So without further ado:
SRD wrote:
(I'll add more as they are inspired or suggested. Here's the running total).
- Nightmare (Outsider) [6HD]: Acquiring this form is most easily done by using Neraph as your race. This form grants etherealness as the spell at will and Astral Projection as the spell at will, both as supernatural abilities. 20th CL. Available as soon as 7th level. The implications of being able to use astral projection with 20 CL at 7th level should be obvious.
- Sarrukh (Monsterous Humaoid) [13 HD]: The key to ultimate power. See the pun-pun thread. (a link is provided in my signature).
- Barghest (Outsider) [6 HD or 9 HD]: A neraph psion can use this form to gain access to feed. If at 8th level, one can use feed once to then acquire the Greater Barghest form. You gain 1 outsider hit-dice for doing so and I believe the effects are permanent.
- Formian Queen (outsider) [20 HD]: Requires that you have already obtained telepathy innately by some means (mindbender dip is the way to go here), and have taken the mind-sight feat. Now assume the telepathy of a formian queen and act like a god with your now 50 mile radius radar scan.
- Spellweaver (Monsterous Humanoid) [10 HD]: Same as Formian Queen, except fewer HD reqs, and a 1000 mile telepathy.
- Yakfolk (monsterous humanoid?) [5HD]: Summon Genie as a su ability. Genies are handy.
- Hoary Steed (Magical Beast) [12 HD]: Similar to the nightmare, but offers a broader selection of abilities including etherealness, astral projection, air walk, Magic Circle against Good, and Obscuring mist.
- Spellgaunt (Magical beast) [18 HD]: Forceweb, Disjunctive bite: Magic items bitten suffer a Disjunction (DC 23) Artifacts as well, (33% chance), but Dc 25 fort or spellgaunt implodes. Bite also disables spellcasting for 1d2 rounds on dc 23 save.
- Symbionts (Aberration) [Varied, usually 2 HD]: You can gain share spells with this precious creature. For a psion this is fantastic. Morph into a symbiont attach yourself to your party fighter and you can buff him (and yourself). Blast away, while he fights. It's better than fusion.
- Living Spell (Ooze) [Varied HD = CL of spell]: Questionable, since you cannot morph into a creature with a template... but this is a spell with a template that happens to be a creature. Weird. Anyways, you can now deliver many of your favorite arcane/divine spells without having to have any levels in a casting class. Living heal sounds good for your allies.
- Greater Doppelganger (Monsterous Humanoid) [9 HD]: Supernatural ability to suck out the abilities of any medium sized or smaller humanoid. Essentially this enables illithid savant-like abuse. Possiblities are endless.
- Intellect Devourer (Aberration) (6 HD): Take over a powerful corpse for up to 7 days. Replicates a polymorph ability. Works as a good pre-cursor to mind-switch.
Psionic X (5), Mindbender (1), Anything (x)
With Telepathy Gain Mindsight, Proceed to become a Formian Queen [50miles,20HD] or a SpellWeaver [1000 Miles, 10Hd] Enjoy playing the allseeing eye.
Spellgaunts Forceweb, DC23 Reflex Stuck, entangled, 1d4 hours
Summon Genie [5hd] Yalk folk for Genie Slave
Feed (su) multiple creatures, most of them have a hit dice point, one of the odd things would be say, a level 8 Neraph Egoist changing into a Barghest then feeding Raising the Hd to 9hd which triggeres a change causing the Neraph to become a greater barghest
One of the more interesting tricks with mindsight is that the power Living arrow Mindsight lets you know the target, the power lets you ignore concealment as well as guides the projectile to the target. Makes a wonderful sniper trick, living arrow and extend range are 1 round per level so its fairly simple to to have these powers in effect toss out a truestrike to nullify the range penalties, take an arrow slap a psionic seal (LoM,69) of Fireball [15th CL] as well as an augmented psionic Psionic Glyph of warding. For a nifty exploding snipe
Yak Folk is monsterous humanoid, correct?
What's the type of a spellgaunt?
Nightmare (Outsider) [6HD]: Acquiring this form is most easily done by using Neraph as your race. This form grants etherealness as the spell at will and Astral Projection as the spell at will, both as supernatural abilities. 20th CL. Available as soon as 7th level. The implications of being able to use astral projection with 20 CL at 7th level should be obvious.
