[3.5e PrC] The Evolutionary Ally "How to make an Owlbear"(PEACH)

[baeshra]

First off I think I should mention that I am Welknair's brother and have played in his campaigns. The original idea for this class was found in the back of one his ancient binders. I decided to type it up and flesh it out.

Evolutionary Ally

Spoiler

Show

"Have you ever wondered how diseases worked?"

-Ren, Evolutionary Ally

Ever since I started playing Dnd I've been into the tech side. I loved playing with magitech and I have always enjoyed making technological advancements. In my current campaign my group owns a large town setup with machines to purify ocean water into salt and drinking water. We then export the salt to the world making thousands of gold daily. This was the next logical step. I decided I wanted to be able to genetically modify my towns populace for the better. Thus this was born.


Becoming an Evolutionary Ally

Evolutionary Allies start as druids, wizards, or animal/plant clerics. (Druids and clerics can prestige at 6th, wizards at 8th)Genetic Alteration IS science, it takes years of study and collaboration to successfully develop your first bacteria strain. Evolutionary Allies try to further nature in the direction they see fit. They manipulate the world and forcefully evolve species in their own (and most likely) twisted image.


Entry Requirements:
Spells: Must be able to cast Contagion ()
Skills: Heal 8, Knowledge (Nature) 8


Class skills: Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Decipher Script (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (all skills taken individually) (Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Profession (Geneticist) (Wis), Speak Language (None), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill point per level: 4 + Int Modifier

Hit Dice: d6

{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells Per Day|Max EV

1st| +0 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Bacteria Craft (1 EV per 2 weeks), Sample Bacteria | +1 level of existing class |2
2nd| +1 | +3 | +0 | +3 | | +1 level of existing class |4
3rd| +2 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Quick Bacteria Craft | +1 level of existing class |6
4th| +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Fast Healing 2 | +1 level of existing class |9
5th| +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Bacteria Craft (2 EV per 2 weeks), Selective Disease Immunity | +1 level of existing class |12
6th| +4 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Breed Creature | +1 level of existing class |16
7th| +5 | +5 | +2 | +5 | | +1 level of existing class |20
8th| +6/+1 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Summon Bred Creature | +1 level of existing class |25
9th| +6/+1 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Bacteria Craft (3 EV per 2 weeks), Become the Experiment | +1 level of existing class | 30
10th| +7/+2 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Beast Analyzation | +1 level of existing class |36
[/table]

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Evolutionary Allies get no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

Bacteria Craft
Bacteria Craft is the basis of the Evolutionary Ally. It allows the Evolutionary Ally to create new diseases which can modify stats as well as manifest symptoms. By spending hours pouring over virus strains and bacterias you can derive new types.

Every two weeks you spend on a bacterium you gain a number of evolution point towards it, up to a maximum EV as listed on the table. Every two weeks spent on a strain costs 500 gold pieces in materials. You can continue to evolve an existing bacterium. After every two weeks of research (4 hours a day only) she must make a Profession Geneticist check at DC 10 + (New EV Total * 2). If the Evolutionary Ally succeeds she gains a number of evolution points as indicated above. If you do not have access to a lab worth 4,000 gold or more take a -8 on the check.

{table=head]Name|Cost|Benefit

Enhance Body| 4 EV | +1d4 to one stat and -1d4 to another
Enhance Brain| 4 EV | +1d4 to one stat and -1d4 to another
Diseased | 2 EV | -1d4 to a stat
DC | 1 EV | +1 DC
-Bodily | 2 EV | Remove bodily transmission
-Hereditary | 2 EV| Remove hereditary transmission
Contact Transmission| 1 EV| Add transmission by contact
Water Transmission| 1 EV| Add transmission by drink (water)
Ingestion Transmission| 1 EV| Add transmission by ingestion (food)
Air Transmission| 2 EV| Add transmission through air
Applies to Diseased | 2 EV| Allows the disease to stack
+Incubation | 1 EV| Adds 1 day before the disease takes affect
Dazzled|2 EV|Applies the dazzled condition
Deafened|16 EV|Applies the deafened condition
Exhausted|2 EV|Applies the exhausted condition
Nauseated|12 EV|Applies the nauseated condition
Sickened|2 EV|Applies the sickened condition
Staggered|8 EV|Applies the staggered condition
Penetrating|8 EV|Bypasses Selective Immunity
Mutated|12 EV|Bypasses disease immunity
Selective|6 EV|Allows diseases to be picky

