Feats for living Astral Constructs

[Garryl]

Astral Lifeshaping [Psionic]

Prerequisites: Ability to manifest astral construct, Boost Construct.
Benefit: When you create an Astral Construct, you may choose to have it gain the Living Construct subtype. Among other things, this grants it a Constitution score equal to 10 + twice its level. A living Astral Construct gains bonus hit points according to its newly granted Constitution score, or according to its size (as though it did not have the Living Construct subtype), whichever is better.

The table below summarizes the Constitution scores, modified hit point totals, and modified Fortitude saves of living Astral Constructs.

Level   Con   Hit Dice    HP    Fort
1       12     1d10+ 10    15    +1
2       14     2d10+ 20    31    +2
3       16     3d10+ 20    36    +4
4       18     5d10+ 20    47    +5
5       20     7d10+ 35    73    +7
6       22    10d10+ 60   115    +9
7       24    13d10+ 91   162   +11
8       26    16d10+128   216   +13
9       28    19d10+171   275   +15

In addition, you can select from the following Astral Construct abilities when making living Astral Constructs, in addition to your normal options. You cannot use these options with nonliving Astral Constructs.

Menu A

• Ensouled (Ex): The construct gains any one Incarnum feat that it qualifies for as a bonus feat. This ability may be selected multiple times.
• Fortification (Ex): The construct gains a 50% chance to ignore the extra damage from critical hits and precision damage (such as from the Sneak Attack ability). Any ability damage that it receives is reduced by 1, to a minimum of 0.
• Soultouched (Su): The construct gains the Incarnum subtype and a single soulmeld you have shaped (if any), as though it had shaped the soulmeld itself, with a meldshaper level equal to your meldshaper level for that soulmeld. It does not gain the benefit of any other effects that you have applied to this soulmeld, such as invested essentia, chakra binds, or feats. You must choose the soulmeld when the construct is created.

Menu B

• Body Link (Su): Half of any damage that you would take is instead dealt to the construct, as per the share pain power. Unlike the power, this link is unidirectional, lasts as long as the construct does, and cannot be dispelled.
• Improved Fortification (Ex): The construct gains a 100% chance to ignore the extra damage from critical hits and precision damage (such as from the Sneak Attack ability). Any ability damage that it receives is reduced by 3, to a minimum of 0.
• Improved Soultouched (Su): As Soultouched, except the soulmeld is also bound to its crown, feet, or hands chakra (your choice, but the bind must be valid for the selected soulmeld). You must be able to bind the selected soulmeld to the selected chakra.
• Vigor (Ex): The construct gains a +4 bonus to its Constitution score.

Menu C

• Empathic Transfer (Ps): The construct can use empathic transfer (manifester level 7th) as a psi-like ability once per round.
• Greater Soultouched (Su): As Improved Soultouched, except that the soulmeld can be bound to the constructs arms, brow, or shoulders instead, and that the construct gains 2 points of essentia.
• Regeneration (Ex): The construct gains regeneration, healing 5 points of nonlethal damage each round. Its regeneration is only bypassed by crystal weapons and by sonic damage.

Special: You can use the Skin of the Construct feat, Ectopic Skin feats, and similar effects to select from these additional menu options as long as the construct that you create to fuse with is a living Astral Construct.

Astral Thoughtbinding [Psionic]

Prerequisites: Ability to manifest astral construct, Boost Construct.
Benefit: When you create an Astral Construct, you may choose to have it gain sentience, granting it an Intelligence score equal to 4 + its level. This grants it a number of feats and skill points, as indicated on the table below. It still follows your orders unquestioningly. Sentient Astral Constructs lose the immunity to mind-affecting effects that the Construct type normally grants.

