# Forum > Gaming > Homebrew Design > D&D 3.x Class Aberrant Shifter. A class, an STD, an abomination. (Help Needed!)

## ChudoJogurt

Aberrant Shifters have been infected. Either from birth, inheriting strange legacies of their unnatural parents, or through contact with aberrations and abominations, through curses or profane and blasphemous poisons, anarchic influences or contact with other Aberrant Shifters.

Now their flesh flows in ways that are against the design of men and gods, a perverse, viscous thing that is only held together by their will.

Some suffer quietly, joining the ranks of lepers and plague-bearers, fearing to show their rotting faces and ichor-dripping bodies, lest they be chased out or killed. Others seek a cure, prostrating themselves before priests and clerics or bargaining with demons and devils.

Some... some find the power hidden in their condition. 
This is the path of the Aberrant Shifter.

*Spoiler: Comment*
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[QUOTE]This class was sort of inspired by some flavour text in, I think, Aboleth Curse, and some ideas about VtMs Vicissitude.
It is imagined as a Tier 3 Class, and meant to use some mechanics somewhere between Binders and Incarnates.
Also, I wanted cooler, more customizable shapeshifting.


*Basic Stats*
Alignment			
Any nonlawful			
HD: d8			
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Proficient with all simple weapons. Proficient with light armour.		
Skill Points at Each Level:	4 + Int modifier.	
Skills:  Climb, Jump, Swim, Bluff, Intimidate, Hide, Move Silently, Control Shape, Knowledge (dungeoneering, history, planes), Disguise	

*Spoiler: Table*
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]
[QUOTE]"*Level*
*Base
Attack Bonus*
*Fort
Save*
*Ref
Save*
*Will
Save*
*Special*
*Shapechange/Day*

*1st*
*0*
*2*
*0*
*2*
*Aberrant Blood, Shape Features (maw)*
*1*

*2nd*
*1*
*3*
*0*
*3*
*Deformity*
*1*

*3rd*
*2*
*3*
*1*
*3*
*Shape Features (claws, feet)*
*1*

*4th*
*3*
*4*
*1*
*4*
*Deformity*
*1*

*5th*
*3*
*4*
*1*
*4*
*Shape Body*
*1*

*6th*
*4*
*5*
*2*
*5*
*Warped Flesh: (One Disease Body)*
*2*

*7th*
*5*
*5*
*2*
*5*
*Deformity*
*2*

*8th*
*6*
*6*
*2*
*6*
*Shape Features (head, shoulders, tail)*
*2*

*9th*
*6*
*6*
*3*
*6*

*2*

*10th*
*7*
*7*
*3*
*7*
*Warped Flesh: (Many Eyes)*
*2*

*11*
*8*
*7*
*3*
*7*
*Deformity*
*3*

*12*
*9*
*8*
*3*
*8*
*Shape features (torso, waist, skin)*
*3*

*13*
*9*
*8*
*3*
*8*

*3*

*14*
*10*
*9*
*3*
*9*
*Warped Flesh: (Inhuman Anatomy)*
*3*

*15*
*11*
*9*
*3*
*9*
*Deformity*
*3*

*16*
*12*
*10*
*3*
*10*

*4*

*17*
*12*
*10*
*3*
*10*
*Shape Essence*
*4*

*18*
*13*
*11*
*3*
*11*
*Warped Flesh (Viscous Flesh)*
*4*

*19*
*14*
*11*
*3*
*11*

*4*

*20*
*15*
*12*
*3*
*12*
*Pseudonatural Apotheosis*
*4*


"



*Special abilities*
Aberration Blood: Gain feat 'Aberration Blood'. You can ignore the prerequisite.		
Deformity: Gain "Willing Deformity" chain feat or [Aberration] feat. You need not be evil.
Shape Features (Su)
Aberrant Shifter learns to control over their condition, the unnatural anatomy and fluidity of the aberrant blood allowing them to shape it in some minor, and eventually major ways.						
As a standard action, the character may change their shape, in part or in full (with Shape Body) changing or forming additional appendages. All choices of appendages are made during the Shape Features action. The change lasts for a number of hours equal to the class level, but it can be stopped with another standard action at any time. Each appendage change gives various effects (see list effects)
Aberrant Shifter may have at most Constitution Score - 10 Shaped Features at any given time, and each time they Shape Features, no matter how many, it consumes one use of Shape Features. 
Items worn on the Shaped parts of the body are melded into the new shape and are suppressed for the duration as per Wildshape rules.
Whenever you shape flesh, drawing the power from their unnatural anatomy and aberrant blood, is not without side effects. When the character Shapes Features or undergoes Shape Body, the effects of their Warped Flesh activate, unless controlled (see below.)								

