Making Another Homebrew Race

[Oversquid]

Posting another update, I reworded the Plant-like Trait.

I reduced speed.

And I edited Powerful Build into Sturdy Body Structure.

 

[Oversquid]

Honestly I think you'd be better off with reduced speed as a penalty.

Subterranian sensitivity is only a factor in some games, part of the time, your bonuses are bonuses all the time so your penalties should be more generally applicable as well.

I inserted Reduced Speed with the added effect of not being reduced by a medium/heavy load or wearing medium/heavy armor for flavor.

As for Subterranean Sensitivity, can't I also argue that the Treeling's skill bonuses are only a factor in some games as well?

 

[Arkhandus]

As the name implies, I made a similar thread a few days back about a race called the Tsaghoal:

Thread: http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-le...g-homebrew-race-need-your-help-balancing.html

The act of balancing out the Tsaghoal is still going on right now, but I'm still going to put another race on the table for you all to pick at.

I'm going to call this race the Treelings until I can come up with a better name. My goal with the Treelings is to make a race thats of a +0 LA.

Some more is that the Treelings are a race that is about 7 feet tall on average that look like humans, except that there are leaves where hair is, and they are asexual. Their body shapes are like human females without any sort of sexual organs, or breasts.

Each Treeling has traits from different trees, like their bodies can be like a birch trunk, and yet their leaves can be like palm trees for example. In addition, the fruit/nuts that grow on them can be fruit/nuts not affiliated with any of their tree parts, for example, a Treeling with a body like a Birch trunk, and the leaves of a palm tree can grow Apples as their fruit.

The Treelings themselves are very outgoing creatures, but much prefer to remain deep in the forests and be with the trees. Only a few Treelings ever leave their forests, for reasons such as their forests being cut down, or perhaps a rare few will grow attached to beings from away from the forests.

Without further ado, here are the stats, and please read the descriptions, as a few abilities have special rules:

- +2 Charisma, -2 Dexterity. Treelings are very outgoing creatures, but they're not able to bend and turn as well as others.

- Fey.

- Plant-like. Treelings live like plants, however they are not plants themselves despite their appearance. A Treeling is effected by spells and effects that specifically target plant type creatures as if they were a plant type creature.

- Medium Size. Treelings are often confused for Treants, however they are smaller than treants, but still taller than a human.

- Base Land Speed is 20ft.

- Low-Light Vision.

- +2 Bonus to Natural Armor, their bark gives them resilience to blows.

- Sturdy Body Structure. The build of a Treeling lets them function as 1 size category larger for the purposes of opposed grapple checks if it is advantageous to it, is also treated as 1 size category larger for the purposes of being effected by Improved Grab or Swallow Whole, can also use weapons designed for one size category larger than it, however, their threat and range remain of that of its actual size.

Also, a Treeling's speed is not hindered by wearing Medium or Heavy Armor, or by carrying a Medium or Heavy load.

- Subterranean Sensitivity. A Treeling does not fare as well in a subterranean environment as numerous other races. A Treeling is treated as if Dazzled when underground, feeling a little weaker when out of the sunlight.

- Can use Goodberry 1/day so long as they feed for 8 hours. It takes a Treeling 8 hours to get the food and water they need from the soil for a week. To do this, they must root their legs into the ground, and their legs, now roots can take in nutrients from the soil. In the process, they grow 2d4 fruits where leaves would grow. Those fruits can be berries, apples, nuts, or even bananas or durians. Whatever they are, eating one can fill one up as if they ate a meal, and cures one hit point. The fruits however whither away if not eaten for a day. Treelings cannot eat their own Goodberries for health or nourishment.

- +2 bonus to Knowledge (Nature) and Handle Animal checks, their natural empathy for their forest homes gives them better knowledge of how to treat those living in them.

- +4 bonus to Hide checks when in heavily forested areas. Their colorations and their treelike appearance makes them difficult to see when trees abound.

