Sliver Queen

[FireInTheSky]

Discussion for current version starts here.

WIP

Sliver Queen


picture credit: Ron Spencer (M:tG artist)

HD: d10

Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Base Attack Bonus +0 +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6/+1 +6/+1 +7/+2 +8/+3 +9/+4 +9/+4 +10/+5 +11/+6/+1 +12/+7/+2 +12/+7/+2 +13/+8/+3 +14/+9/+4 +15/+10/+5

Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6

Ref Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12

Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12

Class Features Sliver Body, Brood Sliver (Lesser) +1 Cha, Command +1 Str, +1 Dex +1 Cha, Wings Extended Command, Dominate Animal Brood Sliver (Greater), +1 Cha +1 Str, +1 Dex, Growth +1 Cha, Charm Monster DR, SR +1 Cha, Hold Monster Brood Sliver (Advanced), +1 Str, +1 Dex +1 Cha, Growth, Dominate Person Far Command +1 Cha, Command, Greater +1 Str, +1 Dex Brood Sliver (Overlord), +1 Cha Growth, Charm Monster, Mass +1 Cha, Hold Monster, Mass +1 Str, +1 Dex, Dominate Monster +1 Cha, Sliver Legion

Skill Points: 4 + Int (x4 at 1st level)
Class Skills (and relevant ability score): Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Spot (Wis)

Weapon & Armor Proficiencies: A Sliver Queen is only proficient with her own natural weapons.

Sliver Body: The Sliver Queen loses all other racial traits, and gains Aberration traits (basically Darkvision 60’) and 2 Talon attacks each dealing 1d6 damage. Sliver Queens breathe, eat, and sleep. Sliver Queens are medium size, with a Base speed of 30’. The Sliver Queen also gets a Natural Armor bonus equal to 1+Con modifier. Whenever a Sliver Queen increases in size category, her Natural Armor increases by 1.
  Sliver Queens have 2 wings, which are insect-like and fold up under the carapace while not in use. However, they're too weak for flight at this point. Sliver Queens have no limbs capable of fine manipulation.

Brood Sliver: A Sliver Queen is always surrounded by hundreds or thousands of slivers (millions at higher levels). At 1st level, she can spawn one sliver swarm (see below for stats), which has one ability from the lesser ability list. With each subsequent level of Sliver Queen, she can spawn and control one additional sliver swarm. Beginning at 6th level, each new swarm's ability can be chosen from either the lesser ability list or the greater ability list; at 11th level, the abilities can be chosen from the advanced list in addition to the previous lists; at 16th level, the abilities can be chosen from the overlord list in addition to the previous lists. All abilities of all swarms spawned by a Queen apply to all of her swarms and herself, but not to sliver swarms generated from other queens or by other means.

Sliver swarms must stay within 10'/HD of the Sliver Queen, and cannot take any individual actions, only moving to stay in the same relative position with the Sliver Queen. However, the Queen can spend one of her actions to act through an individual swarm. If a creature moves through the square(s) occupied by a sliver swarm, the swarm may take an attack of opportunity against that creature, but the attack comes out of the Queen's available attacks of opportunity in a round.

Individual sliver swarms may be attacked as normal. If a swarm is destroyed, the ability it was granting is immediately lost to all beneficiaries. However, the Queen can immediately take an attack of opportunity against any target she threatens, even if she would not normally be able to take any more attacks of opportunity in the round. In addition, she gains a +4 bonus to Strength, Constitution, and Charisma for the duration of the encounter. (If multiple swarms are destroyed in the same encounter, the bonuses to the Queen stack.) Destroyed swarms are respawned at the rate of 1 every 24 hours, and the Queen may choose a different ability from the same list or lower, if she so desires.

The Queen may spend 10 minutes to absorb a swarm and then respawn a new one with a different ability from the same list or lower. (Any negative effect affecting the old swarm with a remaining duration longer than 10 minutes still affects the new swarm for the requisite amount of time. If the old swarm had outstanding hit point or ability damage, or other similar conditions, the new swarm is respawned with the same damage or conditions.) However, the Queen does not gain the attack of opportunity or ability bonuses normally associated with a destroyed swarm. Sliver swarms respawned in this manner don't count against the 1 per day respawning limit.

Ability Score Increases: The Sliver Queen's ability scores increase by the specified amount at the following levels:
  +1 Cha at every even level, for a total of +10 Cha at level 20.
  +1 Str and +1 Dex at levels 3, 7, 11, 15, 19, for a total of +5 Str and +5 Dex at level 20.

Sliver Magic: The Sliver Queen gains access to a number of spell-like abilities at the indicated levels, with a total number of daily uses equal to her HD. Saving throw DCs are equal to 10 + 1/2 HD + Charisma modifier.

