Playing as a Petitioner [PF]

[ExemplarofAvg]

Petitioner is a Template, that is kind of cool, and I kind of like it. But I'm not really looking at it as a Template more of a Playable race with Racial Hit Dice...

Petitioner (Race)

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Type: Petitioners are Outsiders with the native subtype.

Medium: Petitioners are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Normal Speed: Petitioners have a base speed of 30 feet.

Darkvision: Petitioners can see in the dark up to 60 feet.

Racial Hit Dice: A Petitioner begins with two levels of Outsider, which provide 2d10 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +2, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +3, Ref +3, and Will +0.

Racial Skills: A Petitioners Outsider levels give it skill points equal to 2 x (6 + Int modifier).

Racial Feats: A Petitioners Outsider levels give it one feat.

Natural Attack: Petitioners have a Slam attack appropriate for their size.

Languages: All Petitioners can speak common and gain additional languages based on their heritage (see below).

Aligned Heritage: A Petitioner gains additional abilities and languages based on it's plane of origin. A Petitioner who ceases to follow their planes alignment, or who willfully commits an act opposed to their planes loses these abilities but not the bonus languages. They may regain their abilities if they atone for their violations (see the atonement spell), as appropriate.

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Abaddon (Neutral Evil): The “hunted” have bodies that are identical to what they had in life—these petitioners are doomed to be stalked and eventually consumed by the daemons that lust for souls. A hunted that survives long enough eventually warps and twists into a daemon. The hunted gain DR 5/— and fast healing 1 so that they provide a slightly more robust hunt for their daemonic predators. Bonus Languages: Either Abyssal or Infernal

Abyss (Chaotic Evil): “Larvae” are perhaps the most hideous of petitioners—they appear as pallid, maggot-like Creatures with heads similar to those they possessed in life. Larvae that feed long enough on Abyssal filth eventually transform into demons. They have cold, electricity, and fire resistance 10, and instead of a slam attack gain a bite attack as appropriate for their size. Bonus Languages: Abyssal

Elysium (Chaotic Good): The “chosen” have idealized versions of their mortal bodies. In time, after experiencing the pleasures Elysium has to offer, the chosen become azatas. The chosen gain resistance to cold and fire 10 and a +2 bonus to Charisma. Bonus Languages: Celestial

Heaven (Lawful Good): The “elect” appear similar to their mortal forms, save that they possess a golden halo and feathered wings. After spending enough time aiding heavenly tasks, the elect become archons. They gain a fly speed equal to their base speed (average mobility). Bonus Languages: Celestial

Hell (Lawful Evil): The “damned” retain their mortal forms, but are heavily scarred by various tortures. Those who endure the torments of Hell long enough may eventually be approved for transformation into devils. The damned gain immunity to fire (but not immunity to the pain caused by fire—whenever one of the damned takes fire damage, it must make a DC 15 Fortitude save to resist being stunned by the pain for 1d4 rounds). Bonus Languages: Infernal

Limbo (Chaotic Neutral): The “shapeless“ retain their basic forms, but these forms constantly waver and shimmer, as if they were ghosts in peril of dissolving away. After wallowing in the chaos of Limbo for long enough, they can transform into proteans. The shapeless have the incorporeal subtype, an incorporeal touch attack, and all advantages granted by that defensive ability. Bonus Languages: Either Abyssal or Celestial

Nirvana (Neutral Good): The “cleansed” take on the forms of animals that closely approximate their personalities. Upon achieving true enlightenment, they transform into agathions. The cleansed gain cold and sonic resistance 10 and a +2 bonus to Wisdom. Bonus Languages: Celestial

Purgatory (Neutral): The “dead” appear as animated skeletons but are not Undead—in time, they can earn the right to become aeons. They gain DR 10/bludgeoning and immunity to cold. Bonus Languages: Either Abyssal, Celestial or Infernal

Utopia (Lawful Neutral): The “remade” retain the same body shape but have milky white skin covered in dense black script, as if some strange scribe had used them for parchment. Upon deciphering the riddles posed by these complex lines of script, one of the remade can enter an axiomite forge to be transformed into an inevitable. The remade are immune to hostile transmutation effects and gain a +2 bonus to Intelligence. Bonus Languages: Either Celestial or Infernal

[Blyte]

that's pretty neato.

on the other side of the GM screen, I think it would be neato to run a game where players have to round up escaped petitioners, like kinda like that series Reaper.

