[4E] Race change: Lamia

[Thajocoth]

Lamia Lore
A character knows the following information with a successful
Arcana check.
DC 20: A lamia is a bizarre fey comprised of hundreds
of black scarab beetles. It lures wayfarers to their deaths by
assuming a pleasing humanoid guise.
DC 25: When a lamia slays a humanoid creature, it adds
another beetle to its evergrowing swarm. When a lamia’s
swarm grows too large, it reproduces by first slaying a worthy
fey creature such as a powerful eladrin. Rather than consum-
ing the body, the lamia divides itself, filling the corpse with
hundreds of its beetles. Over time, these beetles devour the
corpse and arise as a new lamia. This newborn lamia gains
much of the victim’s memories and knowledge in the process.

-----

So, I plan on having a party encounter a Lamia who's swarm has grown too large. They have Fey in their party. It will try to outright kill one with Devouring Swarm to reproduce. There's a Drow, an Elf & a Half-Elf it could potentially pick from. If the player dies from this Lamia's attacks, my plan is to hand them a handout describing a dream they have over the next 6 hours of sleep, and arise a new Lamia. There's a scroll they can get to change back if they want to. So, I'm trying to think of what stat changes this would mean, without making these changes game-breaking. Possibilities include:

* As a swarm:
Resist takes half damage from melee and ranged attacks;
Vulnerable 10 against close and area attacks

* Change shape, similar to the Doppleganger racial power.

* They keep the same racial bonuses and powers they had before the change. (I don't want to be completely unfair.)

Any other suggestions on keeping this balanced, but having the effect of feeling more like a Lamia? Of the three possible targets, two are Rogues & one's a Cleric, if it matters.

[Meek]

"* As a swarm:
Resist takes half damage from melee and ranged attacks;
Vulnerable 10 against close and area attacks"

What else can they do in this form, and what is the frequency to use? If it's just to turtle up and is at-will, it's not very good and it would discourage team play (fight's being lost, you turtle up and run). If it allows you to attack, it jumps the spectrum to being too good – you're resisting most enemy powers, effectively doubling your HP, and only a subset of powers that represent the least (and least frequently usable) abilities a monster or character has. If it's like a Daily, it might not be thematically appropriate enough for your taste.

"Change shape, similar to the Doppleganger racial power."

The Doppleganger racial power was not intended to be used for player characters, as it gives a massive bonus to creating a disguise (as it should). It was meant primarily for NPCs. Just something I thought I should mention.

Overall, I can't see this being balanced anyway.

But, here's a thought.

Does it HAVE to be balanced? I mean, it's your game. You're the DM. You're already proposing something crazy and difficult to work in. Why not write up whatever you want, and then at the end of the session, talk to the player about what he's got and that he shouldn't abuse it. This is a lot less work than trying to sledgehammer this idea into the system like a big fat BLOX piece into a Lego house.

[Tensu]

Lamia Lore
A character knows the following information with a successful
Arcana check.
DC 20: A lamia is a bizarre fey comprised of hundreds
of black scarab beetles. It lures wayfarers to their deaths by
assuming a pleasing humanoid guise.

however, a successful knowledge: greek mythology check will reveal the following information:

wizards of the coast is full of bull.

I apologize for that, but it had to be said. carry on.

[strawberryman]

however, a successful knowledge: greek mythology check will reveal the following information:

wizards of the coast is full of bull.

I apologize for that, but it had to be said. carry on.

Beat me to it.

[Thajocoth]

Talking to a friend of mine, he pointed out another way to look at this... Using the disease system instead of applying random modifications works far better for what I want to actually do. I can make it both awesome and damaging at the same time.

So now I'm thinking to go with:

At time of infection:
*Lose core shape & Gain ability to change shape
*Gain damage halving for melee and ranged hits and vulnerable 10 to bursts/blasts (being a swarm is always on)
DC 15+N Endurance to stay in this state (N is how many days you've been in this state)

Stage 2:
*Gain Climb 6
*Gain Squeezing through Tiny spaces
*-2 Reflex
DC 15+N Endurance to stay in this state (N is how many days you've been in this state)

Stage 3:
*Lose base race racial power
*Gain damage-reduced Devouring Swarm as a racial encounter power, use dex to hit.
DC 15+N Endurance to stay in this state (N is how many days you've been in this state)

Stage 4:
*Gain Cursed Touch as a racial encounter power (stuns an enemy and transfers hp from them to you), use wis to hit.
*Attack the nearest humanoid while bloodied, including party members
DC 15+N Endurance to stay in this state (N is how many days you've been in this state)

Stage 5:
*Gain Swarm's Embrace (an aura that deals damage)
*Whenever in combat, attack the nearest humanoid, including party members.
*While not in combat, try to lure people (party members included) into being alone with you to kill them more easily.
DC 15+N Endurance to stay in this state (N is how many days you've been in this state)

Stage 6:
*Replace character entirely with a level adjusted Lamia.



Also, I know the Greek Mythos is different, but I'm playing Dungeons & Dragons, not Dungeons & Greek Mythos, so I don't care about the differences.