thesis monster is only gained through study.


Secondly, there should be some kind of mechanism for doing ordinary operations, like organ transplants, things like that. Not adding anything from a monster, but say you go into a hospital and find somebody who needs a kidney, there should be a special xenoalchemist skill for doing that.

While not explicitly stated as being for such things, check the third paragraph of Handicap Grafts. In that case you can treat the ailment of failing organs or lacking limbs as a handicap graft, and make use of the ability to use a mundane graft to remove the penalty.

Owrtho

[Kellus]

Having just started a game where I was playtesting the Xenoalchemist, a couple of things have come up.

Firstly, I think that you should always get a thesis monster of your own race type. I'm playing a construct, and so surely I should have thesis monster: construct automatically, as I am one, and know them better than any non-construct could!

Secondly, there should be some kind of mechanism for doing ordinary operations, like organ transplants, things like that. Not adding anything from a monster, but say you go into a hospital and find somebody who needs a kidney, there should be a special xenoalchemist skill for doing that.

I'll keep you updated on any other things that don't quite work as I play with it, but I'm really enjoying it so far, it's such a great class. Without a doubt my favourite original class on the forums.

Pretty much what Owrtho said. I'm a humanoid, and I don't have any particular knowledge about the internal anatomy of elves (disturbing art on deviantart.com aside). It's entirely reasonable to represent someone knowinga lot about their own type's anatomy by taking that type as a thesis monster. From a balance perspective, that also gives an unfair advantage to some types, since some thesis monster abilities are just plain better than others (hence the level restrictions in some cases).

As for the other thing, that's something I'm looking at in the upcoming expansion. I didn't expect so many people to be interested in mundane rules for surgery and stuff like that, but it turns out that it's a pretty popular idea! That being said, most of what you're talking about can already be done with the plain old Heal skill, but if you want mechanical representations of some of those penalties, feel free to use the Handicap Grafts.

I'm glad you like it! Please let me know how it works out for you, and thanks for the feedback! :D

[sirpercival]

Th-th-th-thread necro!

Hey Kellus, what do you think of me porting this into my Magipunk (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?board=80.0) campaign setting? Since I don't feel right copy/pasting everything over there, I'd probably make an adaptation thread...

[Kellus]

Th-th-th-thread necro!

Hey Kellus, what do you think of me porting this into my Magipunk (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?board=80.0) campaign setting? Since I don't feel right copy/pasting everything over there, I'd probably make an adaptation thread...

Go for it! Everything here is available for use in whatever way people like. Credit me, don't credit me, I don't really care so long as you have fun! I made the system to address what I saw as a gap in the rules, so if you feel it can fill the same gap in your setting, go for it!

As far as adaptations go, I would say that the core xenoalchemist class is broad enough to be ported directly into almost any setting. I think that the best way to 'personalize' the system would be changing the kinds of grafts available, by developing new grafts based on the iconic monsters in your setting. Anyway, yes, use it however you like. :smallsmile:

[sirpercival]

Go for it! Everything here is available for use in whatever way people like. Credit me, don't credit me, I don't really care so long as you have fun! I made the system to address what I saw as a gap in the rules, so if you feel it can fill the same gap in your setting, go for it!

As far as adaptations go, I would say that the core xenoalchemist class is broad enough to be ported directly into almost any setting. I think that the best way to 'personalize' the system would be changing the kinds of grafts available, by developing new grafts based on the iconic monsters in your setting. Anyway, yes, use it however you like. :smallsmile:

Sweeeeet. :D The adaptation necessity comes from the tech level -- Magipunk is (as you might figure out) cyberpunk with all the tech replaced by magic. Essentially, post-modern Tippyverse.

The only difficulty is avoiding overlap with the Synthevolver, but I don't think that's going to be much of a problem. What I will probably end up doing is either (a) making an adaptation thread (mostly to deal with the skill changes), or (b) just reposting the class, grafts, and feats wholesale. The PrCs may need special treatment since I'm not using any published classes.

By the way, I know that none of this really matters to you, since it's my setting... but I think better when I can do so "aloud". ;)

[iTookUrNick]

Hi,

I'm reading this (awesome) thing through, but I wanted to make a quick suggestion:

the Autoimmunity feature should probably be called Immune reaction.

I'm pointing this out because autoimmunity has a negative connotation (it's the body fighting itself, and it's bad news) while the immune reaction is something that protect you after getting in contact with some outside noxious entity. So, the latter is much more appropriate imho, and you keep the pun factor. My 2¢. :smallsmile:

[DracoDei]

You can either select a spell-like ability you know the creature has or let the DM select one by chance or by decee.
Decree.


Also, does the "inside job" thing apply to all spells that work off of hitdice, or just ones that would send you to another plane? I assume the first, but it seems a bit fuzzy.

Too lazy to type up the following properly at the moment:
If you haven't done it yet, I would like to see a Alchemical topical local anesthetic, which would give bonuses to diplomacy checks to convince that commoner who you just slowly skinned alive, sewing on the troll-skin as you uncovered each inch of his fat and muscle layers that it actually constitutes an improvement (paying customers more-so, when they don't hear quite as much screaming from the client one ahead off them in line). The only more solid bonus I can state, and what originally made me think of the idea is that it would give a +5 to +10 bonus on the Concentration check to graft yourself. Ideally it should also function as a contact dexterity poison on anyone foolish enough to touch it with their bare hands rather than using a spatula to spread it on the desired portion. Maybe 1d4 Dex primary and secondary, DC 20, maybe with a special rule that the dex loss ONLY applies to stuff done with the hands, and thus only effects AC if using certain types of shield, or if wielding a weapon (so parrying is assumed to be part of your AC). Maybe to-hit penalities.

[Gideon Falcon]

Back when the minmax forums were online, I noticed that you were working on some sort of Necromancer grafter. How's that been coming?
If you haven't gotten especially far with it, might I suggest including abilities to give undead elite ability arrays, bonus HD, and other Frankenstein-like improvements that grafts don't cover?

[Zireael]

This is excellent!

[Roland St. Jude]

Sheriff: Thread necromancy is prohibited here. Please review the Forum Rules.