We are Legion (3.PF Class)[PEACH]

[Milo v3]

Living Hive
Do not worry, your body shall not die. No. No. It is needed for a new nest.
-Terribilis, a Living Hive

In a world with colossal centipedes and acid spraying beetles, it isn't bewildering for some to be afraid of insects. But as if a cruel joke, sometimes this fear births a monster known as a Living Hive. These poor souls awaken one day to feel insects crawling within their bodies. This horrifying event often shatters the mind of the entomophobic, sending most to suicide to rid themselves of the swarm. But some go past their fear, and join with the insects.

Role: The Living Hive functions as a master of minions, being able to call the insects from within their bodies. With these techniques they can be skilled ranged combatants, though they themselves require protection.

Alignment: A Living Hive can be of any alignment, but the insanity makes many act chaotically.

Hit Die: d8.

Starting Gold: As Druid.

Class Skills
The Living Hive's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Survival (Wis).

Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier)

Living Hive

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+0	+2	+0	+0	Crawling Within, Swarm
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+0	Improved Swarm, One is Thousands
3rd	+1	+3	+1	+1	Crawling Armour +1
4th	+2	+4	+1	+1	Improved Swarm
5th	+2	+4	+1	+1	Venomous Blood
6th	+3	+5	+2	+2	Crawling Armour +2, Improved Swarm, Thousand Eyes
7th	+3	+5	+2	+2	Handled Release
8th	+4	+6	+2	+2	Improved Swarm
9th	+4	+6	+3	+3	Crawling Armour +3
10th	+5	+7	+3	+3	Improved Swarm, Upon the Swarm
11th	+5	+7	+3	+3	Hunger of Thousands
12th	+6/+1	+8	+4	+4	Crawling Armour +4, Improved Swarm
13th	+6/+1	+8	+4	+4	Plague of the Swarm
14th	+7/+2	+9	+4	+4	Improved Swarm, Swift Release
15th	+7/+2	+9	+5	+5	Birth the Nest, Crawling Armour +5
16th	+8/+3	+10	+5	+5	Improved Swarm
17th	+8/+3	+10	+5	+5	Walking Nests
18th	+9/+4	+11	+6	+6	Crawling Armour +6, Improved Swarm
19th	+9/+4	+11	+6	+6	Improved Hunger of Thousands
20th	+10/+5	+12	+6	+6	Improved Swarm, Till all are one

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Living Hive.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Living Hives are proficient with simple weapons, and light armour but not shields.

Crawling Within (Ex): The strange and disturbing trait which is unique to the Living Hives is that within his flesh holds a swarm of insects, and he can release them through his mouth. As a full-round action the Living Hive can release 1 or more of the swarms within his body. The swarms appear in his square or adjacent to it.

In addition, as another Full-Round Action Hive can also draw in any member of his swarm that is in his square, or adjacent to it.

Swarm (Ex): A Living Hive possesses a swarm of insects within himself. Each swarm is a "One of Many". As the Hive advances in level, his swarm increases in power and number.

All of the "One of Many"s in your Swarm acts during your turn, and will attack your opponents to the best of their abilities. As long as each One of Many in your swarm is adjacent to another of your swarm or to you, they all members of your swarm count as adjacent to you and within touch distance.

If a member of the swarm remains out of his body for 24 hours or over, loses 1 hitpoint per round until it either returns to the Living Hive's body or dies.

If a One of Many in his swarm dies, the Living Hive must attempt a DC 15 Will saving throw. Failure means he and all members of his swarm are paralyzed for 1d4 rounds; success negates the paralysis.

After 8 hours of uninterupted rest, the Living Hive regains any One of Many which have died. A One of Many cannot be revived until at least 12 hours after it died.

One is Thousands (Su): What originally seemed as a parasitic relationship, is actually symbiotic. At second level, the Living Hive's bond to his Swarm grows into a hive mind. If the Living Hive or a member of his swarm is aware of a particular danger, they all are. If one in a group is not flatfooted, none of them are.

In addition, the Living Hive gains full control over the actions of each member of his swarm.

