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Homebrew Exaltation - Flesh Golem; An Exaltation based upon Frankenstein's Monster and other artificial chimerae.
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Topic Started: Nov 18 2015, 12:15 PM (314 Views)
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Marr965
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Nov 18 2015, 12:15 PM
Post #1
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It has been pointed out to me that the alternate Promethean that has been posted does have some significant similarities to this Exaltation, but I'm hoping I made it different enough to not infringe upon the same design space, as it were.
I'm looking for feedback and tips on balance. I'm not certain that it's entirely balanced to have an Exalt that can have Resilience 11 and AP 2 all over at level 1.
EDIT: I've trimmed a LOT of the Resilience bonuses down. Also, halfway decent name!
Homonculus
The Raven Queen frowns upon those who seek to avoid their own deaths. Similarly, she punishes those who circumvent others deaths, or who turn decaying flesh into new life through the art of Necromancy. However, there are those still seek to force new movement into dead meat, some through technological innovation and electricity, and some through novel necromantic magic. You are the brainchild of one of these individuals.
You are usually fairly obviously not natural, unless you take pains to disguise yourself. Stitching holds parts of you together, and staples have been used to keep your bones whole. Some Homonculi play this up, terrorizing small communities to get things from them. Others seek to avoid causing waves through extensive use of make-up and wigs. Yet others pose as the survivors of horrific accidents. Whatever they do, they all know one thing - they were never born. They woke up on an altar, either the classic slab of stone strewn with the implements of magic, or the more modern, scientific altar, the operating table. And they also know that they are somehow different to the mindless undead that walk some places, and the vampiric stalkers of the night.
Powers: Unnatural Origin - You are not the product of natural processes, and lack a soul. Due to your abnormal existence, you gain +5 Hit Points and the Chem Geld feat, and you are immune to Blood Loss. Spells which would raise the dead or regenerate lost body parts deal 2k2 damage if used on you. On the other hand, spells which rely upon the Alignment of the target or the target possessing a soul have no effect upon you. No Fate, No God, No Father - Your soulless state means that the gods take far less notice of you. You do not suffer normal penalties for Degeneration, except at 0 Devotion, where your god still smites you into dust. However, at 4 Devotion, you automatically take a -2k0 penalty to Charm, Persuasion and Command with characters of the same alignment, and at 2 Devotion, you take a further -0k1 on these tests and they automatically gain Hatred (Your character) when in combat with you. Needlework - If you lose a limb or part of a limb, it can be replaced by a suitable part of a recently dead corpse. Make a TN 20 Medicae + Intelligence test to amputate the limb from a corpse that has been dead for no longer than an hour and sew the replacement limb onto yourself. Failure ruins the limb, but has no other negative effects, barring a loss of time. The test takes 1 hour (so, if it fails, the rest of the corpse can't be used either). Non-Standard Body - Your body is a composite entity, held together by stitching and staples and animated through unnatural means. Choose one:
- Technology - You gain an additional 1 Resilience, and may absorb electrical energy through exposed metal parts. When attacked by an E source, reduce the damage dealt by 1k0 and gain 1 Animus. However, magic has unusually deleterious effects upon you. Increase the damage of all other spells by 1k0.
- Magic - You gain Aura 1 and are immune to most environmental effects, as well as Horrid Wilting and Avasculate. In addition, you do not need to eat, sleep, drink or breathe and you are immune to fatigue, poison and disease. However, the withered flesh that makes up your body is unusually prone to being damaged by flame and electricity. Attacks which deal E damage deal an extra 2k0 damage to you.
Tell: As you use your abilities, you become more obviously a thing of rags and tatters held together by stitchwork. The individual parts of your body subtly change colour to make clear where one part ends and another begins, and the stitches between them become more livid.
POWER STAT: INTEGRATION Normally, due to genetic markers and such, bits of flesh from different individuals that have been grafted together would naturally be rejected. However, due to the unique requirements the creation of a Homonculus has (be those exotic chemicals or necromantic magic) the body parts that make up Homonculi are forced into a grudging state of harmony. However, there is always room for improvement. By concocting weird potions, or conducting even weirder rituals, a Homonculus can enhance the ability of their body parts to work together without rejection. Resource Stat: Animus The character has a maximum Animus equal to twice their Constitution plus twice their Integration. They regain 1 Animus per day, or their Constitution per day if they do not spend Animus.
