Construct Player Races?

[Maerok]

Aside from Warforged, I'm looking for a sort of scarecrow-based PC race?

Something along the lines of enlightened effigy... Or maybe the Half-Golem template...

[The Glyphstone]

There's the Incarnate Construct template lying around somewhere, but I have no idea if it allows for use as a PC.

[Inyssius Tor]

Incarnate Construct is rubbish, unless you're planning to abuse it (it's possible to set up a nice STR-boosting, CR-reducing infinite loop, for example). Half-Golem isn't really what you want, since you'd still be mostly meat.

[Coplantor]

You can always ask the guys at the homebrew thread

[kamikasei]

What do you want to have that refluffing Warforged won't get you?

[Curmudgeon]

Maybe you can look into what you can accomplish with grafts; that might be easier than working up a new race entirely. The undead grafts in Fiend Folio might make for a nice scarecrow.

[Waspinator]

What do you want to have that refluffing Warforged won't get you?

A good point. If you can convince a DM to just let you use the Warforged stats and look like a scarecrow, you're good.

[newbDM]

This reminds me, I have always wondered what the LA would be for an animated object.


Or, I hear there is a psion build which lets you eventually become a psionic sandwich, so using that build perhaps you could become a scarecrow instead?


Personally, if a player approached me with this request, and they had a convincing explanation for this thing (that fitted into my world) or was willing to let me decide the fluff (again to fit into the current plot/NPCs), I would simply give it a single HD of the construct type and an LA+2 or 3. Then the first HD (but not the type traits) would be dropped for his/her first class level.

Here is what you get with the construct type:

* No Constitution score.
* Low-light vision.
* Darkvision out to 60 feet.
* Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
* Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, and necromancy effects.
* Cannot heal damage on their own, but often can be repaired by exposing them to a certain kind of effect (see the creature’s description for details) or through the use of the Craft Construct feat. A construct with the fast healing special quality still benefits from that quality.
* Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain.
* Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless).
* Not at risk of death from massive damage. Immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points or less.
* Since it was never alive, a construct cannot be raised or resurrected.
* Because its body is a mass of unliving matter, a construct is hard to destroy. It gains bonus hit points based on size, as shown on the table.
* Proficient with its natural weapons only, unless generally humanoid in form, in which case proficient with any weapon mentioned in its entry.
* Proficient with no armor.
* Constructs do not eat, sleep, or breathe.

I would simply make the following alterations:

* No Constitution score.
* Low-light vision.
* Darkvision out to 60 feet.
* Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
* Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, and necromancy effects.
* Cannot heal damage on their own, but often can be repaired by exposing them to a certain kind of effect (see the creature’s description for details) or through the use of the Craft Construct feat. A construct with the fast healing special quality still benefits from that quality.
* Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain.
* Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless).
* Not at risk of death from massive damage. Immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points or less.
* Since it was never alive, a construct cannot be raised or resurrected.. (Would rule that due to whatever reasons it now has a soul. )
* Because its body is a mass of unliving matter, a construct is hard to destroy. It gains bonus hit points based on size, as shown on the table. (Becomes based on class HD, and continues to grow as HD increase.)
* Proficient with its natural weapons only, unless generally humanoid in form, in which case proficient with any weapon mentioned in its entry. (Becomes based on class(s))
* Proficient with no armor. (Becomes based on class(s))
* Constructs do not eat, sleep, or breathe.

Another option would be to add the Living Construct type and leave it at that.

[Maerok]

K. Maybe retooling Warforged would be the most official option. Isn't there a Warforged Scout 'race'? I'll have to check RoE...

I'm thinking it'll be a warlock (so Cha would be of some utility), maybe Eldritch Theurge with Necromancer or DN (it's an eeevil scarecrow) and Nightmare Spinner or Dread Witch mixed in. It was originally going to be a boss-type monster for a campaign in a different system.

It used flocks of crows it has mind-linked to to attack PCs (so the Warlock's swarm-abilities would be prime).

[AslanCross]

You could go Warforged and take Unarmored body at first level. Takes up a feat slot, but it does go with the fluff.
Warforged Scout is strangely enough, not in RoE but in Monster Manual 3. Small size.

[Waspinator]

Warforged Scout is Monster Manual III, page 193. They're basically halfling-Warforged. Either that or the normal Warforged re-fluffed could serve for pretty much any construct "race" idea you have.