Shape Body (Su):
Aberrant Shifter can change your appearance entirely, taking an appearance of an aberration, animal or humanoid (Small or Medium, regardless of actual size). This is not a perfect facsimile -- it is merely shaping of the flesh towards general required appearance.
This is analogous to the Change Shape special ability, except that the Aberrant Shifter does not gain the natural weapons, movement modes, and extraordinary special attacks of the new form, and has to emulate them with your Shape Features ability. 
If they try to use that appearance to fool observers into thinking they belong to the corresponding species or take on an appearance of a specific individual, they need to roll the Disguise skill check as usual. They gain a bonus (or malus) equal to 10-Deformity Score to that roll. Any Features shaped on top of the Body shape that the emulated form does not possess (e.g. putting a carapace on a shape of a dog, or tentacles on humanoid shape) would make the disguise moot automatically.
This ability counts as Wildshape for the purposes of prerequisites, feats, etc.						

Warped Flesh:
Warped Flesh:	Once the shifter reaches for their ability, their aberrant blood runs rampant, adding new organs, shifting flesh and changing their entire biology. They gain additional unnatural organs or nigh-permanently shift exisiting ones in twisted, aberrant ways. That, however, is not without benefit. 
--One Disease Body	
Aberrant Shifter's body is diseased, and this disease accepts no competitors. While their skin is covered in sores, scales, slime and scabs, they are immune to any other disease and gain +4 to any attempts to change their shape against their will, including Baleful Polymorph, Flesh to Stone etc.
Finally, Aberrant Shifter's blood is contagious. Anyone who comes in wound-to-wound contact with your blood gets infected as if with Aboleth Slime, with DC = 10 + number of Willing Deformity and [Aberrant] Feats you possess. The blood drawn from the body maintains this property for less than a minute, and it generally requires significant contact, making it unsuitable for Injury poisoning, unless via some special delivery mechanism. Examples of cases when the transmission is possible when making a transfusion when drinking Aberrant Shifter's blood, injection of substantial (at least several ounces) of Aberrant Shigter's blood through specially designed weapon/arrow, major surgery performed without proper protection for the surgeon, etc, as well as using Aberrant Shifter's blood as a magical component.
--Many Eyes	
Multiple tiny eyes sprout all over the aberrant shifter's body. They allow for 360-degree vision which means the Aberrant Shifter who has this Warped Flesh effect active cannot be flanked.
--Inhuman Anatomy	
Aberrant Shifter's organs shift, move, and take alien functions and abilities to process the unnatural viscera that pump through their body. The new organs bulge out her flesh, and shift her bones, giving her a lopsided, twisted figure, but they are much less vulnerable than mere humans, giving the Aberrant Shifter 25% Fortification					
--Viscous Flesh	
Aberrant Shifter has no defined shape -- at any given time you can compress or extend, ignoring the conservation of mass and the laws of geometry, gods and men. They can squeeze through any aperture at least as big as a man's fist, and, as a full-round action, they can change your size, increasing or decreasing it by one category. This increase/decrease stacks with the changes caused by Shape Body and with the one caused by Bulky/Compact Shape Feature size, allowing the Aberrant Shifter to take sizes form Diminutive to Huge.

*Spoiler: Side-Bar: Controlling Warped Flesh, and Deformity Score:*
Show


Deformity Score(DS):
The character's deformity score is a measure of the potency of their aberrant blood. The higher it is, the more easily and more efficiently their flesh can be reshaped, but the harder it is to control it.
Character's deformity score is equal to the number of Willing Deformity and [Aberration]  feats they have (controlled or not) + the number of Warped Flesh effects they have active (not controlled) + 2 if they are using Shape Body + 5 if they are also using Shape Essence. If the check is caused by an attempt to Shape Features or Shape Body, only the Warped Flesh effects active prior to the activation are counted towards the Deformity Score.
Unless specified otherwise, all Saving Throws against effects of Shaped Flesh or other class-related abilities is equal to 10+DS/2+Con Modifier and the caster level is equal to Class Level.

