PDA

View Full Version : We may be many, but we are one. [3.5 PRC PEACH]



Owrtho
2012-09-10, 05:58 PM
This was my entry for GitP PrC Contest XXXIII: Pet Me! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=249689) I decided to post it in its own thread so it could possibly get some further feedback and to allow any changes I determined it needed since the contest ended. Currently the only change from the contest version is an addition to Familiar ability letting it be used through familiar chaos.


Body of Chaos

http://i1022.photobucket.com/albums/af349/TsubineZarkonheinz/List/Nrvnqsr.png

"Haha, are you pleased with the chaos within my body"
-Nrvnqsr Chaos

There are those who seek to improve and strengthen their familiars or become close to them. They are not Bodies of Chaos. A body of chaos has dozens or hundreds of familiars, and seems them each as but a small part of a whole. Any given familiar is expendable, and once killed is easily regenerated. Even the bodies of chaos themselves are but parts of their greater whole, merged with all the familiars they have to form what can only be thought of as chaos.

Becoming a Body of Chaos
Becoming a body of chaos requires study and knowledge. Also familiars. Lots and lots of familiars.

Entry Requirements
Skills: Knowledge (the planes) 8 ranks, (Knowledge (dungeoneering) 8 ranks or Knowledge (Arcane) 8 ranks)
Special: Must have at least two creatures chosen from a list that advance as you level in a class or gain hd (examples are familiars, animal companions, or special mounts)
Special: Must have at least one feat or class ability that expands the list from which you may choose one or more of the creatures used to qualify above.

Class Skills
The Body of Chaos' class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Decipher Script (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Cha), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sleight Of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + intelligence modifier

Hit Dice: d10

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+1|
+2|
+2|
+0|Familiar Pools, Body of Chaos, Increased Hunger, Familiar reaction, Unleash Familiar (full-round), Swallow Whole

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+3|
+0|Additional Familiar Pool, Familiar Feat (1), Soil of Genesis

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+3|
+1|Additional Familiar Pool, Unleash Familiar (standard), Familiar Advancement (+1)

4th|
+4|
+4|
+4|
+1|Additional Familiar Pool, Familiar Feat (1), Familiar Chaos (dead)

5th|
+5|
+4|
+4|
+1|Additional Familiar Pool, Unleash Familiar (move), Familiar Ability

6th|
+6/+1|
+5|
+5|
+2|Additional Familiar Pool, Familiar Feat (2), Familiar Advancement (+1)

7th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+2|Additional Familiar Pool, Familiar Chaos (unleashed)

8th|
+8/+3|
+6|
+6|
+2|Additional Familiar Pool, Familiar Feat (2), Unleash Familiar (double)

9th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+3|Additional Familiar Pool, Familiar Advancement (+2), Familiar Restoration

10th|
+10/+5|
+7|
+7|
+3|Additional Familiar Pool, Familiar Feat (3), Unleash Familiar (immediate), Reviving Lives[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: A body of chaos gains no new weapon or armour proficiencies.

