KM's Big Thread of Planescape Races

[Quickleaf]

KM, nice work! The faction project sounds like a major undertaking. If you want a hand with Sensates, I'd be happy to help. I ran a PS campaign for 2 sensate PCs where we explored various sects within the Sensates and I provided new abilities for them as well. You may want to do it more "by the book", in which case have you checked out the prestige classes at Planewalker?

 

[Dragonbait]

Bumping because this is good stuff!

 

[TarionzCousin]

From here, I'm heading to Faction Land. The fundamental way I'll be handling factions is by tapping into "Knowledge is Power." By belonging to a Faction, you get to choose alternate powers (regardless of your class) as you level up. You also get Faction-exclusive feats and Faction-exclusive Paragon Paths and Faction-exclusive Epic Destinies. You only get these by belonging to a faction. You don't HAVE to belong to a faction (sticking with your core-only feats), and even if you join a faction, you don't HAVE to take a power (most of the mundane NPC's don't!), but you get some extra options, and that's always fun.

This sounds cool. I'm looking forward to seeing it.

 

[Wizbane]

GITHYANKI!

That marks the end of my major race project.

From here, I'm heading to Faction Land. The fundamental way I'll be handling factions is by tapping into "Knowledge is Power." By belonging to a Faction, you get to choose alternate powers (regardless of your class) as you level up. You also get Faction-exclusive feats and Faction-exclusive Paragon Paths and Faction-exclusive Epic Destinies. You only get these by belonging to a faction. You don't HAVE to belong to a faction (sticking with your core-only feats), and even if you join a faction, you don't HAVE to take a power (most of the mundane NPC's don't!), but you get some extra options, and that's always fun.

Yup. Can I borrow the gith ones for the IEC setting on EN wiki? Yes? Open to editing btw, 'til something official pops up. Come visit the IEC pages!

 

[Verision]

My own personal crusade

I know I'm going to get booed off stage for this one, but I must say it. I REALLY don't think you should give homebrew races natural attacks (or proficiency bonuses to unarmed attacks) at least not in the base abilities of the race. Doing so with feats is probably more acceptable, but the simple fact that no official PC playable race has a natural attack says to me that it shouldn't be done.

Maybe you think I'm crazy. Maybe you think a Natural Attack isn't that powerful and can't be that much of a big deal. Maybe you think the race can't get by without it. Maybe you think it'll "warp the suspension of disbelief" if the race can't use what is "obviously" a natural weapon. I don't know.

My point though is this: Almost every Monstrous race in 3.x had a natural attack and almost every homebrewed race I see for 4e has a natural attack. But the Minotaur in 4e doesn't have a natural attack and the 3.x version did. If the Minotaur doesn't get a natural attack, then no race should.

Having said all this, you can obviously do whatever you want with your own personal homebrew. But that doesn't make it 4e legal.

This is my personal crusade; I will not give up. Natrual Attacks and Natural Armour don't exist in 4e.

 

[Cyber-Dave]

The Modron heroic feat +2 to hit bonuses are overpowered in my opinion. Feats in 4e rarely give a +1 to hit. A +2 to hit just seems a tad unheard of to me. Relentless Persistence and Calculating are just way too powerful for heroic tier feats. Honestly, Relentless Persistence might be overpowered for anything other then an epic feat... at least, that is my opinion.

The autocrossbow feat seems a little weird. What does it do exactly, give you an automatic property with crossbows you own, or give you an "installed" crossbow with a feat? After reading it I was a little unclear. It just seems a little weird...

Modron March also seems like it might be a little overpowered, but I am not sure. Maybe not.

The "Form a Line" power for your Modron Paragon Path needs to have a duraction listed. Under your current wording, it pretty much means that from that point on for the rest of the game only creatures in that square have line of sight or line of effect to you. That is obviously helluva overpowered. Its also obviously not what you intended. I assume it lasts until the end of your next turn?

This is a fluff question, because I honestly don't remember. Didn't Modron Outcasts in 2e/Planewalker's 3e have to sleep? If so, you might want to remove that no sleeping bit from the race.

Another thing, you might want to add in the following stanza to the racial abilities: You can us attached components and embedded components made for Modron's (see Equipment, page 32, Dragon 364). I think that using "warforged style" attached and embedded components would really make sense for this race. Indeed, the "armbow" magic item, used on a repeating crossbow from the Adventurers Vault, might make a little more sense/capture what you were trying to capture with the autocrossbow feat in a little less of a weird way.

Anyways, all in all, I really like your Modron Outcast race. Its very nice. I hope my constructive criticism is helpful to you.

P.S. I agree that not race should receive "natural weapons," at least not without a feat. I think the charge racial power already covers that. You didn't need to add a natural "horns" attack to the racial powers of the race as well.

 

[Clueless]

Hi KM!
I wanted to ask you something on behalf of Planewalker. We're working on gathering together a release of Planescape in 4th, and I was directed to your thread for the excellent writeups you have. I wanted to know if we could get your permission to include them in the PSCS 4ed ?

 

[JediSoth]

This stuff is cool enough to make me want to adopt 4E so I can run a Planescape campaign in it (especially since several of my players have been dropping hints that they want to try 4E).

 

[Zogmo]

GITHYANKI!

That marks the end of my major race project.

From here, I'm heading to Faction Land.

Ok, KM your stuff is too good to not want more. I hope you are still doing the factions!

PS4e, gotta have it.