Biomancer (3.5e Class)

Biomancer

The Biomancer. Doctor, biologist, biohazard, and more. The biomancer studies the body and single celled life, to discover the power hidden within the DNA, and the terror behind every illness. They are thoughtful skilled druids who lack a connection with nature to turn into beasts, but instead understand nature to the point where they may command it at their whim.

Making a Biomancer

Biomancers are casters, ultimately. They rely on spells and knowledge, and when the going gets tough, on both their personal augmentations and the assistance of their test subject, a sort of animal companion, to defend themselves.

Abilities: Intelligence is paramount for the Biomancer, for they must understand what is going on with all the reactions they cannot see. Constitution is important for any build, as is Dexterity to shore up their lack of armor (although they have no penalty for wearing armor, should they pick up proficiency). Charisma and Wisdom both help key skills employed by the Biomancer.

Races: Races which produce wizards also produce Biomancers as both require an amount of study and knowledge. Races fond of druids may also create biomancers as an effort to study the forces which their druidic brothers command.

Alignment: Any Lawful. Biomancers must follow a strict Code of Ethics. Good Biomancers are doctors, curing disease and improving the body. Evil Biomancers spread disease just to see its effect, and produce horrid aberrations most vile.

Starting Gold: 5d4×10 gp (125 gp).

Starting Age: Complex.

Table: The Biomancer

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Spells per Day
		Fort	Ref	Will		0	1^st	2^nd	3^rd	4^th	5^th	6^th	7^th	8^th	9^th
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2	Code of Ethics, Microbe Touch, Test Subject, Unnatural Empathy	3	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+3	Health Check, Rapid Recovery	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+3	Perfect Health	4	2	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Poison Use, Mutation 1/day	4	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Cell Form 1/day	4	3	2	1	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	+4	+5	+2	+5	Poison Scent	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	+5	+5	+2	+5	Cell Form 2/day (Vocalizing), Body Vigor	4	4	3	2	1	—	—	—	—	—
8th	+6/+1	+6	+2	+6	Venom Immunity, Mutation 2/day	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
9th	+6/+1	+6	+3	+6	Cell Form (Liquid Transmission, 20 ft. fly)	4	4	4	3	2	1	—	—	—	—
10th	+7/+2	+7	+3	+7	Special Ability	4	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—
11th	+8/+3	+7	+3	+7	Cell Form 3/day, Mutation 3/day	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	—	—	—
12th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+8	Special Ability	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—
13th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+8	Cell Form 4/day (Somatic Motion)	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	—	—
14th	+10/+5	+9	+4	+9	Special Ability, Mutation 4/day	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	—	—
15th	+11/+6/+1	+9	+5	+9	Cell Form (Host Transmission, 30 ft. fly)	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	—
16th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10	Special Ability, Youthful Vigor	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	—
17th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10	Cell Form 5/day, Mutation 5/day	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1
18th	+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+11	Special Ability	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2
19th	+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+11	Cell Form 6/day	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3
20th	+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+12	Biological Awakening, Special Ability	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4
Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Ride (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Survival (Wis).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Biomancer.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Biomancers are proficient in all simple weapons, and light armor, but not with shields.

Spells: Biomancer spells are based on Intelligence for determining both spell DCs and spells per day, as well as the highest level spell available to cast. Biomancers may choose spells that appear on the druid spell list. Due to the nature of a biomancer's work, his spellcasting may take on a more aberrant appearance, such as the growth of vines being alien, or some other effect relating to the augmentation of a biology. A biomancer keeps a spellbook of spells known, learning all 0th level spells and 3 + Int first level spells on creation. Like a wizard they also gain 2 spells known per level. Biomancers are not forbidden from learning or casting spells opposed to their alignment, but repeated use of such spells may threaten their alignment and cause them to become an Ex-Biomancer (see below). All spells which affect animals now instead affect aberration. In addition to all druidic spells, add the following spells to the biomancer's class list.

