Spellborg (3.5e Template)
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Spellborg
The creature before you seems to have had artificial grafts applied to their body. Its arms are plated with steel and stone, and magical energy flickers under its surface.
As cyborgs are organic beings fused with technological aspects, spellborgs fuse magical items into their form, becoming partly a magic item in themselves. The extent of a visual change varies wildly. Some spellborgs almost seem to be constructs, while others have completely internal changes. In all cases, the modified creature possesses unique benefits over its fellow kin.
Creating a Spellborg
This is an acquired template that can be applied to any corporeal creature. Magical items are fused into the body by a unique ritual. The exact nature of the ritual varies, but it is suggested that at LA 1 it cost either 3000 xp (the cost to buy off the LA) or 15,000g (5x the cost of XP). Otherwise, a plot or quest to obtain the template may be required. You may choose up to three benefits from the list of alterations below. Visual appearance of the alterations will vary.
All of the effects given below are supernatural abilities, and are suppressed in an antimagic field unless otherwise noted. While they stem from magic items inside your body, they cannot be sundered or disjoined as they have become part of your living structure.
Speed
Improved Acceleration: By implanting magical devices in your legs, your base land speed increases by 10 ft.
Flight: You acquire a limited ability to fly. Unlike most other spellborg modifications, this ability is not solely fueled by the magic of the implants, but instead draws some of it's power form your own life force; as such, as your personal power increases, you find the limits on your flight to be less and less constraining. You gain the ability to glide, negating the damage from a fall of any height. Further, you glide at a speed equal to your base land speed +10 ft (Average maneuverability), which allows half you glide speed in forward travel for every 5 ft of descent. Even if your maneuverability Improves, you may not hover while gliding. At 5 HD, you gain a fly speed equal to you glide speed. You may not fly while carrying a heave load, or wearing heavy armor. You may fly safely for a number of consecutive rounds equal to you Constitution modifier. You may exert yourself to fly for twice that time, but you are fatigued at the end of the flight. You are also fatigued if you spend more than a total of ten minuets per day flying. At 10 HD, the power demands of the flight modifications are trivial enough that you may now fly - with the same speed and maneuverability - without restriction, flight now longer requiring any more exertion than walking or running. Depending on the exact nature of the modification for any particular spellborg, wings may or may not be present on the spellborg, and if present, may or may not be physical, requiring special clothing and/or armor to accommodate.
Flight Controls: You gain a set of small maneuvering thrusters, typically mounted on your hands, forearms, or some other easily manipulable part of your body with a wide range of motion. These thrusters improve your flight maneuverability (id any) by one degree, from clumsy to poor, from poor to average, from average to good, or from good to perfect. If you acquired your fly speed form the Flight spellborg ability, this also grants you the ability to hover while gliding, remaining in place horizontally, though you still descend a minimum of 10 ft per round. In any round, you may choose to forgo this increase in maneuverability, and instead employ the thrusters offensively. This takes the form of a ray of force useable once per round. It functions as a ranged touch attack, and deals 1d6 Force damage, plus 1d6/3 HD. As a full round action, you may overload your thrusters, instead producing a line of Force (area 5 ft x [5 ft/HD], save DC 10+ 1/2 HD + Con modifier) that deals the same damage, but if you do so, you loose access to this modification for 5 rounds, as your thrusters recover from this activity.
Aquatic: You acquire a swim speed equal to your land speed, and are able to hold your breath for longer periods of time. The amount of time you can hold your breath is now triple, instead of double, your Con score. This is an extraordinary ability.
Armor Class
Armored Skin: You gain +1 natural armor bonus to your AC at 1 HD and every 4 HD beyond (4th, 8th, 12th, etc). This is an enhancement bonus, and does not stack with spells such as barkskin.
Force Shell: You gain +2 deflection bonus to your AC. This bonus counts against touch attacks. You are also immune to magic missiles as per the Shield spell.
Heightened Reflexes: You gain +2 dodge bonus to your AC. You lose this bonus if you are denied your Dexterity bonus to AC.
