Morphling

MORPHLING

Once upon a time, Queen Maab was the chief and leader of all the Fey in existence. Then her husband awoke, and re-established his court in the Wold's Cradle. And most of her courtiers and many of her friends joined him there. As she walked the empty halls of her palace, she wondered what others saw in him. She took his form, and went out in the Wold, and in visions. She saw that many liked his gifts. Even some who worshipped her accepted his gifts. She wondered what gift she could give …

She watched druids and shifters in her dreams. Long ago she had given druids the gift of wild shaping. She decided she could offer a variation on this gift, and make it more -- interesting. She walked the dreams of her followers, looking for worthy candidates. She found those who would love the gifts she offered, who were devoted to her and no other gods. In dreams, her chosen followers spoke with the Queen, and most accepted her blessings. The Queen spun cocoons around them, and when they emerged, they were the first of their kind, the first to gain the Queen's present. Here is a link to the story of one morphling. (Link to come)

Morphlings are those who are blessed by Queen Maab, who created the shapes of the plants and animals of the Wold, and who herself has been known to take the shape of a silver dragon. These blessings allows the morphling to change their own shape, or grant themselves powers. Sometimes they can change other creatures or things. Their powers are based in nature and in fairie. The Queen's morphlings embrace a philosophy of fluidity and adaptability. Many are also influenced by the whimsical humor of the fey. The zest for life needed to become a morphling can be found in any hero, but only those who honor the Fairy Queen exclusively find themselves honored with her favor.

Role: Morphlings love animals and plants, so they tend to like druids, rangers, and those with powers related to nature. Their own backgrounds and roles in adventuring groups can vary widely. Morphlings are ultimately versatile, flexible, and hard to pin down. One minute they may be front-line battlers; the next, mobile scouts or even mounts for their friends.

Alignment: Always transforming into something new, morphlings are usually flexible in both feelings and form. They value their freedom; they refuse to be bound into one shape, and they resist other bindings as well. On the other hand, some are devoted to a cause, especially service to their queen, and those are steadfast, organized, and determined. Some of these hold to a code of some sort.

HD: d8

Requirements

To qualify to become a morphling, a character must fulfill the following criteria.

• Skills: Survival 5 ranks, Knowledge (Nature) 5 ranks

• Language: Sylvan

• Special: Must honor and worship Maab, and no other god or power.

Class Skills

The morphling's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Fly (Dex), Knowledge [Arcana] (Int), Knowledge [Nature] (Int), Perception (Wis), Stealth (Dex), Swim (Str).

Skill Points per level: 4 + Int modifier

Table: The Morphling

Level	BAB	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+0	+0	+1	+1	Queen's Creations, Morphamancy
2nd	+1	+1	+1	+1	Maab's Gift, More-phamancy
3rd	+2	+1	+2	+2	Maab's Gift, More-phamancy
4th	+3	+1	+2	+2	Queen's Speech, More-phamancy
5th	+3	+2	+3	+3	Maab's Gift, More-phamancy
6th	+4	+2	+3	+3	Maab's Gift, More-phamancy
7th	+5	+2	+4	+4	Queen's Minions, More-phamancy
8th	+6	+3	+4	+4	Queen's Shape, More-phamancy
9th	+6	+3	+5	+5	Maab's Gift, More-phamancy
10th	+7	+3	+5	+5	Champion of the Queen, More-phamancy

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the morphling prestige class.

• Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The morphling gains no new proficiency in armor or weapons. Note that a morphling is proficient with all natural attacks (claw, bite, etc) of any form assumed.

• Queen's Creations: At first level, you gain an empathy with animals and plants. You gain Wild Empathy, just like a druid or ranger of equal level. Your levels stack with those from other classes that grant Wild Empathy. You also may use your wild empathy with all plant creatures and with magical beasts at no penalty.

• Morphamancy (Sp): At first level, you gain a number of spell-like abilities, using your morphling level as your caster level. These powers can affect only yourself. At first level, you can use the following each once per day: Alter Self, Bear's Endurance, Beast Shape I, Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Darkvision, Enlarge Person, Longstrider, Reduce Person, and Tree Shape.

Note that per the Pathfinder Core rules, you can only be affected by one polymorph spell at a time. If a new polymorph effect is placed on you (or you place one on yourself), you can decide whether or not to allow it to affect you, taking the place of the old spell. In addition, other magic that changes your size has no effect on you while you are polymorphed.

