Morphing constructs

[Noxangelo]

I'm looking for a way to give a construct the ability to take other forms, specifically animated vehicles such as carts and ships as well as cars and planes for modern settings and spaceships and hoverboards in sci-fi settings.

other forms especially other constructs but more fleshy forms are also great as are non-vehicle items like a useful buckler on steriods.

separate question: Is it possible for a construct to be given class features?

[unseenmage]

For 3.x or PF?

3rd party allowed no?

Advanced Bestiary from Green Ronin games has a transforming Construct template that is okay.

Adding an alternate form via PF's monster builder would work.


As for class levels, yes and no.
In 3.x if it has a level adjustment or is a base race its playable and can take class levels.

PF has some decent CR = ECL rules that makes any creature theoretically playable.

Last you could cram a classed character's conciousness into a Construct via possession, psionic sandwich tricks, etc. But that would be the passenger who has the class ability, not the Construct being occupied.

[Noxangelo]

For 3.x or PF?

3rd party allowed no?

go for gold

Advanced Bestiary from Green Ronin games has a transforming Construct template that is okay.

Adding an alternate form via PF's monster builder would work.

will check them out. transforming sounds interesting.

As for class levels, yes and no.
In 3.x if it has a level adjustment or is a base race its playable and can take class levels.

PF has some decent CR = ECL rules that makes any creature theoretically playable.

Last you could cram a classed character's consciousness into a Construct via possession, psionic sandwich tricks, etc. But that would be the passenger who has the class ability, not the Construct being occupied.

doesn't have to be whole levels, just individual features would suffice.

[Gruftzwerg]

Tattooed Monk has a tattoo that works similar to alter self (with a duration of h/class level). As construct (warforged?) this helps you to turn into Animated Object.
Have a look at my G.R.8 Iron Chef entry for the tattooed monk. Activate Challenge Phase One and let your entire party use you as mount. Let your casters blast from safe positions inside. Become an unstoppable force.^^

[Noxangelo]

Tattooed Monk has a tattoo that works similar to alter self (with a duration of h/class level). As construct (warforged?) this helps you to turn into Animated Object.
Have a look at my G.R.8 Iron Chef entry for the tattooed monk. Activate Challenge Phase One and let your entire party use you as mount. Let your casters blast from safe positions inside. Become an unstoppable force.^^

i was wondering how spells like alter self and polymorph interacted with animated objects.

[Quentinas]

There is even the nimblewright from Monster manual II that has alter self at will and being a construct it can become an animated object theorically

[unseenmage]

i was wondering how spells like alter self and polymorph interacted with animated objects.

For a good take on that you'll need to search for Gazebo Jones, a build here on the forums.

[Gruftzwerg]

i was wondering how spells like alter self and polymorph interacted with animated objects.

As a construct you can turn into other constructs via Alter Self and Polymorph.

Animated Objects are super cheesy. You can basically freely choose the shape.

Alter Self can abuse this to get maximum movement:

Objects with multiple legs (tables, chairs) have a +20 foot bonus to speed. Wheeled objects have a +40 foot bonus to speed.

Nothing stops you from combining these two (not even the stat-block, since text trumps table, and the text nowhere denies that these two bonuses can be combined).

Let's imagine a statue of a rider on horseback and the horse has wheels under his hoof. Due to the rider you can keep your gear and it doesn't melt into the form. The form gains +60ft bonus speed. And if that is not enough, give it sheetlike wings to enable it to fly.

Polymorph enhances this by also giving you any possible EX Attacks of the animated form. Add a lasso to the statue for a Constrict attack, abuse the sheetlike wings to Blind enemies, and be large and hard enough to gain a Trample attack.

[unseenmage]

A corner case of Constructs that change forms is Intelligent Magic Items (which are technically referred to as Constructs) combined with Figurine of Wondrous Power.

Intelligent Magic Items can use any of their superpowers at their own discretion, and if they are a Figurine of Wondrous Power this includes transforming.

