PC Race - Pech

During 2nd Ed, I converted the elemental races [pech, nereid, salamander] from the Monstrous Manual to PC races. When 3E came along, I converted them again [to a +1 EL race], and finally revised them again to a +0 ECL race with racial levels as an option, after seeing Arcana Unearthed and Unearthed Arcana.

Here is my take on the Pech. I've tried to keep their ties with earth and keep them distinct. [The naiad/nereid can be found here]

Pech are formed from the element of earth, but left the Elemental Plane of Earth centuries ago, making thier home on the Prime Material Plane instead.
A pech spends much time underground, as near to the earth as possible. They have an affinity for gems and often collect them. The greedier pech can gain much wealth by trading these with other races.
Personality: Secretive and crafty, pech are often introverted and quiet. They take their time in making decisions and are rarely hasty.
Pech look to survive and prosper, avoiding danger unless reward or their faith is involved.
They have a love for gems and jewelry, hoarding and collecting what they can. This leads to a reputation for greed and avarice, often not undeserved.
Many pech have a fear of heights.
Physical Description: Standing about 3½ ft tall and weighing on average 100-110 pounds, pech closely resemble the element of earth they are associated with. Their skin is dry and rough, covered in short, coarse hair. Their eyes are almost pure white. They are thin with long, sinewy arms and legs, with broad hands and feet
Relations: Pech respect other races which have ties to the elements. They often trade with other creatures who live underground.
Pech have good relationships with many other races, trading for gems and working as miners.
Outlook: Pech value material objects, especially gems and metalwork of beauty. They love to plan and plot, acting when they are sure of success and rarely taking unnecessary risks.
They appreciate complex strategies and intricate detail.
Pech Lands: Pech live as close to the earth as they can manage. Those who do not live beneath the earth live in caves or hills. Pech can eat normal food, but prefer to eat different rocks, often mining for the minerals and gems which are their favourite. A new mine nearly anywhere can attract pech, sometimes a whole tribe turning up out of almost nowhere.
Religion: Many pech are faithful adherents to some greater power. Pech venerate the Powers of earth, whilst fearing those of air. Many revere the forces of nature, especially those of underground and hills. Those who live under the earth or away from the sun often feel an affiinity to the powers of shadow and darkness, their constant companions.
Adventurers: Pech most often seek adventure for material wealth, although many do so for which ever power they worship. Some seek to clear out mines or cave systems, while others pursue particular gems or famous pieces of jewelry.

Stat Adjustments: -2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma

Physical Traits:
- Height: 38”
- Height Modifier: 2d4”
- Base Weight: 80 lb
- Weight Modifier: *2d4 lb
- Base Age: 25 [Use half-elf for starting ages]
- Middle Age: 75 yrs, Old Age: 105 yrs, Venerable Age: 140 yrs, Maximum Age: +2d10 yrs

Racial Traits
- Pech are Small sized Fey
- Base Speed 20 ft
- Pech speak Common and Terran
- Their small size grants +1 AC, +1 to hit and a +4 size bonus to Hide checks. Lifting and carrying capacities are 3/4 normal
- Darkvision 60 ft
- +4 to Appraise checks for gems or metals.
- Earthen creatures: pech have a -2 penalty to saves against spells or effects with the Air descriptor. They also take an additional 50% damage from electricity based effects.
- Cannot cast spells with the Air descriptor or which deal electricity damage, or use magic items to generate these effects.
- +2 to Craft(Gemcutting) and Profession (Miner) checks.
- Stonecunning: [As a dwarf] +2 racial bonus to notice stonework. Can notice unusual stonework and get approx. distance underground
- Stability: pech are exceptionally stable on their feet. A pech gains a +4 bonus on abiltity checks made to resist being bull-rushed or tripped when standing on the ground
- Pech can move their base speed even while wearing medium or heavy armour or carrying a medium or heavy load
- Earthy Death: Pech crumble to dirt and rock fragments when they die.
- Favoured Class: Cleric


Paragon / Racial Levels

Requirements: Must be a pech
Hit Die: d6
Weapon Profs: All Simple Weapons, light and heavy pick
Armour Profs: Light, Medium and Shields
Skill Points/Lvl: 6 + Int
Class Skills: Appraise, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Heal, Hide, Knowledge(arcana, architecture & engineering, dungeoneering), Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock, Profession, Search, Survival

