PDA

View Full Version : SPESS MEHREENS--Yet Another Space Marine Template [PEACH] [3.5]



13_CBS
2013-05-18, 09:58 PM
Oh look! Yet (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132434) another (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55656) Space Marine homebrew! Time to add another one to the pile.

This rendition of the Space Marine gene-enhanced template was made with the following in mind:

1) The template grants powers over the course of 6 HD, instead of frontloading all the abilities the moment a creature gains the template. I feel like this might help keep the LA reasonably low enough for it to see play, while also making the template not terribly overpowered.

2) The mechanics are designed more to reflect Space Marines as they are shown in the FLUFF, not the crunch of the tabletop game. I'm more familiar with the Black Library novels than the tabletop game, and it's the novels where I drew most of the inspiration for this homebrew.

3) The template reflects the abilities and enhancements granted to an aspiring Space Marine only via his genetic enhancements--so nothing from a Space Marine's training or equipment is reflected. Therefore, not everything a Space Marine in the fluff is capable of is granted by this template.

4) The fluff for this homebrew was tweaked in order to "port" WH40K Space Marines into a hypothetical D&D 3.5 setting, as though "Terra" were just another world on the Prime Material Plane, and the Imperium of Man is a fantasy Medieval nation rather than a futuristic one. If everything here goes well, then you could easily have a Space Marine pop up and challenge the party Fighter to a fist fight, and so forth.

I don't have very much experience with homebrew, much less something as relatively content-heavy as this template here. Please don't hesitate to critique and offer suggestions!


Astartes Template

On the Prime Material world of Terra, there exists an empire ruled by an entity of immense power; the Imperium of Man. A brutal and xenocidal nation, the human-only Imperium seeks to wipe out all other races on Terra, and at the forefront of its endless armies are the Adeptus Astartes.

Part—but only part—of what makes the Adeptus Astartes so feared comes from a series of arcane rituals and forbidden alchemy, conducted on an aspirant over the course of his or her youth. These rites implant the seed of a gland or an organ graft, and then through the application of mystic energies and alchemical substances grow that gland or organ into a part of the aspirant's body. The end result is a superhuman monstrosity, far stronger, faster, and tougher than any normal human, and equipped with ingrained abilities that improve their senses, breathe underwater, and even spit toxic acid.

Creating an Astartes Creature

“Astartes” is an inherited template that can only be added to a Human creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature).

Size and Type
The creature's type remains Humanoid, and its size is unchanged.

Speed
At 3 HD, the creature's land speed increases. See the Improved Biscopea (Ex) Special Quality.

Armor Class
At 3 HD, the creature's natural armor bonus increases by +3. See the Improved Ossmodula (Ex) Special Quality.

Special Attacks

Betcher's Gland (Ex)
At 5 HD, the creature gains the Betcher's Gland. The Betcher's Gland is a series of small glands placed in the creature's mouth, allowing the creature to spit a wad of toxic acid that blinds targets, poisons enemies, and melts through objects.. Once every 5 rounds, the creature can spit this acid as a ranged touch attack. This attack has a range of 10 ft. with a 5 ft. range increment. The wad deals 1d6 acid damage, and is also an Injury poison with a DC 15 Fortitude Save, initial damage 1d2 Con and 1 minute of Blindness, secondary damage 1d2 Con.

Special Qualities

A Human with the Astartes Template loses its 1st Level Bonus Feat and extra Skill Points per level racial traits.

{table=head]
HD |
Special Quality

1 | Secondary Heart, Ossmodula, Biscopea
2 | Larraman's Organ, Omophagea
3 | Amphibious, Occulobe, Lyman's Ear, Improved Ossbodula, Improved Biscopea
4 | Sus-an Membrane, Oolitic Kidney, Neuroglottis
5 | Mucranoid, Betcher's Gland, Greater Ossmodula, Greater Biscopea
6 | Black Carapace
[/table]

Secondary Heart (Ex)
At 1 HD, the creature gains the Secondary Heart. The creature can hold its breath for 3 rounds per point of Constitution it has, instead of the usual 2 roudns per point of Constitution. The creature also gains a +2 racial bonus when making Constitution checks for continuing to hold its breath.

