3.5 Thought experiment. Hellsing.

[Metahuman1]

So, first point, I'm referring to the Manga primarily, and the OVA Hellsing Ultimate in so far as it actually followed that. Just to establish common frame of reference out the starting gate.



Long story short. My party has a half vampire ranger in it, and were getting geared up to go in on a massive army vs. army fight which will likely include fighting all the recurring BBEG's of the game so far and culminate in demon princes and at least one elder evil getting summoned that we have to deal with.

The player is an anime fan, and is familiar with and likes the series in question. So, between that an a recent plot event, I got to thinking and talking to the DM about an idea. Giving her Serris Victoria (the police girl that Alucard makes into a vampire in the series who starts kind of weak and then get's badass when the vampire Nazi's attack London.) shadow.

Given that I'm a high caliber arcane caster, we've got access to army's that include high caliber arcane and divine casters, and she's the daughter of the vampire lord of the necropolis who's kindly disposed toward her, and, subsequently, us, and the DM is also an Anime fan who likes the series in question, he seemed interested in pitching the idea.


Toward that end, I come here with a question. How would one stat that characters shadow out? What ability's would it grant/have/entail/use?

Obviously using 3.5 D&D. Don't worry about how to graft them together, I have something for that part. Just need what ability's it actually would entail/use/grant to be grafted together.

[Red Fel]

Toward that end, I come here with a question. How would one stat that characters shadow out? What ability's would it grant/have/entail/use?

Obviously using 3.5 D&D. Don't worry about how to graft them together, I have something for that part. Just need what ability's it actually would entail/use/grant to be grafted together.

Well, step one would probably be stating more explicitly what her "shadow" does, for those of us whose familiarity is limited, nonexistent, or primarily through the Abridged series. Is it some kind of symbiote? Magic? An alternate personality? Is it like something Dr. Facilier would do?

Let's start with what, specifically, you're trying to accomplish. That might help.

[Tohsaka Rin]

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRW4CS2dzNFBP1CtXrQwjoWdNZCB2gdb uknKmNX-VkSXI7J2rn2Ag

Functionally a weaponized combat aura that replaces her missing arm, and allows her to fly.

[Metahuman1]

Something of the sort. It's, rather versatile and potent as a combat weapon. And figuring it out is actually the part were I seem to keep getting stumped.

[Jowgen]

It's certainly intelligent, so I'd base it off a symbiont rather than a graft. The eberron Shadow Sibling seems a tad similar, but obviously the powers need adjusting.

I'd make it an undead incorporeal like the Ghostly visage, obviously make it bond to the arm, give it the power of a con-draining touch attach (as vampire feeding), maybe plus a little slashing damage for coolness, and that's about it. The flying, if it is indeed needed, I would limit to something like Cha-mod of minutes per day (minimum spend 5 rounds); with the caveat that the con-draining attach can't be used while in flight.

[Red Fel]

Something of the sort. It's, rather versatile and potent as a combat weapon. And figuring it out is actually the part were I seem to keep getting stumped.

Well, here's an idea. Give a list of specific things that it has done. Don't describe them mechanically, just descriptively. Then we can see if we can reverse-engineer some mechanics.

It's possible that, unless we can find a graft, symbiont, or magic item that does the thing, it might not work mid-to-late-game. Some broad categories of abilities require multiple class levels to get right; granting them outright is tricky business. But we won't know that until we know specifically what it is you're trying to achieve.

[Metahuman1]

I'll do you one better. Thought, warning, content is extremely graphic in it's violence, and extremely spoiler heavy.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHxen84f69A
Skip to about 4:45 on this one to get to the relevant part.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xmx3eFUf54

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euPfVQkAYm4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqB21RyGyPE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpxUWNXnbz4&index=34&list=RD0F15nk6oGh4

From 1:24 to 2:10 is the relevant tidbit.


So, yeah. We've got enhanced awareness, whatever the hell is going on with the trooper and his soul she seems to have absorbed, enhanced movement, enhanced combat prowess and attack options, and toward the end, longer range manipulation of space as near as I can tell.

[Emperor Tippy]

Look, just list out in bullet point form what it does. Having to watch a bunch of clips to get some idea of what you want is way too much work.

And to be brutally honest, it probably won't be possible without breaking out the kinds of TO tricks that your DM would probably have to be insane to allow in your game. Your best bet is to probably homebrew something that does what you want.

The easiest RAWish way would be to go through the published magic items and write down everyone of them that replicates at least one part of what you want to do and then combine them all before doubling the price to make it a slotless magic item and then reduce the price by 40% or so to account for the "other considerations" discount (item can't be used by anyone else, item can't be removed or sold, etc.). Then you just fluff it as a ritual or natural ability.