Level   Int   Skills                                   Feats
1        5    Listen +4, Spot +4                       Alertness
2        6    Listen +4, Spot +5                       Alertness
3        7    Listen +5, Spot +5                       Alertness, Weapon Focus (Slam)
4        8    Listen +6, Spot +6                       Alertness, Weapon Focus (Slam)
5        9    Listen +7, Spot +7                       Alertness, Weapon Focus (Slam), Power Attack
6       10    Listen +15, Spot +15                     Alertness, Weapon Focus (Slam), Power Attack, Improved Natural Attack (Slam)
7       11    Listen +18, Spot +18                     Alertness, Weapon Focus (Slam), Power Attack, Improved Natural Attack (Slam), Iron Will
8       12    Listen +21, Sense Motive +19, Spot +21   Alertness, Weapon Focus (Slam), Power Attack, Improved Natural Attack (Slam), Iron Will, Improved Bull Rush
9       13    Listen +24, Sense Motive +22, Spot +24   Alertness, Weapon Focus (Slam), Power Attack, Improved Natural Attack (Slam), Iron Will, Improved Bull Rush, Awesome Blow

In addition, you can select from the following Astral Construct abilities when making sentient Astral Constructs, in addition to your normal options. You cannot use these options with nonsentient Astral Constructs.

Menu A

• Arsenal (Ex/Ps): The construct gains proficiency with single a simple or martial weapon of your choice. It can manifest call weaponry (manifester level 1st) as a swift action once per round as a psi-like ability.
• Mind Shield (Ex): The construct is immune to charm and compulsion effects, unless it chooses to be affected.
• Skilled (Ex): The construct gains a number of ranks equal to its level + 1 in the skill of your choice, to a maximum of your ranks in that skill, and it considers that skill to be a class skill. This ability can be selected multiple times.

Menu B

• Feat (Ex): The construct gains any feat that it qualifies for as a bonus feat. This ability may be selected multiple times.
• Improved Arsenal (Ex/Ps): The construct gains proficiency with all simple and martial weapons. It can manifest call weaponry (manifester level 5th) as a swift action once per round as a psi-like ability.
• Improved Mind Shield (Ex): The construct is immune to mind-affecting effects, unless it chooses to be affected.
• Mind (Ex): The construct gains a +4 bonus to its Wisdom score.
• Thought (Ex): The construct gains a +4 bonus to its Intelligence score. This does not grant it additional skill points.
• Personality (Ex): The construct gains a +4 bonus to its Charisma score.

Menu C

• Channel Power (Su): As long as the construct's creator has line of sight and line of effect to it, the creator may determine range, line of sight, and line of effect for powers the he or she manifests from the construct's position and with the construct's senses instead of his or her own.
• Greater Arsenal (Ex/Ps): The construct gains proficiency with all simple, martial, and exotic weapons. It can manifest call weaponry (manifester level equal to its hit dice) as a swift action once per round as a psi-like ability.
• Improved Psionics (Ex): The manifester level of each of the construct's psi-like abilities improves by 4, to a maximum of its hit dice.
• Share Powers (Su): At the creator's option, he can have any power (but not any psi-like ability) he manifests on himself also affect the construct. The construct must be within 5 feet of him at the time of the manifestation to receive the benefit. If the power has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting the construct if it moves farther than 5 feet away, and will not affect the construct again, even if it returns to its creator before the duration expires. Additionally, the creator can manifest a power with a target of “You” on the construct (as a touch range power) instead of on himself. The creator and construct cannot share powers if the powers normally do not affect creatures of the construct's type.

Special: You can use the Skin of the Construct feat, Ectopic Skin feats, and similar effects to select from these additional menu options as long as the construct that you create to fuse with is a sentient Astral Construct.

