Yea, that title is kinda weird. Due to my DM wanting to start a new campaign (Last one ended in an unfortunate turn of events) I wanted to make a character that was a bit unique, but to make it work right seems like it would require a bit of creativity/home brew and since it is the second character that i'm actually creating on my own, I thought it would be a good idea to ask for some ideas/advice from the community. Open to ideas to make it work or other ideas that can be thrown in to mix it up a bit so that it is still unique. As you read keep in mind, i'm not actually going to play my character with an edgy personality. My last character ended up with a backstory, religion, and morals that I thought would help drive the story. Instead (in order for me to play him right) it wound up with him railroading himself and a good portion of the party into a suicide mission. We didn't actually have that session because of set backs but since lizard folk tend to be more practical thinkers with no real morals other then "Keep the party alive because my chances of survival are higher if they live so we can keep fighting big monsters like the one we just ki... ooo that looks like a good meal in the future" it seemed like a good idea that would give me some more options. So we are starting a new campaign and I want a new character that is unique because why not.
First, some backstory on the character concept. He is a lizard man that had his right arm eaten by a cursed werewolf. My idea for this bit is that when the werewolf takes a bite of someone or such it inflicts some sort of random curse as well as inflicts the class of blood hunter on the unwilling participant that was caught in this deadly tango with an enraged cursed werewolf. The curse I plan to have inflicted on my cold blooded dude is the inability to use weapons. This means that he has to fight unarmed until the curse is removed. I hear you saying "Fight unarmed with one arm? wtf?" (Had a one armed, half drunk, old dude, npc fight the sober Half Orc Barbarian in our party in a different campaign and the old guy won so it can work) and I will get to that in a sec. First, this cursed effect ends up being a big issue because, from what I have learned from Lizard folk due to research, they have a the ability to take ordinary items or the corpses of dead creatures and turn them into useful things such as Weapons, Shields, Armor, Food, and other such supplies. They are also cold blooded logic thinkers so the concept of not being able to wield a weapon that I can make out of anything is viewed less a hindrance and more of a Negative side effect that hampers their ability to stay alive. So my character is forced to hunt down this cursed furry in order to remove the curse.
My character also would have crossed paths with a Dwarf that has had a run in with said wolf and has lost something and wants revenge. His way of doing this would be to create a metal arm that is capable of using magic to operate as my missing arm. The arm would function off of a magical link of some sort that would bind it to me letting me use it as an actual arm. Because i'm not actually wielding it it gets past the loophole that is the current problem and lets me fight two handed again. Basically a full metal alchemist concept with the extra arm that can be used to cast magic in some way. In the show he claps to use alchemy to convert things, I clap my hands together and the metal arm has a small spike in it, I stab myself with the clap which uses the crimson rite effect applying an effect to my mechanical arm. Because the arm is attached to me and I apply an effect to the arm, do I take the chance of backlash as a result of using one of my rites? I use Rite of the Storm, Will/Should I be forced to make a saving throw against my electrified arm? (Why are you hitting yourself?) Weapons don't have this sort of effect so would I need to deal with this? Back to the idea that the arm is tied to my magic source in some way this brings in the second feature of the arm that ties back into the actual class.
The Order I wanted my character to go into is the Order of the Lycan. This means my Lizard dude with the metal arm can change into a big werewolf with a metal arm. Think Warwick from League of Legends (Yes i'm a league fan and no this champion isn't the basis for my new character design... maybe... probably... sort of... It might have had some influence). When my Lizard goes full Wolf I figured the arm would change as well. My basis for this is that since the arm is bound to me and tied to my magic supply, as I shift into werewolf the magic would change and the arm with it. This prevents me from getting bigger and suddenly having an arm that isn't exactly the right size. This change would also be tied back to the Dwarf that forged the arm. Knowing that I was cursed to change into a werewolf and that he has a grudge with the current cursed fur ball he would want to make an arm that has a shape shifting feature in it that allows it to change into something more fitting a fully grown Lycan and means he gets to fight a werewolf with a metal werewolf arm of his own making. This also gives an npc capable of crafting some really interesting things that may be plot reliant.
With how I have the story set up I kind of want to go Lycan but all of the orders that i'm aware of seem to have the ability to work with a Lizard man. So Lycan is my first choice and Mutant being second as I would be able to craft a variety of concoctions Witcher style to buff me in some way and the other classes seem to lean more to the spell casting side of things, which I don't think would work to well with the Lizard mindset.
On to my big questions.
1) Which Order do you think would work best with a one armed Lizard man using a metal arm?