Special Attacks
Weapon Grade Fists: Your body becomes a weapon, such as through the hardening of the knuckles, or improvements in your natural weapons. One natural weapon of your choice or your unarmed strike can now be enchanted as if it were a weapon, and can have a single material applied to it (the cost is spent at time of acquiring the template). This enables you to have adamantine fists, or mithril horns, if so crafted. Unlike other abilities, this ability is (Ex) and remains in an antimagic field.
Internal Weapons: You may embed light or one-handed weapons into your body, such as claws or an arm-blade for an embedded sword, and you are considered proficient with the weapon as long as it remains embedded. You can no longer be disarmed, may store the weapon folded into your frame, and the weapon is able to be enchanted normally. Your hand is not free when the weapon is out; you must still "carry" it. You get a +20 to Sleight of Hand checks made to hide the weapon. Ranged weapons such as crossbows may store their quiver internally as well. When this supernatural ability is suppressed, the weapon folds out and cannot be stored, but does not go away. Drawing or sheathing an embedded weapon is a free action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Energy Fist: You gain a special touch attack that deals 1d8 + your casting ability (default Cha for non-casters) in damage. The damage is either fire, electric, cold, or acid, chosen when the template is acquired. This requires a standard action.
Magical Adept: Your alterations give you some minor spellcasting ability. You may choose three cantrips and one first level spell. You gain these as spell-like abilities 1/day each. You may instead choose to get a single 2nd level ability 1/day instead of 3 cantrips and a 1st level spell. If taken multiple times, you can either choose new spells, or additional uses per day of your pre-existing spell-like abilities. Caster level equals your character level.
Flight Controls: You gain a set of small maneuvering thrusters, typically mounted on your hands, forearms, or some other easily manipulable part of your body with a wide range of motion. These thrusters improve your flight maneuverability (if any) by one degree, from clumsy to poor, from poor to average, from average to good, or from good to perfect. If you acquired your fly speed form the Flight spellborg ability, this also grants you the ability to hover while gliding, remaining in place horizontally, though you still descend a minimum of 10 ft per round. In any round, you may choose to forgo this increase in maneuverability, and instead employ the thrusters offensively. This takes the form of a ray of force useable once per round. It functions as a ranged touch attack, and deals 1d6 Force damage, plus 1d6/3 HD. As a full round action, you may overload your thrusters, instead producing a line of Force (area 5 ft x [5 ft/HD], save DC 10+ 1/2 HD + Con modifier) that deals the same damage, but if you do so, you loose access to this modification for 5 rounds, as your thrusters recover from this activity. (this ability is listed twice, both here and in the Speed category, because it fits in both, and because it could be appealing even to those without a natural fly speed.)
Special Qualities
Armor Grade Frame: Your skeleton or skin is improved through the application of magical materials. You have an effective armor bonus of +2, 5% arcane spell failure, and no armor check penalty or max Dex bonus. You may enchant yourself as a suit of armor in the same manner as a warforged. You may now also take a warforged armor feat to change this to mithril, adamantine, or other materials, ignoring the 1st level requirement. You receive no bonus for wearing armor while this augment is active unless the armor provides a higher bonus than your exoskeleton. NOTE: you do not gain such a feat as a bonus feat, but must instead spend a normal feat slot.
Adaptation: You have adapted to the magical implements inside your body. These implements have become a normal part of your physiology. Choose 2 of your Spellborg abilities. These abilities become Extraordinary instead of Supernatural. You may select this more than once, each time choosing 2 of your existing Spellborg abilities to become Extraordinary instead of Supernatural.
Construct Build: You gain hit points according to your size as a construct, in addition to your usual total from your Con score. In addition, when you drop below 0 hp and are dying, you automatically stabilize. Lastly, you are able to use warforged components and items that would normally be restricted to constructs only.
Damage Control: Magic reduces the force of blows taken on you, granting you DR X/magic, where X is equal to your HD.
Elemental Resistance: You gain either energy resistance 5 to fire, electric, cold, and acid, or gain energy resistance 15 to a single element.
