Ozmar
First Post
OK, most posters on these boards are pretty smart, so I thought I'd ask ya'll for a bit of advice.
Here are 3 races that I want to include in my next campaign. Each is written up according to the rules of the source (a Dragon magazine, or a monster book) and each has a level adjustment.
Here's the challenge: I want to use these races, but I want them to be balanced and playable as first-level characters. I want to break their abilities out over a "racial class" that makes the characters earn their level adjustment by taking levels in the racial class. For example, an adu'ja has a +2 level adjustment, so they can take 2 levels in the adu'ja racial class, and over those two levels they gain the full abilities of their race, but they don't gain any additional hit dice, BAB, saves, or skills. Thus, a player can choose to play the base adu'ja and never have to deal with a level adjustment, or he can work his way into the level adjustment by taking levels in the racial class.
How would you suggest that I break out the abilities of these three races and spread them over a level-adjusting racial class? If you're familiar with Arcana Unearthed, I'd like to use those racial classes as models, since I plan to use AU races as well in the campaign.
There are three races: Adu'ja (humanoid plants), Golmoids (sentient golems), and Bladelings (spikey extra-planar beings).
Adu’ja Racial Qualities
* +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma, -2 Strength.
* Medium: As Medium creatures, adu’ja have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
* Base land speed is 30 feet.
* Plants: As plants, Adu’ja are immune to many things: Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects). Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning. Not subject to critical hits. Plants breathe and eat, but do not sleep.
* Photosynthesis. You need to eat less than normal (only 25% of normal amount).
* Photoregeneration. You heal faster in sunlight (x2 natural healing rate). You can re-attach severed limbs, but it takes a month to regain full use of the limb.
* Low-Light Vision: An adu’ja can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
* -4 racial penalty on Bluff and Sense Motive checks.
* +4 racial bonus on Survival checks.
* Fire vulnerability. You take 50% more damage from fire effects.
* An adu’ja cannot select bloodline traits.
* 1/day, spell-like ability to cast speak with plants.
* Adu'ja have the woodland stride ability as per the druid ability.
* Automatic Languages: Common, Adu’ja. Bonus Languages: Elven, Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan.
* Favored Class: Druid/Greenbond.
* Level adjustment: +2
Bladeling Racial Qualities
* +2 Dexterity
* Medium: As Medium creatures, Bladeling have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
* Base land speed is 30 feet.
* Outsiders (can't be raised)
* +4 natural armor
* Immune to acid and rust effects
* Darkvision, 60 ft.
* Natural weapon: clas, base 1d6 damage
* Cold, Fire resistance 5
* Damage Reduction: 5/magic bludgeoning
* Razor Storm: 1/day, can shoot a 15-ft cone of spikes that deals 2d6 piercing damage, Refl DC (10 + half HD + Con) for half. This drops your natural armor bonus to +2 for the next 24 hours.
* A Bladeling cannot select bloodline traits.
* Automatic Languages: Common, Bladeling.
* Favored Class: Fighter?.
* Level adjustment: +2
Golmoid Racial Qualities
* +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -4 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence.
* Medium: As Medium creatures, Golmoid have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
* Base land speed is 30 feet, and their speed is not reduced by armor or loads.
* +2 natural armor.
* +4 racial bonus to saving throws vs. enchantments.
* Endurance as bonus feat.
* Darkvision, 60 ft.
* +2 racial bonus on Craft checks.
* An Golmoid cannot select bloodline traits.
* Automatic Languages: Common, Gnome. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Gnoll, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan.
* Favored Class: Fighter.
* Level adjustment: +1
Personally, I am not sure if the adu'ja are worth a +2 LA, although their plant qualities are nice. I think if they lost their immunity to mind-influencing effects, then they'd be about right. The bladelings look way too much for only +2 LA.
Any ideas?
Ozmar the Struggling DM
Here are 3 races that I want to include in my next campaign. Each is written up according to the rules of the source (a Dragon magazine, or a monster book) and each has a level adjustment.
Here's the challenge: I want to use these races, but I want them to be balanced and playable as first-level characters. I want to break their abilities out over a "racial class" that makes the characters earn their level adjustment by taking levels in the racial class. For example, an adu'ja has a +2 level adjustment, so they can take 2 levels in the adu'ja racial class, and over those two levels they gain the full abilities of their race, but they don't gain any additional hit dice, BAB, saves, or skills. Thus, a player can choose to play the base adu'ja and never have to deal with a level adjustment, or he can work his way into the level adjustment by taking levels in the racial class.
How would you suggest that I break out the abilities of these three races and spread them over a level-adjusting racial class? If you're familiar with Arcana Unearthed, I'd like to use those racial classes as models, since I plan to use AU races as well in the campaign.
There are three races: Adu'ja (humanoid plants), Golmoids (sentient golems), and Bladelings (spikey extra-planar beings).
Adu’ja Racial Qualities
* +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma, -2 Strength.
* Medium: As Medium creatures, adu’ja have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
* Base land speed is 30 feet.
* Plants: As plants, Adu’ja are immune to many things: Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects). Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning. Not subject to critical hits. Plants breathe and eat, but do not sleep.
* Photosynthesis. You need to eat less than normal (only 25% of normal amount).
* Photoregeneration. You heal faster in sunlight (x2 natural healing rate). You can re-attach severed limbs, but it takes a month to regain full use of the limb.
* Low-Light Vision: An adu’ja can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
* -4 racial penalty on Bluff and Sense Motive checks.
* +4 racial bonus on Survival checks.
* Fire vulnerability. You take 50% more damage from fire effects.
* An adu’ja cannot select bloodline traits.
* 1/day, spell-like ability to cast speak with plants.
* Adu'ja have the woodland stride ability as per the druid ability.
* Automatic Languages: Common, Adu’ja. Bonus Languages: Elven, Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan.
* Favored Class: Druid/Greenbond.
* Level adjustment: +2
Bladeling Racial Qualities
* +2 Dexterity
* Medium: As Medium creatures, Bladeling have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
* Base land speed is 30 feet.
* Outsiders (can't be raised)
* +4 natural armor
* Immune to acid and rust effects
* Darkvision, 60 ft.
* Natural weapon: clas, base 1d6 damage
* Cold, Fire resistance 5
* Damage Reduction: 5/magic bludgeoning
* Razor Storm: 1/day, can shoot a 15-ft cone of spikes that deals 2d6 piercing damage, Refl DC (10 + half HD + Con) for half. This drops your natural armor bonus to +2 for the next 24 hours.
* A Bladeling cannot select bloodline traits.
* Automatic Languages: Common, Bladeling.
* Favored Class: Fighter?.
* Level adjustment: +2
Golmoid Racial Qualities
* +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -4 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence.
* Medium: As Medium creatures, Golmoid have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
* Base land speed is 30 feet, and their speed is not reduced by armor or loads.
* +2 natural armor.
* +4 racial bonus to saving throws vs. enchantments.
* Endurance as bonus feat.
* Darkvision, 60 ft.
* +2 racial bonus on Craft checks.
* An Golmoid cannot select bloodline traits.
* Automatic Languages: Common, Gnome. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Gnoll, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan.
* Favored Class: Fighter.
* Level adjustment: +1
Personally, I am not sure if the adu'ja are worth a +2 LA, although their plant qualities are nice. I think if they lost their immunity to mind-influencing effects, then they'd be about right. The bladelings look way too much for only +2 LA.
Any ideas?
Ozmar the Struggling DM
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