Animorph (3.5e Class)

Animorph

This is a class made from the animorph series. The credit for this fun class belongs to http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44643.

No one is quite sure where an animorph's power comes from. Some people claim they are descended from shapechangers, some believe they are the result of a magical experiment gone wrong, some believe the power is a gift from bizarre outsiders or pseudonatural creatures. Wherever they come from, they are powers unlike anything known. An animorph has the ability to physically reshape her body without the use of magic. By absorbing a creature's essence, she can literally become that creature, with all of its senses, abilities and even instincts. The act of morphing is physically strenuous, as the animorph reconstructs her entire body, and is not nearly as quick or smooth as a spell, but the end result is much more powerful. This power makes an animorph particularly adept at reconnaissance work and their ability to literally see through another's eyes has lent a helping hand to their people skills.

Making an Animorph

Abilities: Wisdom is probably the most important stat for an animorph, as it allows her to fight the instincts of the creatures she morphs. Charisma is also important as the animorph's unique perspective on life puts her in a good diplomatic position, as well as giving her plenty of opportunities to talk her way out of trouble. Most animorphs don't put much emphasis on physical abilities, but a good Strength score can be useful for acquiring new morphs.

Alignment: Any.

Starting Age: Moderate.

Table: The Animorph

Hit Die: d6

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+ 0	+ 0	+ 2	Acquire, morph, thought-speak
2nd	+1	+ 0	+ 0	+ 3	Trust instincts
3rd	+1	+ 1	+ 1	+ 3
4th	+2	+ 1	+ 1	+ 4	Morph Empathy
5th	+2	+ 1	+ 1	+ 4	Battle Morph
6th	+3	+ 2	+ 2	+ 5	Frolis Maneuver (Same Species)
7th	+3	+ 2	+ 2	+ 5	Favored Morph
8th	+4	+ 3	+ 3	+ 6
9th	+4	+ 3	+ 3	+ 6	Wild Empathy
10th	+5	+ 3	+ 3	+ 7	Battle Morph
11th	+5	+ 3	+ 3	+ 7
12th	+6 /+1	+ 4	+ 4	+ 8	Favored Morph
13th	+6/+1	+ 4	+4	+ 8	Power Morph
14th	+7/+2	+ 4	+ 4	+ 9	Improved Morph Empathy
15th	+7/+2	+ 5	+ 5	+ 9	Battle Morph
16th	+8/+3	+ 5	+ 5	+ 10
17th	+8/+3	+ 5	+ 5	+ 10	Favored Morph
18th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+ 11	Chain Morphing
19th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11
20th	+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	Frolis Maneuver (Different Species)
Class Skills ( 4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Animorph.

Acquire (Ex): By touching a living creature, an animorph can acquire its essence and henceforth morph into it. Acquiring an unwilling creature requires a successful grapple check that must be maintained for 3 rounds. Once acquiring starts, the creature must make a Will save vs. DC 20 + animorph level or become dazed until contact is broken. Any damage or hostile action towards the creature will break the dazed effect. Acquire is a free action that can be started as soon as a creature is grappled, but grapple must be maintained for 3 rounds for creature to be acquired. An animorph can not acquire any creature with the lack of a corporeal form, and she must be in her original form to acquire a creature. With the DM's permission, a 1st level animorph may start play with up to 2 creatures already acquired.

Morph (Ex): An animorph can take the form of any creature she has acquired. She gains the creature's size as well as all of the creature's extraordinary and supernatural abilities, movement modes, physical ability scores and natural weapons/armor but loses any extraordinary and supernatural abilities, movement modes, physical ability scores and natural weapons/armor of her own and her type changes to that of the creature.

Morphing is a full-round action that provokes an attack of opportunity. An animorph is considered flat-footed while morphing but if attacked she does not need to succeed on a concentration check to continue morphing. De-morphing behaves in the same fashion, and the animorph must de-morph (return to her original form) before she can morph again. After de-morphing, the animorph must wait 3 rounds before morphing again or become fatigued. She may de-morph while fatigued without penalty, but morphing while fatigued will cause exhaustion, which will not apply to the morphed creature, but only to the de-morphed animorph.

