New kind of sight for underground race

[Infinite Monkey]

I have created a custom race for my campaign, the Durn-an. They are basically gigantic 'dwarves'. Here are their stats

+4 Str, +2 Con, -2 Dex, -2 Int, +2 Wis, -2 Cha. Durn-an are immensly strong and tough, and their long spells alone underground give them a thoughtful manner, but they are rather slow in both thought and deed, and they are unused to the company of others.
Large size. Durn-an get -1 AC, -1 to base attack bonus, -4 to hide checks, +4 to grapple checks, +4 to bull rush checks. They can wield large weapons 1 handed, and huge weapons 2 handed. Their armour costs and weighs more. They have a 10' reach.
Light sensitive. Durn-an are adapted for life underground. They suffer a -2 circumstance penalty to attack, damage, skill and saving throw rolls when in bright sunlight or the radius of a daylight spell. If they are abruptly exposed to bright light they are blinded for one round.
Darkvision up to 120 feet.
Stonecunning, as dwarves in the Players Handbook.
+2 to saving throws against poison, spells and spell-like effects.
+1 racial bonus to attack rolls against orcs and goblinoids.
+4 racial bonus to Craft checks that are related to mining stone and metal: durn-an excel at mining, although they have to particular skill at fashioning the results of their labour.
Languages as dwarves in the Players Handbook.
Because of the time they spend delving within the body of Jeva, durn-an tend to be deeply religious. They tend to be Morning Children.
Durn-an are an ECL +1 race. This means that a durn-an character starts one level lower than a character from other races, to account for the race itself being so powerful.


I was thinking of replacing Light Sensitive with :

Reverse Sight : The durn-an have completely different sight to most races. Their eyes look like small multi-faceted gemstones. They see through the absence of normal light. This means that they see as well in pitch dark as a human would in bright sunlight, and as well in bright sunlight as a human would in the pitch dark.

Would this, in your opinions, make they ECL +0?

Also, if there was a spell that reversed their sight, so that they can see like humans for, say, 1 hour per caster level, what level would the spell be? And how much would an item that gave this effect permanently cost?

 

[Steven McRownt]

I was thinking of replacing Light Sensitive with :

Reverse Sight : The durn-an have completely different sight to most races. Their eyes look like small multi-faceted gemstones. They see through the absence of normal light. This means that they see as well in pitch dark as a human would in bright sunlight, and as well in bright sunlight as a human would in the pitch dark.

Would this, in your opinions, make they ECL +0?

Also, if there was a spell that reversed their sight, so that they can see like humans for, say, 1 hour per caster level, what level would the spell be? And how much would an item that gave this effect permanently cost?

I will not make any comments on the race for itself, but the ECL +1 for the race it is perhaps even too low, if you consider that minotaurs have a starting ECL (for having bonuses to Strenght and Constitution) quite high.
Reverse Light doesn't make them weaker, or perhaps not so weak. I mean they will never leave their underground passages, or will do very very rarely (at least the drow -who go out for prey just in the night for similar racial problems- have some social motivation to do so, like finding some elf to sacrifice to Lolth!): apart a lantern or a torch used by a group of adventurer (because every other underground dweller has at least night vision, and will not carry artificial lights) this race will never face light sources...

The problem could be: if there is a torch in the middle of a dark cavern, a Durn-an would see all clear except the area of light? It sound very strange... Dunno, perhaps you should make them just more light sensitive...

Steven McRownt

 

[poilbrun]

I tend to agree about the ECL... OK, they only have a total +2 bonus to stats, but half-orcs (whether they got shafted or not) got a -2 total bonus to stats to be ECL 0. The creators of the game have made it clear that a +2 bonus to strength is worth more than a -2 to a mental score... As such, I would give them an ECL +2

@Steven McRownt : Di dove sei in Roma? A mia ragazza gli piace molto questa città, e è possibile che ci andremo in agosto...

 

[Steven McRownt]

...mais oui poilbrun, je suis de Rome (excuse moi pour mon français très mauvais)... comment sont le traduction de D&D en français? Les italiens SUCKS!

Steven McRownt

ps Sorry guys for having utilized this thread for personal reasons), i will atone reading and commenting all the alt. rangers (no more, please!) that will come!!!

 

[The Souljourner]

OK, here's the problem, you can't just add up all their stat modifiers, some are "worth" more than others. Strength, Dexterity, and Consititution are all "worth" twice as much as the other three stats, so your race actually has an effective +6 to stats. Add in large size (which is a very big bonus, with the weapons they are able to wield and 10' natural reach), and you have a very powerful PC class here.

In general I really don't like underground classes that get penalties in sunlight. It's always used as a balancing factor, but it rarely comes into play. Either this PC will never go out during the daytime, in which case the penalty is effectively not there, or he'll be totally blind, which will make him useless. Or, there will be something Drizzt-like that will make the sunlight penalties go away.

Underground races are simply not good PC races, unless all PCs are underground and you're running an underground campaign. I wouldn't allow an underground race in a normal campaign because they're disruptive to the rest of the party.

-The Souljourner