Controlling Warped Flesh
With an effort of will, the character can hide the unnatural changes to their anatomy caused by their Warped Flesh and, eventually with Pseudonatural Apotheosis, their Deformities.
The character has to attempt to Control Warped Flesh when they use Shape Features or Shape Body class abilities when they suffer damage to their Wisdom score, or when they spend at least 48 hours without a chance for prolonged (at least 8 hours) rest, and an hours worth of quiet meditation. 
They may (but don't have to) additionally try to Control Warped Flesh when they cease to their Shape Features ability (either when reverting back consciously, or when the duration runs out naturally), or any time they have had a chance to rest for eight hours and have an hour to clear their mind, and force their flesh to obey. In the latter case, they may take 10 for their roll. 
This requires a roll Control Shape DC =10+Deformity Score. If the check succeeds, the appearance and effects of the Warped Flesh and Deformities is suppressed until the next time the character tries to Shapechange or Shape Features.  
If the character has failed (intentionally or by rolling poorly) their Control Shape roll, not only do the outward appearances of the warped flesh visible, but the aberrant blood starts to affect their very minds. While the cosmetic changes may sometimes be covered with clothes and illusions, the change goes deeper then the flesh - speech patterns, mannerisms, gestures, thought patterns become uncanny, unnatural, and even sinister. They suffer a penalty on any rolls for social interactions other than Intimidate against any humanoid creature equal to half their Deformity Score. Moreover, strange and unnatural compulsions whispered through your blood, may overtake you. GM may select certain unnatural urges -- cravings for strange substances or humanoid flesh, desire to infect others with yoof the ur aberrant blood, need to destroy and desecrate the objects of Lawful or Good auras. The character who fails to follow that compulsion, suffers -2 to his attack rolls, AC and skill checks, due to constant distraction, until they remove themselves from the presence of the object of their urge or follows their compulsion to completion.

 

Shape Essence (Su)
Aberrant Shifter changes not just their body, but also their soul. When using Shape Body, they may choose an aberration of your HD or lower, that is Large, Medium or Small as an object of emulation. If they do, in addition to gaining their appearance, they gain all of their Ex and Su abilities								

Pseudonatural Apotheosis: 
Aberrant Shifter is no longer the humanoid they started out to be -- they undergo a transformation into an aberration. Their type changes to aberration, and they gain Darkvision out to 60 feet. They also gain a +2 racial bonus to your Constitution score. Their Deformities can be hidden (suppressing their benefits as well as their appearance) with the same Control Shape roll as Warped Flesh effects								


*Sample Features:*
Maw:
*Spoiler*
Show


Rending Teeth: Gain a bite attack, with damage equal to 1d8+Deformity Score. The character's maw is unnaturally wide, filled to the brim with sharp, fanged, shark-like teeth
Acid Spit: 1/5 rounds spit acid, dealing Deormity Score d4's of damage in 15ft cone, Reflex Half. The spit constantly drips from the corners of the character's mouth, evaporating in tiny clouds of foul smoke.
Gbbering Mouth:. Gain ululating, gibbering, many-mouthed wail. Lesser Confusion, 1/5 rounds, 30ft radius centered on self, Will negates. Targets are immune to the Gibbering Mouth for the next 24 hours, regardless of whether they saved or not. The character's voice becomes interleaved with soft murmuring that seems to echo what he says, with just enough delay to make it unpleasant.
Enchanting Voice: +DS to Diplomacy, Bluff, can cast Suggestion once per 5 rounds.



Claws:
*Spoiler*
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Claws: Gain two claw attacks with damage equal 1d4+DS/5
Clinging suckers: Climb speed 5+5*DS feet
Elongated Fingers:  Aberrant Shifter's hand change, fingers growing longer, more slender and much more sensitive. Additional digits sprout, some of them inhuman in appearance -- with too many segments, extra segments or connected by thin fleshy membranes.
The character gains +DS to tasks requiring manual dexterity and sensitivity -- Open Lock, Sleight of Hand and Disable Device. In addition to that, by putting his bare hands against a hard surface (which would be equivalent to being prone when touching the floor) he gains tremorsense to a radius equal to DS*5 ft.



Feet:
*Spoiler*
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Cloven Feet: +10 ft speed
Fins: Swim Speed 5+5*DS
Centipedal: Stability +5+DS vs Trip, Bull Rush, Overrun
Grasshopper legs: Jump +5+DS. Can Jump as Swift Action 1/5 rnds.
Evasive footwork: Add DS/5 dodge bonus to AC



Head
*Spoiler*
Show


Horns: 1d6 gore attack. When charging becomes 2d6+DS*2
Antennae  Detect Thoughts at will.
Eyestalks: Gain beholder eyestalks (+2 to Spot) and Beholder ray (Inflict Moderate Wounds) once every 5 rounds.
Long Tongue: Gain Scent ability
Inhuman Mind +4 profane bonus to Int
Medusa Eyes: Hold Person as a Gaze attack, once every 5 rounds. 



