Changeling Race (Star Trek DS9)?

[Durzan]

Okay, lets say I wanted to recreate the changeling race from Star Trek DS9... How would I go about it?

Obviously, the base creature would be of the Ooze type, the shapechanger subtype, and would have a shape change ability that could probably replicate high level polymorph spells...

but other than that... not really sure how I would go about this.

[Durzan]

Bump. Hello?

[rferries]

Power level would be a big factor - the Changelings could change size, travel at warp, etc...if you replicate them faithfully they'd probably have a whole whack of racial HD and level adjustment.

If you're willing to "settle" for a lower power level, I find it helps to make a low-power race (LA+1 max), then offer a lot of the "powers" of that race as racial feat taxes.

For example -make an LA+1 ooze [shapechanger] base race as you describe. Take away the ooze immunities and give them bonuses on saves instead (I did this recently with my Oozefolk) to reduce the power. For flavour, make them inclined towards Law (like the DS9 Founders), make it so they have to rest in their pails (or in the Great Link) every so often instead of sleep.The base race shouldn't be too powerful.

Then, make racial feats:

A psudopod feat to give them one natural attack for starters.

A camoflauge feat to let them change colour (e.g. bonus on Hide checks).

A starter shapeshifting feat to give them a bonus on Disguise checks.

A feat that lets them use gaseous form (which was possible for Changelings).

Etc etc. - make chains of feats, the culmination of which would be feats that let them use polymorph/change shape/wildshape/etc... all the way up to shapechange as the spell (albeit at epic level, maybe).

The end result is a character that starts out as a shapeless ooze and gradually teaches itself how to change shape, much as Odo and the other baby Changelings did when they were sent out by the Great Link.

Good luck!

[Durzan]

This was more a prompt just as a thought excersise and to facilitate discussion. Not sure If I am actually gonna write it up or not.

I don't use Level Adjustment.. at all; I tend to just ignore it.

Hit Dice are not as big a problem for me either, as I don't give a hard cap on ECL or character level, nor do I use the Epic Level Handbook.

I essentially use ECL for purposes of designing encounters but only deal with class levels for purposes of dishing out XP... and with no hard cap at Character Level of 20, having HD as levels isn't nearly as big of a problem as it would otherwise prove to be.

Racial feats might be a good idea...

I like your suggestions. :D

[rferries]

Ha ok. It seems you play fairly casually, in which case you could probably just give them polymorph (self only) at will as a spell-like ability.

[Durzan]

I wouldn't say I play casually (I tend to use a lot of homebrew), so much as I don't like Level Adjustment to the point where I don't bother accounting for it. It doesn't really do the job that it was designed for, therefore I ignore it.

Polymorph as a spell-like ability would be an option, I suppose.

[rferries]

Ah I see. I'm still unclear then on what power level you're aiming for then -e.g. would you prefer they have alter self as a SLA (maybe scaling up into wild shape and polymorph as the character grows in level), or are you fine with them starting off with the ability to shapeshift at will (obviously much more powerful but could be limited by their HD/caster level somewhat)? Also, is this meant to be a PC or NPC race (NPC races typically are allowed to be more powerful)? Please also comment on what characteristics of the Founders you want to incorporate (e.g. warp capability, genetically-engineered soldiers (Jem'Hadar) and diplomats/scientists (Vorta), ability to Link with each other, etc.).

[Durzan]

(Sorry for the Necro, I was just thinking about this again and didnt want to bother creating a new thread)

A friend of mine has a creature similar to what I was pondering, and he limits its shapechanging powers based off of HD. IE it can only shapechange into a creature with the same size (or smaller) as well as the same number of base HD. It starts out at a fine creature, and grows in size as it eats/absorbs organic material.

That would be fine, except he also decided to give it random elemental resistance which changes randomly each time you hit it... which doesnt fit the lore of a changeling at all.

So perhaps limiting its shapechanging powers based off of its size and number of HD would be appropriate?

Yes, its supposed to be a NPC race, or a PC race with GM approval.

[nonsi]

.
Reviving your own thread doesn't count as Necroing.

There's not a lot homebrewing on DS9's Odo, but here's something I just found (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?511830-Creating-a-balanced-changeling-species). It's for 5e, but maybe it'll come in handy.

[Durzan]

That was... an interesting read. I have little idea what its talking about as I've only played 5e once, and it was just a single session... so I can't exactly see how it would prove useful for a 3.5e adaptation of DS9 Changeling, beyond maybe some racial flavoring.

[rferries]

Are there any specific qualities of the Founders that you want this race to have, beyond shapechanging? Again, they can survive in a vacuum and travel at FTL speeds, turn incorporeal, fool even the most advanced sensors, Link with each other, resist tons of phaser/disruptor fire, etc. Drawing up a list of abilities would determine the homebrew race's power level and how closely it can emulate the flavour you want.