0—Acid Splash, Inflict Minor Wounds, Touch of Fatigue

1st—Cure Light Wounds, Inflict Light Wounds, Ray of Enfeeblement. Sleep

2nd—Acid Arrow, Alter Self, Calm Emotions, Inflict Moderate Wounds, Cure Moderate Wounds. False Life. Gentle Repose, Ghoul Touch, Remove Paralysis

3rd—Blindness/Deafness, Create Food and Water, Inflict Serious Wounds, Cure Serious Wounds, Darkvision, Deep Slumber, Ray of Exhaustion, Stinking Cloud

4th—Inflict Critical Wounds, Cure Critical Wounds, Enervation, Haste, Restoration, Slow

5th—Animate Dead, Cloudkill, Mass Inflict Light Wounds, Mass Cure Light Wounds, Polymorph, Waves of Fatigue

6th—Mass Inflict Moderate Wounds, Mass Cure Moderate Wounds, Eyebite, Heal, Harm, Heroes' Feast, Transformation

7th—Mass Inflict Serious Wounds, Mass Cure Serious Wounds, Greater Restoration, Raise Dead, Regenerate, Waves of Exhaustion

8th—Clone, Mass Inflict Critical Wounds, Mass Cure Critical Wounds, Horrid Wilting

9th—Energy Drain, Mass Heal, Mass Harm (Heroes of Horror), Resurrection, Temporal Stasis

Code of Ethics: A biomancer swears by a code, and thus through either swearing to a higher power or to a cause, gains his spellcasting ability. A biomancer must stay within one step of his sworn alignment, or lose his spellcasting powers, class abilities, and test subject. An atonement spell, or a new oath requiring 200 XP per character level, is required to re-acquire one's powers. Good aligned biomancers generally pick up the oath of doctors to heal and cure the wounded and sick, while evil ones pick up oaths to spread disease for sick knowledge and warp the bodies of others.

Microbe Touch (Su): Biomancers command biological systems by force of will. Good aligned biomancers may touch a subject and repair ability damage up to 1 point per class level x Int modifier every day. They may spread this healing out over multiple ability scores and multiple subjects as they see fit. By expending 5 points, they may create the effect of remove disease on a subject or remove blindness/deafness.

Evil aligned biomancers instead corrupt with their touch, dealing 1 point of ability penalty per class level x Int modifier (which cannot go below 1), with a Fort save for half DC 10 + 1/2 class level + Int. They may apply the penalty to any ability score they see fit. The penalty lasts for 1 minute/level. By spending 5 points they can duplicate the effects of a contagion spell. The saving throw for this is 10 + 1/2 class level + Int, and unlike the normal spell, the secondary save is the same as the first.

Test Subject (Ex): By the power of strange magic, a biomancer has obtained or even grown a special animal companion who follows him, and is often the subject of his experiments. Test Subjects follow the progress and abilities of a druid's animal companion exactly, with the following changes. Its type changes to aberration although it retains animal HD, BAB, and skills. In addition, the animal gains a dim but palatable sentience over its fellow animals. It does not learn bonus tricks, instead its Int score becomes 3 + the number of bonus tricks normally listed for an animal companion. Like a druid, a biomancer may gain a new subject with 24 uninterrupted hours. Some seek out appropriate animals, but others, generally less morally strict biomancers, grow new companions out of cell cultures and magic for the sole purpose of becoming their battle ally.

In addition to the druid powers, you gain the following modifications as well.

• 1-3 HD: Share Spells, as the familiar ability of the same name.
• 4-6 HD: +2 ability score bonus increase
• 7-9 HD: Fast Healing 1
• 10-12 HD: +2 ability score bonus increase
• 13-15 HD: Fast Healing 2
• 16-18 HD: +2 ability score bonus increase
• 19+ HD: Fast Healing 3

Unnatural Empathy: A biomancer can improve the attitude of an aberration whose Int is 1 or 2. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person. The biomancer rolls 1d20 and adds his biomancer level and his Charisma modifier to determine the unnatural empathy check result.

To use unnatural empathy, the biomancer and the aberration must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an aberration in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.

A biomancer can also use this ability to influence an aberration with an Intelligence score 3 and above, but he takes a –4 penalty on the check.

Health Check (Ex): A biomancer works with living things all the time. At 2nd level he can judge the general condition of a living creature with a Heal check. The DC for this check is 10 + the HD of the target creature, and he may do this as a free action. You gain the general condition of the creature, if it is alive, wounded, dead, or under some biological status, as well as any conditions it is under, such as diseased or poisoned. It does not divine exact hp amounts, nor any effects which have no physical impact, such as being dominated.

Rapid Recovery (Su): A biomancer knows how to manage their body. From 2nd level on, recovers ½ his biomancer level on hit points per round.

Mutation (Ex): A biomancer has control over the Test Subject, manipulating it's structure at will. The effect is the same of a Animal Growth.

Perfect Health (Ex): At 3rd level a biomancer can fend of diseases of all kinds. A biomancer becomes immune to disease, both mundane and magical.