Automatic Languages: Sylvan

Bonus Languages: Aquan, Auran, Common, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Halfling, Ignan, or Terran

Favored Class: Druid

Level Adjustment: +0

I feel this is still a little too powerful, but still, I'm open for criticism.

There's no way this is a +0 LA race.

It comes down to their Powerful Build-esque ability, which basically gives them all the advantages of Large size (except reach) with absolutely none of the drawbacks. Sure they lack the Str/Con of a Large creature, but they get to use Large weapons as well as Medium weapons when needed (Large weapons usually do as much or more extra damage as the Weapon Specialization feat for a Medium character, without needing to take that feat for every single weapon). They also get the +4 on grapple checks and the much lower chance of being swallowed whole, grappled, etc. due to the size limits of those abilities. They get to use the cheaper and lighter armor of Medium creatures. They do lack the extra carrying capacity of a large creature, but it's no big deal since they don't need to use the heavier Large armors etc. Half-Giants and Goliaths (IIRC) are +1 LA because of Powerful Build combined with a few other racial traits.

Treelings don't need the extra food and water of a large creature; heck, they don't even need food or water because they can spend a little while rooted to the ground once per week to get their nourishment (which, by the way, doesn't say anything about requriring appropriate soil for those purposes; as it is they could root themselves down in a desert or a rocky mountainside or salt flats or a drought-stricken field or frozen tundra and still be nourished). And if they really want to, they can root themselves down once every day to provide the whole party with full nourishment all the time (equivalent to the 3rd-level spell Create Food And Water; the Goodberry spell is only 1st-level because it generally requires the PCs to find fresh berries in the vicinity every day they want to use Goodberry, so it's environmentally limited in when, where, and how often if can be used). I don't particularly have a problem with the Goodberry/rooting-in-place ability, but I feel the need to point out the significant impact of it on some common adventuring hazards/costs.

Besides that stuff, the race is otherwise okay. Being a Fey makes them immune to effects like Charm Person, Enlarge Person, Hold Person, Dominate Person, etc. plus it's less likely to be an opposing ranger's Favored Enemy than, say, Humanoid (Human) or Humanoid (Goblinoid) or what-have-you. While the Plant-like trait lessens that minor advantage by making them a little bit more susceptible to rare effects like Horrid Wilting or Command Plants. Low-Light Vision is almost equivalent to a dwarf's darkvision but not quite. They have the speed and unhindered-by-armor/encumbrance capability of dwarves. Their skill bonuses are similar to those of dwarves in value. Their Subterranean Sensitivity and Dexterity penalty are roughly balanced out by their natural armor and Charisma bonus. They lack a dwarf's save bonuses and Stonecunning, but Goodberry and the rooting-in-place-for-nourishment make up for some of their shortcomings.

If the Sturdy Body Structure were nerfed somewhat, the Treelings would be about equal to Dwarves as a +0 LA race. I would suggest that it simply be a matter of their height and weight, counting towards grappling/improved grab/swallow whole/etc., but NOT affecting what weapons or other gear they could use. So they'd use Medium-sized weapons and armor and such, since they're not any stronger than humans, just taller and heavier (to the point where their weight slows them down to the pace of dwarves). The grappling etc. advantages of this ability would then just be similar in value to the Improved Grapple feat (though not entirely, but then, Improved Grapple has a cruddy feat as a prerequisite, providing an opportunity cost). Also, this ability ought to give them the Stability quality that dwarves possess, for resisting trip/bull rush attempts more easily given their weight (unless they're top-heavy and thus more easily toppled/unbalanced?).

In any case, while the Goodberry ability needs some clarification, I add these minor questions for clarification: can Treelings spend their rooted-down time sleeping when the party camps for the night or whatever, so it doesn't cut into the amount of travel/adventuring they can do each day? How long does it take them to root themselves down, or to uproot themselves (i.e. actions), and do they benefit from greater stability while rooted down? Such as when the party's camp is attacked, and the Treeling suddenly needs to move? Do Treelings count as immobilized while rooted down (and thus more vulnerable)?