[/table]

All diseases start with bodily transmission as well as hereditary transmission. Diseases can be spread through any bodily fluids. When a child is born from a diseased mother it may make a DC 20 fortitude save to resist the disease. The base fortitude save for diseases created with bacteria craft is 10+Class/2+Wis. The subject may make a fortitude save once a month.

Spoiler

Show

Enhance Body
Beneficial diseases come at a price. To give a 1d4 bonus to a physical stat you must also give a 1d4 penalty to a physical stat.

Enhance Brain
After working with diseases for so long you begin to realize that you may be able to alter the brain of a subject. For 4 EV you can add 1d4 to a mental stat in return for -1d4 on a mental stat or a total of -2d4 on physical stats. (This can be redistributed. If you want +2d4 you can have -1d4 to mental and -2d4 to physical)

Diseased
The title says it all. Now you can wreak havoc on your enemies, just be careful not to infect yourself. For 2 EV you can add a 1d4 penalty to a disease.

DC
For 1 EV you can increase the DC to resist by 1.

-Bodily
For 2 EV you can remove bodily transmission as described above.

-Hereditary
For 2 EV you can remove hereditary transmission as described above.

Contact Transmission
For 1 EV you can make the disease spread through any bodily contact.

Water Transmission
For 1 EV you can make the disease spread through drinking water. By infecting a towns water supply you can quickly spread the disease.

Ingestion Transmission
For 1 EV you can make the disease spread through ingested food.

Air Transmission
For 1 EV you can make the disease spread through the air. This makes the disease very contagious and dangerous.

Applies to Diseased
By default diseases do not stack on top of one another. A new disease will override any previous bacteria craft disease. For 2 EV you can make diseases stackable. This means that if the subject already has a bacteria craft disease she may still be infected by the new disease. Diseases can only be stacked that do not affect the same stat.

+Incubation
For 1 EV you can increase the time that the disease takes before it takes effect.

Dazzled
The creature is unable to see well because of overstimulation of the eyes. A dazzled creature takes a -1 penalty on attack rolls, Search checks, and Spot checks.

Deafened
A deafened character cannot hear. She takes a -4 penalty on initiative checks, automatically fails Listen checks, and has a 20% chance of spell failure when casting spells with verbal components. Characters who remain deafened for a long time grow accustomed to these drawbacks and can overcome some of them.

Exhausted
An exhausted character moves at half speed and takes a -6 penalty to Strength and Dexterity. After 1 hour of complete rest, an exhausted character becomes fatigued. A fatigued character becomes exhausted by doing something else that would normally cause fatigue.

Nauseated
Experiencing stomach distress. Nauseated creatures are unable to attack, cast spells, concentrate on spells, or do anything else requiring attention. The only action such a character can take is a single move action per turn.

Sickened
The character takes a -2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.

Staggered
A staggered character may take a single move action or standard action each round (but not both, nor can she take full-round actions).

Penetrating
When fighting against other Evolutionary Allies it can be helpful to be able to penetrate their selective disease immunity. Keep in mind that this is very dangerous as it will also bypass yours. A disease with penetrating will ignore selective disease immunity, forcing the subject to make a fortitude save against it.

Mutated
Some strains of bacteria have mutated to the point where they can bypass all disease immunity. This type of disease can infect undead and bypass magical immunity.

Selective
Sometimes you want to target very specific people with a disease. Using a selective disease you can infect creatures that match certain criteria. Some good examples are by: Race, Condition, Level, Size, Stats, Hit Die, and by DR.

