Give me the idea, I build the race

[TiwazTyrsfist]

I'd also like to see a BALANCED race with more than 2 arms.

How about a Hive Mind/Swarm race. Something where an individual is made up of a cloud of bees or swarm of rats or something of the sort.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Looks good

Kudos

-Sporemine

Nah, looks terrible. Mustrum_Ridcully obviously needs to be higher on that list.

 

[willows]

Mustrum, before I write mechanics for the squid people, I'd love to hear some more about your ideas for the cephalopod race.

Here's what I'm thinking:

In order for the cephalopod anatomy to work on land, they have to develop some interior skeletal structure. That means something like cuttlefish are the most likely to move onto land, since cuttlefish already have a 'bone' that supports the head-stomach.

I might see a close-burst unarmed attack for the racial power, or something allowing the manipulation of objects as free actions ('cause you have extra arms that aren't up to anything), but nothing like multiple weapon/implement wielding. For the multiple legs, maybe something like Wild Step or a resistance to forced movement, but I've got to figure out how to make it dissimilar from the elf and dwarf powers.

What do you think

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Mustrum, before I write mechanics for the squid people, I'd love to hear some more about your ideas for the cephalopod race.

Here's what I'm thinking:

In order for the cephalopod anatomy to work on land, they have to develop some interior skeletal structure. That means something like cuttlefish are the most likely to move onto land, since cuttlefish already have a 'bone' that supports the head-stomach.

Makes sense to me. The details do not necessarily matter that much, as long as they still look "squiddy".

I might see a close-burst unarmed attack for the racial power, or something allowing the manipulation of objects as free actions ('cause you have extra arms that aren't up to anything), but nothing like multiple weapon/implement wielding. For the multiple legs, maybe something like Wild Step or a resistance to forced movement, but I've got to figure out how to make it dissimilar from the elf and dwarf powers.

What do you think

I wouldn't want any "multiple weapon/implement" wielding stuff either, there lies the way to brokeness. Something like a free Quick Draw like effect might be okay. (The Octopus can change his dominate tentacles at-will)

Instead of dissimilar, it could just be exactly that? I wouldn't give them an attack power, personally. Sounds kinda boring and not really important to their style.
The movement stuff could be more in the (encounter) power - like a Jump as Minor Action or a move with long jump. (In addition to a Swim speed, probably). There could be a combat aspect to it thanks to feats or on its own - like "gain combat avantage against all enemies you land adjacent too").
So, I'd think more in the direction of Fey Step or the Shadar-Kais power (Shadow Jaunt?)

 

[willows]

Sorry for the long posting gap, guys. I've been really busy with family stuff.

Tylwyth Teg
half-fairy-type race for Sammy

In the fey courts, the boundaries between races blur with the swift passage of years. The diadems of nobility and ivy-covered crowns of landholding remain in pure-blooded eladrin hands, but in the bent-branched halls and crystal palaces, the Tylwyth Teg hold sway, with their crossed bloodlines and checkered backgrounds.

Ability Score: +2 Str, +2 Int
Size: Medium
Speed: 6
Vision: Low-light

Languages: Common, Elvish
Skill Bonuses: +2 Athletics, +2 History
Fey Origin: Your ancestors were native to the Feywild, so you are considered a fey creature for effects that relate to creature origin.
Phalanx of the Fey: You gain combat advantage against an adjacent enemy if at least one of your allies is adjacent to it and non-adjacent to you.
Tylwyth Teg Weapon Training: You gain proficiency with the longsword.
Earthsong: You can use earthsong path as an encounter power.

Earthsong Path — Tylwyth Teg Racial Power
Sharp stones and tangling roots burst from the earth as you cross it.
Encounter ♦ Zone
Move Action, Personal
Effect: Move your speed. All the squares you leave during this movement become a zone of difficult terrain until the end of your next turn.

Notes
To create a 'half-fairy' race, I went and looked at the other races in the 'fey' family: drow, elf, eladrin, gnome, and half-elf, and picked out a gap to fill. Looks like there are very few Con bonuses and no Str in the crowd; to go along with the fey signature of "quick and smart," I'll give them a bonus in Int, and one in Str to characterize them as fey warriors. That leans them toward Swordmage and Warlord, which feels right to me. Probably their selection will fill out with the release of the new sources.

To go with the attribute bonuses, I wanted them to have some warlike, but clearly fey-ish, powers. Looking at the other fey races, it seemed like going with a theme of movement control would work nicely, and I rounded that out with a weapon proficiency.

 

[willows]

Charybdite
Squid people

The city Tanelorn stands beside a deep blue bay, and in the centre of the bay, lights can be seen below the waves, green and white and violet. The fearful call them corpse-lanterns, but the learned know that they are the salt-flame fires of Khalam-khor, the charybdite city beneath the sea.

Ability Score: +2 Dex, +2 Wis
Size: Medium
Speed: 6, Swim 4
Vision: Low-light

Languages: Common, Deep Speech
Skill Bonuses: +2 Acrobatics, +2 Endurance
Deep Lungs: For the purposes of calculating Endurance DCs, halve the number of rounds you hold your breath.
Squamous Leap: You can use squamous leap as an encounter power.

Squamous Leap — Charybdite Racial Power
You leap improbably into the air, alarming and confusing your enemies.
Encounter
Move Action, Personal
Effect: Make a long jump as if from a running start. You gain a +5 racial bonus to your Athletics check. If you do not fall, all enemies adjacent to the square you land in grant combat advantage to you.

