Planetary Frontiers: A D20 Planetary Exploration reskin

[Prak]

"We tried for decades to turn around the damage we'd unknowingly--and then knowingly--done to Earth. Either it was too late by the time we got our act together, or we never did get it together.

The Neo-Concordiates, while they couldn't agree on measures to lessen or halt the destruction of our planet, were able to come together and formulate a plan to evacuate as many people from the planet as possible.

We floated in space in the EvaCity Pods for generations--just long enough for Earth As We Knew It to become a legend--before the sensors found a planet suited to our needs.

The sphere below us is harsh and alien. Without doubt, there are untold dangers we can only guess at. The computers detected life, but holds no indication of the sapience of said life. All we know is that it has carbon and water--liquid water.

We're lucky. We found it before we ran out of food or fuel.

The pods may be isolated by space, but we've heard terrible stories on the broadband. Some pods ran out of fuel while they scanned a planet from low orbit--crashing and presumably killing everyone on board. Others ran out of food--the lucky ones dwindled away on ever shrinking rations, the doctor says that going that way can be almost peaceful. I don't believe him. But the unlucky ones... well, hearing a thick voice growl 'all flesh is meat,' punctuated by a scream, crackling over a radio even once is too much.

We're lucky.

Aren't we?"

Like Rats Leaving A Sinking Ship
Late in the 26th century, the Earth was dying. Some areas were reclaimed by the waves, while others had been reduced to scorched deserts where lush forests had thrived before. Humanity had largely transitioned to cleaner technology--electric and hydrogen powered vehicles, biopolymers, wind and solar power--but it was too late. The damage of centuries of oil dependence had done their damage. All the technology that had been created could not save the planet.

Humans, on the other hand, that it could save.

Countries had long since died to larger, more globalized entities, called the Neo-Concordiates. These political entities are generally tied together through shared languages and cultural mores, rather than geographic proximity.

The Neo-Concordiates put together their assets and created the Evacuation City Pods, or EvaCity Pods. In essence, the number of pods a given Concordiate had at it's disposal was tied to how much that Concordiate contributed to the overall project, in an effort to encourage Concordiates to contribute as much as they could spare.

No Concordiate even attempted to evacuate their entire population. The people were triaged--after the politicians were given space, of course--and people with valuable skills, such as doctors and engineers, were chosen first, then people with valuable traits--a resistance to disease or infection, a genetic predisposition to accepting cybernetic implants, psychic ability--and finally, any space remaining was often filled through lottery or contract. Some people were only able to save themselves or their families through agreeing to what amounted to slavery.

The EvaCity Pods were launched simultaneously on Dec 31, 2587, loaded with fuel, supplies, and equipment which was designed to turn each into a closed ecosystem and ensure the longest survival time as possible. The EvaCity Pods were not given coordinates, only criteria, and sent to find planets and planetoids which met those criteria. The goal was not to make a new Earth, but to save as much of Humanity as possible.

The State of Humanity
26th Century humanity resembles that of the modern day only in broad strokes. On the whole, things are not much better or worse than they are today. Though fewer people exhibit prejudice against humans with dark skin, or women, there are now genetically engineered and artificial beings which often face prejudice much as the minorities of today do now.

Technology is generally cleaner and less hazardous to the environment, but this perversely means that people are more willing to exploit the world they live in as they reason they're doing less harm than they used to.

Tensions ran high on EvaCity Pods. People had just escaped certain doom, and did not take kindly to things they thought might endanger them again. Social liberties had grown immensely in the more than five centuries between our era, and the era of the Earth Evacuation, but the Pods--insular, isolated, and stratified by nature--became breeding places for reactionary policies, often enforced by self-appointed governments. This isn't true for all Pods, however, and more moderate Pods did and do exist. Generally, the more culturally diverse or culturally homogenous a Pod was, the less tension there was.

Technology of the 26th Century
In the 26th Century, genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, nanotech, and many other technologies widely regarded as unrealistic or very far off now, were ubiquitous.

Artificial beings--both mechanical and organic--walked the streets. Nanites were used militarily and commercially. People regularly bought resistance to severe diseases in pill form. For the right price, you could replace your perfectly good flesh arm with an improved cybernetic version featuring enhanced strength, tactile feedback, weapon concealment and music storage. It didn't take long before every man, woman and child was a genetically modified organism, and new types of human began walking the streets.

Weapons seldom used bullets anymore. Energy weapons--both lasers and augmented melee weapons--ruled the day. It was cheaper for military and police to fill a clip with solar-provided energy than metal and powder, criminals were all too eager to take on weapons with limited forensic signature, and the private sector did not provide enough demand for manufacturers to continue producing kinetic weapons, thus even the average civilian won access to energy weapons through the lobbying of arms manufacturers.

Genotypes
By the 23rd Century, society gave way to the march of science, and the practice of designer genetics graced our double helices for the first time. People began to elect to have their genome modified, whether for cosmetic or professional purposes. A wide range of modifications was available, but a handful of distinct genotypes slowly resolved as those who elected to have their genes modified began to pass on the traits.

Dorics
Doric was a mining corporation, primarily interested in extraction of minerals from asteroids. When it included a option in it's employee health care package to undergo elective genetic modification for a financial incentive, many of it's miners chose this option, and were pleased to find that the backbreaking work came easier to them. The fact that they were far more efficient, now being possessed of greater stamina, less vulnerable to disease or toxicity, and more stable in the low gravity of asteroids, was all the incentive Doric needed to pay for the many procedures.

The company is all but a memory now, but the name stuck for the modified employees and their children. Dorics have heavy bone structures and thick bodies, with a propensity for hirsuteness.

• Doric Genotype Traits
• +2 Con, -2 Dex-- Doric bodies are sturdy and rugged, but mining doesn't require much finesse, and so no attempt was made to avoid loss of agility as bones and muscles grew and thickened.
• Medium size, speed 20 ft.-- Dorics are thick bodied, with legs that are often described as immense, but more suited to tireless steady work than rushing. However, the strong, sturdy body of a Doric is little-encumbered by thick clothing or heavy armour. They can move at full speed when wearing any armour or carrying medium or heavy loads.
• Darkvision-- Mines are dark places, and it's cheaper to have workers who can see in the dark than put in lighting. Dorics possess modified echolocation organs, much like those of bats or dolphins, which allow them to "see" up to 60' in the dark with enough precision to read inscribed or embossed letters. No colour is discernible with this sense as it is auditory rather than visual.
• Stonecunning: The often perilous stone corridors of asteroid mines required workers who could notice unusual or unsafe passages as naturally as one might notice a red sign. Thus the Doric package included a remapping of the subject's brain that made it better suited to this purpose.
• Stability: The broad bodies, thick legs and wide feet of Dorics makes them absurdly difficult to knock over.
• +2 vrs. poison and psionics.

Flight-Adapted-Entities
Whereas the Dorics were a creation of a corporation, Flight-Adapted-Entities, or F.A.E, or Flyers, were a military creation. Candidates for the experimental procedure were selected from among promising flight school cadets and promised an immediate promotion upon finishing flight school if they consented undergoing the proceedure.

The F.A.E. procedure enhanced the nervous system of it's subjects, increasing agility, accuracy, reaction speed and response time, as well as lightening the subjects' bones. Flyers' senses are acute, tuned to the smallest sound or motion, and the minutest detail.

Flyers are shorter in stature and thin, allowing them to fit into smaller aircraft cockpits, their lighter bones take up less weight allowance, all this allows the craft to be smaller and faster or carry more weaponry.

In addition to these physical adaptations, the F.A.E. procedure also gave its subjects the ability to rest in just four hours of a meditative trance as if they'd had eight hours of full sleep. In this trance, the Flyer is more aware than other pilots to specified stimuli. A Flyer can self-hypnotize themselves prior to this trance with samples of stimuli to which they wish to being fully responsive. A Flyer working as a pilot always self-hypnotizes themselves to respond to the various alarm and alert signals of their craft. In this way, they may fly for an indefinite period of time, trancing for four hours as needed able to respond to alerts at a moment's notice.

