Reskinnig existing races within an Essentials framework

[Burgonet]

I've recently acquired the full set of 4e Essentials line books and am in the process of creating characters and the setting for a game that will start in the next few months.

So far everything is going fairly well.
More an and than a however, I have a player that wishes to play a Lion-race character that will otherwise fit-in with what I'd said beforehand would be an "Essentials only" campaign.

Now my natural inclination is to allow the player to have his lion-raced character.
I like the concept.

But how would you handle this request if you were going to allow it?

Would you:

A) Reskin an existing race from one of the 2 Heroes books and say this is their Lion-person with a few minor tweaks?

B) Create a new race specifically for this character and try to balance this new race in comparison to the existing material in the game line?

C) Something else different entirely?

Overall I'm all for their request. As it stands the player thought the Dragonborn race stats would suit the character concept with a few very minor tweaks including changing the 'breath' attack to being thunder damage.

But how would you handle this matter?

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

What's the lion race's "schtick" going to be?

I would simply reskin the shifter but it would definitely depend on what the player wants from his lion race. A reskinned gnoll or minotaur (replace the flavour of charge with a pounce but otherwise keep the mechanics) might also work depending on what you're trying to achieve. I can see how the dragonborn would also work as per your comment. Anyway, you've got more than one option.

(Personally, I would be most interested in why he wanted to play this and then how it will fit in the world you've designed/you're using.)

 

[Burgonet]

What's the lion race's "schtick" going to be?

I would simply reskin the shifter but it would definitely depend on what the player wants from his lion race. A reskinned gnoll or minotaur (replace the flavour of charge with a pounce but otherwise keep the mechanics) might also work depending on what you're trying to achieve. I can see how the dragonborn would also work as per your comment. Anyway, you've got more than one option.

(Personally, I would be most interested in why he wanted to play this and then how it will fit in the world you've designed/you're using.)

I did think of reskinning the shifter but the main concern I had would be how that PHB II race stacks against the Essentials versions of the other core races.

The setting I am creating could easily accomodate a "Lion-Man" character, but I made it clear he'd be an exotic in the setting as we'll be concentrating solely on one nation with the rest of the world being inferred and implied.

As to why he'd like to play such a character?
I suspect it's because he's never played one before. The player in question is quite reasonable with rules knowledge but takes primary enjoyment from 'firsts' in gaming and I suspect he'd like to tread new ground with this idea.

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

Got it.

If you're both happy with reskinning the dragonborn then I would go with that.

 

[D'karr]

From what you've mentioned reskinning the Dragonborn is probably your easiest, fastest achievable solution.

Instead of Dragon Breath he has Lion's Roar, and you're pretty much set.

 

[Nemesis Destiny]

You could also look at the alternate ability to breath weapon that they put in Dragon at some point. I believe it's Dragon Fear. Might work just as well.

EDIT: Found it - Dragon 388, in this article.

 

[the Jester]

I'd just use my existing conversion of tabaxi.

 

[Larrin]

I did think of reskinning the shifter but the main concern I had would be how that PHB II race stacks against the Essentials versions of the other core races.

For the record there is no problem here, the races are pretty universally balanced, any problems are unique to the race that is bad, not the book its in, and that is usually a matter of opinion.

 

[Burgonet]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone.
It does seem as if re-skinning the Dragonborn would certainly work, likewise I have that Dragon article lying around thanks to my 2+ years of DDI subscription.

Looks like problem solved for now.