2) If my Lizard goes Lycan, does he retain any sort of benefits of being a Lizard man? Lizard folk tend to have a high natural armor bonus so does this kind of bonus carry over to the transformation and how would that look? (Scales turn into fur, does the fur become almost steel wool like in its texture?)
3) What would a cross between Lizard folk and Werewolf look like? In media when humans change their ears get longer, nails get longer for the claws, and they grow tails. Design for my Lizard tends to be swamp based, so certain features that make some sense there. Example is that he already has a set of longer ears because it helps with his hearing ect (Evolutionary choice as a hunter/gatherer species, doesn't have to play into the actual character stats) and he may have some fin based concept up his spine/tail in areas to help with moving in the water(Lizard folk can already swim pretty well so this adds that immersion). So even longer ears (Warwick style, yes I know, bringing him up again -_-)? really big claws in some way because of the duel claw breed? Even longer tail in some way? Mix of scales/fur or combination of the two? Spine rib of some sort as a result of the fin carry over if it does? I'm good with both a realistic idea that will be easier to work with and something over the top just because why not. If my character ended up getting pretty big as a result of the transformation that could turn into a mount option to handle difficult terrain. Imagine a swamp werewolf with an acid infused metal arm. The next breed of monster. >;)
4) How would the Rites effect me/my arm while in combat? I mentioned this above but just clarifying. Each Rite has some sort of problem that might be associated with it that I need to take into account and this is why I ask. The arm is bound to my body so does some of the effects hurt me or cause some sort of problem with my arm? Would it be better to keep the effects linked to just the claws? Fire and Storm would burn/electrify me, Frozen could freeze up the joints, and Ruined (Acid based) Could damage the actual metal. Would be bad if my primary magic damage output would cause more damage to me/my weapon/my arm just by using it. Removes something else from my arsenal but would add for immersion.
5) How would you handle the stats of a big metal arm? When I discussed this idea with my DM quickly I left out the part of my character being Lizard Folk for simplicity sake. We had discussed how the Human arm would be bludgeoning damage of some sort (Maybe a higher dice due to it being a metal arm) and the Lycan form would be slashing since it is a wolf. Since the arm is for use by a Lizard folk, should it just be kept slashing on both sides? Should it have a bludgeoning stat if I decide to use a fist rather then claw or should it just be bludgeoning?
5) What sort of upgrades would you add to the arm and how would you implement them? Full Metal Alchemist has the main character make a blade on his arm. This is for use via magic but once the curse is removed on my arm could I have some sort of attachment I can use and how would the stats work for that? Extendable blade like Deus Ex with an upgrade being a chain blade wip? Other Ideas?
Looking forward to what you guys have in mind. Have fun.
All very interesting. But if you are asking for any abilities or rule changes for your character beyond what the rulebooks offer, then this is absolutely not the place to ask for them. Only your DM can aid you there, since they would be the one to implement this cursed lizard/wolf/android story with you.
None of the story elements you are suggesting are impossible to implement, but if you hoping to gain some mechanical benefit from this backstory then it must go through your DM (and personally I would flat out refuse any such backdoor power-up). You want a metal arm? Fine. It works like a normal arm. You can roleplay how things interact with it, but mechanically the rules do nothing different. You have a bite attack to represent claws already, or you could carry a weapon and re-skin it to represent your metal arm claws. Regarding your specific questions:
1. Whatever you like. Lycan resonates with the Lycanthrope in the backstory.
2. I think yes, it is a hybrid form, so keeps the Lizard traits: AC 13+dex mod (becomes 14+dex mod), bite attack and hungry jaws still apply, though the Lycan also has claws for the same damage.
3. Doesn't matter. Look like a wolf-lizard thing. No mechanical effect.
4. Rites affect you normal: suffer damage and reduce max hp by your character level value. Add 1d4 elemental damage.
5. Bludgeon/Slashing/Piercing is all really identical for most situations. Your bite has piercing, carry an imaginary mace and a short sword and you have 1d6 of each damage type.
5(again). Find a magic weapon and re-skin that as a an upgrade to your arm. Or imagine that all the class features you are gaining are related to improvements in your arm's magic.
There's really no need to invent special rules for every unique character idea - just use the existing rules and combine them with your imagination and you get a very similar result.
I think this is a great idea. In fact, I have a player in the campaign I am DMing right now who plays a minotaur were-lizard blood hunter. I have posted a picture of what he looks like and written a little bit about his exploits in this thread. I can tell you that mechanically, the fact that he is a lizard is no problem whatsoever. It sounds like the Order of the Lycan is a great fit for your character. You already have an interesting backstory with plenty of hooks for your DM to tie into. I think you can have some fun with this character.