Flyers have large eyes and ears, the latter typically long and pointed, with beakish noses.

• Flight-Adapted-Entity Genotype Traits
• +2 Dex, -2 Con-- Flight-Adapted-Entity are agile and quick, but fragile.
• Medium, 30 ft. speed
• Immune to Sleep effects-- Flight-Adapted-Entity do not sleep, their bodies are designed to enter trance instead, which is a wholly mental trigger. Any effect which would render an F.A.E. unconscious simply fails to effect them.
• +2 to saves vrs Metacognition psionic effects-- The trance of Flyers is a small effect of a larger reworking of the subjects' brains. While not immune to metacognition, Flyers are difficult to affect with the discipline.
• Low-light Vision-- Flyers' eyes are are not just designed to catch details better than those of non-augmented humans, but also to make better use of exceptionally low levels of light.
• +2 Perception-- All the senses of a Flyer are heightened to catch the smallest details.

Gnomon
As genetic modification became more and more common in the hands of civilian and criminal forces, law enforcement agencies found themselves needing genetic modification on their side of the law.

It's a fine line to walk, as the idea patrol officer is capable of appearing imposing, being firm, and generally a strong presence, but also approachable. It was decided that rather than creating a transgenic program for police officers, it would be better to put the benefits to work behind the scenes rather than on the beat.

The most successful transgenic program for law enforcement was the Gnomon program, designed to enhance forensics experts. This program was called Gnomon, from the greek for "one who examines."

The Gnomon program changed its subjects rather more completely than the Doric and F.A.E. programs. Gnomons are smaller and slighter than even the F.A.E., often less than four feet tall. With their small stature came delicate hands and the ability to manipulate small clues and details in cramped confines. It also came with a reduced muscle mass, but they were made hardy to better resist all the manners of toxins and disease they may come into contact with, and having the handy side effect of increasing their ability to work long hours.

Large eyes more adept at capturing light made them better able to gather clues in darkness or light.

Gnomons are also, almost as a rule, minor psychics, giving them a resilience to others and a handful of tricks they can utilize.

Gnomons stand 3-4 ft tall. The primary source for manipulation of their DNA was bats, and it has left them with large ears and distinctive noses. A fine fur is not uncommon among Gnomon, but by no means ubiquitous.

• Gnomon Genotype Traits
• +2 Con, -2 Str-- Gnomons are small and weak, but hardy.
• Small, speed 20 ft.
• Low-light Vision
• +2 Perception, +2 Forensics
• Psychic-- Gnomon make saves against the Metasensory discipline, and can use each of the powers Call to Mind, Detect Psychics and Far Hand. Their manifestor level is equal to their HD or Class Level. They have a number of power points equal to their Charisma mod times their Class Level or HD, and each of their powers cost 1 power point.

---

Need to do Halflings and (Half) Orcs still, obviously. I'm leaving out the weapon traits and "+X against (creature)" stuff since the former don't make a lot of sense in a cosmopolitan setting where "races" are genotypes within a single race, and the latter don't make a lot of sense in a setting where there are no known other sapient races. Weapon traits will likely be removed from being a part of your race and instead come as part of something like Occupations from d20 Modern/Future. Basic humans will probably be generically modified, reflected in a selectable ability mod in addition to the bonus feat and skill points.

[Prak]

Ok, I lied. There's no point to Halflings and Gnomes being in the same game, at least not in this game.

So that leaves (Half) Orcs.

Orcs are sensitive to sunlight, strong, see in the dark and dumb. Half orcs are not quite as strong, not as dumb, but not sensitive to sunlight.

Given that I'm making the races into genetic modifications of humans, that means that "Orcs" were the result of someone saying "I need someone big, strong and able to see in the dark, but I don't care about them being smart or able to act in daylight that well." Given that most forms of conflict are better survived through intelligence than brute force, that means they're not soldiers or the like. They could be labourers or athletes, but even athletes are going to be better when they are intelligent. So that leaves labourers. Best case scenario, you've got companies incentivising people to become stupid. Worst case scenario, you've got companies saying "to fuck with consent and agency."

However, there is the possibility of them being wholly artificial beings. Which works somewhat better. At least you're not looking at corporations deciding to say "hey, take an IQ hit and do labour!" or "You know... I really don't care about human rights."

So we've got Organic Recombinant Constructs, or O.R.C.s

Organic Recombinant Constructs
As humanity was using genetic modification to better itself in every arena, fewer and fewer people were willing to take labour and maintenance when they could make an modest investment and improve their test scores and get into the college of their choice. Social progressiveness proved an opponent to indentured servitude for criminals as a solution for this problem, especially as more and more crimes were being treated as social ills to be cured rather than punished, and thus decriminalization was quickly reducing prison populations to purely violent offenders.

In response, a wholly new being was created. Dubbed Organic Recombinant Constructs, or O.R.C.s, these beings were created with strong backs and thick muscles, with intelligence and personality as afterthoughts. The desire for a versatile labourer dictated that they should have the ability to see in darkness, much like Dorics. Though this created a deficiency in their daylight vision, tinted goggles easily remedy the issue.

Initially, it was planned for O.R.C.s to be wards of their employers, but civil rights groups pushed for them to be given full personhood and rights. Many lived on company grounds, but they could not be required to do so, and were allowed to determine their own lifepath.

The originally designed O.R.C. stood 6' 6" tall, with broad shoulders and slate grey skin. Their eyes were small, and their faces vaguely bestial, with small pointed ears and pronounced canines.

Originally, O.R.C.s formed their own culture and society, one primarily built on corporate loyalty and pride and a reverence for strength. O.R.C.s primarily married other O.R.C.s, when they desired to marry at all, and children were raised by an entire Division (the term for all of a companies O.R.C employees). As time went on, O.R.C.s began to drift from this corporate culture to mingle with the cultures in the cities around them. It became quicker and cheaper to put out an advertisement for "O.R.C-ready jobs" than to create a fresh batch when you opened your operation, and so they eventually became just another Genotype, no longer mass produced, save for in times of great need.

• Organic Recombinant Construct Genotype Traits
• +4 Str, -2 Int, -2 Wis, -2 Cha
• Medium size, speed 30 ft.
• Darkvision 60 ft.
• Daylight Sensitivity

Utero-Cons
As O.R.C.s began to mingle with the rest of society, inevitably they married and had children with members of other Genotypes. In general, a child of mixed Genotype is one or the other, with perhaps cosmetic traits of the other parent only. The children of O.R.C.s and baseline Humans, however, show a true mix of traits. Called Utero-Cons, these children have the following traits:

• +2 Str, -2 Int or Cha
• Medium Size, Speed 30 ft.
• Darkvision 60 ft.
• O.R.C. Genes-- Utero-Cons are considered to be full O.R.C.s for all mechanical purposes.

[Prak]

I will probably go back and add at least one more race, because robots need to be a thing, and possibly toy with the existing races a bit, because they lost some when they were removed from their D&D cultures. Plus there was no balance considered when they were originally made, so Orcs are shit to play unless you're doubling down on the "Big dumb strong guy" role.

I'm starting to look at classes, and am somewhere in between "rework core D&D classes" and "write up a whole new list of classes." I think either way, I need to figure out the basic roles and power sources, so that's looking something like:

• Power Sources
• Chem- you kill peoplestab alien beasts in their tentacled maws with science, specifically chemistry
• Geno- you tinker with your own genome and become a monster
• Psi- your mind is awakened to the panopticon of the universe. Meaning you stab alien beasts in the face with your mind
• Tech- Yes, technically Chemistry and Genetic Modification are applications of technology, but you stab alien beasts in the face with actual technology, rather than the product of technology.
  