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| Integration | Power gained | | ●○○○○ | Forced Fit - Your creator didn't use pieces that were entirely from your species. You may take two feats from races other than your own (or your half-breed race, if you're human and take Mixed Heritage). | | ●●○○○ | Bits Bag - Your creator wasn't content with using just any old body part. He wanted to make a thing that would stand the test of time, and the elements. You gain an additional dot in two Physical characteristics. This may take you above 5 dots. However, if it does not, you may not later buy dots in those characteristics to take yourself above 5 dots. | | ●●●○○ | Abnormal Anatomy - Your creator also stuck some rather more monstrous parts in there. Choose a damage type. Attacks of the chosen type deal -1k0 damage against you. | | ●●●●○ | Mad Meat - Gain one Frankenstein's Ingenuity Asset that you don't have, even if you have one already. | | ●●●●● | Supernatural Surgery - You have some seriously esoteric bits in you. Choose one other Exaltation. You gain that Exaltation's 1-dot power. If that power references a Power or Resource stat, substitute Integration or Animus as appropriate. If you choose Werewolf or another Exaltation whose 1-dot power only applies to an alternative form, it applies all the time. |
Frankenstein's Ingenuity Assets Metal Thread - You can resist amputations by making a Constitution roll with a TN equal to the amount of damage the attack that would cause the amputation did + Critical Damage to the relevant body part (so, for instance, an attack which dealt 13 damage and took you to Critical Damage 4 on the Legs would have a TN of 13 + 4 = 17 to resist amputation). Weird Skin - Choose a damage type. You gain an additional AP 2 against damage of that type which stacks with other armour. Redundant Organs - You reduce Critical Damage by 1. Wraithbones - You gain Aura 1.
Edited by Marr965, Nov 19 2015, 03:40 PM.
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Eisenritter
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Nov 18 2015, 05:22 PM
Post #2
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Old Iron Knight
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- Marr965
- Nov 18 2015, 12:15 PM
It has been pointed out to me that the alternate Promethean that has been posted does have some significant similarities to this Exaltation, but I'm hoping I made it different enough to not infringe upon the same design space, as it were. Well, you admitted it before I could get annoyed about it, so there's that. I'll try to keep my annoyance to balance issues, then.
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I'm looking for feedback and tips on balance. I'm not certain that it's entirely balanced to have an Exalt that can have Resilience 11 and AP 2 all over at level 1.
...I distinctly recall catching some shit about adding +5 Resilience at Level 5, so yes, I would say this is a bad idea.
Skipping fluff...
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No God, No Father, No Fate - You do not suffer normal penalties for Degeneration, except at 0 Devotion, where your god still smites you into dust. However, at 4 Devotion, you automatically take a -2k0 penalty to Charm, Persuasion and Command with characters of the same alignment, and at 2 Devotion, you take a further -0k1 on these tests and they automatically gain Hatred (Your character) when in combat with you.
This is... different? New take on the "asocial penalty" bracket, anyway, and tied together with a benefit.
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Unnatural Origin - You are not the product of natural processes, and lack a soul. The spells Regeneration, Resurrection, Raise Dead and Zombie Plague deal 2k2 damage if used on you. On the other hand, the spells Rebuke, Consume Soul, Atonement and Burning Blood have no effect upon you, and you are immune to the effects of the spells Consecrate, Holy Weapon and Corrupted Earth. You also get a free raise on rolls to resist Torment. Speak with Dead has no effect on your body should you die, and Draining Touch doesn't grant Vampires that use it on you Vitae, nor may they feed on you to gain Vitae. In addition, choose one: * Technology - You gain an additional 2 Resilience, and may absorb electrical energy through exposed metal parts. When attacked with a weapon or spell that has electrical properties (such as a Lightning Gun or the spell Lightning Ring), reduce the damage dealt by 1k0 and gain 1 Animus. However, magic has unusually deleterious effects upon you. Increase the damage of all other spells by 1k0, including Regeneration, Resurrection, Raise Dead and Zombie Plague. * Magic - You gain Aura 1 and are immune to most environmental effects, as well as Horrid Wilting and Avasculate. In addition, you do not need to eat, sleep, drink or breathe and you are immune to fatigue, poison and disease. However, the withered flesh that makes up your body is unusually prone to being damaged by flame and electricity. Weapons and spells with flaming (such as Flamers) or electrical properties deal an extra 2k0 damage to you.