A non-Outsider version of this trick is available by turning into a Hoary Steed from the Epic Level Handbook (12 HD magical beast). Plus you get a 5d8 bite attack, too.
Only Co worth (Su) sorted by type and by HD.
Looks like most the (Su) worth talking about are outsiders or undead, a few magic beast gems but outsiders have the best so far
Spellgaunt= 18 HD Magical beast, also has Disjunctive bite(su): Magic items bitten suffer a Disjunction (DC 23) Artifacts as well, (33% chance), but Dc 25 fort or spellgaunt implodes. Bite also disables spellcasting for 1d2 rounds on dc 23 save.
Nasty Nasty creature
Spellweaver, is a Monstrous Humanoid, which with its lower hit dice and range make it a sexy option for Psidar.
Three of these (Simulacrum), a comprehensive map, and basic trig gives a ruler or kingfom a nasty DEW, as well as an adventurer tracking system.
- Goblin, Forestkith: (Humanoid): HD 1: Tree shape: as 12th level druid, lasts till sunset or damaged.
- Petal: (Fey): HD 1: Sleep Songs: nifty effects really need multiple participants to maximize this, Metamorphosis Psion and Petal cohort is available at level 7 (100ft radius sleep on each individual in area, nothing super special)
- Lumi: (Outsider): HD 2: Body of Light: Lots, and Lots of nice immunities as well as immunity to explosion by awesome
- Mindshredder Larva: (Aberration): HD 2: Though Sense: 20 foot mindsight with some additional limitations, nice for a scout form
- Mindshredder Larva: (Aberration): HD 2: Wisdom Drain: Nasty versus cleric, not so impressive if you don't rely on it
- Mindshredder Larva: (Aberration): HD 2: Transformation (ex): important because the text simply states 20 points wisdom drain = nice new body Need a long term effect (month and a week)
- Redcap: (Fey): HD 4: Eldritch Stone: Sling stone enhancement. Meh
- Redcap: (Fey): HD 4:Advancement may or may not apply to the HD bonuses they get.
- Rejkar: (Outsider): HD 5:Freezing Gaze: dc 16 gaze attack, basically designed to get you a coup de grace
- Runehound: (Aberration): HD 5:Uncanny Blind sight: 500 feet Blind sight
- Visilight: (Outsider): HD 5:Charisma Drain: I look better, you look worse
- Visilight: (Outsider): HD 5:Gaze: Let me hold you, 1d4 rounds Paralysis
- Glastig: (Fey): HD 6: Beguiling Song: 300ft range song call Dc 19, once in 5 feet second save, or 8th level charm monster
- Mindshredder Warrior: (Aberration): HD 7: Same as larva, larger wis drain (1d2), 40ft Though sense, 80 point wisdom drain needed
- Phoelarch: (Monstrous Humanoid): HD 7: Healing Fire: Nice fire based Healing effect, other effects are death related and aren't very nice
- Susurrus: (Aberration): HD 8:Dronesong: Rebuke as cleric of your level, holds (Undead) for 10 rounds
- Otyugh, Lifeleech: (Aberration): HD 9: Lifeleech aura: piggyback healing effects within 60 feet, nice for your psiwar using meta helps cleric out immensely
- Stonesinger: (Aberration): HD 9:Shattering Shriek: 60 feet perform check as attack roll 12d6 nonlethal, dc18 1d6 stun
- Rot Reaver: (Aberration): HD 10:For two metamorphic transfers one can animate dead affected by its wound rot
- Naztharune Rakshasa: (Outsider): HD 11: Hide in plain sight
- Astral Stalker: (Outsider): HD 12: Unearthly Grace: Charisma to saves and AC
- Knell Beetle: (Vermin): HD 12: Sonic Chime: 1/day 10d5 sonic cone
- Grimweird: (Undead): HD 12: Energy Drain: Claw = negative level Nice
- Grimweird: (Undead): HD 12: Unholy Grace: Cha bonus to save, ac
- Mindshredder Zenthal: (Aberration): HD 13: Blah blah blah same as above, no transformation, Nice thing is that if you gain these forms through transformation you get the abilities as normal without the need of metamorphic transfer.
- Protean Scourge: (Humanoid): HD 13: Split: self explanatory
- Night Twist: (Plant): HD 15: Death Curse: Really petty, curses killer dc22 nightmare effect.