Familiar Pools (Ex): At first level, a body of chaos merges with his familiars, animal companions, etc. turning his body into a primordial pool of material and lives. He may later retrieve partially at random creatures from his body to make use of them. For each creature the body of chaos had that it could use to qualify for the class, it gains a familiar pool. If at any later point the body of chaos would gain a creature that could be used to qualify for the class, it too is converted into a familiar pool. Familiar pools are advanced by any levels that would advance creatures that could qualify for them. They count as the creatures that would qualify for them for the purpose of prerequisites, and any ability or feat that would enhance a creature that qualifies for one enhances familiar pools as well. Upon gaining a familiar pool, the body of chaos immediately selects its make-up. A body of chaos can reselect the make-up of one or more familiar pools in an hour long process after 8 hours of rest or the equivalent.
Selecting a familiar poolEach familiar pool consists of 20 creatures of the body of chaos' choice, though limited to options it had available for creatures used to qualify for the class (for example the familiar or animal companion list, not the specific creatures selected before entering the class). A given familiar pool cannot contain more than 3 copies of the same creature.
Creatures in a pool that can't be selected at first level are additionally limited. For all creatures that require a given level in a given familiar pool, the product of the number of them and the level required cannot exceed 20. The exception to this is if the level required is greater than 20 then one may be selected. Note that the body of chaos must have a high enough level that they could select any creatures in the familiar pool.
Creatures selected for a pool are numbered 1 to 20.
Familiar pools have four states. These are contained, unleashed, dead, and regenerating.
A contained familiar pool is one that is in the body and able to be used. Any time a contained familiar pool is used for an ability, roll a 1d20 to randomly select which creature from the list that makes it up will be used for its form. There may be conditions that result in a reroll (see descriptions of specific abilities).
A unleashed familiar pool is one that has manifested a form and is outside the body for a prolonged period. It has a set form (that selected when initially unleashed), and grants benefits as if a normal one of the creatures it is is from the list of (such as animal companion or familiar). It can be normally controlled as one, except that it also shares all its senses with the body of chaos. If killed it enters the dead state. A unleashed familiar pool is always black with red eyes.
A dead familiar pool breaks down into a black sludge. It may move 5 feet per round. It is normally immune to damage, though some abilities may allow it to enter a form in which it can be damaged. If it is in the same square as or an adjacent square to the body of chaos, it may rejoin him as a free action, at which point it enters the regenerating state.
A regenerating familiar pool is one that is in the process of reviving inside the body of chaos, and as such is not usable for any abilities, nor counted for number of contained familiar pools. Upon first entering the state, the familiar pool has 0 points. At the end of each of the body of chaos' turns, all regenerating familiar pools gain a number of points equal to the body of chaos' class levels. When these points reach or exceed 20, the familiar pool is revived and enters the contained state.

Body of Chaos (Ex): The body of chaos is so named because its body is just that, chaos. At first level it absorbs its familiars and other life form. Becoming one with them while still having separate lives has various effects. The body of chaos gains fast healing equal to the number of contained familiar pools (this stacks with fast healing from other sources). Additionally, the body of chaos becomes able to regenerate any lost body parts as a swift action (this includes the head, meaning that decapitation is not lethal). If the body of chaos would be subjected to a critical hit or other form of precision damage, roll a 1d20. If the result is less than the number of contained familiar pools the body of chaos is treated as immune for the attack (this immunity is only overcome by anything that overcomes an oozes immunity to critical hits, sneak attacks, or other forms of precision damage). The body of chaos gains the shapechanger subtype. When making an attack, the body of chaos may choose to use a contained familiar pool. In such an event, upon declaring the attack, roll for the familiar pool to select a creature, the select one attack that creature has of the body of chaos' choice. Use the body of chaos' BAB for the attack and any modifiers of the creature selected (including its ability scores). Only one attack is made, but this may be used with iterative attacks gained from high BAB.

This body causes the body of chaos to no longer be subjected to the ravages of time like others. It no longer a maximum age it can live till, and ceases to be affected by ageing penalties. However, the minds of the creatures mingle with their own, wearing on their psyche more as time goes on. As such the body of chaos no longer benefits from age bonuses either.

Increasing Hunger: A body of chaos needs to eat more than most. For each familiar pool a body of chaos has, it must eat an additional amount of food each day equal to the amount a normal creature its size category would need to eat each day.

Familiar Reaction (Ex): Even when merged with the body of chaos, familiars are able to perceive the world and react to it. The body of chaos gains a number of additional attacks of opportunity equal to his number contained familiar pools. These attacks of opportunity are each tied to a different familiar pool, and may only by used for attacks made by that familiar pool (though special abilities activated by attacks of opportunity may be used with them, see body of chaos for attacking with a contained familiar). If at least half of the creatures in a familiar pool have a greater reach than the body of chaos, the attack of opportunity tied to that pool threaten that greater reach. In such a case, if the creature rolled for the attack does not have the reach and it is not within the body of chaos' normal reach, reroll the creature.