Poison Use: A biomancer often handles dangerous chemicals in his study. At 4th level a biomancer suffers no fumble chance of poisoning oneself when applying poison to a weapon.

Cell Form (Su): At 5th level, a biomancer unlocks the secrets of single celled lifeforms and can discorporate into a cloud of microbes floating in the air. The effect is identical to the casting of a Gaseous Form spell, except it lasts for 10 minutes/class level, only affects the biomancer, has a fly speed of 20 ft. (perfect), and possesses a 20% miss chance as their form blurs (this does not stack with the blur spell). At levels 7, 11, 13, 17, and 19, the biomancer gains an additional use of this ability per day. Its power also increases as he levels. In this state, he may still use the power of microbe touch without issue.

At level 7, a biomancer learns how to communicate in this state, his voice ghostly and echoing in the wind, as if spoken by a billion tiny voices in chorus. He may once again use spells which have vocal components, but still requires eschew materials or still spell to cast his spells.

At 9th level a biomancer can pass into and transmit through bodies of water as if it were air, literally infecting it. His fly speed in this state also rises from 20 ft. (perfect) to 30 ft. (perfect). While underwater, his speed is cut in half, but is otherwise unaffected. His miss chance rises to 50% (and does not stack with spells like blur or displacement).

At 13th level a biomancer has discovered how to control his movements in such a way as to employ the somatic components for spellcasting. He still requires the use of eschew materials to cast spells with material components, but is otherwise free to cast, even in gaseous form.

At 15th level, his fly speed rises again, this time to 40 ft. (perfect), and he gains the special ability to infect the bodies of others. He enters the space of another creature, provoking attacks of opportunity as he does, and attempts to enter it. Unwilling targets get a Fortitude save, DC 10 + class level + Int. A creature immune to supernatural diseases is immune to infection by a biomancer's cell form, and creatures immune to disease may also be immune to the infection (willing targets may still permit the biomancer into their bodies, immune or not). Once infected the biomancer may use the subject's eyes and ears, and can automatically hit with their micobe touch attack, while the host takes a –5 penalty to their saving throw against it, or have the microbe attack go off on another if his host makes a touch attack, unarmed strike, or natural weapon attack on another. Inside a body, he is completely concealed and may continue to inhabit the body even after his host has died. He may also spread to another person by touch without becoming visible again, at the same saving throw. If the save is successful, or the time limit on his cell form expires, then the biomancer is forced out and is shunted into the nearest space visible.

Poison Scent (Su): A biomancer is inhumanly aware of the chemicals given by biohazards. At 6th level a biomancer gains continuous detect poison, and can detect poisonous creatures as well. A successful Heal check reveals what kind of poison the creature possesses. The DC for this check is 10 + the HD of the target creature, and he may do this as a free action.

Body Vigor (Su): At 7th level a biomancer may stimulate their body into action. They may cure themselves a number of hit points equal to their class level x 2 a day. He can spread out this healing over several uses.

Venom Immunity (Ex): At 8th level, constant contact with biohazards has made the biomancer hardy and strong. He becomes immune to all forms of poison.

Special Ability: At 10th level and every 2 levels beyond, a biomancer begins to specialize. He can select from the list below.

Aura of Decay (Ex): The biomancer gains an aura which weakens the immune system. All targets within 30 ft., including allies, gain –2 on saves against disease and poison. A biomancer may turn the aura on or off as a swift action.

Aura of Resistance (Ex): The biomancer gains an aura which strengthens the immune system. All allies within 30 ft. gain a +5 bonus on saves against disease and poison. A biomancer may turn the aura on or off as a swift action.

Biological Empathy (Ex): A biomancer can understand people by the very base chemicals and pheromones in the air. With his test subject, he gains a telepathic bond out to 100 ft. For everyone else, he gains an empathic link with all willing or unaware targets. Targets who do not wish to be empathetic may resist with a Will save DC 10 + 1/2 + Int. All empathy extends to 100 ft. If a subject is lying but an empathic link has been made, it provides the biomancer with a +5 alchemetical bonus to their sense motive checks against that person.

Cell Cloud (Ex): A biomancer's cell form becomes more hazy and difficult to strike. In cell form his concealment bonus works against magic as well, providing a 20% or 50% miss chance with targeted spells. Area effect spells still function as normal.

Poison Blood (Ex): The blood of a biomancer has become soaked with toxins. By consuming 3 doses of the desired venom, the biomancer may use a move action to deal 1 point of damage to himself, bleeding and thus imbuing the weapon with the appropriate poison. The biomancer must have a means of cutting himself on hand, although the target weapon need not be a piercing or slashing weapon. To change poison types, a biomancer must spend 24 hours flushing the first venom from his body before consuming 3 more new doses.