Shoulders:
*Spoiler*
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Tentacles: As Girallon Arms meldshape
Gills: Able to breathe underwater
Bulging Muscles: +4 profane bonus to Str
Leather Wings: Gain DS*10ft Flight Speed, average manoeuvrability (becomes good when you have Viscous Flesh not-controlled, becomes Perfect with Pseudonatural Apotheosis)
Hypnotic Wings: Fly (30ft, average). Can use a standard action to change colours rapidly 
like a squid, creating a mesmerizing display. Gain concealment and fascinates all who can see it (Will negates). Those fascinated by a 
Hypnotic Wings approach the Aberrant Shifter at walking speed. When using this ability, Shifter can hover, but not fly.
Yellow Musk Spores: 30ft radius, spores. As poison. Slow/Sleep, Fort Negates. Sleep only affects creatures with HD<DS. Only usable once per Shape Feature.



Torso
*Spoiler*
Show


Bulky:Increase size by category
Compact:Decrease size by category
Unnatural Vitality: +4 profane bonus to Con
Shooting Spines . As a standard action, you can shoot one or more spines at one or more opponents, each spine dealing 2d4+2 damage. Roll once for each opponent, and only add precision damage (such as Sneak Attack) against the first opponent attacked.
Once DS spines have been exhausted, new Shape Features activation is needed to replenish Spines.
Manta Generator: The character generates electricity in his body. 1/5 rounds deal DSd6 damage (maximum 15d6) as a touch attack.
If the character also has Manta Tail, he may instead use Ligntning Bolt (Su ability as spell with the same name). 



Skin
*Spoiler*
Show


Thick skin: +DS/3 to natural armor
Slime: As Freedom of Movement, standard action, 1 every 5 rounds.
Liquid Skin  25% Fortification, 100% if with Viscous Skin
Flesh like Water:  DR DS/magic
Hard Carapace:  DR (1/2*DS)/magic and bludgeoing
Сhameleon: Gain +DS to Hide, gain Hide in Plain Sight
Explosive Pustules: Pustules filled with explosive substance cover Aberrant Shifter's body. Whenever he is damaged, they explode, dealing 2d6 damage to the  attacked, if he was using a melee non-reach weapon. 
Toad Poison: When a character grapples or is grappled by someone, the other grappler is affected by a toxin. 1d6 Str/1d6 Str, Fort negates.



Tail:
*Spoiler*
Show


Scorpion's Tail 1d8 attack, 1d6 Con/1d6 Con poison. Fort Saves.
Slithering Tail: Can Constrict. Can maintain grapple while doing other things at Str = 10+DS
Prehensile Tail: Can hold objects or hang off hangable surfaces without occupying hands. Can't use it to fight, or climb.
Manta Ray Tail: The tail deals 2d6 Electricity Damage as a Ranged touch attack with 15ft range.



*Spoiler: A BIT MORE COMMENTS*
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It's a bit of a grab-bag of effects, and I really should come up with more, but they are generally inspired by various abilities of aberrations in various books. It should allow for about the same versatility as Wildshape does, with maybe a few more skillmonkey-light abilities.
DS goes scales pretty fast as written, though. 
If the character controls their Warped Flesh then at a minimum they have (5 Deformities + 2 from Shape Body) 7 DS at Level 20, which is not much as it should be.
That allows them to look and act like somewhat ugly humanoid.
If the character does not control their Warped Flesh and uses Shape Essence it raises their DS to 17 at level 20, mostly keeping it on par with their HD, with some lag at levels 10-15.
If the character goes all-out, and purchases Deformities and [Aberrant] feats every time they get a feat, and they are a human using their bonus feat for the same, though, their DS outpaces their HD by 2 at low levels, by 4 mid-game and up to 7 at high levels, allowing them to have their maximum DS of 25 at level 18. That may be problematic if you play a dungeon-delving game with no social interactions, as that does make them rather more powerful than intended, if completely inhuman in appearance. 
It can become even worse with Flaws.



