We Knew the World Would Not be the Same[PEACH]

[Rebonack]

Came from PEACH exchange:

Very interesting. I tried to make something similar once (a PrC based on wildshape), but failed at it . Anyway, this is pretty neat. It looks like heaven for a min-max-player though, not sure if thats good or bad. Its hard to judge how strong it really is, probably pretty strong due to its flexibility (Tier 2?).

It doesn't have quite the degree of world-shaping power that, say, a Sorcerer does. But it is pretty powerful. Especially if the DM doesn't shoot down some of the potentially game-breaking combos it can pull off later in the game (lawl, damage immunity). It has a few really strong tricks and has nice versatility, so I would probably put it in the same general class as the Beguiler or the Dread Necro. Which is good company, I think.

Some pointers and suggestions:
• Maybe make it so that adopting multiple forms increases Beserk Pool DC somehow, seems to make sense and may balance this a bit more? You could make fewer forms a bit easier as you level in the class. This way the player requires to make some considerations between power and reliability, thus introducing a bit more depth to the class.

That's an interesting idea, though I would probably have to make it a bit easier to control lower numbers of component creatures once '#-fold Chimera' grows in power. I set up the numbers to straddle something of a knife-edge as it is. If controlling a two-fold or higher chimera form got harder then controlling it at all would get sticky in a hurry.

I'm a bit hesitant to give hard downsides to using more powerful class abilities. That isn't something that's really seen in other classes and this one already wields a two-edged sword as it is. The ability to use monster traits in the base form via feat investment is meant to be the class' 'low risk' option.

• Maybe introduce some sort of absorption/study/anatomy feature, where you actually have to encounter a form before you can adopt it. Sort of "gotta catch them all" idea. If so, add some tracking skills? Not sure, just a idea that seems to fit. It would also give the DM a more subtle control over the class. Such a feature could also lead to cool track-and-hunt side missions.

I had considered that. You've gotta nom a creature in order to get its form. While super-flavorful it can get a little stilted, though. The Druid and the Wizard don't even need to make Knowledge checks in order to transform themselves into exotic creatures. But that's a symptomatic problem with versatile form-altering abilities in this game. As it stands right now the Chimera can make a knowledge check to see if she knows enough about a creature to mimic it. If that check fails, then she would have to see the creature first hand to assume its form. I think a solid ruling would be that Knowledge checks can be made for anything out of Monster Manual I, but for anything else the Chimera has to encounter the creature in-game.

• I don't think dragons fit well in this list to be honest. I would rather see Monstrous Humanoids.

I have the feeling this won't get a reply, but I'm really curious why you think dragons don't fit. The theme of this class, especially for high levels, draws pretty heavily from the Kaiju genre of films. Dragons fit pretty well into the archetype of giant breath-weapon spewing reptile monsters. Monstrous Humanoids, not so much. Unless you're counting Ultra Man or something. But he's totally an Outsider.

Either way, thanks for the feedback! If anything I think the Gotta Catch 'em All! style might make for a cool option rule. The player would have to work pretty close with the DM to make it work, however.

Might someone explain exactly how chimera form works just so to make sure I understand it properly

Think of Chimera Form as a racial gestalt ability. You don't double up on racial features if they're the same, you use the best one.

Use the best ability score bonuses from either the PC's base race or their composite creatures. Let's say Jill the half-orc is a Chimera. She has a racial +2 to Str. But then she uses Chimera Form to splice herself with a pretty unicorn! The Unicorn has a racial +10 to Str! Her new bonus to Str isn't +12, instead she uses the highest value, +10.

In the same sense, use the best features from each composite creatures. The best natural armor value, the best dice size on a particular type of natural weapon, the best fast healing value if you've survived long enough to actually be able to pick up fast healing, ect. If two composite creatures provide the same benefits Chimera Form never adds both of them together, it always uses the better of the two and ignores the weaker.

Does that help at all? Your question was a bit vague, so I'm not totally sure what part of the ability I'm needed to address.

...I also need to fix that table.