Mutanic Chamber (3.5e Equipment)

The Mutanic Chamber

A magical invention spawned from the insane machinations of an alchemical genius, this device transmutes living beings into mutated versions of their former selves. Its crazed creator believed a portion of all living creatures contained dormant energy which required a proper chemical catalyst to stimulate. Whether or not his chamber's chemical process actually served as catalysts for dormant energy or just simply produced mutations is still a mystery. Nonetheless, he vehemently believed these mutant beings were above all living things and it was his destiny to find and unite them. Having a method to produce these “higher” beings, he lacked one to identify them. Thus, many of his subjects were left horribly deformed and beyond magical help or even died from malformation. Eventually, the mutant creatures sought vengeance against their insensible maker, burying him and his chamber under a mountain of rock. Somewhere, his invention awaits ambitious hands fortunate or ill-fated enough to discover it.

The Mutanic Chamber is a glassy 60 ft by 60 ft room carved from bone-bleached marble with a ceiling well over 30 ft and a single entrance, large enough for a huge creature to enter comfortably. Exactly at its center and with a diameter of 10 feet, looms a cylindrical, hallowed pillar of diamond-like crystal, filled with a luminescent chemical concoction as livid as the room. A red and a blue rune-inscribed dais' (3 ft tall with a 20 ft diameter) rest diagonally and equidistant from the pillar. Two tall, arched marble pillars reach out above the center of each dais, their backs joined to the cylindrical chemical-filled pillar. The marble pillars' descending crowns are porous and hang roughly 12 ft above each dais.

Controlling the chamber requires a fist-sized spherical key etched with arcane inscriptions. As swift actions, the key's possessor can start the machine's process, evoke and disspell a magical field of force around each dais and discern the artifact's location, as long as both key and chamber are on the same plane of existence. Each magical field functions as a forcecage spell, containing anything inside.

Employment of the chamber requires two living creatures with a humanoids or giant, both in a size category no smaller than small and no bigger than large. Each would be placed on a dais, whether willingly or compelled. The magic fields would be conjured through use of the key, entrapping each creature and serving as a buffer between the artifact's magical effects and those not on a dais. At the commencement of the process, the alchemical concoction would begin to hum and luridly pulse, the chamber darkening as if drained of all light. Each enclosed dais abruptly begins to fill with a thick, white chemical cloud. When the clouds dissipate, the creature on the red dais would be nothing more than a bleached skeleton, drained of his life force, while the creature on the blue dais would have mutated. This process takes five minutes from commencement to mutation. The chamber cannot activate without conjuration of both magical force fields. The possibility of a successful experiment requires two creatures of the same size category. Starting the process with only one creature, more then two on one dais or creatures of different size categories, would result in death. Each experiment has a different possible outcome. Roll a d% for table 1-1 to determine the initial outcome. If a death does not occur, roll a d% for table 1-2 to determine the mutation. Player characters mutating into alchemical horrors become under the control of the DM.

Table 1-1: Initial

d%	Initial Outcome
01-60	Alchemical Mutant
61-90	Alchemical Horror
91-100	Death

Table 1-2:Secondary

d%	Mutation
01-12	Adroit
13-24	Aquatic
25-36	Avian
37-48	Bestial
49-60	Exoskeletal
61-72	Hexad
73-84	Psychic
85-96	Toxic
97-100	Reroll

Creating an Alchemical Mutant

Creatures on the receiving end of the chemical catalyst who do not become alchemical horrors retain all statistics and special abilities except as noted here. Their type changes to monstrous humanoid with an augmented subtype. The following describes each mutation:

• Adroit: The creature body becomes noticeably lithe. The mutant finds it uncomfortably difficult to stay still, twitching nervously. He gains +2 to his Dexterity score and a -2 to his Constitution score. Once every hour and at caster level 5, the mutant has the supernatural ability to use haste as a free action. Also, he gains a +4 mutation bonus on Sleight of Hand, Move Silently and Tumble checks. He get a -4 penalty on Hide and Concentration checks.

• Aquatic: The creature gains a set of gill on the sides of his neck and skin lightly tinged green. A thick webbing appears on his fingers and toes. He can breath easily on land and underwater, and gains a swim speed equal to his land speed. Also, he has a +4 mutation bonus on Swim checks.