Sample Bacteria
By spending 4 hours on an existing disease you can turn it into a sample. At the end of the 4 hours you must take a DC 10+(Total EV*2) Craft Bacteria check. If you succeed you gain a sample of the disease. These samples are then either traded with other Evolutionary Allies or used to create more of the virus.

Quick Bacteria Craft
The Evolutionary Ally has learned to recreate diseases through magic. You can use Contagion to create a vial of any disease that you have a sample of or duplicate an existing sample. You can only create a disease with this method if its total EV is less than or equal to Class Level*2

Fast Healing 2
The Evolutionary Ally gains Fast Healing 2.

Selective Disease Immunity
After much time spent working with bacteria and diseases you have come to control your own body. When a disease would affect you you automatically know what the disease would do and can choose to let the disease affect you or not.

Breed Creature
At 6th level she begins to experiment with creatures. This ability is much like bacteria craft but lets you genetically alter a species. Every two weeks you spend on an existing creature you gain a number of evolution point towards it, up to a maximum EV as listed on the table. You can continue to evolve a creature that has already been evolved. After every two weeks of research (4 hours a day only) she must make a Profession Geneticist check at DC 10 + (New EV Total * 2). If she succeeds she gains a number of evolution points as indicated above. If you do not have access to a lab worth 4,000 gold or more take a -8 on the check.

{table=head]Name|Cost|Benefit

Enhance|4 EV|+1 to a stat and -1 to another
Defective|2 EV|-1 to a physical stat
Defective Brain|4 EV|-1 to a mental stat
+HD|2 EV |+1 Hit Die or -1 Hit die
Natural Weapon|2 EV|Adds or subtracts a natural weapon
Spell Like Abilities|2 EV*Spell Level|Removes or adds a spell like ability
DR|2 EV|Adds 1 DR
Movement|8 EV|Adds a new movement mode
Speed|4 EV|Gives +10 to base speed
Obedience|4 EV|Makes the creature obedient and content
[/table]

Spoiler

Show

Enhance Body
By augmenting a creature you can give the creature a bonus to one physical stat at the cost of another. To give +1d4 to a stat you must give -1d4 to a stat.

Enhance Brain
By augmenting a creatures brain you can give +1d4 to a mental stat at the cost of -1d4 to a mental stat or a total of -2d4 to physical stats.

[B]Defective Body/B]
By altering a creature you can make it more weaker. Apply a -1 to any physical stat.

Defective Brain
Through advanced science you have learned how to alter a creatures brain. Apply a -1 to any mental stat.

+HD
By improving the cell structure of an organism you can give it additional hit die.

Natural Weapon
Did you ever want fish to have claws? Well now they can! For 2 EV you can give a creature any natural weapon available for its size.

Spell Like Abilities
Using a combination of magic and science you can work with spell like abilities within a creature. For 2 EV*Spell Level you can add or subtract a spell like ability to a creature. You may only add spells of up to 3rd level. Added spell like abilities can only be used 3 times per day.

DR
By altering brain synapses and hardening outer cells you can add +1 DR/Adamantine to a creature.

Movement
Pigs can fly! For 8 EV you can give a creature another type of movement. This includes Land, Air, and my favorite, underground. By attaching wings, legs, or special organs the creature gains a move speed of 3/4 its normal move speed for the chosen mode.

Speed
By speeding up portions of the brain you can add 10 to all movement speeds of a creature up to 3 times the creatures original speed.

Obedience
By genetically altering the decision making portion of the brain you can manufacture a perfectly obedient creature, suitable as a pet. Assuming the create has an Int score of at least 4 It can understand and follow your commands.

Summon Bred Creature
At 8th level when casting Summon Nature's Ally or Summon Monster I you may summon a creature that you have genetically modified. The DM decides the creature's level.

Become the Experiment
At 9th level she makes the ultimate breakthrough. The Evolutionary Ally learns to genetically modify herself. After 4 weeks she gains 2 evolution points towards herself. The Evolutionary Ally can apply any of the abilities from the table above to herself.