First part goes into D&D3 levels of specific, don't know how I'd go about clarifying further. Double drawback... also, try [list] for sub-choices here, heading those with [*] instead of just an asterisk.
Also, defining what does and does not have electrical properties (as opposed to fire, which is implied by the Flame or Incendiary weapon properties) is a tricky business; it's probably easier to just say "source of E damage" and then split along the lines of weapon versus magic.
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Needlework - If you lose a limb or part of a limb, it can be replaced by a suitable part of a recently dead corpse. Make a TN 20 Medicae + Intelligence test to amputate the relevant part from a corpse that has been dead for no longer than an hour and sew the replacement limb onto yourself. Failure ruins the limb, but has no other negative effects, barring a loss of time. The test takes 1 hour (so, if it fails, the rest of the corpse can't be used either).
...I might have to filch this next time I go about cleaning up the aforementioned Liminal. Assuming this isn't already appropriated, it's been awhile since I last touched on it. 
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Non-Standard Body - You gain +2 Resilience and +5 Hit Points, due to your distinctly non-normal existence. You also gain the Chem Geld feat, and you are immune to Blood Loss. However, you take -2k0 on Charm, Disguise and Persuasion tests.
...and we're back to Social penalties. Resilience shouldn't increment so quickly; that's why I got yelled at regarding Marrow Symbiotes.
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POWER STAT: INTEGRATION Normally, due to genetic markers and such, bits of flesh from different individuals that have been grafted together would naturally be rejected. However, due to the unique requirements the creation of a Flesh Golem has (be those exotic chemicals or necromantic magic) the body parts that make up Golems are forced into a grudging state of harmony. However, there is always room for improvement. By concocting weird potions, or conducting even weirder rituals, a Flesh Golem can enhance the ability of their body parts to work together without rejection. Resource Stat: Animus The character has a maximum Animus equal to twice their Constitution plus twice their Integration. They regain 1 Animus per day, or their Constitution per day if they do not spend Animus.
Fun fact: If you're made from cadavers, rejection isn't a thing you're worried about. 
That's a very slow recovery, though. Especially for daily.
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| Powers by Integration |
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| Integration | Power gained | | ●○○○○ | Forced Fit - Your creator didn't use pieces that were entirely from your species. Choose a race other than your starting race. You gain that race's power, and may purchase feats that have that race as a prerequisite. However, you still count as being your starting race. | | ●●○○○ | Bits Bag - Your creator wasn't content with using just any old body part. He wanted to make a thing that would stand the test of time, and the elements. You gain an additional dot in two Physical characteristics. This may take you above 5 dots. However, if it does not, you may not later buy dots in those characteristics to take yourself above 5 dots. This bonus increases at Integration 4, and may take those stats to 7 dots. However, the same caveat applies. | | ●●●○○ | Abnormal Anatomy - Your creator also stuck some rather more monstrous parts in there. Choose one: Claws (1k1 R; Melee; Brawling) and Bite (2k1 R; Melee; Brawling) OR Breath Weapon (as the racial power of Dragonborn. Yes, this does mean you can have it twice). | | ●●●●○ | Mad Meat - Gain one Frankenstein's Ingenuity Asset that you don't have. | | ●●●●● | Supernatural Surgery - You have some seriously esoteric bits in you. Choose one other Exaltation. You gain that Exaltation's 1-dot power. If that power references a Power or Resource stat, substitute Integration or Animus as appropriate. If you choose Werewolf, it applies all the time. |
Don't put fluff here. It makes Doc have to use a smaller font... did you happen to see older versions of the pdf, with what had to be six-point font for the Parapsyker and its assets? Yeah, let's not do that again, okay?