- Night Twist: (Plant): HD 15: Despair Song: Really nasty nasty effect, 5 miles per hit dice, int 6 higher take 1d10 points of damage if not allowed to seek you (dc 22) Crushing despair. Only ended on round after twist uses slam attack on victim or on death on night twist, "Creature X" may or may not apply to any attack, if not you have an emo group searching for you. Note that once affected, it doesn't end even if they leave the area or if they can no longer hear the song.
- Skindancer: (Monstrous Humanoid): HD 15:Adaptive Energy Resistance: Mutable 20 point resistance, keel some alchemical items on hand to trigger this
- Skindancer: (Monstrous Humanoid): HD 15:Damage Reduction: DR 15/ Variable
- Skindancer: (Monstrous Humanoid): HD 15:Reactive Skin: +6 Deflection
- Dust Wright: (Undead): HD 16: Petrifying Cloud: Passive cloud of dust, living creatures within 5 feet Dc 18 Petrifaction Charisma Based
- Plauge Spewer: (Undead): HD 16: Vomit Rat swarm: Just because its cool
- Sorrowsworn Demon: (Outsider): HD 18: Aura of Loss: Radius of despair that forces casters to concentrate on spells, as well as check penalties
- Drowned: (Undead): HD 20: Drowning Aura: within aura treated as underwater.
- Siege Crab: (Vermin): HD 20:Force Carapace: Really odd ability, decent bonuses, might be able to retain essence on it.
- Charnel Hound: (Undead): HD 21: Body integration: once reduced to negatives (enemy) Is absorbed into body for healing
- Ragewalker: (Fey): HD 22: Control Living spells: a nice little end game high level effect
- Ragewalker: (Fey): HD 22: Repel Missiles: Nasty surprise for a ubersniper (might affect weaponlike spells, YMMV)
This is monster manual III, all the major (su) abilities that I personally feel are the "best" However if anyone sees anything more useful feel free to add.
Persinally my favorite at the moment is the Phrenic Druid that utilizes Night twist Form. (even more true than "don't sacrifice a caster level" is "Never sacrifice a druid level") Phrenic is one of the better options for meeting the manifester level requirement. Racial Psi/s are 1/2Hd Mani's so you qualify for metamorphic transfer at 10.
If you take Phrenic template (+2) you get metamorphic transfer at 7th ECL (assuming a feat) so 8th Ecl (6th HD feat). blah blah blah. i'm boring myself, sufficed to say you cause a lot of problems in the local 6+ int population.
My personal favorites (su) abilities are the transformational abilities. One of the big problems with those is that the creatures have no la and that there is a large problem with the wording.
The main problem is that the wording says you "become the creature" now read one way you would go from say, human psion 8 to say, Barghest Psion 8/Outsider 1 withough the Barghests racial hit dice. Or the option two is that you become a greater Barghest. Period, and have no psion levels remaining all your feats change, you basically tear out the page from the MM and start playing that. As always your dm will have his or own take.
Edit*
Forgot to mention LoM feat allows druids to wild shape into abberrations. If you add in a way to get metamorphic transfer you can get a lot nice abilities to ramp up a druid power level even more.
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- Goblin, Forestkith: (Humanoid): HD 1: Tree shape: as 12th level druid, lasts till sunset or damaged.
- Petal: (Fey): HD 1: Sleep Songs: nifty effects really need multiple participants to maximize this, Metamorphosis Psion and Petal cohort is available at level 7 (100ft radius sleep on each individual in area, nothing super special)
- Lumi: (Outsider): HD 2: Body of Light: Lots, and Lots of nice immunities as well as immunity to explosion by awesome care to elaborate on the immunities?
- Mindshredder Larva: (Aberration): HD 2: Though Sense: 20 foot mindsight with some additional limitations, nice for a scout form
- Mindshredder Larva: (Aberration): HD 2: Wisdom Drain: Nasty versus cleric, not so impressive if you don't rely on it
- Mindshredder Larva: (Aberration): HD 2: Transformation (ex): important because the text simply states 20 points wisdom drain = nice new body Need a long term effect (month and a week)
- Redcap: (Fey): HD 4: Eldritch Stone: Sling stone enhancement. Meh
- Redcap: (Fey): HD 4:Advancement may or may not apply to the HD bonuses they get.