• 2nd level - Command (costs 1 use)
  
• 5th level - Dominate Animal (1 use)
  
• 8th level - Charm Monster (2 uses)
  
• 10th level - Hold Monster (2 uses)
  
• 12th level - Dominate Person (3 uses)
  
• 14th level - Command, Greater (3 uses)
  
• 17th level - Charm Monster, Mass (4 uses)
  
• 18th level - Hold Monster, Mass (4 uses)
  
• 19th level - Dominate Monster (5 uses)

Wings: By 4th level, a Sliver Queen has matured enough that her wings will now support her in flight. She gains a Fly speed equal to 10’/HD, with poor maneuverability. Each wing can also now be used to deliver a natural attack dealing 1d4 damage.

Extended Command: The maximum range a sliver swarm can be from its Sliver Queen increases to 20'/HD.

Growth: The Sliver Queen increases one size category at 7th level, again at 12th level, and one more time at 17th level. Her AC, bonus to hit, base damage, grapple, and skills change accordingly, but she does not get any ability score bonus or penalties.

Damage Resistance: The Sliver Queen gains DR/magic equal to her HD.

Spell Resistance: The Sliver Queen gains SR equal to 11 + her HD.

Far Command: The maximum range a sliver swarm can be from its Sliver Queen increases to 40'/HD.

Sliver Legion: Once per day, the Sliver Queen may spend a full-round action to have each and every swarm she controls take a standard action, using any ability or attack it possesses. Any per encounter/day abilities which have already been exhausted cannot be used again.

[FireInTheSky]

Discussion for current version starts here.

WIP


Sliver Stats and Abilities

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Use Sliver Queen stats except where noted below:

	Sliver Swarm
Size/Type:	Medium Aberration [Mob]
Hit Dice:	Half of Silver Queen
Initiative:	Acts on same initiative as Sliver Queen
Speed:	30’ (6 squares)
Armor Class:	18 (+5 Dex, +2 Natural, +1 Size), touch 16, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple:	Equal to Queen/-1
Attack:	Talon +## melee (1d4)
Full Attack:	##
Space/Reach:	5’/5’
Special Attacks:	*Depends on type; see below
Special Qualities:	Hivemind, *Depends on type; see below
Saves:
Abilities:	Str 12, Dex 20, Con 14, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 6
Skills:	-
Feats:	-

Hivemind: Slivers are part of a hive-mind, run with complete control by the Sliver Queen, and are considered mindless. They have no Intelligence, are immune to [Mind-Affecting] spells and effects, and gain no skill points or feats.

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• Armor Sliver: +1 untyped bonus to Natural Armor
• Barbed Sliver: +1 untyped bonus to attack
• Bonesplitter Sliver: +2 Enhancement bonus Str. This ability does not stack.
• Crypt Sliver: Use Doom as a Spell-like Ability once per day per Queen's HD. This ability does not stack.
• Crystalline Sliver: Use Color Spray as a Spell-like Ability once per day per Queen's HD. This ability does not stack.
• Essence Sliver: Hit Points increase by 1 die (do not increase HD, only HP)
• Finned Sliver**: Gain 20’ Swim speed
• Fury Sliver: Gain the Rage ability, as a Barbarian of your HD/4 (minimum 1). This ability does not stack.
• Groundshaker Sliver: Count as 1 size category larger when attempting a Grapple, Bull Rush, or Trip attempt.
• Heart Sliver: +2 Enhancement bonus to Con. This ability does not stack.
• Hibernation Sliver: Use Sleep as a Spell-like Ability once per day per Queen's HD. This ability does not stack.
• Mole Sliver**: Gain 20’ Burrow speed
• Mindlash Sliver: Use Mind Thrust as a psi-like ability at will, dealing 1d10 per 3 HD (minimum 1). This ability does not stack.
• Muscle Sliver: +2 bonus to damage
• Reflex Sliver: +2 Enhancement bonus to Dex. This ability does not stack.
• Root Sliver: Count as 1 size category larger when opposing a Grapple, Bull Rush, or Trip attempt
• Spined Sliver: Grow spines along your entire body, which deal 1d6 piercing damage on a successful grapple check. This damage is also automatically dealt to any creature which successfully grapples you or hits you with a natural or non-reach melee weapon.
• Spitting Sliver: Gain a ranged touch attack, with a range of 30', dealing 1d6 per 3 HD (minimum 1) acid damage. This ability does not stack.
• Steelform Sliver: Gain DR 2/Adamantine OR Cold Iron OR Silver. Choose which at the time of creation.

