Ceramorphosis Candidates?

[unseenmage]

What would be the best base (or max 1 template) creatures to steal the form of permanently?

Currently planning to play an illithid larvae (long story) and I plan on eventually either becoming a true mind flayer OR becoming a 1/2 illithid of something else (preferably the BBEG).

For my groups purposes we're using the 1/2 illithid template from Underdark not Fiend Folio. It can be added to any corporeal creature that is not a construct.

ECL 8 creatures minimum. Though in the case of BBEGs I'll probably wind up with a body based on CR not ECL.

Thanks regardless playgrounders.

[Fouredged Sword]

Troll blooded warforged juggernaut?

[unseenmage]

Sorry I didn't specify, DM only allows 1-2 templates this game.
And with 1/2 illithid already adding one... Original post edited to reflect my oversight.

Sorry again. Though that sounds like an awesome creature for me to throw at my players next time I DM. :)

[ksbsnowowl]

I'm assuming you are starting around ECL 8?

What are you wanting to do with this guy?

War Troll is always a good one for great physical stats. If you can squeeze in another +0 LA template, Primordial Giant would get you +4 Intelligence and +4 Charisma.

Ice Trolls from Unapproachable East have a better base Int, if that would be important to you, and has 5 RHD and +5 LA (as opposed to the War Troll's 12 RHD and +6 LA. Also free online here: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20030413b

By the way, the aforementioned troll-blooded warforged juggernaut has no templates. Troll-blooded is a feat from some dragon magazine. It's supposed to only be obtainable by humans, but some leniency by the DM, and the use of flaws, can give it to you as anything else. It grants Regeneration 1, but you are fatigued in sunlight. Warforged Juggernaut is a prestige class that makes you immune to fatigue...

[unseenmage]

Wow my bad on assuming those were references to templates Fouredged Sword, apologies.

Yes ECL 8 but I don't know when the DM will give me the opportunity to initiate Ceramorphosis.

He's a Gestalt Wizard/Psion chaining Thrallherd and the Apprentice/Mentor feats.
We're in a high powered Faerun game incorporating the Conan rules, where every NPC is Gestalt, all the monsters have ad hoc fiat buffs, and Dragons are buffed even more.

At present the Young Larval Flayer racial mods and 2 racial HD are making him a terrible Wizard/Psion. He'd be much better served as a Sorcerer/Rogue; but the choice is already made and the campaign has already been altered to allow for him.

Right now I'm just casting for ideas who knows what sort of creatures I'll actually encounter in game. (Maybe I'll live long enough to cast gate or something.)
Hope this info helps.

[Spuddles]

Try Lords of Madness for a psychic Illithid.

[unseenmage]

@ Spuddles, Not sure if serious.

Ceramorphosis is the process by which an illithid (or mind flayer) larvae consumes and replaces the brain of a sentient creature with it's own and turns that creature into an illithid or 1/2 illithid.

Though a 1/2 illithid-psychic Illithid could be hilarious it's not precisely what I'm after. (Not sure DM would allow the ol' 1/2 something -something gag either.)

[Spuddles]

Totally serious. LoM Illithids manifest as level 7 or 8 psions, I believe. Like a dragon or rakshahshabsbshabsbabana has with sorcerer levels.

[unseenmage]

But what would happen to my existing Psion class levels if I took the form of something that manifests "as a 7th level psion"?

Would they merge giving me a ML boost and negating some LA? Or would one replace the other?

I don't even know where I'd look for RAW on a situation like that.

[Fouredged Sword]

Well, RAW, when an creature that has natural spellcasting takes levels in the spellcasting class they cast like, they stack.

Dragons can take sorcerer levels, I think dryads have druid casting, take something that casts as a psion, and there should be more than just mindflayers to chose from. Does a brain in a jar have LA?

[unseenmage]

So, if I'm understanding you correctly, when my character replaces the mind of another creature with his own the innate spellcasting abilities of the subject will be retained? They're affixed to the body not the mind?

Is this just because they're not gained from class levels?

Just how cheesey is it to do this to your DM? To gain extra CL/ML from mind switching?
(though this isn't exactly mind switch I'd assume ceramorphosis would be a close approximation the way I'm using it)

[Fouredged Sword]

For example

Say you wanted to meld with...

A young brass dragon

Spellcasting is not listed with a EX, SU, or any other tag.

That means it is a natural ability, and if you keep the natual abilities of your new form, you keep it.

Class based spellcasting advances the racial base, so yes, they stack.

I am not the most familiar with the half-illithid template though, so double check what you keep with that template.

You meld with the creatures mind, rather than just eat it. It becomes you as much as you consume it. It makes sense you would keep any inborn spellcasting.

[Zombulian]

You meld with the creatures mind, rather than just eat it. It becomes you as much as you consume it. It makes sense you would keep any inborn spellcasting.

No. The larvae definitely eat the brain. They devour the entire brain, grow to fill the space, and attach themselves to the leftover brain stem.