Enabling Transhumanism in D&D: What are the methods?

[Littha]

Yea that's not exactly what I'm looking for... giant cannons...? How does that help an erudite loremaster type living in a tippyverse?

It doesn't, but you asked for non freaky grafts.

[Gavinfoxx]

I guess I should have been more specific. *sighs*...

[Bozwevial]

The heart of steel augmentation graft renders you immune to disease, poison, and paralysis at the cost of halving magical healing while not making you look like Gunther Hermann. On the other hand, just giving someone a little targath charm to carry around would be much cheaper.

[Gavinfoxx]

So far, all I really have are Elans with Heart of Steel, Flexibile Spine, maybe a Telekenesis Eye, Antennae, Climbing Legs, Healing Blood, Silthilar Bones, Silthilar Muscles, Silthilar Tendons, and a full suite of Inherent bonuses. I don't think I really like the 'new style' grafts, they all require a very large sacrifice, and don't improve the quality of life... and I am totally assuming here that, as a god, you can get past the gp cost and the 'donor' issue... I only really see Heart of Steel (being immune to disease and poison is a big deal, greatly improving potential quality of life... and the fact that the society will have large scale access to Cure Moderate Wounds as a level 1 spell mitigates the healing issue...)

That's... pretty good, I suppose. Any more thoughts?

[brujon]

Auto resetting traps of create food & water, cure disease, remove curse, cure poison, cure light wounds, restoration... With enough of those spread out nicely, you can essentially make sure that everyone never has to worry about food, disease, poison, curses, wounds, etc... I know it's tricky to create traps with non-offensive spells, but there's nothing saying you can't. This only improves quality of life, though, doesn't really improve anything. Gears powered by decanter of endless water to process raw material, resetting traps of fabricate to make any mundane item... Essentially a factory, and you can have it operated by unseen servants.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

What about the oldschool LA+1 illumians, with the immortality upgrade mentioned in flavortext added on?

Heck, they've got guys researching how to ascend to godhood 24/7.  And about three of them have actually succeeded over the last few decades.  Given their relatively low population, that's a lot more likely than winning the lottery.

[Gavinfoxx]

Brujon: I'm ALREADY doing that. assume the tippyverse has happened, and we are focusing on changes to the human condition on an individual level at this point.

[Suin Bahhar]

Creating the perfect environment would be a good first step, so Genesis of a "Garden of Eden" could go a long way in subsiding a well fed and resilient population upon which grafts and templates would work reliably.

Next would be giving the grafts that you already summed up, plus a graft that grants wings (like the draconic buffeting wings graft); one that gives a chameleon-like power that enables skin color changes (gleaming scales); several grafts that enhance metabolisms like additional stomachs, hearts, lungs and kidneys;  and perhaps a spellstoring implanted device/graft that enables the recipient to receive arcane and divine personal range 'blessings'. Goggles or grafted eye lenses could provide lowlight and/or darkvision and a replacement of the eye with a beholder-kin eye should be able to provide at least Detect Magic and at worst a full Anti-Magic Zone.

The Forgotten Realms used to have a psionic civilisation that tried to enhance everyday life. The Jhaamdathi Empire did this with Udoxia -big crystal obelisks that handed out (psionic) feats from a communal pool to the ones touching it once per day- which enabled the working class to adapt their skills according to their preferences during their tendays.

[SneeR]

Yea that's not exactly what I'm looking for... giant cannons...? How does that help an erudite loremaster type living in a tippyverse?

I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but Giant Cannons make everything better. They help by existing.

If you need a reason, then think of how cool you'd feel wielding giant cannons. That boost in confidence would translate directly to your humanitarian efforts, thereby casuing faster leaps in development--you feel confident enough to take risks!

[Gavinfoxx]

The problem with the draconic grafts is that they cause hit point loss on the character... even assuming that your average commoner gets psychic reformation / trained to have a useful, heroic class, and thereby have full hit points for his first hit dice and not half hit points, AND he is given a +5 inherent boost to con, the hit point loss from the draconic wings wouldn't be worth it.  That's why I only had one of the 'modern' grafts, and then only one that removes 2 hit points... I mean, ideally, we can get all those commoner 1s trained to be something like a Jack of All Trades Factotum 1... but still, ya know?