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• Battering Sliver: Melee attacks ignore hardness
• Blade Sliver: +2 untyped bonus to attack
• Firewake Sliver: +1/4 HD untyped bonus to initiative. This ability does not stack.
• Gemhide Sliver: Gain Energy Resistance 5. Choose which energy type at creation.
• Hunter Sliver: Track as a Ranger of your HD, gain Blindsense 30' and Scent.
• Lymph Sliver: DR 2/-
• Mesmeric Sliver: Use Hypnotic Pattern as a Spell-like Ability once per day per Queen's HD.
• Metallic Sliver: Melee attacks count as Adamantine, Cold Iron, or Silver for the purposes of overcoming DR. Choose which at the time of creation. If multiple Metallic Sliver Swarms are created, choose a different metal for each.
• Might Sliver: All melee damage dice increase by 1 step. This ability does not stack.
• Mindwhip Sliver: Use Brain Lock as a psi-like ability once per encounter, but the target may attempt a save each round. This ability does not stack.
• Necrotic Sliver: Use Inflict Moderate Wounds as a Spell-like Ability once every 4 rounds.
• Plague Sliver: Use Contagion as a Spell-like Ability once every 4 rounds. In addition, gain immunity to Disease. This ability does not stack.
• Plated Sliver: +2 untyped bonus to Natural Armor
• Poultice Sliver: Gain Fast Healing 2
• Pulmonic Sliver: All swarms gain a 30’ Fly speed (clumsy). The Queen's fly speed maneuverability increases by 1 step. This ability does not stack.
• Quick Sliver: Gain Evasion. This ability does not stack.
• Quilled Sliver: As a standard action you can fling one large quill per 5 HD (minimum 1) as a primary natural ranged attack which deals 1d6 + StrMod piercing damage. Treat these as thrown weapons with a range increment and maximum range of 60 feet.
• Transparent Sliver**: Use Invisibility as a Spell-like Ability at will. An attack by any of the Queen or her Sliver Swarms ends all Invisibility spells on the Queen and her Sliver Swarms.
• Sinew Sliver: +4 bonus to damage
• Spinneret Sliver: Increase your reach as if you were one size category larger.
• Synapse Sliver: Gain Uncanny Dodge. This ability does not stack.
• Talon Sliver: Gain an extra Talon primary attack, and all Talon attacks deal one extra die of damage. This ability does not stack.
• Toxin Sliver: Use Poison as a Spell-like Ability once every 4 rounds. In addition, gain Poison immunity. This ability does not stack.
• Two-Headed Sliver: Use Mirror Image as a Spell-like Ability once per encounter. This ability does not stack.
• Vampiric Sliver: Anytime a Sliver deals damage from a natural attack, it gains half that amount as temporary hit points (which stack with each other), lasting until the end of the encounter. This ability does not stack.
• Ward Sliver: Always under the effect of Avoid Planar Effects.

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• Acidic Sliver: Gain a breath weapon dealing 1d6 per 3 HD Acid damage in a 30’ line, useable once every 4 rounds, Reflex save for half damage. Each Acidic Sliver Swarm created beyond the first decreases the cooldown period by 1 round.
• Blur Sliver: Always under the effect of Blur. In addition, gain a +2 untyped bonus to initiative. Each Blur Sliver Swarm created beyond the first increases the miss chance by 5% and the initiative bonus by 1.
• Bonescythe Sliver: All natural attacks deal double damage (quadruple damage on a critical hit).
• Cautery Sliver: DR 5/-. Each Cautery Sliver Swarm created beyond the first increases the DR by 1.
• Charged Sliver**: Gain a breath weapon dealing 1d6 per 3 HD Electricity damage in a 30’ line, useable once every 4 rounds, Reflex save for half damage. Each Charged Sliver Swarm created beyond the first decreases the cooldown period by 1 round.
• Dormant Sliver: Use Lesser Globe of Invulnerability as a Spell-like Ability at will.
• Frozen Sliver**: Gain a breath weapon dealing 1d6 per 3 HD Cold damage in a 30’ cone, useable once every 4 rounds, Reflex save for half damage. Each Frozen Sliver Swarm created beyond the first decreases the cooldown period by 1 round.
• Ghostflame Sliver: Use Greater Invisibility and Nondetection as spell-like abilities at will.
• Homing Sliver: Use Find the Path, Locate Creature, and Locate Object as spell-like abilities at will.
• Horned Sliver: Gain a gore primary natural attack dealing 2d6+Str, and which deals double damage on a charge (quadruple on a critical hit while charging.
• Magma Sliver: Gain a breath weapon dealing 1d6 per 3 HD Fire damage in a 30’ cone, useable once every 4 rounds, Reflex save for half damage. Each Magma Sliver Swarm created beyond the first decreases the cooldown period by 1 round.
• Megantic Sliver: Make all melee attacks at your highest base attack bonus, and gain one extra attack with a full attack action, at your highest base attack bonus.
• Screeching Sliver Gain a breath weapon dealing 1d6 per 3 HD Sonic damage in a 30’ cone, useable once every 4 rounds, Reflex save for half damage. Each Screeching Sliver Swarm created beyond the first decreases the cooldown period by 1 round.
• Sedge Sliver: Once per round as a free action, remove one of the following conditions from yourself, even if the condition would otherwise prevent you from taking actions: blinded, dazed, dazzled, deafened, exhausted, fatigued, frightened, nauseated, shaken, sickened, stunned.
• Shadow Sliver: Gain Hide in Plain Sight, as per the Ranger ability.
• Sidewinder Sliver: Any opponent you threaten is always considered flanked.
• Telekinetic Sliver: Use Telekinesis as a spell-like ability at will.
• Virulent Sliver: All successful primary natural attacks deal 1 ability damage to the ability score of your choice, in addition to their normal damage. This ability does not stack.
• Watcher Sliver: Gain Blindsight 80'.
• Winged Sliver: All swarms gain a 60' fly speed (average). The Queen's fly speed maneuverability increases by 2 steps. This ability does not stack.