[newbDM]

K. Maybe retooling Warforged would be the most official option. Isn't there a Warforged Scout 'race'? I'll have to check RoE...

I'm thinking it'll be a warlock (so Cha would be of some utility), maybe Eldritch Theurge with Necromancer or DN (it's an eeevil scarecrow) and Nightmare Spinner or Dread Witch mixed in. It was originally going to be a boss-type monster for a campaign in a different system.

It used flocks of crows it has mind-linked to to attack PCs (so the Warlock's swarm-abilities would be prime).

Well, what about making the scarecrow part more of it's fluff than it's mechanics/race?

What if an old warforged which was (thought to be) broken was picked up by some commoner farmers from an old battle field, dressed up in some raggedly old clothes, stuffed with straw, tied to a stick, and place in the middle of a field to scare away pesky crop-stealing birds?

Maybe over time the scarecrow/warforged started gaining back strength/self repairing, and after quite a few years of rusting in that field while still being semi-awake/conscious, in the middle of the night it's eyes finally relit and it began to move (probably to the horrors of the local farmers)?

[Maerok]

I like to get the mechanics to fit the fluff when possible. This incarnate of the concept is something I'd like to play. So Warforged would probably be best.

[newbDM]

I like to get the mechanics to fit the fluff when possible.

Understandable.

This incarnate of the concept is something I'd like to play. So Warforged would probably be best.

What incarnate?

[Maerok]

Taking my WoD baddie and making them into a 3.5 character (incarnate, as in reimagining).

Constructs can cast corrupt spells without killing themselves since they're immune to ability damage?

[ChaosDefender24]

Incarnate Construct is rubbish, unless you're planning to abuse it (it's possible to set up a nice STR-boosting, CR-reducing infinite loop, for example). Half-Golem isn't really what you want, since you'd still be mostly meat.

When you apply the template to a maug, it's devastating...

Maugs are a little bulky to be a scarecrow, but if your DM was willing to re-flavor and you wanted an especially strong scarecrow, the original or incarnate both work

[Lappy9000]

I've got a race based off flesh golems with the living construct subtype and a +0 LA called the soulstitched. Just re-flavor them to be more like rag dolls (stuffed with straw?) than flesh golems.

Presto! Instant scarecrow golem race.

[Maerok]

Cool. No LA?

[Flickerdart]

Use Disguise Self to make yourself into likenesses of people and stab yourself with voodoo pins to freak them out.

[Darrin]

Aside from Warforged, I'm looking for a sort of scarecrow-based PC race?

Something along the lines of enlightened effigy... Or maybe the Half-Golem template...

Hmm. Well, there's a Wicker Man in Fiend Folio, but it's huge and has way too many HD to be a reasonable PC race or break it down into racial class levels.

I'd probably start with a Paper Golem (Dragon #341, p. 42) and rename it Straw Golem. No real need to refluff it, the vulnerability to fire makes sense. Starts with 2HD, small creature, but you can advance it up to medium size with 5-6HD. So just add Awaken Construct or a template that adds an Int score... Pseudonatural might be interesting, turns you into an outsider, but you keep all your existing SA/SQs. Incarnate Construct might be easiest (LA -2? Really?), but you'd lose all the SA/SQs, including the vulnerability to fire. Humanoids are easier to add templates to, though.

Add a Tin Golem (same issue, next page) and an Anthropomorphic Lyon, and you're off to see the Wizard.

[Lappy9000]

Cool. No LA?

Nope. They've been played before and seem balanced out by their slow speed and terrible armor class.

[Tellah]

K. Maybe retooling Warforged would be the most official option. Isn't there a Warforged Scout 'race'? I'll have to check RoE...

I'm thinking it'll be a warlock (so Cha would be of some utility), maybe Eldritch Theurge with Necromancer or DN (it's an eeevil scarecrow) and Nightmare Spinner or Dread Witch mixed in. It was originally going to be a boss-type monster for a campaign in a different system.

It used flocks of crows it has mind-linked to to attack PCs (so the Warlock's swarm-abilities would be prime).

Wait--if you're the DM, why don't you just use the monster creation guidelines? It'd be quicker than trying to build an NPC, and easier to adjust CR to taste.