*Spoiler: Aboleth Curse - Expanded*
Show


This uses the Curse idea from my other homebrew here:, originally stolen from Grimm Hollow.
Description: The character has been infected with the very essence of inhuman-ness. And now the energies of chaos and tiny parasites in his blood shift his organs, mutate his body and twist his mind and very soul.
Trigger: Rolling a Natural 1 on a saving Throw when subjected to Aboleth Curse, either from Aboleth, or contact with viscera from an Aberrant Shifter with Warped Flesh (One Disease). Further rolls happen once per week of strenuous activity (trekking through wilderness, fighting, and essentially any other adventuring) or once per month spent doing nothing but light work in comfortable conditions. 
Stage 1: Joints become more mobile, flesh - more pliable, ligaments stretch easily, and almost pleasurably. Gain +4 to Escape Artist checks, and +1 dodge bonus to AC.
Stage 2: Alien voices constantly whisper in your ears, and alien worlds and impossible geometries occur to you in your dreams. The distraction and the erosion of sanity results in -2 to Wis. But the things they say are true -- in their own, unnatural, perverse ways. You may use Commune once a day, asking a single yes/no question, and trying to glimpse the answer in the ever-shifting patterns of Chaos itself. Whether you get an answer or not, you suffer further 1d4 damage to Wis 
Stage 3: Skin becomes a clear, almost-transparent membrane, stretched taut over the shifting, wriggling muscles. It needs to be moistened with at least a flask-full of cool, fresh water or take 1d12 points of damage every hour as it dries, cracks and peels. Gain DR 1/bludgeoing when properly moistened, as the flesh, while frail, closes seamlessly when cut.
Stage 4: Gray slime that smells like rancid grease. constantly drips off the skin, as long as it's moistened. Light hurts, causing Light Sensitivity (as orc or drow). Fire is anathema, instantly drying the frail skin, and causing extra 1d12 damage from any source of fire damage. The need to stay in the water becomes unbearable, and the character is not considered rested, or having slept at all unless he did it submerged to their neck in cool, fresh water.
Stage 5: Gain the ability to breathe water, lose the ability to breathe air, as gills sprout from the character's neck and ribs. Alien whispers become voices now, further eroding sanity by another -4 to Wis. If that changes the character's Wisdom to 2 or lower, progress to Stage 6 immediately.
Stage 6: The character effectively dies, as his soul, mind and body are overtaken by the infection, making him an aboleth.

Special: A character who is cursed with this strain of the Aboleth Curse may choose to take levels of Aberrant Shifter. If they do, the Curse stops progressing as long as they have at least one level of Aberrant Shifter, and, moreover, for every level of Aberrant Shifter the character gains, his Curse goes down one level. 
The Curse cannot be fully expunged that way, though. It lingers at Stage 0 (where it has no mechanical effects, other than possibility of progressing to further stages as normal). If the character ever loses his levels of Aberrant Shifter, the Curse will progress to Stage 1 and continue progression normally from there.



I could really use a pre-read on this, and general evaluation if the mechanics are clear, not too cumbersome, make sense, and not very abusable.

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## Metastachydium

I may go through this more thoroughly later, but have some quick preliminary comments for now:




> Aberrant Shifters have been infected. Either from birth, inheriting strange legacies of their unnatural parents, or through contact with aberrations and abominations, through curses or profane and blasphemous poisons, anarchic influences or contact with other Aberrant Shifters.
> 
> Now their flesh flows in ways that are against the design of men and gods, a perverse, viscous thing that is only held together by their will.
> 
> Some suffer quietly, joining the ranks of lepers and plague-bearers, fearing to show their rotting faces and ichor-dripping bodies, lest they be chased out or killed.


Heh. Looks like someone hasn't met an ooze para-genasi yet!




> Others seek a cure, prostrating themselves before priests and clerics or bargaining with demons and devils.
> 
> Some... some find the power hidden in their condition. 
> This is the path of the Aberrant Shifter.


Anyhow, I like the fluff and the fluff text. And I'm _really_ glad you didn't double down on the STD angle. I was a bit eorried about that.




> Skills: Athletics, Bluff, Intimidate, Hide, Move Silently, Control Shape, Knowledge (aberrations, history, planes)


Athletics and Knowledge (aberrations) are not 3.x skills. Did you mean Climb, Knowledge (dungeoneering) and Swim?




> [SPOILER=Table]


Good saves are the right call, medium BAB is the right call; I'll think about the Shapechange use numbers, but they might be on the low side. AT any rate, getting the 3rd and 4th use on otherwise dead levels would be more elegant.