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• Battle Sliver: All primary natural attacks are touch attacks.
• Clot Sliver: Gain Regeneration 5, bypassed by Fire or Acid. Each Clot Sliver Swarm created beyond the first increases the regeneration amount by 1.
• Dementia Sliver: Use Confusion as a Spell-like Ability at will.
• Frenetic Sliver: Gain Improved Evasion and Mettle. This ability does not stack.
• Frenzy Sliver: Double all movement speeds. This ability does not stack.
• Harmonic Sliver: Use Greater Shout as a Spell-like Ability once per encounter. This ability does not stack.
• Mistform Sliver: Gain the Incorporeal subtype.
• Mnemonic Sliver: Always under the effect of Mind Blank.
• Opaline Sliver: All swarms gain SR = 15+HD. The Sliver Queen's SR increases by 5. This ability does not stack.
• Sentinel Sliver: Always under the effects of True Seeing and Greater Arcane Sight, and can use Detect Chaos, Detect Evil, Detect Good, Detect Law, and Detect Illusion as Spell-like Abilities at will.
• Sliver Hivelord: Gain Universal Elemental Resistance:10.
• Spectral Sliver: All attacks are considered Ghost Touch.
• Synchronous Sliver: Gain an additional Standard, Move, or Swift action each round. The same extra action may not be used in consecutive rounds. This additional action is only usable by the Queen, though she may use it to act through a single swarm, as normal. This ability cannot be used in conjunction with the Sliver Legion ability. This ability does not stack.
• Psionic Sliver: Gain Telepathy 120' and Mindsight.
• Victual Sliver: You no longer need to eat, sleep, or breathe.

Notes:
*Unless otherwise specified, all abilities stack if multiple swarms of the same type are created. If an ability does not stack, it means that additional swarms of the same type do not have any additional effect.  Sliver swarms are only affected by sliver swarms created by the same Sliver Queen.
*CL for any abilities needing one is equal to the Queen's HD, and DCs for any ability allowing a save are equal to 10 + 1/2 Queen's HD + Queen's ChaMod, regardless of whether it is the Queen or a sliver swarm initiating the ability.
*If an ability has a per day or per encounter limit, that limit is across the queen and all of her swarms (i.e. 1/encounter means that once it is used by the queen or any of her swarms, it cannot by used again, even by a different swarm). Additionally, absorbing and then re-spawning that same swarm does not reset the day/encounter use pool.
**Indicates a non-M:tG sliver.

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Basal Sliver
Darkheart Sliver
Fungus Sliver

Shifting Sliver

Belligerent Sliver
Constricting Sliver
Diffusion Sliver
Galerider Sliver
Leeching Sliver
Manaweft Sliver
Predatory Sliver
Sliver Construct
Sliver Hive
Striking Sliver
Syphon Sliver
Thorncaster Sliver
Venom Sliver
Venser's Sliver

New Magic Item
Sliversmith [Minor Artifact]
This is a small statuette of an unrecognizable creature - perhaps a bug of some kind - made of a patchwork of many different materials, with incredible variation in color and texture. The possessor must make a charisma check (DC 30) to gain control of the Sliversmith. Once control is established, the controller may call into being a number of sliver swarms, each with an ability of his choice. Only one swarm can be created per day, and the controller may not have more swarms at any time than 1/3 his HD. In addition to the overall limit, the controller may not have more swarms granting greater abilities than lesser abilities, or more advanced abilities than greater abilities, or more overlord abilities than advanced abilities (if one or more swarms is destroyed which throws off this balance, the next sliver swarms created must work toward restoring the balance, starting from the weakest). The sliver swarms use the controller's stats wherever appropriate, and the controller gains all abilities provided by the sliver swarms. The swarms must stay within 10'/controller's HD and can take no actions other than moving to stay within the required area.

