Recently, a Pathfinder game I was partaking in was ending for various reasons. Someone else in the group decided to take on the mantle of DM, but decided to run 5e instead again for unimportant reasons. We decided to re-create our characters or create new characters at level 1. I decided to convert my character. However, the staple of my character was necrografts. These are essentially undead body parts to replace someone’s limbs.
I had decided to replace my arm with that of a ghoul's, thus gaining a claw attack with ghoulish effects, at the cost of some other penalties because undead limb.
A necrograft host has a necrosis score equal to half the number of necrografts implants in his body (minimum 1). A necrograft host gains DR against nonlethal damage (excluding nonlethal damage from starvation or exertion) and a racial bonus on saving throws against paralysis, poison, and sleep effects equal to his necrosis score, but takes an equal penalty on saving throws against disease and negative energy effects. A necrograft also reduces the host’s morale bonuses and the magical healing he receives by an amount equal to his necrosis score, as the necrotic energies blunt his emotions and ties to the natural cycle of life and death.
Now in Pathfinder this is a 1d6+str attack, with a save DC of 10+½hd+CHA for ghouls/ghasts (presumably con for living creatures since cha is undead con). Failed save applied a 2-5 round paralysis with no further save. This provided a certain measure of scaling to remain effective as I leveled up and could use my wizard spells to supplement and raise my DC and essentially be a close up threat. (At level 7 I had lower than average to-hit chance [about 35–60% chance to hit average enemies], and generally a DC 17 on my attack [average 50-60% chance to paralyze if hit] for a total of about 25% chance to paralyze an average enemy and a 75% chance to just suck.)
Now, moving to 5e. Ghouls have a claws attack that’s listed at 2d4 for 2 claws. So presumably I will now do 1d4. Not much loss in terms of damage (ignoring the lack of coup de grace anyway). However, ghouls and ghasts both have the same DC of 10 with a save every round. No scaling for higher level ghouls. That means no scaling for me. From what I understand, while 5e has lower DCs, 10 is still incredibly low. On top of that they get a save every round.
I am not familiar enough with 5e to understand balance on a grand scale, but it doesn’t sound like this will stay relevant for long.
What would be a good way to balance this that would allow me to stay a moderate threat as a close up character as the game progresses into higher levels? I am headed towards a necromacy wizard / Eldrich Knight fighter multi-class.
Best Answer
Scaling is possible.
I agree with @DavidCoffron for the most part on balance. This is a rather over-powered ability to have at lower levels and might be insigificant at higher levels.
The downsides from your link would likely translate to disadvantage (at least doing things that required that hand or both hands) rather than a -2 but that would be in your DM's wheelhouse as well. Those penalties are also non-combat related for the most part so they don't necessarily offer much in the way of offset in my opinion. But keeping these as penalties likely won't hurt anything, as there are Rings and Cloaks of Protection as well as partial cover and so on. Just be aware that you are breaking away from the core tenets of the 5E system by doing it.
I didn't stick with PF long enough to get into the idea of these Necrograft things.
However, if scaling is a must it is important to note that Saving Throws are calculated the same way for NPCs/Monsters as they are for PCs. Might not be stated explicitly but it is implicit in the design.
So to deconstruct the Save we proceed as follows:
Template is 8 + Proficiency Bonus + Ability Modifier
Base 8 + 2 (CR 1 Creature) + 0 (Likely Constitution as it is doesn't fit for Wisdom on this ability which is the ghoul's only other +0).
You could therefore work with your DM to apply your proficiency bonus and your Constitution modifier. This might, however, go against the premise on the Necrografts though.
To potential down-votes I know there is nothing explicit that says this is how it work, that I remember, but it is intuitive to work this way.