A few races

[77IM]

Please let me know what you think of these. To me, they seem balanced enough to where further analysis would require playtesting (I haven't playtested any of them yet), but I may have missed something.

Centaur
Abilities: +2 Strength, +2 Wisdom
Size: Medium
Speed: 8 squares
Vision: Normal

Languages: Common, Elven
Skill Bonuses: +2 Nature, +2 History
Gallop: Centaurs gain an additional +2 speed when running (so a centaur can move a total of 12 squares when using the run action).
Stability: Whenever an effect pushes, pulls, or slides a centaur, they move 1 fewer square than the effect indicates, to a minimum of zero squares.
Quadruped: Because of their body shape, centaurs take a -5 penalty on Athletics checks to climb, and a -2 penalty on all Acrobatics checks. Non-magical armor for a centaur costs twice as much as normal. Magical armor has the normal cost but may need to be resized using the enchant magic item ritual.
Notes: This was the first race I did, and I originally had a lot more crap for them (natural armor, hoof damage, a saving throw to remain standing like a dwarf, size bonuses and penalties etc). Eventually I found my "4e brain" and embraced the idea of boiling the rules down to their essentials. The centaur's real strength is his awesome mobility; I didn't give him the full speed of a horse, but the +2 when running makes up for it. Combined with the stability power, the centaur has the best ability to place himself on the battlefield. Combined with high Strength, this seems almost too good for a melee striker, such as a ranger or even two-handed fighter. I sprinkled in a few odd drawbacks, more because they made sense than as a balancing factor.

Heroic Feats:

HOOF TRAMPLE [Centaur]
Prerequisites: Centaur
Benefit: When making an unarmed attack with your hooves, you get a +2 proficiency bonus to your attack roll and deal 1d6 damage. Once per encounter, you can use the Trample power.

Trample / Centaur Racial Power
You gallop wildly across the battlefield, running down enemies and scattering them in your wake.
Encounter
Standard action / Melee special; see text
Special: Move up to your speed, entering enemy spaces. This movement provokes opportunity attacks, and you must end your turn in an unoccupied space.
Targets: Each enemy whose space you enter as part of the movement included in this attack.
Attack: When you enter each enemy's space, make a hoof attack against that enemy: Strength +3 vs Reflex
Hit: 1d6+Strength damage, and the enemy is knocked prone.
Increase damage to 2d6+Strength at 21st level.


CENTAUR'S STATURE [Centaur]
Prerequisites: Centaur
Benefit: You increase to Large size, and your fighting space increases to 2x2. Because your torso is still human-sized, you continue to use weapons sized for Medium creatures, and don't gain any reach due to size. However, your carrying capacity doubles (a normal load for you is now 20x your Strength score), and you gain a +2 bonus on Strength checks (but not Strength-based attack rolls or Athletics checks).
Notes: This feat is almost more of a disadvantage because 2x2 space can be a pain. It was originally a prerequisite for a bunch of feats that gave Str and Con bonuses but I ditched them (and I don't like balancing feats via lame prereqs, anyway). Still, I left this feat in place as an option for anybody who wants it.

 

[Xereq]

Centaurs of myth were legendary archers. I have this to contribute:

Heroic Tier Feats:

CENTAUR ARCHER [CENTAUR]
Prerequisites: Centaur
Benefit: You gain proficiency and a +2 feat bonus
to damage rolls with bow.

Paragon Tier Feats

SAGITTARIAN ARCHERY
His nostrils flare, muscles rippling as he pulls.
Prerequisites: Centaur, Dex 15, Str 15
Benefit: Add your strength bonus on damage rolls with bow category weapons.

 

[77IM]

Thanks for the feats, Xereq! I welcome such contributions. In fact, at one point I was going to give centaurs racial bow proficiency, but decided they were good enough as-is (and that their speed and Nature bonus already makes ranger an attractive class for them). I think your Centaur Archer feat is a much better way to address the lore. Sagittarian Archer sounds like they add both Dex and Str to bow damage, which seems a little overpowered to me (few other special abilities double-dip ability modifiers for damage), but I like the flavor of it and don't have a better suggestion for the mechanics right now.

-- 77IM

 

[77IM]

Lizardfolk
Abilities: +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 squares (swamp walk), swim 4 squares
Vision: Normal

Languages: Common, Draconic
Skill Bonuses: +2 Athletics, +2 Nature
Swamp Walk: Lizardfolk ignore difficult terrain that is the result of bog, mud, or shallow water.
Swim: Lizardfolk have a swim speed of 4 squares. When in the water, they can move 4 squares as a move action (or 6 squares when "running"), and can shift normally. They don't need to make Athletic checks to swim in normal water, and have a +5 bonus on any Athletic checks made to move through hazardous aquatic terrain (in addition to the +2 bonus lizardfolk get to all Athletics checks). Lizardfolk can hold their breath for 20 rounds before needing to make Endurance checks, instead of the usual 5.
Survivor: Lizardfolk receive a +1 bonus to their Fortitude, Reflex and Will defenses while bloodied.
Tail Slap: Once per encounter, lizardfolk can use the Tail Slap racial power.

