Elemental possessed

[Meatboy]

So having posted up my HB races and getting some nice feedback. I decided to put up the companion to the races. The templates.
In my campaign setting there are only a scant 5 PC races but I, like most others, love options. So I decided to use one of the more underused, IMO, aspects of d20, templates.

There are 3 groups of templates each coresponding to one of the ancient words of creation. ( If you have been reading any of my other posts you have probably noticed that these words are kind of a big deal.) First up those infused with elemental energy.

Elemental Possessed
Eons ago the Words of Life were shattered to protect the peoples of the world from the taint and destruction of the demonic hosts. Though broken, the power of the Words was not lost and sometimes this power still manifests itself in those born in Isankur. These individuals are infused with elemental power.

Flameborn
Flameborn have inherited some of the power from the Word of Elements. They posses some of the ethereal and unpredictable qualities associated with fire, this makes them very enticing to look upon and they often have flowing red hair, red or yellow eyes and skin that feels uncomfortably warm to the touch.

Creating a Flameborn Creature
“Flameborn” is an inherited template that can be added to any corporeal animal, aberration, animal, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, plant or vermin of any alignment (Referred to hereafter as the base creature).
A flameborn creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and abilities except as noted here. Do not recalculate the creature’s Hit Dice, base attack bonus, saves, or skill points if its type changes.
Size and Type: Animals or vermin with this template become magical beasts, but otherwise the creature type is unchanged. Size is unchanged.
Special Qualities: A Flameborn creature retains all the special qualities of the base creature and also gains the following special qualities.
Resistance Fire 5
If the base creature already has this special quality the effects stack.
Abilities: Change the base creature’s abilities as follows: +2 Int, +2 Cha, Flameborn have glib tongues and quick wits.
Environment: Any.
Challenge Rating: As base creature + 1.
Alignment: Usually chaotic
Level Adjustment: As the base creature + 1.

Earthborn
Earthborn have inherited some of the power from the Word of Elements. They posses some of the strong and protective qualities associated with earth. This makes them less likely to be hurt in combat as well as giving them a high tolerance to poisons. Unfortunately they have very rough stone like skin and deep gravely voices which can be unsettling in social surroundings.

Creating an Earthborn Creature
“Earthborn” is an inherited template that can be added to any corporeal animal, aberration, animal, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, plant or vermin of any alignment (Referred to hereafter as the base creature).
An earthborn creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and abilities except as noted here. Do not recalculate the creature’s Hit Dice, base attack bonus, saves, or skill points if its type changes.
Size and Type: Animals or vermin with this template become magical beasts, but otherwise the creature type is unchanged. Size is unchanged.
Special Qualities: An earthborn creature retains all the special qualities of the base creature and also gains the following special qualities.
+4 to saves vs. poison.
+3 natural AC
+1 hp per level
If the base creature already has this special quality the effects stack.
Abilities: Change the base creature’s abilities as follows: -2 Cha, an earthborn’s looks and voice can be disconcerting to some people.
Environment: Any.
Challenge Rating: As base creature + 1.
Alignment: Usually neutral.
Level Adjustment: As the base creature + 1.

Skyborn
Skyborn have inherited some of the power from the Word of Elements. They posses some of the quick and mercurial qualities associated with Wind. This makes them highly agile and hard to catch. Sadly their minds also have a mercurial quickness to them and skyborn can sometimes find it difficult to focus on certain tasks.
Most have hair that blows in a wind that touches only them or other features that mark their elemental heritage.

Creating an Skyborn Creature
“Skyborn” is an inherited template that can be added to any corporeal animal, aberration, animal, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, plant or vermin of any alignment (Referred to hereafter as the base creature).
A skyborn creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and abilities except as noted here. Do not recalculate the creature’s Hit Dice, base attack bonus, saves, or skill points if its type changes.
Size and Type: Animals or vermin with this template become magical beasts, but otherwise the creature type is unchanged. Size is unchanged.
Special Qualities: A skyborn creature retains all the special qualities of the base creature and also gains the following special qualities.
+2 Initiative.
+10 feet movement
Resistance Electricity 5
If the base creature already has this special quality the effects stack.
Abilities: Change the base creature’s abilities as follows: +2 dex, a skyborn often has difficulty focusing on and understanding certain concepts and ideas but tends to move with a precision unknown in others.
Environment: Any.
Challenge Rating: As base creature + 1.
Alignment: Usually chaotic.
Level Adjustment: As the base creature + 1.