Unleash Familiar (Ex): As a full round action the body of chaos may cause a familiar pool to manifest a form outside his body. The body of chaos selects a familiar pool and rolls for a creature from it to have it enter the unleashed state in the form of. If the rolled creature cannot survive in the environment, reroll (as an example, an aquatic creature outside of the water, or a non-flying creature hundreds of feet in the air). At least 5 creatures in the familiar pool must be able to survive in the environment for it to be used for this ability. When first released, an unleashed creature is in a square adjacent to the body of chaos of the body of chaos' choosing. If unleashed from the body of chaos, a the unleashed creature has full hit points. An unleashed familiar pool takes its turn at the same time as the body of chaos, and has all its action on the turn it is unleashed. An unleashed familiar may be unleashed charging (chosen after the creature is rolled), and may make a charge against an opponent on the turn it is unleashed even if the opponent is adjacent to the body of chaos. An unleashed familiar pool may merge with the body of chaos if in an adjacent square. Doing so requires a move action on the part of either the familiar pool or the body of chaos. An unleashed familiar pool may choose to enter the dead state as a move action.
At 3rd level, this ability may be used as a standard action. At 5th level it may be used as a move action. At 8th level up to two familiar pools may be unleashed with one use of this ability. At 10th level the body of chaos may unleash a single familiar pool as an immediate action, in which case the unleashed familiar pool immediately gets to take a turn for the round, after which the turn of the individual who was interrupted resumes. On subsequent rounds the unleashed familiar pool acts on the urn of the body of chaos as normal.

Swallow Whole (Su): The body of chaos may absorb a creature into its body with the intent of eating it. Upon successfully grappling a creature of any size, it may attempt to swallow it whole. This provokes an additional grapple check. While swallowed whole, the creature takes 1d8 damage every round. Additionally, each contained familiar pool makes one attack for free against the swallowed creature. These attacks automatically hit. Roll to see the form of the familiar pool and then select which attack it will use. Escaping from being swallowed whole requires dealing damage to the body of chaos equal to its hd plus the number of contained familiar pools. The body of chaos does not gain the benefits of worn armour against attacks of swallowed creatures. However, it does have hardness equal to the number of contained familiars, and fast healing gained by the contained familiars as per body of chaos counts as healing the damage dealt by swallowed creatures for the purpose of how much damage they need to deal to escape. A creature that escapes appears in a square adjacent to the body of chaos. If an opponent is killed with this ability, the body of chaos gains sustenance from eating it. As a move action any equipment carried by an eaten creature may be expelled into a square adjacent to the body of chaos. This ability may be used on an already dead creature, in which case it is immediately treated as being being killed by the ability.

Additional Familiar Pool (Ex): At every level after first, a body of chaos gains an additional familiar pool.

Familiar Feat (Ex): At second level and every even level thereafter, the body of chaos may gain a familiar feat. A familiar feat may be selected from any feat, even if body of chaos does not meet the prerequisites. However, it does not gain the benefits of any familiar feat it does not meet the prerequisites for and may not use them to qualify for prerequisites. Additionally, it any time it selects its familiar pools, it may select one feet that it has taken either normally or as a familiar feat for that familiar pool. If the form the familiar pool takes when attacking or being unleashed qualifies for the prerequisites of the selected feat, it gains the benefits of that feat as if it had it. At 6th level, two feats may be selected for each familiar pool (these may be used to qualify for each other). At level 10, three feats may be selected for each familiar pool.

Soil of Genesis (ex): At second level the body of chaos finds ways to use even its dead familiar pools. If a dead familiar pool moves into an occupied square or begins its turn in one, it may choose to initiate soil of genesis and bind the creature. Multiple dead familiars pools may choose to do so simultaneously, while dead familiars pools may also choose to join into an existing soil of genesis. If an unleashed familiar pool enters the dead state intentionally as a move action, it may choose to immediately move up to 5 feet and begin or join an existing soil of genesis. Soil of genesis occupies a number of adjacent squares equal to the number of familiar pools taking part in it. Any creatures in the squares occupied by soil of genesis must make a strength check to avoid being caught (DC 10 + half body of chaos level per familiar pool taking part), though the body of chaos may choose to exclude creatures from having to make the save. A creature caught by the soil of genesis soil cannot move or take any standard actions except to reattempt the save to escape each turn as a standard action. Creatures caught take 1d4 damage per familiar pool taking part in the soil of genesis at the start of their turn as long as they remain caught. A creature that succeeds its save against the soil of genesis is immune to that given soil of genesis until it leaves and re-enters the area, or another familiar pool joins the soil of genesis. The soil of genesis has a number of hit points equal to 20 per familiar pool taking part, and hardness equal to the 3 times the number of familiar pools taking part. If the soil of genesis is destroyed, all the familiar pools return to being normal dead familiar pools and cannot become or join in a soil of genesis again for 1d4 + 1 rounds (roll once and use the result for all familiar pools that took part). The body of chaos may end a soil of genesis as a free action on its turn, causing all familiar pools taking part to return to normal dead familiar pools that have no delay before they may attempt soil of genesis again.

