A radically different approach to a race

[fw190a8]

I thought I would put this one forward and see how well received it is. I'm not sure if this is viable in a d20 game or whether it has been done before, but I'm sure some of you will be able to answer both!

Parasitic PC (name pending)
I'm thinking of a tiny (about 8-12" long) worm-shaped creature as a PC. Instead of trying to apply stats to the worm and ending up stuck to the bottom of a kobold's foot, it works a little differently. The worm can enter the freshly deceased body of any (solid) creature and assume control. If the creature dies, the worm is ejected from the body immediately, but otherwise can leave willingly at any time. A quick table for you...

[table=Parasite PC Worm Thing]
[tr][th] [/th][th]Worm Form[/th][th]Possess Mode[/th][/tr]
[tr][th]Str[/th][td]divide by 3[/td][td]as creature[/td][/tr]
[tr][th]Dex[/th][td]normal, +4[/td][td]as creature[/td][/tr]
[tr][th]Con[/th][td]divide by 3[/td][td]as creature[/td][/tr]
[tr][th]Int[/th][td]normal[/td][td]as worm[/td][/tr]
[tr][th]Wis[/th][td]normal[/td][td]as worm[/td][/tr]
[tr][th]Cha[/th][td]normal[/td][td]avg. creature+worm[/td][/tr]
[/table]

For example, when the worm takes over the body of an orc, it assumes the physical characteristics of this orc (Str, Dex, Con) and uses its own scores for Int and Wis, totally ignoring the orc's, regardless of which is higher. Since charisma is partly the physical appearance of a creature and partly the personality, the worm averages its own score with that of the orc (rounding down, of course).

Effects on gaming
This would probably be weird at first, since I'm not sure many people have roleplayed a tiny parasitic worm (although I'm sure some have ;) ) but it has pros and cons. The good part is that with the wide range of monsters the PCs will be encountering (in most campaigns), the worm has a decent choice of character, and will always be around the same level as the PCs. The bad part is that whilst the rest of the party are gaining skills, spells and feats, the worm has to make do with whatever the host creature provides.

I won't go into any more detail just yet, because I have a strong feeling that this can't be a new idea and there's probably a rulebook somewhere (even an unofficial one, perhaps?) with this in it. Criticism is always welcome.

[Epic Meepo]

I once heard a rumor that the kalashtar race of the Eberron setting started as an incorporeal symbiote that could move from body to body.  But then R&D got a hold of it and tore it to shreds, so now only the wussy kalashtar of the final product remains.

And if you want a non-worm body-snatching PC, you could always just play a fiend of possession from the appendix of the Fiend Folio.  Or a ghost.  And I suppose you might be able to fudge some rules for playing one of the sybiotes from the Fiend Folio (or Eberron) that might kinda-sorta work for a worm-like body-snatcher.

[Xeviat]

Why is the character's charisma averaged between their charisma and the possessed creature's charisma? I know that some people feel that charisma is partially related to your looks, but I believe this is a missinterpretation of the word "appearance" in "physical appearance".

Your physical looks are entirely related to your physical ability scores. Stronger characters have more muscle, more dextrous characters tend to have smaller muscles (though they may be more compact if they have high strength), and more hardy characters tend to be healthier (and thus will be closer to average weight, though average weight should be modified for strength and dexterity scores).

A person with higher charisma will generally have more self confidence. They'll hold themselves in more esteem, and this will generally show when they want it to show. They'll carry themselves better, and thus they'll "appear" better, but they won't particularly "look" better. With equal ability scores, and equal history (no disfiguring scars), two characters of equal physical traits but different charismas will probably look the same laying next to each other dead on a slab.

Think about twins living apart. One might be bullied and not like himself, and thus would grow to have less charisma. The other might be popular and care less about studying, and would grow to have a lower intelligence score. Physical ability scores being the same, they'll both look the same (minus any scars and different hair styles). The one with higher charisma will be more attractive, though.

Hasn't anyone known someone who wasn't particularly good looking, but they were still attractive? Or the other way around; I've known many women who were great looking, but not the least bit attractive. That's charisma.

The rest, though ... is quite interesting. It would be hard to balance; because the player character would bone their physical ability scores and pump their mentals, and then just find a "perfect body" with great physicals.

[Xeviat]

PS: I don't think Str/Con divided by 3 really works either. The worm's con shouldn't be horrible anyway, unless it is a particularly unhealthy worm. Small creatures don't get con penalties.

That, and the worm would have it's own HD, skills, feats, and class abilities; it shouldn't gain the host's. The host is a corpse, the worm is the mind.

[brainface]

That is an incredible idea of greatness. I'm sure it's got balance problems--Monster abilities are generally much better for players than monsters, hence ECL for monsters is generally much greater than CR... (in other words, a player worm possessing a basalisk could wreak much more havok than a basalisk could.)

Maybe if the possession can only last a short time--hours or so?

For str/con, simply giving a penalty seems like it'd work better.