Improved Swarm: Over time a Living Hive's swarm grows in power and talents. Every two levels, he may select a single trait from the following list:

Spoiler

Aquatic Terrors: Each One of Many in your swarm gains a 20 ft. swim speed. This trait can be gained multiple times, each time increasing the swim speed by 20 ft.

Arcane Abominations: Select one spell that you know or have prepared that is level three or below. Each One of Many in your swarm can cast this spell as a spell-like ability, three times per day, with the caster level equal to your Living Hive level. You must be a spellcaster to select this trait.

Burrowing Beetles: Each One of Many in your swarm gains a 20 ft. burrow speed. This trait can be gained multiple times, each time increasing the burrowing speed by 20 ft.

Crawling Chaos: Each One of Many in your swarm gains a 20 ft. climb speed. This trait can be gained multiple times, each time increasing the climb speed by 20 ft.

Swift Scampering: Each One of Many in your swarm gains +20 ft. bonus to its base land speed. This trait can be gained multiple times.

Resist the Elements: Select one of the following damage types: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. Each One of Many in your swarm gains 10 energy resistance to that form of damage. This can be gained multiple times, but a different form of damage must be selected each time.

Resist the Elements, Improved: Select one form of energy resistance you have for Resist the Elements. That energy resistance becomes an immunity. This can be gained multiple times, but a different form of damage must be selected each time.

Thousand Fangs: The damage dealt by the Swarm attack for each of the One of Many in your swarm increases the type of dice by one step (d6 to d10). This trait can be gained multiple times.

Tough Exoskeleton: Each One of Many in your swarm gain an additional +4 natural armour. This trait can be gained multiple times, each time the natural armour bonus increases by an additional +2.

Venomous Fangs: Each One of Many in your swarm gain the Poison ability. The poison can affect a target via injury or being ingested. This poison has the following statistics: save Fort DC 10 + 1/2 Living Hive level + Constitution Bonus; frequency 1/round for 4 rounds; effect 1d4 Dexterity damage; cure 1 save.

This trait can be gained multiple times, each time increasing the DC by +4 or the Dexterity damage by 1d4.

Crawling Armour (Ex): Upon reaching 3rd level, if the Living Hive shares a square with a member of his swarm, he gains a +1 bonus to natural armour.

At 6th level, and every three levels thereafter, this bonus increases by +1.

Venomous Blood (Ex): The insects within his flesh taint the Living Hive's body, making him toxic to ingest. Any creature which uses a bite attack on a Living Hive of 5th level counts as ingesting the poison.

This poison has the following statistics: save Fort DC 10 + 1/2 Living Hive level + Constitution Bonus; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d4 Constitution damage; cure 2 saves.

Thousand Eyes (Su): Upon reaching 6th level, the Living Hive can sense everything each member of his swarm can simultaneously. This ability requires no concentration.

Handled Release (Ex): After reaching 7th level, the insects within the Living Hive have burrowed holes into his arms, allowing him to release his swarm as a standard action.

Upon the Swarm (Ex): While a Living Hive of 10th level shares a square with a member of his swarm he can use all the movement modes the One of Many possesses.

Hunger of Thousands (Ex): At 11th level, the Living Hive can send his swarm to feast upon the corpses of foes. Whenever a One of Many in his swarm shares a square with a corpse the Living Hive may spend a free action to make his One of Many devourer it. This restores 1d8 points of health for his One of Many, and the corpse counts as destroyed for the purpose of resurrection magic.

At 19th level, this ability restores 2d8 points of health.

Plague of the Swarm (Ex): A Living Hive of 13th level is infused with thousands of toxic chemicals within his flesh, which he can release with a touch. This functions as the Contagion spell, and can be used a number of times per day equal to 3 + Constitution modifier.

Any disease inflicted by this ability, lacks the ability to pass onto others and isn't contagious.

Swift Release (Ex): After reaching 14th level, the insects within the Living Hive have burrowed a network of tunnels throughout his flesh, allowing him to release your swarm as a swift action.

Birth the Nest (Ex): Upon attaining 15th level, the Living Hive learns to create new nests for his swarms to live within. To do this he must remain in contact with a helpless living creature for 10 minutes without interruption.