Ossmodula (Ex)
At 1 HD, the creature gains the Ossmodula. The Ossmodula is a graft that steadily increases the size and strength of the creature's bones. The creature gains a +2 racial bonus to Constitution.

Improved Ossmodula (Ex)
At 3 HD, the creature's Ossmodula grows into an improved version, further strengthening the creature's skeletal structure. The creature gains the Powerful Build (Ex) Special Quality, and also gains a +3 natural armor bonus.

Greater Ossmodula (Ex)
At 5 HD, the creature's Ossmodula is finished growing. The creature gains a +4 racial bonus to its Constitution.

Biscopea (Ex)
At 1 HD, the creature gains the Biscopea. The Biscopea is a graft that steadily increases the creature's muscle mass. The creature gains a +2 racial bonus to its Strength.

Improved Biscopea (Ex)
At 3 HD, the creature's Biscopea grows into an improved version, further strengthening the creature's musculature. The creature's base land speed is increased by 10 ft. Apply this bonus before modifying the creature's speed because of any load carried or armor worn.

Greater Biscopea (Ex)
At 5 HD, the creature's Biscopea is finished growing. The creature gains a +4 racial bonus to its Strength.

Larraman's Organ (Ex)
At 2 HD, the creature gains the Larraman's Organ, becoming able to heal from grievous wounds. The creature automatically stabilizes when reduced to negative hit points. Furthermore, its natural healing increases to 2 hit points per character level + its Constitution bonus.

Omophagea (Ex)
At 2 HD, the creature gains the Omophagea, becoming able to absorb information from the brains of freshly dead creatures. As a full-round action, the creature can consume a small portion of the brain matter of a deceased creature to gain a +4 circumstance bonus to an appropriate Knowledge check for one hour. The creature must have a discernable brain that must be relatively fresh—the creature must not have been dead for more than an hour.

As an example, Marneus, a 3 HD Human with the Astartes Template, consumes the brain of a wolf he just killed in a forest. For the next hour, he gains a +4 circumstance bonus to Knowledge (Nature) checks made concerning the forest. Later, he slays an evil wizard in combat and consumes a portion of the wizard's brain. For the next hour, he could gain a +4 circumstance bonus to Knowledge (Arcana) because of the wizard's deep knowledge of the arcane arts, or a +4 circumstance bonus to Knowledge (The Planes) due to the wizard's research into the Outer Planes.

Amphibious (Ex)
At 3 HD, the creature gains the Multi-Lung, gaining the Amphibious (Ex) Special Quality. The creature can breathe both air and water freely.

Occulobe (Ex)
At 3 HD, the creature gains the Occulobe, improving his or her eyesight. The creature gains a +6 racial bonus to Spot checks and Low-Light Vision.

Lyman's Ear (Ex)
At 3 HD, the creature gains the Lyman's Ear, improving his or her hearing. The creature gains a +6 racial bonus to Listen checks.

Sus-An Membrane (Ex)
At 4 HD, the creature gains the Sus-An membrane, becoming able to put him or herself into a potentially life-saving coma. As a full-round action, the creature can put himself or herself into a deep coma; even powers that detect life or thought are incapable of determining that the creature is alive. While the creature is suspended, it is unaware of its surroundings. Most of the creature's bodily functions slow to the point where the creature does not need to eat or drink for as long as the creature is in the coma, though it does still retain the effects of natural healing. The creature also becomes immune to poison while in the coma, as though it were under the effect of a Delay Poison spell. The coma can only be ended by a DC 30 Heal check made by another creature.

Oolitic Kidney (Ex)
At 4 HD, the creature gains the Oolitic Kidney, becoming more resistant to poisons. The creature gains a +4 racial bonus for saving throws against poisons.