Swarms created by a sliversmith are only affected by slivers created by the same sliversmith. In addition, sliver swarms created by a Sliver Queen have their abilities suppressed while within 30' of a sliversmith (i.e. they neither give nor receive abilities while within the radius).

Strong Conjuration (Creation); CL 18th; 15lbs.

[FireInTheSky]

And one more just in case.

[DonQuixote]

Any reason you went magical beast over aberration?

Also, I don't remember the queen having wings.  Are we talking insectile, folding-under-the-carapace-type wings, here, or what?

[sirpercival]

I might bump to a d12 hit die, since the main ability will cut your hp near in half at early levels... but I love this idea!

[FireInTheSky]

Any reason you went magical beast over aberration?

Not especially.  I was pretty tired last night when I started this, so that was what came to mind first, but on second thought, Aberration probably does make more sense.

Also, I don't remember the queen having wings.  Are we talking insectile, folding-under-the-carapace-type wings, here, or what?

Yup.  I'll put in a little descriptive text.

I might bump to a d12 hit die, since the main ability will cut your hp near in half at early levels

That's probably a good idea.

... but I love this idea!

Yeah!  I added it to the suggestion list a couple weeks ago, and then I had a brainstorm last night.


I'm not sure how high this class will actually end up.  I just put in 10 levels as a starting point.

[FireInTheSky]

The second post has an (almost) complete list of Slivers.  I would love help with ideas for Sliver abilities.

[littha]

If this is any help:
http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=8533.5

[Anomander]

The only real advice I have for you is to be careful not to allow each sliver to do special abilities. Otherwise it would allow you to rule the action economy by getting up to HD+1 actions per round with your slivers, which would be insane.

If they can do very special tricks, perhaps you should make it so that each round you can designate one of your currently active slivers as a special one able to perform these abilities. That or the class grants the sliver queen special actions that it can also perform through one of its slivers. As in, she uses her actions through one of her slivers.
It keeps the whole 'bug queen that doesn't need to be there to be annoying' spirit without it being better than the whole party,
Perhaps a good capstone would be being able to have more than one super sliver at a time.

[Quillwraith]

If you can keep this from being broken without making it inaccurate, that'll be impressive.

[JohnnyMayHymn]

What if Sliver Queen doesn't get flying, but, she gets flying if her sliver companion has flying and is within a certain distance.

The same would be true for the slivers gained through brood points. All slivers within a certain area would share all abilities of other slivers.  These would need a special tag like 'Sliver Qualities' or something to prevent them from unexpected interactions with templates or whatever (a broken example would be if they shared all EX abilities etc...).

Now we just need a sliver with scent, one with a burrowing speed, one with rage, one with a swim speed, an Ethereal sliver etc.  Then we need to rank the points in a way that doesn't allow an ability too early.

Muscle sliver: Grants a boost to AC,  1D12 temp hit points and a size increase to natural weapons.

[sirpercival]

Don't spoiler the abilities inside the tier spoilers, it's annoying.

You had a couple broken tags, but I see they're fixed now

[FireInTheSky]

Don't spoiler the abilities inside the tier spoilers, it's annoying.

Fixed.

[oslecamo]

Eerr, first impressions first I guess

-Coming from an ex-mtg player, standard flying just seems kinda out of nowhere.
-Sliver companion just sounds too good, being able to cherry-pick multiple abilities as a fullround action.
-Sliver legion is just asking for trouble when you have a party of this.
-I'm willing to let the lesser capped SLAs at will. Confusion at will? With minions following you? No.
-And boy etherealness, massive speed, attack, this one does it all for just 10 levels and with almost instant versatility. Just no. Strongly sugest implementing "learned slivers". Each queen must pick a few forms to acess, instead of geting a massive list to cherry-pick at will.

[JohnnyMayHymn]

^^ what if you spent 1 point, and you get an ability off of a random table, spend 2 points and you get something off of the 2 point table?

also, the slivers crawling back into the queen seems really odd to me

[FireInTheSky]

Eerr, first impressions first I guess

-Coming from an ex-mtg player, standard flying just seems kinda out of nowhere.

To some extent, I'm struggling to come up with abilities for the Sliver Queen herself.  Standard flying (what's non-standard flying?)  is something to take up space, so to speak.  I'm figuring on SR and DR as well.

-Sliver companion just sounds too good, being able to cherry-pick multiple abilities as a fullround action.

Well, a Full Round action per ability.  But, I still see your point.  I'll probably change that to each time you level up, you get a new ability, and you can change one of your old ones to one of equal or lower status.

-Sliver legion is just asking for trouble when you have a party of this.

That's the point!!!!  Although, 10th level is probably too low for that ability.  I can bump that up to at 20HD so that it's much more of the capstone it's supposed to be.