> *Special abilities*
> Aberration Blood: Gain feat 'Aberration Blood'		
> Deformity: Gain "Willing Deformity" chain feat. You need not be evil.


I'm not sure I get this. Why not use the Aberrant feats instead of the Deformity stuff if these guys get Aberration Blood for free? (Also, Aberration Blood is type-locked; make sure to note that any base race can get it _from here_ regardless of type.)




> Major Shapechange (Su):
> Aberrant Shifter can change your appearance entirely, taking an appearance of an aberration, animal or a humanoid (Small or Medium, regardless of actual size). This is not a perfect facimile -- it is merely shaping of the flesh towards general required appearance.
> This is analogous to the Change Shape special ability, except that the Aberrant Shifter does not gain the natural weapons, movement modes, and extraordinary special attacks of the new form, and has to emulate them with your Shape Features ability. 
> If they try to use that appearance to fool observers into thinking they belong to the corresponding species, or take on an appearance of a specific individual, they need to roll Disguise skill check as usual. They gain a bonus (or malus) equal to 10-Deformity Score to that roll.


This is basically just Disguise Self with limitations. Why do you call it _Major_ Shapechange?




> --Many Eyes	
> Multiple tiny eyes sprout all over the aberrant shifter's body. They allow for 360-degree vision which means the Aberrant Shifter who has this Warped Flesh effect active cannot be flanked, except by a rogue or initiator of at least their class level


All-Around Vision (which this basically _is_) cannot normally be overcome like Uncanny Dodge by Rogues, regardless of level, and I can't quite see why it could be.




> --Gibbering Flesh	
> Aberrant Shifter's flesh is liquid and flowing, even when they stand still it still moves and shifts inside. They have 25% Fortification


Fortification's good, but _Gibbering Flesh_ is kind of a misnomer, isn't it? It's not like they are resistant to crits because their muscles _talk_ (amusing as that would be).




> --Viscous Flesh	
> Aberrant Shifter has no defined shape -- at any given time you can compress or extend, ignoring the conservation of mass and the laws of geometry, gods and men. They can squeeze through any aperture at least as big as a man's fist, and, as a full-round action, they can change your size, increasing or decreasing it by one category.


I like this, although I think it might come online a bit late.




> Shape Essence (Su)
> Aberrant Shifter changes not just their body, but also their soul. When using Major Shapechange, they may choose an aberration of your HD or lower, that is Large, Medium or Small as an object of emulation. If they do, in addition to gaining their appearance, they gain all of their Ex and Su abilities


Good, good. I could see it moved back all the way to 1517th level, even. I mean, full casters get Shapechange at 17th and that's strictly better.




> *Sample Features:*


I'm really just skimming these, mind you.




> Gbbering Mouth:. Gain ululating, gibbering, many-mouthed wail.  Confusion, 30ft radius, Will negates. Creatures who saved, are immune for the next 24 hours. The character's voice becomes interleaved with soft murmuring that seems to echo what he says, with just enough delay to make it unpleasant.


At-will AoE Confusion spammable for an hour at 1st level might be a bit much. I mean, it far outpaces features that the class gets _much_ later.




> Elongated Fingers: +DS to Disable Device, Open Lock


Not super-useful on a CON/WIS class with neither of those skills or Trapfinding, to be honest.




> Inhuman Mind +4 profane bonus to Int


Profane is not the best pick for a non-Evil aberrant feller. Might I suggest anarchic instead? (See also: Bulging Muscles & Unnatural Vitality.

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## ChudoJogurt

Thank you!
Really keen to hear a more thorough analysis when you have the time later.




> Athletics and Knowledge (aberrations) are not 3.x skills. Did you mean Climb, Knowledge (dungeoneering) and Swim?


Whoops. I did. Fixed




> I'm not sure I get this. Why not use the Aberrant feats instead of the Deformity stuff if these guys get Aberration Blood for free? (Also, Aberration Blood is type-locked; make sure to note that any base race can get it from here regardless of type.)


Huh. That's a good catch.
Why not both? I think I'll allow both.




> This is basically just Disguise Self with limitations. Why do you call it Major Shapechange?


Err... uh. Well, it's Major compared to Shape Features. Completely forgot about the Shapechange spell. 
Renamed it Shape Body. Not great, but consistent with Shape Features/Shape Essence.