Ectopic Lifebond [Ectopic Skin, Psionic]

Prerequisites: Ability to manifest astral construct, Boost Construct, Astral Lifeshaping, Skin of the Construct, must have a Constitution score.
Benefit: You can merge a living Astral Construct with your body, allowing it to buffer you from certain effects. When you use Skin of the Construct to fuse with a living Astral Construct, you may choose to give up the Menu A option and the temporary hit points to let the construct's life force mingle with your own. This grants you temporary hit points equal to the construct's Constitution score (which may be traded for other effects with other Ectopic Skin feats in place of the normal 1d8 temporary hit points) that last for as long as the ones granted by Skin of the Construct normally would (normally 1 hour). In addition, you are protected by the skin of the living construct for as long as you would otherwise gain the Menu A option (usually 1 minute), granting you immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, disease, nausea, fatigue, exhaustion, and energy drain. You can be targeted and affected by spells that target constructs in addition to your normal type. You do not need to eat, sleep, or breathe, but you can still benefit from the effects of consumable spells and magic items such as heroes' feast and potions. finally, if you are disabled you do not risk further injury due to strenuous actions, and you automatically stabilize if you are reduced to negative hit points.
Special: If you have the Living Construct subtype, you can choose to retain the Menu A option and the improved temporary hit points at the cost of the other benefits (most of which, if not all, are already granted by the Living Construct subtype).

Schismed Skin [Ectopic Skin, Psionic]

Prerequisites: Ability to manifest astral construct, Boost Construct, Astral Thoughtbinding, Skin of the Construct.
Benefit: You can bind a sentient Astral Construct mind instead of your body, allowing it to manifest your powers for you. When you use Skin of the Construct to fuse with a sentient Astral Construct, you may choose to give up the Menu A option and the temporary hit points to let the construct's mind mingle with your own, granting you the benefit of a modified schism power for as long as you would otherwise gain the Menu A option. This special schism is considered to be the result of a supernatural ability, nor a power, and it stacks with the benefits of the schism power and similar effects. The effective manifester level of your construct's mind cannot exceed the number of power points that you spent to manifest it, even through effects that grant a bonus to its manifester level, such as the Overchannel and Practiced Manifester feats. Despite being referred to as a separate entity, the fused construct is considered part of your own mind, as normal for the separate part of your mind created by schism. As such, it uses your feats, skills, and other abilities, not those that it would have as an independent construct.

Edit: Added Schismed Skin and Ectopic Lifebond. See http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=8896 for more information about Ectopic Skin feats.
Astral Thoughtbinding no longer requires Astral Lifeshaping, nor does it require you to make only living Astral Constructs sentient.

[Amechra]

Very interesting.

How would these interact with that power from Hyperconscious?

Or any of my Skin feats...

[Bloody Initiate]

Lol, I've been making feats for liberated/awakened constructs. It's funny to see when people's minds are in similar places.

[Garryl]

I'm not familiar with "that power from Hyperconscious", but if you can show it to me I'll let you know. Technically, there's no interaction between these feats and Ectopic Skin, but I'll add a clause to at least allow the menu choices. Also, I'm thinking of a couple of Ectopic Skin feats to work with these as well. One would let your intelligent construct skin manifest your powers alongside you, like the schism power.

[bkdubs123]

These feel... evil to me. Like [Evil] subtype evil. And also god-like. You're essentially gaining the ability to create countless forms of life and sentience. The evil part comes from the fact that even though the Astral Constructs are now alive, and possibly sentient, you still command them and make all of their decisions for them. Basically you're like a Phyrexian slave lord!

[Garryl]

Here's a living Astral Construct race. Please let me know what you think. They are originally created by members of the Astral Progenitor prestige class (coming soon), but they can reproduce on their own.



New Races:

