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## The Shaper (Tome system base class)

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CatharzGodfoot
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### The Shaper (Tome system base class)

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Post by CatharzGodfoot » Thu Aug 06, 2009 6:16 am

I decided that the Shaper was a sufficiently distinct concept from psychometabolism that it should get its own thread. Also, I've been thinking about it way more than the other three classes.

Shaper
You're a little bit Eat Man, a little bit Shifter.
BAB: Good.
Saves: Good Fortitude.
Class Abilities
1: Body Weaponry, Thicken Skin
2: Absorption, A Thousand Faces
3: Body Equilibrium
4: Advanced Absorption
5: Contraction & Expansion
6: Adaptation, Chameleon
7: Wings
8: Melt, Regeneration 1
9: Advanced Expansion & Contraction
10: Assimilate
Weapon and armor proficiency: You are proficient in light armor and simple weapons.
Body Weaponry: You can form any number of your hands into spikes, clubs, or claws, which deal piercing, bludgeoning, or slashing damage respectively. They can be used as natural or manufactured weapons, and deal 1d6 damage for every three levels of shaper (round up). While your hands are formed into weapons they cease to be hands. Forming weapons takes a much time as drawing a weapon.
Thicken Skin: As a swift action, you can thicken your skin (or return it to normal). Thickened skin grants a natural armor bonus equal to your class level. An observer can notice the change by making a DC 5 spot check.
A Thousand Faces
Absorbtion: You can absorb unattended (or attended by you) objects two sizes smaller than yourself into your body with a touch as a move action. You can retrieve the object from any part of your body as though drawing a weapon. As a side benefit, you gain a +4 bonus to Sleight of Hand and to resist being disarmed. The total weight of objects absorbed can't exceed you maximum carrying weight, but doesn't count towards encumbrance (or your actual weight).
Body Equilibrium: You can alter the weight of your body within 10% to 1000% of its normal weight. As a size effect, you can balance and walk on delicate or unstable surfaces such as twigs and water. You gain a competence bonus to Balance and Move Silently.
Advanced Absorbtion: You can absorb objects of up to your own size as a full-round action; retrieval is still as though drawing a weapon. You can add the magical and material properties of one absorbed armor to your thickened skin, and the magical and material properties of an absorbed weapon to a formed weapon (see body weaponry).
Contraction & Expansion: You can decrease or increase your size by one step as a move action, gaining all the relevant bonuses and penalties. Multiple uses don't stack.
Adaptation: You can automagically adapt your body to normal environmental conditions. This includes forming gills to 'breath' under water or enduring a blizzard, but not avoiding a dragon's breath.
Chameleon: You gain a competence bonus to Hide.
Wings: You form a gigantic pair of wings, which allow you to fly at double your normal movement rate (good maneuverability).
Melt: Your type changes to ooze, and you gain the augmented subtype (but not the mindless trait). All of your equipment melds into your body. Your dexterity changes to 7 and your speed changes to 5' (swim 5', climb 5'); you are unable to use actions or abilities except absorbtion, adaptation, assimilation, contraction & expansion, returning to your normal form, and those granted by this form. You gain a +82 circumstance bonus to escape artist checks and resistance 20 to all types of hit point damage.
Advanced Contraction & Expansion: You can use Contraction & Expansion to change size by two steps.
Assimilate: You can absorb creatures of your size or smaller that you hold on to as a standard action. Your target can attempt a Fortitude save (DC 10+1/2 level + Con) to avoid the effect. You also gain a +4 bonus to grapple checks.

So, what do people think? I know there's a lot to absorb. Is it overly complex? Overpowered? Underpowered? Both? Any ideas for additional abilities or changes?
Last edited by CatharzGodfoot on Fri Aug 07, 2009 1:30 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Maxus
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Post by Maxus » Thu Aug 06, 2009 6:56 am

Er, the way I read Melt makes it sound like it's permanent. You may want to check yourself.
But it looks really, really awesome.
Edit: Also, what does assimilate actually do to the target?
Last edited by Maxus on Thu Aug 06, 2009 7:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
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CatharzGodfoot
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Post by CatharzGodfoot » Thu Aug 06, 2009 2:43 pm

> Maxus wrote:Er, the way I read Melt makes it sound like it's permanent. You may want to check yourself.
> But it looks really, really awesome.
> Edit: Also, what does assimilate actually do to the target?