> All-Around Vision (which this basically is) cannot normally be overcome like Uncanny Dodge by Rogues, regardless of level, and I can't quite see why it could be.


Hm. I was trying to balance it against the Uncanny Dodge and I could come up with justification that those things aren't quite as strategically placed, and that the Aberrant Shifter can't process visual information as well as a natural-born Xorn or Beholder, but I guess it doesn't really break anything to make it consistent with All-Around Vision.
Changed.




> Fortification's good, but Gibbering Flesh is kind of a misnomer, isn't it?


'Tis. Changed name and description.




> At-will AoE Confusion spammable for an hour at 1st level might be a bit much. I mean, it far outpaces features that the class gets much later.


Noted. 
Any suggestions on how to fix it?
> I can change it to Doom instead. Though that's a bit more boring
> I can change it to run 1/5 rounds and say it only affects any target once regardless of the saving throw
> I can change the Duration to 1 round. Or maybe 3 rounds, instead of DS rounds.
Not sure how best to proceed - open to suggestions.




> Not super-useful on a CON/WIS class with neither of those skills or Trapfinding, to be honest.


True. Added Sleight of Hand to the list. It's still not terribly useful unless it's some sort of Rogue multiclass, but hey, it's an option.




> Profane is not the best pick for a non-Evil aberrant feller. Might I suggest anarchic instead? (See also: Bulging Muscles & Unnatural Vitality.


True... but it was a balance thing. I didn't want to make it generic Enhancement, because I think it's fair to stack it with Headband of Intellect or Gauntlets of Ogre Power. But there are no other Anarchic bonuses in the game, so that would make it bit too powerful.
Maybe I could make it Intrinsic instead?

Also, I slightly changed the calculation for the DS and pushed Shape Essence to level 17, to get it slightly earlier.

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## Tzardok

> Err... uh. Well, it's Major compared to Shape Features. Completely forgot about the Shapechange spell. 
> Renamed it Shape Body. Not great, but consistent with Shape Features/Shape Essence.


How about Shape Appearance?




> True... but it was a balance thing. I didn't want to make it generic Enhancement, because I think it's fair to stack it with Headband of Intellect or Gauntlets of Ogre Power. But there are no other Anarchic bonuses in the game, so that would make it bit too powerful.
> Maybe I could make it Intrinsic instead?


I'm pretty sure I saw anarchic bonuses before, but I can't remember where. Maybe those chaos feats from Fiendish Codex 1?

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## Metastachydium

> Huh. That's a good catch.
> Why not both? I think I'll allow both.


Cool. Make sure you mention the type restriction for Aberrant feats does not apply, though, if you will.




> Noted. 
> Any suggestions on how to fix it?
> > I can change it to Doom instead. Though that's a bit more boring
> > I can change it to run 1/5 rounds and say it only affects any target once regardless of the saving throw
> > I can change the Duration to 1 round. Or maybe 3 rounds, instead of DS rounds.
> Not sure how best to proceed - open to suggestions.


Hrm. Single target Lesser Confusion? That's worth something and breaks nothing, even at-will once/round.




> True. Added Sleight of Hand to the list. It's still not terribly useful unless it's some sort of Rogue multiclass, but hey, it's an option.


Yeah. It's just I'm not terribly fond of options so niche that they verge on being traps is all.




> Also, I slightly changed the calculation for the DS and pushed Shape Essence to level 17, to get it slightly earlier.


Nice.




> True... but it was a balance thing. I didn't want to make it generic Enhancement, because I think it's fair to stack it with Headband of Intellect or Gauntlets of Ogre Power. But there are no other Anarchic bonuses in the game, so that would make it bit too powerful.
> Maybe I could make it Intrinsic instead?





> I'm pretty sure I saw anarchic bonuses before, but I can't remember where. Maybe those chaos feats from Fiendish Codex 1?


Huh. I'm also pretty sure they are a thing, but I can find no instance of them by way of just taking a quick look at places I'd expect they'd pop up. So until such time as we can figure that out, let's table anarchic.

How do you feel about treating them as _racial_ bonuses? They fit the definition. Or something untyped, like the ability increases granted by templates, perhaps?




> Err... uh. Well, it's Major compared to Shape Features. Completely forgot about the Shapechange spell. 
> Renamed it Shape Body. Not great, but consistent with Shape Features/Shape Essence.





> How about Shape Appearance?


Or something simple like Shape Form?

