Mark Chance
Boingy! Boingy!
The Dawnforge campaign setting uses the idea that individual representatives of a race develop differing abilities as the individual advances in levels. Here are my Dawnforge racial traits, talents, and transformations for duegar and troglodytes.
DUERGARS
DUERGAR RACIAL TRAITS
* +2 Constitution, -4 Charisma. Duergars are tough but generally quite unpleasant.
* Medium: As Medium creatures, duergars have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
* A duergar's base land speed is 20 feet. A duergar can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load.
* Low-Light Vision: A duergar can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
* +4 racial bonus on Move Silently checks. Duergar are exceptionally stealthy.
* +1 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks. Duergar have keen senses.
* Stability: Duergars are very stable on their feet. A duergar gains a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground).
* Weapon Familiarity: Duergar may treat dwarven exotic weapons as martial weapons.
* +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against creatures of the giant type. This bonus represents special training that duergar undergo, during which they learn tricks that previous generations developed in their battles against giants.
* Automatic Languages: Common and Dwarven. Bonus Languages:
* Favored Class: Rogue. A duergar's rogue class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
DUERGAR RACIAL TALENTS
Duergars may choose one racial talent at 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th levels. The character must meet all the prerequisites of the selected racial talent, if any.
ARCANE MASTERY RACIAL TALENT TREE
Arcane Blood: Each time the duergar selects this racial transformation, he can use either enlarge person or invisibility once per day as a spell-like ability. In either case, the spell-like ability affects the duergar and his equipment only. His caster level is equal to his character level.
Arcane Mastery: Each time this racial trait is selected, the duergar gains one additional known arcane spell of any level he can cast (if he is a spontaneous caster) or one additional arcane spell slot per day of any level he can cast (if he must prepare his arcane spells). Prerequisite: Arcane spellcaster level 1+.
TRUE DUERGAR RACIAL TALENT TREE
Orc Fighter: Duergar grow up learning the proper techniques to combat orcs and goblinoids. Each time a duergar selects this racial talent, he gains a +1 talent bonus on all attack rolls against orcs and goblinoids. Special: This racial talent may not be selected twice in a row.
Stonecunning I: Duergar have a sixth sense about stonework. This racial talent gives the duergar a +2 talent bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework, such a sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn't stone but is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. A duergar can also intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up.
Stonecunning II: A duergar who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as if he were actively searching. He can also use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can. Prerequisite: Stonecunning I.
Talent Feats: When a duergar selects this racial talent, he gains one of the following bonus feats: any metamagic feat, Blind-Fight, Rapid Reload, and Martial Weapon Proficiency. Special: The character must meet the prerequisites for any feat selected. This racial talent may not be selected twice in a row.
Talent Skills: When the duergar selects this racial talent, he gains a total talent bonus of +5 that may be distributed among any of the following skills: Appraise, Craft (any), Decipher Script, Knowledge (architecture and engineering), Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (local), Profession (any), Search, and Use Magic Device. Special: A skill may receive no more than a +3 talent bonus from this ability.
DUERGAR RACIAL TRANSFORMATIONS
Duergars may choose one racial transformation at 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th levels. The character must meet all the prerequisites of the selected racial transformation, if any.
Darkvision I: When the duergar selects this racial transformation, he gains darkvision to a range of 60 feet.
Darkvision II: This racial transformation gives the duergar darkvision to a range of 120 feet, but he also gains light sensitivity. A duergar with light sensitivity is dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell. Prerequisites: Darkvision I.
Immunity: Each time the duergar selects this racial transformation, he gains immunity to one of the following attack forms: phantasms, paralysis, or alchemical/magical poisons.
Transformation Feats: When a duergar selects this racial transformation, he gains one of the following bonus feats: Iron Will, Nimble Fingers, Endurance, or Great Fortitude. Special: The character must meet the prerequisites for any feat selected. This racial transformation may not be selected twice in a row.
Transformation Skills: When the duergar selects this racial transformation, he gains a total talent bonus of +5 that may be distributed among any of the following skills: Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, and Jump. Special: A skill may receive no more than a +3 transformation bonus from this ability.