Living Astral Construct

• +2 Strength, -2 Intelligence - Astral Constructs are physically powerful, but their minds are not as well developed and honed as most other races.
• Medium size.
• 30 foot base land speed.
• Construct type with the Living Construct and Psionic subtypes - Although most Astral Constructs are but raw ectoplasm brought together by a psion's will, Living Astral Constructs have true life along with true sentience.
• Astral Construct Level: Due to their heritage, Living Astral Constructs are also treated as Astral Constructs for effects that depend on race. For effects that refer to a Living Astral Construct's Astral Construct level, the Living Astral Construct's Astral Construct level is equal to the number of Astral Construct feats it possesses, minimum 0, maximum one half its character level.
• Customized Construction (Ex): Due to their origins, Living Astral Constructs are varied in form and abilities. At 1st level, they gain one ability of their choice from the Customized Construction list, as indicated below. Once chosen, this cannot be changed.
• Ectoplasm Resistance (Ex): Despite being made primarily of ectoplasm, Living Astral Constructs cannot be dismissed or destroyed by the dismiss ectoplasm power. They instead suffer 3d8 points of damage on a failed save.
• Naturally Psionic (Ex): Due to their origins, Living Astral Constructs gain 1 bonus power point.
• Favored Class (Ex): Psion or Psychic Warrior.

As a result of the Living Construct subtype, Living Astral Constructs also have the following traits:

• Unlike other constructs, a living construct has a Constitution score. A living construct does not gain bonus hit points by size but gains (or loses) bonus hit points through a Constitution bonus (or penalty) as with other living creatures.
• Unlike other constructs, a living construct does not have low-light vision or darkvision.
• Unlike other constructs, a living construct is not immune to mind-influencing effects.
• Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, disease, nausea, fatigue, exhaustion, and energy drain.
• A living construct cannot heal damage naturally.
• Unlike other constructs, living constructs are subject to critical hits, effects requiring a Fort save, death from massive damage, nonlethal damage, stunning, ability damage, ability drain, and death effects or necromancy effects.
• Unlike other constructs, a living construct can use the run action.
• Living constructs can be affected by spells that target living creatures as well as by those that target constructs. Damage dealt to a living construct can be healed by a cure light wounds spell or a repair light damage spell, for example, and a living construct is vulnerable to a harm spell. However, spells from the healing subschool provide only half effect to a living construct.
• A living construct responds slightly differently from other living creatures when reduced to 0 hit points. A living construct with 0 hit points is disabled, just like a living creature. He can only take a single move action or standard action in each round, but strenuous activity does not risk further injury. When his hit points are less than 0 and greater than -10, a living construct is inert. He is unconscious and helpless, and he cannot perform any actions. However, an inert living construct does not lose additional hit points unless more damage is dealt to him, as with a living creature that is stable.
• Can be raised or resurrected.
• Does not need to eat, sleep, or breathe, but can still benefit from the effects of consumable spells and magic items such as heroes' feast and potions.
• Does not need to sleep, but must rest for 8 hours before preparing spells.

Customized Construction grants a Living Astral Construct one of the following abilities.

• Alacrity (Ex): The construct's base land speed improves by 10 feet.
• Senses (Ex): The construct gains darkvision out to 60 feet and low-light vision.
• Slam (Ex): The construct gains a single slam attack, dealing 1d6 points of damage (for a Medium creature). As a sole natural attack, the construct can add 1.5 times its Strength modifier to damage rolls with this slam attack when it is used as a primary natural weapon. If the construct ever gains another natural attack, the construct only adds its Strength modifier to damage rolls with this slam (when used as a primary natural weapon). It gains an enhancement bonus on all attack and damage rolls with this slam attack equal to one half its Astral Construct level, minimum +0. While the construct's size is Large or larger, it gains an additional slam attack.
• Toughened (Ex): The construct gains a +1 natural armor bonus to its Armor Class and gains Toughness as a bonus feat. This natural armor bonus improves by one fifth of its Astral Construct level.

New Feats:

Astral Construct Feats:
Several feats here are marked as Astral Construct feats. These feats are designed to be taken by members of the Living Astral Construct race. While that descriptor has no game effect on its own, some effects give additional benefits based on the number of Astral Construct feats you possess.

Advanced Creation [Astral Construct]
Prerequisites: Customized Construction, Living Astral Construct
Benefit: You are made of advanced construction. If you gain Astral Construct Menu abilities, you can select them from an extended menu, as described by the Advanced Construction ability of the Constructor Prestige Class. As an additional benefit, you gain a +2 bonus on saves against dismiss ectoplasm and similar effects.
Special: This feat may only be taken at 1st level during character creation.


