Advanced Race Guide Playtest

[Osagasu]

According to Paizo, the Human bonus feat is worth 4.

I think the problem Paizo is having here is the assumption that all PC races are equal in power, which is an assumption that Golden knew better than to make.

+2 in a stat is massive, and is part of the reason why point buy scales up like it does.

+4 in a stat should definitely be valued more than it is.

 

[Fishbone]

I thought +4/+2/-2 wasn't on the table. What is that costed at?
I see the Drow Noble of +4 Dexterity and +2 to all mental stats, -2 Constitution as 4 points and I don't buy that one at all. It is advanced level though.

Greater Paragon being a -1 point discount doesn't fly unless a DM is really willing to dump on somebody for having Dump Stats. Starting at 20 off the bat is too easy.

Edit: I think there will be many, many humans who lose their ability to speak, so to speak. Linguist may be worth something, but it isn't two points. Not when Improved Initiative is 2 points, when Low Light Vision or a +10 untyped bonus to speed is 1, when things like Stubborn and Weapon Familiarity are 1 point. Lots of humans are going to start speaking Common quick, fast and in a hurry. Particularly when there is a skill that gives people the ability to speak languages, Linguist. This is even before magic and magical devices that give people the ability to speak and understand them, even give telepathy.

 

[Kaodi]

I experiment with this briefly this morning.

My idea was to create a moon dwelling humanoid race, and here is what I came up with.

Moonman: Humanoid (Lunan), -2 Str/Con, Large Size, Reach, Spd 20 ft., Fearless, Hold Breath, Low-light Vision, Lightbringer, Stone Cunning, Languages: Lunan

Moonmen are the product of their environment. They are big, but the low gravity of their home means they are weak and fragile compared to their planetside counterparts, as well as slower moving. However, the thin air means they can go without for longer, and they have adapted so as to not be blinded by the intense sunlight, or intense darkness. As their environment is more uniformly rocky, they understand this aspect well, and in this sparse land fear is not their constant companion; they do not understand as well when to be afraid, so to speak.

 

[James Jacobs]

Hey there, everyone!

First off... thanks for checking out the playtest! There's already some great feedback here in this thread, but I'd love it if you could also post in the playtest forums over at paizo.com as well. We DO read ENworld here at Paizo quite a lot, but playtest feedback has a better chance of being noticed on Paizo's playtest feedback boards.

And it should go without saying... the more feedback the better! (It should also go without saying that the playtest document's not a final document—there's a fair amount of "we're not sure about this ability so let's try it out at this point cost which we suspect is too low/too high and see how folks react... that's kind of how early design work does its thing!)

Anyway... thanks again for checking it out!

 

[Walking Dad]

...

I think the problem Paizo is having here is the assumption that all PC races are equal in power, which is an assumption that Golden knew better than to make.

...

This.

I don't think a speed reduction for medium creatures, but no further speed reduction from armor & encumbrance should be considered the same 'flaw' as just the speed reduction for small creatures.

It could be a nice tool for GMs who want some bit of official rules for their homebrew stuff, but it is currently not balanced enough to let it be used by players. I would like to see something that doesn't need DM ok, just like I can use the point-buy rules for abilities.

 

[Systole]

Hey there, everyone!

First off... thanks for checking out the playtest! There's already some great feedback here in this thread, but I'd love it if you could also post in the playtest forums over at paizo.com as well. We DO read ENworld here at Paizo quite a lot, but playtest feedback has a better chance of being noticed on Paizo's playtest feedback boards.

With all due respect, Mr. Jacobs, I don't love the Paizo forums, and helping to design your product is not my job. Begging your pardon, but I'll just stick with the ENWorld forums, and you can read my posts or not, as you will.

And if you've read what's been posted so far, you already have 95% of my advice anyway. Namely:

1. Read Golden's Guide.
2. ????
3. Profit!

 

[Mad Hamish]

This.

I don't think a speed reduction for medium creatures, but no further speed reduction from armor & encumbrance should be considered the same 'flaw' as just the speed reduction for small creatures.

It could be a nice tool for GMs who want some bit of official rules for their homebrew stuff, but it is currently not balanced enough to let it be used by players. I would like to see something that doesn't need DM ok, just like I can use the point-buy rules for abilities.

Good luck with that.
No point based system is ever going to be perfect so it's always going to need a GM looking over it.

 

[1Mac]

I don't think this is meant for players. I think it's meant for GMs who want to make unique races for their campaign settings, possibly in collaboration with certain players, possibly not. So the question we should ask is not exactly "is this overpowered?", but "as a GM building a race for my campaign, would I use this ability at this price?". Similar questions, but the focus is different, I feel.

 

[1Mac]

With all due respect, Mr. Jacobs, I don't love the Paizo forums, and helping to design your product is not my job.

You realize that Paizo releases these rules early with precisely that goal in mind, don't you? As in, the reason you are reading these rules is in the hope that others like you will help perfect the final product. Power of the cloud, and all that. You don't have to take them up on the offer (I probably won't either, for what it's worth), but you shouldn't be snotty about it.

 

[IronWolf]

With all due respect, Mr. Jacobs, I don't love the Paizo forums, and helping to design your product is not my job. Begging your pardon, but I'll just stick with the ENWorld forums, and you can read my posts or not, as you will.

No one is saying it is your job. It is an open playtest however and they release this to the public so they can receive feedback.

I believe James was just stopping by to suggest adding these comments made here over on the Paizo forums. No need to condemn James for stopping by to remind folks that the responses that will actually be read by Paizo will be the ones over there.