Lv BA Fo Rf Wil Powers
1 +0 +2 +0 +2 Resistant to Earth, Earthsense, Push, Toughness
2 +1 +3 +0 +2 Tremorsense [30 ft], Blessing of Earth, Solid
3 +1 +3 +1 +3 Tremorsense [60ft], Earth Mastery, Meld with the Earth

Resistant to Earth (Ex): Gain +4 to saves vs Earth spells and effects.
Earthsense (Ex): gain a racial bonus equal to double pech levels to Appraise(gems and metals), Craft(Gemcutting), Knowledge(dungeoneering) and Profession (Miner) Checks.
Push (Ex): The pech can bullrush without provoking attacks of opportunity.
Blessing of Earth: Pech who follow a deity with access to the Earth domain get a +1 bonus to saving throws
Solid (Ex): The pech's weight increases by 50 % and they count as one size larger when Bullrushing or being Bullrushed. They also gain a +2 bonus to Fortitude saves.
Earth Mastery (Ex): When both the pech and their foe are touching the ground, the pech gains a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls. They may also apply this bonus to bull rushes.
Meld with the Earth (Sp): The pech can cast meld into stone at will, with a caster level equal to their pech racial levels.

Feedback welcome. I've tried to remove any references to my homebrew or house-rules.

Looks neat! Always wondered why those races/critters were left out of the 3E MM and MMII.

Lessee..... The Pech itself seems fine. The racial class is a bit powerful, but perhaps not too much so considering its focus of abilities. However, the Earth Mastery bit should only say +1 to attack rolls; the "to-hit" terminology is no longer in use, a "to-hit roll" in 3E is simply an attack roll.

Something that jumps out at me though: why are Pech as heavy as humans even though Pech are half the size and scrawny to boot? With such a huge mass for their small size, they ought to be extremely resilient from their flesh being so incredibly dense. I'm talking +6 or more Constitution, some Damage Reduction (4/- maybe?), or something like that. Not suggesting you add that, but rather, suggesting you significantly reduce their weight to make them believable. No 160-pound critter the size of a human toddler or somethin' is going to be hurt much by a warhammer to the gut. The Solid feature of the paragon class should give them another +2 Constitution at least, but I'd rather suggest that you just remove that feature; the paragon class is already quite strong enough.

Thanks Arkhandus! Nice catch on the Earth Mastery terminology. Should be worded much as the Earth Elemental ability

I've reduced the weight and weight modifier. They are supposed to be heavy for their size, due to the association with the element of earth. Bonuses i've tried to associate with their density include the +2 to Con, Stability racial ability and Push, Great Fortitude and Solid paragon class abilities.

The paragon may look quite powerful, but for any fighter-type class there is a large cost in the base attack bonus and hit points. No spellcaster is going to want to take many levels in a paragon class which grants no extra spellpower, but a skills based character may be more tempted.

Still need to update the Physical Description part; maximum weight (before gaining Solid) is now 144 lbs., average weight should be 96 pounds. Still think the Solid ability shouldn't boost their weight nearly so much without giving DR or Con boosts (like +2 Con or DR 2/-), which would require a bit more reduction in power otherwise to compensate. I'm thinking the base skill points per level should be reduced to 4.

The racial paragon class is chiefly quite strong for skill monkeys, chiefly rogues, bards, monks, and rangers, as it stands. However, it's also quite good for dipping in for 1 or 2 levels as a fighter, barbarian, or paladin, or as a combat-focused cleric or druid. Tremorsense, Push, and Solid can be rather useful to some combat-centric characters, and the class' good Fort/Will saves, combined with Toughness and Great Fortitude, help to make it worth dipping for 1 or 2 levels, at the expense of just 1 point of BAB and maybe 3-5 HP (plus a feat or something, depending on their other class(s)).

BTW, I think it'd be rather appropriate (if not outright necessary) to give Pech the Earth subtype. Also, you need to define their middle and old age categories. They obviously reach Adulthood at 25 yrs., and Venerable age at 140, but you need to define Middle Age and Old categories; probably something like 65 and 105 respectively, I'd guess.

On top of whats already be mentioned (including that it is a good write up), I would have thought that a race conected to earth would have a resistance to electricity, being sort of 'earthed' as it is. Perhaps a weakness to acid is in order?

Each of the elemental races I've written up (pech, salamander nereid) is to have a weakness to it's opposing element. In the case of pech this is air & therefore electricity

Added middle and old age categories. Wrapped Great Fortitude benefit into Solid class feature.

Trying to keep the skills per level to 6, in keeping with fey creatures. I'll give some more thought to Earth subtype, maybe as a feature of the paragon class.

Salamander up next.