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Aniikinis
2017-11-18, 11:05 AM
The Vermin-bonded

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/39/a4/85/39a4856f9b8435d1c080f7d261e1ba85.jpg

Many people shun the vermin of the world, seeing them as weak or worthless, more trouble than they are worth. Some, however, see these creatures as kindred and, in fact, have become able to bond with them so closely that it seems as if their mind, hearts, and souls are one.

Creating a Vermin-bonded Creature.
Vermin-bonded is a template that can be either acquired or inherited onto any creature that has a soul and physical body that are separate. A vermin-bonded creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Type: The creature's type changes does not change, however they are also considered to be a vermin in addition to their original creature type.

Special Qualities: A vermin-bonded creature has all the special qualities of the base creature, plus the following special qualities.

Vermin Empathy: This functions as the druid ability Wild Empathy, however the vermin-bonded creature may only use this ability to influence vermin. A vermin-bonded creature does not take any penalty to influence mindless creatures and gains a +2 bonus to influence creatures of his bond's type (spiders, roaches, centipedes, etc.).

The Bond: The vermin-bonded may begin play with a single vermin of size tiny or smaller and with a CR of 1/2 or less. This vermin acts as an extension of the character's senses and body. Whatever the vermin can see or sense, the character can as well, and vise versa. The two may communicate over any distance through a shared telepathic bond and are always considered to be under the same spells. Whenever one would take damage, the other may choose to expend part of their HP to negate a 1:1 amount of the damage dealt to the attacked creature.

If a character would become a vermin-bonded after 1st level or lose their bonded vermin after 1st level, treat the maximum CR allowed as Character Level -1. At level 4, and every 4 levels afterwards, the maximum size of vermin allowed to be bonded with increases by one (small at level 4, medium at level 8, etc.)

If the vermin would die, the character takes a -2 to all rolls due to grief for 1d4*ECL days and loses 20 EXP per level. After this period the character may replace the vermin with another, but must spend at least a week to bond with the vermin in question and expend 10 gold on food and treats for the new vermin.

Abilities: -2 to Charisma, +2 to Constitution

Challenge Rating: Same as base creature.

Level Adjustment: +1


Alternate bonds:

These alternate bonds are for those who wish to be able to customize their bond a little bit. Each of these alternate choices switches out the use of the Vermin Empathy ability and changes what type of creature you may bond with as well as the type of creature you as counted as. They are exclusive and you cannot have more than one, save for the Swarm bond which requires the usage of another bond type.

Brood Bond: The character can bond with strange creatures known as slivers, but cannot bond with vermin or other magical beasts. In addition to your original creature type you are counted as a Magical beast with the Sliver subtype save that you cannot gain the abilities that other creatures with the sliver subtype grant. Change Vermin Empathy to Hive Empathy and the ability now only works on slivers instead of vermin. The LA of this template increases to +4.

The character begins play with the sliver from the stat block below. At level three the sliver matures into a lesser sliver with no ability as shown here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?202149-d-amp-d-3-5-Slivers-(Yes-Again)&p=11151937).

At each level after 3rd, the character has the option of turning it into a single sliver of a CR equal to (Character Level -1) or lower. At 5th level and every 5 levels after that the sliver grows stronger, becoming the next highest form of sliver (lesser sliver -> sliver -> greater sliver ->Master Sliver) if the character hadn't already transformed the sliver into another form. The character may choose the form of a sliver on the same level that it becomes a higher form of sliver.

Flock Bond: The character can bond with a bird-like creature such as an eagle, hawk, owl, or raven, but cannot bond with vermin. In addition to your original creature type you are counted as an animal. Change Vermin Empathy to Avian Empathy and the ability now only works on birds instead of vermin.

Mage Bond: The character can bond with a vermin-like magical beasts such as a , but cannot bond with vermin. In addition to your original creature type you are counted as a magical beast. Change Vermin Empathy to Magic Empathy and the ability now only works on vermin-like magical beasts instead of vermin.

Rat Bond: The character can bond with a rodent-like creature such as a bat, mouse, rabbit, or rat, but cannot bond with vermin. In addition to your original creature type you are counted as an animal. Change Vermin Empathy to Rodent Empathy and the ability now only works on rodents instead of vermin.

Scale Bond: The character can bond with a reptile-like creature such as a snake, lizard, turtle, or tiny dinosaurs(if allowed), but cannot bond with vermin. In addition to your original creature type you are counted as an animal. Change Vermin Empathy to Reptile Empathy and the ability now only works on reptiles instead of vermin.

Strange Bond: The character can bond with a vermin-like aberrant creature such as eyeball beholderkin, mindshredder larva, and howler wasps, but cannot bond with vermin. In addition to your original creature type you are counted as an aberration. Change Vermin Empathy to Aberrant Empathy and the ability now only works on vermin-like aberrations instead of vermin.