  Roles
• Soldier- you bring the fight to the enemy. Typically by standing in front of it and shouting as you stab it in the face.
• Sneak- you handle recon, and typically fight the enemy from a safer position, like half a mile away, or behind them in the dark.
• Support- you help other people stab monsters in the tentacles. Much safer that way.

I'm thinking on some more roles. Face comes to mind.

[Prak]

So, I'm kind of working with the idea of translating the D&D classes into the sci fi alien planet genre, but rewriting them rather than just refluffing.

The druid could be the Xenobiologist, who somehow knows about the strange beasties you run into on the planet you've crash landed on, but that takes a lot of handwavium, so we're going the completely opposite direction:

The Mechrid
"Get him, Baymax."

In the late twenty first century, engineers began to focus on making robots better and better mimics of organic life. As the technology progressed, robots started becoming replacements and substitutes for animals. It was not uncommon to see mechanical cats, dogs and horses.

People began to form connections to robots that they never had before, because suddenly the robots looked like living creatures and had personality. While they still faced persecution and prejudice, this stage is credited with humanoid robots being accepted at all.

The Mechrid is a tinkerer and engineer who treats his mechanoid companion as a living being. Their connection with this mechanical entity also enables them to better use and communicate with other mechanisms and computers.

Role: The Mechrid can fulfill any role, depending on how their built. Their augments can fulfill a support or combat role, while their mechanoid companion can function as a combat or sneak character. A Mechrid will never be quite as good in a given role as a more focused class, but they can be an invaluable back up or "second pair of eyes/hands" to the more focused character. Their ability to reconfigure their role focus with some down time and access to a workshop means they also lend their party a measure of adaptability.

d8 HD
Good Fort and Will
Moderate BAB
4+Int Skill Points
Class Skills:

Level	Special
1	Cybermesh, Mechanoid Companion, Machine Empathy, Nanotech
2	Disguise Mesh
3
4	Machine Sense
5	Purge Mesh
6
7
8	Health Mesh
9
10
11	Youth Mesh
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20	Mechanical Reincarnation

Cybermesh: The first connection a burgeoning Mechrid makes with machines is the Cybermesh. This is a cybernetic enhancement which spans the Mechrid's entire body, lying just beneath the skin. A Mechrid's cybermesh also connects to a small colony of nanites which rest in an implanted nanobarracks somewhere within the Mechrid's body (the nanobarracks is roughly the volume of an M&M Minis tube, and it's location does not impact it's use). All of a Mechrid's abilities rely on this cybermesh, and many rely upon their nanite colony. If a Mechrid ever loses their cybermesh in anyway, they cannot use any abilities of this class until it is replaced (As their companion is a separate entity, they do not lose it simply for having lost their cybermesh, but they do lose their link with their companion, and must direct it through other means of communication). Given the subcutaneous nature of the mesh, it is very difficult for this to happen (albeit not impossible).

Mechanoid Companion: The Mechrid's primary feature is the Mechanoid Companion, a robotic entity between animal and human level intelligence which the Mechrid designs and can re-design and upgrade given time and proper supplies and equipment. The Mechrid builds a basic Mechanoid, and improves it over time with Upgrades.

The Mechrid has a mental link with their companion, similar to Driftech, though the connection wireless. Through this connection, a Mechrid may communicate with their companion so long as both are on the same planet (in the case of one orbiting the planet the other is on, they are considered to be on the same planet).

Machine Empathy: The Mechrid has a technopathic ability to connect with machines and computers. For all Computer Use checks, they may add their level rounded up as a competency bonus, and may add +1/4 their level to any check involving a computer as an insight bonus. In addition, their mind has complete wireless connectivity. This has diverse implications--they can do something as mundane as listen to music from their EPod without need for headphones, or they can tell a door to open by acting as an RFid chip and telling the computer that it does in fact have the code that lets the door open.
Furthermore, a Mechrid's [mind-affecting] effects can affect artificial minds, such as those of Mechanoid Companions.

Nanotech: The Mechrid has the ability to control nanites and utilize nanotech. Much like the Technician, they must prepare programs each day prior to using this technology, taking time to upload them to their nanite cluster. Unlike Technicians, Mechrids inherently know their programs, and do not need an external database to prepare them. A Mechrid needs to be rested, and undisturbed for an hour in order to have the focus to upload their selected programs.

A Mechrid can only manage a few programs each day at first level, but as they grow in level they gain the ability to manage more, and gain more programs per day for having a high Wisdom. To upload or utilize a program, a Mechrid must have a Wisdom score equal to or greater 10+Program Level. The Difficulty Class for programs which allows saves is 10+Program Level+The Mechrid's Wisdom Modifier.

Disguise Mesh: A second level Mechrid learns how to use their cybermesh and nanite colony to alter their appearance. Once per day, they may alter their body within the normal parameters of their genotype, though any colouration is possible, and they may even add tattoos or other markings. This is a physical effect, and lasts until the Mechrid decides to change their appearance again. They may change back to their original appearance freely.
At fifth level, the Mechrid may use their Disguise Mesh three times per day, and at eighth they may use it at will.

Purge Mesh: At fifth level, the nanite colony of a Mechrid becomes more active, circulating through their body via the cybermesh. The nanite colony actively neutralizes any toxins which enter the Mechrid, effectively making them immune to all poisons that cannot overcome nanite systems.

Health Mesh: At 8th level, the active nanite colony of the Mechrid is strong enough to actively defend against disease. The Mechrid is immune to diseases which cannot specifically overcome nanite systems.

Youth Mesh: The 11th level Mechrid is continuously scrubbed at a cellular level by their nanites, removing all ill effects of aging and staving off the future effects. Mechrids of 11th level and higher suffer no aging penalties, but continue to accrue aging bonuses, to ability scores.

Mechanical Reincarnation: By 20th level, a Mechrid is less an organic entity with mechanical systems integrated into them, and more an intelligence inhabiting a neuro-mechanical mesh that has an organic body integrated into it--their mind and personality have been entirely uploaded into their Cybermesh as a back up. If the organic body of a Mechrid dies, the cybermesh and nanite colony retain the mind of the Mechrid, often in stasis, but the Mechrid can "wake up" in this state, using their link with machines over wireless technologies to communicate and act. If the cybermesh is integrated into a blank body, the Mechrid is effectively resurrected, taking on the genotype of the body. They may also, however, be integrated into a mechanical body, in which case their original natural abilities of their genotype are replaced by the inherent abilities of the machine they've been incorporated into.

Mechanoid Companion
A Mechanoid Companion is a robotic entity of the Mechrid's own creation. They are constructed wholly to the specifications of the Mechrid, with any of a number of additional upgrades and devices added to them by the Mechrid.

Level	HD	Natural Armour	Physical Ability Points	Upgrade Points	Special
1	1	+1	-	24	Link, Evasion, Devotion
2	1	+1	+2	25
3	1	+1	-	26
4	2	+1	-	27
5	3	+1	+2	28	Ability Score Increase
6	4	+2	-	29
7	5	+2	+2	30	Improved Evasion
8	6	+2	-	31
9	7	+3	-	33
10	8	+3	+2	34	Ability Score Increase
11	9	+3	-	35
12	10	+4	+2	36
13	11	+4	-	37
14	12	+4	-	39
15	13	+5	+2	40	Ability Score Increase
16	14	+5	-	41
17	15	+5	+2	42
18	16	+6	-	43
19	17	+6	-	45
20	18	+6	+2	46

Level: The Mechrid's character level
HD: The Mechanoid Companions Hit Die. Mechanoid Companions are of the Mechanoid type (see below), unless they have the Biotech Upgrade.
Natural Armour: Mechanoids have a natural armour bonus equal to 1/3 their hit die.
Physical Ability Points: Every Mechanical Companion is unique to the specifications of the Mechrid who created it, and as they accompany their Mechrid, the Mechrid continues to improve them. The Mechrid's player may increase the Mechanical Companion's Strength and Dexterity (and Constitution, if it has the Biotech Upgrade) by expending the points in this column corresponding to their level. 1 point increases the chosen ability score by 1.
Upgrade Points: These points are spent to apply Upgrades to the Mechanical Companion.