After this action, select a One of Many in his swarm. This member of the swarm forcefully enters the targets body and infests them. The target can make a Fortitude save to resist this (DC 10 + 1/2 Living Hive level + Constitution Bonus), if they succeed they do not become a Living Nest and the One of Many dies.

If they fail the save, they gain the Living Nest template.

Walking Nests (Ex): When the Living Hive reaches 17th level, whenever at least one member of his Swarm is infesting a Living Nest, he gains full control over that Living Nests movement and physical actions as if it was a member of the swarm.

The Living Nest can resist this with at Fortitude Save once per day (DC 10 + 1/2 Living Hive level + Constitution Bonus), a success stops any Living Hives from attempting to control them with the Walking Nest ability for one week.

Till all are one (Ex): Upon reaching 20th level, the Living Hive has become one with his swarm, and they are no longer seperate identities. If the Living Hive dies, he retains control over his swarm and the Living Nests his swarm infests. Though he cannot store his swarm within his body, or release any more One of Many until his body is resurrected.

The Swarm

Spoiler

The Swarm is a horde of insects which have formed a symbiotic bond with its living host. Each member of the swarm retains the statistics of a One of Many, except for were mentioned in this class.

Swarm Basics: Use the basic statistics for a One of Many, but make the following changes:

Hit Dice: The HD of a One of Many is the master’s character level or the One of Many’s normal HD total, whichever is higher.

Hit Points: Each One of Many has one-half the master’s total hit points (not including temporary hit points), rounded down, regardless of its actual Hit Dice.

Saving Throws: For each saving throw, use either the One of Many’s base save bonus (Fortitude +2, Reflex +0, Will +0) or the master’s (as calculated from all his classes), whichever is better. The familiar uses its own ability modifiers to saves, and it doesn’t share any of the other bonuses that the master might have on saves.

Skills: For each skill in which either the master or the One of Many has ranks, use either the normal skill ranks for a Vermin of that type or the master’s skill ranks, whichever are better. In either case, the One of Many uses its own ability modifiers. Regardless of a One of Many’s total skill modifiers, some skills may remain beyond the One of Many’s ability to use.

One of Many Ability Descriptions: All members of the Swarm have special abilities (or impart abilities to their masters) depending on the master’s level in classes that grant a Swarm, as shown on the table below. The abilities given on the table are cumulative.

Master Class Level	Ability Adj.	Members	Natural Armor Adj.	Special
1st-2nd	+1	1	+1	Alertness, Evasion
3rd-4th	+2	1	+2	Resist the Blade
5th-6th	+2	2	+3	Arcane Swarm
7th-8th	+3	2	+4	Share Spells
9th-10th	+3	2	+5	Untouchable Swarm
11th-12th	+4	3	+6	Spell Resistance
13th-14th	+4	3	+7	Metallic Swarm
15th-16th	+5	3	+8	Deliver Touch Spells
17th-18th	+5	4	+9	Improved Evasion
19th-20th	+6	4	+10	Piercing Swarm

Ability Adj.: The number noted here is an improvement your Swarms existing ability scores. When a level is gained which increases this number (1-2, 3-4, 7-8, etc.), you may select three ability scores. Those scores increases by one for each One of Many in your swarm.

Members: The number noted here indicates the number of One of Many you can have in your swarm.

Natural Armor Adj.: The number noted here is an improvement to the One of Many’s existing natural armor bonus.

Alertness (Ex): Whenever at least one member of his swarm is adjacent, the master gains the benefits of the Alertness feat.

Evasion (Ex): If subjected to an attack that allows a Reflex save for half damage, a member of your Swarm takes no damage on a successful save.

Resist the Blade: If the master is 3rd level or higher, the One of Many in his swarm are immune to slashing and piercing damage.

Arcane Swarm: If the master is 5th level or higher, the attacks of the One of Many in his swarm count as magical for the purpose of damage reduction.

Share Spells: If the master is 7th level or higher, he may have any spell (but not any spell-like ability) he casts on himself also affect one or more of his Swarm. The One of Many must be within adjacent at the time of casting to receive the benefit.