When morphing or demorphing, an amount of damage equal to the animorph's HD + her Constitution modifier is converted to double the amount of subdual damage, and any non-magical diseases currently affecting her are cured. When morphing a creature for the first time, the animorph must make a Will save DC 20 - creature's Intelligence modifer to avoid being controlled by the creature's instincts. Treat creatures with no Intelligence score as having a modifier of -6. If this check is failed, the animorph can try again in 5 rounds, but she behaves as a creature of that type under the DM's control until then. For a creature that she has already morphed, the animorph must make a Will save DC 10 - creature's Int modifier to avoid being controlled, and she may retry every round. Using the Morph ability to impersonate a specific person or creature grants +10 to the Disguise check.

When morphing into a creature larger than her size category, any armor or non-skintight clothing currently worn by the animorph is destroyed. Otherwise, the armor and clothing simply fall to the ground. An animorph may use any weapon she is proficient with while morphed as long as the morph is able to hold the weapon. However, the weapon is used as if she is non-proficient.

Thoughtspeak (Ex): While in morph, an animorph can communicate telepathically with anyone close enough to hear her speak normally. Thoughtspeech can be directed at a specific individual, group, or made public, so that anyone in range can hear it. This is a one-way communication, and does not allow the animorph to hear the thoughts of others unless they are also in morph and using thoughtspeak. Thoughtspeak can be understood regardless of language.

Trust instincts (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, by sacrificing some of her control, the animorph can take advantage of her morph's natural abilities. By making a Will save for control (DC 20 - creature's Int modifier for first-time morph, DC 10 - Int mod otherwise), she gains a +2 competence bonus to Bluff, Disguise, and any skill her current morph has 5 or more ranks in, but loses -2 to all subsequent Will saves. This effect lasts for 10 minutes. An animorph can use Trust the Instincts as many times as she wishes, but the control DC increases by 5 each time it is used in the same form without demorphing. If the Will save is failed, the same penalties apply for losing control of the morph, as outlined under the Morph ability.

Morph Empathy (Ex): At 4th level, when making a Diplomacy check against a creature other than her own species, the animorph can add her animorph levels to the check if she is in that species' morph. This ability can only be used against creatures with an Intelligence of at least 3.

Battle Morph (Ex): At 5th level, and again at 10th and 15th, the animorph chooses one morph she already knows to be a battle morph. She has had so much experience fighting in this form that her combat skills are on par with actual creatures of that form. When in Battle Morph the animorph replaces her base attack bonus and base reflex save with that of the morphed creature. If the Battle Morph is physically able to use a weapon the animorph is proficient with, she may use the weapon with the proficiency intact. Morphing into a Battle Morph is a standard action.

Frolis Maneuver (same species)(Ex): By 6th level, the animorph has learned to merge the essences of up to 4 different creatures of the same species. This ability works as a disguise check against looking like an exact duplicate of a specific creature. Each merged essence above 2 adds +5 to the disguise check. Performing a Frolis Maneuver is always a 2-round action. The benefits of a Battle Morph or Favored morph do not apply when used in a Frolis Maneuver.

Favored Morph (Ex): At 7th level, and again at 12th and 17th, the animorph chooses one morph she already knows to be a favored morph. She has had so much experience in this form that her behavior is nearly indistinguishable from that of the creature. When in Favored Morph the animorph replaces her skill modifier in any Strength, Dexterity, and Wisdom based skills with those of the morphed creature. Morphing into a Favored Morph is a standard action.

Wild Empathy (Ex): At 9th level, the animorph's time in animal form has given her a better understanding of their behaviors. The animorph can use body language to make herself appear less threatening to any class of animal (e.g. bird, bear, cat, etc.) she has previously morphed. This works exactly like the Wild Empathy druid ability, except that it is only applicable to animal types the animorph has already morphed.

Power Morphing (Ex): At 13th level, the animorph is getting used to the physical strains morphing takes on her body, and now must only wait one round before re-morphing to avoid getting fatigued.

Improved Morph Empathy (Ex): At 14th level, the animorph's experience in morph has made her familiar with the behavior of those creatures. When making a Diplomacy check against a creature other than her own species, the animorph can add her animorph levels to the check while in her original form, as long as she has previously morphed that species. While in that species' morph, she can add her animorph levels to the check, as well as a +2 competence bonus. This ability can only be used against creatures with an Intelligence of at least 3.