Link: The Mechanical Companion has a mental link to their Mechrid that is similar to Driftech, save that it is wireless. They may communicate at any range, so long as they are on the same planet, or either is in orbit of the planet the other is on.

Evasion: The Mechanical Companion has finely tuned sensors and servos, allowing it to react to danger quickly. Anytime the Mechanical Companion is forced to make a Reflex save and succeeds, it is unaffected by the effect which forced the save.

Devotion: The intimate link of Mechrid and Mechanoid Companion makes it almost unthinkable for the Mechanoid Companion to act in a way their Mechrid does not wish. They receive a +4 innate bonus to all saves against effect which would compel them.

Ability Score Increase: At fifth, tenth and 15th level, the Mechrid completely overhauls their Mechanoid Companion's systems, increasing all the Mechanoid Companion's ability scores by 1 point.

Improved Evasion: At seventh level, the Mechrid has upgraded their companion's reaction times such that they only take half damage on a failed save from effects allowing a reflex save.

Building Your Mechanoid
A Mechrid constructs their personal Mechanoid Companion whole clothe to their own specifications and desires, as such, no two Mechanoids are entirely the same. There is little mechanical difference between forms such as serpentine, biped, hexapod, etc, or even tall, long, and wide, as such, your Mechanoid can look like whatever you want--of course, it only has the special abilities you pay for. You can make your Mechanoid a giant bird, but it can't fly unless you actually give it the "Flight" Upgrade, and it's still a medium size creature unless you give it an Upgrade to change it's size. A Mechanoid may have two arms and two legs for free, or be a hexa/octopod or the like, but the number of limbs does not change their abilities unless the Extra Limbs Upgrade is purchased for each pair. The beginning "Legs" of a mechanoid may be described as any form of motive mechanism--legs, wheels, treads, little springs that act sort of like kangaroo legs--whatever. If you want your Mechanoid to have drastically different beginning limbs, such as if your Mechanoid is a mechanical octopus, you may purchase two pairs of limbs at half cost. A base Mechanoid octopus would then require 6 points to be spent on limbs--2 for two pairs of tendrils as starting limbs, 4 for the other four tendrils--and would have it's speed halved as it moved via pulling itself along the ground. If you wanted it to move at full speed, it would cost seven points, as one pair of starting limbs would need to be some manner of tread along the bottom, and one of your half-price pairs of tentacles is full price at 1 for 1.

All Mechanoid Companions are of the Mechanoid creature type, unless you choose to give it the Biotech Upgrade (see Upgrades). As such they have the following traits:
Mechanoid

• d10 Hit Die: Mechanoids are strong and durable, often made from metal or other high-strength materials, such as carbon fibre.
• Moderate Base Attack
• Good Reflex or Fortitude (but see below)
• 4+Int Skill Points (unless mindless)
• Dark Vision 60'
• Low-Light Vision
• No Natural Healing: Mechanoids do not, by default, have any way of healing damage on their own.
• Artificial Intelligence: Mechanoids have artificial minds or basic programming, and are not susceptible to [mind-affecting] effects, unless those effects specifically say they can affect artificial minds, ditto for effects which detect thoughts or minds.
• Reparable:[/b] Mechanoids are artificial and thus can be repaired by a skilled mechanic. They do not become staggered at 0 hit points, nor do they die at -10. As soon as a Mechanoid hits zero hit points they become inert, and any abilities they may have cease to function (including fast healing abilities). The Mechanoid may be repaired with a Craft (Mechanism) or Repair check with a DC equal to that required to make it, or 10+their HD.

The basic mechanoid companion is as follows:
Medium Mechanoid
Hit Die: 1d10
Speed: 30 ft.
Attack: Slam (1d6)
Space/Reach: 5'/5'
Special Qualities: Low-light Vision, Darkvision 60'
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 10, Con -, Int 7, Wis 7, Cha 7

A first level Mechrid has 18 points to then spend on upgrades. Upgrades may be converted to points of ability scores on a 1 to 1 basis. Then, select skills (4+Int mod, any), and feats (1 to start).

As you increase in level, your mechanoid gains HD. When your mechanoid increases in HD, it gains feats and skill points as normal.

Upgrades
As Mechrids level up, their Mechanoid Companions receive points which the Mechrid's player may spend to purchase additional abilities and increased numbers for the Mechanoid. In game, you could require the Mechrid to take down time to upgrade their Mechanoid Companion, but you can also just assume the Mechrid tinkers with their companion in the stolen moments of downtime they have while traveling, and the levels where they gain points represent them finally getting new devices to work, it really doesn't matter.

Upgrade points form a pool, and, if the Mechrid's player chooses, they may completely remake their companion using the full pool of Upgrade points. In this case, they do need to take downtime, with every ten points, or portion thereof, requiring a day (eight hours) of work, with no time given to activities more demanding than reading, eating, talking, and the like.

Upgrades are grouped by point cost. Some Upgrades have DCs which, on a living creature, would be Constitution based. Because Mechanoids do not have a Constitution (usually), they instead have an Effective Con score that is 15 at base, +5 per 4 HD. Biomechanoids instead use their actual Con score.

