Bioengineer

## **Bioengineer/Ecologist (Druid) - WIS and DEX**

### **Overview**

Bioengineers are an interesting lot. They represent melding of old school magic and ecological synergy with scientific and genetic knowhow. Their spiritualistic abilities allowing them to access the essence of nature, while their knowledge of genetics and ecology helps them use those essences in more powerful ways than their ancestral origins could ever have achieved. They are obsessed with the balance of nature and technology, and are often ecologists, anthropologists, geneticists, and biologists.

NOTE: Androids and cyborgs have special rules when taking this class. (needs to be explored)

## Class Features

As a bioengineer, you gain the following class features.

#### **Hit Points**

Hit Dice: 1d8 per bioengineer level

Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier

Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per druid level after 1st

#### **Proficiencies**

Armor: light armor, medium armor, energy shields (no restrictions for metal armor and shields.

Weapons: small arms, daggers, darts, maces, quarterstaffs, scimitars, sickles, slings, spears

Tools: Herbalism kit

Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom

Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Perception, theology, Survival, biology, and genetics.

#### **Equipment**

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

* (a) an energy shield or (b) any simple weapon or small arm.
* (a) a scimitar or (b) any simple melee weapon
* Medium armor, an explorer’s pack, and an Essence Container (needs to be renamed)

#### **Gene Therapy:**

Through an understanding of complex dna sequences and a little bit of magic, Bioengineers have become adept at creating serums that can cure various diseases and poisons. Once per day, and if you have access to a lab or geneticists travel kit, you can attempt to create 1 serum that cures a specific disease using your heal skill (specific as in “Cures CON poisons, Cure’s addiction, cures diseases, etc.) This takes one hour of uninterrupted time, and does not count towards a long rest. At higher levels this ability can reverse the effects of some curses. Each serum requires some genetic material from a being that can cause the type you are trying to cure (doesn’t have to be exactly the same, but the poison/disease effects need to be the same) and costs roughly 100 credits to make per dose. You can make 2 doses per hour.

When using a gene therapy serum, the target rolls a con save, adding their proficiency modifier to the total. Subsequent doses add ½ of the previous proficiency bonus (Prof bonus is 4, next dose is halved to 2, third is halved to 1, to a min of 0, rounded down) to the roll. Roll each time a serum is administered. When dealing with curses, the recipient must roll a will save to try and spiritually defeat the curse. the bonus is the same as would be given for a regular disease or poison (4, then +2, then +1).

24 hours after the first dose, it is assumed that all doses wear off and the process can start again for another try from the top of the process.

#### **Wildshape**:

Starting at second level, a Bioengineer can assume the shape of a beast or creature they have seen before that doesn’t have the “construct” qualifier. Your bioengineer level determines the limitations for Wildshape. You can use this spell 2/day, for 1d4-1 + Bioengineer level hours (min 2), you revert to your normal form after this timeframe expires, you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hp, or die.

While in wildshape, the following rules apply:

Game stats except alignment, personality, int, wis, cha, skills, saving throws, do not change. Everything else changes to the stats of the creature you turn into, and you gain those creatures skills, proficiencies, weapons. You cannot use legendary or lair actions if the creature has them.

Your hit dice are now the creatures hit dice, when you revert, you return to the number of HP/stamina you had when you transformed. If you transformed as a result of 0hp, any extra damage past that applies to your original form. (ex 10hp in wild shape, take 13 damage, 10-13=-3, 3 pts of damage carries over to your original form.

You can’t cast spells in wildshape

You retain any benefits from your class, race, or other source and can use them if your new form is physically able to do so. Ex: if your race has darkvision, you can use that in wildshape if the creature you chose also has darkvision.

Your equipment merges with your form so that you don’t lose it, but you can’t access or use the benefits from any of it unless it is an accessory item (such as a ring, magic tattoo, necklace, etc)

2nd: ¼ cr, no flying or swimming speed.