- Rejkar: (Outsider): HD 5:Freezing Gaze: dc 16 gaze attack, basically designed to get you a coup de grace
- Runehound: (Aberration): HD 5:Uncanny Blind sight: 500 feet Blind sight
- Visilight: (Outsider): HD 5:Charisma Drain: I look better, you look worse
- Visilight: (Outsider): HD 5:Gaze: Let me hold you, 1d4 rounds Paralysis Save?
- Glastig: (Fey): HD 6: Beguiling Song: 300ft range song call Dc 19, once in 5 feet second save, or 8th level charm monster
- Mindshredder Warrior: (Aberration): HD 7: Same as larva, larger wis drain (1d2), 40ft Though sense, 80 point wisdom drain needed Through sense sounds cool... what is it exactly? This form is better than the earlier version and since you're gonna get metamorphosis at 7ML anyways...
- Phoelarch: (Monstrous Humanoid): HD 7: Healing Fire: Nice fire based Healing effect, other effects are death related and aren't very nice
- Susurrus: (Aberration): HD 8:Dronesong: Rebuke as cleric of your level, holds (Undead) for 10 rounds
- Otyugh, Lifeleech: (Aberration): HD 9: Lifeleech aura: piggyback healing effects within 60 feet, nice for your psiwar using meta helps cleric out immensely
- Stonesinger: (Aberration): HD 9:Shattering Shriek: 60 feet perform check as attack roll 12d6 nonlethal, dc18 1d6 stun
- Rot Reaver: (Aberration): HD 10:For two metamorphic transfers one can animate dead affected by its wound rot
- Naztharune Rakshasa: (Outsider): HD 11: Hide in plain sight [i]This is an Su Ability? o_O
- Astral Stalker: (Outsider): HD 12: Unearthly Grace: Charisma to saves and AC (Excellent for a Wilder!
- Knell Beetle: (Vermin): HD 12: Sonic Chime: 1/day 10d5 sonic cone
- Grimweird: (Undead): HD 12: Energy Drain: Claw = negative level Nice
- Grimweird: (Undead): HD 12: Unholy Grace: Cha bonus to save, ac Again... Wilder
- Mindshredder Zenthal: (Aberration): HD 13: Blah blah blah same as above, no transformation, Nice thing is that if you gain these forms through transformation you get the abilities as normal without the need of metamorphic transfer.
- Protean Scourge: (Humanoid): HD 13: Split: self explanatory
- Night Twist: (Plant): HD 15: Death Curse: Really petty, curses killer dc22 nightmare effect.
- Night Twist: (Plant): HD 15: Despair Song: Really nasty nasty effect, 5 miles per hit dice, int 6 higher take 1d10 points of damage if not allowed to seek you (dc 22) Crushing despair. Only ended on round after twist uses slam attack on victim or on death on night twist, "Creature X" may or may not apply to any attack, if not you have an emo group searching for you. Note that once affected, it doesn't end even if they leave the area or if they can no longer hear the song. WTF?! This sounds insane!
- Skindancer: (Monstrous Humanoid): HD 15:Adaptive Energy Resistance: Mutable 20 point resistance, keel some alchemical items on hand to trigger this
- Skindancer: (Monstrous Humanoid): HD 15:Damage Reduction: DR 15/ Variable
- Skindancer: (Monstrous Humanoid): HD 15:Reactive Skin: +6 Deflection All of these abilities sound awesome
- Dust Wright: (Undead): HD 16: Petrifying Cloud: Passive cloud of dust, living creatures within 5 feet Dc 18 Petrifaction Charisma Based Passive abilities = good. Cha based saves = good for wilder.
- Plauge Spewer: (Undead): HD 16: Vomit Rat swarm: Just because its cool
- Sorrowsworn Demon: (Outsider): HD 18: Aura of Loss: Radius of despair that forces casters to concentrate on spells, as well as check penalties
- Drowned: (Undead): HD 20: Drowning Aura: within aura treated as underwater.
- Siege Crab: (Vermin): HD 20:Force Carapace: Really odd ability, decent bonuses, might be able to retain essence on it.
