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Coidzor
2011-10-18, 11:45 PM
You made grandma into a WHAT?!

Table of Contents

Post 1 Introduction

Post 2 Bone-Knit Creatures

Post 3 Bone-Knitters: Lesser and Greater

Post 4 Bone-Knit Grafts?

Post 5 Reserved for further fluff/miscellany

Post 6 Reserved just in case

Foreword

So, a bit ago, I was down on the D&D 3e/3.5e/d20 subforum and saw a thread asking about what kinds of funky things one could do to customize one's skeletons, having once had ideas of defunkitated skeletons with additional arms melded into their forms or miscellaneous unmentionables laced into their claws to make them more vicious, I went in to inform the OP that basically the only option was the corpse-crafter line of feats, which didn't really do anything to physically change them so much as make them a bit tougher in the numbers department of suicide bombers (which is kinda nifty, I must admit, but something most people want to avoid as players for anything they cared about).

This reminded me of an earlier, abandoned interest in grafts (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=11972055), so I started poking around with some ideas for a sort of lesser grafting system I took to calling fleshweaving, which was mostly concerned with gross physical changes, like turning a pair of hands into a pair of clawed hands or adding an extra pair of arms or sticking on some zergling/praying mantis/hooked horror claw-limbs or a pair of wings.

I'm still working on that a bit, but decided that I should probably start playing around with a creature that uses such things in order to help things crystallize in my mind, and, well, since it was necromancers twisting their undead minions' forms to suit their whims that got me started, I figured I'd make a creature that not only had that as its shtick, but also was a product of its own craft.

And since I was making a creature that did it as its shtick, but I hadn't really fleshed out the subsystem, I decided to play around with a template or templates that would reflect this kind of specialized/advanced form of fleshweaving which, since it was concerned with undead, I took to calling bone-knitting after recalling something or other about the process of broken bones mending being referred to as the bones being knit back together.

Being as this is mostly being done to help my conceptualization of an over-arching project, this stuff is liable to be subject to change.

