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Syne
2008-10-09, 10:45 AM
Greyaffinates
Greyaffinates are the descendents of an ancient race that augmented its organic composition with inorganic systems. With a perfect understanding of the nature of life, the race did not merely connect the inorganic systems, but also ingrain them deep into the core of their being. The inorganic became as much a part of their bodies as the organic; and as such a part, it healed as though it were alive – and it did have a life, of a sort.
They improved every aspect of their original bodies and minds, engineering themselves to become stronger, faster, more enduring, and more intelligent. They developed a mechanism that allowed them to assimilate any substance into their being in order to heal any injuries they may have, and reduced their dependency on sleep, nourishment, and oxygen.
Yet for all their power, their time is long done. Nevertheless, they have left a mark upon the multiverse; one that shall be a testament to their existence for many thousands of years. That mark is a race, known as the Greyaffinates.

Origin
When the ancient civilization collapsed, some of its people still remained. As races do, they spread across their universe and others. Although strange, they still held much power. This ensures the continued existence of their race, in some form or another, for many years still. They intermixed with other races, and because their inorganic components were tied so firmly to the cores for their being, they were transferred to their descendents. Yet with each generation, they grew and less powerful; the difference between them and other races diminished, until they became what they are today.

Description
Greyaffinates appear humanoid, and somewhat larger than the average human. Their skin can have various tints, though the most common is a blue-grey color. Their name stems more from the inorganic material partially composing them than the color of their skin, however. Inorganic material appears in patches all over their bodies, flesh and skin giving way almost seamlessly to patches of translucent material, smooth metallic blades, and occasionally dull gemstones lodged firmly in place. Instead of skin and bone, their skulls may be partially covered with a glass-like surface, which allows the observer to glance into the strange and chaotic world of a Greyaffinate’s brain. The location of the patches differs between members of the race, with some appearing almost human.
Their hair varies wildly in color, though it is often of thick consistency. It may be of several different hues, in fact, each located as far on the color wheel from the others as is possible. Their eyes are bead-like, lacking irises, and also widely vary in color. Several color combinations for each eye and asymmetry between the two are uncommon, but not unheard of. The appearance of their eyes grants their stares a very piercing quality.
Greyaffinates have elongated, pointed ears that stretch behind them – an element preserved from the original, organic body of their progenitors.
Greyaffinates are average in most physical respects, their augmentations having dwindled in usefulness as they were diluted with the genetic material of other races. The mass of inorganic elements on their bodies still offers them some protection from physical attacks, however, though they can cause some rigidity of movement.

Mindset
Greyaffinates have a strange, alien mindset that can make them difficult to interact with. The processes that their ancestors used to transform their bodies have made them practically emotionless, and extremely rational. Although not necessarily more consciously intelligent than other races, they find empathy difficult and unnatural. Some of the enhanced intellect of their ancestors is preserved unconsciously, however, and it allows them to intuitively abstain from certain actions. Note that just because Greyaffinates find little moral or emotional meaning in life, it does not mean they do not find intellectual meaning in it. Though they are more drawn towards activities that put them above others, many do not pursue them, and few pursue them absolutely.
Greyaffinates find moral and ethical questions difficult, if not meaningless. Although their philosophy varies, they have only limited capacity to comprehend them.
They rarely show anything akin to overt anger, fear, or happiness; yet may demonstrate contentment or lack thereof. They can, of course, try to imitate the outward appearance of the emotions for some reason, but anyone knowing anything about their race will understand they are likely false.

Lands
As Greyaffinates are a mixed race, they don’t have lands of their own; they live in the cities of other races.

Professions
Potentially more durable than other races, Greyaffinates often fight as melee combatants. They usually attack without overt passion, yet with due efficiency. As they are practically emotionless, they may save others purely due to intellectual reasons; or may not. They also take well to many other professions, such as the magical or psionic. They show some of their ancestors aptitude in those fields.

