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Half-Elves, yes? Why not Half-Dwarves?

arscott

First Post
The nice thing about 4e is that you can give out bonuses to strength and con, and it's not going to be unbalanced the way it was in 3e. Sure, a +2 str +2 con Mül is going to be a spectacular Greataxe wielding fighter, but a +2 str +2 wis Mül was going to be a spectacular two-weapon-ranger or avenging paladin.
 

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wherwrthal

First Post
Speed: 6 squares. (even when encumbered by armor or a heavy load)

The only problem that I can see with this is that it is one of the Dwarf's "abilities/powers(?)" and is listed as such under the Encumbered Speed ability.
That brings the Mul's powers to 6.
Even discounting the low-light vision, which I wasn't sure about to start with they still have more abilities than most races. The others have about 5 or 4 high powered ones. Discounting the Genasi with their different options.
Besides, you are going to want to get away from reusing powers from other races much like the Elf/Eladrin/Half-Elf scheme they have in the PHB.
Each race is different and there are no overlaps.

I like the modifications on the other abilities, especialy the bonuses to defenses until the end of your next turn. That was nice.

Indomitable Defense: When using your second wind, you gain an additional +2 bonus to all defenses until the start of your next turn (for a total of +4.)<-I don't think you need this part.

Good racial feats as well.
But let's try this.

ARENA BRED
Heroic Tier
Prerequisite: Mül, Martial Class
Benefit: You gain proficiency with the Whip, the Bola, or the Net, and gain a +2 feat bonus to damage with your choice.

Goes farther to emphasize the less magiciness of the race. Otherwise you get a bonus and another 3 feats for the cost of one feat (Weapon Proficiency).
This way, you get a bonus and the weapon proficiency feat, but there are two stipulating prerequisites in order to qualify for the feat.
 
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wherwrthal

First Post
Tweak Recap:

Mül (Half-Dwarf)

Tough as a dwarf, and as stubborn as a human

RACIAL TRAITS
Average Height: 5'6"-6"2"
Average Weight: 160 – 230 lb.
Ability Scores: +2 Strength, +2 Constitution
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Normal

Languages: Common, Dwarven
Skill Bonuses: +2 Endurance, +2 Athletics
Dual Heritage: You can take feats that have either dwarf or human as a prerequisite (as well as those specifically for müls,) as long as you meet any other requirements.
Indomitable Defense: When you use your second wind, you gain an additional +2 bonus to all defenses until the start of your next turn.
Sterner Stuff: You gain a +5 racial bonus on saving throws against ongoing damage
Defiant Even Unto Death:You can use the Defiant Unto Death Encounter Power.

Defiant Even Unto Death Mül Racial Power
Your mixed heritage makes you tougher than either of your parents.
Encounter
Immediate Interrupt Personal
Effect:
When you fail a death save, reroll that save. You are forced to take the second roll, even if it's lower.

Very rarely do dwarves and humans mate. When they do, the couples are more often than not biologically incompatible to bear offspring. In the unlikely event that the parents are capable of produce a child the result, regardless of parentage, is always a mül.

Born to mixed couples they are often the subject of prejudice in both their native societies. Due to their inability to bear children many find solace in religious sects or in leadership positions where they can be a figurative father or mother. Their hardy physique makes them very capable fighters and warlords. Fortunately their natural toughness makes them apt candidates for adventuring.

Play a mül if you want . . .

* to be able to shrug off ruining pain, survive in the most unforgiving environments and stand firm against waves of enemies.
* to show a world its not who you were born to but what you do that determines your greatness.
* to be a member of a race that favors the fighter, warlord and cleric class.