Chain Morphing (Ex): At 18th level, the physical strain of morphing is like second nature, and the animorph can now morph directly after de-morphing as many times in a row equal to her Constitution modifier before getting fatigued.

Frolis Maneuver (different species) (Ex): At 20th level, the animorph has mastered the technique of blending essences, and can now merge the essences of 2 different creatures, regardless of species. The resulting creature has the highest physical ability scores between the two creatures and the highest natural armor scores. The first time she merges 2 creatures she can choose which creature's supernatural/extraordinary ability set, movement modes and natural attacks the new creature has. Anytime the animorph performs a Frolis Maneuver with these 2 creatures, the same creature will be the result. Since a Frolis Maneuver is such a delicate process it can fail when two essences simply refuse to merge. Each new merge has a 5% chance of failing, in which case the resulting creature has the lowest ability scores and natural armor between the 2 creatures and the other abilities are chosen by the DM. Performing a Frolis Maneuver is always a 2-round action. The benefits of a Battle Morph or Favored morph do not apply when used in a Frolis Maneuver.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Animorphs are proficient with all simple weapons, but no armor and no shields.

Class Feats

Morphing Talent [Animorph] You've developed a talent for morphing quickly and smoothly. Benefits: Morphing Battle and Favored morphs is now a move action, and morphing anything else is a standard action. Normal: Morphing Battle and Favored morphs is usually a standard action, while all other morphs are a full-round action.

Estreen [Animorph] You are so talented at morphing you can control the change to an extent. Prerequisite: Morphing Talent Benefits: When morphing, you can choose to control the morph so that anyone seeing you morph for the first time must make a Will save DC 10+animorph level+Charisma modifier or be either fascinated for one round or shaken for 5 rounds. You may choose which effect to create.

Morph Dancer [Animorph] You can incorporate your morphing ability into your performances. Prerequisite: Morphing Talent, Estreen, Perform (Dance) 3 ranks Benefits: You can make a Perform (Dance) check to Fascinate anyone watching you, as the bardic music skill.

Combat Morphing [Animorph] Prerequisites: Dex 13+, Dodge, Morphing Talent You have learned to keep your mobility while morphing. Benefits: When morphing, you are not denied your Dexterity bonus to AC, but you still draw an attack of opportunity for morphing. Normal: While morphing, you are considered flat-footed.

Morph Regeneration [Animorph] Prerequisites: Con 13+, Endurance, Rapid Healing, Morph class feature Benefits:As you shed your shape, you also shed your injuries. The healing from morphing is tripled: convert three times the normal amount of damage to an equal amount of subdual damage whenever you morph or demorph. Normal: Convert an amount of damage equal to your HD + your Con modifier to double the amount of subdual damage.

Morphing Allergy [Animorph] You are allergic to a certain species' essence. Effect: The DM chooses or randomly generates a creature and does not tell you what this creature is. If you acquire this creature, you are treated as having the disease Morphing Allergy, described below. If you have already acquired the creature when this flaw is taken, you immediately contract the disease. You may take this flaw multiple times. Each time it is taken a new creature is chosen.

Class Disease

Morphing Allergy DC 15, 1d3 Wis, 1 day incubation Caught by acquiring a creature whose essence the animorph is allergic to. Each day the save is failed, there is also a 25% chance for the allergy to assert itself in any high-stress situation. This includes combat rounds, attempts at morphing, spell effects that simulate strong emotions (fear, crushing despair), and any situation that requires a will save. If the allergy asserts itself, the animorph immediately starts to morph into the allergic creature, even if it is already in morph. The animorph has no control over the morph, and automatically fails her will save for control. She may retry every five rounds at DC 20 - creature's Int modifier. If the animorph fails the save by 5 or less, she immediately starts to morph into a randomly chosen morph she already knows. She still automatically fails the control save, but if she has morphed this creature before, she may make a control save at 15 - creature's Int modifier, every round. Making a control save while in this state returns to animorph to her original form. Any attempt to voluntarily morph into the allergic creature results in the same assertion effect.

Making the Fortitude save two days in a row results in the essence being purged from the animorph in the form of a separate creature of the type the animorph is allergic to. Depending on the creature, it may be hostile upon being purged. Purging the creature cures the disease.

At the DM's discretion, this disease can be used at random or in conjunction with the Morphing Allergy flaw.

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