How to make an army of clones? [3.5/PF]

[blackmage]

I'm trying to bring a character concept from another game system into D&D. The original character is from Tri-stat dX, and based around the Duplicate ability. Basically, you make a copy of yourself that is either identically powerful or somewhat reduced in power compared to the original...you. The character had this as his thing, sending a duplicate off as a messenger or to go scout with less danger, or to make an instant zerg-rush. TLDR: Meepo from Defense of the Ancients.

So I have now run into the slight problem of not finding anything that is really close at all to making this concept. However, I am far from a splatbook expert. Is there anything from official sources that could assist with pulling this off? Heck, any Homebrew? Help!

The duplicate guy doesn't need to keep any spellcasting or other abilities, I mostly want them as mooks. Several at once preferred, but one at a time still quite useful. I don't care about what level or shenanigans might be needed very much, since I see using a bunch of crazy stuff just to make mookclones of myself kind of like flying to the Sun to microwave a burrito.

[Retech]

Wightopocalypse + Dressing them in funny clothes?

[Ashiel]

I'm trying to bring a character concept from another game system into D&D. The original character is from Tri-stat dX, and based around the Duplicate ability. Basically, you make a copy of yourself that is either identically powerful or somewhat reduced in power compared to the original...you. The character had this as his thing, sending a duplicate off as a messenger or to go scout with less danger, or to make an instant zerg-rush. TLDR: Meepo from Defense of the Ancients.

So I have now run into the slight problem of not finding anything that is really close at all to making this concept. However, I am far from a splatbook expert. Is there anything from official sources that could assist with pulling this off? Heck, any Homebrew? Help!

The duplicate guy doesn't need to keep any spellcasting or other abilities, I mostly want them as mooks. Several at once preferred, but one at a time still quite useful. I don't care about what level or shenanigans might be needed very much, since I see using a bunch of crazy stuff just to make mookclones of myself kind of like flying to the Sun to microwave a burrito.

Making copies or multiples of yourself and being of identical power is nearly impossible with the standard rules, unless there is some sort of loophole to abuse that I'm not familiar with. Instead, you may wish to look at the psionic power fission which allows you to split yourself into two lesser versions for a period of time, or more powerfully, the arcane spell simulacrum can be used to produce a more or less unlimited clones of yourself, but each clone is 1/2 your level. So if you're a 20th level wizard, you end up with a bunch of 10th level versions of yourself running around.

Now the beauty of this is that it only costs 100 gp per HD of the simulacrum to be created. Yes, that does mean that you can create 10th level wizards who are under your control for 1,000 gp a pop. While next to nothing in terms of strength compared to a 20th level version of yourself, you can have a crapload of them at this price. In fact, you could have 36 10th level copies of yourself for the cost of a single +6 ability magic item.

[Olo Demonsbane]

Your build should be something like Wu Jen 5/Warblade 1/Incantatrix 3/Jade Phoenix Mage 10/Archmage 1.

One of your Wu Jen spells is Body Outside Body. Get that as a SLA through Archmage's special ability. Your duplicates can't cast spells, but they can still use maneuvers, SLAs, and Incantatrix abilities. Have them persist themselves, then start making more clones. Exponentially increasing minions FTW :smallbiggrin:

[AlexanderRM]

Expanding on the Simulacrum route, there's a 9th level spell called Ice Assassin that creates an equally powerful duplicate of the target; I think it costs like 20k GP or so so using them as scouts is not so much, but as a 20th lvl char you could easily create like 40 of them. It is intended for use as assassins, but you have total control of them... think there might be a range limit on that though, I'd have to check.


The easiest and cheesiest way, of course, is to get Manipulate Form and grant yourself both versions of the Split ability, that of the snowflake ooze and that possessed by normal oozes. I'd also give yourself Hive Mind, based on the Formian ability but take out the range limit and need for a queen. That way whenever you take damage of any of the three types (piercing, slashing, or bludgeoning), you would split into two of yourself, each with half your hit points but otherwise full power. Arguably, it would also make sense for Regeneration to let you re-grow these hit points.

You can also use Manipulate Form to grant yourself all the other benefits of being Pun-Pun, such as, for example, every single ability in the entire game. I think the only thing scarier than a single Pun-Pun is an ARMY of identical Pun-Puns with a hive mind, who split every time someone attacks one of them with weapons.

But of course, that would just be ridiculous. It would, however, be quite interesting to grant yourself Manipulate Form and *not* massively abuse it, just grant yourself Split and maybe a could other things.

[Drachasor]

Your build should be something like Wu Jen 5/Warblade 1/Incantatrix 3/Jade Phoenix Mage 10/Archmage 1.

One of your Wu Jen spells is Body Outside Body. Get that as a SLA through Archmage's special ability. Your duplicates can't cast spells, but they can still use maneuvers, SLAs, and Incantatrix abilities. Have them persist themselves, then start making more clones. Exponentially increasing minions FTW :smallbiggrin:

I think this is the best route to go.

You could definitely use Body Outside Body and summoning spells to base the desired spell on. I think it is easiest if you make progressive versions of this spell, one for each level, like regular summoning spells. If you make sure the clones are about as powerful as the summons, this should work pretty well.