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Thread: Hybrid Template

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    Orc in the Playground
     
    MindFlayer

    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Minnesota
    Gender
    Male

    Default Hybrid Template

    EDIT: Made several changes
    For a long time I've wanted to have a template I could use to make a 'hybrid' of two creatures, combining their abilities while maintaining a reasonable power level. This is my most recent (and best, if I do say so) attempt. Please let me know if this seems balanced and if there is any obvious abuse potential here. Naturally, in some circumstances, other templates may make as much or more sense (half-celestial, half-farspawn, half-dragon, etc.) but there are plenty of other combos I'd like to try. Without further ado:

    Creating a Hybrid
    "Hybrid" is an inherited template that can be added to any two nonunique, living, corporeal creatures (hereafter referred to as the parents; the hybrid offspring is referred to as the child). These descriptions refer to the fully-mature offspring of the two base creatures. Unlike normal circumstances, for any calculations described in this template, round all fractions to the next larger number. The child does not inherit any abilities the parents possess due to class levels, feats, etc. - only racial abilities.

    Size: The child's size is determined by finding the size category exactly between the parents' size categories. If this determination would result in a size in between two categories (such as with a Medium and a Gargantuan creature), the child is the next larger size.
    Type: The child's type is determined by the base parents: if both parents are of the same creature type, that type is retained in the child. Otherwise, if either of the parents is an outsider, the child is an outsider; if either parent is an elemental (and the other is not an outsider), the child is an elemental; if either parent is a dragon (and the other is not an outsider or elemental), the child is a dragon. All other mismatched parent types result in an aberration. All subtypes, even conflicting subtypes (such as good and evil) are retained.
    Hit Dice: The child has a number of hit dice equal to one-half the total of the base parents, rounded down.
    Speed: For each movement mode, the child uses the average of the base parent's movement speeds, rounded down. (Treat a lack of movement speed as a speed of zero for that movement type.) If a fly speed is retained, the maneuverability category is one lower than the best maneuverability possessed by either parent, to a minimum of clumsy.
    Armor Class: The child retains the average of its parent's values for any of the following bonus types: deflection, insight, natural armor, profane, sacred. Any other armor bonuses are lost, or determined normally (Dexterity, size, armor/shield, dodge, etc.) This overrides the rules regarding special qualities given below, where applicable.
    Base Attack: Calculate normally (by type and HD).
    Attacks: Any natural weapons possessed by either parent are retained; if both parents share a natural weapon (such as claws), use only the larger number of attacks that can be made with that weapon. Thus, a creature possessing a gore and 2 claws which is mated with a creature possessing a bite and four claws would possess a gore, a bite, and four claw attacks. When multiple natural attacks are inherited that would be designated as primary, precedence goes to the attacks in the following order: bite -> gore/horn -> tail-> slam -> sting -> claw -> wing -> tentacle -> other.
    Damage: Damage for natural weapons inherited from both parents is as the smaller damage die size; if the natural weapon is inherited from only one parent, reduce the damage die category by one. The creature adds its Strength bonus to damage as normal, depending on whether each attack is primary or secondary and if it is the single natural weapon.
    Special Attacks and Special Qualities: All Extraordinary attacks are retained; if there are restrictions on the use of any Ex special abilities possessed by both parents, use the less-restrictive version, if a difference exists between the usage of the parent's abilities. Supernatural and spell-like abilities are retained from both parents, with the following limitations (applied only if the ability is possessed by one, but not both, of the base parents): the range of all Supernatural abilities is halved, if applicable; if there is no range to limit, the damage dealt or duration of effect is halved; if neither of these apply, the number of uses of the ability are halved (from 2/day to 1/day, for example). If none of these reductions can apply, simply reduce any save DCs for the ability by 4, if applicable. Spell-like abilities can be used at a reduced frequency; move each spell-like ability down two categories in the following list:
    7/day or more, including at-will
    5/day
    3/day
    2/day
    1/day
    1/week
    Any spell-like abilities that are only useable 1/week or less-often are lost in the child. Caster level for any spell-like or supernatural abilities, where applicable, increases or decreases by an amount equal to the number of Hit Dice difference between the parent possessing the ability and the child. If both parents possess use of the same spell-like ability, the number of uses per day is not reduced, but its caster level is adjusted as described. Spellcasting, manifesting, or similar abilities which mimic magical class features (such as utterances, mysteries, etc.) are useable as a character of 1/2 the indicated level (if both parents possess innate spellcasting, total the levels before halving). If this would reduce the effective character level to less than one, the spellcasting ability is lost.
    A few special abilities have specific modifications. All special qualities with numerical values (such as darkvision, spell resistance, fire resistance, etc.) use 1/2 the total of both parent's values, assuming a value of 0 if not possessed by one parent. Damage reduction, in addition to be averaged as described, can be bypassed in the child by anything that would bypass either parent's damage reduction. (So DR 5/magic and DR 10/cold iron or good becomes DR 10/cold iron or good or magic.)
    In addition, all hybrids gain the following special quality: Sterile (Ex): Hybrids cannot mate with any creature other than another of its kind, and thus cannot be used to generate future hybrids.
    Saves: If either parent possesses a racial bonus to a saving throw, it is retained; if both parents possess a racial bonus to the same saving throw, use only the greater value. Otherwise, determine normally (by type and HD).
    Abilities: The child's ability scores for each ability are equal to the average of its parents' scores in that ability. Treat nonabilities as having a value of 0 for the purposes of this calculation. As long as one parent or the other has the ability score, it will not be a nonability for the child.
    Skills: Any skill in which either parent possesses skill ranks or for which either parent possesses a racial bonus is considered a racial class skill for the child. Determine skill points normally (by type and Intelligence score), retaining any racial skill bonuses at 1/2 their original value, or 1/2 the total value of both parents if a bonus for the same skill is possessed by both parents.
    Feats: Determine feats normally (by HD). Any bonus feats possessed by either parent are inherited.
    Environment: Any. Hybrids are not natural creations and can exist anywhere that suits their physiology.
    Organization: Often solitary; most hybrids are one-of-a-kind creatures.
    Challenge Rating: Equal to 2/3 of the CR of the parent with the higher CR, plus 1/2 of the CR of the parent with the lower CR.
    Treasure: For each treasure type (coins, goods, items) use the greater value from either parent.
    Alignment: By subtype where applicable, neutral if mindless or of animal intelligence, otherwise any (often chaotic).
    Advancement: By hit dice or (if Intelligence is 3 or higher) by class level.
    Level Adjustment: If both parents possess a level adjustment value, the child does as well, equal to 1/2 the total of the both parents' level adjustment values, +1.

    Note: Forming a hybrid creature using a swarm as one of the base parents (but not both) results in the lost of all natural attacks, except for the swarm attack, as well as all Extraordinary special attacks except for those which occur automatically upon a successful hit by a natural weapon and which require no additional actions or checks made on the part of the attacker.
    Last edited by ezkajii; 2015-03-20 at 03:06 PM.
    Behold! The Monster Compendium

    My Homebrew.

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    Mine started with the intrepid heroes whisked away to a battle gauntlet in the sky by a mystery deity! It was meant to be strictly a playtest but quickly devolved.

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