Tainted Creation [Astral Construct]
Prerequisites: Customized Construction, Living Astral Construct
Benefit: You are made of tainted ectoplasm. If you gain Astral Construct Menu abilities, you can select them from an extended menu, as described by the Tainted Construction feat. Your surface is a shimmering black bathed in a deep purple glow. As an additional benefit, the natural weapons and manufactured weapons that you use bypass damage reduction as though they were Evil-aligned.
Special: This feat may only be taken at 1st level during character creation.


Utility Creation [Astral Construct]
Prerequisites: Customized Construction, Living Astral Construct
Benefit: You are made for a purpose. You gain four additional skill points at 1st level and one additional skill point at each level beyond that.
Special: This feat may only be taken at 1st level during character creation.


Boosted Construction [Astral Construct]
Prerequisites: Astral Construct level 1, Customized Construction, Living Astral Construct
Benefit: Choose an option from Astral Construct Menu A. You gain that ability. You cannot choose to instead gain two (or more) selections from another menu.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Each time, select a different Menu A option.
Special: For the purposes of abilities gained this way, you are considered to be your own creator.
Special: A Living Astral Construct can select this feat as though it was a Psionic feat.
Special: If you have a Constitution score, you can also choose from the menu options granted by the Astral Lifeshaping feat. If you have an Intelligence score, you can also choose form the menu options granted by the Astral Thoughtbinding feat. If you later lose these ability scores, you also lose any associated ability selections until you regain them.


Improved Construction [Astral Construct]
Prerequisites: Astral Construct level 4, Customized Construction, Living Astral Construct
Benefit: Choose an option from Astral Construct Menu B. You gain that ability. You cannot choose to instead gain two (or more) selections from another menu.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Each time, select a different Menu B option.
Special: For the purposes of abilities gained this way, you are considered to be your own creator.
Special: A Living Astral Construct can select this feat as though it was a Psionic feat.
Special: If you have a Constitution score, you can also choose from the menu options granted by the Astral Lifeshaping feat. If you have an Intelligence score, you can also choose form the menu options granted by the Astral Thoughtbinding feat. If you later lose these ability scores, you also lose any associated ability selections until you regain them.


Superior Construction [Astral Construct]
Prerequisites: Astral Construct level 7, Customized Construction, Living Astral Construct
Benefit: Choose an option from Astral Construct Menu C. You gain that ability. You cannot choose to instead gain two (or more) selections from another menu.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Each time, select a different Menu C option.
Special: For the purposes of abilities gained this way, you are considered to be your own creator.
Special: A Living Astral Construct can select this feat as though it was a Psionic feat.
Special: If you have a Constitution score, you can also choose from the menu options granted by the Astral Lifeshaping feat. If you have an Intelligence score, you can also choose form the menu options granted by the Astral Thoughtbinding feat. If you later lose these ability scores, you also lose any associated ability selections until you regain them.

[Prime32]

I'm not familiar with "that power from Hyperconscious", but if you can show it to me I'll let you know. Technically, there's no interaction between these feats and Ectopic Skin, but I'll add a clause to at least allow the menu choices. Also, I'm thinking of a couple of Ectopic Skin feats to work with these as well. One would let your intelligent construct skin manifest your powers alongside you, like the schism power.

http://dsp-d20-srd.wikidot.com/ectoskeleton

Not Hyperconscious, but might be what he meant.

[Amechra]

Yes, that is (why did I think Hyperconscious?)

[Garryl]

There's no special interaction with Ectoskeleton either. It does what it always does, but your construct will probably have different menu options to choose from (irrelevant as they are disabled) and maybe more hit points.

[Amechra]

AND BE AN INTELLIGENT CREATURE!

Dun dun dun!

[Garryl]

Statement: The meatbag is wearing me like a skin.

Rhetorical: Does that make me a meatbag too?