-I'm willing to let the lesser capped SLAs at will. Confusion at will? With minions following you? No.
-And boy etherealness, massive speed, attack, this one does it all for just 10 levels and with almost instant versatility. Just no. Strongly sugest implementing "learned slivers". Each queen must pick a few forms to acess, instead of geting a massive list to cherry-pick at will.

Yeah, I was figuring that once I got everything down it would turn out to be pretty overpowered, and then I'd scale it back. 

Some of the "instant versatility" is offset by the fact that once you use up BP, you don't get it back in the encounter.  So, from encounter to encounter, you can have a completely different set of abilities, but once an encounter is started, you're pretty much stuck with what you chose.  Also, it takes several rounds to get lots of slivers giving each other lots of different abilities.


EDIT:

^^ what if you spent 1 point, and you get an ability off of a random table, spend 2 points and you get something off of the 2 point table?

I hate random tables for things like this, because you only get so many actions, and it's too easy to end up with something completely useless for the situation.

also, the slivers crawling back into the queen seems really odd to me

Well, I guess I could have the slivers be summoned, rather than be pieces of the Queen, but I just kind of liked that idea, plus that adds the counterbalance of damage when making slivers.  That part doesn't really make sense if they're summoned.

[Anomander]

^osle
My thoughts, exactly.

Here are some more:

Brood Sliver
Do you have infinite BPs outside of encounters? If so what stops the SQ from always spawning a sliver as a swift action every round up to its charisma modifier to be sure it already begins with all its slivers out at the beginning of each encounter?
Unless that is the whole point.

Flight
It doesn't mention how many wings it has.

*Sliver lesser abilities granting bonus to ability scores doesn't work so well.
Compare:
* Armor Sliver: +1 untyped bonus to Natural Armor
* Reflex Sliver: +2 Dex
Now, why would you take Armor Sliver? Reflex Sliver gives you +1 to AC anyway and so much more.
Eventually +2 Con gives you more HP than whatever temporary HP you get from the Essence Sliver
In many cases +2 Str (and sometimes Dex) gives you attack and damage.

Every SLA sliver abilities (Save DC = 10 + Sliver HD + Sliver Wis Mod)
+HD to the DC instead of half HD. Mistake?
Also, perhaps what you mean by an ability that doesn't stack is that it can only be allocated to a single sliver at a time. Just to be sure.

Mole Sliver**: Gain 20’ Burrow speed
Sounds a like level 1 access to oslecamo's badgers of doom. 

Root Sliver
Two size increases in one go for a lesser is probably too much, especially considering they can stack.

Vampiric Sliver
How long does the temporary hit point lasts? When the SQ will gain access to means to deal bigass damage, this ability could get nasty, especially since it can be from any source of damage.

Might Sliver
Might want to set a cap to this one before it gets nuts. Some of the stacking sliver abilities should have a cap.

Clot Sliver
Regeneration 2 is very vague. Whats the regeneration bypassed by?

Gemhide Sliver
...the SR stacks? Seriously?

Shadow Sliver
The void subtype is something that might be best forgotten. Wouldn't it be better to just have it grant Hide in Plain Sight, having the slivers use the SQ's hide check? It even has it as a class skill.

Sliver Legion can get ridiculous. Imagine two Sliver Queen at war with each other. They would benefit from their enemy's slivers.

[FireInTheSky]

Brood Sliver
Do you have infinite BPs outside of encounters? If so what stops the SQ from always spawning a sliver as a swift action every round up to its charisma modifier to be sure it already begins with all its slivers out at the beginning of each encounter?
Unless that is the whole point.

I was intending that they don't get any BP outside of encounters.  That's what they get their Sliver Companion for.

Flight
It doesn't mention how many wings it has.

Do most things say how many wings they have?  For example, Dragons.  Do they specifically say?  I think we usually assume 2 because of the pictures.  I'm not arguing here, I'm just curious.  In any case, I was picturing 2.

*Sliver lesser abilities granting bonus to ability scores doesn't work so well.
Compare:
* Armor Sliver: +1 untyped bonus to Natural Armor
* Reflex Sliver: +2 Dex
Now, why would you take Armor Sliver? Reflex Sliver gives you +1 to AC anyway and so much more.
Eventually +2 Con gives you more HP than whatever temporary HP you get from the Essence Sliver
In many cases +2 Str (and sometimes Dex) gives you attack and damage.

That's a good point.  I can make the non-ability score bonuses +2 instead of +1.

Every SLA sliver abilities (Save DC = 10 + Sliver HD + Sliver Wis Mod)[/b]
+HD to the DC instead of half HD. Mistake?

No, that was deliberate.  Sliver HD is fixed, not increasing, with the highest being Advanced at 6HD.

