NonUndead Undead [Arcane Animus (Template) & Eldritch Life (Feat)]

Arcane Zombies are mages that through necessity found a way to bind their lifeforce to their body past its natural limitations. Unlike a Lich and their Phylactery, or vampires unnatural blood these mages rely on pure arcane might to maintain themselves.

Feat
Eldritch Life (Story)

You have uncovered the secret to maintaining your body through force of magic with more research you may unlock the secret of immortality.

Prerequisite: Primary Casting Attribute 19, ability to cast 5th level arcane spells, living at time of acquiring

Benefit: By sacrificing a arcane spell you may heal 1d4 hp per spell level and an additional amount equal to primary casting mod, as a standard action. This healing is arcane in nature and heals regardless of type. This functions similar to fast healing and applies to anything that can benefit form fast healing.

Goal: Heal 2000hp via this feat. Actual HP must be healed to count. Damage self inflicted such as jumping off a cliff to take damage or cutting ones self, or be inflicted at your behest such as having someone else push you off a cliff or cut you, damage dealt by these means counts as -2 damage healed per damage taken. Damage taken due to innately dangerous environments (I.E. volcanic area) or damage taken due to feats used to protect allies such as constant guardian still do not count as long as the attacker actually wishes the death of the ally and is not an ally to you.

Completion Benefit: The healing increases 1d6 per spell level instead of 1d4. Additionally you may expend arcane spell levels equal to twice your HD upon death to revive as a Arcane Animus. One spell sacrificed must be of the highest level you can cast and no lower than 5th level. Spell levels can be either spell slots or prepared spells, or any equivalent magic of arcane source.



Arcane Animus are men and women that have found a way to extend their existence beyond death not quite denying it but delaying it. The nature of the process does very little to preserve their form so the lack of food causes slow decay to a point where they are walking corpse gaunt and pallid in complexion. Some abate the deterioration by maintaining gentle repose preserving their natural appearance, other use illusions or transmutation magic when needed.

Creating a Arcane Animus
“Arcane Animus” is an acquired template that can be added to any living creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature), provided it can compelte the goal of Eldritch Life Feat. A "Arcane Animus" retains all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

CR: Same as the base creature + 1

Type: The creature’s type changes to Construct. Do not recalculate BAB, saves, or skill ranks.

Senses: An arcane animus gains darkvision 60 ft. and Low-Light Vision.

Armor Class: An arcane animus has a +1 natural armor bonus or the base creature’s natural armor bonus, whichever is better.

Hit Dice: Change all of the creature’s racial Hit Dice to d10s. All Hit Dice derived from class levels remain unchanged. Arcane animus use their primary casting modifiers to determine bonus hit points (instead of Constitution), and do not gain the normal bonus HP from size.

Defensive Abilities: An arcane Animus Immunity to bleed, disease, death effects, necromancy effects, paralysis, poison, and sleep effects. Not subject to ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or nonlethal damage. +5 save vs all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms). Immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points or less. Constructs do not breathe, eat, or sleep(though rest for spell recovery is required).

Arcane Constitution(SU): The arcane animus uses their primary casting attribute in place of constitution in all cases where constitution would apply. If they expend 1/2 their total spell levels per day or more they become fatigued until they recover their spells per day. If the arcane animus expends 90% of their spell levels they become exhausted. Healing from Eldritch Life heals 1d8 per spell level. Unlike other constructs arcane animus do not gain bonus HP based on size. They cannot heal damage naturally, but can be healed with repair magic or restorative magic not based on positive or negative energy. Constructs can also be healed through spells such as make whole. A construct with the fast healing special quality still benefits from that quality. They are immune to healing or damage form positive or negative energy but are still subject to all other effects based on those energies.

Abilities: Being construct, an arcane animus has no Constitution score.

Eldritch Life- cool feat mechanic! Are [Story] feats your own homebrew?

Assuming a 9th-level wizard with Int 19 (Int mod =+4), you'll have 4/5/5/4/3/1 spells per day, including spells from high Int. Assuming you devote yourself to just sitting home and converting your spells into healing, that's:

4 0th-level spells: (0x2.5+4)x4 = 16
5 1st-level spells: (1x2.5 +4)x5 = 32.5
5 2nd-level spells (2x2.5 +4)x5 = 45
4 3rd-level spells: (3x2.5 +4)x4 = 46
3 4th-level spell: (4x2.5 +4)x3 = 42
1 5th-level spell: (5x2.5 +4)x1 = 16.5

Total: 198 hp/day gained from converting spells. So after ~5 days you'll have healed enough to gain the template, something to keep in mind when you assign benefits to the template (which is already pretty good, all the benefits of being a construct but none of the drawbacks; I'd be looking at LA +2 or so).

I do like what you've written for the template so far, Arcane Constitution is powerful but also has a very flavourful drawback (using up your spell energy literally drains your life force, very nifty).

Story Feat Source
Healer's Touch Achievement Feat

I should probably include some caveats like must actually heal damage. And the template isn't done.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lanth Sor

Story Feat Source
Healer's Touch Achievement Feat

I should probably include some caveats like must actually heal damage. And the template isn't done.

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"... must actually heal damage that cannot be self-inflicted or willingly accepted" seems like a reasonable start (off the top of my head).

I upped the healing to 10k, I agree with the limitation Nonsi but it would kind of be counter to the intent where you could train in a volcanic environment or something to unlock the potential.

Also added a few more clauses should be done by end of day.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lanth Sor

I upped the healing to 10k, I agree with the limitation Nonsi but it would kind of be counter to the intent where you could train in a volcanic environment or something to unlock the potential.

Also added a few more clauses should be done by end of day.

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I separate between training in a hazardeous environment and actively refraining from defending one's self. Basic comon sense.

Updated with additional clauses. Took Bleed out off the table and added fluff, and clarified that Negative levels still effect you. You still have a soul so major positive and negative effects still work on you but minor ones like healing don't work.