If the spell or effect has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting a One of Many stops being adjacent and will not affect the One of Many again even if it returns to the master before the duration expires. Additionally, the master may cast a spell with a target of “You” on a member of your Swarm (as a touch range spell) instead of on himself.

A master and his swarm can share spells even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the vermin type.

Untouchable Swarm: If the master is 9th level or higher, the One of Many in his swarm are immune to all forms of weapon damage.

Spell Resistance (Ex): If the master is 11th level or higher, each One of Many in your swarm gains spell resistance equal to the master’s level + 5.

Metallic Swarm: If the master is 13th level or higher, the attacks of the One of Many in his swarm count as cold iron and silver for the purpose of damage reduction.

Deliver Touch Spells (Su): If the master is 15th level or higher, a familiar can deliver touch spells for him. If the master and the familiar are in contact at the time the master casts a touch spell, he can designate his familiar as the “toucher.” The familiar can then deliver the touch spell just as the master could. As usual, if the master casts another spell before the touch is delivered, the touch spell dissipates.

Improved Evasion (Ex): If the master is 17th level or higher, when subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, a member of your swarm takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage even if the saving throw fails.

Piercing Swarm: If the master is 19th level or higher, the attacks of the One of Many in his swarm bypass all forms of damage reduction.

Note:
The damage dealt by a One of Many's swarm attack is determined by its HD as it possess the Swarm Subtype. If the damage is modified through the Thousand Fangs Improved Swarm then the only the type of dice is changed, not the number of dice.

Example

HD	Default Damage	Thousand Fangs*
1-5	1d6	1d8
6-10	2d6	2d8
11-15	3d6	3d8
16-20	4d6	4d8
21 or more	5d6	5d8

* Taken once

[Milo v3]

One Of Many Base Stats
An awful, scuttling mass of legs and mandibles scrambles forward out of the dripping maw of the sickly woman.
One of Many CR 1/2
XP 200
Neutral Tiny Vermin (Swarm)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 30 ft.; Perception +4

Defenses
AC 18, Touch 16, flatfooted 14; (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 natural, +2 size)
hp 9 (2d8);
Fort + 3, Ref +3, Will +0
Defensive Abilities swarm traits

Offenses
Speed 20 ft.
Melee swarm (1d6 plus distraction)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks distraction (DC 11)

Statistics
Str 1, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 1, Wis 10, Cha 2
Base Atk +1; CMB -; CMD -
Feats Dodge
Skills Climb +11, Perception +4; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception; uses Dexterity for Climb checks

Ecology
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, nest (3–4 swarms) or hive (5–10 swarms)
Treasure none

The sight of a carpet of swarming insectiod abominations is unsettling indeed—particularly when the swarm is made up of creatures each the size of a cat and possessing scissor-like mandibles capable of eviserate flesh with sickening ease.

The One of Many are hatch from eggs stored with the body of a living host, who also functions as a hive for the swarm. These insects have a symbiotic attachment to its hive, which slowly transcends the physical realm.

[Milo v3]

Living Nest Template
“Living Nest” is an acquired template that can be added to any living, corporeal creature. A Living Nest retains the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

CR: HD 8 or less, as base creature - 1; HD 9 or more, as base creature;

Armor Class: Natural armor lowers by -1.

Defenses/Qualities: It gains immunity to poison and swarm attacks. In addition the Living Nest gains the following:
Nest: If the Living Hive who granted you the template, places a One of Many from his swarm in your square, he can spend a free action to place that member of the swarm inside the Living Nest. Swarms stored this way can be released with a move action from the Living Hive.

Speed: All of the creatures movement modes have their speed lowered by 5 ft., unless that would lower it to 0 ft.

[Milo v3]

Archetypes
Dark Unkindness
*Your insect swarm is replaced with a flock of Ravens and you gain darkness themed abilities*

Living Sandstorm
*Your insect swarm is replaced with sandstorms and you gain desert themed abilities*

Sanguine Nest
*Your insect swarm is replaced with bats and you gain vampiric themed abilities.

Swarm Taken
*Your bond to your swarm is so strong that they devour your body entirely, yet you still live through your swarm. You gain abilities of a Worm that Walks.*

[LordErebus12]

i love it, and will attempt to playtest it. im thinking it should also reanimate the dead, making hive zombies.