• 1 Point Upgrades
• Aversion Module: The Mechanoid has a small radio-emitter which causes non-sapient creatures to avoid it. Handlers must make a DC 25 Handling check to force the creature to approach closer than 20' from the Mechanoid. This module may be switched off, and individuals can be made accustomed to the Mechanoid's signal.
• Aquatic Module: The Mechanoid has propellers and fins or other ways to maneuver in a liquid environment, giving it a swim speed equal to it's base speed.
• Basic Device: The Mechanoid has a minor device built into it which it may use once per day. Choose one of the following devices: acid projector, dancing LEDs, dazer, detector, flash flare, echo box, light, gravity gun, cryoray, medkit, or sedation needle. When the Mechrid is third level, they may put an additional point into the device to allow their companion to use it three times per day. At fifth level, another point may be spent to make the device usable at will. The Mechanoid's Effect Level is equal to their HD, and DCs are Charisma based.
  Acid Projector=Acid Splash
  Dancing LEDs=Dancing Lights
  Dazer=Daze
  Detect=Detect Magic, but detects a thing or substance or phenomena chosen when you install it
  Flash Flare=Flare
  Echo Box=Ghost Sound
  Light=Light
  Gravity Gun=Mage Hand
  Cryoray=Ray of Frost
  Medkit=Stabilize
  Sedation Needle=Touch of Fatigue
• Extension: One of the Mechanoid's attacks is mounted on a telescoping armature. The reach with the chosen weapon increases by 5'.
• Grappler Mechanisms: The Mechanoid has specialized devices that wrap around opponents and hold on to them, and has a +4 inherent bonus on Grab On and Hold Down maneuvers, as well as having the Edge when using these maneuvers.
• Grievous: One of the Mechanoid's melee weapons (or pair, in the case of knives) vibrates at a fierce frequency, making great holes in it's targets. Wounds made with a Grievous weapon [bleed] for 1d6 damage for a number of rounds equal to the Mechanoid's HD.
• Integrated Blade: The mechanoid has a short blade or a pair of knives integrated into their limbs. Short blades deal 1d6, while knives deal 1d4 each. The Mechanoid applies it's strength modifier as a bonus to the damage of these blades. If the Mechrid pays another point, the mechanoid may apply 1 1/2 times it's strength mod to attacks with a short blade. Each blade is integrated into an arm or forelimb of the Mechanoid, thus the Mechanoid must have at last as many limbs as the Mechrid wants them to have Integrated Blades. The Mechrid may spend additional points to raise the damage die by one step.
• Molecular Grippers: The Mechanoid's limbs are equipped with devices which form temporary molecular bonds with surfaces, allowing them to climb verticle surfaces and even move across ceilings without difficulty at a speed of 30 ft. Each additional point spent on Molecular Grippers increases this speed by 20 ft.
• Monofilament Edges: The Mechanoid's melee weapons are all honed to a single molecule's thickness, allowing them to cut through materials with terrible ease, ignoring hardness. A specialized nanite colony maintains the edges of the Mechanoid's blades.
• Olfa-sensor: The Mechanoid has a specialized sensor able to detect particles in the air, giving it the Scent quality. For 2 points, this sensor is strong enough to work out to 180'.
• Plating: The Mechanoid is more heavily plated than others, it's natural armour rating increased by two points. This Upgrade may be installed once for every five, or portion thereof, levels the Mechrid possesses (once for levels 1-4, a second time for levels 5-9, and so on). Alternatively, the plating of the Mechanoid has been modified to better protect against Non-kinetic attacks (acid, electricity, fire, ice, sonic), gaining resistance 5 against the chosen attack form, which increases by 5 for every five levels the Mechrid possesses. For 2 points, a Mechrid of 7th level or higher can Upgrade their Mechanoid with plating that completely nullifies one of these attack forms, giving their Mechanoid immunity to the chosen Non-Kinetic Damage.
• Pincers: The Mechanoid's arms end in large pincers, like an earth scorpion or crab. These claws deal 1d6 damage plus 1/2 the Mechanoid's strength modifier, and give the Mechanoid a +2 bonus to Grapple.
• Recurve Lungers: The Mechanoid has specially designed springs that propel it forward with great speed. It may make a full attack after charging.
• Roach Mechs: The Mechanoid has specialized servos and motors which allow it to compress itself. This gives the Mechanoid a +4 inherent bonus to Escape Artist checks and checks made to escape grapples.
• Specialized Programming: The Mechanoid is programmed to better excel at a specific skill. The chosen skill benefits from a +8 inherent bonus. This Upgrade may be selected more than once, applying to a separate skill each time.
• Tendril: The Mechanoid has a long, sinuous appendage which can be either a mechanical tentacle or a tail, depending on it's placement on it's chasis. This is a secondary attack which deals 1d4 bludgeoning damage, and acts as a basic grasping appendage. This Upgrade may be taken multiple times. Tendrils may be used as motile limbs, but the Mechanoid moves at half speed when pulling itself along with such improvised motile limbs.
  
  2 Point Upgrades
• Ability Increase: The Mechanoid's systems are more finely tuned. A chosen ability score is increased by 2 points.
• Additional Limbs: The Mechanoid has an extra pair of arms or legs. Arms have the obvious benefit of hands, but do not, themselves, grant any extra attacks, while legs increase the Mechanoid's speed by 10'. Legs may also be additional wheels, treads, or the like for Mechanoids which do not move around with legs.
• Biomech: The Mechanoid is in-fact a biological entity, grown rather than built. It is not a Mechanoid, instead gaining one of the following Entity Types ([insert list]) with the [Biomechanoi] subtype. It has a Constitution score equal to it's strength at creation. After the game has started, changes to the Biomechanoid's strength score do not change it's constitution, and the two scores are entirely independent. As a biological creature, the Biomechanoid loses its immunity to poison and diseases, but heals naturally. It can be repaired by a character with the Biomechanics Knowledge skill.
  Prerequisite: Knowledge Biomechanics 4 ranks, Can only be selected on a newly-created Mechanoid
• Charged Attack: The Mechanoid's attacks are charged with a Non-Kinetic Energy, and deal 1d6 points of Cold, Electricity or Fire damage in addition to their normal damage.
  Prerequisite: Mechrid level 5
• Constriction: The Mechanoid can squeeze captured opponents, whether with large claws, a sinuous form, or powerful tentacles. Each round that it uses the Hold Down maneuver, the Mechanoid deals damage equal to that dealt by an attack chosen when this Upgrade is installed.
• Excavation Drill: The Mechanoid has a large drill which allows it to move large amounts of soil and rock and leave a hole behind. The Mechanoid has a burrow speed equal to 1/2 it's base speed, and can move through sand, dirt, clay, and soft stone, such as limestone (hardness 4 or less). Materials which are loose, such as sand, no tunnel is left behind. In more dense-packed materials, such as soil, the Mechanoid can leave a tunnel behind if it moves at half speed (1/4 it's base speed, rounded down).
• Featchip: The Mechanoid is programmed with a feat from the following list: Improved Trip, Simple Weapons Proficiency, Martial Weapons Proficiency (requires Simple Weapons Proficiency).
• Flight: The Mechanoid has the mechanisms required to fly. This may be rotors like a helicopter, wings and engines, or purely jet-propelled. Bio-mimicing wings are typically not going to be capable of producing the necessary lift, but wings are typically an area of "acceptable breaks from reality" in Sci Fi.
• Grasping Servos: The Mechanoid has servos and motors which allow it to quickly turn a successful attack into a hold. Whenever the Mechanoid makes a successful attack with the chosen weapon on a creature smaller than it, they may also also attempt to initiate a grapple for free.
• Minor Device: The Mechanoid has a minor device with enough power to use it once per day. At sixth level, the Mechrid can spend two additional points to make this device usable 3/day, and at eight can make it usable at will (tenth level and three additional points for the medkit). The EL for this device equals the Mechanoid's HD, and any save DC is Cha based. This Upgrade may be selected more than once, but each time it's taken it is a separate device. Choose from the following devices:
  • flame emitter (burning hands)
  • universal translator (comprehend languages)
  • light medkit (cure light wounds)
  • homing missile (magic missile)
  • smoke screen (obscuring mist)
  • holo-projector (silent image)
  • flicker cloak (invisibility, 1 round/EL)
  • projectile speaker (ventriloquism)
  prerequisite: Mechrid level 4
• Raking Mechanism: The Mechanoid has a specialized weapon which deals damage to pinned opponents. The Mechanoid has a 1d4 primary attack which follows the rules for Rake attacks.
• Render: The Mechanoid has a bit of programming that makes paired melee attacks more effective--when it hits with two blades, it can maneuver those blades such that they are rip and tear their victim more. When the Mechanoid successfully hits a target with two blades, they automatically deal extra damage equal to the damage of one of those blades (the higher damage one, in case of different damages) plus one and a half times it's strength modifier.
  Prerequisite: Mechrid level 6
• Shadowblend Plating: The Mechanoid has specialized, dark coloured platign which helps it to blend into darkness and shadow. In any light condition other than bright light, the Mechanoid has partial concealment (20%).
• Sonic Warfare Emitter: The Mechanoid has a specialized sound emitter that plays havoc with parts of the organic auditory system and brain. This emitter has a range of 20', can be emitted as a single target attack, cone, line or burst, and allows a Fort save. On a failed save, targets are sickened for 1 round. On a successful save, the target is immune to this attack for 24 hours.
• Syringe: The Mechanoid has a small reservoir which can hold chemicals for injection. This is a special attack which requires the target to be pinned, unless an additional point is spent to give the Mechanoid a 1d6 damage Sting attack which can deliver the poison in combat. Most Mechanoids either have an acid (1d6), or a Muscle Paralytic (Injury, Fort negates [Con Based], Initial/Secondary Damage: 1d4 Str), but any chemical could be placed in this reservoir.
  The reservoir is separate from the injector, and it needs time to refill that injector, so this chemical can only be injected once per round.
• Terrasensor: The Mechanoid has a device which can sense and interpret vibrations in the ground, giving it the Tremoursense ability, with a range of 60'.
  Prerequisite: Mechrid Level 7
  
