The Swarm Arrives [3.5 Base Class-Zerg, Tyranids]

[Aldurin]

True on the capstone! THe ACF being empty doesn't bug me that much, as the class is very, very adaptable as is.

Yeah, being able to throw evolutions on yourself is enough as it is, especially if you use mutable form to adapt to the situation.

[Silva Stormrage]

For the enhanced ability evolution can you increase an ability score more than +5? Normally inherent bonuses can't go higher but it also usually mentions that fact so I wasn't sure what your intent was.

[Aldurin]

Nice to see that the Alternate Type evolution is starting to be filled out more. I've got a proposal for the elemental type. Also is Alternate Type supposed to be swarmling-only? It might get weird if a swarmlord can use mutable form to switch to an ooze form at her convenience.

Spoiler

Show

Alternate Type:
Elemental: Choose either Fire, Water(Cold), Earth(Acid), or Air(Electric) to be the swarmling's element. The swarmling loses the magical beast traits and gains elemental traits. The swarmling becomes immune to the chosen element and takes 1.5x damage from the opposite element (pairings are Fire/Water and Earth/Air for determining this). The swarmling's natural attacks deal additional energy damage of the chosen type, equal to the die size of their natural attack, additionally, element-specific evolutions like Burning Touch change to be the energy type of the swarmling. An elemental swarmling cannot use spells or powers with a subtype of their opposite element (ex: an earth swarmling cannot learn or cast Shocking Grasp, and a water swarmling cannot use Fireball).

Special: Water Swarmlings gain swim speed 30 ft automatically, and Air Swarmlings gain fly speed 40 ft (perfect) and lose their land speed. If an Earth Swarmling gains a burrow speed, it may spend 3 evolution points to gain Earth Glide. A Fire Swarmling may not gain a swim speed.

[Lix Lorn]

Hmm. Not too bad, but I wouldn't like to define elementals so strictly. Besides, earth elementals have no link to acid.

[Turalisj]

Earth element when used in DnD 3.5 usually connects to acid damage though.

[Lix Lorn]

True, but that's always been dumb. :P

[Turalisj]

So was Mengsk leaving Kerrigan on Tarsonis.....

[Lix Lorn]

And look how well that turned out for him.

[Turalisj]

Have to stop myself here before I reveal spoilers from the ending of Wings of Liberty.

[Lix Lorn]

I've beaten it and am desperately waiting for Heart of the Swarm. xD

[Turalisj]

I couldn't tell....

You should make more Starcraft-inspired classes. Maybe a Zealot/Dark Templar one?

[Lix Lorn]

Problem is, they'd pretty much just be a soulknife.

[Turalisj]

Problem is, the soulknife sucks.

[Lix Lorn]

Fortunately, I, and half the homebrewers in the world, have made a fix for it already.

[bbkilla]

looks really cool!
but i dont know what are these evolution points, care to explain?
tnx

[Lix Lorn]

Uh. They're used to upgrade Swarmlings.

[drack]

swarming evolution points wording.
"A Swarmling does not lose evolution points when the Swarmlord loses Charisma."
Perhaps an exception should be added for temporary bonuses?

[Lix Lorn]

swarming evolution points wording.
"A Swarmling does not lose evolution points when the Swarmlord loses Charisma."
Perhaps an exception should be added for temporary bonuses?

It was intended to defend long-term temporary bonuses, such as items. I'll think about a fix when I'm more awake.

[drack]

just making sure that taking off my cloak of Cha won't give me more and more each time

Also out of curiosity extra/enhanced natural attacks, and the special qualities sections are clusters of abilities to sink points into, or individuals? (makes a difference for the one/level cap on individual point investments)

[Lix Lorn]

just making sure that taking off my cloak of Cha won't give me more and more each time

It wouldn't do that anyway.
'Hey, I got a cloak of charisma! Bonus evolution points!'
'Awww, my cloak is gone. At least I keep the points.'
'Yay, my cloak! Now I'm allowed those points I still have again!'

Also out of curiosity extra/enhanced natural attacks, and the special qualities sections are clusters of abilities to sink points into, or individuals? (makes a difference for the one/level cap on individual point investments)

Each one has a seperate cap, IIRC

[drack]

Ah, so that's how it's meant.

Anywho read through it, and it's a rather nifty class, though personally I think it's probably strong enough before the psionics. (compare it to say a dread necromancer and consider the power that evolutions bring to the table as opposed to the benefit of the given limited spell section)

Thanks for the quick replies, can't really think of much else to give in terms of input beyond perhaps consideration on feats only being two points. (perhaps four or so such as not to drown out feat based classes)

[Lix Lorn]

The Dread necro actually gets 9th level spells, though, which gives it a pretty huge boost.

(Feat based classes are bad. ;P)

[Aldurin]

Anywho read through it, and it's a rather nifty class, though personally I think it's probably strong enough before the psionics. (compare it to say a dread necromancer and consider the power that evolutions bring to the table as opposed to the benefit of the given limited spell section)

That's true, I personally think that this class is upper-end Tier 1, since having the secondary fallbacks of natural attacks AND psionics gives almost too many tools to this swiss army knife that's pregnant with smaller swiss army knives.

[Lix Lorn]

I certainly hope not. While it has psionics, it is capped at 7th level.

[vasharanpaladin]

That's true, I personally think that this class is upper-end Tier 1, since having the secondary fallbacks of natural attacks AND psionics gives almost too many tools to this swiss army knife that's pregnant with smaller swiss army knives.

Low T2 at highest. And that's assuming you're given free reign of your minions.

[drack]

Well if you think of it the dread nec gets attack, minion buff, and minion creation/commanding from spells, and minion buffing/commanding from it's class features. This gives fewer but stronger minions, and allows the caster free reign of plenty of decent melee type abilities. I mean I've seen people eagerly taking classes with just evolution point stuff,and of a poorer selection then this (no I'm not talking about the evolutionist class, nor ozodrin)
These abilities already make for a competent melee combatant, and even capped at 7 psionics is much more versatile then a list capped at nine that has nothing but death spells. Not to mention psionics is kinda funky so even capping it at 7 they can metapsionic to nine at level 18. Add in the versatility of casting through spawn, and allowing spawn to go out patrolling with their own swarms, and you have an epic's wet dreams.

As for feat based, perhaps, but that doesn't make feats any less valuable, as I've made many an epic chair that could have been twice as strong for each additional feat they got...

[Lix Lorn]

Psionics is far less versatile than spells, and while augmented powers are fine for raw power, they don't give you any more versatility. It is probably better than the Dread Necro, yes, which is a solid tier 3. I'd be surprised if this were a 2, but I guess it's possible.

[drack]

I would probably place it at a low tier one with psionics, though I've never really seen the tier system as sensical since tier three characters are better then tier one...

In either case Dread necromancers are still a common choice due to their power in their field, hence the comparison. If you had another class you would have preferred I compare it against... druid perhaps?

[Lix Lorn]

Please don't start a tier argument in my thread.

[drack]

Not trying to, just that if my comments are being brushed off with comments of it not being tier one that it compares just as easily with them.