[LordErebus12]

have you considered poison use as a class ability and heal as a skill? i think it could really make a difference.

[LordErebus12]

perhaps it could provide you with sustenance? like ring of sustenance?

perhaps remote viewing of certain members of your swarm. call them drones.

[Milo v3]

Originally Posted by LordErebus12

i love it, and will attempt to playtest it. im thinking it should also reanimate the dead, making hive zombies.

Might be an idea for a PrC.

Originally Posted by LordErebus12

have you considered poison use as a class ability and heal as a skill? i think it could really make a difference.

You can spread poison fairly easily through your swarm, though I don't see how heal would help.

Originally Posted by LordErebus12

perhaps it could provide you with sustenance? like ring of sustenance?

What does the swarm have to do with helping you sleep?

perhaps remote viewing of certain members of your swarm. call them drones.

Upon reaching 6th level you can see anything any other member of your swarm can see.

[Yitzi]

Several points:
1. Unless you're using a general homebrew, poison doesn't last until you make a certain number of saves. It does a certain amount of primary damage when it first hits, a certain (not necessarily the same) amount of secondary damage 1 minute later, and that's it. So both Venomous Fangs and Venomous Blood probably need revision.
2. As written, Plague of the Swarm creates a contagious disease, i.e. it can spread from the immediate target to others. Mere toxins should not have that effect, so you'd need to either change the rules (perhaps just have it do 1d6 damage to an ability score of the Living Hive's choice, and don't mention Contagion), or change the fluff to justify the rules.
3. Your entry for a One of Many says it's worth 200 XP, but in D&D the XP value of an enemy is dependent on its CR and your CR, so it can't be a static 200.
4. You said that the living nest template gains swarm attacks; what are the details of those? (Unless you meant that it gains immunity to swarm attacks, but then you should write "It gains immunity to poison and swarm attacks" with no comma, to avoid confusion.)

[Milo v3]

Originally Posted by Yitzi

Several points:
1. Unless you're using a general homebrew, poison doesn't last until you make a certain number of saves. It does a certain amount of primary damage when it first hits, a certain (not necessarily the same) amount of secondary damage 1 minute later, and that's it. So both Venomous Fangs and Venomous Blood probably need revision.

This uses Pathfinder's method of poison.

2. As written, Plague of the Swarm creates a contagious disease, i.e. it can spread from the immediate target to others. Mere toxins should not have that effect, so you'd need to either change the rules (perhaps just have it do 1d6 damage to an ability score of the Living Hive's choice, and don't mention Contagion), or change the fluff to justify the rules.

I'll fix it.

3. Your entry for a One of Many says it's worth 200 XP, but in D&D the XP value of an enemy is dependent on its CR and your CR, so it can't be a static 200.

Pathfinder has XP value with every creature's stats.

4. You said that the living nest template gains swarm attacks; what are the details of those? (Unless you meant that it gains immunity to swarm attacks, but then you should write "It gains immunity to poison and swarm attacks" with no comma, to avoid confusion.)

That comma is a typo.

[Yitzi]

Originally Posted by Milo v3

This uses Pathfinder's method of poison.

Ah, I didn't realize it was different in PF.

[LordErebus12]

pathfinder.., perhaps a variant class progression, where it can slowly become a worm that walks

[Milo v3]

Originally Posted by LordErebus12

pathfinder.., perhaps a variant class progression, where it can slowly become a worm that walks

I'm now going to add four Archetypes to the 4th post. Though right now they are just summaries of what I'm going to add.

[Dayaz]

I'm liking this class idea (I can play an Aburame in DnD now!) but I have a question: Your class mentions having a swarm in their body, and being able to spit out multiple swarms, but you never say anything about how you get/how many swarms you have at a time.

[Milo v3]

Originally Posted by Dayaz

I'm liking this class idea (I can play an Aburame in DnD now!) but I have a question: Your class mentions having a swarm in their body, and being able to spit out multiple swarms, but you never say anything about how you get/how many swarms you have at a time.

It says in the table in the "The Swarm" section.

Also, sorry about the ACF taking a while, I've had tonnes of assignments lately.