Disco Dwarves

[Kafkonia]

I've yet to really master the distinction between this area and the Homebrows section under the CC division... So I'll cross post.

So, one of my friends has a fiancé who's willing to try D&D if he gets to play a "disco dwarf." Originally I was thinking of just making it a plain-old dwarf bard, but where's the fun in that? So I've statted up an alternate race. Tell me what you think...

Background
In certain northern mountain ranges, dwarves and gnomes have found it in their best interest to ally quite closely against their rather less friendly neighbours. Over time, this alliance lead to a fair bit of cross-breeding -- both physically and culturally -- and has given birth to a new species, dwarvus discordus, known colloquially as the "disco dwarf."

Disco Dwarf Traits
- +2 Con, -2 Int. Disco dwarves share the sturdiness of their ancestor races.
- Small size. Land speed 20'.
- Low-light vision. Disco dwarves rely on magical lighting underground, and so their eyesight is less well-developed than their dwarven ancestors.
- Weapon Familiarity: Disco dwarves treat the dwarven urgrosh as a martial, not exotic, weapon.
- +2 on saves vs. Illusions.
- +2 on saving throws vs. poison.
- +2 on Listen checks.
- +2 on Perform (dance) checks. Disco dwarf society derives much of its strength from communal dancing.
- +4 dodge bonus against creatures of the giant type.
- Add 1 to the DC of all saving throws vs. Enchantment spells cast by disco dwarves. This stacks with any other enhancements.
- Spell Like Abilities: 1/day -- Sculpt Sound (only into music, duration 1 hour.) Disco dwarves with a Cha of at least 10 have the following abilities: 1/day -- Dancing Lights, Ghost Sound, Lullaby. Caster level 1st, save DC 10 + disco dwarf's Cha modifier + spell level.
- Favoured Class: Bard.

 

[paradox42]

Looks like a character race that can stay alive.

When the character uses the Sculpt Sound power, would you ask the player to describe the soundtrack being given to the scene? Or would you just toss in a CD/playlist and crank it up?

 

[Bront]

Looks like a character race that can stay alive.

But when they die, they go to a Disco Inferno.

Better stay away from Disco Demolition day.

They look intersting. Doing a quick scim, might be abit overpowered, but not too bad.

 

[SpiralBound]

I've yet to really master the distinction between this area and the Homebrows section under the CC division... So I'll cross post.

I believe that the distinction is that the Homebrews subsection of the Creature Catalogue section is intended for homebrew monsters, while the House Rules section is for um... everything else! A case could be made that if original monster creations are important enough for their own subforum, then perhaps a clases subforum and a races subforum are equally appropriate. I'm not personally all that interested in 99% of the classes posted, but I have noticed that there are far more "new class" threads than "new monster" threads...

So, one of my friends has a fiancé who's willing to try D&D if he gets to play a "disco dwarf." Originally I was thinking of just making it a plain-old dwarf bard, but where's the fun in that? So I've statted up an alternate race. Tell me what you think...

I think that you have a well developed talent for using a (possibly sarcastic) comment and making a cool "leap of creativity" based upon it. I think that the Disco Dwarves are pretty cool. They can be played silly, but you have actually designed them solidly enough that someone could also give them a serious treatment and they would be neat too. Congratulations!

 

[Bront]

On a second look, they seem fairly well balanced, though I'm curious why you lowered their Intelegence.

 

[Nifft]

On a second look, they seem fairly well balanced, though I'm curious why you lowered their Intelegence.

Have you seen how people dressed in the Age of Disco? Int penalty fer shur. OTOH, a Wisdom penalty may be even more appropriate.

Anyway... the race looks balanced to me, especially next to a core Dwarf.

-- N

 

[Kafkonia]

On a second look, they seem fairly well balanced, though I'm curious why you lowered their Intelegence.

As Nifft pointed out, I lowered their Int for "disco flavour." The two races I modeled them after had negatives, but a penalty to Strength clashed with their dwarven background and a penalty to Charisma made their favoured class pretty useless.

Looking back at the race, I think they're a touch overpowered -- they're basically "gnomes but better", and that doesn't pass muster with me, so I'm going to edit them.

 

[tzor]

Have you seen how people dressed in the Age of Disco?

What? I object! As a person of the "Age of Disco" (HS Class of '79) I shall don my appropriate polyester armor and summon my faithful side kick, the Disco Duck to do honerable battle!

I mean when you compare us to the previous age, the Age of Sgt Pepper, you can clearly see an improvement in taste.

 

[Bront]

I would have gotten rid of the spell like abilities (Dancing out of a giant's way seems appropriate). As much as they're fun, they're what put the race over the top.

 

[Kafkonia]

I would have gotten rid of the spell like abilities (Dancing out of a giant's way seems appropriate). As much as they're fun, they're what put the race over the top.

Well, I tried to keep the SLAs in line with those of the gnome -- they're of the same level -- and I felt that the bonus against giants didn't make sense for a race that has spent most of its time underground. How many subterranean giants are there, really?