  3-point Upgrades
• Echolocator Sensor: The Mechanoid has a specialized signal emitter/receiver setup which allows it to use radio waves to perceive it's surroundings. The Mechanoid has the Blindsense ability. For an additional 3 points, an 11th level Mechrid can fine-tune the Echolocator Sensor for greater definition and fidelty, giving the Mechanoid Blindsight instead.
  Prerequisite: Mechrid Level 9
• Fear Inducer: The Mechanoid has a specialized device which targets the brain of organic creatures through subaudio signals, and can make them halt in fear or flee in panic. It has the Frightful Presence ability, usable at will, and can target an individual, emit a cone or line of the signal, or emit it in a burst which targets all organic creatures in a 30' radius. A successful Will save (Cha based) negates the effect, while a failed save results in the Shaken condition for 3d6 rounds. If the Mechanoid has 4 or more HD more than a target, that target is instead Frightened on a failed save. Targets with more HD than the Mechanoid are immune to this effect.
  Prerequisite: Mechrid level 6
• Greater Device: The Mechanoid has a greater device with enough power to use it once per day. At eighth level, the Mechrid can spend two additional points to make this device usable 3/day, and an additional two at tenth level to make it usable at will (three additional points and 12th for the Medkit). The EL for this device equals the Mechanoid's HD, and any save DC is Cha based. This Upgrade may be selected more than once, but each time it's taken it is a separate device. Choose from the following devices:
  • Acid Lobber (Acid Arrow)
  • Moderate Medkit (Cure Moderate Wounds)
  • Black Out Screen (Darkness)
  • Cloak (Invisibility)
  • Sunlamp (Daylight)
  • BiorestKit (short for Biological Restoration Kit, Lesser Restoration)
  • Holo-Chirp Emitter (Minor Image)
  • Las-gun (Scorching Ray)
  • Anti-Cloak Sensor (See Invisibility)
  Prerequisite: Mechrid Level 6
• Hardened Plating: The Mechanoid has strong plating which resists kinetic weaponry. The Mechanoid has DR 5/-. This Upgrade can be taken multiple times, increasing the Mechanoid's DR by 5 each time.
  Prerequisite: Mechrid level 5, plus 3 levels per iteration
• Technoweb: The Mechanoid has a device which can create artificial webbing identical to that of earth spiders, but larger in scale. It can support itself, plus one creature per 4 HD on this webbing, and throw a net-like web as an attack with a range of 50 ft and an increment of 10 ft up to 8 times per day, which entangles a creature up to one size larger than the Mechanoid. This web can be escaped with an Escape Artist Check (DC is Con based) or a Strength Check (with a -4 penalty). Technowebs have a hardness and HP equal to the Mechanoid's HD. The Mechanoid can move along it's own webs, and effectively has Tremoursense while in contact with them.
  Prerequisite: Mechrid Level 7
  
  4-Point Upgrades
• Biometric Scan: The Mechanoid has a specialized sensor which detects signs of life and can scan organic bodies. This allows it to sense organic life as if it had Blindsense, as well as allowing it to determine the well-being of individuals (mimics Status and Deathwatch).
• Dragonbreath Module: The Mechanoid has a device which projects a strong acid or a non-kinetic energy in a broad swath. The Mechrid selects one of Acid, Cold, Electricity, or Fire, and a 30 ft Cone or 60 ft Line. The Mechanoid may use this device once per day to deal 1d6 per HD it possesses (Ref Half, DC is Con based), plus an additional time per day for each additional point the Mechrid spends on it, to a maximum of three times per day. More Dragonbreath Modules may be installed, but each one beyond the first costs an additional two points, and has it's own uses per day.
  Prerequisite: Mechrid Level 9
• Increased Size: The Mechanoid's size is increased, from Medium to Large. This increases it's Strength by 8, and it's Natural Armour by 2 (If it is a Biomechanoid, its Constitution by 4). It's Dexterity is decreased by 2, and it takes all the normal penalties associated with being Large. It's reach increases to 10 ft, before Reach Upgrades are taken into consideration.
  For an additional 6 points, the Mechanoid's size can be increased to Huge, doubling the above Strength and Dexterity (and Constitution, if Biomechanical) modifiers, and increasing the Natural Armour by 5 instead of 2, and the reach becomes 15 instead of 10.
  Prerequisite: Mechrid Level 8 to increase to Large, Level 13 to increase to Huge
• Major Device: The Mechanoid has a major device with enough power to use it once per day. At tenth level, the Mechrid can spend two additional points to make this device usable 3/day, and at 12th level an additional two points can be spent to make the device usable at will (three additional points and 14th for the Medkit). The EL for this device equals the Mechanoid's HD, and any save DC is Cha based. This Upgrade may be selected more than once, but each time it's taken it is a separate device. Choose from the following devices:
  • Replicator (Create Food and Water)
  • Serious Medkit (Cure Serious Wounds)
  • Blast Lobber (Fireball)
  • Lightning Gun (Lightning Bolt)
  • Morpheus Module (Major Image)
  • Olfactory Discouragement Pod (Stinking Cloud)
• Repair Nanites: The Mechanoid has a small colony of repair nanites which work constantly to maintain it. It has the Fast Healing ability at a value of 1, plus 1 per 2 additional Upgrade points spent, to a maximum of Fast Healing 5.
  Prerequisite: Mechrid Level 11
• Teleportal Fabricater: Once per day, the Mechanoid may create a small wormhole to a nearby location. (Dimension Door).

---

Ok, so I need to go through the druid spells and strip them down to effects which can be technological in nature, rename them, and sort them into spheres. But this is mostly done, at least as a rough draft.

Oh, the mechanical companion needs to be written up too. It's basically going to be the Pathfinder Summoner's Eidolon. But mechanical.
Mechanoid Companion is provisionally done. Needs more lasers, but that may just be a modification of the integrated weapon Upgrade, and is kind of waiting for me to figure out the rules for lasers.

[Prak]

*chirp chirp*

[Prak]

Ok, so Mechanoid Companions are pretty much done. I need to finish the Augment list for Mechrids, but that will come in time. It's a bit daunting.

I'm going to look at translating Barbarians next, since I have a pretty clear idea of what I want those to look like. I'll probably do a skill list overhaul fairly soon too.

I'm not only open, but actually soliciting feedback and ideas and suggestions for this. I don't have a particularly solid vision beyond "D20... IN SPACE" and a lack of sapient aliens (at least at the start). This is largely based on Civilization: Beyond Earth, so there are aliens, but they're largely relegated to the role of monsters. ANYWAY hopefully the lack of a solid vision will mean I'll be less of a dumbass than I usually am about these things (ok, yeah...). I'll try anyway. The fact remains that the point of this project is to put d20 into a space sci fi setting, but I'm open to overhauling specific things, and am looking more at a tome basis than strictly D&D.

[...You Lost Me]

The terminology is too dense. It reads like that crazy Akashic system from MinMaxBoards. For example, the Augments section of the Mechrid contains the following words:

• Augments
• Cybermesh
• Blueprints
• Folders
• Archive
• Packing
• Effect Level

I think some of those words are terms and some are not, but I tried figuring it out and it's just too hard. If this a straight druid reskin, then link the SRD druid and make a list of changed words (Spell = Blueprint, Animal = Mechanoid, Wildshape = Cybermesh, whatever). If it's not a druid reskin, I recommend rethinking the resource mechanic. I have no idea what a Blueprint is even supposed to be.

[Prak]

Ok, yeah, I guess it suffers from my knowing what I'm talking about and others not. So I need to go back and take another look at that.

First thing is that Effect Level replaces the term Caster Level, because this is Tech and Psi and not spellcasting.

That said, the class is based on/modified from druid, but not a word for word reskin.

The Cybermesh is basically a techy explanation for some the druid powers that are being carried over, like Mask of a Thousand Faces and poison immunity.