[grarrrg]

Petitioner is a Template, that is kind of cool, and I kind of like it. But I'm not really looking at it as a Template more of a Playable race with Racial Hit Dice...

The hunted gain DR 5/— and fast healing 1

They have cold, electricity, and fire resistance 10, and instead of a slam attack gain a bite attack as appropriate for their size.

The chosen gain resistance to cold and fire 10 and a +2 bonus to Charisma.

They gain a fly speed equal to their base speed (average mobility).

The damned gain immunity to fire (but not immunity to the pain caused by fire—whenever one of the damned takes fire damage, it must make a DC 15 Fortitude save to resist being stunned by the pain for 1d4 rounds).

The shapeless have the incorporeal subtype, an incorporeal touch attack, and all advantages granted by that defensive ability.

The cleansed gain cold and sonic resistance 10 and a +2 bonus to Wisdom.

They gain DR 10/bludgeoning and immunity to cold.

The remade are immune to hostile transmutation effects and gain a +2 bonus to Intelligence.

Many of those abilities are overpowered for only requiring 1 or 2 RHD. The only time I see someone NOT taking the Petitioner race would be for a _very_ focused Caster.
And even then, 2d10 hp per level is VERY tempting.

Granted, some of the abilities are questionable:
Immune Fire, but you can be Stunned anyway!...so until I hit around level 10 expect to spend half my combats comatose?
Immune to Hostile Transformation!...cause, you know, that happens ALL THE TIME...
Gain a Fly speed!...not so much Bad, as just worse than other options (and it's only Average Maneuverability...).

Granted, some of them are...VERY not Human:
You're a giant Maggot!
You're an Animal!
You're a Not-Undead Skeleton! wait, wut?

And as for the Neutral Evil entry:
"The “hunted” have bodies that are identical to what they had in life...The hunted gain DR 5/— and fast healing 1"
Add the 2d10HD and...well...

I would either DEMAND that ALL PC's play a Petitioner, or add _some_ kind of drawback so that it isn't an automatic for non-casters.

[ExemplarofAvg]

It's just a template as a race.
I think it's neat, my personal favourite are the Axiomite-Lite "Remade" because I'm just a fan of the Axiomite overall. Also I don't think it's actually a maggot, just looks like a humanoid maggot is all, white and slimy.

[Blyte]

transmutation is a lot more than shape changes.. slows, disintegrates, and flesh to stones to name a few.

[kabreras]

"A petitioner who dies is gone forever"

That single sentence should trigger to you the "NPC ONLY" red light.
No way to get a rez, you are gone.

[ThiagoMartell]

"A petitioner who dies is gone forever"

That single sentence should trigger to you the "NPC ONLY" red light.
No way to get a rez, you are gone.

Most people here emphasize the "reroll" option.
Why the group of adventurers just lets their dead friend stay dead when some pocket change could undo that is beyond me and probably refluffed by those that support rerolling as something else.

[Psyren]

Good old Paizo; I love the fluff behind these, way more informative than the snippets we got in CDiv. (And combining them is even better.) I could envision a gestalt campaign where a party of petitioners has to complete a variety of interesting tasks, eventually becoming promoted to their true Outsider forms to fight a great evil.

And even then, 2d10 hp per level is VERY tempting.

You misread that - it's not 2d10 per level, it's 2d10 total. They get two Outsider HD, i.e. 1d10 each. This is no more HP than a Fighter gets.

[ExemplarofAvg]

Good old Paizo; I love the fluff behind these, way more informative than the snippets we got in CDiv. (And combining them is even better.) I could envision a gestalt campaign where a party of petitioners has to complete a variety of interesting tasks, eventually becoming promoted to their true Outsider forms to fight a great evil..

That is my thought exactly, I look to the classes and prestige classes that cause you to change once you hit a specific level. And hey, why limit it to fighting a great evil, why not BE a great evil?

[grarrrg]

You misread that - it's not 2d10 per level, it's 2d10 total. They get two Outsider HD, i.e. 1d10 each. This is no more HP than a Fighter gets.

BLARG!
That's cause it's a stupid template that adds +1CR but 2 effective levels, so everything is written as such...
*grumble*