The following are templates that are available to any race. They reflect the different ways the world of the Weird West can affect beings.
Feral template
One important part of the Weird West is the influence of nature and the conflict between the natural, "primitive" world and the inevitable advancement of technology and civilization represented by the frontier races. Nature as a force can infect any creature, causing it to become more wild, instinctual, and animalistic.
Feral is an acquired template that can be added to any living creature. Feral creatures are more wild and animalistic than their standard counterparts. They are more likely to be of chaotic alignment.
- Feral creature type changes to monstrous humanoid if its type was humanoid.
- +4 strength, +4 constitution, -4 intelligence
- +10 feet to base land speed.
- Natural weapons: A feral creature gains 2 claw attacks as primary natural weapons. Damage for the claw attacks is as 1d6 for a medium creature. If the creature already has claw attacks, use the better damage value.
- Darkvision: A feral creature gains darkvision out to 60 feet.
- Fast healing: A feral creature gains fast healing 1.
- Special attacks: A feral creature gains one special attack per two hit dice, chosen from the following list.
- Improved Grab: When a feral creature hits with a natural attack, it can make a grapple check as a free action.
- Pounce: A feral creature may make a full attack at the end of a charge.
- Rake (requires Pounce): A feral creature may make an additional rake attack at the end of a charge, dealing damage as a claw attack, but adding only half its strength modifier.
- Rend (requires Improved Grab): When a feral creature grapples another creature, it deals additional damage equal to a claw attack.
- +2 LA
Incarnate (“half-ghost”) template
An incarnate creature is created when material from the etherworld bonds to a creature on the material plane. It becomes partially ghost-like in appearance and abilities.
Incarnate is an acquired template that can be added to any creature. Incarnate creatures are lighter in colour and more diffuse than their material counterparts. Incarnate creatures are rarely evil.
- Animals or vermin with the incarnate template become magical beasts, but size and type are otherwise unchanged.
- +2 dexterity, +2 wisdom.
- Incarnate creatures gain a fly speed equal to their land speed, and have perfect maneuverability.
- Low-light vision.
- Translucency (Su): Incarnate creatures can become partially invisible at will, gaining concealment for 1 minute per level. This imposes a 20% miss chance on creatures attacking the incarnate creature, as well as granting a +10 bonus to hide checks. Any effect that negates Invisibility negates Translucency as well (See Invisibility, Glitterdust, etc.).
- Essentia Pool: An incarnate creature’s essentia pool is permanently increased by 1. If she doesn't have an essentia pool, this trait grants her one with a single point of essentia. An incarnate creature chooses one of the following abilities per 2 hit dice (minimum of one ability) in which it can invest essentia.
- Crown: +1 bonus to intelligence checks, intelligence-based skill checks, and special checks which are modified by intelligence (such as bardic knowledge) per essentia invested.
- Feet: +5 feet of land speed and +2 bonus to jump checks per essentia invested (no additional bonus is granted to jump for having a high speed – it is included in the jump check bonus).
- Hands: +1 bonus to dexterity checks, dexterity-based skill checks, and reflex saves per essentia invested.
- Arms: +1 bonus to melee attack and damage rolls per essentia invested.
- Brow: +1 bonus to wisdom checks, wisdom-based skill checks, and will saves per essentia invested.
- Shoulders: +1 bonus to strength checks, strength-based skill checks, and special combat maneuvers (bull rush, disarm, grapple, overrun, trip) per essentia invested.
- Throat: +1 bonus to charisma checks and charisma-based skill checks per essentia invested. Also gain a continuous Tongues effect.
- Waist: Gain one point of damage reduction per essentia invested.
- Heart: +1 bonus to constitution checks, constitution-based skill checks, and fortitude saves per essentia invested.
- Soul: Spell Resistance 10 + essentia invested.
- Level Adjustment: +2.
Phrenic template
Phrenic creatures are those whose minds open to their natural psionic capabilities. While other templates represent outside influences on the creature, this template represents the creature focusing inward.