Beast Analyzation
At 10th level the Evolutionary Ally has become so adept with creatures that she automatically succeeds on any knowledge check to identify a creature and can recognize any modifications that have been made.



This class is still a work in progress. I would really appreciate feedback and criticism to better myself and the class. Some more edits will be made shortly but none should be too dramatic. Most likely just some fluff tweaks. I realize it isn't all that lengthy or text heavy, this is the first thing I've actually posted. I just wanted to get it to a playable and postable state.

Future Plans:

- Stages of Infection
- Infection rate and fatality rate based on cleanliness and population density
- Genetically Engineering Plants
- Plant rules. (How fast they grow, etc.)
- Growth rate of species
- Digestion types (Carnivore, Omnivore, Herbivore, etc.)

[baeshra]

--Reserved--

[Tanuki Tales]

This class looks really neat; so I have to ask, why only druids?

[baeshra]

When I originally dug up the idea in Welknair's old binder it was set up as a prestige class for druids only. When I began to type this up I stuck to that original plan. If I find a reason to change it later I will. If I were to change the requirements what would you suggest?

Edit: After talking to Welk I have that all worked out. I changed the requirements a bit. Now Clerics, Druids, Sorcerers, Wizards, and most other full casting classes can become an Evolutionary Ally.

[The Tygre]

Public domain image for homebrew illustration.



Nice. Nice. Very nice.

[baeshra]

Thanks! Any honest to god criticism? Since I'll be playing this in my current campaign I have to make sure that it's balanced and playable.

Does all of the phrasing make sense?

Should I change the 4 hour work days to the standard 8?

Should I specify Craft Bacteria as a skill? Or is that clear enough?

[enderlord99]

Any honest to god criticism?

Only that it's not as good as your bro's. But then, what is?

[baeshra]

Only that it's not as good as your bro's. But then, what is?

Well, that is only to be expected. I will never be able to match him but hopefully the more I homebrew, the better I will be.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Alright, an actual PEACH!

First of all, after reading through most of it, I couldn't figure out exactly how EV worked in general. Do you have a certain amount per level? Does it replenish with time (I see two weeks thrown around a bit)? I think there needs to be some explaination as to EV as it applies to Breeding, Bacterias, so on....let me give it my best shot at answering my own question...

For two weeks of research on a particular bacteria, you gain the max EV based on your level to put toward it. Then you can do a craft profession check to try and create the desired effects (how long does that take?). It appears to if successful, then you create the disease. How much of a sample of this disease is there? How is it stored for dispersement? Is there any fluff into what kinds of equipment quantify the lab this is being done in, and is there a way to keep a lab on the go (to keep from having -8 penalties, or to lessen the penalty)? I only ask because typically adventuring parties don't stay still, and when they do, trouble happens...so how does one effectively be this class in a party of adventurers? Or would this be more oriented toward NPC's?

On diseases-
-How long does it take a disease to contract? Show symptoms?

-I like that there are some positive and negative effects (enhancing brain/body). Could other positive effects be considered? Such as a resistance to poison, or dark vision or various other racial traits?

-With enhancing brain/body, does the positive roll effect the negative? Say I roll a d4 to get 4 strength enhancement. Does that mean I also get a -4 to the mental stat or is that a separate roll?

-Make sure to put something in there about the creator of the disease dicides which stats are affected. I know it's implied, just clerical OCD.

-Wouldn't some of these diseases have some sort of charisma effect? Visual side effects of some sort? Are these original diseases, or is the character altering existing ones?

-For the DC modification, couldn't you also use this to cure diseases? As in alter the DC to be lower instead of higher so that a group of people could easily beat it (like a vacination).

-Put the EV cost in the description of each characteristic in the list. I know you have it in the chart, but I found myself going back and forth often enough and its a simple fix (more clerical OCD).

On Breeding -

Couldn't you also do this with people? Up a character's movement or type? Ethics might be questioned, but if you're doing it to a pig or an making an owlbear, I think that would be the least of your problems. Especially after level nine when you can effect yourself.