Familiar Advancement (ex): At third level the body of chaos becomes able to use improved forms of its familiars. For each familiar pool it may select one template with a LA of +0 or +1 (DMs may disallow templates at their discretion). Up to 5 creatures in the familiar pool may be granted the selected template, though it causes them to count as requiring a level higher, and may not be done to creatures that would exceed the normal level requirement of creatures for the body of chaos' familiar pools as a result. The template for a given familiar pool may be changed any time the body of chaos changes the list of creatures for that familiar pool.

At 6th level, the body of chaos may select an additional LA +0 or +1 template for each familiar pool that may be applied to creatures in it. Additionally, the number of creatures that may have a template applied this way increases from 5 to 10.

At 9th level the body of chaos may select a single template with an LA of +0, +1, or +2 for each familiar pool in addition to the other two. If it is a +2 template, creatures with it count as requiring two levels higher rather than 1. Further, the number of creatures that may have templates increases from 10 to 15, though only 3 may have a +2 template.

Familiar Chaos (Ex): A body of chaos' familiar pools are just a part of it, and at fourth level it gains the ability to take advantage of this more fully. When unleashing a familiar, the body of chaos may choose to have one or more other familiar pools go with it. These familiar pools remain contained, but in the unleashed familiar rather than in the body of chaos. As such the body of chaos does not gain the benefits for having them contained. However, the unleashed familiar gains all the benefits of body of chaos for the contained familiars in it except the ability to attack with them. Familiar pools contained in an unleashed familiar may not be unleashed themselves.

However, if the familiar pool containing them is dead, the body of chaos may spend its actions to unleash the contained familiar pool from the dead familiar pool as if it were contained normally, though it originates from the dead familiar pool. Further, dead familiar pools may rejoin unleashed familiars entering the regenerating state, though they gain no points until they rejoin the body of chaos. The body of chaos may also attack with contained familiar pools in dead familiar pools as with the body of chaos ability but originating from the location of the dead familiar pool rather than the body of chaos. This also allows the benefits of familiar reaction for the contained familiar pools in the dead familiar pool.

Contained familiar pools and regenerating familiar pools may be shifted between unleashed familiar pools or the body of chaos as a more action on the part of either party so long as they are within 5 feet of each other. Unleashed familiar pools may also choose to rejoin dead familiar pools as a move action.

Familiar pools contained in other familiar pools do not heal, and as such may be unleashed with less than full health. In such a case, treat it as having damage equal to the amount it had when last unleashed, or hitpoints equal to up to the amount possessed when last unleashed, whichever results in the least amount of damage.

At level seven, the body of chaos becomes able to unleash contained familiars in unleashed familiars rather than just those in dead familiar pools or itself. The body of chaos may also attack with contained familiar pools in unleashed familiar pools, and have unleashed familiar pools rejoin other unleashed familiar pools. Unleashed familiar pools may also use their own actions to unleash contained familiar pools within them.

Familiar Ability (Ex): Starting at fifth level the body of chaos can draw on contained familiar pools even more. By spending an action of any type, it can make a roll for a familiar pool to select a form and have it take an action or actions of the same or lesser type (full-round > standard > attack > move > swift > immediate) selected after the form is determined. This includes but is not limited to making full-attacks, taking standard actions, using supernatural, extraordinary, or spell-like abilities. If the action involves movement, the body of chaos moves with the familiar pool. The actions retain their types and are affected by anti-magic fields and the like accordingly. If the actions provoke an attack of opportunity, it is against the body of chaos. If the body of chaos does not wish to make use of abilities possessed by the form selected, it need not do so, though the action spend for this ability is still expended.
The body of chaos may use this ability via the familiar chaos ability with the same requirements for using the unleash familiar ability through the familiar chaos ability.

