Author Topic: "Transforming" characters?  (Read 2343 times)

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Prime32

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"Transforming" characters?
« on: January 05, 2010, 01:32:51 PM »
What ways are there for you to have a character who can shift, fairly quickly, between a small number of forms with completely different stats?

Polymorph chain, wildshape (most powerful option, but too many possible forms)
Body of war and similar spells (single-form polymorph with longer duration)
Lycanthropes and other creatures with Alternate Form
Momentary Alteration feat (short-duration alter self, one form only)
Chameleon (not so fast to change, but worth mentioning)
Incarnate shifting around essentia
Binder with the Expel Vestige feat
Tenser's tranformation, mental pinnacle, etc.
Barbarian gish (especially bear warriors, goliaths with Mountain Rage, etc.)
« Last Edit: January 05, 2010, 01:40:59 PM by Prime32 »
My work
The tier system in a nutshell:
[spoiler]Tier 6: A cartographer.
Tier 5: An expert cartographer or a decent marksman.
Tier 4: An expert marksman.
Tier 3: An expert marksman, cartographer and chef who can tie strong knots and is trained in hostage negotiation or a marksman so good he can shoot down every bullet fired by a minigun while armed with a rusted single-shot pistol that veers to the left.
Tier 2: Someone with teleportation, mind control, time manipulation, intangibility, the ability to turn into an exact duplicate of anything, or the ability to see into the future with perfect accuracy.
Tier 1: Someone with teleportation, mind control, time manipulation, intangibility, the ability to turn into an exact duplicate of anything and the ability to see into the future with perfect accuracy.[/spoiler]

skydragonknight

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Re: "Transforming" characters?
« Reply #1 on: January 05, 2010, 01:34:57 PM »
Primeval prestige class from Frostburn. :D
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bearsarebrown

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Re: "Transforming" characters?
« Reply #2 on: January 05, 2010, 01:38:46 PM »
Warshaper capstone lets you change multiple times in the duration of the shifting.

Prime32

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Re: "Transforming" characters?
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2010, 01:46:31 PM »
So what if I wanted to make a Getter?

Is there any way to have multiple characters, only one of which can be in use at a time, and which all die if one of them dies? (Fiends of possession with share pain maybe?)
« Last Edit: January 05, 2010, 01:49:26 PM by Prime32 »
My work
The tier system in a nutshell:
[spoiler]Tier 6: A cartographer.
Tier 5: An expert cartographer or a decent marksman.
Tier 4: An expert marksman.
Tier 3: An expert marksman, cartographer and chef who can tie strong knots and is trained in hostage negotiation or a marksman so good he can shoot down every bullet fired by a minigun while armed with a rusted single-shot pistol that veers to the left.
Tier 2: Someone with teleportation, mind control, time manipulation, intangibility, the ability to turn into an exact duplicate of anything, or the ability to see into the future with perfect accuracy.
Tier 1: Someone with teleportation, mind control, time manipulation, intangibility, the ability to turn into an exact duplicate of anything and the ability to see into the future with perfect accuracy.[/spoiler]

BowenSilverclaw

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Re: "Transforming" characters?
« Reply #4 on: January 05, 2010, 01:59:56 PM »
So what if I wanted to make a Getter?

Is there any way to have multiple characters, only one of which can be in use at a time, and which all die if one of them dies? (Fiends of possession with share pain maybe?)
Dvati FoP with Dvati FoP Cohort and Share Pain?
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snakeman830

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Re: "Transforming" characters?
« Reply #5 on: January 05, 2010, 02:01:58 PM »
Minor Shapeshift Reserve Feat has a few options that last a number of rounds equal to the highest uncast Polymorph spell you have.  The best is the temporary hp, but the speed boost can also be handy.
I am constantly amazed by how many DM's ban Tomb of Battle.  The book doesn't even exist!

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[/spoiler]

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Prime32

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Re: "Transforming" characters?
« Reply #6 on: January 05, 2010, 02:04:19 PM »
So what if I wanted to make a Getter?