• Avian: A set of beautifully feathered wings grow from the creature's back and her pupils grow in size. She gains a fly speed of 60 ft with average maneuverability and a +4 mutation bonus on Spot checks.

• Bestial: This mutation cause the creature to gain bestial attributes. This mutant gains razor-sharp claws, her teeth change into canines and her eyes and appearance seem wild. She gains two primary claw attacks and a secondary bite attack. The damage values are equal to the mutant's unarmed strikes. She also gains a +4 mutation bonus on Survival checks.

• Exoskeletal: The creature's obvious physical changes are his hairlessness and a glossy sheen on his solid skin. This mutant's skin becomes more solid and tougher than previously but at a cost to speed. He gains a +4 natural armor bonus and damage reduction 10/adamantine. He receives a -2 penalty to his Dexterity score. Due to his heavier structure, his land speed decreases by ten feet.

• Hexad: From the sides of the creature's midsection, a pair of arms burgeon. They are identical in every way to his first two. The new limbs allow the mutant two off hand attacks, each with a -10 penalty on attack roles. The Multiweapon fighting feat can reduce this penalty. He also obtains a +4 mutation bonus on Escape Artist checks.

• Psychic: The creature's skull becomes noticeably larger, exhibiting surface veins and her eyes a pasty white. As swift actions, this mutant has the supernatural ability to detect thoughts and use clairaudience/clairvoyance at a caster level equal to his Hit Dice.

• Toxic: The creature's skin and eyes turn a dark sickly, yellow. The mutant's blood becomes toxic to touch. Enemies who engage him in melee combat and deal him slashing or piercing damage receive 1d4 acid damage for each successful attack. As a full-round action, this mutant can spit a ball of acid. This attack functions as a acid arrow spell at caster level 5. A toxic mutant is immune to his acid.

Creating an Alchemical Horror

Creatures that become alchemical horrors completely change into something vaguely humanoid. Their bodies are horribly disfigured. Their flesh turns pasty and turgid. Deformities can include missing, useless or misshapen limbs, lack of a recognizable face or even random animal-like parts such as patches of fur or hooves. In addition to their bodies, they become feeble-minded and barely able to communicate. They recall some memories of their former self but often revert to an aggressive animal-like nature. Their mutations cause them constant bodily pain, only adding to their confusion and belligerent temperament. An Alchemical Horror is an acquired template. In addition to the following changes, an alchemical horror gains one mutation described above. Below are the changes affecting the base creature.

• Size and Type: The creature's type changes to monstrous humanoid with the augmented subtype. Size and base attack bonuses .
• Hit Dice: Increase all current and future Hit Dice to d12s.
• Speed: An alchemical horror's deformities constrain its movement. The mutant's land speed is half of the base creature's. It looses any swim or fly speeds from the base creature.
• Attack: An alchemical horror does not retain any of its attacks and looses its ability to use weapons and wear armor. It gains a slam attack.
• Full Attack: It is able to use its slam attack a number of times equaling that of the base creature's full-round attack.
• Damage: An alchemical horror's powerful slam attack has a damage value dependent on its size. Small creatures deal 1d6, Medium deal 1d8 and Large deal 2d6.
• Special Attacks: An alchemical horror retains not of the base creature's special attacks. It may gain any special attacks from its mutation (see below).
• Special Qualities: An alchemical horror does not retain most of the creature's special qualities. It retains any extraordinary special qualities that improve melee attacks.

Resistance (ex) : An alchemical horror has resistance to cold 10, fire 10, electricity 10 and acid 10.

Immunity to mind-affecting effects, poison, paralysis, stunning, and disease.

An alchemical peculiar anatomy makes it not subject to critical hits.

Mutation (ex or su): An alchemical horror gains one of the mutations randomly rolled on Table 1-2.

• Saves: Base save bonuses are Fort +1/3 HD + 2, Ref +1/3 Ref - 2 HD and Will +1/3 + 2 HD.
• Abilities: Str +12, Dex -6, Con +6, Int -6, Wis -2, Cha -6
• Skills: An alchemical horror retains the skills and ranks of the base creature.
• Feats: An alchemical horror does not retain any of the base creature's feats.
• Challenge rating: 2 + the base creature's HD.

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