Intelligent Tapeworm PC race

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drekmajster's picture
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Joined: 2008-03-02
Intelligent Tapeworm PC race

My friend and I decided that he will play a tapeworm wizard in my campaign so here is what we made up:
Str: / - a tapeworm cannot move.
Dex: /
Con: +0
Int: +0
Wis: +0
Cha: -4
Size: fine(the body itself is long, but the tapeworm can survive without it except for the head)
AC: 7(+8 size +4 from the host's stomach -5 dex)+Host's ac - shield mod.(my campaign has aimed shots)

A tapeworm gets +4 to fortitude saves.
A tapeworm only gets 1+con modifier to hp each level.

Cause headache, diarrhea, nausea or abdominal pain(to the host) con mod/day fort negates, DC: 10+con modifier
Mage hand 2/day caster level: wis modifier

Telepathy: It is a skill that works with wis. The tapeworm can communicate with anyone within x feet that has a language, where x is the dc of the skill. The tapeworm can always take 10.

The tapeworm can use the host's senses and does not roll it's own listen and spot checks.

Any effect that requires a fort save and affects the host affects the tapeworm as well. A cure disease cast on the host causes the tapeworm to make a fort save or be destroyed.

The tapeworm can not use equipment, but some equipment worn by the host might affect the tapeworm as well.

Effects on the host:
The host receives a -2 penalty to con.

The tapeworm can reproduce just like a real tapeworm, but when a new subject is born, the tapeworm can use that body from then on(if it chooses to do so, the old body is destroyed) If the tapeworm is killed, it is resurrected if it successfully reproduces. If the host is killed, the tapeworm can survive for another 1d4+con mod hours.
Whenever the host is struck normally, there is a 1% chance of hitting the tapeworm as well.

Favored class: Psion

So do you think this is balanced for a level adjustment 0 race :mrgreen:
If you think anything about the race is overpowered, please tell me how would you change it.

Feat: The tapeworm can cast spells as if it was affected by silent spell, still spell and eschew materials with only one level higher spell slots.

Zimrazim's picture
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Factol
Joined: 2007-01-14
Intelligent Tapeworm PC race

Not commenting on the tapeworm idea specifically here, but will point out that Lords of Madness describes a (parasitic) race called the Tsochar who like to infest humanoid hosts (especially magic-users).

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weishan's picture
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Factor
Joined: 2007-04-16
Intelligent Tapeworm PC race

I think that you're overthinking the problem quite a bit. Just use a human character, and say it's controlled by a tapeworm. Remove the problem entirely. If you do want to use it as a character race, it's broken beyond belief. You've established no restrictions on size or host type, nor does the entry provide rules to escape or resist the tapeworm's control. This means you could controll a great wyrm gold dragon if you wanted.

Alternatively, you could use the pupeteer from XPH and just say it was in the stomach instead of the back of the head. IMO, a character controlled by a pupeteer would have an LA one point higher.

Baisically, don't bother making up what you've already got.

drekmajster's picture
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Intelligent Tapeworm PC race

Ah. I see what you mean, but the main idea was one PC infested by the tapeworm(another PC). The tapeworm has no control over the host, it just uses his senses.
Also adding a fort save for the time someone gets infected would be in order. Make that 20+con :mrgreen:

weishan's picture
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Factor
Joined: 2007-04-16
Intelligent Tapeworm PC race

This presents the problem of balance too. A fighter who has something inside him that can cast stilled and silent spells while he hacks away at stuff is too powerful as it is. Consider using the gestalt characters section from unearthed arcana (There is a free SRD online) but giving the tapeworm and character diferent mental ability scores. This results in an effective level that is 1 higher, and addresses possible balance concerns with the concept.

I'd also think about dropping arcane spellcasting ability, and replacing it with psionics--that seems to make more sense given that it can't use a spellbook and would really have no way to have learned wizardly magic, which requires a lot of reading and study, etc. I would not allow them to have still and silent spell as feats to start, but I would let them take both as one feat (as well as eschew materials) if they were to somehow become an arcane caster.

drekmajster's picture
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Intelligent Tapeworm PC race

Thanks for the reply Smiling
I agree about a fighter with something inside being too powerful especially if the tapeworm would be a cleric, but I wouldn't allow that. The player said that he would prefer a wizard to a psion, so I tried to make that kind of a variant. I think I'll make the player take that silent/still spell+eschew materials feat and spell mastery and tell him to make a specialist wizard with abjuration or transmutation as a forbidden school and also make him throw concentration for spell failure if the host is damaged the turn before casting. Also all touch attacks would have to be made by the host which would make him lose an attack. :mrgreen:
I have a story related reason how he can know all the wizard spells(he wasn't always a tapeworm)
Do you think the tapeworm should cast spells one level lower(due to silent/still spell)? Probably.
Btw all this makes me think of a monk with a cleric tapeworm inside.
Oh and I don't like the gestalt idea that much because I wanted to make them two separate beings with their own characters ^_^

weishan's picture
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Factor
Joined: 2007-04-16
Intelligent Tapeworm PC race

I'd drop the spell level by one, but I'd also watch to see if it hurts too much and make changes accordingly.

drekmajster's picture
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Intelligent Tapeworm PC race

I'll do that and thanks for the help ^^

Squaff's picture
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Intelligent Tapeworm PC race

Here is my option:
If tape worm should be wizard the manin problems are: spellbook, vocal and material components.
Spellbook could be gnawed by tapeworm on the walls of guts (painfull process indeed).
Somatic spells are not problem for tapeworm to preform (he wriggle and coil), but since tapeworms dont have any vocal cords you should ban PC vocal spells untill he get silent spell feat. Problem with material components could be solved by its host to eat components so tapewprm could use them (yes that means that host must eat bat guano *yuck*) Sad

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