I'd be careful with this. I think this part in particular is what was oriented toward the druid. Druids summon/work with animals. It seems unlikely that a magical creature is going to sit around for two weeks willingly, but say I were to cage a young dragon...then breed it to be obidient (I don't know if breed is the best term for altering a creature this way). Then I upped it more every two weeks in different ways. I'd have an overpowered creature doing my bidding...and then be able to summon more!

[baeshra]

Looking back on the OP and the amazing criticism by TheWombatOfDoom, I've decided to go ahead and rewrite the class. I'll take everything said into consideration and continue to edit it to meet specifications. I'd love more criticisms on what I have either in the OP or what I have in my current rough draft below.

Spoiler

Show

Becoming an Evolutionary Ally

Please Note: ___ represents the PrC's name.

Evolutionary Allies start as druids, wizards, or animal/plant clerics. (Druids and clerics can prestige at 6th, wizards at 8th)Genetic Alteration IS science, it takes years of study and collaboration to successfully develop your first bacteria strain. Evolutionary Allies try to further nature in the direction they see fit. They manipulate the world and forcefully evolve species in their own (and most likely) twisted image.


Entry Requirements:
Spells: Must be able to cast Contagion ()
Skills: Heal 8, Knowledge (Nature) 8


Class skills: Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Decipher Script (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (all skills taken individually) (Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Speak Language (None), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill point per level: 4 + Int Modifier

{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells Per Day|Max EV Pool

1st| +0 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Bacteria Craft, Genetic Research I (1 EV per 2 weeks), Sample Bacteria | +1 level of existing class |2 + Wis Mod
2nd| +1 | +3 | +0 | +3 | | +1 level of existing class |4 + Wis Mod
3rd| +2 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Quick Bacteria Craft | +1 level of existing class |6 + Wis Mod
4th| +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Fast Healing 2 | +1 level of existing class |9 + Wis Mod
5th| +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Genetic Research II (2 EV per 2 weeks), Selective Disease Immunity | +1 level of existing class |12 + Wis Mod
6th| +4 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Breed Creature | +1 level of existing class |16 + Wis Mod
7th| +5 | +5 | +2 | +5 | | +1 level of existing class |20 + Wis Mod
8th| +6/+1 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Summon Bred Creature | +1 level of existing class |25 + Wis Mod
9th| +6/+1 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Genetic Research III (3 EV per 2 weeks), Become the Experiment | +1 level of existing class | 30 + Wis Mod
10th| +7/+2 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Beast Analyzation | +1 level of existing class |36 + Wis Mod
[/table]

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Evolutionary Allies get no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

New Skill: Knowledge Genetics

EV Pool
The ___'s EV Pool is the amount of research she has accumulated. She can add EV to her pool by using Genetic Research and spend the EV in her pool with Bacteria Craft, Breed Creature, and Become the Monster. At each level the maximum EV that can be in the pool will increase.

Genetic Research
Genetic research is the basis of the ___. Genetic research allows the ___ to make progress on her diseases and genetic alterations. The ___ can spend four hours a day for two weeks to gain Evolution Points or EV (Assuming she has enough space in her pool. If the increment of EV that would be gained would exceed the maximum EV then the EV in the pool is set to max instead of exceeding). Generally for research a lab worth at least 1000 gold is required. If an appropriate lab is not available she receives a -4 for "improvising". After the research time she makes a Knowledge Genetics check at DC 10 + Current EV Pool Total. If she succeeds, the amount of EV that is listed for her level of Genetic Research is added to her pool.

Bacteria Craft
Bacteria Craft is the first ability available that allows you to use what you have stored in your EV pool. Bacteria Craft is the art of creating diseases. To create a disease, you simply must specify its properties.

