Homebrew Race I for Comments

[Tormenet]

An anthropomorphic race for my homebrew, please comment on the racial traits. The goal is a kobold-like race with a weak constitution (frail) that is offset by being hard to hit (swift).

It should be LA +0.

CANID RACIAL TRAITS
* -2 Constitution, +1 Wisdom, +1 Intelligence, +1 Dexterity.
* Small: As a Small creature, a Canid gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but she uses smaller weapons than humans use, and her lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
* Canid base land speed is 40 feet.
* Canids are nocturnal by nature. They have low-light vision(1) and light sensitivity.(2)
* +2 natural armor bonus.
* +1 racial bonus on all saving throws.
* Automatic Languages: Common and Bestial. Bonus Languages:
* Favored Class: Sorcerer. A multiclass Canid’s sorcerer class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.

1 Low-light vision: Characters with low-light vision have eyes that are so sensitive to light that they can see twice as far as normal in dim light. Low-light vision is color vision. A spellcaster with low-light vision can read a scroll as long as even the tiniest candle flame is next to her as a source of light. Characters with low-light vision can see outdoors on a moonlit night as well as they can during the day.

2 Light Sensitivity (Ex): Canids are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell. Dazzled: The creature is unable to see well because of overstimulation of the eyes. A dazzled creature takes a –1 penalty on attack rolls, Search checks, and Spot checks.

Personality: Canids have difficulty adapting to living alone, they are truly lost without strong social ties. The most distinctive feature of Canid’s social life is how well they get along with each other. Canids live in packs comprising several related males and from one to several related females (females are unrelated to males). There are separate male and female dominance hierarchies, and in most cases only the highest-ranking male and female reproduce. Ritualized gestures of appeasement are used frequently, and usually prevent any serious fighting. Some of these gestures are whining and tail-wagging, but most appeasement behavior is ritualized food-begging. Canids have some tendencies other races might interpret as cowardly. Canids like to attack with overwhelming odds—at least three to one—or trickery; should the odds fall below this threshold, they frequently flee.

Physical Description: Canids stand between 2-1/2 and 3-1/2 feet tall. They weigh up to 80 pounds. There is no size variation between the sexes. Canids have large rounded ears, a black muzzle, long legs, and broad, bushy white-tipped tails about 12-16 inches long. Although their fur is sparse, the color and pattern is dramatic and unmistakable. Each Canid has a unique pattern of yellow, black, white and gray splotches covering its body. They have glowing red eyes. Canids wear ragged clothing, favoring red and orange.

Relations: Canids tend to get along with anyone. They have a tendency to hang in the shadow of larger races as a way of seeking protection.

Alignment: Canids tend to be neutral. While they are comfortable with change (a chaotic trait), they also tend to rely on intangible constants, such as pack ties (a lawful trait).

Lands: Canids are nomadic throughout most of the year, wandering in ranges that may cover 600 square miles or more. The exception is when the pack has very young pups.

Religion: Canids believe the moon is their racial protector. All their rituals center around the moon’s phases.

Language: Canids speak Bestial.

Culture Points:
* A typical litter size is seven to 10 pups. The pups are blind and almost naked at birth.
* A new pack is formed when a group of sisters from one originating pack meets a group of brothers from another. Females are more aggressive about fighting for dominance than males, and when one female establishes alpha status among the females, some or all of her sisters will sometimes leave the new pack to seek opportunities for alpha status elsewhere.

(Some of the text in this document was taken from zoo.org, also some text was taken from the 3.5 SRD and the 3.5 PH.)

 

[monboesen]

CANID RACIAL TRAITS
* -2 Constitution, +1 Wisdom, +1 Intelligence, +1 Dexterity.

Never ever use +1, -1 adjustments to stats. It makes it way to easy to optimize stats as it normally is disadvantegeous to have any uneven? (11, 13 and so on) scores. It also seems strange that a small race has no penalty to strength. The normal size S panalty is -4 to strength. Most things half the size and mass of a human should be inherently weaker. I would suggest that you give them -2 Str and Con and choose two of the three mentioned ability scores (Int, Dex and Wis) that gets a +2 bonus.