- Charnel Hound: (Undead): HD 21: Body integration: once reduced to negatives (enemy) Is absorbed into body for healing
- Ragewalker: (Fey): HD 22: Control Living spells: a nice little end game high level effect
- Ragewalker: (Fey): HD 22: Repel Missiles: Nasty surprise for a ubersniper (might affect weaponlike spells, YMMV)
Wow. Thanks for the data dump. I'm going highlight the ones (based purely on this list) that I think are noteworthy. Correct me if I'm wrong (or if I missed any that are really good).
RED = Sounds Good
Green = Need more info to determine goodness (I don't have MM3)
italicized = comments.
-Death spells
-Magical death effects
-Energy drain
-Negative energy effects
-Effectively immune to death-by-awesome
Visilight Save: 10+HD/2+Cha [Great for wilders]
Mindshredder Thought Sense:
-Similar to blindsense in that it merely finds the location of beings
-Only detects critters with 3+ Int
-Blocked by most obstacles (as with detect spells)
-Cannot detect creatures immune to mind-reading
Night Twist's Despair Song:
-Yep, it's that nasty.
-However, a sly DM may rule that it can only be done in the evening, as night twists use this "every evening".
-Charisma-based DC.
Ragewalker's Repel Missiles:
This specifically refers to "thrown or projectile" weapons.
Siege Crab's Force Carapace:
-+10 deflection bonus to AC
-+8 resistance bonus to saves
-Immunity to magic missiles
-Gives the same benefits to riders inside the crab
-Claw attacks are force effects
-Dispel magic can suppress this for 1d4 rounds
-MDJ can permanently knock it out
-Actually listed as a magic item! [CL 17, 8K XP]
I compiled a list of forms from the Monster Manual (some were from an older thread, but most I gathered), and their useful abilities. Surprizingly, I think the Roper is the best find. You can fire 6 ranged touch attacks per round with a range of 50 feet, each deals 2d8 Strength damage, with a DC 18 Fort. save to resist! They have great Natural Armor, too.
I put the abbreviated creature type in parenthesis at the end, to give you an idea of what kinds of skills you should load up on (Aberrations are the best, so Know: Dungeoneering). I noted the abilities you can gain, but did not distinguish between Su and Ex special attacks. I am going to be using Metamorphic Transfer, and so should anyone else IMO. ;) I included some Constructs in the list, but not Outsiders.
Choker for Quickness (aber)
Beholder eye rays and antimagic cones. (aber)
Mind Flayer's Mind Blast. (aber)
Invisible Stalker grants improved improved invisibility. So does the Phantom Fungus. (Elem, Plant)
Ethereal Stalkers and Phase Spiders allow excellent ethereal travel abilities. (aber?, M. Beast)
Temporal Filcher can take you and afoe into the future, where your party kows the exact moment you'll appear. Talk about a prime ambush situation. (aber)
Blink Dogs can dimension door as a free action and still act afterwards. (Mag. B)
Kolyaruts have enervation rays and vampiric touches. (Constr)
Will O' Wisp. - Great Dex, Weapon Finesse, Electrical attack (Aber)
Treant - reach, high Con, and high Str. (Plant)
For Mobility, Dragon forms fly extremely fast, and if you want manuverability, not much beats the Pegasus. (Drag, Mag. B)
Xeph for Burst (+30 ft) (Hum)
Elan for Resiliance, etc (Aber)
Thought Eater: Drain PPs (6 per 1 Int point) and Ethereal Jaunt. (Aber)
13 HD Astral Construct, Natural Invisibility and Smite
Crysmal - good AC, burrow speed, +8 spot and appraise (Elem)
Intellect Devourer - Body Thief!! +8 bluff, move silently, listen (Aber)
Puppeteer - Enthrall is an Ex Attack... Good AC (Mag. B)
Thought Slayer - Death attack. (14 HD Aber)
Udoroot - Double Manifest is an Ex special attack... (8 HD Plant)
Tendriculous - Improved Grab, Paralysis, Swallow Whole, Con 22, 3 attacks (Plant)
Wyvern - 6 attacks, Multiattack, Poison, flight, Improved Grab (Drag)
Medusa - Gaze (Mon. Hum.)
Harpy - flight, Captivating Song (huge range, free action it seems, decent DC) (Mon. Hum.)