Phrenic is an acquired template that can be added to any nonmindless creature that does not already have the psionic subtype (referred to hereafter as the “base creature”).
- Animals with the phrenic template become magical beasts (augmented animal), but size and type are otherwise unchanged. It gains the psionic subtype.
- Psi-Like Abilities (Sp): A phrenic creature possesses the psi-like abilities indicated below, depending on its Hit Dice. The abilities are cumulative. Unless otherwise noted, an ability is usable once per day. Manifester level is equal to the creature’s HD. The save DCs for a phrenic creature’s psi-like abilities are Charisma-based. A phrenic creature may spend power points to augment these abilities or to gain extra uses of them per day.
| HD | Abilities |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | 3/day—defensive precognition; 1/day—force screen |
| 3-4 | 3/day—empty mind, mind thrust |
| 5-6 | 1/day—body adjustment, brain lock |
- Naturally Psionic: A phrenic creature gains 1 bonus power point.
- Power Resistance (Ex): A phrenic creature has power resistance equal to its Hit Dice +10.
- Abilities: +2 intelligence (if intelligence is 3 or greater), Wis +2, Cha +2.
- Level Adjustment: +2
Magic-Blooded template
Magic-blooded is an inherited-only template. Creatures with a family heritage of magical power sometimes contain the natural spark of magic.
- Magic-blooded animals change type to magical beast. Type is otherwise unchanged.
- +2 int, +2 charisma. A magic-blooded creature is more in tune with arcane energies.
- +2 knowledge (arcana), +2 spellcraft.
- Spell-like abilities: At will – Detect Magic, Read Magic. 1/day – Nystul’s Magic Aura, Nystul’s Undetectable Aura (caster level = 1).
- Spell Focus as a bonus feat in one school of magic to which you have access.
- You gain one bonus 2nd-level spell slot for which you must choose a single spell of the school for which you have Spell Focus and is available to your class. This slot can only cast this spell until you gain 2nd-level spells through class levels, and you must succeed at a DC 8 caster level check to do so, or else the spell is wasted. Once you gain the ability to cast 2nd-level spells through class levels, you may use this slot to cast any spell of the chosen Spell Focus school.
- Low-light vision.
- Spell Resistance 10 + hit dice.
- Immunity to sleep and +2 bonus to saves against mind-affecting effects.
- Level adjustment: +2
Shadow template
Whereas the Feral template represents nature's influence, and the Incarnate template represents the influence of the etherworld, the Shadow template represents the influence of the Shadowlands. These creatures are dark, mysterious, and usually malicious.
Shadow is an acquired template that can be added to any creature. Shadow creatures are darker, more elusive, and spookier than their material counterparts. Shadow creatures are rarely good.
- Animals or vermin with the shadow template become magical beasts, but size and type are otherwise unchanged.
- Shadow creatures have all modes of movement increased by 50%.
- Resistance to cold equal to 5 + 1 per hit die, maximum 15.
- Darkvision out to 60 feet.
- Low-light vision. If the creature already has low-light vision, it gains superior low-light vision.
- Shadow Blend (Su): In any conditions other than full daylight, a shadow creature can disappear into the shadows, giving it total concealment. Artificial illumination, even a light or continual flame spell, does not negate this ability, but a daylight spell will.
- Shadow creatures also have one additional special ability for every 2 Hit Dice they possess (minimum of one additional ability) chosen from the following list:
- +1 luck bonus on all saving throws.
- Cause Fear (Sp): 2/day. Caster level 5th. The save DC is Charisma-based.
- Damage reduction 1/magic.
- Evasion, as the rogue class feature.
- Fast healing 1.
- Mirror Image (Sp): 1/day. Caster level 5th.
If the base creature already has one or more of these special qualities, use the better value.
- +4 racial bonus on hide and move silently checks.
- Level Adjustment: +2.