Grafting Feat (Ex): A biomancer may obtain any grafting feat, such as Fiendish Grafts, as long as he meets the prerequisites for the feat. He may ignore racial prerequisites.

Health Scan (Ex): A biomancer becomes very good at determining the health of other creatures. As a standard action, if a biomancer succeeds on a health check, he may figure out the number of hp a creature has remaining. Alternatively he may figure out the number of HD a creature possesses. Taken a second time, this ability becomes a swift action. As before, the creature must still be a living target.

Inhibitor (Ex): Biomancers who take this ability are adapt at getting past creatures with powerful regeneration. Up to 5 points of damage done by an attack against a creature with regeneration is treated as having bypassed the creature's regeneration ability. This power may be taken multiple times, each time adding 5 more damage from your attacks which count as having the appropriate regeneration bypassing ability.

Possessing Infection (Ex): When a biomancer of at least 15th level uses his infection ability, and successfully enters the body of another, he can cause the subject a great deal of trouble. He may force a concentration check for enemy spellcasters to cast spells, with a DC equal to his infection DC. Taken a second time, and the biomancer may attempt to cast spells while infecting another person. The biomancer makes a concentration check against 10 + the enemy HD. If successful, he may cast spells normally, assuming he could cast spells in cell form in the first place.

Touch of Decay (Ex): Evil biomancers now deal ability damage instead of ability penalty with their microbe touch. Taken a second time and if the biomancer is at least level 15, it becomes ability drain, and the biomancer gains +2 hp per drain dealt in hp.

Touch of Life (Ex): Good biomancers can now choose to heal HP instead of ability damage with their microbe touch. Taken a second time and if the biomancer is at least level 15, they gain the ability to recreate the effect of regenerate for 10 points.

Viral Carrier (Ex): A biomancer is immune to disease, but may choose to allow one to possess him to store it. From that point on, he may spread his disease as normal for that brand of sickness, such as by touch or fluids. The biomancer suffers no ill effects from the disease except for purely cosmetic ones, such as sores, pockmarked skins, or other symptoms of infection. He becomes a carrier of every disease he encounters, up to his class level. However, if subject to remove disease while carrying diseases, he takes 1d6 damage per disease, and loses one disease he currently carries. Only very evil biomancers choose this ability.

Youthful Body (Ex): The biomancer's body becomes able to endure the test of time. At 16th level, a biomancer no longer takes ability score penalties for aging and he cannot be magically aged. Any penalties he may have already incurred, however, remain in place, and the biomancer still dies when his time is up. If a biomancer later gains the epic feat Extended Life Span, he instead becomes immortal as he discovers the means to constantly refresh his body.

Biological Awakening: At 20th level a biomancer has played with the building blocks of complex life for so long than his studies have forever changed him. He becomes an aberration rather than a humanoid or his original creature, retaining all subtypes and still counting as an original member of his race for prestige classes and spells. Additionally the biomancer gains damage reduction 5 to either silver, adamantine, or cold iron (the biomancer's choice), and his cell form's damage reduction also becomes damage reduction of the appropriate type instead of DR/magic. The damage reduction stacks with any similar form of damage reduction the biomancer already possesses, but not the increase granted by cell form's DR 10. He gains darkvision 60 ft, or adds 60 ft. to his current darkvision, and his biology changes where he no longer needs to eat or sleep (but he must still breath). Finally the biomancer gains regeneration 1, which is bypassed by fire, cold, electricity, and acid damage.

Ex-Biomancers

A biomancer who ceases to follow his sworn code of ethics can lose access to his spellcasting ability, test subject, and supernatural class abilities, and cannot gain levels until they atone for their crime using the appropriate spell. They may swear a new code of ethics without a spell, but doing so causes them to lose 200 xp per character level for their sudden change in focus.

Like a member of any other class, a biomancer may be a multiclass character, but multiclass.

Epic Biomancer

Table: The Epic Biomancer

Hit Die: d8

Level	Special
21st	Cell Form (fly 50ft.)
22nd
23rd	Cell Form 7/day
24th	Bonus Feat
25th	Cell Form 8/day
26th
27th	Cell Form (fly 60 ft.)
28th	Bonus Feat
29th	Cell Form 9/day
30th
4 + Int modifier skill points per level.