{table=head]Name|Cost|Benefit

Enhanced| 4 EV | +1d4 to one stat and -1d4 to another
Antibodic | 2 EV | Improves Fortitude Save of infected
Dark Vision 5ft | 4 EV | Adds 5ft to infected's darkvision
Overpowering |
Diseased | 2 EV | -1d4 to a stat
+ DC | 1 EV | +1 DC
- DC| 1 EV | -1 DC
-Bodily | 2 EV | Remove bodily transmission
-Hereditary | 2 EV| Remove hereditary transmission
Contact Transmission| 1 EV| Add transmission by contact
Water Transmission| 1 EV| Add transmission by drink (water)
Ingestion Transmission| 1 EV| Add transmission by ingestion (food)
Air Transmission| 2 EV| Add transmission through air
Applies to Diseased | 2 EV| Allows the disease to stack
+Incubation | 1 EV| Adds 1 day before the disease takes affect
Dazzled|2 EV|Applies the dazzled condition
Deafened|16 EV|Applies the deafened condition
Exhausted|2 EV|Applies the exhausted condition
Nauseated|12 EV|Applies the nauseated condition
Sickened|2 EV|Applies the sickened condition
Staggered|8 EV|Applies the staggered condition
Penetrating|8 EV|Bypasses Selective Immunity
Mutated|12 EV|Bypasses disease immunity
Selective|6 EV|Allows diseases to be picky
[/table]

[Gabe the Bard]

To add to what was already said, you may want to specify what kind of creatures you can breed at each level, and perhaps make breeding available earlier since it's a signature ability of the class. For instance, at second level you can breed small size plants, and fourth level small size animals and medium size plants, and sixth level small size magical beasts, medium size animals, large size plants, etc. kind of like the druid's wild shape. You could also add a HD limit at each level.

The bacteria craft could also be a vehicle for mutating existing creatures into your breed. This would be a high level ability, of course, perhaps the capstone ability including an XP cost and/or HD limit to what you can infect, since it gives you the potential to infect creatures with a mutation that makes them obedient to you.

I think you need some specific requirements for the laboratory you will need to be crafting bacteria and breeding creatures. How much gp worth of equipment do you need for each kind of activity? How much gp in materials (and possibly xp) do you need to breed a creature? That should probably depend on the EV check and the creature's HD or CR.

Also, once you've successfully researched a new creature, how long do they take to grow into an adult and then propagate? If you're designing this for a PC class, you may not want to wait seven months or however long it takes before you can summon that genetically modified owl bear. And if you have only one owl bear, if you summon it and it dies, what happens then? Maybe the breed population needs to be a certain size before you can start to summon them.

To avoid having to come up with growth rates for every kind of creature, here's a suggestion: make up a growth rate by HD and size, and make it relatively fast, i.e. days or weeks, but also add a limited lifespan, like a month to a year. So, you're new owl bear might be ready in week or two, but it will only live for 1-2 months. It's an experimental creature, after all. This also gives you an incentive to keep breeding new creatures. You could even add a factor to the EV for hypergrowth, so you could grow a creature in only a few hours, maybe even a couple of rounds! Like a monster in a bottle. But it will only be alive for half an hour or a minute, aging rapidly and then melting back into primordial goo.

[FreakyCheeseMan]

Seems like it would be an interesting class to the type of people who would want to play it - that is, the type who like long, involved plans outside of combat. (I am one of those people.)

I'd recommend specifying or removing the "Mutation" thing that bypasses disease immunity. Undead are one thing, but having such have the potential to infect warforged, constructs, incorporeal beings, fire elementals, etc, is just silly.

Also. Random question. Why the reserved first comment? If you had something to add, why wouldn't you just edit the OP?

[TheWombatOfDoom]

After the research time she makes a Knowledge Genetics check at DC 10 + Current EV Pool Total. If she succeeds, the amount of EV that is listed for her level of Genetic Research is added to her pool.

I see a possible issue. Look at 10th level's 36 EV...That means you have to make a check of 46 to get your EV pool filled...and unless you are level 33 or have a good (int) modifier plus a 20 something level, you're going to fail that check about half the time, maybe more.

Further, if you'd like to discuss this class on skype sometime, I'd be happy to!