[3.5] (Character Creation) Battlesuit Pilot Concept, Need Help.

[D4rkh0rus]

http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/330/6/3/tau_xv_9_hazard_suit_by_thevampiredio-d33mqvh.jpg
http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100817012557/starcraft/images/b/b9/Odin_SC2-WoL_Story1.jpg

I know the system does not exactly lend itself to these kind of things, but... would it be possible to create a character that pilots a battle suit? How would it be done? Which Classes, Etc.

I would rather not have the battlesuit be a character, but I am open to any suggestions as such (for example, Leadership).

What would I need, how would I go about creating it (Which feats, what items, etc), etc. what options are there for me to try and do something as outwardly and strange in this typical fantasy setting?

stuff to know:

all 3.x Material is allowed, even dragon mag.
Pathfinder is a case by case basis, but for the moment, anything is allowed.

its preferable that the suit has some mobility (Can fly, for example)

also, Its preferable that the suit focus on ranged attacks. for the sake of damage and weapon calcs, treat one of its weapons as a machine gun (a heavy crossbow (from RoS) But with the repeating ability). for the moment at least... Would need to see if there is anything which can be used like a misile, etc.

[Darkweave31]

So first a few questions...

1) does it have to be 3.5, or are you open to other systems?

2) Is pathfinder material (specifically synthesist archetype summoner) available?

3) Is homebrew open?

[D4rkh0rus]

1) does it have to be 3.5, or are you open to other systems?
It has to be 3.x Dragon is allowed though.


2) Is pathfinder material (specifically synthesist archetype summoner) available?
Need to consult, but probably yes.


3) Is homebrew open?
It depends, if there's a HB class that fulfills all this, then ill take a look at it, but preferably no homebrew.

[Darkweave31]

Synthesist summoner will likely be the easiest way to pull it off with published material (albeit pathfinder). Are you going for more of a sci-fi flavor for this character? If so, the summoner's other summons/spells could be explained as other inventions that you can pull from hammer space/special additions you made to your mech. You might also consider one of the 3rd party archetypes that replace your spellcasting (like weapon champion or somesuch) if you're trying to be strictly badass normal mech pilot.


As for homebrew, nothing really jumps to mind right away, but I'm sure you could find something. There is a way to do it with the gramarie system iirc.

[Iku Rex]

Maybe an artificer wearing clockwork armor (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cw/20070212a). You can add all sorts of enhancements to the suit. You'll need to be high-ish level though.

If the GM allows it, something from Dragonmech (http://www.goodman-games.com/WW17600preview.html) might work. (I haven't tried it.)

[Red Rubber Band]

There was this little bit of ridiculousness (community.wizards.com/forum/previous-editions-character-optimization/threads/1230891). Less a power suit, more an elemental battle armour.

Or you could be Ironman (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=9846.0).

[D4rkh0rus]

There was this little bit of ridiculousness (community.wizards.com/forum/previous-editions-character-optimization/threads/1230891). Less a power suit, more an elemental battle armour.

Or you could be Ironman (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=9846.0).

well, its not about creating iron man, or iron gnome... Its about creating X, Pilot of a strange (and large) hunk of metallic gadgets that obliterates all in its path.


I wanna go big, not megazord big, but still big. Battle suit big. Goliath (from starcraft) Big, XV8 Big.

[Jagernaut]

I've always wanted to do an Artificer and Effigy Master build with a similar goal in mind. Unfortunately I've never worked out the details, so I don't know if it's feasible or not. You could build a Abeil Soldier effigy and maybe fly around in it. Use Artificer to make some kick ass wands for energy weapons, the Effigy can already use ranseurs and longbows. Sounds like fun and it's fairly gundam like, but again not sure if it'll work. If I was DMing I'd allow because...it's awesome.

Edit: Forgot to mention that the effigy would be large size.

[Red Rubber Band]

well, its not about creating iron man, or iron gnome... Its about creating X, Pilot of a strange (and large) hunk of metallic gadgets that obliterates all in its path.


I wanna go big, not megazord big, but still big. Battle suit big. Goliath (from starcraft) Big, XV8 Big.

While they may not be exactly what you're after, they may still give you ideas. Especially the Ironman one as, from memory, it kitted the suit out with jetpacks and pew pews; both things you need on a mech suit.

And I realise you haven't asked for homebrew (nor an extra rules system), but Oslecamo did a homebrew mini system for mechas on the minmax boards. You'd need everyone to be in on it as the mechas are huge. But, again, it may give you/your DM some ideas.

[Milo v3]

Could be an Aegis (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/psionics-unleashed/classes/aegis) by Dreamscarred Press with Juggernaut Suit and take the size increasing customizations. This should let you create a mech suit that is up to 32 ft. tall, and still be part of a balanced class.

[D4rkh0rus]

I wonder, can a medium character wear a suit of armor designed for a large or huge creature? (without changing size)

[Morof Stonehands]

Perhaps you can see if your DM will allow you to attach war forged components to your armor.

Also, large or huge sized intelligent armor is a possibility. Have a seat inside, and maybe the lowest allowable stats so that you can easily control it.

