Greywander
2020-03-01, 02:05 AM
Now, some of you may say that this should really be its own class, rather than just a feat, and I'm actually working on building a class around this concept right now. But I thought I'd ask for some feedback on just the concept as a feat. (Oh, I should probably mention this is currently a racial feat for a homebrew undead race, hence the reference to replacing your head.) Here's the text:
Appendage Assimilation
Should you lose a body part, such as a limb, or even your head, you may use an action to reattach that body part, or to attach a similar body part from another creature in the missing part’s place. This doesn’t affect your statistics in any way except to restore the functionality of the missing body part. You can choose to have the new body part retain its previous appearance or to have it fully integrate into your body and match your appearance.
Furthermore, you are also able to attach additional body parts to your body to gain various benefits. You can support up to two body additions. Each benefit counts as one addition, regardless of whether it involves multiple parts or if you have multiple benefits from one part. You can only add parts from creatures up to one size larger than you. Each of the following benefits count as one addition:
Ability Scores. You replace one of your Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution scores with the score of the creature whose part you are attaching.
Senses. You gain one special sense from that creature, such as darkvision or blindsight.
Movement. You gain one movement speed from that creature, such as a fly speed or swim speed.
Extra Hands. You gain any number of extra arms and hands.
Size. Each step that you increase or decrease your size counts as one addition. Your size can’t be smaller than the creature whose parts you are adding, but you can combine several smaller creatures into your body to increase your size.
Special Ability. Some creatures have special abilities that you can use if you attach the proper body part to yourself. Not every ability can be gained this way; generally skills that are learned can’t be transferred by simply attaching a body part, and some supernatural effects are a property of the creature itself, and not a part of its anatomy.
An attached body part from another creature can be detached as an action. You can’t detach your own body parts except by cutting them off, unless you have another ability that lets you do so.
You can take this feat more than once. Each time you take this feat, you can support up to two additional body additions.
In a previous thread, I explored a related concept of stealing traits from monsters (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?603673-Stealing-monster-traits-What-could-go-wrong), and it highlighted some of that ways that such an ability could be abused. I'm strongly considering reducing the number of body modifications to one for each time you take the feat. Even with that reduction, this is still a feat that, more or less gives you at-will flight (if you use that as your body modification). Maybe also a restriction on special abilities where monster CR is <= your level.
Appendage Assimilation
Should you lose a body part, such as a limb, or even your head, you may use an action to reattach that body part, or to attach a similar body part from another creature in the missing part’s place. This doesn’t affect your statistics in any way except to restore the functionality of the missing body part. You can choose to have the new body part retain its previous appearance or to have it fully integrate into your body and match your appearance.
Furthermore, you are also able to attach additional body parts to your body to gain various benefits. You can support up to two body additions. Each benefit counts as one addition, regardless of whether it involves multiple parts or if you have multiple benefits from one part. You can only add parts from creatures up to one size larger than you. Each of the following benefits count as one addition:
Ability Scores. You replace one of your Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution scores with the score of the creature whose part you are attaching.
Senses. You gain one special sense from that creature, such as darkvision or blindsight.
Movement. You gain one movement speed from that creature, such as a fly speed or swim speed.
Extra Hands. You gain any number of extra arms and hands.
Size. Each step that you increase or decrease your size counts as one addition. Your size can’t be smaller than the creature whose parts you are adding, but you can combine several smaller creatures into your body to increase your size.
Special Ability. Some creatures have special abilities that you can use if you attach the proper body part to yourself. Not every ability can be gained this way; generally skills that are learned can’t be transferred by simply attaching a body part, and some supernatural effects are a property of the creature itself, and not a part of its anatomy.
An attached body part from another creature can be detached as an action. You can’t detach your own body parts except by cutting them off, unless you have another ability that lets you do so.
You can take this feat more than once. Each time you take this feat, you can support up to two additional body additions.
In a previous thread, I explored a related concept of stealing traits from monsters (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?603673-Stealing-monster-traits-What-could-go-wrong), and it highlighted some of that ways that such an ability could be abused. I'm strongly considering reducing the number of body modifications to one for each time you take the feat. Even with that reduction, this is still a feat that, more or less gives you at-will flight (if you use that as your body modification). Maybe also a restriction on special abilities where monster CR is <= your level.