This also opens up other weird interactions since in their alternate form a Figurine of Wondrous Power is just an animal.

So it could be affected by transformational spells or templates.

Additionally, the Greater Humanoid Essence spell turns a Construct into a Humanoid for the duration, which lets it be cursed by lycanthropy or vampirism IF you can get the Greater Humanoid Essence duration to last long enough.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Enhance it as a +1 morphing/sizing weapon, and a cursed morphing effect, as well (curse: opposite effect; turn into non-weapon objects of the appropriate size category). That way it can turn into both any weapon of any size category and any non-weapon of any size category. Use that in conjunction with the above.

[ShurikVch]

Urban Druid (Dragon Compendium): Urban Shape is your best bet - it explicitly allows Animated Objects of sizes from Small and up to Gargantuan
And for a Construct to have a class - it's the same way as for any other sentient creature (If your Construct is usually mindless - Rudimentary Intelligence feat in Dragon #327 allow to grant a mindless Construct Int score equal to 1/2 of your CL. Correction - it's not even a separate feat, but construct augmentation option for Craft Construct, which costs 8000 gp, and required CL12+)

[unseenmage]

...
And for a Construct to have a class - it's the same way as for any other sentient creature (If your Construct is usually mindless - Rudimentary Intelligence feat in Dragon #327 allow to grant a mindless Construct Int score equal to 1/2 of your CL)

Similarly the Sacred Guardian template from Bestiary of Krynn Advanced grants sentience as does PF's Robot subtype, which includes language for applying it as a template AND pricing for such.

[Thurbane]

For a good take on that you'll need to search for Gazebo Jones, a build here on the forums.

This is what I was coming here to say. Link: https://forums.giantitp.com/showsing...&postcount=132

Also, Merchurion (MM5 p.102) is kind of like a T2/liquid metal, but not a Construct you can make, as such.

[Jervis]

Enhance it as a +1 morphing/sizing weapon, and a cursed morphing effect, as well (curse: opposite effect; turn into non-weapon objects of the appropriate size category). That way it can turn into both any weapon of any size category and any non-weapon of any size category. Use that in conjunction with the above.

At least using shifting instead of Morphing + Cursed Morphing, that’s just too cheesy. Plus shifting is cheaper anyway. Just need to be OK having a baby fire elemental inside your car.

As for the question, make a Effigy Creature (complete arcane) and find a way to give it shapeshifting abilities. Probably a custom item or just casting a spell on it. Alternatively, dominate a mimic somehow. You could also, theoretically, make a stronghold using stronghold builders guide rules for multiple forms of movement. Just make the smallest stronghold possible.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

At least using shifting

I can't. I've never heard of it and have no idea where it's from. Nor can I find it on a rudimentary 'net search, since there are lots of homebrew things with similar names. Source, please?

One could always give a construct a psychoactive skin of proteus. Constructs can turn into constructs, including animated objects. Warforged is a great base for this.

[Malphegor]

My usual go-to for a Transformer/liquid metal Terminator is Warforged or intelligent construct of some variant (Warforged Scouts and Chargers really mix it up) with either the Egoist ACF from the Mind’s Eye articles to give them the changeling change self ability..: Or just take levels in Urban Druid, which is from Dragon Compendium. Around level 12 I think it is you can transform into animated objects with your urban shape after some experience being inanimate objects for your GMod Prop Hunt fun, so then you can be whatever the fantasy equivalent of a truck is (a really big wagon pulled by whatever your urban companion is?)

[Prime32]

Fleshshifter Armor from BoVD lets the wearer use a CL 3 alter self at will. So, any creature of the same type with 1-3 HD and within one size category of their base form, which includes Small and Medium animated objects.

[ShurikVch]

Fleshshifter Armor from BoVD lets the wearer use a CL 3 alter self at will. So, any creature of the same type with 1-3 HD and within one size category of their base form, which includes Small and Medium animated objects.