Neuroglottis (Ex)
At 4 HD, the creature gains the Neuroglottis, becoming able to track other beings by taste, and identify certain substances by tasting them. The creature gains Track as a bonus feat. If the creature already has Track, then it gains a +6 bonus to its Track checks. The creature can also identify the ingredients constituting a non-magical object or a substance by tasting it and succeeding on a DC 14 Intelligence check with a +5 racial bonus to the check.

Mucranoid (Ex)
At 5 HD, the creature gains the Mucranoid, which, in conjunction with a certain alchemical substance, grants the creature the ability to survive in extreme cold or heat. The creature, after imbibing a certain achemical concoction, gains the effects of a Endure Elements spell for 24 hours.

Black Carapace (Ex)
At 6 HD, the creature gains the Black Carapace, becoming able to wear Powered Armor without penalty. The creature is able to wear Powered Armor [work in progress] without the penalties described by the item's entry.

CR: +2
LA: +2

------

Also, a homebrewed version of the Astartes Power Armor. As before, please review and critique!

Powered Armor

Another element of the Adeptus Astartes' terrifying success is their signature Powered Armor. Each suit of Powered Armor is a masterpiece of armorcrafting and arcane artifice, made of layers of finely worked steel and adamantium. The magics within the armor enhance its wearer, granting him or her unparalleled protection, increased strength and speed, and improved senses. However, the armor also partly draws upon the wearer's life force to power itself; while this effect is never harmful, it does require the Black Carapace to function correctly. The armor weighs 270 pounds, and takes 10 minutes to fully put on or take off.

When worn by a wearer with the Black Carapace Special Quality, the armor functions at full capacity. The wearer gains a +2 circumstance bonus to Strength, +10 armor bonus to AC, increases the wearer's land speed by 5 ft., and grants the wearer Darkvision. The armor check penalty is -5. Since suits of Powered Armor support most of their own weight, they only add 70 pounds of encumbrance to a wearer with a Black Carapace. Finally, the armor is fully sealed, with its own supply of air and temperature systems; the wearer can breathe while in an airless environment or underwater, and can survive comfortably in conditions ranging from -60 degrees to 160 degrees Fahrenheit without having to make Fortitude Saves.

When worn by a wearer without the Black Carapace Special Quality, however, the armor is more a burden than an asset. Without the Black Carapace, the armor's magical enhancements do not activate, turning the armor into a stiff, burdensome lump of metal. When worn by a creature without the Black Carapace, the armor confers a +10 armor bonus to AC, a -2 circumstance penalty to Strength, a -4 circumstance penalty to Dexterity and Spot and Listen checks, and decreases the wearer's base land speed by 10 ft. The armor check penalty is -10.

The Powered Armor's enhancements are derived from the intricate arcane matrices sandwiched between the layers in the armor, alongside the wearer's lifeforce--this renders the armor somewhat insulated from disruptive magical effects. The armor still functions as normal inside an Antimagic Field, but if the armor is successfully Dispelled, then the wearer is treated as though he or she did not have the Black Carapace Special Quality.

CL 3rd; Craft Magical Arms and Armor, Bull's Strength, Darkvision, Endure Elements; Price 28,000 gp

------

Upcoming homebrew:

Bolter [weapon]
Adeptus Astartes [PrC]
Astartes Librarian [PrC]
Astartes Captain [PrC]
Astartes Artificer [PrC]
Astartes Apothecary [PrC]
Dark Angels Legionnaire [ACF]
Emperor's Children Legionnaire [ACF]
Iron Warriors Legionnaire [ACF]
White Scars Legionnaire [ACF]
Space Wolves Legionnaire [ACF]
Imperial Fists Legionnaire [ACF]
Night Lords Legionnaire [ACF]
Blood Angels Legionnaire [ACF]
Iron Hands Legionnaire [ACF]
World Eaters Legionnaire [ACF]
Ultramarines Legionnaire [ACF]
Death Guard Legionnaire [ACF]
Thousand Sons Legionnaire [ACF]
Luna Wolves Legionnaire [ACF]
Word Bearers Legionnaire [ACF]
Salamanders Legionnaire [ACF]
Raven Guard Legionnaire [ACF]
Alpha Legion Legionnaire [ACF]