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"Not all those who wander are lost"
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Yea, that title is kinda weird. Due to my DM wanting to start a new campaign (Last one ended in an unfortunate turn of events) I wanted to make a character that was a bit unique, but to make it work right seems like it would require a bit of creativity/home brew and since it is the second character that i'm actually creating on my own, I thought it would be a good idea to ask for some ideas/advice from the community. Open to ideas to make it work or other ideas that can be thrown in to mix it up a bit so that it is still unique. As you read keep in mind, i'm not actually going to play my character with an edgy personality. My last character ended up with a backstory, religion, and morals that I thought would help drive the story. Instead (in order for me to play him right) it wound up with him railroading himself and a good portion of the party into a suicide mission. We didn't actually have that session because of set backs but since lizard folk tend to be more practical thinkers with no real morals other then "Keep the party alive because my chances of survival are higher if they live so we can keep fighting big monsters like the one we just ki... ooo that looks like a good meal in the future" it seemed like a good idea that would give me some more options. So we are starting a new campaign and I want a new character that is unique because why not.
First, some backstory on the character concept. He is a lizard man that had his right arm eaten by a cursed werewolf. My idea for this bit is that when the werewolf takes a bite of someone or such it inflicts some sort of random curse as well as inflicts the class of blood hunter on the unwilling participant that was caught in this deadly tango with an enraged cursed werewolf. The curse I plan to have inflicted on my cold blooded dude is the inability to use weapons. This means that he has to fight unarmed until the curse is removed. I hear you saying "Fight unarmed with one arm? wtf?" (Had a one armed, half drunk, old dude, npc fight the sober Half Orc Barbarian in our party in a different campaign and the old guy won so it can work) and I will get to that in a sec. First, this cursed effect ends up being a big issue because, from what I have learned from Lizard folk due to research, they have a the ability to take ordinary items or the corpses of dead creatures and turn them into useful things such as Weapons, Shields, Armor, Food, and other such supplies. They are also cold blooded logic thinkers so the concept of not being able to wield a weapon that I can make out of anything is viewed less a hindrance and more of a Negative side effect that hampers their ability to stay alive. So my character is forced to hunt down this cursed furry in order to remove the curse.
My character also would have crossed paths with a Dwarf that has had a run in with said wolf and has lost something and wants revenge. His way of doing this would be to create a metal arm that is capable of using magic to operate as my missing arm. The arm would function off of a magical link of some sort that would bind it to me letting me use it as an actual arm. Because i'm not actually wielding it it gets past the loophole that is the current problem and lets me fight two handed again. Basically a full metal alchemist concept with the extra arm that can be used to cast magic in some way. In the show he claps to use alchemy to convert things, I clap my hands together and the metal arm has a small spike in it, I stab myself with the clap which uses the crimson rite effect applying an effect to my mechanical arm. Because the arm is attached to me and I apply an effect to the arm, do I take the chance of backlash as a result of using one of my rites? I use Rite of the Storm, Will/Should I be forced to make a saving throw against my electrified arm? (Why are you hitting yourself?) Weapons don't have this sort of effect so would I need to deal with this? Back to the idea that the arm is tied to my magic source in some way this brings in the second feature of the arm that ties back into the actual class.
The Order I wanted my character to go into is the Order of the Lycan. This means my Lizard dude with the metal arm can change into a big werewolf with a metal arm. Think Warwick from League of Legends (Yes i'm a league fan and no this champion isn't the basis for my new character design... maybe... probably... sort of... It might have had some influence). When my Lizard goes full Wolf I figured the arm would change as well. My basis for this is that since the arm is bound to me and tied to my magic supply, as I shift into werewolf the magic would change and the arm with it. This prevents me from getting bigger and suddenly having an arm that isn't exactly the right size. This change would also be tied back to the Dwarf that forged the arm. Knowing that I was cursed to change into a werewolf and that he has a grudge with the current cursed fur ball he would want to make an arm that has a shape shifting feature in it that allows it to change into something more fitting a fully grown Lycan and means he gets to fight a werewolf with a metal werewolf arm of his own making. This also gives an npc capable of crafting some really interesting things that may be plot reliant.
With how I have the story set up I kind of want to go Lycan but all of the orders that i'm aware of seem to have the ability to work with a Lizard man. So Lycan is my first choice and Mutant being second as I would be able to craft a variety of concoctions Witcher style to buff me in some way and the other classes seem to lean more to the spell casting side of things, which I don't think would work to well with the Lizard mindset.
On to my big questions.
1) Which Order do you think would work best with a one armed Lizard man using a metal arm?
