Has anyone combined AU classes and rules with PHB races in a game?

[garyh]

Just likle the title says...

Has anyone combined AU classes and rules with PHB races in a game?

I think it'd be a really interesting thing to try, and would allow for PHB races to fit archtypes better in some cases.

The only rules issue I can think of would be favored classes. One could use three approaches:

1 - Use no favored classes, as per AU. This cuts into the humans and half-elves advantage a bit, but Monte did it for AU humans.

2 - Use no favored classes, but give the humans and half-elves a small boost to replace it. Maybe, say, designate any two skills as permanent class skills, to emphasis versatility.

3 - Adopt favored classes. My ideas, though I'd love to hear your suggestions...
Human: Any
Dwarf: Warmain
Elf: Magister (or maybe Mage Blade... the fighter/mage is a strong elven archetype, too)
Half-Elf: Any
Gnome: Runethane
Halfling: Akashic
Half-Orc: Totem Warrior

So, any experience with PHB race / AU class and rules combining would be appreciated, as would feed back on my ideas.

 

[tsadkiel]

In my Taladas Unearthed setting (details on the Plots and Places board) I use option 1. Not that it matters, since out of a party of four, the only non-human PC is an elven unfetterred with no plans to multiclass.

 

[garyh]

In my Taladas Unearthed setting (details on the Plots and Places board) I use option 1. Not that it matters, since out of a party of four, the only non-human PC is an elven unfetterred with no plans to multiclass.

I've been following your thread, tsadkiel, and it's been insightful. I'll continue to do so.

Any other opinions out there? Thoughts on my favored class ideas, for instance?

 

[Varianor Abroad]

Just likle the title says...

Has anyone combined AU classes and rules with PHB races in a game?
....
2 - Use no favored classes, but give the humans and half-elves a small boost to replace it. Maybe, say, designate any two skills as permanent class skills, to emphasis versatility.
....
So, any experience with PHB race / AU class and rules combining would be appreciated, as would feed back on my ideas.

Good luck with your game! I would just drop favored classes personally. You won't see any huge unbalancing effect. Dropping favored classes had practically no impact on a 3.0 game when I tried that. The human player still gets that extra feat and the skill points. That's a huge advantage. The half-elf is fairly weak as a race, so in my game, I was about to give them an extra bonus feat but not the skill points at first level. Then I just torpedoed the whole thing and switched to pure AU.

I like your list of AU favored classes for 3.0/3.5 races. I'd suggest mageblade for the elf favored class. Halflings as akashics is cool if it works for your game, but you might also want to think about Unfettered. Should you go with option 3.

 

[dead_radish]

I haven't tried it either, but I'd go with a modified option one - drop all favored classes, and then give everyone the AU standard two feats at creation. Monte has discussed that and found that, on balance, it works out fine, and I'd tend to agree. That way humans get a bonus there as well, as they get the 3 feats, rather than just the 2.

 

[Merlion]

I agree with the radish. I havent gotten to play yet, but I hope to soon...and I hope to get a DM who will allow the PHB races. I would also hope that he'd just do away with the whole favored class thing...I never cared for it anyway.
But yea I'd say including the PHB races in AU would definitly involve the whole extra feat thing. The races are one of the few parts of AU I wasnt totaly ecstatic with (although I like the Faen and the Verrik a lot). And some of the AU classes just fit some of the base races so well..like the Elven Mageblade

 

[Mistwell]

I would do this:

Human: Any
Dwarf: Warmain
Elf: Mage Blade
Half-Elf: Any
Gnome: Runethane
Halfling: Unfettered
Half-Orc: Totem Warrior

Akashic is skills oriented, so really most would be human. Unfettered is definitly the halfling, with all its dexterity-based abiliites.

 

[garyh]

Like I noted, I wasn't sure about the elven class being mage blade or magister, but I think after the input, I'd use mage blade if I stick with favored classes.

As for halflings, I was torn between the unfettered and akashic, since a rogue is basically an unfettered/akashic! Either could work, it's just whether I'd emphasize combat or skills with them... definitely something to think about!

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Most the time, the Rogue is more Unfettered than Akashic. Everybody talks about using his sneak attack in combat and tumble, but Id did not hear much stories about a Rogue with many Knowledge Skills.

Bards seem to be more Akashic/Unfettered/Magisters ...

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