Familiar Regeneration (Ex): At ninth level the body of chaos becomes able to regenerate dead familiar pools with its unleashed familiars. When a regenerating familiar pool is in an unleashed familiar, it gains points equal to the 2 + the number of contained familiar pools in the unleashed familiar pool instead of none. Additionally, contained familiar pools in unleashed familiar pools benefit from fast healing that the unleashed familiar pool has due to familiar chaos. In this case modify the hp possessed by the last unleashed form for the fast healing and use the modified result if later unleashed.

Reviving Lives (Ex): The body of chaos is truly one with all its familiars. At level 10, the body of chaos may treat itself as a familiar pool for the purpose of becoming a contained familiar pool in an unleashed or dead familiar pool. Further, if killed it becomes a dead familiar pool, and may rejoin an unleashed familiar to enter the regenerating state. Unlike a normal familiar pool, the body of chaos requires 40 points to regenerate. If it successfully regenerates in this way, it suffers none of the penalties associated with death or resurrection.

Playing a Body of Chaos
Bodies of chaos attack their opponents with their familiars, whether by sending them out to do so, or having them attack from the body.
Combat: Send out familiars to gain advantage of numbers or make use of various battlefield control abilities while holding some back to strengthen your body and to deal with enemies to seek to confront you directly.
Advancement: Most any class that advances familiars or animal companions is a good choice. Better are classes or multiple classes that will grant you more of those, and thus more familiar pools to improve your abilities.
Resources: Bodies of chaos tend to be a solitary lot outside the many creatures that are a part of them, and as such have few resources to draw on.

Bodies of Chaos in the World
"You'll never believe what I saw. I was out hunting a deer yesterday in the woods. Just about had it when I saw the stranger from the other day in the woods. Suddenly he opened his cloak and a pack of wolves came out and took it down, dragging it back to him. Needless to say I ran back here and have been drinking since hoping to forget it."
-A man trying to explain why he'd been in the tavern all night to his wife.

Bodies of chaos are a strange lot, who give up something of themselves to become one with many other beings. Some do it to study what the effects are first hand, others for the power they hope to gain. In any event the choice is often one they make for themselves.
Daily Life: Bodies of chaos tend to eat frequently and in large amounts to sustain themselves, thus much of their time is spent procuring food. In the remaining time they are a varied lot that seeks their own goals.
Notables: The Black Emperor as he came to be called was the first body of chaos. He began the process as an experiment to study the chaos of the primordial body he formed. He has since lived hundreds of years and devoured innumerable people to sate the hunger caused by his form.
Organizations: There are no organizations dedicated to bodies of chaos, however they may be attracted to organizations focused on fighting or stealth as their abilities can be well suited to either.

NPC Reaction
Some people see the individual who went down the road to becoming a body of chaos and view them much like druids or some casters who focus on dealing with animals. Most however just see a monster filled with more monsters. That is when the nature is made known. Many bodies of chaos that live in normal society make their way in the world by trying to conceal their nature, passing themselves off as individuals with useful pets.

Bodies of Chaos in the Game
Bodies of chaos can result in a bit of book keeping due to their partially random nature and the need to manage the various creatures they can be. Additionally the extra actions from numerous familiars may allow make the turns take longer than other players, though this is not likely to be much more than that of an summoner who uses multiple summons. The body of chaos mainly benefits due to their versatile nature and ability to keep some degree of control over the battlefield due to the familiar pools and their abilities.
Adaptation: This class may be adapted in numerous ways, such as having the familiar pools not actually being a merger with various creatures, but drawing magic that takes the form of creatures, or calling creatures from elsewhere for aid.
Encounters: A body of chaos can be a dangerous foe or powerful ally. Depending on the level they may make use of intelligently deploying familiar pools around the battlefield and making use of soil of genesis or familiar pools contained in others. They may also keep them back to throw the PCs or enemies off with the variety of attacks they can unleash.

Owrtho