PHYSICAL QUALITIES
Müls are as slightly shorter than their human parents and typically not as broad as their dwarven parents. They are born hairless and only grow eyebrows and eyelashes, along with nose & ear hair, within a few weeks of being born. That is all the hair they will ever grow. Skin tones and eye color run the typical gamut of human and dwarf norms.
Many villages frown upon the birth of a mül child as they are all sterile or barren and cannot produce offspring to help sustain a community. Thus, many are led to live violent and arduous lives of the second-class citizenry. Most of the relatively few müls to exist become warriors.
There is no commonality to mül society. One might say there isn’t one since there are so few of them in the world. On the off chance that two of these beings should ever meet they’re just as likely to rejoice in commonality as to manifest an instant dislike for the other because of what they represent, an outcast in a cruel and unfair world.
Müls don’t live any longer than their human parents but like their dwarven parents manage to stave off the effects of old-age right up until the last few months of life.

PLAYING A MüL
Inheriting the best parts of their mixed parentage müls are ideally suited to live the life of an adventurer. They typically see the world from the perspective of a victim as they are usually treated unfairly by a world that doesn’t want them. That is not to say that they are all anti-social misanthropes but most members of the mül race are at least cautious when first introduced to new people.
One trait that is universally shared by all müls is their almost iron built bodies. They are able to endure beyond the limits of any other humanoid race. They can perform grueling, intense labor for days at a time without rest, food and with very little water. This, unfortunately, makes them especially attractive to slavers and more than a few of these rare breed beings have been captured and sold into unwilling servitude.

Mül Characteristics: Angry,cautious, defiant, hard-nosed, lonely, uncouth


MǕL ADVENTURERS
Three sample mül adventurers are described below.
Rikus was born into slavery but his spirit was always free. Pitted to face horrible creatures for the amusement of a cruel king for most of his life he was at last able to secure his freedom when he helped over throw the corrupt monarch and slavery was outlawed. Now, Rikus uses his sword to lead mighty legions against slave owning nations in a bloody crusade to end slavery across the land. Negotiations, after all, are for more civilized races.
Ezekiel was abandoned at birth on the doorstep of a church dedicated to Moradin. He was raised as a ward of the church and trained in the holy texts of the creation god. Now a grown man, Ezekiel has begun a pilgrimage to preach the word of Moradin and do good deeds in his name. He ultimately hopes to create a great cathedral to his patron god and fill it with his converted followers. They will be his children and he their father.
Tulg was raised by the cruel world that rejected him. The streets were his home and from them he learned self-reliance, pride in himself and that the strong must do whatever it takes to survive; even take from the weak. Tulg resents his life and wonders what it would be like to live the charmed life of a noble. Perhaps when he accumulates enough wealth he will find out.

Racial Feats:

ARENA BRED
Heroic Tier
Prerequisite: Mül, Martial Class
Benefit: You gain proficiency with the Whip, the Bola, or the Net, and gain a +2 feat bonus to damage with your choice.

STUBBORN AS A MÜL
Heroic Tier
Prerequisite: Mül, Defiant Even Unto Death racial power
Benefit: When you use your Defiant Even Unto Death power, you gain a +2 racial bonus to the reroll. In addition, any time you spend a healing surge because you rolled 20 or higher on a death saving throw, you gain a number of additional hp equal to your constitution score.
 
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dammitbiscuit

First Post
I didn't feel it would be right to make two physical bonus stats as I think it's a bit munchkin. I do see where you're coming form though and must admit I labored over the idea myself.
Minotaur and warforged are already str/con. All-mental or all-physical races kinda pigeonhole a race, too, to where players will have a smaller selection of classes to play.
 

wherwrthal

First Post
That was a concern of mine as well. But going back and looking at the PHB again, I found that Mul's will make a good Infernal Warlock, or Strength based Cleric.
About the only class that they wouldn't excel at (at least initally) with their bonuses is Wizard. Even so, with the Constitution bonus, that might even work out as Mulish Wizards would generally have more hit points than other characters. Maybe they would specialize with Thunderwave.
Dunno, would have to play it to find out.
 



