Melnibonean-inspired race as LA+0

[Waylander]

I've been thinking of introducing a new player character race using an existing plot hook in our ongoing campaign - essentially the entire inhabitants of a city disappeared during the last war which ravaged the continent (around 80 years ago). I've been mulling around the idea that the people went to an alternative plane where, due to time running at a different speed some 10,000 years have passed before they found a way to return. The new comers are much different from the humans that left due to the harsh environment of the plane.

The way they come back and the impact on the campaign I'll not dwell on - just in case any of my player happen by

My initial thought on the race are:

-2 Strength, +2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma - their pursuit of magic has made them natural Sorcerers and Wizards but this focus on the arcane has left them less physically strong than a typical human

Medium size - they are pale, with an average height of around 7' and unnaturally slender by human standards

Base land speed is 30 feet

Low-light vision

Weapon Familiarity: Composite bows are treated as simple rather than martial weapons

Racial Skills: +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks

Special Qualities: A resistance bonus to an energy type appropriate to the plane that they went to

Favoured Class: Sorcerer or Wizard?

So my questions are:

- is the above a suitable LA+0? (Too weak?)
- what suggestion would you make for the plane? (I'm tempted by the plane of chaos or the plane of shadows)
- what would the resistance be and at what amount? (e.g. cold resistance 5 or 10?)

Cheers!

 

[Quartz]

With Energy Resistance 5, you're LA +1 there.

I'd give them -2 Con, not -2 Str because Str affects so few classes so little; also drop the Energy Resistance and the +2 Cha and you're good to go for LA +0. Otherwise everyone would take this race except those requiring the Power Attack feat. Save the Energy Resistance for a racial Paragon class.

+2 to Cha is far too good for LA +0: it benefits too many classes.

Just use the modifications for elves and have done.

 

[Nifft]

-2 Strength, +2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma

Because of the way spellcasting works in 3.5e, it's impossible to have a balanced LA +0 race with a mental ability bonus. Any race with one is instantly the unequivocal best choice for one or more primary spellcasting classes.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Lorthanoth]

The way that the much-reviled early 3E sourcebook Dragonlords of Melnibone handles them is to -2 Con, +2 Int, +2 Wis (as Wis is used a lot in the book for bargaining with demons... it should probably be Cha to represent force of personality). So to balance them make them -2 Con, +2 Int perhaps?

I would drop the energy resistance, I think. Perhaps give them +2 to Knowledge (the planes) ? I definitely don't think you should just use elf stats; you want them to be different, after all.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Let the player choose +2 to Int or Cha, don't let them have both.

Also give them energy resisyance 2, and let them take paragon levels to increase it.

 

[Nifft]

Let the player choose +2 to Int or Cha, don't let them have both.

Also give them energy resisyance 2, and let them take paragon levels to increase it.

I'd put the +2 ability boost in the Paragon Class, too.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Waylander]

Thanks for all of the replies - I'll make a few individual comments below!

 

[Waylander]

. . . I'd give them -2 Con, not -2 Str because Str affects so few classes so little; also drop the Energy Resistance and the +2 Cha and you're good to go for LA +0. Otherwise everyone would take this race except those requiring the Power Attack feat. Save the Energy Resistance for a racial Paragon class.

+2 to Cha is far too good for LA +0: it benefits too many classes.

and

Because of the way spellcasting works in 3.5e, it's impossible to have a balanced LA +0 race with a mental ability bonus. Any race with one is instantly the unequivocal best choice for one or more primary spellcasting classes.

Cheers, -- N

This is really interesting. Page 173 of the DMG (in the Ability Score Equivalncies table) states/implies that a bonus to Strength is balanced by a penalty to Intelligence AND Charisma. My suggestion is merely to turn this on its head and give a penalty to Strength and a bonus to Intelligence AND Charisma. The DMG repeatedly states that Strength is the dominant characteristic due to it's multitude of benefits in combat and skill checks.

I'd rather not make a penalty to Constitution or else the race really does just become an "elf" variant.

 

[Waylander]

. . . I would drop the energy resistance, I think. Perhaps give them +2 to Knowledge (the planes) ? I definitely don't think you should just use elf stats; you want them to be different, after all.

I'm fairly flexible on the energy resistance issue - it was more of an attempt to add another element of flavour to the race to differentiate them from elves and enhance the effect the "other" plane had on them.

Not sure on the bonus to Knowledge (the planes) but thank you for the suggestion!

 

[Waylander]

Let the player choose +2 to Int or Cha, don't let them have both.

Also give them energy resisyance 2, and let them take paragon levels to increase it.

and

I'd put the +2 ability boost in the Paragon Class, too.

Cheers, -- N

Thank you for the suggestion, However, we don't use Paragon Classes for the other races in the campaign and I rather not add that additional complexity when introducing this race.