Why doesn't their Subterranean Sensitivity apply in other situations where they are out of sunlight? Like inside a windowless room (or a room with only narrow windows or the like where hardly any sunlight comes in, for example), or inside an area of magical Darkness/Deeper Darkness, or in a closed tent? What about on the Plane of Shadow, the Plane of Negative Energy, the Astral Plane, the Plane of Water, the Plane of Air, the Plane of Fire, the Plane of Positive Energy, or various demiplanes and Outer Planes where there's no actual sunlight? Or at night anywhere (the moon only reflects so much sunlight, after all, and hardly any on a night of the new moon)? Arguably sunlight reaches the Ethereal Plane just fine, but most other planes have none. How about calling it Sunlight Affinity and having the Dazzled status simply apply whenever the Treeling is not exposed to direct sunlight or in an area otherwise well-lit by sunlight?

 

[Oversquid]

There's no way this is a +0 LA race.

It comes down to their Powerful Build-esque ability, which basically gives them all the advantages of Large size (except reach) with absolutely none of the drawbacks. Sure they lack the Str/Con of a Large creature, but they get to use Large weapons as well as Medium weapons when needed (Large weapons usually do as much or more extra damage as the Weapon Specialization feat for a Medium character, without needing to take that feat for every single weapon). They also get the +4 on grapple checks and the much lower chance of being swallowed whole, grappled, etc. due to the size limits of those abilities. They get to use the cheaper and lighter armor of Medium creatures. They do lack the extra carrying capacity of a large creature, but it's no big deal since they don't need to use the heavier Large armors etc. Half-Giants and Goliaths (IIRC) are +1 LA because of Powerful Build combined with a few other racial traits.

Ok, so how can I make a creature with Powerful Build with +0 LA? Thats the challenge I'm trying to bring to you guys to help me out.

Like you said as well, a Treeling has the threat range of a Medium Sized creature, and I think a big part of what gives a Large Creature their LA is their threat range.

Treelings don't need the extra food and water of a large creature; heck, they don't even need food or water because they can spend a little while rooted to the ground once per week to get their nourishment (which, by the way, doesn't say anything about requriring appropriate soil for those purposes; as it is they could root themselves down in a desert or a rocky mountainside or salt flats or a drought-stricken field or frozen tundra and still be nourished). And if they really want to, they can root themselves down once every day to provide the whole party with full nourishment all the time (equivalent to the 3rd-level spell Create Food And Water; the Goodberry spell is only 1st-level because it generally requires the PCs to find fresh berries in the vicinity every day they want to use Goodberry, so it's environmentally limited in when, where, and how often if can be used). I don't particularly have a problem with the Goodberry/rooting-in-place ability, but I feel the need to point out the significant impact of it on some common adventuring hazards/costs.

Here is where I think you've misread some of the things, and perhaps I didn't write clearly enough.

A Treeling must root themselves into soil, which when I wrote that, I meant fertile soil, which means any soil that can support the growth of a tree.

They must feed for 8 hours every day.

Also remember, a goodberry is only enough for one meal, and with growing only 2d4 at a time, for a party of at least 3 others, they will have to depend on the roll of the dice to feed them. Even if they got all 8, and assuming at least 3 other non-Treelings are around, and assuming its 3 meals a day, then what a Treeling produces is still not enough.

Still, I will edit my original post for clarification. Thanks for pointing that out.