Forced Fit: Gaining what's essentially a second race at first level might be a bit off. Also, it might just be me, but some racial powers would seem to presuppose certain features... not as bad just using LN's books, but take the Cyclops, for instance... Bits Bag: Breaking the characteristics cap at 2 is fine. Having it increment is something I'm a bit more leery of, especially when it comes with a dot for the raised stat. Abnormal Anatomy: Review concern with Forced Fit. Especially since we have the Tiefling with a feat granting natural attacks, and most of the homebrew races here have them as well. Mad Meat: ...This needs idiot-proofing, at least. As in, this exalt isn't a Paragon and thus can't take more than one exaltation asset. Supernatural Surgery: Nothing to say here, actually. Good job.
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Frankenstein's Ingenuity Assets Metal Thread - You can resist amputations due to Impact or Rending damage with a Constitution + Resilience roll that has a TN equal to the amount of damage the attack that would cause the amputation did + Critical Damage to the relevant body part (so, if an R attack did 13 damage and took you to Critical Damage 4 on the Legs, you would have to make a Constitution + Resilience roll against a TN of 13 + 4 = 17). Extra Tough - You gain +1 Resilience and AP 2 all over your body which doesn't stack, due to thicker skin, which appears to have gone through a partial tanning process. If you choose Promethean for Supernatural Surgery, this armour stacks with the armour from Integrated Armour. Cranial Plating - Your creator stuck some metal plates in there or something. You are immune to death from Critical Damage to the head, except Rending damage. Redundant Organs - You are immune to the effects of Critical Damage to the Gizzards, except those that would kill you. Stomach of a King - Seems like old Queen Liz was right about hearts and stomachs. You can eat ANYTHING with no ill effects. If you do eat something, make a TN 20 roll against your Constitution. On a success, regain 1 Animus.
...Irritating category name is irritating, but I can't think of much better. I just stuck with thread for the Liminal, after all...
Metal Thread is the biggest offender here, as Con + Resilience can result in never failing the test due to a frankly silly number of dice being thrown. Especially if you're getting Resilience 11 at Level 1, somehow.
Note, please, that exalts with two drawbacks (notably, the Promethean) have an asset that mitigates one of them. Your exalt has three and none.
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Marr965
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Nov 19 2015, 12:24 PM
Post #3
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Thanks for the feedback. I'll have a thought about it and update it.
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Marr965
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Nov 19 2015, 12:53 PM
Post #4
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- Eisenritter
- Nov 18 2015, 05:22 PM
- Marr965
- Nov 18 2015, 12:15 PM
Especially if you're getting Resilience 11 at Level 1, somehow.
Thankfully, it's not possible to get Resilience 11 at Level 1 AND have Metal Thread. The procedure for Resilience 11 is as follows: Start as Aasimar. (Size 5) Choose Dryad for Forced Fit. Take Matron. (Size 7, Resilience 5 which is standard at size 7) Take Sturdy (Resilience 6) Take Extra Tough (Resilience 7) Factor in Non-Standard Body (Resilience 9) Choose Technology for Unnatural Origin (Resilience 11) Of course, your static defense tanks, but that doesn't really matter when you're dividing damage taken by 11.
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Eisenritter
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Nov 19 2015, 01:21 PM
Post #5
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Old Iron Knight
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- Marr965
- Nov 19 2015, 12:53 PM
Thankfully, it's not possible to get Resilience 11 at Level 1 AND have Metal Thread. The procedure for Resilience 11 is as follows: Start as Aasimar. (Size 5) Choose Dryad for Forced Fit. Take Matron. (Size 7, Resilience 5 which is standard at size 7) Take Sturdy (Resilience 6) Take Extra Tough (Resilience 7) Factor in Non-Standard Body (Resilience 9) Choose Technology for Unnatural Origin (Resilience 11)
Of course, your static defense tanks, but that doesn't really matter when you're dividing damage taken by 11. ...Resilience 10 plus Metal Thread isn't much better, you know.
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Marr965
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Nov 19 2015, 03:21 PM
Post #6
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- Eisenritter
- Nov 19 2015, 01:21 PM
...Resilience 10 plus Metal Thread isn't much better, you know.
I do accept that.
I've done a pretty hefty rewrite of quite a lot of it, taking your advice into account.
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