Game Rule Information
• Greyaffinates are medium sized and have the base land speed of 30 feet.
• Greyaffinates are of the monstrous humanoid type and have the augmented subtype. They normally derive hit dice, hit points, saving throws, skill points, and base attack bonus from class levels.
• Uncertain Type (Ex): Greyaffinates are difficult to affect with type-related effects. When they are targeted by one, they gain a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws against it.
• Construct Resemblance (Ex): Greyaffinates are affected by type-based effects that affect constructs. If an effect has a different result depending on the target being monstrous humanoid or construct, the Greyaffinate can choose which type to be against the effect. Some effects nevertheless have no effect on the Greyaffinate, despite superficially having the construct type.
• Compound Anatomy (Ex): Greyaffinates have a highly complex anatomy composed from both organic and inorganic systems. Although they heal damage as living creatures, any creatures (except for another Greyaffinate) attempting to make a Heal check on a Greyaffinate suffers a -5 penalty.
In addition, although they are affected by both Cure and Repair spells, spells that heal hit point damage through positive energy and through repair heal only ˝ normal hit points. They are affected by negative energy normally.
• Assimilate (Ex): Greyaffinates can absorb any substance, organic (such as flesh) or inorganic (such as stone) into their being. Their body then dissembles it and uses it to heal any injuries they may have though a process that feeds on a Greyaffinate’s endurance.
This ability requires a standard action to use and provokes an attack of opportunity. The item absorbed must weigh between 1/2 a pound to 1 pound. Its size must not exceed the size of the Greyaffinate’s fist. The item must be perfectly mundane in terms of supernatural power, though it can be made from any material. The item must be of such size that, in order to assimilate it, one must first take a move action to draw it or prepare it to be used (akin to a potion). The absorbed item is permanently destroyed by the process, regardless of hardness or hit points.
Assimilation instantly heals the Greyaffinate by 2*Hit Dice*Constitution modifier and fatigues him. A fatigued Greyaffinate that uses this ability becomes exhausted. An exhausted Greyaffinate cannot use this ability.
• Emotional Resistances: Greyaffinates gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against fear and any effect that alters the Greyaffinate’s emotional state.
• Construct-like Traits: Greyaffinates gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against the following effects: paralysis, stunning, nausea, sickening, polymorph, death effects, necromancy effects, and mind-affecting effects.
• Tough Exterior (Ex): Greyaffinates have a +1 natural armor bonus and a -2 penalty to Dexterity.
• Dangerous Body (Ex): The unarmed attacks of Greyaffinates always deal lethal damage, and they are considered armed even when they are unarmed.
• Social Ineptitude: Greyaffinates suffer a -4 penalty on all Charisma-based skill checks.

AstralFire
2008-10-09, 11:35 AM
Fatigue is a pretty rough penalty when they have difficulty being healed otherwise.

Syne
2008-10-09, 02:44 PM
So you suggest to make the Assimilate ability free?

AstralFire
2008-10-09, 02:45 PM
So you suggest to make the Assimilate ability free?

Maybe. Or maybe to allow either repair or cure spells to work full strength on them. -shrug- Not like natural healing counts for a lot in D&D usually.

Syne
2008-10-09, 02:59 PM
*nods*. The natural healing bit is flavor, mostly. I kind of like the idea of metal, silicon, and stone knitting like living flesh.

sigurd
2008-10-10, 02:04 PM
I like them.

2 questions though:

Why don't you make them +2con and -2 char then perhaps drop the -4 charisma skills.

Failing that you could have a sort of hunter\seeker variant that was +2 dex -2 str. I imagine if they are even somewhat designed they would have been optimized in some way.


How bout adding Knowledge Planes as a class skill based on their background?
Perhaps favoured class would be Wizard\Artificer or something similar.


I really like them. Have to find a way to use them :).


Sigurd

Syne
2008-10-10, 03:05 PM
Thanks.

I first considered that, but Con is a much better stat than Cha. I'm suing the check penalty to compensate a bit for the save bonuses, and to fit with some of the fluff. Nevertheless, if the healing mechanic is truly lacking, I just might add it.

I don't see why I should reduce their Strength, honestly. They were originally incredibly good at everything they did, yet one could claim their rigid structure became more of a problem for them over it. Why Strength?

The race is spread across the multiverse, but in this setting, so are all other races. This doesn't give them special knowledge about it; at least nothing deeper than everyone else possesses.

sigurd
2008-10-10, 11:24 PM
I like your approach and your backstory. They remind me of a more fleshly warforged.

The str and dex mods weren't really based on your race as described, more along the principle that if you have a synthetic race what would they be synthesized for?

Stat mods tend to push a race in one direction or other. Unless you want to make a template (also an interesting approach) it would seem to me that their design would tend towards something. It also seems reasonable that there might be a couple of types to fill different roles. A seeker scout (+2 Dex -2 str) was the first thing that came to mind.


Sigurd