[limetom]

A good limiting method could be that, due to physiological diffrences, the parasite could only work with humanoids, elans (which happen to be abberations) and native outsider.  This would allow for some control over abusing the ability.

Additionally, since it enters a dead body, it should have its own classes, using the body of other creatures to affect the rest of the world.  The body it inhabits would simply be a vessel.  It would retain its own mind and, by extension, its own class, skills, and feats.  I'm not too sure about ability scores.  Prehaps it could use the average of the two being's physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity and Constitution).  So a worm with a Strength of 6 in the corpse of a human with a Strength of 18 would end up with a Strength of 12.  Their mental ability scores (Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma) would be retained.

Even at this early point in design, I would say they would be a spellcasting race.

[Epic Meepo]

There wouldn't be so many balance issues if the corpse that the worm takes over rises as a zombie.  That would cut down on the number of special abilities that the worm can hi-jack.

[Xathan]

I think this is an awesome idea, and I might steal that idea for an incorporal spirit creature thingy, depending on how this works. Some ideas on balance:

Parasites are usually pretty specific. Most parasitic organisms target certian other organisms. Maybe limit the parasites to humanoid forms, which would make sense flavor wise and mechanically. You could make a racial class, or feat chain, that would allow them to later take other forms. Also, it should have to adopt the LA of its new form if it keeps all their racial powers, which I believe it should: half the fun of this race will come from keeping the powers of the race you inhabit.

All in all, great stuff, and if there is any other way I can help, let me know. :)

[Epic Meepo]

Just be careful about getting too focused on gaining access to wierd racial abilties of other monsters.  At some point, you'll lose the whole parasite flavor and just turn into a "what-new-monster-can-I-be-today" guy like a mage with a shapechange spell.  Once a character becomes little more than a living, breathing wandering monster table, what's the point?

[brainface]

I it's much cooler if the para is stealing other creatures abilities, rather than using it's own classes. I mean, a parasite ranger? meh. (it would need some ability to gain hps for worm-form, i guess...)

Here's what I'd do:
possible possessions a worm can make:

1. piggyback on a willing creature--that willing creature gains some kind of bonus (extra action under worm's control?) this way worm could travel with a party and provide some benefit besides wiggling.

2. possession--the (piggybacked?) worm can try to jump onto a living enemy, using some attack that can fail. make it only last a few rounds so there's not a lot of time for real abuse. (free resurrects from a celestial, basalisk turning an entire town to stone, etc.) after duration is up worm is expelled/the creature is killed?

3. zombie control--worm can take control of a corpse/wounded creature for extended time, but very restricted in abilities it can use. This way it could do, you know, mimicy-spy stuff, or stuff that requires hands, but not real abusive stuff.

[Túrin]

Yeah, what the others sai. Gotta be VERY careful about the stats on this, but cool idea.

I particularly like what Epic_Meepo said; perhaps you could create a template that is lain over a base creature to create the final stats of the worm/possessed creature-hybrid, thus limiting the abusiveness.

Túrin

[Numinous]

I like the possession idea presented by brainface.  Maybe it can be treated like a domination spell, that deals damage to the host when the duration is over and the worm is then expelled?  Killing it is too powerful IMO.

[fw190a8]

It would be hard to balance; because the player character would bone their physical ability scores and pump their mentals, and then just find a "perfect body" with great physicals... The worm's con shouldn't be horrible anyway, unless it is a particularly unhealthy worm.

At some point, you'll lose the whole parasite flavor and just turn into a "what-new-monster-can-I-be-today" guy like a mage with a shapechange spell.[/quote]is[/i] a totally different way of playing a character though.

The reason for the worm needing a fresh dead creature rather than a living one was to prevent players trying to gain an advantage against friendly NPCs by possessing them. Also the corpse probably needs to be fresh to prevent players returning to a previously possessed creature later on. I do like brainface's possession though. Perhaps needing to survive an attack of opportunity while it flings itself towards an enemy's face?

How about having any dead creatures the worm possessses lose their spell-like and supernatural abilities, but retain their extraordinary ones? The worm needs to be able to possess a creature from one fight long enough to use it in the next fight otherwise the hack and slash game might become dull for a player.

Thanks for the huge response here. There are so many implications and subtleties that I probably would never have thought of on my own.

[Epic Meepo]

I like the possession idea presented by brainface.  Maybe it can be treated like a domination spell, that deals damage to the host when the duration is over and the worm is then expelled?  Killing it is too powerful IMO.

If its going to duplicate a spell, it should definately duplicate magic jar.

[brainface]

Don't worry about the worm pc maxing out their strength. if they have a -8 penalty, and stick an 18 in strength, for a total of 10, they've effectively wasted that roll of 18.

Size affects strength in certain things--bull rushing, grapple, carrying capacity, the size of weapon you can wield (and therefor damage you can do), etc. So 18 str squirrel ins't really 18 str human, no.