4th: ½ cr, no flying speed

8th: 1cr, no other limitations.

#### **Aspect of nature:**

At second level, your knowledge of genetics and nature allow you to infuse yourself with some aspect of nature, chosen from the lists below, and you gain the following benefits. In all cases, you choose a specific creature that embodies the Aspect of Nature you have chosen, and your physical features will reflect that in some way. This physical alteration does not give you any gameplay advantages, unless your DM agrees to such a thing.

#### Pack hunter:

You chose to focus your studies and essence on creatures that have learned the value of community for survival. Your awareness and connections to your allies is used to great effect to further the goals of your pack, so to speak. You have advantage on initiative rolls and gain the Alert feat. You gain access to the Guidance cantrip if you don't have it already.

#### Solitary:

Your fascination with the solitary wanderers of the universe has lead you to chose this aspect. You have a strong sense of self-sufficiency and survival much like the creatures you embody. You gain the toughness feat and have advantage on survival checks. You gain access to the Stoneskin spell if you don't have it already.

Venomous:

(need description)

You gain a bite/claw attack (depending on your species native physical form) that does 1d4+DEX MOD+½ your bioengineer level and it is a bonus action to use. You can choose to have this attack do 1d4 ability damage up to 2 times per long rest. When you are preparing your spells for the day, choose the ability type that this damages. You gain access to the spell Hypnotic Gaze if you don't have it already.

Growth:

You are patient and fast to heal, embodying the life giving essence from across the universe. Your chest and back grow the equivalent of a bark-like texture, and your skin gains a pattern similar to that of leaves, and they change depending on the seasons of the planet where your species is from. You gain proficiency in Heal, and you can gain one extra HP when you take a long rest or receive healing from an ally. You gain access to the Cure Light Wounds spell if you don't have it already.

Decay:

You know that all things must come to an end, and you embody the aspects of the universe that foster decay and the end of the life cycle. Your skin takes on the look of rotting wood, covered in moss and small fungal growths. You gain resistance to poison and necrotic damage of any source. You gain the spells Decay and Spore Cloud

Gattacan

You know Gattacan, a nearly impossible to decipher code language based off of the four nucleobases of DNA. You can speak the code language and use it to leave hidden messages. You and others who know this language automatically spot such a message. Others spot the message’s presence with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check but can’t decipher it without magic

#### Wild Shape

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your action to magically assume the shape of a beast that you have seen before. You can use this feature twice. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

Your druid level determines the beasts you can transform into, as shown in the Beast Shapes table. At 2nd level, for example, you can transform into any beast that has a challenge rating of 1/4 or lower that doesn’t have a flying or swimming speed.

#### Biological Aspect (Druidic Circle)

At 2nd level, you choose to identify with an aspect of the natural world. The Aspects are listed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 2nd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.

#### Wild Shape Improvement

At 4th level, you can use your action to magically assume the shape of a beast that you have seen before of challenge rating 1/2 or lower that doesn't have a flying speed. You can use this feature twice. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

#### Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.

#### Wild Shape Improvement

At 8th level, you can use your action to magically assume the shape of a beast that you have seen before of challenge rating 1 or lower. You can use this feature twice. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

#### Timeless Body

Starting at 18th level, a combination of the old magic and genetic knowledge that you wield causes you to age more slowly. For every 10 years that pass, your body ages only 1 year.

#### Beast Spells

Beginning at 18th level, you can cast many of your bioengineer spells in any shape you assume using Wild Shape. You can perform the somatic and verbal components of a druid spell while in a beast shape, but you aren’t able to provide material components.

Synergy with Nature

At 20th level, you can use your Wild Shape an unlimited number of times.

Additionally, you can ignore the verbal and somatic components of your druid spells, as well as any material components that lack a cost and aren’t consumed by a spell. You gain this benefit in both your normal shape and your beast shape from Wild Shape.