Physical Description
Charybdites are air-breathing cephalopods that strongly resemble the nautilus. On land, they hold their brightly-patterned shells at human head height, with their eyes facing forward. Four pairs of arms of different lengths emerge from below the eyes and beak: the shorter pairs, in front, are used for manipulating and grasping, while the two longer pairs are used for locomotion. Hanging just below the beak like a beard is a fringe of short, slender tentacles that look much like coarse hair when at rest. These are used for extremely fine manipulation, and for eating. Bipeds often find this to be an unsettling sight.

Charybdite eyes are glossy black orbs. Their skin and shells vary widely, from deep chestnut brown to translucent cream. Some populations from tropical climates even exhibit dazzling colors and patterns like that of the local fish, but unlike most unintelligent cephalopods, they have lost the ability to change color.

Living beneath the sea is, for them, merely an affectation and a nutritional convenience, since it is much easier to obtain their preferred diet when it is all around them.

 

[sammy]

Nice! I'll show it to my fairy player and get her reaction.

Thanks bunches,

Sammy

 

[Ferret]

I would love to see the squid race drawn!

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Charybdite
Squid people

The city Tanelorn stands beside a deep blue bay, and in the centre of the bay, lights can be seen below the waves, green and white and violet. The fearful call them corpse-lanterns, but the learned know that they are the salt-flame fires of Khalam-khor, the charybdite city beneath the sea.

Ability Score: +2 Dex, +2 Wis
Size: Medium
Speed: 6, Swim 4
Vision: Low-light

Languages: Common, Deep Speech
Skill Bonuses: +2 Acrobatics, +2 Endurance
Deep Lungs: For the purposes of calculating Endurance DCs, halve the number of rounds you hold your breath.
Squamous Leap: You can use squamous leap as an encounter power.

Squamous Leap — Charybdite Racial Power
You leap improbably into the air, alarming and confusing your enemies.
Encounter
Move Action, Personal
Effect: Make a long jump as if from a running start. You gain a +5 racial bonus to your Athletics check. If you do not fall, all enemies adjacent to the square you land in grant combat advantage to you.

Physical Description
Charybdites are air-breathing cephalopods that strongly resemble the nautilus. On land, they hold their brightly-patterned shells at human head height, with their eyes facing forward. Four pairs of arms of different lengths emerge from below the eyes and beak: the shorter pairs, in front, are used for manipulating and grasping, while the two longer pairs are used for locomotion. Hanging just below the beak like a beard is a fringe of short, slender tentacles that look much like coarse hair when at rest. These are used for extremely fine manipulation, and for eating. Bipeds often find this to be an unsettling sight.

Charybdite eyes are glossy black orbs. Their skin and shells vary widely, from deep chestnut brown to translucent cream. Some populations from tropical climates even exhibit dazzling colors and patterns like that of the local fish, but unlike most unintelligent cephalopods, they have lost the ability to change color.

Living beneath the sea is, for them, merely an affectation and a nutritional convenience, since it is much easier to obtain their preferred diet when it is all around them.

Nice.

What I might add, though maybe it is too ... gimmicky - some kind of limited quick-draw feature - the Octopus can carry two one handed or one two-handed weapon/item in his tentacles and "draw" them as a free action as part of using them.

Also, you should probably note how long the enemies grant combat advantage to you (probably until the end of your current turn or start of your next turn?)

Then we need to come up with some racial feats.

Charybdite Charger
Prerequisite: Martial, Squamous Leap
You can use your Squamous Leap power instead of a normal move as part of a charge attack.

Dimensional Leap
Prerequisite: Arcane or Psionic, Squamous Leap
When you teleport with one of your powers, you can expend your squamous leap power. Roll the Athletics jump described in the power to determine jump distance. This range is added to the range of your teleportation power. You have combat advantage against any enemies you end the teleport adjacent to.

Tentacled Grip
Prerequisite: Charybdite
Creatures you have grabbed take a -2 penalty to all Athletics and Acrobatics check to escape your grab and take damage equal to your Strength modifier when they fail a check to escape your grab.

Assaulting Leap
Prerequisite: Level 11, Martial, Squamous Leap, Charybdite Charge
When using Charybdite Charge as part of a charge and hit an enemy, you can push the enemy 1 square and knock him prone.

Confusing Leap
Prerequisite: Level 11, Arcane or Psion, Squamous Leap, Dimensional Leap
When using Squamous Leap with a teleportation power, enemies you are adjacent at the start of your teleport grant combat advantage to you and your allies until the end of your next turn.

Strangulating Tentacles
Prerequisite: Level 11, Charybdite
When you start your turn grabbing an enemy, the enemy takes damage equal to 5 + your Strength modifier.

I would love to see the squid race drawn!

Where is Klaus when you need him?

 

[willows]

Nice.

What I might add, though maybe it is too ... gimmicky - some kind of limited quick-draw feature - the Octopus can carry two one handed or one two-handed weapon/item in his tentacles and "draw" them as a free action as part of using them.

I couldn't think of a clean way to implement that. Hm...

Four Hands: You have four arms that are usable to grip objects. Therefore, you can hold an additional two-handed or two additional one-handed weapons (or other items). The additional items do not confer any magical or equipment benefits that require the item to be worn or carried.

However, once per turn you can switch hands as a free action, replacing the items you carry in your active hands with the additional items.

Also, you should probably note how long the enemies grant combat advantage to you (probably until the end of your current turn or start of your next turn?)

Then we need to come up with some racial feats.

End of your turn, I'd say.

Also, I love your feats! Can you tell me a little bit about how you come up with them? I'd meant to include racial feats with all my entries here, but I've basically come up stumped because I've got a pretty shaky understanding of racial feats in general.