BORG Template [Archive] - Wizards Community

BORG Template [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
burntsolace
10-14-07, 10:29 PM Tried to post this once and seemed to have been eaten by the boards.... here is take two. This is my first time trying to do something like this. Please let me know what you think, plus any suggestions or comments are always welcome.

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BORG

Borg as a conglomeration of flesh steel and magic, who are designed solo for function. They are a race out of the far reaches of the planes which assimilate other races and world

“Borg” is an inherited template that can be added to any living, corporeal creature .

A “Borg” uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Size and Type: The creature’s type changes to Abberation. Do not recalculate Hit Dice, base attack bonus, or saves. Size is unchanged.

Speed: A Borg has the same move speed as the base creature, but it is unable to run or charge.

Armor Class: Natural Armor increases by +4

Attack: A Borg has natural slam attack, and if proficient with no weapons unless outfitted with a special Borg Weapon. (See Bellow)

Full Attack: A borg outfitted with a special weapon may take as many attacks as allowed by it's Base Attack Bonus. A Borg with out a special weapon may only make one slam attack.

Damage: Borg's Slam attack varies based upon size.
Size Damage
Fine 1
Diminutive 1d2
Tiny 1d3
Small 1d4
Medium 1d6
Large 1d8
Huge 2d6
Gargantuan 3d6
Colossal 4d6

Special Attacks: A Borg retains all the special attacks of the base creature and gains the following special attack.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, an Borg must hit a Large or smaller opponent with a slam attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.

Assimilate (Ex): A Borg who successfully pins an opponent may Assimilate their opponent. Magical probes erupt from the arm of the Borg and inject themselves into the opponent. The Opponent receives a Fort save (DC 10+Borg's HD) to resist the assimilation. Once the process is complete there is no way to reverse the process, the opponent's mind is destroyed. During the process a Break Enchantment spell will nullify the effects.

Upon a failed fort save, the target is incapacitated for two rounds, after which they rise as a borg.

Special Qualities: A Borg has all the special qualities of the base creature, plus the following special qualities.

-Mindless (incapable of independent thought and immune to all mind affecting effects), Can only move or attack, can not do both. Can not run or Charge.
-Psionic Mind link distance 1 mile. Each "Borg" can me a link in the chain. But if they lose their connection with the hive mind, they will only repeat their last action over and over again.
-Fast healing 2
-Adaptability - Any "Borg" hit with a magical effect immediately transmits a signal to all "Borg" with in one mile and they become immune to that energy type (Fire, Cold, Electricity, Acid, Eldritch Blast, Holy etc) If they are hit with a physical attack they send the same signal and all Borg with in one mile gain DR5/slashing, DR5/piercing, or DR5/Bludgeoning. Depending upon what they were hit with.

Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +4, Dex -2, Con +2, Int-- (No Score) Cha -8 (minimum 3).

Skills: As a mindless creature, they have no skill. With the exception of any skills possessed by the Queen, which she may use through any of the drones.

Challenge Rating: Same as base creature +2

Alignment: Always Nuetral

Level Adjustment: -- None, not possible to play a mindless creature.
Smerg
10-14-07, 10:41 PM With the Adaptability, I would not make it an instanteous effect.

Normally, on the shows where Borgs are used, there is a delay while the defense is being worked out.

There should thus be a skill roll that the borg community makes depending on how many members/units are in the hive mind. Either a total of several skill roles a certain number of successful skill rolls is required to develop the new defenese.

This also allows players to use a trick/technique a few times before the borg begin to adapt requiring a new trick/technique.

You also might allow different sources of bonus to require a new adaptation roll. This allows the concept of 'cycling the phasers frequencies' to extend their value.
burntsolace
10-14-07, 11:10 PM I like that idea, but my fear would be they would rather quickly adapt to all energy type and make the mages useless.... I want to emphasize the need to cycle spell selection. Like the first few time you go fire, ice it works but maybe after a few times they anticipate fire followed by ice....? Or is that getting too complicated?
Delfedd
10-14-07, 11:51 PM No, that works out. Make sure that when they adapt to one thing they lose their other adaptation.

If you use these in your campaign however, you may have to reflavor them. Simply recreating the borg doesn't sit quite right with me. If you're going to use them, make them different. Perhaps they are part of a particularly ambitious Formains hive, or a new type of devilish scheme.

And try not to make them look like the borg.
burntsolace
10-15-07, 12:12 AM Yea I guess I didn't make that very clear that they would only have one immunity and one type of DR at a time.
goldomark
10-15-07, 03:27 AM You might make them living constructs instead of aberration and give them the hivemind ability. This way they would be closer to the original Borgs and I guess this is want you want.
Lionhearted
10-16-07, 10:47 AM If borgs are mindless, and there is no reverse to the process.. explain 7 of 9
burntsolace
10-16-07, 09:28 PM If borgs are mindless, and there is no reverse to the process.. explain 7 of 9

Rule 0
Smerg
10-16-07, 10:29 PM I would treat the gaining of a seperate personality like a lycanthrope learning to control itself when it changed. Choosing feats would allow more control of individual thought in stressful situations.

Create a series of feats that allow a certain amount of control and individuality.

Further, 7 of 9 and Captain Picard, were noted to suffer the risk of reversion to the hivemind nature when in the close proximity of large numbers of borgs.