• Maab's Gift: The Queen of the Fey has given you a gift of magical transmutation. Use your Morphling level as caster level for these gifts. All gifts that are spell-like abilities are polymorph effects. Saving throw DCs against your gifts are base 10 + morphling level + your charisma modifier. At levels 2, 3, 5, 6, and 9, you may choose one of the following gifts:
  • Beastial Touch (Sp): You can partially polymorph a creature into a beastial hybrid as a melee touch attack requiring a standard action. The target rolls a Will save vs DC10 + morphling level + Chr bonus. The beastial touch has a duration of one minute per level and affects a particular individual only once per day. You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to three + your Charisma modifier. You may choose one of the following effects:
    • (1) Head: The target's head changes into an animal head. The target can no longer speak or cast spells with verbal components.
    • (2) Arms & Hands: The target's hands become paw- or hoof-like. The target cannot cast spells with somatic components; takes a -3 on attacks made with claws or hands or weapons held in hands; and suffers a -3 penalty on skill checks that require hands.
    • (3) Legs & Feet: The target becomes a two-legged beast from the waist down. The target loses the ability to run, and its base move rate is reduced by half.
  • Beastkin (Ex): Your natural form changes: you grow fur all over your body, and your face takes on a slightly beastial cast. You gain low light vision; if you already have that, you gain scent. You gain a pair of claws you can use as primary attacks that deal 1d4 points of damage. Also, you gain Handle Animal as a class skill. You may not take the Plantkin or Fairykin gifts. You must reach morphling level 5 to take this gift.
  • Big Bug Master: When you activate any Beast Shape magic, including SLAs, spells, items, and wild shape, you may select the forms of vermin: medium vermin with Beast Shape II (+2 Str; +1 nat armor), large vermin with Beast Shape III (+4 Str, +2 Con, -2 Dex; +3 nat armor), and huge vermin with Beast Shape IV (+6 Str, +2 Con, -4 Dex; +5 nat armor).
  • Bow At Hand (Sp): You may polymorph any object you hold into a bow as a standard action; you gain proficiency with the bow made using this ability. This power, usable once per day, is dismissible and lasts ten minutes per morphling level. The bow can be long or short, composite if desired, with a Strength bonus to damage up to your own at the time you make it. If the object is a magic weapon, it retains all its magical properties that can apply to a bow. Note that cold iron objects are immune to this power. Also, as a free action with no limit on uses per day, you can retrieve a gold coin that you have on your person and polymorph it into a normal arrow, ready to fire.
  • Early Dismissal (Su): You may end any dismissible (D) transmutation spell or SLA targeting you specifically as a swift action; if it is not dismissable, you may dismiss it as a standard action. If the spell or SLA affects multiple targets (such as Slow), you may dismiss it only with regard to yourself. You may not dismiss transmutations affecting areas unless you created the effect yourself.
  • Fairykin (Ex): Your natural form changes: you become lighter (by a quarter), shorter (by 1d6 inches), with pointed ears, and you sprout butterfly wings. Your size category does not change. You gain a fly speed of 40 ft with average maneuverability. Also, you gain Bluff as a class skill. You may not take the Plantkin or Beastkin gifts. You must reach morphling level 5 to take this gift.
  • Fruit and Flower (Sp): As a spell-like ability that requires a standard action, you can polymorph any non-magical object within short range (25 ft plus 5 ft per two morphling levels) into a fruit or flower. The change is permanent and dismissible. If the item is attended, the owner can resist the magic by making a Will save vs DC10 + morphling level + Charisma modifier. You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your charisma modifier, and not affecting any cold iron object. This power can affect only objects less than 1 ft per morphling level in its longest dimension.
  • Little Bug Master: When you activate any Beast Shape magic, including SLAs, spells, items, and wild shape, you may may select the forms of vermin: small vermin with Beast Shape II (+2 Dex; +1 nat armor), tiny vermin with Beast Shape III (+4 Dex, +2 Con, -2 Str; +1 nat armor), and diminutive vermin with Beast Shape IV (+6 Dex, +2 Con, -4 Str; +1 nat armor).
  • Many Changes: When you use your Plant Shape, Beast Shape, and Alter Self Morephamancy, as a full-round action you may change from your current form to another form permitted by the current spell-like ability.
  • Momentary Plant (Sp): You can change a creature within short range (25 ft plus 5 ft per two morphling levels) into a small or medium plant creature, as Plant Shape I. If the target is unwilling, it gains a Fort save vs DC 10 plus morphling level plus Cha mod. This effect lasts only 1d4 rounds, rolled secretly by the DM. You may use momentary plant on a particular individual only once per day. You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your charisma modifier.
  • Morpharmor (Su): You may use armor and shields with the Wild ability whenever you are under a polymorph effect that melds your gear into your form.
  • Perfect Disguise (Su): Disguise is a class skill for you. You may use polymorph magic to create the disguise of a particular individual. When doing so, you can mimic the sound of the individual’s voice, if you have heard it. You can also polymorph your gear, without gaining or losing any magical properties, to mimic the individual’s gear, if you have seen it or heard it described.
  • Plantkin (Ex): Your natural form changes: your skin turns green and your hair and fur is replaced by grass, moss, and ivy. You gain a +4 racial bonus vs paralysis, poison, polymorph, sleep effects, and stunning. You also gain Survival as a class skill. You no longer need food, rest, or sleep so long as you are exposed to natural daylight for at least one hour per day. You may not take the Beastkin or Fairykin gifts. You must reach morphling level 5 to take this gift.
  • Polycaster (Ex): You gain the Natural Spell feat, which you can use whenever you cast spells while under a polymorph effect.
  • Unexpected Trickery: You add +2 to the save DC of polymorph effects against opponents who are denied their Dex bonus. Also, you gain a +4 bonus on caster level checks to overcome spell resistance against such foes. You must be fifth level to take this gift.
  • Verdant Vine (Sp): As a standard action, you grow a 15-foot-long, animated vine from your body that springs forth toward a foe. This vine lasts for 1 round and can be used to make a single disarm, bull rush, or trip combat maneuver, using your character level plus your Charisma modifier in place of your normal CMB. You can use this power a number of times per day equal to 3 plus your Charisma modifier.
  • Wriggly (Su): You can distort your physical shape at need, letting you wriggle around enemies. Escape Artist is a class skill for you. Also, you gain a +2 racial bonus to CMD, rising to a +4 vs grapples; you gain a +2 racial bonus on escape artist checks, +4 when using escape artist to escape a grapple. The squeezing rules apply to you as if you were one size category smaller than you really are.