DUERGAR ABILITY SCORE INCREASES
3rd Level: +2 Int
5th Level: +2 Dex
7th Level: +2 Con
9th Level: +2 Int
DUERGARS
DUERGAR RACIAL TRAITS
* +2 Constitution, -4 Charisma. Duergars are tough but generally quite unpleasant.
* Medium: As Medium creatures, duergars have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
* A duergar's base land speed is 20 feet. A duergar can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load.
* Low-Light Vision: A duergar can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
* +4 racial bonus on Move Silently checks. Duergar are exceptionally stealthy.
* +1 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks. Duergar have keen senses.
* Stability: Duergars are very stable on their feet. A duergar gains a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground).
* Weapon Familiarity: Duergar may treat dwarven exotic weapons as martial weapons.
* +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against creatures of the giant type. This bonus represents special training that duergar undergo, during which they learn tricks that previous generations developed in their battles against giants.
* Automatic Languages: Common and Dwarven. Bonus Languages:
* Favored Class: Rogue. A duergar's rogue class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
DUERGAR RACIAL TALENTS
Duergars may choose one racial talent at 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th levels. The character must meet all the prerequisites of the selected racial talent, if any.
ARCANE MASTERY RACIAL TALENT TREE
Arcane Blood: Each time the duergar selects this racial transformation, he can use either enlarge person or invisibility once per day as a spell-like ability. In either case, the spell-like ability affects the duergar and his equipment only. His caster level is equal to his character level.
Arcane Mastery: Each time this racial trait is selected, the duergar gains one additional known arcane spell of any level he can cast (if he is a spontaneous caster) or one additional arcane spell slot per day of any level he can cast (if he must prepare his arcane spells). Prerequisite: Arcane spellcaster level 1+.
TRUE DUERGAR RACIAL TALENT TREE
Orc Fighter: Duergar grow up learning the proper techniques to combat orcs and goblinoids. Each time a duergar selects this racial talent, he gains a +1 talent bonus on all attack rolls against orcs and goblinoids. Special: This racial talent may not be selected twice in a row.
Stonecunning I: Duergar have a sixth sense about stonework. This racial talent gives the duergar a +2 talent bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework, such a sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn't stone but is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. A duergar can also intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up.
Stonecunning II: A duergar who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as if he were actively searching. He can also use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can. Prerequisite: Stonecunning I.
Talent Feats: When a duergar selects this racial talent, he gains one of the following bonus feats: any metamagic feat, Blind-Fight, Rapid Reload, and Martial Weapon Proficiency. Special: The character must meet the prerequisites for any feat selected. This racial talent may not be selected twice in a row.
Talent Skills: When the duergar selects this racial talent, he gains a total talent bonus of +5 that may be distributed among any of the following skills: Appraise, Craft (any), Decipher Script, Knowledge (architecture and engineering), Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (local), Profession (any), Search, and Use Magic Device. Special: A skill may receive no more than a +3 talent bonus from this ability.
DUERGAR RACIAL TRANSFORMATIONS
Duergars may choose one racial transformation at 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th levels. The character must meet all the prerequisites of the selected racial transformation, if any.
Darkvision I: When the duergar selects this racial transformation, he gains darkvision to a range of 60 feet.
Darkvision II: This racial transformation gives the duergar darkvision to a range of 120 feet, but he also gains light sensitivity. A duergar with light sensitivity is dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell. Prerequisites: Darkvision I.
Immunity: Each time the duergar selects this racial transformation, he gains immunity to one of the following attack forms: phantasms, paralysis, or alchemical/magical poisons.
Transformation Feats: When a duergar selects this racial transformation, he gains one of the following bonus feats: Iron Will, Nimble Fingers, Endurance, or Great Fortitude. Special: The character must meet the prerequisites for any feat selected. This racial transformation may not be selected twice in a row.
Transformation Skills: When the duergar selects this racial transformation, he gains a total talent bonus of +5 that may be distributed among any of the following skills: Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, and Jump. Special: A skill may receive no more than a +3 transformation bonus from this ability.
DUERGAR ABILITY SCORE INCREASES
3rd Level: +2 Int
5th Level: +2 Dex
7th Level: +2 Con
9th Level: +2 Int