A DM could rule that something like 7 of 9 which was alone was infact a 'hive' of one being. A hive of one is a fairly consistent personality.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
burntsolace 10-14-07, 10:29 PM	Tried to post this once and seemed to have been eaten by the boards.... here is take two. This is my first time trying to do something like this. Please let me know what you think, plus any suggestions or comments are always welcome. ----- BORG Borg as a conglomeration of flesh steel and magic, who are designed solo for function. They are a race out of the far reaches of the planes which assimilate other races and world “Borg” is an inherited template that can be added to any living, corporeal creature . A “Borg” uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here. Size and Type: The creature’s type changes to Abberation. Do not recalculate Hit Dice, base attack bonus, or saves. Size is unchanged. Speed: A Borg has the same move speed as the base creature, but it is unable to run or charge. Armor Class: Natural Armor increases by +4 Attack: A Borg has natural slam attack, and if proficient with no weapons unless outfitted with a special Borg Weapon. (See Bellow) Full Attack: A borg outfitted with a special weapon may take as many attacks as allowed by it's Base Attack Bonus. A Borg with out a special weapon may only make one slam attack. Damage: Borg's Slam attack varies based upon size. Size Damage Fine 1 Diminutive 1d2 Tiny 1d3 Small 1d4 Medium 1d6 Large 1d8 Huge 2d6 Gargantuan 3d6 Colossal 4d6 Special Attacks: A Borg retains all the special attacks of the base creature and gains the following special attack. Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, an Borg must hit a Large or smaller opponent with a slam attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. Assimilate (Ex): A Borg who successfully pins an opponent may Assimilate their opponent. Magical probes erupt from the arm of the Borg and inject themselves into the opponent. The Opponent receives a Fort save (DC 10+Borg's HD) to resist the assimilation. Once the process is complete there is no way to reverse the process, the opponent's mind is destroyed. During the process a Break Enchantment spell will nullify the effects. Upon a failed fort save, the target is incapacitated for two rounds, after which they rise as a borg. Special Qualities: A Borg has all the special qualities of the base creature, plus the following special qualities. -Mindless (incapable of independent thought and immune to all mind affecting effects), Can only move or attack, can not do both. Can not run or Charge. -Psionic Mind link distance 1 mile. Each "Borg" can me a link in the chain. But if they lose their connection with the hive mind, they will only repeat their last action over and over again. -Fast healing 2 -Adaptability - Any "Borg" hit with a magical effect immediately transmits a signal to all "Borg" with in one mile and they become immune to that energy type (Fire, Cold, Electricity, Acid, Eldritch Blast, Holy etc) If they are hit with a physical attack they send the same signal and all Borg with in one mile gain DR5/slashing, DR5/piercing, or DR5/Bludgeoning. Depending upon what they were hit with. Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +4, Dex -2, Con +2, Int-- (No Score) Cha -8 (minimum 3). Skills: As a mindless creature, they have no skill. With the exception of any skills possessed by the Queen, which she may use through any of the drones. Challenge Rating: Same as base creature +2 Alignment: Always Nuetral Level Adjustment: -- None, not possible to play a mindless creature.
Smerg 10-14-07, 10:41 PM	With the Adaptability, I would not make it an instanteous effect. Normally, on the shows where Borgs are used, there is a delay while the defense is being worked out. There should thus be a skill roll that the borg community makes depending on how many members/units are in the hive mind. Either a total of several skill roles a certain number of successful skill rolls is required to develop the new defenese. This also allows players to use a trick/technique a few times before the borg begin to adapt requiring a new trick/technique. You also might allow different sources of bonus to require a new adaptation roll. This allows the concept of 'cycling the phasers frequencies' to extend their value.
burntsolace 10-14-07, 11:10 PM	I like that idea, but my fear would be they would rather quickly adapt to all energy type and make the mages useless.... I want to emphasize the need to cycle spell selection. Like the first few time you go fire, ice it works but maybe after a few times they anticipate fire followed by ice....? Or is that getting too complicated?
Delfedd 10-14-07, 11:51 PM	No, that works out. Make sure that when they adapt to one thing they lose their other adaptation. If you use these in your campaign however, you may have to reflavor them. Simply recreating the borg doesn't sit quite right with me. If you're going to use them, make them different. Perhaps they are part of a particularly ambitious Formains hive, or a new type of devilish scheme. And try not to make them look like the borg.
burntsolace 10-15-07, 12:12 AM	Yea I guess I didn't make that very clear that they would only have one immunity and one type of DR at a time.
goldomark 10-15-07, 03:27 AM	You might make them living constructs instead of aberration and give them the hivemind ability. This way they would be closer to the original Borgs and I guess this is want you want.
Lionhearted 10-16-07, 10:47 AM	If borgs are mindless, and there is no reverse to the process.. explain 7 of 9
burntsolace 10-16-07, 09:28 PM	If borgs are mindless, and there is no reverse to the process.. explain 7 of 9 Rule 0
Smerg 10-16-07, 10:29 PM	I would treat the gaining of a seperate personality like a lycanthrope learning to control itself when it changed. Choosing feats would allow more control of individual thought in stressful situations. Create a series of feats that allow a certain amount of control and individuality. Further, 7 of 9 and Captain Picard, were noted to suffer the risk of reversion to the hivemind nature when in the close proximity of large numbers of borgs. A DM could rule that something like 7 of 9 which was alone was infact a 'hive' of one being. A hive of one is a fairly consistent personality.