Also, perhaps what you mean by an ability that doesn't stack is that it can only be allocated to a single sliver at a time. Just to be sure.

I mean that having multiple slivers of that same type doesn't grant any additional bonus.  I'll put something in saying that.

Mole Sliver**: Gain 20’ Burrow speed
Sounds a like level 1 access to oslecamo's badgers of doom. 

...I don't get the reference.

Root Sliver
Two size increases in one go for a lesser is probably too much, especially considering they can stack.

I'll bring it down to 1.

Vampiric Sliver
How long does the temporary hit point lasts? When the SQ will gain access to means to deal bigass damage, this ability could get nasty, especially since it can be from any source of damage.

I'll make it from melee damage only, and lasting until the end of the counter.

Might Sliver
Might want to set a cap to this one before it gets nuts. Some of the stacking sliver abilities should have a cap.

Made it non-stacking.  Which other ones do you think?

Clot Sliver
Regeneration 2 is very vague. Whats the regeneration bypassed by?

Fixed.

Gemhide Sliver
...the SR stacks? Seriously?

Oops, missed that one.  Fixed.

Shadow Sliver
The void subtype is something that might be best forgotten. Wouldn't it be better to just have it grant Hide in Plain Sight, having the slivers use the SQ's hide check? It even has it as a class skill.

Done, except they'll use their own Hide skill.  I haven't finished fleshing out Sliver stats, but they'll definitely have a plus to Hide.

Sliver Legion can get ridiculous. Imagine two Sliver Queen at war with each other. They would benefit from their enemy's slivers.

Yup!

[Anomander]

Brood Sliver
I was intending that they don't get any BP outside of encounters.  That's what they get their Sliver Companion for.
Then it gets weird and denies SQ players the pleasure of interacting with a bunch of sliver spawns in social events and what not.
I'd say it would be nice to have them automatically get their BPs restored to full if they don't use any BP and meditate on their ...hum... reproductive hormones, or whatever, for 10 minutes.

Flight
Do most things say how many wings they have?  For example, Dragons.  Do they specifically say?  I think we usually assume 2 because of the pictures.  I'm not arguing here, I'm just curious.  In any case, I was picturing 2.
Indeed. Dragons have a mention of 2 wings as part of the true dragon typical abilities but it isn't clearly stated that they only have two here unless I missed something. Most of those however got pictures for reference, whereas the picture of the SQ shows none.


That's a good point.  I can make the non-ability score bonuses +2 instead of +1.
Or raise the ability score bonus abilities to a higher sliver type. The problem isn't that you didn't have the lesser abilities give too little, but that the ability score increases give too much. What you had them grant was just fine.

+HD to the DC instead of half HD. Mistake?
No, that was deliberate.  Sliver HD is fixed, not increasing, with the highest being Advanced at 6HD.
No. The highest being the SQ's HD itself, since she can get those abilities as well. Sneaky you.

Made it non-stacking.  Which other ones do you think?
Pretty much all of those that stacks, really. It would make it impossible to find some dirty means to get hundreds and hundreds of slivers somehow to reach mad numbers. Something like having it stacks a number of times up to half the SQ's HD, minimum one.
Considering the number of BP is equal to its HD anyway and the number of slivers that can be active at a time the stacked bonuses would remain profitable enough to still encourage the formation of specialized 'sliver squads'.

Sliver Legion can get ridiculous. Imagine two Sliver Queen at war with each other. They would benefit from their enemy's slivers.
Yup!
Either way, that ability is way to easy too abuse on too many levels. It would probably be for the best to have it be something else entirely. Perhaps an Instant Swarm!! kind of effect where the SQ gets has many slivers out as it wants up to its maximum in one fullround action or something like that.

You should also consider granting the Hivemind ability somewhere in the SQ's abilities. Sounds perfect for that monster.

=Another Sliver spawning system suggestion=
Perhaps the SQ could each day select number of sliver abilities among the list (kinda like how a wizard remembers spells for the day). The SQ has access to these abilities for itself and the player can choose which abilities the SQ's slivers get upon being spawned. Lesser Slivers could have one ability from the SQ's daily picks, greater slivers would have two and advanced slivers would have three.
The list of abilities to pick from could be the entire list but with a more limited number of picks for the day or a little larger amount but with a list of abilities known from the list that increases at each level. Sort of like maneuvers but without expending them.
With that sort of system the SQ wouldn't need a flight ability of its own as it could select it from its list.

Using that method, abuse in the SQ getting an outrageous amount of abilities off numerous slivers would be prevented and so getting a Sliver Companion could work better as it would get abilities off the SQ's daily selection instead of granting the SQ whatever the player wants on a whim.
That or, instead of a Sliver Companion, just have the SQ get an additional number of slivers that do not count toward its maximum of slivers at once and that do not cost any BP. It could get a bonus sliver at level 2 (lesser), 4 (lesser), 6 (greater), 8 (greater) and 10 (advanced). The bonus slivers' type would always be the same and if they die they may be renewed freely whenever you select your sliver abilities for the day.