Introduction:

~~~~~~~~ Fluff Starts Here ~~~~~~~~

Coidzor
2011-10-18, 11:47 PM
Bone-Knit Creature

A Bone-Knit Creature is an undead amalgamation of body parts twisted to make a more fearsome threat than a mere zombie or skeleton.

A bone-knit creature is a twisted monstrosity of mismatched body parts and bones that do not belong together, and yet are bonded together and fully functional in fluid harmony.

Creating a Bone-Knit Creature

"Bone-Knit" is an acquired template that can be added to any corporeal undead.

Size and Type
The creature gains the Bone-Knit subtype and is otherwise unchanged. Size is unchanged except for creatures with Tauric forms.

Hit Dice
No change except for creatures with Skulking form.

Armor Class
A bone-knit creature's natural armor bonus increases by 1/2HD(minimum 1) {Considering a flat value based upon size, like skeletons/zombies, though for simplicity's sake, leaning towards a flat 3-5}

Special Qualities
A Bone-Knit creature retains all the special qualities of the base creature and also gains the following qualities.

Vicious Enhancements, Knit Form, Obscured Origin, Bone-Knit, Anatomist's Legacy

Highest form of DR increases by 2, or the creature gains DR 2/- if it did not already have DR. {Not really sure how to render this, format-wise...}

Abilities
Str+2, Dex+2. {Not married to this, actually considering folding this in with the various Knit Forms, so that they'd alter things in accordance with their theme, but have it here for, intially thematic reasons, they are made to be tougher and work smoother than unaugmented undead}

Challenge Rating
+2-4? X forms + 3, Y forms + 4, Z forms + 5 {Biggest area of unfamiliarity for me, as I've gotta admit, not a whole lot of time I've spent eyeballing CRs or eyeballing how various different creatures would be augmented by a template... Sort of in an awkward Divine Miniony (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mb/20050209a) place with the various forms though}

Level Adjustment
2ish??? {Initially leaning towards level loss that can't be entered into until around 10th level, sort of working off of Necropolitan for inspiration coupled with the inital XP cost, or giving a different one for the various forms, though they seem to be high LA 2 at the most offhand, but my perspective and all}

Special Qualities:
Vicious Enhancements: The Bone-Knit Creature's natural weapons count as natural weapons and manufactured weapons when advantageous and have a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and are treated as masterwork. The creature's natural weapons may be magically enhanced, be imbued with weapon properties, or benefit from weapon augment crystals. Its weapons are legal targets for both the magic weapon and magic fang line of spells, in addition to this, the creature itself may be targeted by one of these spells and have all of its natural weapons benefit.

{I've still got to check githcraft and such for examples of price discounts on certain properties, in this case, probably vicious, vampiric, wounding, keen, bloodstone, and similar}

Knit Form(ex): The creature that applies the Bone-Knit template may choose to twist the base creature and components' form to suit their needs and whims better. At creation, choose one of these augmented forms. After creation, the creator may spend time to change up to three bone-knit creatures at a time to another type of form as if working on a magic item which has a GP value of HD*100, provided it has enough flesh and bone on hand to create a bone-knit creature of one size category smaller

Tauric form: The creature adopts a form akin to that of a centaur, gaining it relevant mounted combat feats and trample as bonus feats per 4 HD and is treated as mounted for such feats. It gains either a pair of claws or stomps depending upon the forelimbs used for the lower body. Creature changes from being a Tall creature to a Long creature. {Need to re-read the Tauric template to see if I can simplify the language or just us this as a way to retroactively slap on that template to a creature... certainly be an interesting one for whoever managed to resurrect it}

Winged form: The creature gains a pair of wings which either grant flight of its land speed if it was wingless, with poor maneuverability if it has flesh and average maneuverability if skeletal or 2 wing attacks and improves its fly speed by +20 and one category if it previously had wings. Skeletal undead may carry one category heavier load (so if it could only fly with a light load before, now it can fly with a medium load, and so on) and one category heavier armor and still be capable of flight. {This one I'm the most confident about balance-wise, since Flight, in and of itself, is generally LA+1}