Tail Slap / Lizardfolk Racial Power
You spin about and slam your tail squarely into your foe's chest, knocking him off-balance.
Encounter
Standard action / Melee touch
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength +2 vs Reflex.
Hit: 1d6+Strength damage, and the enemy is pushed 1 square and knocked prone.
Increase damage to 2d6+Strength at 21st level. Increase the attack bonus to +4 at 11th level and +6 at 21st level.
Miss: Half damage.

Notes: These guys seem relatively balanced. I gave them more stuff than they have in the MM -- the swim speed, the encounter power, and the survivor ability. This encounter power seems reasonably good, if low-damage, and makes up for the fact that most of their other stuff (swim and swamp walk) are so highly situational. I love lizardfolk and I almost feel like they should have more goodies than this, but that Survivor ability seems pretty good, and in those rare aquatic encounters, they will really shine.

 

[77IM]

Ogre
Abilities: +2 Strength, +2 Constitution
Size: Large
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Normal

Languages: Common, Giant
Skill Bonuses: +2 Intimidate
Sturdy: Ogres get a +1 racial bonus to Fortitude defense.
Clumsy: Immensely strong but lacking hand-eye coordination, ogres take a -2 penalty on attack rolls using weapons.
Large: Ogres are Large creatures, which grants them the following traits:

• 2x2 space: An ogre occupies 4 squares and must squeeze to pass through a 1-square wide opening.
• Reach: An ogre's melee attacks reach 1 square farther than usual (although they still make opportunity attacks only against adjacent foes).
• Large weapons: An ogre uses Large-sized weapons, which deal damage 1 die size larger than normal.
• Carrying capacity: An ogre can carry twice as much as a medium-sized creature (a normal load for an ogre is 20x their Strength score).
• Specially sized equipment: Mundane weapons and armor sized for an ogre cost twice as much as normal. Magic items have their normal cost but may need to be resized using the enchant magic item ritual.

Notes: I can see now why the MM races (or heaven forbid, PHB races) do not include Large size. I decided to keep it for the ogre as an option for people who want that sort of complexity, and also because it's the ogre's shtick. He really hasn't got any salient traits other than "big and dumb" and at some point the Oversize ability given to bugbears and minotaurs just isn't going to cut it. I didn't give them an increased speed (even though the MM has them at speed 8) because running fast isn't their shtick.

Overall the ogre might be a slight bit too powerful. Large size isn't really that good -- 2x2 space is as much a hindrance as a benefit, reach is nice but not killer, and the damage die increase basically boils down to "+1 damage." Combined with the +2 Str and +2 Con, the ogre becomes a really good fighter-type. However, they are very much one-trick ponies. Their non-Fort defenses will probably be a bit low, and they don't get much in the way of skills. While I didn't explicitly give them any Int penalty, they get no sort of mental stat increase, and a properly min-maxed tank ogre will probably be skimping on the skills and such anyway.

Heroic Feats:

OGRE'S MIGHT [Ogre]
Prerequisites: Ogre, Str 15
Once per counter, an ogre can use the Mighty Swing power.

Mighty Swing / Ogre Racial Power
With a great bellow, you hurl lesser foes aside like twigs.
Encounter * Weapon
Standard action / Melee weapon
Target: One creature, or two creatures that are both within range and adjacent to one another
Attack: Strength vs AC
Hit: 1[W]+Strength damage, and the enemy is pushed 1 square.
Increase damage to 2[W]+Strength at 21st level.
Special: Roll damage once for all targets, but make attack rolls separately (as with an area attack).
Notes: I had this as a racial power for all ogres and decided that they were just good enough without it.

IMPROVED OGRE'S MIGHT [Ogre]
Prerequisites: Ogre, Ogre's Might, Str 17
Benefit: When attacking with your Mighty Swing power, you can target up to three creatures. At 11th level, you can target up to four creatures, and at 21st level, you can target up to five creatures. When targeting more than one creature, all targets must be within range and adjacent to at least one other target.

 

[77IM]

So -- I wasn't going to do any really super complicated races -- but I just like these guys so much. Plus I take some sort of perverse pleasure in whittling monster stats down into PC racial traits.

These guys are a nightmare, balance-wise, because there's not a lot to compare them to in the core rules, so if any of this seems crazy to you, please mention it.