Thanks!
[*]On melt I need to change "can" to "can't".
[*]Assimilate absorbs the target, just like absorption; the target melds into the shaper's body and becomes nonfunctional. It's a two-round save or die (much like lift; coup de grace), except you can spit the target back out unharmed and you get all of their equipment immediately. I should also change "hold on" to "grab on" (the name of the combat maneuver).
[*]I also just noticed that advanced contraction & expansion is missing from the list by level, so I'll fix that.
[*]I also added chameleon and a scaling competence bonus to body equilibrium.
Last edited by CatharzGodfoot on Thu Aug 06, 2009 2:52 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Akula
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Post by Akula » Thu Aug 06, 2009 9:32 pm

Can your order the class abilities to make this a little easier to read. I'm having difficulty forming an opinion of the class as a whole since I don't know what level the abilities correspond to. Body Weaponry should create inherently magical weapons, Enhancement +1/3 of 4 levels or something.
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Meikle641
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Post by Meikle641 » Fri Aug 07, 2009 12:07 am

I think the class definitely has some potential.
Although, how much of a bonus does Chameleon give? There's no details aside from type.
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CatharzGodfoot
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Post by CatharzGodfoot » Fri Aug 07, 2009 1:16 am

> Akula wrote:Can your order the class abilities to make this a little easier to read. I'm having difficulty forming an opinion of the class as a whole since I don't know what level the abilities correspond to. Body Weaponry should create inherently magical weapons, Enhancement +1/3 of 4 levels or something.

Sure. The abilities are out of order because I'm not completely sure what order they should be in, but I can use the current list. To have magical body weaponry, you can use assimilate.

> Meikle641 wrote:I think the class definitely has some potential.
> Although, how much of a bonus does Chameleon give? There's no details aside from type.

Thanks. It's a competence bonus identical to that granted by a Book of Gears item; that is, your level. Same deal with body equilibrium. I'll make that explicit.
Last edited by CatharzGodfoot on Fri Aug 07, 2009 1:26 am, edited 2 times in total.
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koz
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Post by koz » Mon Aug 10, 2009 6:00 am

What's the hit die of this thing? Also, class skills/skill points?
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Akula
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Post by Akula » Mon Aug 10, 2009 6:21 am

Why can't you form a natural secondary attack? It isn't like those rock the house or anything.
I have a PC that has a dex of 6, melt makes him marginally MORE dexterous, is that intended? Should it just be a penalty or something?
What is the Regeneration pierced by?
Something like Claws of the Vampire would be a nice ability to eventually get.
You cannot attack in ooze form as written.
Poison?
This class should be able to qualify for [Monstrous] feats, maybe [Fiend] feats too.
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CatharzGodfoot
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Post by CatharzGodfoot » Mon Aug 10, 2009 10:34 pm

> Mister_Sinister wrote:What's the hit die of this thing? Also, class skills/skill points?

Hit Die: d12
Base Attack Bonus: Good
Good Saves: Fortitude
Skills Points per Level: 4
Skills: Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Escape Artist, Heal, Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Spot, Swim, Tumble.

> Akula wrote:Why can't you form a natural secondary attack? It isn't like those rock the house or anything.

I assume you're talking about body weaponry. Just like any natural weapons, you can use body weaponry secondarily. Because they do a fair bit more damage than normal manufactured weapons, and because they can be used to make iterative attacks (including TWFing), I didn't see a huge reason to give out more of them. However, an ability that lets the character form extra limbs (perhaps a precursor to wings) might be warranted.

> Akula wrote:I have a PC that has a dex of 6, melt makes him marginally MORE dexterous, is that intended? Should it just be a penalty or something?
> You cannot attack in ooze form as written.

Yeah, that's intentional, aside from the fact that you can't explicitly use the 'hold on' action. It's supposed to be an almost purely defensive form that is somewhat dangerous to touch. Perhaps the defenses need boosting.

> Akula wrote:What is the Regeneration pierced by?

As written, nothing. If that's too powerful (it basically means that you can't kill this guy short of vile damage or death effects), I'd be willing to change it to exclude negative energy damage.

> Akula wrote:Something like Claws of the Vampire would be a nice ability to eventually get.

Yeah, that could be fun (and make this a blatant claws of the beast psychic warrior ripoff). However, it's a bit beyond the scope of the class as written -- in an earlier thread it was actually recommended that I remove their healing abilities. Definitely something to think about, though.

> Akula wrote:Poison?

Poison would certainly be a good addition, though (as always) a pit of a pain to resolve. Right now the class revolves around changing the character's physical structure, but chemical glands make perfect sense.

> Akula wrote:This class should be able to qualify for [Monstrous] feats, maybe [Fiend] feats too.

As far as I know, there is nothing stopping them from qualifying for monstrous feats. Fiend feats are right out. I think that a good argument can be made for changing some feats from fiend to monstrous, but that's beyond the scope of the class.

They should also get an ability that just straight-up increases reach. It looks like I forgot to put one in.
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Mount Flamethrower on rear
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