Swarm Bond: The character does not begin play with their bond and, in fact, cannot access their underlying abilities until later levels. The character can bond with swarms of the specified type of creature, but only if the HD of the swarm does not exceed their current HD. Change Vermin Empathy to Bond Empathy and the ability now only works on the selected bond type and swarms. The LA of the template and the other bond you have chosen increase by +1

Wet Bond: The character can bond with an amphibian creature such as a frog, salamander, or toad, but cannot bond with vermin. In addition to your original creature type you are counted as an animal. Change Vermin Empathy to Amphibian Empathy and the ability now only works on amphibians instead of vermin.


Least Sliver (for the Brood Bond)
Size/Type: Tiny Magical Beast (Sliver)
Hit Dice: 1d10+1 (6hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares), climb 5 ft.
Armor Class: 16 (+2 Dex, +2 natural, +2 size), touch 13, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-4
Attack: Claw +1 melee (1d6)
Full Attack: Claw +5 melee (1d6+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: None
Special Qualities: Sliver Traits, Hive Mind, Darkvision (60ft), Low Light Vision
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +0
Abilities: Str 11, Dex 15, Con 12, Int – (2), Wis – (12), Cha – (10)
Skills: -
Feats: Agile
Environment: Essentially anywhere
Organization: Solitary, group (6, including 3 weaker slivers, 2 medium, and 1 greater) or hive (Gods help you)
Challenge Rating: 1/3
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Same as controlling influence (True Neutral (Mindless))
Advancement: By hit dice


Sliver Traits (Hive Mind, Dominator, Sliver Subtype)
Hive Mind
In small numbers, Slivers are merely animals, with the instinct to hunt, to sleep, and to breed, and nothing more. Their natural Intelligence is two. However, more powerful slivers exist that are massively intelligent, and they exert absolute control over lesser slivers. (These Slivers possess the Hive Mind (Dominator) trait. A sliver summoned into being is considered controlled by its summoner)

A sliver under the control of another being uses that being’s skills, feats, and mental ability scores, unless its own are higher/better.
Being part of a Sliver Hive Mind is said to be 'strange', rather than any more specific description. The self is not entirely subsumed, with quirks and personality still existing, but being bound within perfect obedience, and absorbed into a greater whole, the coalition of every mind within it.

Hive Mind (Dominator)
A being with this trait can control any being with the sliver subtype within a mile/2HD.

Taking control of another sliver is a simplistic act normally, but can become difficult when two forces try to simultaneously. This art can become a form of battle, and is outlined below.
Taking control of another Sliver is a swift or move action. It triggers a contested Charisma roll off between the two controlling influences An uncontrolled Sliver with the Hive Mind trait, but not the Hive Mind (Dominator) trait suffers a -2 penalty on this roll. Trying to gain control of a Dominator grants that Dominator a +2 bonus to their roll.

However, a Dominator can invest more of their control into slivers to keep them under their influence. They have a number of floating points equal to a third of their HD, and can spread them among as few or as many slivers as they desire, including themselves. If anyone tries to use the Dominator trait to gain control of a sliver with these points, that sliver or its controller gains a bonus on the roll-off equal to the invested points.

By this system, imagine a lone Sliver Overlord trying to capture a Sliver Queen's hive, consisting of a Ward Sliver, a Might Sliver, an Essence Sliver and a Heart Sliver, as well as the Queen herself. The Queen has 18HD, and thus six points to invest. She is fearful for her safety, and thus invests two in herself, and two in the Ward Sliver, and one each to the Might and Essence Slivers. The Heart Sliver is considered unimportant in the great scheme of things.

The Sliver Overlord spends one round, using his swift, move and standard actions to sieze control of the Ward Sliver, the Essence Sliver and the Queen herself.
He rolls
1d20+His Charisma against 1d20+Queen's Charisma+1 to control the Essence Sliver.
1d20+His Charisma against 1d20+Queen's Charisma+2 to control the Ward Sliver.
1d20+His Charisma against 1d20+Queen's Charisma+4 to control the Queen.

Sliver Subtype
Slivers have the unique ability to share their powers. While some slivers are ‘plain’ members of their species, others have unique powers, abilities or mutations that they share with those around them.

These abilities are (Ex) for the Sliver that possesses them. However, they are shared with all slivers within 5ft/hd, as well as any sliver that has control over them. This sharing is a (Su) ability.

noob
2017-11-18, 01:25 PM
I can not see why I would have a non charisma based character not pick that template.

Aniikinis
2017-11-19, 07:49 AM
Yeah, I'm thinking of making it cost maybe +1 LA for the base template, +1 additional for the swarm bond alternate, and +3 for the Brood Bond.