Human Subtype - Level Adjustment?

I'm in the process of creating a "sub-race" of humans that live in the Blade Desert (Eberron), and they're going to be based off of the Aiel from Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time, the Fremen from Frank Herbert's Dune, and the Spartan's from the recent 300 movie. Fighting is inherent to their culture. They are the greatest warriors in the world, and even the basic commoner is familiar with weapons and combat. I'm calling them the Valadeen.

For the human sub-type this is what I have so far:

• Medium: As Medium creatures, Valadeen humans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Valadeen Human base land speed is 40 feet.
• 1 extra feat at 1st level.
• 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level.
• +2 to Balance, Hide, Jump, Listen, Spot, Tumble.
• Immune to fear affects.
• Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic).
• Favored Class: Swordsage.

Anyone have any suggestions as to anything I might change or add on to make them more what I'm going for? That all seems closer, but not quite right, just yet...

Also, what would you peg their level adjustment at? I was think +1, but maybe +2?... It's very unlikely a player would play this race, but it's still important I get this right...

Thanks!

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EDIT: Here's the final product:

• Medium: As Medium creatures, Valadeen humans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Valadeen Human base land speed is 30 feet.
• Endurance (as per the feat).
• +1 attack/damage/saves/AC when adjacent to another Valadeen.
• +2 to Hide, Jump, and Tumble.
• +4 to saves against fear and compulsion effects.
• Proficiency: Spear, Scimitar, Light Armor, and Shields (buckler and light wooden/steel).
• Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic).
• Favored Class: Ranger or Swordsage (either, not both).

With what you have there, I'd call it a strong +1, but perhaps change "immune to fear" to a +4 racial bonus to bring it a little more in line. You might also give them weapon familiarity with scimitars or whatever weapon you want them to use primarily.

Personally, I'd lean towards using non-racial methods for making the Valadeen bad-asses: All Valadeen have PC levels. There are no commoners or experts. They also have access to a variant ranger class (or whatever) that gives fast movement 10' and access to a couple more skills (like balance and tumble). Unearthed Arcana has a few variant rangers, or you could make a set of racial substitution levels.

Prophet2b said:

I have so far:

• Medium: As Medium creatures, Valadeen humans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Valadeen Human base land speed is 40 feet.
• 1 extra feat at 1st level.
• 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level.
• +2 to Balance, Hide, Jump, Listen, Spot, Tumble.
• Immune to fear affects.
• Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic).
• Favored Class: Swordsage.

Click to expand...

That's a rather weak LA +1 right there, really. Maybe strong compared to the weakest LA+1 races from WotC, but only because WotC pegs most LA+X races at a higher LA than they deserve just to discourage their use by players, and reinforce the appeal/commonality of the core races in a setting. There are a few exceptions, where a race like Goliaths or their ilk slips through with strong abilities for their LA, but they're not the norm (hell, have you SEEN Savage Species? It would give every single core race one or more points of Level Adjustment with its guidelines, and some of those guidelines are ludicrous).

And why Swordsage? Their favored class should be Warblade, if they're supposed to be such bad-arses!

I'd slap on a +2 racial bonus to Constitution from their hard training and such. Also a free copy of the Weapon Focus feat (in addition to the normal human bonus feat), to offset the attack bonus their going to lose from the +1 LA. Also, probably a free copy of the Tougness feat to offset the HP loss they're going to have initially from the LA +1.

I agree, it does seem a little weak for a +1. Looking at it, I'd rather just go with a regular human and get that extra level.

I say, add proficiency with light armor, non-tower shields, and a small group of common war-based weapons as well as reducing the fear immunity to a +4 bonus to saves vs fear and compulsion. Then add +2 Str, Dex, Con, -2 Int, Cha, if you're going for pure "We like war, screw that other stuff!" idea. That should turn out to a failry workable +1 LA.

If you don't want to do the ability score adjustments, then maybe add in a "soldier mentality" idea. They gain a +2 bonus on saves, and +1 to attacks, damage and AC, as long as there's at least one other Valadeen within 10ft. And maybe add in Improved Toughness as a bonus feat...

Level adjustments given are usually not worth what you get in actual play. At early levels, you get screwed over because you're at about 1/2 power most of the time, and a few stat bonuses does not make up for lost HD. At higher levels, the bonuses you get aren't worth as much, as they tend to get subsumed in all the abilities you get from class levels and items.

Prophet2b said:

• Medium: As Medium creatures, Valadeen humans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Valadeen Human base land speed is 40 feet.
• +2 to Balance, Hide, Jump, Listen, Spot, Tumble.
• +4 to saves against fear effects.
• Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic).
• Favored Class: Any.

Click to expand...

Why not do something like this, and give them LA +0?

Cheers, -- N

Wow, thanks for the responses! There's some good stuff here, now. In retrospect, I suppose I could try to get it down to LA +0 and see how it turns out...

How about this?

