Augmented Form Upgrade

These rules provide alternate options for form upgrades in Walrock Homebrew's Augmented class. Surgery is complicated and oftentimes life-threatening. Form augmentations are a type of surgery that adds even more complications. Upgrading your body should reflect the actual risk to life and limb that surgeries would otherwise endanger.

These rules are optional and the DM's discretion applies. These rules also assume the Augmented is humanoid -- upgrading an augment on an already Warforged creature would not have the same level of risk.

Alternate Rules

Upgrading ones form is a difficult process, made more difficult by lack of experience or knowledge of complex medical procedures. Voluntarily choosing to replace parts of your body with experimental technology is extremely risky and dangerous and should be treated as such, rather than a simple bonus granted for leveling up. These rules are an attempt to rectify that imbalance and provide options for failed upgrades.

When you are able to and attempt to perform a form upgrade:

  • Roll 3d6 and add your Proficiency Bonus to the result.
  • Add an additional die if you or another assisting character has a proficiency in medicine.

The value of the additional die is based on the bonus value of the assisting character's medicine skill

  • +4 or less, roll a d4.
  • +5 - 6, roll a d6
  • +7 - 8, roll a d8
  • +9 - 10, roll a d10
  • etc

Refer to the Form Upgrade Table below for results.

Modifiers

Additional modifiers may be applied to the difficulty.

  • -1 to difficulty level for each successful form upgrade beyond the first
  • +2 to difficulty level for head upgrades
  • +2 to difficulty level for core upgrades
  • +1 to difficulty level if you lack proficiency in either Tinker's Tools or Smith's Tools (lacking proficiency in both means you cannot perform the upgrade).
  • -1 to difficulty level if you have proficiency in Healer's Kit
Form Upgrade Table
Roll Result Effect
15 or below Complete failure.
16 - 20 Mixed success.
21+ Complete success.

Refer to the descriptions below for explanations of results.

Complete Failure

In a complete failure, the process is botched. Keep track of the number you rolled and what you missed a mixed success by. This value may be used to determine some of the consequences of the failed procedure. This is life-threatening surgery and you are not a trained medical professional. A failure represents the absolute worst thing that could happen. The upgrade is not successful and cannot be attempted until the next available opportunity to perform a Form Upgrade. Any or all of the following effects could result:

An artery was cut and you are unable to stop the bleeding. You immediately drop to 0 hit points and start making Death Saving Throws. If a healer is available or someone proficient with the Medicine skill is available, they may make a roll against their Medicine proficiency with a DC of 18 - your Form Upgrade roll.

Example: Adrex is a level 5 Augmented who is attempting a Leg Upgrade with no one assisting. He rolled a 10 (5 + 2 + 3) + his proficiency bonus of 3 on 3d6 for a total of 13. He severs an artery in his leg and is now dying. Jurgen, the party cleric sees him on the ground and attempts to staunch the bleeding. He must roll a Medicine check with a DC of 5 to top the bleeding.

Example: Adrex rolled a 3 on his 3d6 Leg Upgrade plus his proficiency bonus of 3. Now Jurgen has a DC of 12 on his Medicine check to stop the bleeding.

A healing spell may be used to bypass the Medicine check.

The limb you were trying to upgrade was severed and cannot be re-attached. You are now an amputee. The amputated limb cannot be repaired by magical means.

If you were attempting a Head Upgrade, your head or spinal cord is severely damage. Immediately drop to 0 hit points and start making Death Saving Throws. In this case, you have literally seconds to resolve the situation before permanent death. There are no known medical procedures for repairing brain or spinal cord damage and even success may result in permanent paralysis or ongoing effects, so assistance must come from a magical source.

A healing spell like Cure Wounds can heal the wounds but you remain unconscious for 1d4 + 2 days. In the event of death, as long as the body is in the same physical space as the head, a Revivify or True Resurrection spell can restore you. As above, you are alive but unconscious for 1d4 + 2 days.

Before regaining consciousness, roll a d100. Calculate the number you missed a mixed success by and add 20 to it. For example, if the total of your roll was 10, you would add 6 to 20 for a total of 26. If you roll lower than this amount, you retain permanent damage from the procedure. This damage cannot be healed through mundane or magical means. Examples of permanent repercussions are paralysis, loss of mobility, loss of vision or loss of cognitive abilities.

If you were attempting a Core Upgrade, your heart/arteries are no longer able to reach your extremities, possibly including your brain. Immediately drop to 0 hit points and start making Death Saving Throws. If a healer is available or someone proficient with the Medicine skill is available, they may make a roll against their Medicine proficiency with a DC of 28 - your Form Upgrade roll.

Example: Adrex is performing a Core Upgrade. He rolls an 11 on his Form Upgrade roll plus a proficiency bonus of 3 for a total of 14. The surgery is botched and he falls unconscious as his blood starts pumping out of his body. Quartz, a Druid proficient with Medicine sees him and attempts to stop the bleeding. She must make a DC 14 Medicine check to stabilize the wounds.

Example: Adrex rolled an 8 (5 + 3 proficiency bonus) on his Form Upgrade roll. Now Quartz must succeed on a DC 20 Medicine check to stabilize him.

A healing spell like Cure Wounds can heal the wounds but you remain unconscious for 1d4 + 2 days.

Mixed Success

A mixed success is a partial success or success with complications. The upgrade succeeds but with unexpected consequences. These could involve lessened bonuses to your upgraded form, a higher probability of damage to fragile components, a vulnerability to certain substances. Roll on the table below or work out with your DM how a mixed success might affect your character.


Form Upgrade Partial Success Table
d6 Effect
1 Fragile. Your upgraded form is extremely fragile. Your AC is reduced by 1 and critical hits against you damage your upgrade, requiring it to be repaired before it can be used again.
2 Breakable. You gain a vulnerability to bludgeoning damage.
3 Vulnerable. You gain a vulnerability to two of the following damage types: acid, fire, lightning, or thunder.
4 Malfunction. While the upgrade was a success, allowing access to augments which require that upgrade, you do not gain the bonus granted by the upgrade.
5 Jamming. Whenever you use an ability or perform an action granted by this upgrade and roll a 1, the upgrade becomes jammed/inoperative until you make a DC 12 Tinkering or Smith's Tools check with an action. If the upgrade was a Core Upgrade, the armor class bonus increase is cancelled out when hit by a critical hit.
6 Loud. Your upgrade makes a lot of noise. You gain disadvantage on all Stealth checks.

Augments based on the Form Upgrade may still be added when you level up. Alternately, you may choose to make repairs to the Form Upgrade in place of an augment.

Complete success

With a complete success, the procedure goes off without a hitch. There are no complications or side effects.