Mind Flayer
Abilities: +2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Normal

Languages: Deep Speech
Skill Bonuses: Mind Flayers absorb some of the knowledge of the brains they devour, and most have built up a repertoire of useful knacks over the years. You gain a +1 bonus to all skills in which you are not trained.
Mental Resistance: +5 to saving throws against powers with the Charm or Psychic keyword.
Telepathy 10: You can communicate telepathically, without speaking, with any intelligent creature which has a language within 10 squares, so long as you are aware of the creature's presence. This communication is two-way and can be initiated by the other creature, if they know that you are telepathic. You can only communicate with one creature at a time, and while language is not a barrier, many creatures are unaccustomed to telepathic communication. This mental contact gives you no particular advantage or disadvantage beyond communication, and it doesn't reveal the presence of a creature (creatures are not obligated to respond, so you might be sending telepathic signals to someone who isn't even there). You can't read minds, and telepathy does not count as speaking for any effects that require it.
Tentacles: You can make an unarmed attack with your tentacles. This deals 1d6 damage instead of the normal 1d4, and if you deal damage, you can choose to immediately grab your opponent as a free action.
Bore Into Brain: You can use the bore into brain at-will power.

Bore Into Brain / Mind Flayer Racial Power
Juicy, succulent brains! Eat up!
At-Will
Standard action / Melee touch
Target: One creature which is currently grabbed or stunned
Attack: Constitution +2 vs Fortitude
Hit: 1d6+Constitution damage. If this reduces the target to 0 hit points or fewer, you can choose to devour their brain, killing them instantly.
Increase the attack bonus of this power to +4 at 11th level, and +6 at 21st level.

Notes: Telepathy seems totally awesome. Not only does it overcome the language barrier (which is not really much of an issue, given the language setup in the game), it can be used for secret communication between teammates. Lots of roleplaying potential. The skill thing might be too powerful -- it is just like Jack of all Trades, but half as much bonus, but it stacks with it, so I'm not sure. I think that Tentacles and Bore Into Brain are really not that great. This is kind of by design -- the Mind Flayer must rely on his thralls -- er, teammates to stun/grab foes for him.

Heroic Feats:

EXTRACT SKILL [Mind Flayer]
Prerequisites: Mind Flayer, Int 13, bore into brain
Benefit: Your bore into brain power deals an extra 1d6 points of damage. If you kill a target using this power, you can immediately devour their brain as a free action. You gain a bonus on any one skill check you make during this encounter equal to the target's Intelligence modifier (minimum +1). You chose when to apply this benefit, but you lose it if you rest.
Special: You can only devour a given brain once, so if you have multiple feats or abilities that grant you some benefit for devouring a brain, you must select between them when you devour it (they don't stack).

MIND BLAST [Mind Flayer]
Prerequisites: Mind Flayer, Cha 13
Benefit: Once per encounter, you can use the mind blast power.

Mind Blast / Mind Flayer Racial Power
Your ego overwhelms all those who stand before you.
Encounter * Psychic
Standard action / Close blast 5
Target: All creatures in blast
Attack: Intelligence +2, Wisdom +2, or Charisma +2 vs Will
Hit: 1d8+Charisma psychic damage.
Increase attack bonus to +4 and damage to 2d8+Charisma at 11th level, and increase attack bonus to +6 and damage to 3d8+Charisma at 21st level.
Miss: Half damage.
Special: Mind Flayers and their thralls are immune to this power.

Paragon Feats:

BRAIN STEM BLAST [Mind Flayer]
Prerequisites: Mind Flayer, Cha 15, Mind Blast
Benefit: Creatures hit by your mind blast become dazed (save ends). Creatures you miss are not dazed.

EXTRACT LIFE [Mind Flayer]
Prerequisites: Mind Flayer, Con 13, bore into brain
Benefit: Your bore into brain power deals an extra 1d6 points of damage. If you kill a target using this power, you can immediately devour their brain as a free action to heal a number of hit points equal to the target's level.
Special: You can only devour a given brain once, so if you have multiple feats or abilities that grant you some benefit for devouring a brain, you must select between them when you devour it (they don't stack).

Epic Feats:

ENSLAVE [Mind Flayer]
Prerequisites: Mind Flayer, Cha 17, Mind Blast, Brain Stem Blast
Benefit: Once per encounter, you can use the enslave power.

Enslave / Mind Flayer Racial Power
The minds of lesser creatures are like putty in your hands.
Encounter * Charm
Standard action / Ranged 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma +5 vs Will
Hit: Target is dominated and immune to the mind blast power of mind flayers (save ends both).

EXTRACT MEMORIES [Mind Flayer]
Prerequisites: Mind Flayer, Wis 13, bore into brain
Benefit: Your bore into brain power deals an extra 1d6 points of damage. If you kill a target using this power, you can immediately devour their brain as a free action and absorb a limited amount of their memories. During your next short rest, you can "ask" the devoured brain up to three questions, as though through a Speak with Dead ritual. (You're not actually asking questions, you're reviewing the dead creature's memories in your mind.) It answers to the best of its abilities, without the need for a Diplomacy check.
Special: You can only devour a given brain once, so if you have multiple feats or abilities that grant you some benefit for devouring a brain, you must select between them when you devour it (they don't stack).