SangoProduction
2021-07-27, 06:40 AM
OK, I went ahead and sucked it up and bought the Catgirl Handbook. I've never failed to be intrigued whenever I happened to come across some of its contents on the wiki.
So, the Metagot is a Wraith archetype which lets you be a physical, tiny-sized cat permanently, rather than occasionally (or permanently) being a wraith. [Any reasonable GM will allow mechanically equivalent forms, even if they are fluffy-superior...like dogs. Or large weasels.)
That is pretty objectively a power down. Tiny size < incorporeal. Obviously.
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Familiar possession is interesting, letting you "attach" to a creature, and "possess" them, while still being a physical creature that can do independent actions. Which is arguably a buff. At least for the passive possession version of things... depending on how your DM rules it.
You see, the base Wraith is not actually explicit in letting you do literally anything other than the Path powers, and telepathy with the possessed. Given that you are absorbed within another creature, requiring that creature's senses to view the world, it is not impossible for your DM to rule that that means you can't actually do anything until you manifest or take active control.
Like... that would be one hell of a yikes, but I'd blame the Possession ability for being so convoluted that they forgot to mention what you can actually do.
And on the other side of things, the fact that while you're actively possessing it... you are still a target. This is objectively a nerf. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. But perhaps one that actually allows the class the be played. As in your DM isn't just banning it for how obscene being untargetable, and turning an enemy into an ally all at once is.
But what are the positives for the player over normal possession?
Immediate access to abilities, so long as you have sufficient level to access them (based on the Master's ability's prerequisites, which might be: None).
That is actually *Huge.* Normally all you have access to is... well, the entire person you're actively possessing, but not their abilities, at least until many levels in.
This means that you can be a back up healer without picking up any healing talents, so long as someone else did...probably the primary healer. Similarly, you can take your pick of your party (or your own) abilities that you want to use at any given point in time.
Note: The wording says nothing, but the positioning of the wording granting the ability to copy abilities could imply that you can only do that while actively possessing. That's going to be a lot more of an issue, because starting a possession is a standard action and a spell point, though dropping it is at least free.
This would mean that you have to spend your round to possess someone, and then you get to use their abilities, but now you've cost your teammate an entire turn, unless their abilities are mental-only actions.
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Getting to remove the cost to passively possess from Ride Along is actually incredible - for one reason. Well, a couple, mostly fluffy reasons, but one reason in particular.
You can change a passive possession to an active possession as a move action for no additional cost. So you may now indefinitely possess creatures, as long as you are in no particular rush.
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Feline Haunts restrict you from incoporeal haunts...because you don't have that ability. But it introduces new options.
Black Cat - lets you pick a witch hex. There are a couple which you could care about, although a particular standout would definitely be Slumber...although you don't have any way to pump its DC, and it's not useful early on, it can definitely be a useful Sheep effect. Cauldron could also be... interesting...
Cast A Long Shadow is.... Well, I don't much understand the point of it. Unless you're looking to use that bonus reach for some martial talent stuff... but I can't quite think of anything where this option wouldn't just be inferior to basically anything else more focused on it.
Improved Felid Form grants 1 trait, plus 1 per 5 levels after fifth. Woo... There are decent options, like Initiative. And a funny one in Roar (although the Moan haunt is already possible). Taking Nauseating Spray is also workable if you prefer skunks to cats. Flight speed is also perfectly possible to gain.
Maligned Purring is unironically pretty nice. In particular with the Stalking purr, thanks to how the Familiar Possession works.
Scampering Possession? I could take it or leave it. Sure, if you took it, you could bolt from your ally to your enemy, passive possess, then active possess, and woo you've done it for free. But... do you actually care that much about a single point every couple rounds? Just go straight to active possession. But it's an option.
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No idea why Deciever doesn't even start until level 6. Also not positive why you would care about Disguise checks.
Wicked Familiar? Neat.
The Matagot is also kind of neat, although the "randomly revived on the planet / plane they died" bit can definitely be a "you have 7 days to revive the cat or they are out." Although if you survived to capstone... congrats. You probably don't care near as much about this then. The spell resistance is neat though.
