Catfolk (PC stats + feats + basic unarmed system)

[Nur-ab-sal]

Download PDF (links to my blog b/c the file name changes with each update)

As mentioned in the post, this is missing the monster blocks and artwork, but the parts that interest most people are there. I'm gone until Friday on vacation so I won't be able to read or respond to any comments until then.

 

[Mercutio01]

Err - 404 File Not Found.

EDIT - The directory path is wrong, by manually editing the location bar, I found it.

http://moebius.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/catfolk_7-11.pdf

 

[Nur-ab-sal]

Well that's what I get for copy-n-pasting in a hurry. :/ Thanks, fixed.

 

[bardolph]

Looks good. I question the STR bonus. Better would be CHA, methinks.

 

[Verision]

A few things I'd like to say

Looks good for the most part.

1) I like the Racial Ability "Pounce", but I feel it should be limited by Athletics. What I mean is, the catfolk shouldn't be able to jump ("fly") any further than normal as part of the attack. (I think "fly" is the wrong word here. I think what you mean to say is "shift", kinda like the Deathjump Spider ability "Death from Above")

Normally a Catfolk will be jumping 3 squares, which is only an Athletics check of 15(16? KotS adds an extra 1 to the jump checks), so that's fine, but once you take the Heroic Feat "Lunging Pounce", then the Catfolk can jump 7 squares, which is an Athletics check of 35 (36?) with a running start:

35/5 = 7 sqaures with a running start

If a catfolk is trained in Athletics and has an 18 Strength, then the catfolk would need to be at least 12th level to make that jump (well, 6th level with Skill Focus):

1d20 +Trained +Str Mod + 1/2lvl
20 +5 +4 +6 = 35 (12th level)

1d20 +Trained +SkillFocus +Str Mod + 1/2lvl
20 +5 +3 +4 +3 = 35 (6th level)

So limiting the Catfolk Pounce ability to the actual distance a Catfolk can jump shouldn't be too limiting.
Please Note: I'm not trying to say that the Catfolk should have to make an Athletics check to use this ability, I just don't think they should be able to jump further than their maximum distance (based off of a running long jump)


2) I'm assuming from the way you have it listed that the Catfolk must spend a feat to get the Superior Unarmed Strike, right?

3) Gauntlets: Alright, I don't like how you have this written up. It's confusing. You don't state how many gauntlets you get; you may talk about them coming in pairs, but you also mention that you can use two different gauntlets and choose which properties to apply to any attack. You need to state that each gauntlet is a separate magic item and that if you are able to buy them, you only get 1 for the price of 1 magic item.

I.E. One "Terror Gauntlet" with a +1 enhancement bonus costs 840 gp. You DON't get 2 gauntlets for 840, only one.
If you want to have two different gauntlets, one "+1 Terror Gauntlet" and one "+1 Resounding Gauntlet", then it would cost 1360 gp.

 

[generalhenry]

Catfolk Reflexes

I don't see a need. They already have +1 ref from the +2 dex

 

[generalhenry]

WRESTLER

seems over powered

UNARMED OPPORTUNIST

ditto, stopping movement with an OA is a fighter thing.

 

[Nur-ab-sal]

Thanks for the comments. Responses to various things:

Verision:

1: haha, I actually at one point considered basing a catfolk's range directly on its Athletics. I'll go back and look at the distances involved but you may be right in that Lunging Pounce should be a paragon feat if it exists at all. (I'm not so much concerned about consistency as balance, but I think balance may be on your side as well, now that I consider some of the later changes after conceiving that feat.)

2. Correct.

3. Hmm, I suppose you're right. I was just assuming that gauntlets were gauntlets and that was that (and I wasn't actually thinking at all of buying them, just finding them). That should be an easy clarification, though.

generalhenry:

Goblins have +1 Ref and +2 Dex. I figured a feline race should have particularly good reflexes (which is also the idea behind most of their other abilities, of course, e.g. almost never prone, reduced falling damage, etc.)

As for the unarmed feats, you may be right about Wrestler, although I haven't seen grab used enough to really be sure. Basically I'm looking to make grabbing useful without making it the absurdly complicated mess it was in 3.5; grabbing in 4.0 is only very situationally useful since it doesn't stop or impair enemy attacks or aid friendly attacks, just stops an enemy from moving (which I understand was the intent, to deemphasize grapple, but I'd like to make it a useful option for someone willing to spend the feats).

Unless you're talking about the benefit to unarmed combat, which goes along with my response to your concerns for Unarmed Opportunist, which are: even with these feats and enchanted gauntlets unarmed combat still seems to me a suboptimal weapon choice--a feat to get the equivalent of a short sword without any extra features from fighter powers, etc. I understand that the prone thing is stepping on the toes of fighters, but tripping (which is essentially what this is) is, I think, one of the signature parts of D&D unarmed combat (along with grabbing)--or, more generally, outmanuevering your opponent rather than dealing more damage.