In the D&D Rules forum, someone was asking for LA +0 races with a +2 bonus to CHA. These are two races I use in my campaign – variations based on an article I had published in Dragon 15+ years ago. I’m skipping all the flavor test, but: in my campaign, dryads and satyrs are actually a single race, in which the males and females do not dwell together and have very different physical characteristics and ways of life. The child of a dryad and a satyr is either a dryad (if female) or a satyr (if male). However, there are half-breeds. The child of a human father and a dryad mother, or of a satyr father and a human mother, is either a half-dryad (if female) or a half-satyr (if male). Both tend to be a couple of inches shorter than their human counterparts (but the same weight). Half-dryads’ hair turns green at puberty. Half-satyrs are stocky, have hooves instead of feet, a slight bend to their knees, and two little stubby horns on their forehead – all traits that develop in adolescence. A half-satyr who wants to pass for human wears boots and a hat (or grows his hear long in the front); a half-dryad just has to cover her hair.
Opinions welcome, as always.
HALF-DRYAD RACIAL TRAITS
Half-dryad characters possess the following racial traits:
¶ +2 Charisma. Half-dryads are naturally attractive and have a talent for influencing the people and the world around them.
¶ -2 Constitution. The life force of a dryad is connected to her tree; half-dryads, lacking this connection, are more vulnerable to injury and disease.
¶ Medium size.
¶ A half-dryad’s base land speed is 30 feet.
¶ Plant deflection: it is said that on some essential, monadic level, plants - living or dead - do not "wish" to harm half-dryads. A half-dryad receives a +2 deflection bonus to her AC against attacks by plant creatures; by ranged weapons that are mainly made of wood or other plant material (most arrows, crossbow bolts, spears, some nets, etc.); and melee weapons whose striking surface is wood (most clubs and staves).
¶ Bonus feat: At 1st level the half-dryad can choose from Attractive, Nature’s Favor, or Spell Focus (enchantment). The character must qualify for the feat she chooses.
¶ Skills: Handle Animal, Knowledge (nature), and Survival are always treated as class skills for the half-dryad, regardless of her actual class.
¶ Metal armor penalties: Half-dryads are uncomfortable in most metal armor, which interferes with their connection to the natural world. When a half-dryad wears metal armor, she suffers the following penalties: the armor's maximum Dex bonus is decreased by 1, its armor check penalty is 1 point worse, its arcane spell failure chance is increased by 5%, and the half-dryad's base speed is reduced by 5 ft. (This stacks with penalty to base speed usually caused by the armor, if any, or by other causes.). These penalties do not apply to mithral armor, which does not interfere with the half-dryad's connection to nature. (There are also specially enchanted suits of metal armor that bypass these penalties.)
¶ Automatic languages: Common, Dryad. Bonus languages: Satyr, Sylvan.
¶ Favored class: Druid.
HALF-SATYR RACIAL TRAITS
Half-satyr characters possess the following racial traits:
¶ +2 Charisma. Half-satyrs are naturally attractive and have a talent for influencing the people and the world around them.
¶ -2 Wisdom. It is sometimes difficult for the half-satyr to restrain the impulsive aspect they share with their satyr ancestors.
¶ Medium size.
¶ A half-satyr's base land speed is 30 feet.
¶ +4 racial bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting effects that involve sound or language (that is, having the sonic or language-dependent descriptors), such as the command spell, a bard's fascinate ability, a harpy's song, or a cloaker's moan. This does not include spells with a verbal component, or bard's spells (even though bard's spells are cast using music or song), unless they qualify on another basis. (So, for example, a bard's hypnotic pattern spell would not be included, but his enthrall spell would be.)
¶ Bonus feat: At 1st level the half-satyr can choose from Attractive, Nature’s Favor, or Spell Focus (enchantment). The character must qualify for the feat he chooses.
¶ Skills: Handle Animal, Knowledge (nature), and Survival are always treated as class skills for the half-satyr, regardless of his actual class.
¶ Metal armor penalties: Half-satyrs are uncomfortable in most metal armor, which interferes with their connection to the natural world. When a half-satyr wears metal armor, he suffers the following penalties: the armor's maximum Dex bonus is decreased by 1, its armor check penalty is 1 point worse, its arcane spell failure chance is increased by 5%, and the half-satyr's base speed is reduced by 5 ft. (This stacks with penalty to base speed usually caused by the armor, if any, or by other causes.). These penalties do not apply to mithral armor, which does not interfere with the half-dryad's connection to nature. (There are also specially enchanted suits of metal armor that bypass these penalties.)
¶ Automatic languages: Common, Satyr. Bonus languages: Dryad, Sylvan.
¶ Favored class: Ranger.
NEW FEAT: ATTRACTIVE
Most members of the opposite sex find you attractive, and are inclined to consider what you say and do favorably.
Prerequisites: Cha 13+
Benefit: When dealing with a character who - based on race and gender - may find you attractive, you get a +2 circumstance bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Perform checks, as well as other Charisma and Charisma-based checks of a non-hostile nature (so not Intimidate, but otherwise left to the DM's judgment).
The DM is the ultimate arbiter of who might find you attractive. Usually this is based only on race and gender. An elven woman with this feat would certainly get the bonuses when dealing with human male; but not when dealing with a kraken, regardless of its gender.