Besides that stuff, the race is otherwise okay. Being a Fey makes them immune to effects like Charm Person, Enlarge Person, Hold Person, Dominate Person, etc. plus it's less likely to be an opposing ranger's Favored Enemy than, say, Humanoid (Human) or Humanoid (Goblinoid) or what-have-you. While the Plant-like trait lessens that minor advantage by making them a little bit more susceptible to rare effects like Horrid Wilting or Command Plants. Low-Light Vision is almost equivalent to a dwarf's darkvision but not quite. They have the speed and unhindered-by-armor/encumbrance capability of dwarves. Their skill bonuses are similar to those of dwarves in value. Their Subterranean Sensitivity and Dexterity penalty are roughly balanced out by their natural armor and Charisma bonus. They lack a dwarf's save bonuses and Stonecunning, but Goodberry and the rooting-in-place-for-nourishment make up for some of their shortcomings.

But at the same time, all a Ranger has to do is make their favored enemy a Fey. Or you could also make custom spells of the same level like Charm Fey, or Hold Fey, or Dominate Fey for instance. With a little thinking outside the official boundaries, the Fey type isn't much of an advantage.

If the Sturdy Body Structure were nerfed somewhat, the Treelings would be about equal to Dwarves as a +0 LA race. I would suggest that it simply be a matter of their height and weight, counting towards grappling/improved grab/swallow whole/etc., but NOT affecting what weapons or other gear they could use. So they'd use Medium-sized weapons and armor and such, since they're not any stronger than humans, just taller and heavier (to the point where their weight slows them down to the pace of dwarves). The grappling etc. advantages of this ability would then just be similar in value to the Improved Grapple feat (though not entirely, but then, Improved Grapple has a cruddy feat as a prerequisite, providing an opportunity cost). Also, this ability ought to give them the Stability quality that dwarves possess, for resisting trip/bull rush attempts more easily given their weight (unless they're top-heavy and thus more easily toppled/unbalanced?).[/QUOTE]You've got some good thoughts here, I'll mill it through.

In any case, while the Goodberry ability needs some clarification, I add these minor questions for clarification: can Treelings spend their rooted-down time sleeping when the party camps for the night or whatever, so it doesn't cut into the amount of travel/adventuring they can do each day? How long does it take them to root themselves down, or to uproot themselves (i.e. actions), and do they benefit from greater stability while rooted down? Such as when the party's camp is attacked, and the Treeling suddenly needs to move? Do Treelings count as immobilized while rooted down (and thus more vulnerable)?

Heres another point I didn't clarify. Yes, for a Treeling to sleep, they need to be rooted within fertile soil, and during this time, they feed without even thinking about it.

The time it takes for rooting and uprooting is the same time it takes the average human to get out of their beds/bedrolls.

When a Treeling is rooted, a Treeling is as vulnerable as a human lying on the ground, though not sleeping. A Treeling can see as if awake while rooted, though during the time rooted, they take in nutrients, and become steadily more rested.

Why doesn't their Subterranean Sensitivity apply in other situations where they are out of sunlight? Like inside a windowless room (or a room with only narrow windows or the like where hardly any sunlight comes in, for example), or inside an area of magical Darkness/Deeper Darkness, or in a closed tent? What about on the Plane of Shadow, the Plane of Negative Energy, the Astral Plane, the Plane of Water, the Plane of Air, the Plane of Fire, the Plane of Positive Energy, or various demiplanes and Outer Planes where there's no actual sunlight? Or at night anywhere (the moon only reflects so much sunlight, after all, and hardly any on a night of the new moon)? Arguably sunlight reaches the Ethereal Plane just fine, but most other planes have none. How about calling it Sunlight Affinity and having the Dazzled status simply apply whenever the Treeling is not exposed to direct sunlight or in an area otherwise well-lit by sunlight?

For a Treeling to feel completely healthy, they must be in an area that Sunlight regularly touches. So at night, and if outside, a Treeling does not get this penalty.

By the Sun, I mean any light that illuminates the entire landscape.

Though your suggestion of Sunlight Affinity is probably a better wording for this.

I'll update this in the near future.

 

[Oversquid]

Ok, posting again to say that I made a lot of new edits not only to the Treeling's traits, but I also added an Additional Notes section where I can explain biology and whatnot.