Hags - various Str draining powers
Lamia - Wis drain Touch Attack (Mag. B)
Lammasu - Mag. Circ. Vs. Ev. (Mag. B)
Nymph - Blinding Beauty, Stunning Glance, Unearthly Grace (Fey)
Nagas - Charm Person and Detect Thoughts at will (Aber)
Aboleth - Enslave! (Aber)
Frost Worm - Trill, Breath Weapon (14 HD Mag. B)
Gibbering Mouther - Gibbering, Ground Manipulation (very good if foes can't Move for some reason (stunned, etc)) (Aber)
Gorgon - Petrifying Breath, decent DC, decent AC (Mag. B)
Remorhaz - Improved Grab, Swallow Whole (big damage) (Mag. B)
Roper - Strands (Touch attack!, 6 per round! 50 ft.), Drag, Weakness (2d8 Str dmg. w/DC 18 save!!) (Mag. B)
Androsphinx - Roar (Fear, Paralyze, Str damage) (Mag. B)
Spider Eater - Freedom of Movement, Large w/ Fly 60 (good), Paralysis Poison and Implant (nasty) (Mag. B)
Aranea - Web 6xday (Mag. B)
Behir - nice combat form. Imp. Grab, Constrict, Rake (6 claws!), AND Swallow Whole, Breath Weapon
Belker - nice Dex, 5 attacks, Smoke Claws, Smoke Form (Gaseous Form), Fly 50 (perfect), Good NA (Elem)
Bulette - Burrow speed, Leap (4 claw attacks), decent Con and NA, good damage (Mag. B)
Chuul - Imp. Grab, Constrict, Paralytic tentacles (requires Move Action, though, go Hustle!), good NA (11 HD Aber)
Cloaker - Moan (Paralyze), Shadow Shift (20% Conc, Mirror Image, Silent Image!), Fly 40 (avg) (Aber)
Delver - Corrosive Slime (great vs. Stone), good NA, burrow speed (15 HD Aber)
Destrachan - Destructive harmonics (Shatter, DC 15, < 30 HP, can Tune it, affects all objects in area) (Aber)
Digester - Acid Spray (8d8, 5 ft. range) (Mag. B)
Doppelganger - Detect Thoughts (Mon. Hum.)
Dragon Turtle - Breath Weapon, Capsize, Swim Spd. (12 HD Drag)
Dragonne - Roar (Exhaustion, Will DC 15), Fly 30 (poor) (Mag. B)
for the link:D
The key here is that I'm looking for "tricks" not just good monsters. The idea is that the monsters I list are crucial elements to some greater trick. For example: nightmares are the key to low-level astral projection abuse.
That's why I'm finding the task of researching all the monsters you've all listed quite daunting. We gotta tie these monster abilities in with at least one other ability to make it a "trick." Otherwise, you may as well just flip through the MM and pick the monsters with the coolest sounding abilities and give it no further thought.
Symbionts
Metamorphic Transfer can be used to gain the excellent ability Share Spells. (Trick: metamorph into a Symbioint and share spells with a spellcaster to double up on long-duration buffs.) Tentacle Whip and Living Breastplate (both EbCS) have great additional bonuses. (You can have the tank gain all the benefit of a symbiont, and you can still manifest powers as normal.) Shadow Sibling (MoE) form provides a 50% miss chance for a few attacks against the host each day.
Living Spells (MM3)
This is debatable by RAW, since it is a "template" applied to a spell, but not a template applied to a creature. If allowed, this gives you access to all kinds of insanity. Remember that a living spell with 15 HD can include any number of spells of upto 8th level - and each spell effects each of up to 16 medium creatures each round via its special attack Engulf (ex). That's right, (ex).
Silthilar (LoM) has PoA (CL 9) as supernatural ability. Greater Doppelganger (MonOF) has Consume Identity. Either of these forms can be used as a stepping stone to a more powerful form.
EDIT: Um, I don't think you can assume the form of a swarm, doesn't it have to be a singular creature? Also, can you provide more info on the greater doppelganger, I don't have that book.
Um, I don't think you can assume the form of a swarm, doesn't it have to be a singular creature?
I can't find that in the power description, but I am probably overlooking something. I think I remember hearing that before.
The greater doppelganger has the Consume Identity supernatural ability.
A greater doppelganger who eats the brain of a Medium-size or smaller humanoid victim absorbs the mind, memories and personality of the victim. After consuming a victim's identity, the greater doppelganger can assume the victim's form with 100% accuracy and possess the victim's memories, abilities, and alignment.