Augments/Blueprints/Folders are all part of the system that is replacing the spellcasting. First thing I'm doing is replacing Wildshape with something like the UA "manifest bits of animals like claws and shit." The second thing I'm doing is rolling that together with spell effects, and explaining the lot of it as "you have nanites that quick-build cybernetics for you." As for folders and blueprints, it's part of a kind-of sort-of Sphere system. I need to take another run at explaining things, and possibly do a write up of tech powers that are replacing the rules for magic.

[Prak]

I changed Augments to Nanotech, which, if nothing else, leans a bit more on existing fiction and sci fi. I also scrapped the ad hoc sphere thing and went back to the more typical spell slot model.

Nanotech
One of the great technological breakthroughs of the late 21st century was full nanotechnology.

Long imagined and dreamt of, nanotechnology is the use of robots measured in nanometers--the width of ten helium atoms, or one twentieth of a ribosome.

These miniature robots are exceedingly simply, often little more than two or three knobs budding off of central control, but they work in concert to achieve awe-inspiring results.

Nanotech users in Planetary Frontiers control these robots by uploading pre-configured Programs to the nanite clusters. These Programs sit in the cluster's shared AI until the user sends a signal which tells the nanites to run the program. The expertise of a user can create huge differences in what the nanotech can accomplish. All nanotech users have an Expertise Level, usually equal to their HD or character level, which determines how much power they can command from their nanites.

What Nanotech can and cannot do
Nanotech often seems like magic, but it's not. It is highly advanced technology and, as such, has it's limitations.

• Nanotech is capable of:
• Creating objects from raw material
• Turning one material into another
• Repairing objects and organic entities
• Disassembling objects and wounding organic entities
• "Refining" existing objects and creatures
  
  Nanotech is not capable of:
• Creating anything ex nihilo
• Teleporting objects or creatures (by itself. Teleportation technology does exist, and nanites can assemble it.)
  
  Things Nanotech can do, but is heavily discouraged:
• Forming into dense mimics of creatures. This requires large colonies of nanites, which itself will typically require the construction of nanites from ambient material. The potential Grey Goo scenario makes this use of nanites highly restricted.

(incomplete list is incomplete. Will be completed as I go through the spell lists and find more things Nanotech should or should not be able to do.)

In the short term, I will be renaming/rewriting spells to be nanotech. There will eventually be some additional "spells" and the like, but not at current, though I will be condensing things so that Cure Light/Moderate/Serious/Critical Wounds becomes "Medkit" with an effect based on the user's Expertise Level.

Mechrid Nanotech
Mechrid 0.0 Programs

Detection Array: Nanites spread out around the user, keyed to detect a specific phenomenon or substance, chosen when the program is run.
Flash Array: Nanites take a position that refracts light into an enemy's eyes, focused in such a way that they are Dazzled for 1 minute as their eyes refocus. Fort negates, eyeless creatures immune.
Guidance lens: Nanites create a thin lens, incorporating several nanites, which then provide a display over the lens guiding a single action. +1 to a single attack roll, saving throw or skill check.
Lantern Modification: Nanites push around electrons and photons, causing an object to shine like a torch. 10 min/EL.
Mending Protocol: Nanites close wounds in flesh or repair small broken objects. Actual healing is negligible, but does prevent infection (heals 1 hp). Objects to be mended must be no larger than 1 lb, and they are repaired to their original condition. It the user's option, broken objects can be mended with a different material, such as gold in mimicry of the Kintsugi tradition of the Japanese people from Earth-that-Was.
Orient: Nanites use planetary magnetic fields, solar position, and other physical signs to determine true north and communicate that to their user.
Purification Protocol: Nanites scour food and water for pollutants and spoilage, reassembling proteins and disassembling contaminants to fuel themselves. 1 cu. ft. of food or water per EL may be purified in this way.
Refinement: Nanites course through the subject's body, refining their tissues to make them quicker, more durable, or improving their focus. The subject either gains 1 hp, or a +1 bonus on saving throws for 1 minute.
Water Condenser Formation: Nanites condense water from vapor in the air around them. Alternatively, they can assemble Hydrogen and Oxygen atoms into water molecules if necessary. 1 gallon/EL.

Mechrid 1.0 Programs

Ambulation Boosters: The Nanites create small pads of springy gel on the soles of the subject's feet, increasing their land speed by 10 ft.
Anti-Cloak Array: Nanites spread out to find creatures or objects concealed through means of Blur-Tech, Cloaking or similar, including darkness, and refract light to counteract said concealment.
Endurance Mesh: Nanites create a thin vestment which regulates the body temperature of a creature wearing it, allowing comfortable existence at temperatures from -50 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Vestment likewise protects anything worn or held by the creature.
Flame Emitters: Nanites create a pair of Flame Emitter Gloves around your hands. These gloves add fire damage to your slam attacks and allow you to project flames as a ranged attack.
Long Fall Boots: Nanites create a pair of Long-Fall Boots on the subject, lessening impact and putting more force into jumps, giving the subject a +10 equipment bonus to Jumps, which increases to +20 at EL 5 and +30 at EL 9. The boots also lessen fall damage by negating 10' of fall per EL.
Mist Screen: Nanites manipulate water vapor in the air, condensing it into a thick mist, obscuring vision.
Nanomedic Protocol: Nanites enter wounds and begin to mend them on a cellular level. Heals 1d8 damage, +1 per effect level. Increases to 2d8 at 5th level, plus 1d8 per two levels, max 4d8.
Pro-Biotic Inducement: Nanites permeate small seeds, berries or other edible material, rearranging proteins and creating a small retrovirus from the DNA of the item which promotes health and healing. Up to 8 seeds or berries can be modified this way, each healing 1 hp when eaten.
Track Cover Array: Nanites erase scent and tracks of 1 creature/EL for 1 hour per EL.

Spells pending a good explanation: Calm Animal*, Charm Animal*, Entangle, Speak with Animals

[radthemad4]

I really like the robot bug drawings.

Yeah, the summoner eidolon works pretty well with this. You could also put in a synthesist option for people who want to be Cyborg or Iron Man or something.

[Prak]

That's probably what the fighter will become, a guy with heavy tech that absorbs and dishes out damage, with some ability to make his own tech.

[Prak]

So, thinking some more, I'm wondering if the magic replacement should just be Tech, with nanotech essentially being a school.

In this model, Nanotech would be able to repair, create, and alter things, essentially combining Transmutation and Conjuration effects, except for summoning, since it can't just create entire creatures. Tech prep time would then be used to program nanites and also have the devices for non-nanite tech be constructed.

So, the effects by school in D&D are:

• Warding (Abjuration)
• Bringing things to you (Conjuration)
• Gathering Intelligence (Divination)
• Tricking and Controlling People (Enchantment)
• Manipulating Energy (Evocation)
• Fooling the Mind and Senses (Illusion)
• Mucking with the Dead (Necromancy)
• Changing Things (Transmutation)

So, in a Sci Fi milieu, things would probably be defined by their tech, rather then their effect, but this gives me a place to start.

In Sci Fi, you ward shit with force fields and sonic tech that makes people want to be anywhere else. You bring shit to you by teleporting it. You have sensors and satellites and bionic stuff to gather intelligence. Manipulating Energy is something that a lot of tech does to accomplish other shit, like force field tech, blasters, etc. There isn't much mucking with the dead, though there is body preservation and you could probably have some amount of tech-zombies. You change stuff with nanotech.

So, we're looking at the following "Disciplines"

• Repulsor Tech (because yay Iron Man), which gives force fields and blasters, and probably some related stuff like flight. Because, again, yay Iron Man.
• Nanotech, which handles transmutation and some minor conjuring-type stuff, including healing. Medtech is a subschool of Nanotech, I suppose.
• SenseTech, a general term used to refer to sensors, satellites, and enhanced sense technology and the like, taking Divination's role.
• Holotech covers anything which fools a sense. Mostly it's concerned with light constructs, ie actual holograms, but can also create other sensations. Notably, this is one of the easier ways to handle summons, by making "hard light" holograms a thing. Needs, but also allows, much tighter rules regarding interaction- If you use Holotech to create a false wall, it looks in all ways like a wall until you try to put your hand through it, and then you know "Hey, at least part of this wall isn't real."

