Custom D&D template help (3.5e)

[Red Mage Black]

So, someone on myth-weavers is running a custom solo game for me. They promise it's going to be awesome. The starting background is styled after the fertile crescent with pseudo-Ancient Greek architecture and crystal spires created by magi. The story is probably going to start off standard high fantasy and probably dip off into horror territory. They mention it something like Madoka Magica style tragedy.

Fluff behind us, my DM and I need help coming up with a customized template for the descendant of a Concordant Killer(MM4). Problems I've been having is how to work it with this game and how to plasuibly hold on to it for the future. I've been told its better off being made into an evolving template. I'm not sure what this entails, but I assume some folks here might.

I've been thinking of meshing half-celestial and half-fiend together, but should it be more like aasimar and tiefling? I consider the former more because they are the direct descendant/first generation of such a bloodline.

The DM wants to start with no alignment, not N, just none at all. It'll affect appearance(think like Fable but more extreme) and possibly abilities concerning the template.

Someone suggested Nephilim for a name, but that's irrelevant. I just thought it sounded cool. Problem is, what should the abilities be? Ability scores? If the template won't carry an LA for this game, what would be a good template mix? +3 is the highest in that regard. For future reference for other games, what should the LA be?

I ask here because the DM has been busy building the setting and story.

[tacticslion]

By "evolving" I think you've got the right idea with the half-templates - i.e. something that levels up and changes as you do. Otherwise, the only thing I could think of is the evolved undead, which is still that, just more random and with a needlessly high LA.

Looking at the half- templates it's a little strange, because both of them are LA +4, which I really thought they were only +3. Weird.

Still, here are the similarities:
- +1nAC
- fly [either twice land speed (good) for celestial, or land speed (average) for fiend]
- smite
- darkvision 60
- resist (acid, cold, electricity) 10
- DR 5/magic (11 HD or less), DR 10/magic (11 HD or more)
- natural weapons treated as magic
- SR HD+10 (max 35)
- poison resistance (+4 from celestial, immunity from fiend)
- spell-likes (see below)

Here are the differences:
- celestial:
- - gains daylight as an at-will Su ability
- - immune to disease
- - STR/CON/WIS/CHA +4, DEX/INT+2
- fiend:
- - two claw and one bite attack (full attack with all)
- - resist (fire) 10
- - STR/DEX/INT +4, CON/CHA +2 <no wisdom increase>

Now, let's look at the spell-likes

HD: CELESTIAL.............. ------------- ............FIENDISH
1-2: (1/day) bless, (3/day) protection v. evil..... (3/day) darkness
3-4: (1/day) aid, detect evil ........................... (1/day) desecrate
5-6: (1/day) cure serious w., neut. poison ........ (1/day) unholy blight
7-8: (1/day) holy smite, remove disease ......... (3/day) poison
9-10: (1/day) dispel evil ............................... (1/day) contagion
11-12: (1/day) holy word .............................. (1/day) blasphemy
13-14: (1/day) hallow, (3/day) holy word ......... (1/day) unhallow, (3/day) blasphemy
15-16: (1/day) mass charm monster ................ (1/day) horrid wilting
17-18: (1/day) summon monster IX ................. "
19-20: (1/day) resurrection ............................ (1/day) destruction

Welp, there are some definite parallels, and some spots that are easy for alignment-based substitution, but I'm out of time for now, thus I'll make some break-down comparisons a bit later, maybe put of the half-fey template to see how it stacks, and look at the phrenic template from Expanded Psionics Handbook. (By the way, you're using 3.5 and definitely not PF, yeah?)

((Also, I know this much information is obvious, I just find it helpful to have it side-by-side for comparison.))

EDIT:

So, after looking up Phrenic (which is a +2):

- psionic subtype (allowing it to access feats)
- naturally psionic (1) (allowing it actually use some of the feats it can now access)
- power resistance HD+10
- +2 INT and WIS; +4 CHA

HD.......Abilities
1–2..............(3/day) defensive precognition; (1/day) force screen
3–4..............(3/day) empty mind, mind thrust
5–6..............(1/day) body adjustment, brain lock
7–8..............(1/day) aversion, <unknown> blast
9–10.............(3/day) intellect fortress; (1/day) psychic crush
11–12............(1/day) psionic dominate
13–14............(1/day) energy current, tower of iron will
15–16............(3/day) psionic teleport
17–18............(1/day) fission
19–20............(1/day) ultrablast

So, somewhere between the phrenic and the half-celestial template is the "golden" +3 LA you're looking for (as the half-fiend is clearly on the very bottom end of the +4 LA, considering it's significantly worse SLAs and benefits).

Half-fey is also +2.