I dunno, +5 saves vs ongoing is a little nuts. Ongoing damage is a pretty major thing, coming up a lot at all levels of play (compare poison, which is pretty minor, there's not that many monsters with it). The warforged ability is [edit:] +2. In general I favor races that have both stat bumps in the same defense to get a +1 to some other defense... it helps their defenses stay more even with other characters (and they did this with the eladrin and the warforged, but sadly not the minotaur). I might go for +1 will here, in the category of "Stubborn as a Mül" :)
 
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King Nate

First Post
Why not just wait until WotC releases Darksun for 4e? I guarentee that it will have muls in it.

However for those who can't wait...

In 3.5 conversion of the mul, they had the Hardy ability where they needed half as much time to rest to remove the effects of fatigue and exhaustion. I think a 4e conversion would look somethink like this:

Hardy: Muls only need 3 hours of sleep to gain the benefits of an extended rest.

The 3.5 also had Faster Natual Healing which allowed them to regain more hit points per day than other races. Since this isn't a problem in 4e, I would suggest either give the mul more hit points per healing surge or give them more healing surges per day, instead of taking the dwarf's ability of using healing surges as a minor action.

Since you are giving Muls bonuses in Str and Con (which I agree with) you are limiting their defense bonus only to Fort. You can counter this by giving them a bonus in one of the other defenses probably Will. (see eladrin). Tough in mind as well as body.

I don't like the Defiant Even Unto Death racial ability. Other races have abilities they can use every encounter, your mul has an ability it can use only when it is dying. You could however make this into a Mul Feat.

The +5 bonus to saves vs ongoing damage is too good. However you can probably turn this into the racial power. Once per encounter muls get +5 bonus to saves vs ongoing damage until the end of their next turn. Or something like that.

The original Mul in Darksun couldn't speak dwarven only common and one other of choice.

Just my 2-cents
 

King-Panda

First Post
Here's some changes/feat ideas I thought up. I have no idea how balanced they are; feel free to help me balance them.

Mül (Half-Dwarf)

RACIAL TRAITS
Average Height: 5'6"-6"2"
Average Weight: 160 – 230 lb.
Ability Scores: +2 Strength, +2 Constitution
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Normal

Languages: Common, Dwarven
Skill Bonuses: +2 Endurance, +2 Athletics
Dual Heritage: You can take feats that have either dwarf or human as a prerequisite (as well as those specifically for müls,) as long as you meet any other requirements.
Indomitable Defense: When you use your second wind, you gain an additional +2 bonus to all defenses until the start of your next turn.
Sterner Stuff: You gain a +3 racial bonus on saving throws against ongoing damage, and +1 extra healing surge per tier.
Like a Rock: You can use Like a Rock as an encounter power.

Shrug it off Mul Racial Power
Your enemies attempt to wear you down is laughable.
Encounter
Free Action Personal
Trigger: You are hit by a save end attack that makes you Immobilized, Restrained, Slowed, or Weakened
Effect: You may make an immediate save to end the condition applied by the attack at a +2 bonus. A failed save does not count as a failed save and has no other effect. You still make a save at the end of your turn as normal.


Racial Feats: (Need help balancing feat prerequisites!)

STUBBORN AS A MÜL
Heroic Tier
Prerequisite: Mül
Benefit: When making a death saving throw, you may spend a healing surge (page 295) if you roll a 19 or a 20. In addition, anytime you spend a healing surge because you rolled 19 or higher on a death saving throw, you gain a number of additional hp equal to your constitution score.

STONE TACKLE
Heroic Tier
Prerequisite: Mül
Benefit: When you successfully bull rush an opponent, they are knocked prone at the end of the push.

LIKE A ROCK
Paragon Tier
Prerequisite: Mül
Benefit: You gain resist all 1.

RELENTLESS WILL
Paragon Tier
Prerequisite: Mül
Benefit: When you use your Shrug it Off Racial ability, you gain a bonus to the save equal to your con modifier. This supersedes the normal +2 bonus.

DEFIANT UNTO DEATH
Epic Tier
Prerequisite: Mül
Benefit: You must fail four death saves instead of three to die.
 
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