Note: unless the Construct in question is made in shape of regular humanoid, armor should be custom-made
(I would be very hard-pressed to believe in Animated Armor which is wearing regular Armor)

For a good take on that you'll need to search for Gazebo Jones, a build here on the forums.

This is what I was coming here to say. Link: https://forums.giantitp.com/showsing...&postcount=132

Note: that Alter Self from the Thrall of Juiblex would be limited to Small/Large Animated Objects range - not just because of CL/HD limit, but also because Alter Self is only -1/+1 Size category (and if your Construct is bigger than Huge - Alter Self wouldn't work at all - Huge+ Animated Objects have too much HD, and smaller Animated Objects are outside of "-1/+1 size" range)

[MaxiDuRaritry]

(I would be very hard-pressed to believe in Animated Armor which is wearing regular Armor)

The armor that an animated armor is made from is its body, and wearing armor protects its body from taking damage.

Animated armor wearing armor to protect it isn't much different from a bull wearing leather barding, which works even though leather is usually made from cowhide; it's made from the same basic material, but it protects the creature's body from hp loss.

[ShurikVch]

The armor that an animated armor is made from is its body, and wearing armor protects its body from taking damage.

Animated armor wearing armor to protect it isn't much different from a bull wearing leather barding, which works even though leather is usually made from cowhide; it's made from the same basic material, but it protects the creature's body from hp loss.

No, you're, apparently, don't getting my point: not all kinds of armor are could be put on over another armor of the same size.
I mean: less form-fitting types - like padded or chain - you can; but more form-fitting - like full plate? No way!
(It could be possible to use armor for bigger creatures - but, alas, RAW forbids it - even with Powerful Build)
Thus - to avoid such awkward implications, I suggesting to invoke the Armor For Unusual Creatures rules

[Jervis]

I can't. I've never heard of it and have no idea where it's from. Nor can I find it on a rudimentary 'net search, since there are lots of homebrew things with similar names. Source, please?

One could always give a construct a psychoactive skin of proteus. Constructs can turn into constructs, including animated objects. Warforged is a great base for this.

It’s from that one Xendrik book from eberon. It’s a enhancement that’s basically just morphing but cheaper. It’s a set price instead of a +1. I think it’s 500 or so. Downside is it needs to be made by a Drow (negotiable by setting) and made of bloodglass. Basically obsidian, gives +1 untyped slashing damage on attacks, but it’s lower hardness and HP, so watch out for sunders.

[Jervis]

Ok I just had a wacky idea. Not sure how this works by RAW bit I think I’ve cracked it.

Shape Sand. Turn it into a sword, enchant it with Sizing (maybe morphing too), then after it’s enchanted you turn it into a small model cottage, using sizing to turn it into a full size cottage (remember shapes and keeps its shape so long as it’s within range of you, the maximum size is to change it in the first place), enchant it with Stronghold Builders Guide rules for flying and movement rules, shrink it with sizing, shape it into a ship, grow it with sizing to the size of a ship, enchant it into a flying airship using your choice of method to get airship speed over SBG’s pitiful speed but great movement methods. You now have a weapon that’s also a building that’s also a ship. Whenever you need to shift it just shrink it down with sizing. Then if you need to put it away just use morphing to turn it into a appropriately sized poison ring. Shape Sand is nonmagical by technicality so taking it into a anti-magic field in weapon form doesn’t break anything.

[Thurbane]

I think there was also an Iron Chef entry that was some kind of Warforged Lycanthrope T-Rex, to emulate Grimlock, but can't remember which comp or find a link...

[Noxangelo]

you can turn a weapon an animated construct with the flying enhancement from MoF.

Can a monk enhance their own body as a weapon?

[mattie_p]

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my recent entry into the Iron Chef E6 Competition: Tank Edition, in which I entered a warforged that used alter self to become an animated object (land cart), 24/7. Notably, which I hadn't seen elsewhere, I used alter self to obtain Hardness (essentially free DR) and Trample. Look at the exposition portion on Alter Self for details on how I analyzed the wording to obtain that.

Since the OP requested animated vehicles, seems very appropriate.