Living Book PC

[NeutralAwesome]

After having played through this game called Nier, I've been thinking of making a living spellbook character. I've looked at animated objects but they doesn't really seem to mesh with what I envision. A living, thinking book that can move under its own power, communicate (by whatever means) and I would give it levels in wizard. I'm not looking for any ridiculous template powers and have no real idea on what would be a good starting point. Any suggestions?

[HunterOfJello]

look up the Psionic Sandwich

[Daftendirekt]

This sounds more like a cohort/item familiar than a PC...

Maybe for a "race" you could look at the psicrystal in the XPH. Really don't know what else you'd work off of.

[Zaq]

Fluff, fluff, fluff.

Ask yourself what you want mechanically out of being a book, find something that's reasonably close, then fluff the rest.

Offhand, I'd say that using the stats for a Warforged Scout (MM3, basically a small warforged) would work (appropriate size, living construct type). Just give yourself those stats and say that you're a floating book. Play up the fluff of it.

[Land Outcast]

Make it be a tiny construct with

Buoyancy (Sp)
A living book is constantly under the effect of levitate (as the spell, caster level equal to living book's HD). A living book can supress this ability as a free action, can resume it as an immediate action.
When a living book reaches 9 HD it is instead constantly under the effect of fly (as the spell, caster level equal to living book's HD). A living book can supress this ability as a free action, can resume it as an immediate action.

It sould also get a slam attack (1d3) as a natural weapon.

Should get an armor bonus from making its covers out of different materials.

Should start out with (3?) bonus languages on top of those awarded by intelligence bonus.

Perhaps give it uses per day of mage hand? (once per HD?)

Perhaps give it -4 Str, +2 Dex, +4 Int.


Just tossing ideas around for a LA +1 race.

[DragonBaneDM]

Make it be a tiny construct with

Buoyancy (Sp)
A living book is constantly under the effect of levitate (as the spell, caster level equal to living book's HD). A living book can supress this ability as a free action, can resume it as an immediate action.
When a living book reaches 9 HD it is instead constantly under the effect of fly (as the spell, caster level equal to living book's HD). A living book can supress this ability as a free action, can resume it as an immediate action.

It sould also get a slam attack (1d3) as a natural weapon.

Should get an armor bonus from making its covers out of different materials.

Should start out with (3?) bonus languages on top of those awarded by intelligence bonus.

Perhaps give it uses per day of mage hand? (once per HD?)

Perhaps give it -4 Str, +2 Dex, +4 Int.


Just tossing ideas around for a LA +1 race.

This is really cool, but I think making it +2 LA and having at-will mage hand make for a more viable option.

[Land Outcast]

This is really cool, but I think making it +2 LA and having at-will mage hand make for a more viable option.

Well, if it were to be made into a LA +2 race I think it'd need much more than that... Perhaps it could have 3/day per ECL uses of mage hand and still be LA +1.
Considering it'd be a caster we would already be giving it an important hit to power with the level adjustment thing.

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@NeutralAwesome:
If you don't mind, I'll be posting a race based on this idea at the Homebrew forum.

[Skaven]

Hmm.

I would give is:

Construct Traits

I like the earlier levitate / fly at 9th level

Mage hand at will.

-6 Str
+2 Dex
+4 Int
-2 Wis

Not sure how to work out healing.. maybe eats paper and 'drinks' ink to heal? That could be kind of cool. Not sure it would have more than 1 construct level to begin, I mean.. they're not big. However something like 2 construct levels which count towards wizard levels.. and you are your own spellbook. :D

Maybe some kind of resistance to crushing damage and vulnerability to fire.. and yeah, as said below.. I think the main issue is the lack of item slots.

[Tyndmyr]

How you gonna handle item slots?

[Land Outcast]

How you gonna handle item slots?

Inscriptions in the pages, of course :).
With costly process and materials (yep, it wouldn't be as easy as with your typical wizard who can just grab a headband and do rocket science, but I don't see anything wrong with that); and they should be limited, perhaps to the same slots a typical humanoid is.
Verosimilitude? nope, but I belive it is a good place to make concessions. (That said, I'd prefer not to make such concession if anyone comes up with a better idea)