Definitive LA+0 Reptilian and Feline Races

In just over a week, I'm beginning a new campaign and I have very little planning done, so I'm a bit frantic at the moment, especially with schoolwork piling up as it is.

I always try to set my campaign worlds apart from the norm, and this time I'm using races as my vessel. In this setting, elves, dwarves, halflings, orcs, and gnomes have gradually been "Darwined" out of existence due to countless wars, inability to adapt to changing environments, overbreeding with other races, etc.

Thus, I'm forming a sort of collection of LA+0 races to replace them. The two "Races of" series books I own and the Expanded Psionics Handbook have been a big help. I'm also planning on using Merlion's Almaren.

Now I'm looking to fill a specific niche.

If you were to build non-level adjusted races to represent the archetypes of "lizard-person" and "cat-person", how would YOU go about doing so? What ability score adjustments would you use? What traits would set them apart from the crowd? What would they be called? What would their society be like?

The ultimate goal of this thread is to create two definitive races for use by myself as well as others. Please try to stick to the topic. Thanks in advance for interest!

GoblinMasquerade said:

If you were to build non-level adjusted races to represent the archetypes of "lizard-person" and "cat-person", how would YOU go about doing so? What ability score adjustments would you use? What traits would set them apart from the crowd? What would they be called? What would their society be like?

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Check out the Katara over in the Living EnWorld thread for a feline race.

Katara


As to a reptilian race, I don't have anything created, but the Kobold and Poison Dusk Lizardfolk are a good start towards something.

If you are interested, I put together a race profile for the Hutaakans (canine-headed humanoids that worshipped Pflarr) of Mystara.

okay, first i have a few questions: what are your themes for your races? both Small size? Medium? any sub-races? what real-life (or even fantasy figures) are these races to be modled after? etc . . .

as for the Katara, i like it, except for the small size. i personally think that both of these races should be Medium, but by no means does it eman that i wont help if you want 'em to be tiny. just let me know what you want to do with 'em.

The Katara may be a good starting point for the feline race, although I'd have to change the name. It sounds like the name of a weapon combining the katar and katana, but that's for some other thread.

On kobolds, I plan to use them as a separate race from the reptilian one I hope to create here, but it's a good thought. Can someone fill me in on what a Poison Dusk Lizardfolk is? I don't think I've heard of the race. Hutaakans sound interesting, but I'm not interested at time being. Thanks anyway.

Subraces are a possibility, but nonessential.

I think medium for both sounds like a good route, but I'm open-minded if someone largely disagrees.

GoblinMasquerade said:

Can someone fill me in on what a Poison Dusk Lizardfolk is? I don't think I've heard of the race.

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Poison Dusk Lizardfolk can be found in the MM3. They are LA +1 and small size. Looks like they don't quite fit the bill.

the poisondusk lizardfolk is a lizardfolk subrace found in Eberron and detailed in the Monster Manuel III.

i personally wouldn't use it as a starting point; basically they are rangers that use poison (included is a VERY original name, :S) and are small size AND have +1 LA. i dunno, just not a very good starting point.

you are correct in that the Katara is a good starting point, but id make em medium, and do a bit of editing.

other than that; what do you want favoured classes look like? this will be influenced by their societites; etc. id say the Catpeople should have a favoured class of Rogue or Ranger (depending if they are a city race or outdoorish race>id go for Rogue myself), and for your Lizardfolk, it depends on what their culture is like. Barbarian, Druid, Fighter, Ranger and Rogue are all viable class choices. id go either Barbarian or Ranger for Lizardfolk.

Also, for names, i like the sound of these two: Felinefolk and Saurians. Saurian means "lizard" and Felinefolk has a nice ring to it

Not sure how much work you're willing to do. But I just incorporated the poisondusk into my campaign adjusting the level adjustement by limiting their ability pluses and taking away their ability to use bolas as martial weapons.

Not having access to either of those books, I think I may avoid the poisondusks.

If I were willing to do a lot of work, would I have created this thread? Still, I'd rather draw from the pool of thought here at EN World than adapt from printed material.

I agree that rogue will likely be the most appropriate favored class for the felines. For the lizards, I think fighter may actually be the way to go. One thing the campaign's repretoire of races is lacking at this point is a good warrior-race (+2 Str would probably be a logical move along these lines). Barbarian could work, but I'd like to see the reptiles depicted more as a civilized race than a wild one.

For names I think I'll opt to avoid any ending in "-folk". I can't imagine that the race would actually call themselves that, can you? "Saurian" I do like. It has a very fantasyish sound.

okay, so we have a race of rogues (replacing, in effect, halfings/elves) and a race of fighters (replacing the dwarf/half-orc) and a race of artists (the Almarens, which replace the gnome and elf in their own way). what other races do you have in mind, so we can shape these guys into a nice little niche. some campaign details would be really helpful. once we get through, we can get down n dirty with specific rules

Okay, today a copy of Magic of Incarnum has fallen its way into my possession. It contains not one, but two LA+0 reptilian races. Although neither are "archetypical", I do plan to incorporate these into the campaign, meaning that I probably have no more need to create a new one.

The feline race, however, I still hope to generate.

How is this? (I based most of it on the Katara and derived the name from "Grimalkin")

Malken
Humanoid (Malken)
Medium size
Speed: 30 feet
+4 Dex, -2 Str, -2 Con
Swift Jump - Add dexterity mod as a racial bonus to all Jump checks
Keen Ears - +2 racial bonus to Listen
Natural Grace - Balance is always a class skill
Wandering Mind - -1 tosave vs enchantment/charm effects, -2 to sense motive and concentration checks
Lowlight vision
Favored Class: Rogue