Riverborn
Riverborn have inherited some of the power from the Word of Elements. Having been given some of the qualities associated with water riverborn possess fluid intellects able to adjust their way of thinking to accomodate new ideas quickly. Riverborn tend to look little different from their peers though one can usually smell a bit of sea air wafting from them if the wind is just so.

Creating an Riverborn Creature
“Riverborn” is an inherited template that can be added to any corporeal animal, aberration, animal, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, plant or vermin of any alignment (Referred to hereafter as the base creature).
A riverborn creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and abilities except as noted here. Do not recalculate the creature’s Hit Dice, base attack bonus, saves, or skill points if its type changes.
Size and Type: Animals or vermin with this template become magical beasts, but otherwise the creature type is unchanged. Size is unchanged.
Special Qualities: A riverborn creature retains all the special qualities of the base creature and also gains the following special qualities.
resistance cold 5, fire 5
-5 to massive damage threshold.
If the base creature already has this special quality the effects stack.
Abilities: Change the base creature’s abilities as follows: +2 wis. A riverborn has a mind that reflects the calm and malleable ways of water allowing for greater perception and intellect.
Environment: Any.
Challenge Rating: As base creature + 1.
Alignment: Usually neutral.
Level Adjustment: As the base creature + 1.

 

[Arkhandus]

Neat and simple, but underpowered for the +1 Level Adjustment. I'd increase the energy resistances to 10 points, and slightly increase one or two other benefits of each template.

I might suggest giving Flameborn +2 Strength and the ability to use Burning Hands once per day as a spell-like ability. Naturally, as a spell-like ability, it would be Charisma-based for its save DC (so 11 + Cha mod) and use the Flameborn's total HD/level for its caster level. Earthborn should probably get +2 Constitution (remove the then-redundant +1 HP/level benefit), extend the poison save bonus to apply against diseases as well, and give +1 on Will saving throws. As for Skyborn, I'd suggest making the speed bonus +20 feet instead of +10, and give a +2 racial bonus on Sleight Of Hand checks; also, it seems like you meant them to have -2 Wisdom? I think Skyborn should probably also have something like Feather Fall once per day as a spell-like ability, or maybe Shocking Grasp. Lastly, for Riverborn, I'd suggest giving +2 on Reflex saves, as well as both Water Breathing and Chill Metal each once per day as spell-like abilities.

Or, maybe just double the ability score bonuses of each Elemental Possessed template *shrug*. Of course, the Earthborn would need to get an actual Constitution bonus then, too.

 

[Sravoff]

I am not very good at number crunching templates, but...

Abilities: Change the base creature’s abilities as follows: +2 dex, a skyborn often has difficulty focusing on and understanding certain concepts and ideas but tends to move with a precision unknown in others.

It sounds liek there should be a penalty somwhere in there, to Int or Wis, just from the wording...

-Sravoff

 

[Land Outcast]

Hum... my suggestions (the little I had to apport ) were handed out by Arkhandus.

Just to QFT: "underpowered for the +1 Level Adjustment"

 

[Meatboy]

It sounds liek there should be a penalty somwhere in there, to Int or Wis, just from the wording...

Indeed you are right. There was a penalty to a few of these guys originaly but, after my friends suggested increasing their power. I took the penalties out but never changed the fluff. From the sounds of it though they need even a little more oomph. I am always leary about giving anything too much because it is always easy to make something that is overpowered.

Thanks for the C&C I'll take your suggestions and be back later.

 

[genshou]

Does the addition of the Magical Beast type grant darkvision, and does it remove the type traits of the Animal or Vermin types in any way?

 

[Meatboy]

I must admit I am not really sure. I just looked at the other templates I saw and wrote down the same type changes. It was not my intention to add anything else.