• More-phamancy (Sp): Adding more to your Morphamancy, at each level that you advance as a morphling, you gain more spell-like abilities, also each once per day:
  • At second level add Plant Shape I and Barkskin.
  • At third level, add Beast Shape II and Spider Climb.
  • At fourth level add Plant Shape II and Water Breathing.
  • At fifth level, add Beast Shape III and Gaseous Form.
  • At sixth level add Plant Shape III and Meld Into Stone.
  • At seventh level add Beast Shape IV and Haste.
  • At eighth level add Stoneskin and Righteous Might.
  • At ninth level add Transformation and Statue.
  • At tenth level add Iron Body and Regenerate.

• Queen's Speech (Su): At fourth level, regardless of your current form, you gain the magical ability to speak with and understand creatures of the animal, plant, fey, magical beast, and humanoid types. This ability does not enable spell casting beyond the usual capacity of your current form.

• Queen's Minions (Sp): At seventh level, you gain the magical ability to assume the form of the creatures who serve the Fey Queen. Each day, pick one of these spells: Beast Shape I, Plant Shape I, or Alter Self. You may use the chosen spell for that day as a constant spell-like ability.

• Queen’s Shape: Following Queen Maab’s example, you can become a silver dragon as a spell-like ability. At level 8 you can use Form of the Dragon I 1/day. At level 9, replace that with Form of the Dragon II 1/day. At level 10, replace that with Form of the Dragon III 1/day.

• Champion of the Queen (Su): At 10th level, whenever you are outdoors under sky or foliage in a natural setting, or in natural caverns underground (not in a city or town, not in a building), you gain DR 10/cold iron and a +2 luck bonus on all saving throws. In addition, whenever you successfully score a critical hit against a foe who is in a natural area, that foe is stunned for one round.