Psionics is supposed to be a thing, so a lot of Enchantment's shtick, as well as some of Illusion's shtick, will be absorbed into that.

I kind of like the idea of tech that allows you to animate bodies, and there's not a lot of reason why you couldn't. The body is a machine, so stick a new motive force in it, and it can get up and walk around again. This will probably be referred to as Necrotech, but it's more an open subdiscipline than it's own discipline. Often times it will involve Nanotech, but sometimes it's just Tech. A device that hooks into the brain of the corpse, or replaces it, and sends the relevant signals to the body.

Ok, there we go. Forget what I just said, there's another Discipline:

• Necrotech, the discipline of manipulating corpses through technology. Primarily concerned with puppetry, through giving the machine of the body a new computer to continue telling it to do stuff.

Oh, and we're going to embrace multi-discipline effects right from the get go, because a suit that lets you fly, shoot lasers, and heals you when you take damage is obviously Repulsor and Nanotech.

[Prak]

The Chemmer
The Chemmer is a warrior who uses carefully designed and controlled chemical stimulants to augment their abilities in combat.

Technically anyone can use the Chemmer's methods, but it does take training, and a practiced resilience. The drugs that Chemmers use are tightly controlled, and designed specifically for their physiology. If a person other than the Chemmer the drugs were calibrated for tries to use the drug, they have both a lessened effect, and side effects. For this reason, it is impractical for Chemmers to use their drugs for others (though they do eventually learn to create a generalized version of their stimulants which can be given to others).

As a part of their biochemical enhancements, Chemmers also create concoctions that amplify their natural resilience and speed.

Chemmers specialize in large and heavy weapons, but are also flexible in their precise martial style.

Hit Die: d12
BAB: Good (1:1)
Good Saves: Fort

Level	Special	Chem Rounds	Recipes Known
1	Fast Movement, Chem	4	1
2	Reaction Time (Dodge), Chemical Transmutation	6	1
3	Reaction Time (Reflex 1)	8	2
4	Chemical Transmutation	10	2
5	Reaction Time (Improved Dodge)	12	3
6	Reaction Time (Reflex 2), Chemical Transmutation	14	3
7		16	4
8	Chemical Transmutation	18	4
9		20	5
10	Chemical Transmutation	22	5

Fast Movement: The Chemmer has a constant low level of stimulants moving through his body at all times due to their frequent use. As such, he moves faster than the normal being. Chemmer's base speeds are 10 ft greater than normal for their Genotype.

Chem: The trademark ability of the Chemmer is the ability to concoct drug cocktails which enhance their abilities. Each day they prepare a mix specifically tailored to their physiology, and the desired effect. At first level, they only know one recipe, but as they increase in level they learn more. A Chemmer can use these drug cocktails, called Chems, for a total number of rounds per day equal to their Con mod+2(Class Level+1).
When they prepare their mix for the day, they can prepare up to the full allotment for several recipes--mixed Chems are held outside the body and then introduced to the blood stream on demand through a specialized IV system. It can be assumed that a Chemmer has access to all of their recipes at any given point during the day so long as they are not short on components.
Chemmers are specifically licensed by the EvaCities to purchase and possess the drugs and chemicals they use, and, provided they are near or in their EvaCity, should be assumed to have access to what they need.
Using a Chem also alters the Chemmer's behaviour slightly, strengthening his mind as he focuses on the task at hand, granting him a +2 morale bonus to Will saves, but also causing him to lose focus on defense in favour of an all out attack, causing him to take a -2 penalty to Armour Class.
The combat focused mind of a Chemmer under the influence prevents him from using skills that have Intelligence as their key ability while under the influenc of a Chem.

Reaction Time: At second level, the constant low level of stimulants which increase the Chemmer's speed also begin to increase their reaction time. If a Chemmer would be denied his dexterity bonus to AC for any reason other than immobilization or encumbrance, he retains it.
At third level, the Chemmer's reaction time improves to where he can better dodge unexpected area assaults and other non-direct attacks, granting him a +1 to Reflex saves, which improves by 1 point every third level.
At fifth level, the Chemmer's reaction time makes him impossible to distract by flanking, flanking th Chemmer does not provide a +2 bonus to attacks against him. Stealthblades must be four or more levels higher than the Chemmer to inflict Sneak Attack damage on him when he would be flanking the Chemmer.

Recipes
Muscle Enhancer: This chem floods the muscles with lactic acid and repair nanites, forcing them to quickly strengthen. The Chemmer gains a +4 bonus to Strength and a +2 bonus to Constitution for the duration of use.
Nerveskitter Shot: This chem overamps the nervous system and synapses, allowing them to react and fire much more quickly. The Chemmer gains a +4 bonus to Dexterity and a +10 bonus to landspeed for the duration of use.
Immunobooster: This chem bolster's the body's overall defenses, granting the Chemmer a bonus equal to 1/4 effect level to all saving throws.
Ferroskin Injection: This chem alters the teeth, fingers and skin by transforming them into a metallic substance. The Chemmer gains 2 claws and a bite attack, and a natural armor bonus equal to 1/3 their Effect Level for the duration of use.
Level 3+
Chlorination Injection: This chem binds a chlorine-based compound to the blood, causing it to ignite in the presence of oxygen. For the duration of use, when the Chemmer's blood is spilled, typically through being hit with any manner of piercing or slashing weapon, subjects adjacent to the Chemmer take 1d4 fire damage. The Chemmer may also elect to break the skin on their forearms as a swift action any time after they inject the chem to coat their forearms and hands in their burning blood, granting their unarmed strikes an extra 1d4 fire damage on successful hits (this does not deal damage to the Chemmer).
Level 6+
Fluorination Injection: (REQUIRES CHLORINATION INJECTION) This chem builds upon the Chlorination Injection, binding a substance very similar to Chlorine Trifluoride to the blood. This turns the Chemmer's blood into a highly corrosive and poisonous acid. To protect themselves from this, the injection also floods their systems with single-use nanites which impregnate their cells with copper. This chem provides a few benefits for the Chemmer-- first, they gain Acid Resistance equal to their Effect Level; second, their blood deals 2d6 acid damage to any surface it touches (save for copper, steel or nickel), and causing anything containing water, including living tissue, to ignite (dealing fire damage as normal). Finally, any creature within 5' of the Chemmer's exposed blood during the duration of use must make a Fort save or be Sickened for a number of rounds equal to the Chemmer's Con mod. The Chemmer may take a swift action at any point after injecting the chem to break the skin of their forearms, which causes the touch of their forearms and hands to transfer their blood, dealing 2d6 damage, and forcing anyone adjacent to them to make a Fort save vrs. Sickening.
Null Mind Injection: (REQUIRES IMMUNOBOOSTER) This chem builds on the Immunobooster chem, but causes a change in the cerebrospinal fluid produced by the Chemmer's brain to create a substance with anti-psionic qualities. During the duration of use, the Chemmer may make a second save against any psionic affect which targets them. If they succeed, they gain temporary HP equal to the level of the psionic power times their Effect Level.

[radthemad4]

'Chemmer' sounds like what you'd call a conversion of the Pathfinder Alchemist (which seems like it would fit well in this hack). Barbarian abilities tend to be more focused on hitting things so I'd call this a Berserker or something.

[Prak]

Berserker doesn't sound Sci Fi, and they do in fact do chemistry.

[radthemad4]

Hard to be objective over whether or not something sounds Sci fi, but there are berserkers in 40K, X-Com and Mass Effect.