[FireInTheSky]

Brood Sliver
I was intending that they don't get any BP outside of encounters.  That's what they get their Sliver Companion for.
Then it gets weird and denies SQ players the pleasure of interacting with a bunch of sliver spawns in social events and what not.
I'd say it would be nice to have them automatically get their BPs restored to full if they don't use any BP and meditate on their ...hum... reproductive hormones, or whatever, for 10 minutes.

I can see that.  And then they'd be able to do short bursts of Slivers every 10 minutes (+change).

Flight
Do most things say how many wings they have?  For example, Dragons.  Do they specifically say?  I think we usually assume 2 because of the pictures.  I'm not arguing here, I'm just curious.  In any case, I was picturing 2.
Indeed. Dragons have a mention of 2 wings as part of the true dragon typical abilities but it isn't clearly stated that they only have two here unless I missed something. Most of those however got pictures for reference, whereas the picture of the SQ shows none.

Ok, I wasn't sure.  In any case, I added a number in the Sliver Body description.

That's a good point.  I can make the non-ability score bonuses +2 instead of +1.
Or raise the ability score bonus abilities to a higher sliver type. The problem isn't that you didn't have the lesser abilities give too little, but that the ability score increases give too much. What you had them grant was just fine.

I want to keep those at Lesser, so how about a compromise?  Non-ability score bonuses back to +1, Ability Score bonuses stay at +2, but don't stack.  They're half of a Cat's Grace at 2nd level, instead of a full one at 3rd level.

+HD to the DC instead of half HD. Mistake?
No, that was deliberate.  Sliver HD is fixed, not increasing, with the highest being Advanced at 6HD.
No. The highest being the SQ's HD itself, since she can get those abilities as well. Sneaky you.

Right.  Good point.  Well then, how do I keep the SLA's at all useful for the slivers?  At 9th level you get Advanced, and their Save DCs are going to be around 14...

Made it non-stacking.  Which other ones do you think?
Pretty much all of those that stacks, really. It would make it impossible to find some dirty means to get hundreds and hundreds of slivers somehow to reach mad numbers. Something like having it stacks a number of times up to half the SQ's HD, minimum one.
Considering the number of BP is equal to its HD anyway and the number of slivers that can be active at a time the stacked bonuses would remain profitable enough to still encourage the formation of specialized 'sliver squads'.

That's true, except that the SQ can't control more Slivers than her ChaMod.  So, I guess it's possible that at 15th level you could have a 40 Cha, but how likely is that?

Sliver Legion can get ridiculous. Imagine two Sliver Queen at war with each other. They would benefit from their enemy's slivers.
Yup!
Either way, that ability is way to easy too abuse on too many levels. It would probably be for the best to have it be something else entirely. Perhaps an Instant Swarm!! kind of effect where the SQ gets has many slivers out as it wants up to its maximum in one fullround action or something like that.

Ooh, I like that.  I don't know if you saw my response to Osle about Sliver Legion, but I had suggested giving that ability at 20HD, rather than 10th level.  It seems much more Capstone-y that way.

You should also consider granting the Hivemind ability somewhere in the SQ's abilities. Sounds perfect for that monster.

Definitely.

=Another Sliver spawning system suggestion=
Perhaps the SQ could each day select number of sliver abilities among the list (kinda like how a wizard remembers spells for the day). The SQ has access to these abilities for itself and the player can choose which abilities the SQ's slivers get upon being spawned. Lesser Slivers could have one ability from the SQ's daily picks, greater slivers would have two and advanced slivers would have three.
The list of abilities to pick from could be the entire list but with a more limited number of picks for the day or a little larger amount but with a list of abilities known from the list that increases at each level. Sort of like maneuvers but without expending them.
With that sort of system the SQ wouldn't need a flight ability of its own as it could select it from its list.

Using that method, abuse in the SQ getting an outrageous amount of abilities off numerous slivers would be prevented and so getting a Sliver Companion could work better as it would get abilities off the SQ's daily selection instead of granting the SQ whatever the player wants on a whim.
That or, instead of a Sliver Companion, just have the SQ get an additional number of slivers that do not count toward its maximum of slivers at once and that do not cost any BP. It could get a bonus sliver at level 2 (lesser), 4 (lesser), 6 (greater), 8 (greater) and 10 (advanced). The bonus slivers' type would always be the same and if they die they may be renewed freely whenever you select your sliver abilities for the day.

This could work.  I actually just had another brainstorm for a potential balancing system... but I have to go to work, so I'll get it down tonight.