So, the Metagot is a Wraith archetype which lets you be a physical, tiny-sized cat permanently, rather than occasionally (or permanently) being a wraith. [Any reasonable GM will allow mechanically equivalent forms, even if they are fluffy-superior...like dogs. Or large weasels.)
That is pretty objectively a power down. Tiny size < incorporeal. Obviously.
-
Familiar possession is interesting, letting you "attach" to a creature, and "possess" them, while still being a physical creature that can do independent actions. Which is arguably a buff. At least for the passive possession version of things... depending on how your DM rules it.
You see, the base Wraith is not actually explicit in letting you do literally anything other than the Path powers, and telepathy with the possessed. Given that you are absorbed within another creature, requiring that creature's senses to view the world, it is not impossible for your DM to rule that that means you can't actually do anything until you manifest or take active control.
Like... that would be one hell of a yikes, but I'd blame the Possession ability for being so convoluted that they forgot to mention what you can actually do.
And on the other side of things, the fact that while you're actively possessing it... you are still a target. This is objectively a nerf. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. But perhaps one that actually allows the class the be played. As in your DM isn't just banning it for how obscene being untargetable, and turning an enemy into an ally all at once is.
But what are the positives for the player over normal possession?
Immediate access to abilities, so long as you have sufficient level to access them (based on the Master's ability's prerequisites, which might be: None).
That is actually *Huge.* Normally all you have access to is... well, the entire person you're actively possessing, but not their abilities, at least until many levels in.
This means that you can be a back up healer without picking up any healing talents, so long as someone else did...probably the primary healer. Similarly, you can take your pick of your party (or your own) abilities that you want to use at any given point in time.
Note: The wording says nothing, but the positioning of the wording granting the ability to copy abilities could imply that you can only do that while actively possessing. That's going to be a lot more of an issue, because starting a possession is a standard action and a spell point, though dropping it is at least free.
This would mean that you have to spend your round to possess someone, and then you get to use their abilities, but now you've cost your teammate an entire turn, unless their abilities are mental-only actions.
-
Getting to remove the cost to passively possess from Ride Along is actually incredible - for one reason. Well, a couple, mostly fluffy reasons, but one reason in particular.
You can change a passive possession to an active possession as a move action for no additional cost. So you may now indefinitely possess creatures, as long as you are in no particular rush.
-
Feline Haunts restrict you from incoporeal haunts...because you don't have that ability. But it introduces new options.
Black Cat - lets you pick a witch hex. There are a couple which you could care about, although a particular standout would definitely be Slumber...although you don't have any way to pump its DC, and it's not useful early on, it can definitely be a useful Sheep effect. Cauldron could also be... interesting...
Cast A Long Shadow is.... Well, I don't much understand the point of it. Unless you're looking to use that bonus reach for some martial talent stuff... but I can't quite think of anything where this option wouldn't just be inferior to basically anything else more focused on it.
Improved Felid Form grants 1 trait, plus 1 per 5 levels after fifth. Woo... There are decent options, like Initiative. And a funny one in Roar (although the Moan haunt is already possible). Taking Nauseating Spray is also workable if you prefer skunks to cats. Flight speed is also perfectly possible to gain.
Maligned Purring is unironically pretty nice. In particular with the Stalking purr, thanks to how the Familiar Possession works.
Scampering Possession? I could take it or leave it. Sure, if you took it, you could bolt from your ally to your enemy, passive possess, then active possess, and woo you've done it for free. But... do you actually care that much about a single point every couple rounds? Just go straight to active possession. But it's an option.
-
No idea why Deciever doesn't even start until level 6. Also not positive why you would care about Disguise checks.
Wicked Familiar? Neat.
The Matagot is also kind of neat, although the "randomly revived on the planet / plane they died" bit can definitely be a "you have 7 days to revive the cat or they are out." Although if you survived to capstone... congrats. You probably don't care near as much about this then. The spell resistance is neat though.