Ravager form: An influx of bones and reinforcing material causes the creature's natural weapons to all deal damage as if they were one size category larger and may wield weapons sized for a creature one size category larger than they could normally wield with no penalty. This stacks with the Improved Natural Attack Feat and the Powerful Build special quality. If it possesses the Power Attack feat, it can now do so with light weapons. In addition, it gets an additional .5 to damage for every point of attack bonus it sacrifices as part of using power attack. {If Undead didn't have poor BAB and make for a lousy choice for martially inclined PCs, I might be worried this one was the most broken, as it is, it gives THF something nice that stacks with other PA multipliers(insofar as I understand the language involved in such things) and makes TWF power attack compatible}

Girallonic form: The creature gains an additional set of limb sockets and the forelimbs to go with it, gaining a pair of claw attacks that deal damage as a skeleton of that size or the creature's inherent claw attacks, whichever is greater. Additionally, these limbs allow the creature to wield weapons in them if it already could do so with its original limbs qualify. Gains Improved Grapple as a bonus feat or Improved Grab is size Large or greater. {Considering one of the things I'm interested in doing is the ability to add a few claw attacks, this both is of a lot of interest and feels like, as a form, it's at a risk of being the most superfluous, though it is of interest for adding multiweapon fighting on}

Durable form: The creature receives max HP per HD it has, as well as gaining a bonus to natural armor equal to X(1/2 HD if base is X by size or maybe equal to 3/4 HD?), and gaining Hardness equal to 3/4 of its HD(progression as of medium BAB). It gains the Unholy Toughness special quality, allowing it to apply its charisma bonus to its HP per HD (minimum of +1HP per HD) {This one I'm not so sure about. It seems powerful in the numbers department, superficially, but I'm not sure it really does anything practically}

Skulking form: Going for quality over quantity, only the most durable and stealthy materials are used and the rest if pared down to produce this streamlined creature. The creature gains Slight Build as a special quality and a +4 bonus to Hide and Move Silently, and its HD drops to a d10, its DR decreases by 1, and its Natural Armor decreases by 2. If the creature is non-mindless, it gains +1d4 of sneak attack damage per 4 HD, unless it already possesses a form of precision damage, in which case they are d4s of whichever type the creature chooses from those it already possesses. If is it capable of dealing precision damage due to class levels, the die type progresses one step (d4 to d6, d6 to d8, d8 to d10). {Could just axe this and Harrying form, as a scouting form is mostly useless to someone working on mindless undead which are the primary intended recipients, but it seemed too weak with just Slight Build and the stealth bonuses to justify taking for a sentient undead either. Alternative offerings for a stealthy form would be much appreciated}

Harrying form: The creature gains a +10 bonus to its movement speeds and an additional +10 for every 4 HD it possesses. It gains +1d4 of Skirmish damage for every 3 HD it possesses, if it possesses skirmish from class levels, the skirmish dice from Harrying form advance to d6s and it gains Pounce. In addition, it qualifies for the feat Ride-By Attack and may use it, despite not being mounted.

Obscured Origin (ex): As a product of fleshweaving, the Bone-Knit Creature's origins are partially obscured by the addition of biomass from other creatures. Knowledge checks made to identify the base creature have their DCs increased by 5. If the creature making the check has 5 ranks in Heal, then it gains a +3 bonus to its knowledge check. If the check fails by 6 or less, then the creature making the roll is able to identify that it is a Bone-Knit Creature, but not the base creature. {Not married to this, but it seemed slightly thematic to have the body-parts of other creatures make it a bit harder to discern what lies beneath}

Bone-Knit (ex): Due to its robust construction and reinforcing materials, a Bone-Knit creature gains a +3 bonus on Fortitude saves and gains the Improved Toughness Feat as a bonus feat.

Anatomist's Legacy (ex): While undead may not in and of themselves have vital organs or weak points, the intense study of anatomy that goes into creating Bone-Knit Creatures restores some of this dependence upon the physical framework of the creature. Treat the Bone-Knit Creature as being under the effects of the Moderate Fortification armor property whenever a critical hit is threatened or an attacker would qualify to add precision damage to his attacks against the Bone-Knit Creature. This fortification is bypassed by the Lightbringer Rogue ACF, the Gravestrike spell, Favored Enemy, and similar effects that allow precision damage on undead.

