Eatshaper (3.5e Prestige Class)

Summary::You are what you eat, and technically everything is edible. Transform into your foes by eating them. Length::6 Minimum Level::4 Base Attack Bonus Progression::Good Fortitude Save Progression::Good Reflex Save Progression::Poor Will Save Progression::Poor Class Ability::Other Class Ability Progression::Other

Eatshaper
"That's a dragon, huh? Yeah, but how does it taste?"

In a world filled with magic, the body is mutable. Through spells and nature's blessing, humanoids have long been able to slip out of their normal forms and assume others. For wizards and the like it's magic, and for druids, their reverence grants them powers. But the eatshaper takes the essence directly, makes it a part of them, and in doing so becomes as terrifying as the beasts he devours.

Becoming an Eatshaper
Eatshapers are usually melee classes who can get up close and personal, beating their meals down and eating them while they're still fresh. Grapplers in particular enjoy eatshapers, as they are able to consume their prey before they even stop moving. As a result, strength and constitution will always be important to an eatshaper.

Eatshapers can be any alignment, but they trend towards chaos and evil. Perhaps it is because many eatshapers begin to devour forbidden flesh, and even become cannibals. In the end, they are all meat.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Eatshaper.

 : The eatshaper's gotta eat, and he does it with a powerful bite. The eatshaper gains a bite attack that deals 1d8 damage (for medium creatures) and can be enhanced as if a manufactured weapon. If the eatshaper already has a bite attack, use whichever damage value is higher. The bite attack improves as the eatshaper levels.

At 2nd level, the bite attack's damage and the eatshaper's effective size for the bite and swallow whole (when he receives it) goes up by +1 size. For example, a human eatshaper would count as a large creature for bite damage and swallow whole. They gain another size increase at 4th and 6th level.

At 3rd level, the eatshaper gains improved grab on their bite attack, which subsequently works with swallow whole. They can grab (and swallow) a creature one size smaller than their effective size.

At 4th level, the eatshaper's bite attack is considered to be made out of adamantine.

At 5th level, the eatshaper's bite attack is so effective, they can devour things on the spot. If a creature dies from the eatshaper's bite attack, they can immediately eat them (as per You Are What You Eat) and transform in the same action. Their normal method of eating is reduced to an attack action. It still provokes an attack of opportunity either way.

Finally at 6th level, an eatshaper's bite is just deadly. It can eat through force effects as if it was a casting of disintegrate, and likewise can choose to reduce a corpse to ash instead of consuming it. It counts as a ghost touch weapon, and ignores any DR except DR/-.

At 1st level the eatshaper can only absorb the essences from animal or humanoid creatures. This list grows at 2nd level, adding monstrous humanoids and giants to the list. At 3rd level they can absorb the essence of aberrations and magical beasts. At 4th level they can absorb the essences of fey, ooze, and vermin. At 5th level they can absorb the essences of constructs, plants, and undead. And at 6th level they can absorb the essences of dragons, elementals, and outsiders. In any case, they cannot absorb the essences of creatures with the incorporeal or swarm subtypes, even if they manage to eat such creatures. Something about them being too small and wispy, and not enough meat within them.

 : The eatshaper gains the shapechanger subtype, allowing him to assume normal form as a standard action if in a transformed state.

 : The eatshaper is what he eats, literally. You can eat creatures and assume their form. Eating a creature can only be performed on the recently dead, within 24 hours of their demise. Eating a creature is a full round action which provokes attacks of opportunity. Immediately afterwards you can shapechange into the devoured creature as a free action, or wait til later and transform as a standard action. You transform into a typical creature of that race, (so eating a human nets you a level 1 human with humanoid levels), assuming all statistics of the new creature except for your BAB, saving throws, hp, alignment, effective HD, and behavior (if better). Thus if you are level 20 and you turn into a gnoll, you have the stats and abilities of a typical gnoll, with all the benefits and limitations therein. The transformation lasts until you dismiss it (a standard action), or decide to eat another creature and assume it's form.

If the form you assume has spellcasting, you do not gain the spellcasting ability. If they have spell-like or psi-like abilities, you do gain them but you must spend material components greater than 1 gp, and XP as normal. They otherwise operate like spell-like abilities. Your abilities start out fresh when you first assume the form, but require normal rest and recovery beyond then.