Energy Saver: You gain the effects of a ring of sustenance. In addition, you may shut down your body, becoming helpless, and aging very slowly, at a rate of 1 day aged for every year that passes. Entering suspension or waking up is a standard action. A DC 20 Heal check will reveal that you are not dead, and once that is determined, a DC 30 Knowledge (Arcana) check will reveal the cause of your state.
Expanded Ability: You gain a bonus feat. You may only select this once, no matter how many spellborg templates you possess. Unlike other abilities, this ability is actually (Ex) and is unaffected by an antimagic field.
Failsafe Trigger: You gain a unit inside your body which functions as a ring of spell storing. 1 round after you drop below 0 hp, the spell inside goes off, targeted upon you (or, if an area effect, centered upon you). Your body must be intact for this to function, so being disintegrated would destroy the failsafe. Typically it is a cure spell, but sometimes it is an attack. You may store any spell level you would be able to cast as a wizard of your HD; that is, a 5 HD spellborg can only store up to 3rd level spells, while a 17 HD spellborg may store up to 9th level spells. Regardless, the trigger only functions 1/day, and cannot be reloaded until the next day.
A Dispel or Mage's Disjunction can target and remove the spell from the failsafe trigger's storage. It can be purposefully emptied (and the spell wasted) as a standard action.
Fortified Build: You acquire protection against critical hits and sneak attacks. You have the equivalent of light fortification (DMG). You may choose to take this ability up to three times, each time increasing the level of fortification (2x = medium fortification, 3x = heavy fortification).
Hammerspace: Your body effectively becomes a Type 1 Bag of Holding, able to store items in its extradimensional space by some manner of entry. Unlike most bags of holding, this one cannot be ruptured and can be taken into other dimensional spaces. However, the magic is suppressed in such a situation as if it were in an antimagic field, and the bag cannot be accessed. Other extradimensional spaces may be held within it without threat of disruption. As with a Handy Haversack, the item you intend to draw is always on top.
Ironguts: You become immune to magical and mundane diseases and poisons.
Magic Resistance: You gain +2 inherent bonus on saving throws vs. spells and spell-like abilities.
Radar: You acquire Blindsense out to 90 ft, or you gain Blindsight out to 30 ft.
Restoration: Once per day, you may recover double your HD in hit points as an immediate action due to your emergency energy reserves.
Self-Recovery: You gain Fast Healing 1 as the magic in your body pieces you back together.
Spellguard Enforcer: If you possess innate spell or power resistance (due to race or class rather than items), your spell or power resistance is increased by 5.
Third Ring: The magical structure of your body is altered, allowing you to wear and benefit from the effects of an additional ring.
Vision Enhancement: You gain Low-Light Vision and Darkvision out to 60 ft. If you already possess one or both qualities, their ranges are extended by an additional 60 ft.
Abilities
Increased Ability [Lesser]: You gain a +2 inherent bonus to two of your ability scores. This bonus cannot apply to the same ability score more than once nor does it stack with the bonus granted from Increased Ability [Greater].
Increased Ability [Greater]: You gain a +4 inherent bonus to one of your ability scores. This bonus cannot apply to the same ability score more than once nor does it stack with the bonus granted from Increased Ability [Lesser].
Skills
Databank: You may make Knowledge checks untrained. In addition, you gain a +2 bonus to two Knowledge skills of your choice.
Embedded Tool: You gain a +10 inherent bonus to a single skill. For example, you may possess magical internal lockpicks for bonuses to your Open Lock skill, or improved internal gyros for your Tumble skill.
Continuous Search: You gain a +4 bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. You are in constant search mode as the elf racial ability. Those who merely pass within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door are entitled to a Search check to notice it as if actively looking for it.
Sensitivity: Due to greater danger sense, you gain a +3 bonus to Initiative checks.
Stability: Due to your heavy frame, you are more stable than most, gaining a +4 checks to resist bull rushes, trip attempts, and other attempts to move you.
Challenge Rating
+1.
Level Adjustment
+1. This template may be taken multiple times. Each time you add 3 different benefits. You cannot choose the same benefit more than once (benefits do not stack), but alterations that apply to certain abilities (such as Embedded Tool) may be chosen again if applied to a different ability.
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