Changing an invocation

[utherphoenyx]

i was wanting to change a dark invocation word of changing into something like NWN2 does with polymorphing but wanted to limit the shapeshifting/polymorph to whatever power upper or lower or in between you draw from i.e if you made pacts with devils then yes you can turn into some of them but then you have to be LE as well but if you are CG and draw from Slaad then yes you can change into one of them thoughts sujdestions?

[utherphoenyx]

no thoughts good or bad....hmm

[Snowbluff]

I think there is an invocation that turns you into a Hellcat. You can use that as a reference, maybe have seperate invos for each creature.

[Seffbasilisk]

Sounds cool.

Talk to your DM on specifics, but I was actually picturing something that shifted you like a hybrid lycanthrope's form.

That'd be sweet.

[eggs]

It sounds much more powerful than the default ability, but by the time it comes into play, you're supposed to have abilities that compare to PAO or Shapechange.

It sounds like a better design choice than the default Word of Changing, if anything.

[Keneth]

I too wanted to use something like the shapeshifting ability in NwN2, so I made a custom invocation. I used Fiendform as a reference, although it only allowed me to change into devils or other denizens of the nine hells (and was therefore aptly named "Devilform"). The actual mechanics ended up being wildly different from the original spell however. It was a kind of conjuration ability that called an actual outsider and bound its form to yours while subjugating its mind. You gained all of the form's physical abilities and any extraordinary or supernatural abilities possessed by the outsider while forfeiting your own Ex and Su abilities that depended on your physical form. For every minute that you attempted to maintain the form, you had to make a Charisma check (including at the time of invoking the ability) with the DC = 11 + Cha modifier of the creature and with a cumulative -2 penalty on the check. Failure meant that the devil took control of the body for that minute and was able to suppress your mind in the same manner until it too failed a check (which ended the invocation). The HD of the summoned creature was limited to half the warlock's level + his Cha modifier and if this number dropped while you were controlling a devil of higher HD, the forms were disjoined, ending the invocation, damaging the warlock and making him sickened for several rounds. Also, any successful banishment or similar spell banished the outsider and made you dazed for 1 round per caster level.

Overall this was a risky invocation but the wide variety of devils in 3.5 often made it worth it. Most fights never last beyond the first minute, so a high-charisma warlock should be able to consistently control devils. But an aptly placed dispel magic, banishment, or ego whip could effectively end your fun. In the end it turned out to be extremely powerful with certain combos, so I additionally limited it to once per day but this depends on the setting and overall campaign power.

[utherphoenyx]

okay well it seems that the change isn't as overpowered as i originally had thought so yeah think it should be equal to a shapechange spell but limited to where you draw your power from could be cool to see some1 word of change into an astral deva :)