- fey (and all attendant changes)
- fly speed equal to twice land speed (good)
- lowlight vision
- immune to enchantment effects
- +4 CHA, +2 DEX, WIS, -2 INT

HD.......Abilities
1–2..............(at will) charm person; (1/day) faerie fire OR glitterdust
3–4..............(3/day) detect law, (1/day) sleep OR enthrall
5–6..............(3/day) protection v. law, (1/day) hideous laughter OR suggestion
7–8..............(1/day) confusion OR {emotion (see GM for details)*}
9–10.............(1/day) eyebite, OR lesser geas
11–12............(1/day) dominate person OR hold monster
13–14............(1/day) mass invisibility**
15–16............(1/day) geas/quest OR mass suggestion
17–18............(1/day) insanity OR mass charm [person?]***
19–20............(1/day) irresistible dance
The spell-like abilities with "OR" work like spontaneous spell-slots - each time, you get to choose it.

* This was changed into something akin to half a dozen different spells of different levels from 3rd to 3.5, so you'll need to see if this was updated and what it does with your GM.

** I think this was changed to "invisibility sphere" for 3.5, but check with your GM.

*** This spell name has no "target" descriptor (like "person" or "monster"), so you'd have to compare how the spell "mass charm" applied itself to determine. The "person" is a guess.

From looking at the above, it seems to me, at least, that the major "oomph" of what they consider an +2 LA difference is how much the critter gets in ability score shift. Movement, unusual types, immunities - these all seem to be relatively minor.

Were I doing this, I'd create a template that had the "look" of the half-fey template (with several "or" abilities) taking from the fiend/celestial things, making sure to replace equal level SLAs with equal level SLAs.

The "prot. v. <alignment>, <aligned word>, <aligned aura>, and similar spells all work well to reflect alignment (as does things like <holy smite> and similar. I'd actually suggest dropping the immunities and defenses and instead just give them constant "protection from <all alignments>" (including neutral) which will cover a number of immunities, an effective +2 to AC and saves, and give you a clear "I AM THE BALANCE" feel while allowing you to use entirely normal rules - sidestepping any other rules. Simple, not high-powered (just 1st level spells), and easy to adjucate. It'd probably a Su ability, probably CL = HD, automatically restored at the beginning of your turn if somehow successfully dispelled or something.

That'll leave:
- fly [twice land speed (good)]
- smite
- darkvision 60
- natural weapons treated as magic
- spell-likes (see below)
- +4 to two scores, +2 to any other three abilities

That's just at a glance, as I said, not something perfectly balanced or known, buuuuuuuuuu~t that's how I'd do it.

[Red Mage Black]

I really should have listed all the sources I was allowed and yes, it is 3.5.

They seem to have thrown out some kind of template, but it seems lacking. I might need to stall for time:

Originally Posted by Said Template

Nephilim.

Stat adjustement;
STR: +2
DEX: +2
CON: 0
INT: +2
WIS: +4
CHA: +2

Special Abilities:

Alignment remains unknown until the user chooses under dire circumstances.
When Alignment has been chosen, physical appearance changes, based on what alignment is chosen. Lawful Good changes the eyes to a bright gold that shines in darkness, as well as causing the body to become cleaner, more noble.
Lawful Evil turns the eyes to a sinister, bloody red with swirling vertices of infernal power, as well as causing the body to become filthier in a way, more sinister.
Lawful Neutral changes the eyes into a cold, stone grey, as well as causing the body to fade in color in a stern fashion.
Darkvision 60 ft
Lowlight Vision 120 ft
Lifesense as a Racial Feat.

And pending Hit Die, the following abilities:

1 HD: Obscuring Mist, Hypnotism
3 HD: Endure Elements, Lesser Restoration
5 HD: Align Weapon, Shield of Faith, Lightning, Fire, and Cold resist 10.
9 HD: Darkness, Shatter, Silence, Sound Burst
11 HD: Searing Light, Remove Disease, Remove Curse, Speak with Dead, Dispel Magic, Lightning, Fire, and Cold resist 15.
16 HD: Cure Critical Wounds, Inflict Critical Wounds, Discern Lies, Sending, Tongues Lightning, Fire, and Cold Immunity.
20 HD: Gate, Soul Bind, True Resurrection, Power Word Kill, Shapechange*
Each can be cast 1/day at 1st, 2/day at 7th, 3/day at 12th, 4/day at 18th, and 5/day at 20th level.
Spellcaster levels for each of these are equal to the level/HD of the creature with this template.

LA +3

Please forgive the alignment stuff. Its really just fluff. I just included it because it was basically right there and I already needed to delete a lot of stuff they said and code.

[tacticslion]

Uh, hm. I'll have to review it?

I might make an alternate proposal to the GM, but, unless the GM isn't good at eyeballing or is distracted, they might be giving you a "hint" as to what they're looking for/expect.

[Red Mage Black]

Well, I'd really appreciate the input so maybe I could throw it to my DM and let them make the decision on it. I'm really not that good at making anything, even from Savage Species, much less templates.