NOTE: If our campaign includes gay characters (mine does), make the obvious changes to this feat.
NEW FEAT: NATURE'S FAVOR
You have a deep understanding of the ways of nature.
Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus to Handle Animal and Survival checks.
Panask
Servitar to Baldur
Opinions welcome, as always.
HALF-DRYAD RACIAL TRAITS
Half-dryad characters possess the following racial traits:
¶ +2 Charisma. Half-dryads are naturally attractive and have a talent for influencing the people and the world around them.
¶ -2 Constitution. The life force of a dryad is connected to her tree; half-dryads, lacking this connection, are more vulnerable to injury and disease.
¶ Medium size.
¶ A half-dryad’s base land speed is 30 feet.
¶ Plant deflection: it is said that on some essential, monadic level, plants - living or dead - do not "wish" to harm half-dryads. A half-dryad receives a +2 deflection bonus to her AC against attacks by plant creatures; by ranged weapons that are mainly made of wood or other plant material (most arrows, crossbow bolts, spears, some nets, etc.); and melee weapons whose striking surface is wood (most clubs and staves).
¶ Bonus feat: At 1st level the half-dryad can choose from Attractive, Nature’s Favor, or Spell Focus (enchantment). The character must qualify for the feat she chooses.
¶ Skills: Handle Animal, Knowledge (nature), and Survival are always treated as class skills for the half-dryad, regardless of her actual class.
¶ Metal armor penalties: Half-dryads are uncomfortable in most metal armor, which interferes with their connection to the natural world. When a half-dryad wears metal armor, she suffers the following penalties: the armor's maximum Dex bonus is decreased by 1, its armor check penalty is 1 point worse, its arcane spell failure chance is increased by 5%, and the half-dryad's base speed is reduced by 5 ft. (This stacks with penalty to base speed usually caused by the armor, if any, or by other causes.). These penalties do not apply to mithral armor, which does not interfere with the half-dryad's connection to nature. (There are also specially enchanted suits of metal armor that bypass these penalties.)
¶ Automatic languages: Common, Dryad. Bonus languages: Satyr, Sylvan.
¶ Favored class: Druid.
HALF-SATYR RACIAL TRAITS
Half-satyr characters possess the following racial traits:
¶ +2 Charisma. Half-satyrs are naturally attractive and have a talent for influencing the people and the world around them.
¶ -2 Wisdom. It is sometimes difficult for the half-satyr to restrain the impulsive aspect they share with their satyr ancestors.
¶ Medium size.
¶ A half-satyr's base land speed is 30 feet.
¶ +4 racial bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting effects that involve sound or language (that is, having the sonic or language-dependent descriptors), such as the command spell, a bard's fascinate ability, a harpy's song, or a cloaker's moan. This does not include spells with a verbal component, or bard's spells (even though bard's spells are cast using music or song), unless they qualify on another basis. (So, for example, a bard's hypnotic pattern spell would not be included, but his enthrall spell would be.)
¶ Bonus feat: At 1st level the half-satyr can choose from Attractive, Nature’s Favor, or Spell Focus (enchantment). The character must qualify for the feat he chooses.
¶ Skills: Handle Animal, Knowledge (nature), and Survival are always treated as class skills for the half-satyr, regardless of his actual class.
¶ Metal armor penalties: Half-satyrs are uncomfortable in most metal armor, which interferes with their connection to the natural world. When a half-satyr wears metal armor, he suffers the following penalties: the armor's maximum Dex bonus is decreased by 1, its armor check penalty is 1 point worse, its arcane spell failure chance is increased by 5%, and the half-satyr's base speed is reduced by 5 ft. (This stacks with penalty to base speed usually caused by the armor, if any, or by other causes.). These penalties do not apply to mithral armor, which does not interfere with the half-dryad's connection to nature. (There are also specially enchanted suits of metal armor that bypass these penalties.)
¶ Automatic languages: Common, Satyr. Bonus languages: Dryad, Sylvan.
¶ Favored class: Ranger.
NEW FEAT: ATTRACTIVE
Most members of the opposite sex find you attractive, and are inclined to consider what you say and do favorably.
Prerequisites: Cha 13+
Benefit: When dealing with a character who - based on race and gender - may find you attractive, you get a +2 circumstance bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Perform checks, as well as other Charisma and Charisma-based checks of a non-hostile nature (so not Intimidate, but otherwise left to the DM's judgment).
The DM is the ultimate arbiter of who might find you attractive. Usually this is based only on race and gender. An elven woman with this feat would certainly get the bonuses when dealing with human male; but not when dealing with a kraken, regardless of its gender.
NOTE: If our campaign includes gay characters (mine does), make the obvious changes to this feat.
NEW FEAT: NATURE'S FAVOR
You have a deep understanding of the ways of nature.
Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus to Handle Animal and Survival checks.
Panask
Servitar to Baldur
. other than that, looking at your half-dryad, i think that the +2 ac bonus vs mostly wooded weapons is too much. maybe just keep the plant part. if you compare it to the half-satyrs +4 will bonus vs the mind-effects, its pretty fair (how many times, in comparision, is a party going to meet up with a bad-guy that uses only sonic or language-dependent descriptors spells, compared to the number of plant creatures you can potentially face. very few, in total.) other than that, good job!
