Making Zato-1/Eddie (really just Eddie) from Guilty Gear

[Noxangelo]

So Eddie from Guilty Gear is a Morphing shadow monster who does Zato's fighting for him.

I was wondering how would you guys make him, without just refluffing.

The obvious answer would be a pathfinder summoner but lacks the morphing, shapechanging traits.

Some ideas I had:

bound shadow demon
shadow druid master of many forms
umbral mimic warshaper
animated water under a permanent image to look like shadow.
living shadow spell (net of shadows, darkness, nightmare terrain while not shadowy could be interesting)

what else can we think of?

[gijoemike]

I would start with the Shadow Familiar feat from Tome of Magic. It requires one to be a shadow caster which is... not great.
Then take improved familiar. Boom you now have a decent familiar that is all shadowy and dark. Proceed with usual familiar/animal companion nonsense.

[Eurus]

So, there's a set of racial substitution levels for Changeling Wizards. The level 5 feature lets you trade your normal bonus feat at that level for the Morphic Familiar ability, which gives your familiar the ability to change its form to any other familiar you could choose. There's a Darkness Familiar feat in Dragon #322, which will let you turn your familiar into a Shadow or Darkness Pseudoelemental, but Improved Familiar alone gives you a ton of options.

At that point, I would suggest being a gish wizard focused on buff spells. Buff your familiar, let it transform from a harmless animal into an elemental or demon or swarm of bats or whatever you want, throw it at enemies.

[Noxangelo]

I would start with the Shadow Familiar feat from Tome of Magic. It requires one to be a shadow caster which is... not great.
Then take improved familiar. Boom you now have a decent familiar that is all shadowy and dark. Proceed with usual familiar/animal companion nonsense.

It would work, except for the shadowcaster bit, which is a pity


So, there's a set of racial substitution levels for Changeling Wizards. The level 5 feature lets you trade your normal bonus feat at that level for the Morphic Familiar ability, which gives your familiar the ability to change its form to any other familiar you could choose.

That sounds fascinating, it would be interesting to see how it would hold up in play. Especially if you invested the feats to give yourself as many familiar options as possible.


There's a Darkness Familiar feat in Dragon #322, which will let you turn your familiar into a Shadow or Darkness Pseudoelemental,

That's a pretty cool feat, and the darkness pseudo-elementals certainly fit what I'm after.


but Improved Familiar alone gives you a ton of options.

Or take both and the changeling wizard level and get to play with ALL the toys. :D


At that point, I would suggest being a gish wizard focused on buff spells. Buff your familiar, let it transform from a harmless animal into an elemental or demon or swarm of bats or whatever you want, throw it at enemies.

Or buff your familiar and have it do all the work.


Some other ideas:

Doppelganger Shadow Creature
Shadow Elemental
Darkness Pseudo-Elemental

[Gruftzwerg]

As Eurus pointed out, there is a racial substitution levels for Changeling Wizards to obtain a Morphic Familiar.

Now, you need Racial Emulation (a changeling feat) to unlock "Shadowform Familiar" (Champions of Ruin). This allows you to summon an incorpereal version of the familiar that you can summon (doesn't change any familiar you already have, only if you summon a new one. so take this feat as early as possible and delay you familiar summoning till then).

You can add buff spells (e.g. Alter Form, Poly..) to further enhance your familiar.
Add Arcane Hierophant ontop if you want to give it additional HD and feats.

[Rynjin]

Zato-1 is a top tier pun.

[redking]

If you are OK with semi-official material, athas.org (the licensed fan site for Dark Sun) has the blind fighter prestige class in Prestige Class Appendix Volume II 3.5 (https://athas.org/products/prc2/documents/17). Makes for a great Zatoichi.

[Noxangelo]

As Eurus pointed out, there is a racial substitution levels for Changeling Wizards to obtain a Morphic Familiar.

Now, you need Racial Emulation (a changeling feat) to unlock "Shadowform Familiar" (Champions of Ruin). This allows you to summon an incorpereal version of the familiar that you can summon (doesn't change any familiar you already have, only if you summon a new one. so take this feat as early as possible and delay you familiar summoning till then).

You can add buff spells (e.g. Alter Form, Poly..) to further enhance your familiar.
Add Arcane Hierophant ontop if you want to give it additional HD and feats.

the darkness psuedo-elemental familiar from the shadow familiar feat is incorporeal, and has blur for a 50% and 20% miss chances.

[Gruftzwerg]

the darkness psuedo-elemental familiar from the shadow familiar feat is incorporeal, and has blur for a 50% and 20% miss chances.

Sorry can follow you here...^^

Where do you get the darkness psuedo-elemental familiar? I don't see that the shadow familiar feat gives new familiar options other than the "dark creature" template it can add. Would you be so nice and help me out with a lil explanation for me?^^

[Noxangelo]

Sorry can follow you here...^^

Where do you get the darkness psuedo-elemental familiar? I don't see that the shadow familiar feat gives new familiar options other than the "dark creature" template it can add. Would you be so nice and help me out with a lil explanation for me?^^


Sorry, *Darkness Familiar* from D322.
My bad.

[Noxangelo]

I realised today that Eddie would need to have Engulf or swallow whole or similar, like the amulet of ooze riding (can't remember if that's its actual name) from the A&EG and Oozes aren't eligible for the umbral template, haven't checked the other templates yet though.

Is there a way to give a monster Engulf?

Also, what happens when an incorporeal creature phases through a wall with a corporeal creature engulfed?