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## ChudoJogurt

Racial bonuses wouldn't stack with Racial bonuses from their original race, would they?
I guess I could put 'Improve racial bonus to ability by 4. If you don't have a bonus, treat it as +4 bonus" or something like that, but then I'm not sure what it would not stack with.

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## Metastachydium

> Racial bonuses wouldn't stack with Racial bonuses from their original race, would they?


Correct. But _most_ no RHD, no LA races (and many more low RHD, low LA ones) won't have a +4 to any, let alone all three of those stats. And at that point, the issue becomes one of synergy: certain races will get more out of the class, others less. It's not like most classes are equally good for all races, you know. There's a reason why one does not see many bakemono wizards running around.

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## ChudoJogurt

Re: Elongated Fingers
How about



> Sensitive Fingers:
> Aberrant Shifter's hand change, fingers growing longer, more slender and much more sensitive. Additional digits sprout, some of them inhuman in appearance -- with too many segments, extra segments or connected by thin fleshy membranes. 
> The character gains +DS to tasks requiring manual dexterity and sensitivity -- Open Lock, Sleight of Hand and Disable Device. In addition to that, by putting his bare hands against a hard surfaces (which would be equivalent to being prone when touching the floor) he gains tremorsense to a radius equal to DS*5 ft.

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## Metastachydium

> Re: Elongated Fingers
> How about


Conditional tremorsense, eh? Good thinking! That should salvage it just fine.

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## Beni-Kujaku

Great idea. Most of my notes are about balancing, not about core concepts. 

I don't think having the DCs of your abilities be "10+DS/2" is good. The DCs end up much lower than an equivalent ability. As you said, using only the class, you get between 8 and 17 DS by level 20, and at most 12 by level 16. That means a DC 16, which is basically what other classes can reach by level 1 (20 Wis Aasimar, maneuver level 1). Either you add an ability score bonus to it (probably Con), or you make it DC 10+DS, but it seems much too low as it is now. 

You should clarify a way to transmit Aboleth Curse with One Disease Body. For example, as a coup-de-grace, or you can soak your hand in blood as a standard action if you suffered piercing or slashing damage and haven't been fully healed since, then use a standard action to make a touch attack on someone who similarly is already bleeding. Missing the touch attack doesn't expend the blood. Alternatively, allow for transmission through grapple checks. 

Same thing with Claws. +1 damage per 5 DS doesn't matter at all. It's very underpowered, especially compared to Maw. Maybe have something like +1 to hit AND damage per 4 DS, to differentiate it from Maw, or two claw attacks, as claw attacks often come in pairs. If you don't make it two claws, consider putting some poison on it (not particularly powerful, maybe 1d2 Dex as primary and DS/5 Dex as secondary). Would be nice to have some things forcing saves for each Shape Features, or at least a lot of them. For example, I can see for Torso "retributive ribs: DS times, you can deal 6d6 to an adjacent enemy attacking you in melee, and make them drop the weapon they attacked with if it was manufactured. Reflex for half and not drop the weapon", for Skin "Poison Toad skin: when you grapple somebody or by doing a touch attack, you apply a 1d6 Str/1d6 Str poison, once per 5 rounds", or "Pheromones: 1/5 rounds, standard action mass Charm Person on a 10ft radius. Also affects aberrations". 
Same for head, give something to differentiate Gore from Claw and Bite. Maybe allow for a Bull rush on a charge, or to slow an enemy for one round as they recover from the blow.

Many Eyes should give +4 to Search and Spot, like All-Around Vision does.
Maybe explicitate that Inhuman Anatomy stacks with Liquid Skin
Maybe explicitate that Viscous Flesh stacks with Bulky and Compact, and has a limit of + or -1 size category.

The urge to destroy Lawful and Good objects will be a problem for roleplaying with a regular party. Maybe add a Will save for each such object, once per day or every time the item comes closer than 30ft from the character?

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## ChudoJogurt

Excellent suggestions all around, I'll dig into them tomorrow when I have a moment. Meanwhile, just a note on that last one.




> The urge to destroy Lawful and Good objects will be a problem for roleplaying with a regular party. Maybe add a Will save for each such object, once per day or every time the item comes closer than 30ft from the character?


The idea was that a character can automatically resist such urge or compulsion (which should no occur EVERY time they see an object of Good or Law, I think, but only in appropriate situations), at a cost of suffering a -2 to some checks.
Which is a hefty, but not lethal penalty.

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## ChudoJogurt

Added some abilities and reworded some things as per Beni's suggestions.

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