Questions about Symbiotic Creature template

[ShurikVch]

1. Level Adjustment listed as +1. But +1 to what? Host, guest, combined, or just flat +1? I know, there are probably no official answer, but maybe some common agreement exist?

2. HD-dependent abilities. Handbook advice to use fey- and plant-related templates to fit various creatures into requirements. Half-Fey and Woodling get a new SLA by HD. Can a class levels of a Symbiotic Creature count as HD for this purposes?

3. Detach and special attacks. Spellwyrm unable to cast spells while attached. Mind Leech limited in available psionics while detached. Psionic Sinew unable to use Claws of the Bear and Vigor without host. What other special attacks can work/not work/work different for attached/detached symbionts?

4. Let's say, guest will be intelligent magic item (qualify via magic or template stacking). Actually, it's very classical situation for fantasy: sentient magical item captured body of careless user and not let go. What items are better for this purpose? Which magic properties will be useless because host technically not a wearer anymore, but part of item itself? If item was made of adamantine, will resulting creature have hardness 20? What if it was made of riverine?

[Phelix-Mu]

I will leave the details to someone more proficient with monsters, such as Ur-Priest.

But let me just say that this template is a famously bad piece of writing, with famously hyperbolic interpretations that can turn out some very impressive results (in a bad, gamebreaking sense).

[Prime32]

1. Level Adjustment listed as +1. But +1 to what? Host, guest, combined, or just flat +1? I know, there are probably no official answer, but maybe some common agreement exist?I always read it as "Both the host and guest gain LA +1, but you don't get the second creature for free - it has to be a fellow party member or cohort."


2. HD-dependent abilities. Handbook advice to use fey- and plant-related templates to fit various creatures into requirements. Half-Fey and Woodling get a new SLA by HD. Can a class levels of a Symbiotic Creature count as HD for this purposes?HD and character level are the same thing.


3. Detach and special attacks. Spellwyrm unable to cast spells while attached. Mind Leech limited in available psionics while detached. Psionic Sinew unable to use Claws of the Bear and Vigor without host. What other special attacks can work/not work/work different for symbionts?:smallconfused: Symbionts are a completely separate thing from the Symbiotic template. You don't gain the symbiotic template when you use a symbiont, you just wear it as an item.

[ShurikVch]

I always read it as "Both the host and guest gain LA +1, but you don't get the second creature for free - it has to be a fellow party member or cohort."
It's impossible. Guest and host not a separate creatures anymore. Even if guest currently use Detach ability, they are still same creature, have single pool of hp, XP and LA. Or maybe, you will rule lycanthrope template as "+2 to humanoid and +2 to animal"? :smallamused:


HD and character level are the same thing. Just wasn't sure it will work in this particular case.


:smallconfused: Symbionts are a completely separate thing from the Symbiotic template. You don't gain the symbiotic template when you use a symbiont, you just wear it as an item. Yes, I know it. But it's a good reference. Also, can be a graceful answer to the question: "What if guest is epic spellcaster?" But such ruling entail certain difficulties: what abilities will work?