• Medium: As Medium creatures, Valadeen humans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Valadeen Human base land speed is 30 feet.
• Trackless Step (Ex): A Valadeen human leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. He may leave a trail if so desired.
• +2 to Hide, Jump, and Tumble.
• +4 to saves against fear and compulsion effects.
• Weapon Proficiency: Dagger, Spear, Scimitar.
• Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic).
• Favored Class: Ranger or Swordsage (must choose one or the other, not both). (I know this is non-traditional to have two, but those are both their primary forces. I might try my hand at a Bo9S Ranger, though, instead of the straight PHB spellcasting one.)

LA +0, or still a weak +1?

Idea behind these guys: Back when the five nations were first united under the first king, he gave the monks of the Endworld Mountains the task of guarding the Nine Swords (considered then to be holy relics, and tied to the Prophecy that the dragons had spoken of. It was then that the monks set about studying the fine art of combat. It wasn't long after this that the people quit being "monks" - though much of the mental prowess and discipline still remains to this day.

About 100 years later, a demon lord ended up visiting the (former) monastery and tried to get the Valadeen to give him the swords. They resisted and forced him to flee - but that wasn't the last time he came. For the next couple hundred years, he visit off and on and try to find some weakness. Finally, when the Last War broke out and the Valadeen were called away to defend their homes (camps in the desert) from invading elves and halflings, the demon lord made his move. The Nine Swords were taken.

All of the Valadeen's thought has been on finding and retrieving the swords. Thus, that is what every man, woman, and child trains for. The day they find the swords, the entire people are ready to go to war.

They are a very, very martial society. But they believe in strategy and tactics over brute force. Enter Fremen, Aiel, Spartans.

To represent that even more, though, I think I'll take XCorvis' idea of making non of them NPC classes.

Thanks, again! What do you think?

Looks good, but why Trackless Step? It seems to me like you're going for a warrior-type society, not a nature-based one. Maybe replace Trackless Step with Endurance. It's not a big powerful feat or anything, and it fits well with a warrior society.

And... I dunno, it just seems that the scimitar isn't really a common weapon of war, and every class around gets dagger proficiency. The longsword seems to fit better as a "main" weapon, and it's generally seen as the staple for warrior-types. Then toss in the shortsword, which is a big backup weapon.

And I still personally think light armor and shield proficiency wouldn't be too big a deal. Say that every Valadeen child recieves training in the basics of warfare, even before they choose their actual career.

Altogether, it still makes for a race slightly less powerful than the staple dwarf/elf tag-team.

DogBackward said:

Looks good, but why Trackless Step? It seems to me like you're going for a warrior-type society, not a nature-based one.

Click to expand...

That's true. But I thought it might represent more of the idea that they are incredibly skilled and atune to their surroundings, also (which, well, they are). I thought about Endurance, too...

Hmm.

I'm definitely keeping the scimitar in, because it's their staple weapon. It may not be the most powerful, but some of this is flavor, too. Same with the spear. Everyone in their society knows how to use those two weapons (at least). Also, by virtue of the fact that they'll have PC classes and not NPC classes, that will automatically make them more powerful in the world of Eberron.

However... After your comments, I thought further about it, and what about this:

• Valadeen Human base land speed is 30 feet.
• Endurance (as per the feat).
• +1 inherent bonus to all attacks.
• +2 to Hide, Jump, and Tumble.
• +4 to saves against fear and compulsion effects.
• Proficiency: Spear, Scimitar, Light Armor, and Shields (buckler and light wooden/steel).
• Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic).
• Favored Class: Ranger or Swordsage (either, not both).

Or is that too much, now?

I actually like the scimitar, stat-wise and flavor-wise. I was actually thinking more that longswords are just the staple weapon of warrior-types. Your standard knights are pretty much always longsword + large shield type guys. I wasn't worried about a more powerful weapon, and if you want the Valadeen to like scimitars better, perfect.

I think the inherent bonus to attacks may be a bit much. Weapon Focus (Everything) is a little above LA +0. Kinda like Powerful Build. It's not enough for a +1 on its own, but it's a little too much for a +0.

Maybe replace it with: +1 attack/damage/saves/AC when adjacent to another Valadeen? That gives them an advantage when fighting together as a unit, which seems to fit a battle-oriented society. And a conditional bonus is less powerful than a straight +1 to all attacks.

DogBackward said:

Maybe replace it with: +1 attack/damage/saves/AC when adjacent to another Valadeen? That gives them an advantage when fighting together as a unit, which seems to fit a battle-oriented society. And a conditional bonus is less powerful than a straight +1 to all attacks.

Click to expand...

I like that. A lot, in fact!

• Valadeen Human base land speed is 30 feet.
• Endurance (as per the feat).
• +1 attack/damage/saves/AC when adjacent to another Valadeen.
• +2 to Hide, Jump, and Tumble.
• +4 to saves against fear and compulsion effects.
• Proficiency: Spear, Scimitar, Light Armor, and Shields (buckler and light wooden/steel).
• Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic).
• Favored Class: Ranger or Swordsage (either, not both).

Alrighty. I have to say - I am happy. This is much more what I was going for in the first place... I just could not for the life of me figure out how to get there and keep things balanced. Thank you, all, again! I should have posted my custom stuff on EN World a long time ago... that would have saved me so many headaches, and it would all have turned out so much better. Sweet!