Cost to create: X(75? 100?) GP & Y(25?) XP per HD of the creature and a supply of flesh from creatures equally the size category of the base creature, with two creatures of the same size category being the equivalent of material from a creature one size category larger, so 2 Small = 1 Medium, 2 Medium = 1 Large, 2 Large = 1 Huge, and so forth.

It takes 1 day per 1000 GP to integrate the body parts with the creature.

Sentient Undead that wish to have this template applied to them must acquire meditative materials of equal value to the cost to apply the template to them and meditate with the parts that will become one with them, expending Y XP in order to make the parts become one with his body. After the creator is done applying the template, it takes an additional day per 2 HD for the creature to become familiar with its new form, during which time it does not gain the full benefits of its Knit Form, gaining only the gross changes to physical form, DR, Natural Armor, and taking non-proficiency penalties with any new or altered natural weapons.

Coming Soon: Sample Bone-Knit Creature.

Coidzor
2011-10-18, 11:48 PM
{Enter the Bone-Knitter, part undead spark from the world of Girl Genius, part insane monkey skeleton.}

Bone-Knitters are undead born from those obsessed with the physical form and how it functions. Doctors, Engineers, Taxidermists, and Necromancers have all been known to go missing after death, their tools stolen along with any supplies of metal wiring and thread in the area, and mutilated corpses and misshapen, twisted undead turning up over the following weeks.

Remembering much of the details of their former lives, the spark of madness and the obsession that consumes them leads them to mostly not caring save when their memories and former personalities are of use, otherwise, all is subsumed in their quest to learn more and more about the body and create more of their twisted art.

More powerful Necromancers with a deeper knowledge of both their self and their craft are able to make the transition of their own will, mastering the madness within them to realize its full potential as well as their own, these invariably become Greater Bone-Knitters, and retain much more of their self and personality.

Considering their bodies are the closest canvas to hand, Bone-Knitters invariably sport significant modifications, although no two Bone-Knitters are quite identical from all of the unique flares and different theories that each Bone-Knitter tests out on itself. There are a few commonalities, though, most Bone-Knitters, as their base-line, physically resemble Liches, with thin skin stretched out over bones, however, where Liches are nothing but skin and bones, Bone-Knitters have alchemically hardened and stained exposed bones, synthetic and preserved muscles laced with mithril and adamantine veins, a suite of tools integrated into their hands to the point that between the metal tips of the many sharp tools and the pointed bones of the fingers, it is only their heightened reflexes and honed coordination that keeps them from tearing anything they handle to shreds.

All Bone-Knitters bear a prominent, self-identifying mark that they use to mark all of their works of art, living, undead, and inert. Depending upon how close to the surface the madness roiled in life, this mark may or may not be linked to the name they possessed in life or it may be connected to their new identity adopted as a Bone-Knitter, though it is overwhelmingly the case the more prominent and successful an individual was in life.

Lesser Bone-Knitter
Medium Undead (Bone-Knit)
HD: 8d12+32 (84 HP)
Initiative: +11
Speed: 40 ft., Climb 30 ft.
Armor Class: 21 (4 Natural + 7 Dex), Flatfooted 14, Touch 17
BAB/Grapple: +4/+6

Attack: Claw +11 (2d4+2) or Withering Grasp +11 Touch Attack (special, see description)
Full Attack: 2 Claws +11 (2d4+2) and a Bite + 6 (1d8+1)

Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.

Special Attacks: Withering Grasp, Entangling Sutures
Special Qualities: Unholy Toughness, Fleshweaving, Reprogrammer, Madness, Turn Resistance +7, DR 8/Bludgeoning and Magic, DR 2/-

Saves: Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +6
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 24, Con -, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 18

Skills: Heal +14, Spot +13, Knowledge: Religion/Nature/Arcana/Local/Planes +17, Climb +10, Search + 5
Feats: Knowledge Devotion, Weapon Finesse(Bonus), Improved Initiative, Graft Flesh {not married to the feats, mostly picked them as placeholders for it being a sort of rogue-like figure inside of battles compared with its minions.}

Alignment: Usually NE, with notable exceptions tending towards CN, and chaos being favored over law by the rest.
Treasure: Standard

LA: -
CR: 5ish? 6? {Really don't know where to place it as it appears right now, as it's supposed to be a minion master, but those add to the overall EL}

*+3 racial bonus on Heal checks and Knowledge checks made to identify a creature or for anatomical information.
*+2 racial bonus to Spot and Search
*+8 racial bonus to Climb (from climb speed)