The rest of the ability description is the same as the Ethereal Doppelganger's ability, except that a greater doppelganger must make a DC 16 will save to avoid forgetting one identity whenever it learns more than three.
It's like Illithid Savant lite.
I can't find that in the power description, but I am probably overlooking something. I think I remember hearing that before.
The greater doppelganger has the Consume Identity supernatural ability.
The rest of the ability description is the same as the Ethereal Doppelganger's ability, except that a greater doppelganger must make a DC 16 will save to avoid forgetting one identity whenever it learns more than three.
It's like Illithid Savant lite.
Wicked sick. Now how many HD does it have, so I can write it up in the format I have in the OP?
So a 7th-level character can manifest Metamorphosis to turn into an Intellect Devourer and then animate the corpse of some much more powerful monster. You just need to find a suitable corpse to inhabit and bring it along with you.
However, the bar-lgura from the BoVD [outsider, 6HD] is better since it has the (Su) ability to teleport without error and bring along another creature (up to
If you take metamorphic transfer a second time, you can use any arcane spells the body had available at the time it died. This would probably only be three spells per day, but there could still be some use. I suspect that the phrase "the tsochar cannot regain spells or spell slots it expends from the dead character's spellcasting ability" refers only to the normal process of regaining spells. It may be possible to use a few pearls of power to keep a few particularly useful spells on hand.
I'll look into tsochar, though. Lower HD = Better, usually.
Anyone going the Aberration Wildshape route could make use of a monster's ability continuously by level ten. Now that I think about it, Wear Flesh and Take Spells would be excellent additions to my Mimic-Justiciar build.
I was thinking someone might use a Skin of the Proteus. That would mean the monster's ability’s duration would be the limiting factor.
Anyone going the Aberration Wildshape route could make use of a monster's ability continuously by level ten. Now that I think about it, Wear Flesh and Take Spells would be excellent additions to my Mimic-Justiciar build.
Ooo... good call with the skin of the proteus. That *would* work excellently!
quanlos - mm4 pg 122 - sting and control creatures as thralls indefinately!
susruss - mm3 - pg 171 - cool undead control
gauth - mm1 pg 27 - eye rays like beholder
wood woad - mm3 pg 196 - treewalk
oh yeah and catoblepas - mm2 pg 41 - a frigging death ray!?
The Mindstealer.
Absorb Abilities (Su): As a full-round action, a mindstealer drone can absorb the abilities of a creature it has drained of all memories. Add the absorbed creature's Hit Dice, hit points, base attack bonus, base save bonus, skills, and feats to those of the mindstealer drone. The mindstealer drone uses its own speed and its own ability scores or those of the absorbed creature, whichever are higher. If the mindstealer drone and the absorbed creature have the same skill, add the absorbed creature's skill ranks and racial skill bonuses to those of the mindstealer.
If the mindstealer drone uses the absorbed creature's form through its change shape ability, it gains additional abilities, as noted in the change shape section.
A mindstealer drone retains an absorbed creature's abilities for a maximum of one month.
When a mindstealer drone absorbs the abilities of multiple creatures, it adds either the abilities of the last creature it has absorbed or from the last form it has used, whichever is applicable.
Need I say more?
EDIT: It seems that you need another supernatural ability (or two) for this to work- this means that you'd probably have to change shape three times for this to work out. Still, gaining 'free levels' is nothing to turn down, even if it takes a bit of effort.
How about the Logokron devil's continuous Symbol of Pain ability (from the Tome of Magic)?
Need gold tricks to get Skin of Proteus early, then start ascending. ML is 7th , so allows Reason Stealer.
Can get Metamophosis early with Psiotheurgist feat, Ardent 2 and Nature Mantle, Cleric 1 w/candle or Wiz 1 w/ precApp.
Buk-buk the chicken infested commoner can afford the skin at 1st level.
hmm ...
into :coolcthul to save:D
The Bebelith demon... http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/demon.htm
Oh yeah. I saw that one too, but it has too many HD. My character will only be level 7. Thanks and sorry I didn't mention that. :P
Any creatures that get Plane Shift as a Su ability? I saw Ether Scarab in MM2 mentioned in another thread. Is that it?
Is the jann's Plane Shift (Su) or (Sp)?
EDIT: Oh, it's (Sp).