Is there any way to have multiple characters, only one of which can be in use at a time, and which all die if one of them dies? (Fiends of possession with share pain maybe?)
Dvati FoP with Dvati FoP Cohort and Share Pain?
Just need some guys who can
  • Shoot lasers, fly, and wield axes (hellfire warlock?)
  • Run around super-fast with a giant throwable drill (swift hunter/dervish?)
  • Wrestle, swim, and fire missiles (dwarf... something)

EDIT:
Getter-1
Dragonborn (breath) raptoran (ritual of alignment) Psychic warrior 7/Thrallherd 10/Fiend of possession 3
Feats: Otherworldly

Getter-2
Kaorti elf Swordsage/Fiend of possession 3
Equipment: +1 throwing returning heavy pick
Manouvers: Desert Wind, Shadow Hand

Getter-3
Dragonborn (immunities) tauric goliath-crocodile (ritual of alignment) Crusader/Swordsage/Fiend of possession 3
Feats: Aberrant Reach, Aberration Blood, Improved Grapple, Otherworldly
Manouvers: Setting Sun, Stone Dragon
« Last Edit: January 06, 2010, 01:55:18 PM by Prime32 »
My work
The tier system in a nutshell:
[spoiler]Tier 6: A cartographer.
Tier 5: An expert cartographer or a decent marksman.
Tier 4: An expert marksman.
Tier 3: An expert marksman, cartographer and chef who can tie strong knots and is trained in hostage negotiation or a marksman so good he can shoot down every bullet fired by a minigun while armed with a rusted single-shot pistol that veers to the left.
Tier 2: Someone with teleportation, mind control, time manipulation, intangibility, the ability to turn into an exact duplicate of anything, or the ability to see into the future with perfect accuracy.
Tier 1: Someone with teleportation, mind control, time manipulation, intangibility, the ability to turn into an exact duplicate of anything and the ability to see into the future with perfect accuracy.[/spoiler]

Havok4

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Re: "Transforming" characters?
« Reply #7 on: January 05, 2010, 02:16:00 PM »
Shapeshifter prestige class from OA with the dragon magazine update makes for a nice wildshape class.

The_Mad_Linguist

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Re: "Transforming" characters?
« Reply #8 on: January 06, 2010, 06:02:17 PM »
Fey'ri have alternate form(any humanoid).
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Ithamar

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Re: "Transforming" characters?
« Reply #9 on: January 06, 2010, 08:24:36 PM »
Humanoid Shape, the Dragonfire Adept invocation.
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johnboy069

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Re: "Transforming" characters?
« Reply #10 on: January 06, 2010, 11:44:49 PM »
Shapeshift druids from PHB2 can SS from level 1, and they do it as a swift action.
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telehax

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Re: "Transforming" characters?
« Reply #11 on: January 07, 2010, 12:39:42 AM »
Being a dragon with alternate form.

Being a Dragonwrought Kobold (Or a true dragon that doesn't already have alternate form) with the Alternate Form feat in Dragons of Eberron p15.

(On a tangent: There's a feat next to that which basically means a Dragonwrought Kobold Sorc can use two feats to turn into Half Dragon-Humanoids indefinitely. 4(Admittedly Sucky) LA for two feats: yay.

snakeman830

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Re: "Transforming" characters?
« Reply #12 on: January 07, 2010, 01:06:44 AM »
3.  Most people forget for some reason that Half Dragon is only +3 LA.  Most likely because it's sandwiched between two +4 LA halfbreed templates.
I am constantly amazed by how many DM's ban Tomb of Battle.  The book doesn't even exist!

Quotes:[spoiler]
By yes, she means no.
That explains so much about my life.
hiicantcomeupwithacharacterthatisntaghostwhyisthatamijustretardedorsomething
Why would you even do this? It hurts my eyes and looks like you ate your keyboard before suffering an attack of explosive diarrhea.
[/spoiler]

If using Genesis to hide your phylactry, set it at -300 degrees farenheit.  See how do-gooders fare with a liquid atmosphere.

The_Mad_Linguist

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Re: "Transforming" characters?
« Reply #13 on: January 07, 2010, 01:32:05 AM »
Being a dragon with alternate form.

Being a Dragonwrought Kobold (Or a true dragon that doesn't already have alternate form) with the Alternate Form feat in Dragons of Eberron p15.

(On a tangent: There's a feat next to that which basically means a Dragonwrought Kobold Sorc can use two feats to turn into Half Dragon-Humanoids indefinitely. 4(Admittedly Sucky) LA for two feats: yay.
Alternatively, dragons of krynn gives a specific alternate form (as bronze/silver/gold) to any adult dragon-type with CL5.
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My custom class: The Priest of the Unseen Host
Planetouched Handbook
Want to improve your character?  Then die.