What types you can change into depends on what Feast allows you to consume. You are also limited in how strong a creature you can eat. You cannot transform into a creature whose CR exceeds your ECL. You can still eat them, but you will be unable to change into their form until you are the appropriate level.

The transformation is a real change, much like wildshape, and grants you an effective +10 bonus on Disguise checks to appear a member of that race. As wildshape, your items are absorbed and suppressed into your body whenever your transform, unless your transformed body could use the same items. Once you end your transformation for any reason, you will need to eat another creature of that type to assume the form again.

 : At 2nd level an eatshaper has to eat a great deal of strange, and often toxic, beasts. They become immune to disease and poison.

 : At 2nd level an eatshaper can recall the taste of their previous meals. They can store a meal "in reserve", and they can always adapt that form. For example, an eatshaper can choose to remember the form of a roper. Now at any point, they can transform into a roper, and they do not lose the ability when they dismiss the transformation. They may remember 1 meal at 2nd level, 2 meals at 4th level, and 3 meals at 6th level. They can replace which meals they remember whenever they eat a creature.

When you transform into a creature you are recalling from this ability, their limited use abilities (such as SLAs) do not automatically recharge until the normal recharge method (usually rest) is taken. This is the exception to the rule that all abilities come fully charged when you transform.

 : A 3rd level eatshaper's stomach grows iron tough from all the strange things you've been putting in their. They add twice their class level as an AC bonus to creatures who have been swallowed whole (see below), up to a maximum of their normal AC. That is, the AC of their stomach is 10 + 1/2 natural armor + twice class level, and not greater than normal AC.

 : A 3rd level eatshaper can put anything in his mouth and eat it. Assuming he can chew it and not break his teeth, an eatshaper can consume anything... motor oil, rocks, rusted metal, that fruitcake you got last Christmas, and actually process it like it was food. This does not mean that the eatshaper can eat something he can't bite through, and it doesn't protect him from hazardous food (like, say, lava), but if he can swallow it and not die, it's food for him.

 : A 3rd level eatshaper gains swallow whole, swallowing creatures up to one size smaller than your effective size. Swallowed creatures take the eatshaper's bite damage and 1d6 points of acid damage per class level each round they remain in their stomachs. Swallowed creatures must deal at least twice your HD in hp damage to your stomach to escape, and the stomach lining has an AC of 10 + 1/2 natural armor + twice your class level (due to armored stomach), up to your normal AC. Muscular action closes the hole of any creatures which cut themselves out.

 : At 4th level the eatshaper can eat a body and turn into an exact replica of the creature they devoured, right down to their appearance, scent, and voice. This grants a +20 bonus (instead of a +10) to Disguise checks to appear at a member of their race and a +10 bonus to appear as that particular creature. You do not have the memories, mannerisms, or abilities of the creature, merely their appearance.

 : A 5th level eatshaper can devour a creatures essence directly. Creatures which have been swallowed whole must make a Fortitude save each round, DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Con modifier, or take a special form of a negative level. The creature's very essence is drained away, so creatures normally immune can be effected (or gain no benefit from it, in the case of undead). However immune creatures gain +8 to their saving throw to resist.

If you have successfully dealt at lease 1 negative level this way, you can transform into the creature as if you have eaten them.

Playing an Eatshaper
Combat: Get on the front lines, grab yourself a snack, and chow down. Because an eatshaper can potentially be any monster, the possible ways they can eat are endless.

Advancement: Eatshapers may enjoy the Warshaper class in Complete Warrior, or melee or grappling friendly classes.

Resources: Eatshapers don't really gather, because they often get the urge to eat each other, and that ever goes well.

Eatshapers in the World
"Git in mah bellah!"

NPC Reactions: The eatshaper is often reviled, for they will put anything in their mouths (and many have unhealthy appetites to match). But chefs love them, they're often a boon to the industry.

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

Eatshapers in the Game
Sample Encounter: A shaman for the God of Hunger has been touched by the elder evil Consumption, and been cursed, transformed to devour all in his path. His rampage grows, as he feeds on anyone in sight.

EL 10: PENDING.