Getting help with some builds.

[Lothmar]

I had some free time today so I was sitting around working on having a few build concepts that i've been wanting to try completed, saved and ready for the next time I found an appropriate fantasy craft game.

I was also interested in peoples opinions of the builds or if they possibly had ways to tweak it.  Im trying to make two to three variations of each, one that is just base book, one that is base book and Adv. Companion and the final one which is the easiest is the completely customized build with the Species/talent & specialties builders (though I rarely find anyone who allows these).

Build 1 - The Oni Mask.

I was having a lot of fun building this concept, essentially it's a cursed flesh eating classical Oni mask - the backstory of how it came into being can vary and really isn't important.  Unfortunately I think there's something I dont know that would keep me from doing this - but I put together an unborn ; Custom construction - Miniature frame unfortunately this only gets me down to small so that's a pretty big mask (this is assuming Dm wont let me size down to Tiny via species builder at 0 point difference) ; Floater (I only move under special circumstances though - like to fly back at my host or land safely from a fall, I usually am motionless though.) ; Ogre blood (for some reason it doesn't seem like you should be able to take 'blooded' feats as an unborn but since I haven't seen anything to contrary yet.  And if this is the case, im surprised they didn't come up with a 'cyborg' variant in the AC that allows living people to take unborn feats - essentially artificial limbs etc.) ; Firebrave and Special construction flesh (with either Sorcerer specialty or custom if the builder is allowed to gain the extra spec Construction.) to create 'the Oni Mask'.

At which point I play it as he's a mage with hidden spell so he can cast without speaking/moving (since I pretend he has no arms/hands since there's not an option for that) and he can just summon ninjas with the appropriate spells and spell secrets to make the appropriate summon 1 a 0sp cost ; or have him take followers and more followers and personal lieutenant so he can summon ninjas and have him go up the courtier class to gain 'sterling reputation' so he doesn't have to pay reputation for having his ninja fodder killed.  

But either way he holds onto someones face and transforms their head/face as necessary the entire campaign (cant hold onto his own ninjas/personal Lt since that would be too easy) and in exchange for his power and aid he gets to eat their face when they put him on ~ he of course lets them know that this steals their identity in the afterlife for him to assume if he so desires and will effectively make them walk for eternity blind/deaf/mute through the afterlife.  But this is more just character fluff.

Build 2 ; Al the Gator / Al & Gator
I figure this build will be either an Ogre with Suarian blood or vice versa ; Winterbrave for Devour/Bite attack (Does Devour stack or does it simply refresh/go with the highest option? Ex: Eat a threat level 5 round 2 Eat a threat level 3 round 4.  Does this mean I have 6 rounds or still only 3?) ; I was considering two headed for flavor, but I dont think bites can be used for two weapon fighting/style so it's bonus might be effectively negated save the harder to flank thing ; River Clutch & Crest so my bites can now start grapples ; I like eventually building up to Desert clutch & Crest - or maybe having at least clutch initially and gaining crest later if possible for the Kali's kiss special.  There are also a handful of feats out there to help boost up my bite I know, but im just trying to get the initial level 1 build hammered out for now.

I've got some im less enthusiastic about, but for now I think i'd like to work on these two specifically.

[paddyfool]

Welcome over to the crafty forums!

I've been mulling over that Oni Mask build a bit since you posted it on the OOC chat from our myth-weavers game.  Have you considered treating the "mask in charge of a man" build as maybe doable by simply giving a human/elf/pech/whatever (the person you're on top of) the Ogre blooded and Fire brave feats to represent the effects of the mask?  If you aren't planning for the mask to remove itself except in very special circumstances, the floating part can maybe be fluffed somehow.  And the capacity for the mask to remove itself and reattach to a new dupe if the person it's on is killed could maybe be covered with the cheating death rules somehow.

I had wondered about brewing a cyborg feat, incidentally (granting a few of the unborn immunities, or equivalent resistances, and access to the fun that is unborn species feats), but I haven't got around to it just yet.

On Build 2, may I (somewhat self-servingly) recommend a Monster speciality I homebrewed?  It seems appropriate (even if the formatting etc. went a bit wrong when I posted it to the database).

[Lothmar]

If im playing it 'solo' then yes that's the simplest way to do it is to just play something like human, either that or take lancer and combo link with a biped mount so he has conveyance needed etc.

But yes the ogre blood/fire brave is there so the mask can serve it's purpose and take any shape/form the wearer desires even their own face/head if they so choose and true while 'tiny' would be a face mask 'small' size class is useful for a whole head wrap. 

But no, im actually creating the construct as for the most part immobile cursed mask ; the goal with this concept is very support/rp oriented, you're paying the masks price so in exchange the mask helps you achieve whatever it can until you/it/both dies.  That and both peoples legends effectively become one - you're both very famous for different things, but people only see you as one person so you seem that much more powerful.

[paddyfool]

One thing I don't quite get - where does the NPC you'd be face-grafted onto come from?

[Sletchman]

Play as the person the mask lives on then take Personal Lieutennant for the mask and have it "ride" you?  That keeps things strictly "by the book".  If your GM is open to outside options, someone put together a puppeteer origin (IIRC it was for a Goa'uld) back in 2.0 which might be a good place to start.

You second one looks pretty solid as it - it kinda writes itself in some ways.  I'd go Ogre with Saurian blood, myself, but the other way would work fine - add in the species feats to boost your bite and go to town.  Bites are amazing in game.  Grab an item that boosts unarmed threat range and casts Wildside a couple times per scene and you will be an absolute monster in a fight.

[Lothmar]

@ Paddy - It doesn't (unless im playing it solo, in which case I do lancer for animal partner because you can auto join with a mount per the system since you count as one character when riding ; or I use Personal Lt and build it as an intelligent magic item for my use ; or I play it as just some guy, and his specialty and/or talents are gifted by the mask.), this concept is about co-operation between the party - Aka someone has a really lofty and interesting goal and needs power to accomplish it, oh look character introduction/plot device if the Gm wants to introduce me in a non conventional way at which point someone in the party carries me around the rest of the game and I use my abilities from there the rest of the campaign so people think it's all that one person.

@ Sletch ; Hmm, oh yeah PL isnt quite as limited in what it can be compared to the animal version, suppose I could take a look at that and run the mask as an intelligent magic item but im terrible at npc building sometimes.  I know at that point is simply a matter of perspective, but i'd rather play it as the mask and from the masks point of view.