2) If my Lizard goes Lycan, does he retain any sort of benefits of being a Lizard man? Lizard folk tend to have a high natural armor bonus so does this kind of bonus carry over to the transformation and how would that look? (Scales turn into fur, does the fur become almost steel wool like in its texture?)
3) What would a cross between Lizard folk and Werewolf look like? In media when humans change their ears get longer, nails get longer for the claws, and they grow tails. Design for my Lizard tends to be swamp based, so certain features that make some sense there. Example is that he already has a set of longer ears because it helps with his hearing ect (Evolutionary choice as a hunter/gatherer species, doesn't have to play into the actual character stats) and he may have some fin based concept up his spine/tail in areas to help with moving in the water(Lizard folk can already swim pretty well so this adds that immersion). So even longer ears (Warwick style, yes I know, bringing him up again -_-)? really big claws in some way because of the duel claw breed? Even longer tail in some way? Mix of scales/fur or combination of the two? Spine rib of some sort as a result of the fin carry over if it does? I'm good with both a realistic idea that will be easier to work with and something over the top just because why not. If my character ended up getting pretty big as a result of the transformation that could turn into a mount option to handle difficult terrain. Imagine a swamp werewolf with an acid infused metal arm. The next breed of monster. >;)
4) How would the Rites effect me/my arm while in combat? I mentioned this above but just clarifying. Each Rite has some sort of problem that might be associated with it that I need to take into account and this is why I ask. The arm is bound to my body so does some of the effects hurt me or cause some sort of problem with my arm? Would it be better to keep the effects linked to just the claws? Fire and Storm would burn/electrify me, Frozen could freeze up the joints, and Ruined (Acid based) Could damage the actual metal. Would be bad if my primary magic damage output would cause more damage to me/my weapon/my arm just by using it. Removes something else from my arsenal but would add for immersion.
5) How would you handle the stats of a big metal arm? When I discussed this idea with my DM quickly I left out the part of my character being Lizard Folk for simplicity sake. We had discussed how the Human arm would be bludgeoning damage of some sort (Maybe a higher dice due to it being a metal arm) and the Lycan form would be slashing since it is a wolf. Since the arm is for use by a Lizard folk, should it just be kept slashing on both sides? Should it have a bludgeoning stat if I decide to use a fist rather then claw or should it just be bludgeoning?
5) What sort of upgrades would you add to the arm and how would you implement them? Full Metal Alchemist has the main character make a blade on his arm. This is for use via magic but once the curse is removed on my arm could I have some sort of attachment I can use and how would the stats work for that? Extendable blade like Deus Ex with an upgrade being a chain blade wip? Other Ideas?
Looking forward to what you guys have in mind. Have fun.
All very interesting. But if you are asking for any abilities or rule changes for your character beyond what the rulebooks offer, then this is absolutely not the place to ask for them. Only your DM can aid you there, since they would be the one to implement this cursed lizard/wolf/android story with you.
None of the story elements you are suggesting are impossible to implement, but if you hoping to gain some mechanical benefit from this backstory then it must go through your DM (and personally I would flat out refuse any such backdoor power-up). You want a metal arm? Fine. It works like a normal arm. You can roleplay how things interact with it, but mechanically the rules do nothing different. You have a bite attack to represent claws already, or you could carry a weapon and re-skin it to represent your metal arm claws. Regarding your specific questions:
1. Whatever you like. Lycan resonates with the Lycanthrope in the backstory.
2. I think yes, it is a hybrid form, so keeps the Lizard traits: AC 13+dex mod (becomes 14+dex mod), bite attack and hungry jaws still apply, though the Lycan also has claws for the same damage.
3. Doesn't matter. Look like a wolf-lizard thing. No mechanical effect.
4. Rites affect you normal: suffer damage and reduce max hp by your character level value. Add 1d4 elemental damage.
5. Bludgeon/Slashing/Piercing is all really identical for most situations. Your bite has piercing, carry an imaginary mace and a short sword and you have 1d6 of each damage type.
5(again). Find a magic weapon and re-skin that as a an upgrade to your arm. Or imagine that all the class features you are gaining are related to improvements in your arm's magic.
There's really no need to invent special rules for every unique character idea - just use the existing rules and combine them with your imagination and you get a very similar result.
I think this is a great idea. In fact, I have a player in the campaign I am DMing right now who plays a minotaur were-lizard blood hunter. I have posted a picture of what he looks like and written a little bit about his exploits in this thread. I can tell you that mechanically, the fact that he is a lizard is no problem whatsoever. It sounds like the Order of the Lycan is a great fit for your character. You already have an interesting backstory with plenty of hooks for your DM to tie into. I think you can have some fun with this character.
"Not all those who wander are lost"