Cell Form: At 21st level and every two levels beyond, a biomancer's cell form improves. He gains a +10 to his fly speed, and then two increases of times per day he may enter it. This pattern repeats itself.

Bonus Feats: The epic Biomancer gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic Biomancer bonus feats) every four levels after 20th.

Epic Biomancer Bonus Feat List: Armor Skin, Augmented Alchemy, Automatic Quicken Spell, Automatic Still Spell, Automatic Silent Spell, Blinding Speed, Damage Reduction, Energy Resistance, Enhance Spell, Epic Endurance, Epic Fortitude, Epic Reflexes, Epic Speed, Epic Spell Focus, Epic Spell Penetration, Epic Spellcasting, Epic Toughness, Epic Will, Extended Life Span, Fast Healing, Great Charisma, Great Constitution, Great Dexterity, Great Intelligence, Great Strength, Great Wisdom, Improved Darkvision, Improved Heightened Spell, Improved Metamagic, Improved Spell Capacity, Multispell, Penetrate Damage Reduction, Permanent Emanation, Spell Knowledge, and Spell Opportunity.

Elf Biomancer Starting Package

Weapons: Quarterstaff.

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Skill	Ranks	Ability	Armor Check Penalty
Concentration	4	Con	—
Knowledge (nature)	4	Int	—
Spellcraft	4	Int	—
Survival	4	Wis	—

Feat: Endurance.

Gear: Chain Shirt, Backpack.

Gold: 23.

Playing a Biomancer

Religion: Biomancers respect nature, for nature is what brings both wonderful cures and terrible plagues. Gods who deal with health, both good and ill, also are popular with biomancers. They are, however, intellectuals and thus tend to stray to studying these marvels instead of worshiping them.

Other Classes: Wizards and biomancers share a common ground, although a biomancer seems like a limited study for a wizard. Biomancers admire druids, as both of them are in touch with nature. However, some druids may object to their modifications to nature, and his test subject's aberrant status.

Combat: A biomancer is a caster. Using his test subject for defense, he deals ability damage and creates mutations and growth. He can also enter cell form, a potent defense, acting as a living disease.

Advancement: Druidic classes provide a more nature attuned feel, while classes dedicated to knowledge focus on the wizardly aspects. Even some paladin classes may be acceptable, and the Microbe Touch may substitute as Lay on Hands for requirements.

Biomancers in the World

“	Please state the nature of the medical emergency.	”
—Doc, Warforged Biomancer

Biomancers make for fine doctors, more focused on health even beyond a cleric or druid. Of course, there are always mad doctors in the pack...

Daily Life: To heal or harm, the pulse of celluar life is his calling. A biomancer may want to know what makes things tick and how things work. It drives them to understand the basic building blocks of life, and what it means to be a living creature.

Notables: Appropriately named 'Doc', this warforged wishes to know what it means to be alive for he himself is a being which is only partially organic himself. His medical advances have saved many lives.

Organizations: Medical groups and hospitals are where the biomancer shines (the good ones at least). Evil biomancers find few friends, and strike off on mad solo pursuits to discover the latest vile plague.

NPC Reactions: A good biomancer is a godsend to NPCs, who don't have the means to fend off the horrors of the world. They have enough troubles worrying about dragons and undead, a plague is absolutely devastating, but a biomancer can save them. Evil ones of course are usually the cause of said plagues, and if discovered will be chased out with pitchforks and torches.

Biomancer Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Local) can research Biomancers to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge Local

DC	Result
10	Biomancers are part druid, part cleric, focused on curing, or creating, disease.
15	A biomancer's companion is a powerful creature which is much smarter and dangerous than one expects.
20	A biomancer can turn into a cloud of microbes himself, and infect other beings like some kind of disease.
30	Those who reach this level of success can find out information on a specific biomancer, his location, fame or infamy, and other juicy tidbits.

Biomancers in the Game

Biomancers fit both the role of cleric and druid. They heal with the best of them and can protect a party from harm even better than a cleric at times. A biomancer, being a caster and lacking wild shape, cannot stand in melee, but he is very hardy thanks to his line of work and can endure more blows than the average spellcaster.

Adaptation: Trump up the aberration aspect, and the class becomes Alienist for divine casters. The source of his alien creations is not study into the workings of life, but channeling mad powers from the Far Realm.

Sample Encounter: A mad biomancer has finally developed a disease than would destroy all the evil goblins threatening the land. Do the PCs allow him to commit this act of genocide, even though it will likely stop the goblin raiding parties assaulting the local towns?

EL whatever: 10. Level Adjustment 2

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