* Small: As a Small creature, a Canid gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but she uses smaller weapons than humans use, and her lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.

Pretty standard so OK.

* Canid base land speed is 40 feet.

Thats a damn lot. Normal size S move is 20 ft. Why should they be faster than humans ?.

* Canids are nocturnal by nature. They have low-light vision(1) and light sensitivity.(2)

OK

* +2 natural armor bonus.

Hmm a quite nice advantage.

* +1 racial bonus on all saving throws.

Another very nice advantage.

* Automatic Languages: Common and Bestial. Bonus Languages:
* Favored Class: Sorcerer. A multiclass Canid’s sorcerer class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.


As they are written right now I think they are more than +0 ECl. I would rate them as +1 ECL, but a weak one like aasimar and thiefling. With more balanced stat adjustments and by removing either speed, natural armor or the bonus to all saves and replacing that with a +2 bonus to one or two relevant skills they would bumb down to +0 ECL. Again entirely my own opinion.

A couple of random comments. Most players won't think sorcerer when they look at this race. They will think Wizard (int bonus), Cleric(wis bonus) or Rogue (small, fast, hide bonus, int bonus and dex bonus that just screams rogue). If you want them more tied in with sorcerers you need to give them some kind of small mechanical advantage to be sorcerers. It could be that their stat adjustment included +2 cha instead of int, dex or wis. A bonus 1 level spell known or some other stuff like that. That of course would mean removing another race advantage.

I don't really find it fitting that a Small humanoid creature has Spd 40 ft. A move of 30 ft. should be considered fast for someone just shy of three feet.

 

[Arkhandus]

You see how fast a pixie flies in the Monster Manual? Ever try racing a hummingbird or a wild boar? Just because something's small doesn't mean it's gotta be slower than a human or at least no faster. Hummingbirds are up there with cheetahs in speed, and I think I recall that the fastest creature on Earth is a particular variety of hummingbird. Being small but remarkably fast is far from impossible or unlikely.

Anyway, I agree that the Canid as written is a weak +1 LA, certainly too strong for a +0 LA but not enough to be a good +1 LA. Also, as was already mentioned, +1 ability score adjustments for a race are a no-no in the d20 system. They're too abusable, particularly in point-buy.

Compared to a Halfling, the Canid as written has....+1 total ability adjustment, twice as much base speed, +2 natural armor, and low-light vision balanced out by light sensitivity. In exchange they lack the halfling's +1 on thrown weapon attacks, +2 against fear, and +2 on four skills. The natural armor makes up for the lack of thrown weapon bonus and some of the skill bonuses, while 10 feet or so of the better speed make up for the rest. This leaves a +1 ability adjustment and +10 feet of speed in excess.

I recommend changing the ability adjustments to only +2 Dex, -2 Con, +2 Wis. Remove the natural armor and reduce the speed to 30 feet. That might be balanced for +0 LA. Might also need to remove the +1 on all saves, but maybe give +2 on a single skill in exchange if so, like Survival/Wilderness Lore.

 

[Camarath]

I think this would work for LA +0.

CANID RACIAL TRAITS
* -2 Constitution, +2 Dexterity.
* Small: As a Small creature, a Canid gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but she uses smaller weapons than humans use, and her lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
* Canid base land speed is 40 feet.
* Canids are nocturnal by nature. They have low-light vision(1) and light sensitivity.(2)
* +1 natural armor bonus.
* +1 racial bonus on all saving throws.
* Automatic Languages: Common and Bestial. Bonus Languages:
* Favored Class: Sorcerer. A multiclass Canid’s sorcerer class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.

 

[Greatwyrm]

I like what Camarath has, with one change. I'd make the base speed 20, but allow a character with nothing in its hands to run "on all fours" for +10 or +20 feet of speed. I'd do it as a + instead of saying double or x1.5 just because of how bonuses stack and get multiplied. The last thing you want is a low level monk Canid doing 80' on a single move.

Maybe even limit it to 3 + Con bonus rounds of consecutive use and then the character is fatigued.