Special Attacks: [/B][B]Entangling Sutures (EX): As an immediate action, the Bone-Knitter can attempt to use the embedded suturing equipment in their claws to entangle any creature that they've successfully struck with a claw attack. The Bone-Knitter makes a touch attack against the target, and if successful, deals 1d4+1/2Dex (Piercing and Slashing) and inflicts the entangled status condition on any creature a size category larger than the Bone-Knitter or smaller. If the creature is two size categories larger than the bone-knitter, the creature is partially entangled. Large size and smaller creatures must then make a Fort save against being Stunned for 1d3 rounds against DC 19 (1/2HD+Dex+10)

If the Bone-Knitter has struck two different creatures, it may instead fore-go dealing damage and instead tether the two creatures together, Partially Entangling Large size and smaller creatures while preventing them from moving more than 10' from one another while the sutures hold.

Withering Grasp (SU): Combining their knowledge of Anatomy and their necromantic connection to Negative Energy, the Bone-Knitter may make a touch attack against any creature it has successfully identified that targets its vulnerable and vital areas. The Bone-Knitter specifies a limb or natural weapon that it wishes to use this ability against and deals 3d6+6 negative energy damage.

The Bone-Knitter may forego dealing negative energy damage and instead elect to randomly damage one of the target's physical ability scores (roll 1d4, 4 is either the creature's strongest physical score or weakest physical score 50% of the time) for 2d4 ability damage, Fort save DC 14 for half (10+1/2HD+CHA)

Creatures without anatomy are immune to this attack.

Special Qualities:

Unholy Toughness (su): The Bone-Knitter may apply its charisma modifier to its HP per HD if positive as well as Fort Saves.

Reprogrammer (su): The Bone-Knitter's extensive knowledge of the body and of its own necromantic existence gives it an intimacy with the bodies of the undead that even Lich Necromancers struggle to grasp. Mindless Undead will ignore the presence of a Bone-Knitter unless commanded otherwise or attacked.

Every time a Bone-Knitter works on a mindless undead, it must make a Will Save DC 18 (10+1/2HD+CHA) or it falls under the Bone-Knitter's control, becoming an extension of the Bone-Knitter's will and a permanent canvas for its art until such time as the Bone-Knitter chooses to release it or the Bone-Knitter is destroyed.

If released by the Bone-Knitter, the former master, if any, resumes control over the undead if it were not already forfeited in some other fashion, such as exceeding the HD limit for animate dead or rebuking..

A successful spot DC 22, heal DC 16, or search DC 18 check can reveal the signature mark of an individual Bone-Knitter on any undead that it has worked on, and knowledge: local, arcana, and religion may be used to identify the particular Bone-Knitter that left the mark as appropriate, typically DC 25.

If the Bone-Knitter works on a sapient undead, then that undead must make a DC 18 Will Save or be subjected to the effects of the Control Undead Spell as if from an 11th level caster and have their attitude towards the Bone-Knitter moved one step further towards helpful.

Fleshweaving (su): The Bone-Knitter may fleshweave freely upon its Charisma modifier of undead, applying the Bone-Knit template upon them without paying GP or XP costs for doing so as long as they spend X amount of time in Y amount of time maintaining them. (3 days a month? 1 day a week? 1 day a month per Bone-Knit undead?) Such creatures are under the Bone-Knitter's complete control and no longer subject to any other control pools, such as animate dead or rebuking.

Alternatively, the Bone-Knitter may eschew modifying the creations of others in favor of creating its own pieces of deadly Bone-Knit art, up to its Charisma modifier, for half price.

In addition to this, the Bone-Knitter is able to create, craft, and apply any grafts with which it becomes familiar as if it had the relevant spells and crafting feats.

Madness (su): The Bone-Knitter's genesis and deeper connection to its body's state before death means that the obsession and madness that plagued its mortal predecessor is present but warped. The Bone-Knitter has a -4 to Wisdom and a +4 to Cha while effected by this Madness and may use Charisma instead of Wisdom on Will Saves.

Greater Bone-Knitter {Template edition}

Coidzor
2011-10-18, 11:49 PM
Reserved for Grafts/Fleshweaving/etc.

Coidzor
2011-10-18, 11:51 PM
Reserved for further fluff/miscellany.

Coidzor
2011-10-18, 11:53 PM
Reserved for ???

You can post now.

Coidzor
2011-10-19, 05:52 AM
Sorry about the delay, computer ended up freezing while putting in the formatting initially. Got what I was up for formatted tonight, will update it as I get available time.

Should have enough there to at least be worth a skim now, as opposed to earlier.