[Magma Armor0]

Seconding the clockwork armor mentioned above.

Can someone more skilled at template stacking than me find a way to get the symbiote template on a large or huge construct-like thing? That might work...

[One Step Two]

Using the Synthesist Summoner, you could refluff, or make a variant that makes the Eidolon you merge with act as a Mech suit, and requires time to get in etc. When the HP reaches zero, it becomes inactive, and the like. The trade off being you count as large when wearing it, but you can't take it everywhere you go, so the benefits of being big becomes harder as you need to run to wherever you are currently storing it.

[Irk]

I was trying to make something like this last year. I gave up on it, but it hinged on the astral construct armor trick. Astral Constructs can be shaped however, so you make it form around yourself in a kind of shield. My idea relied on getting a really big one and then hollowing out its head. It was meant to be like one of the robots from Pacific Rim, so it had to be operated by two people, completely enclosed. Then I had an extraordinarily complicated idea to use psionic tattoos to shift any power from a Psion to the astral construct to be used at will. The trick was making sure every power could be used as a swift action, and making sure that the two pilots could transfer the powers in under a round. I have a bit of it, but it isn't fully fleshed out, like the rest of this post, but I thought it was kind of relevant.

It relied on this (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20031225a) and this (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20030829a).

I'm just posting what I have, I don't know if it's coherent, but it seems relevant.


The spell Hoard gullet allows one to store things inside of a second stomach. THe Spell to Power Erudite transforms this into a power, which the psion acquires through psionic chirurgery or from a power stone created by the StP erudite, a more economic method. In the article ‘Psionic Potpourri’ WoTC presented the ‘Power Storing’ Construct menu option (at the bottom of the article). The Power Storing option functions similarly to spell storing on a weapon with a few key differences. The first is that the stored power can only be activated if the manifester has the available PP and it can be manifested as a free action, which is nifty but not relevant. After it is expended, a new power can not be imbued, unlike the spell storing property. The key sentence in the Power Storing option is this:

The psion can have the astral construct activate the power as a free action.
This implies that the Psion can make the construct activate the power as if the construct had the ability to do so: “have the astral construct activate the power”. The construct is performing the activation, which in this case is synonymous with manifestation if you read the entry directly after the above phrase:

This ability is a special exception to the general rule that manifesting a power from an item takes as long as manifesting the power normally.
The quote shows that activation means manifestation. It is a little questionable considering that it calls the whole action ‘from an item’, but I think that it is mitigated by two things:
1. Items do not always directly affect the user (obvious)
2. The first quote implies the construct receives the benefit.
This is all very important because without it, the Astral Construct would not be able to activate the spell-power as it has target:you. What does this result in? The ability to ride around in your astral construct for a lengthy period of time, completely shielded from harm but still capable of doing things. Clearly, however, you cannot activate powers. That’s next.
NOTE: Power Storing only works on powers with a manifestation time of a standard action, like the hoard gullet spell-power.

This next part concerns using Psionic tattoos. Research Aid + Exceptional Artisan brings down crafting time to nine hours and using a dedicated Wright, you can scribe different tattoo sets onto tattoo avatars that can then be shifted over to you. This particular build relays on several up of psionic tattoos, all from ‘The Mind’s Eye: Getting Wired”. The first of that couple is the Circuit Breaker + Capacitor + Transducer + Relay. This allows you to negate attacks on your tattoos by continuously activating a rechargeable Circuit Breaker. The next necessary tattoo is the Mental Tap, which allows you to activate power tattoos that are linked to it mentally, as if they were quickened. The last one is the Integrated Circuit, which allows you to swap around what tattoo is connected to what as a group of standard actions.

Well, re-reading it, I don't know if it makes much sense, but let me simplify it:

Astral Construct gets Hoard Gullet, you ride around inside of it.

Craft lots of Tattoos that can be re-used and re-charged.

Make those tattoos invulnerable

Make it so they can be activated as a swift action

get a bunch of people to swap Integrated Circuit tattoos from you to storage on a tattoo effigy to your Astral Mech, then activate them mentally or have your construct activate them to simulate mech-y stuff like flight or lasers through any psionic power you want, so that fulfills the OP desire for fancy tricks.

I don't know. This was old Irk, and I'm tired. sorry if this was irrelevant, but I bet it was really cool when I wrote it.

Lesson: Mechs = tats + gullet

BONUS: While piloting, you get to say things like "shift the third transducer array to effigy A6!" and "recharge circuit breakers and prepare to fire annihilation cannons (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/ultrablast.htm)!"

[Ruethgar]

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?176276-3-5-Magitech-Templar-Iron-Man

Hard to hyperlink on a phone, but Person_Man's Magitech Tenplar can fill this niche. Technically the Pathfinder Construct Armor modification can as well, but it is expensive(awesome combining the two on a warforged).

[LairdMaon]

Just a thought I'd been tossing around, but perhaps this might spark something more workable.

Warforged
+
Quori Construct
+
Permanency: Enlarge (one size category)
+
Soulfused Construct
+
Symbiotic Creature
+
Xvart

Artificer for class allows the creation of wands of elemental dart and such.
Wand sheath both arms.

Not sure about the flying...