Homebrew Race -- Is this +1 ECL?

[Mordane76]

The obvious starting points for this race was Halflings and Kender. I'm not posting the flavor text, because all I would like is a rules-based examination of the statistics presented -- I'm waffling on whether or not to revise this race to +1 ECL in my campaign. I'm also thinking that if they aren't +1 ECL as presented, I might make them so by making a change to their fear save bonus (by making them immune). Please, feedback on both situations (with or without the fear immunity) would be appreciated.

QUITH RACIAL TRAITS
· +2 Dexterity, -2 Strength. Quith are quick, agile, and good with ranged weapons but they are small and therefore not as strong as other humanoids.
· Small: As Small creatures, Quith gain a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but they must use smaller weapons than humans use, and their lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of Medium-size characters.
· Quith base speed is 30 feet.
· Low-light Vision: Quith can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under such conditions.
· +2 racial bonus on Climb, Open Locks, Move Silently, and Pick Pocket checks. Quith are naturally agile and athletic, and have plenty of chance to practice these skills virtually from birth.
· +2 racial bonus on Listen checks because of their keen hearing.
· +1 racial bonus on all saving throws: Quith are surprisingly capable of avoiding mishaps.
· +3 morale bonus on saving throws against fear (this ability stacks with the saving throw bonus). Quith are renown for their fearlessness (and the lack of common sense it seems to imply)
· Taunt: Quith can use Bluff to anger others, causing them to act irrationally. Quith can make a Bluff check to taunt anyone that can understand his or her language. They can get someone to attack, or remove their Dexterity bonus to AC (see the Player's Handbook for more details on the skill).
· Automatic Languages: Quith. Bonus Languages: Imperial Common, Faen Common, Drak Common, Fae, Gun, Goblin, Draconic.
· Favoured Multiclass: Rogue. A multiclass Quith’s rogue class does not count when determining whether he or she suffers an XP penalty for multiclassing (see Experience for Multiclass Characters page 56). To survive, Quith learn to take what they need when they need it.

 

[Spatzimaus]

Let's first run it through Soldarin's calculator.

Small: zero
Abilities: zero
HD: N/A
Speed: +0.2, since they're 50% faster than baseline for their size
Skills: +0.05*(2+2+2+2+2) = +0.5
Saves: it's a minor effect (0.2 per? Fear is a bit specialized, it's hard to gauge)
By those rules it'd be ECL +1, no question.

But personally, I'd say it's too weak for an ECL +1 race. After all, compared to the Halfling, you're only gaining 10' foot speed (+0.2) and a few skill bonuses, nothing that a Halfling with a level of Barbarian wouldn't get (and he'd have the big HP too).

Nitpicks:
The Bluff thing is hard to understand, since denying the DEX AC is what the base skill already does. If you're giving him some new ability, it should be more clearly explained (as in, is taunting someone a Will save? Opposed roll? If opposed, which skill opposes?)
You don't need to specify that the fear save bonus stacks with the racial bonus, since they have different types ("racial" vs. "morale").

My biggest complaint is that it really isn't very different from the Halflings. You've kept the save bonus, you've kept the favored class, and they even get the same +DEX. If you want to make them ECL +1, you could make them immune to Fear, but I'd suggest giving them a spell-like ability or two, and maybe change low-light vision to Darkvision 60'.

 

[CRGreathouse]

The only sticking point here is Taunt. How do you interpret this?

Will a taunted creature willingly provoke AoO to attack? Will it try to follow a faster creature? Will it try to walk through a pit of lava?

 

[Mordane76]

Taunt is an ability that hasn't come into play yet too much; my homebrew is under extensive play-testing right now, and we only have one Quith. I wanted the versatility of the Halfling (dextrous, capable in the arts of ledgerdemain and stealth, resilient) with the reputation of the Kender (innocent appearing, irritating, unstoppable thieves), without the general innocence and naivete of the Kender.

I can see where there is a lot of ambiguity in Taunt. I keep thinking I have a better version of it typed elsewhere, but not on my work computer.

Taunt works to enrage a target; the target loses his Dexterity bonus to AC (or his Defense and Dex, as we use the Defense mechanics) AND immediately attempts to close distance with the Quith. He willingly provokes attacks of opportunity as he attempts to close distance by the quickest means possible (including spellcasting if possible) and attempts to throttle/stab/kill the offending little Quith. The most obvious use of this ability is to try and draw a target through your associates, so that he provokes AoO. Taunt is a contested check: Bluff against Sense Motive; in this world, Quith are known for their taunting tactics, the effective is not inherently magical, and hence I feel that Sense Motive is more appropriate than a Will Save.

 

[CRGreathouse]

Taunt works to enrage a target; the target loses his Dexterity bonus to AC (or his Defense and Dex, as we use the Defense mechanics) AND immediately attempts to close distance with the Quith. He willingly provokes attacks of opportunity as he attempts to close distance by the quickest means possible (including spellcasting if possible) and attempts to throttle/stab/kill the offending little Quith. The most obvious use of this ability is to try and draw a target through your associates, so that he provokes AoO. Taunt is a contested check: Bluff against Sense Motive; in this world, Quith are known for their taunting tactics, the effective is not inherently magical, and hence I feel that Sense Motive is more appropriate than a Will Save.

Would the tounted creature cross a lava pit to get to the taunter? Will the taunted creature pursue a fleeing quith -- even if they have a lower speed? How long does one check last: until their next turn (like stunning attack), until a preset duration, until the end of the ecounter, or until the quith is dead?

The ability of quith to taunt is very similar to kender's taunt, except they can do either/or (as I recall) not both.

 

[Mordane76]

A Taunted creature/opponent would attempt to pursue, even if slower, however not to the point of obvious environmental hazards; if a safe means of travel over said lava pit existed, the taunted creature/opponent would take that means.

A Quith's Taunt last for one round, like a stunning attack.

 

[SylverFlame]

Are you going for a whole new race or just for a new spin on the kender subrace of halfling? As a subrace it is not that bad. You basically have a kender with a few alterations.

If it is supposed to be a entirely different race than it falls a little short. Could you post at least an overview of the flavor ideas? Like where do they live, how do they get by, etc. That would help in giving suggestions because then we could know where you're coming from.

As for the fear immunity, why not just give them a percentage chance to ignore fear in addition to the saving throw. Kind of like having SR against a hold person spell. You get two rolls to negate it.

 

[Mordane76]

Okay -- here's the present draft of the flavor text. All of the races in my homebrew are undergoing flavor text (and rules tweaking) rewrites after our first full season of playing in the realm, but I haven't made it to the Quith yet...


QUITH
When a Quith enters the room, everyone’s hand goes for their purse, usually to find it already gone. Crafty, quick, and small, the Quith are anything but innocuous. Descendents of Weasel, the Quith are fast, sticky-fingered, and fierce when cornered.

Personality: While at first glance Quith are often mistaken for children, they are anything but innocent or naïve. Quith normally rest at the bottom of the social ladder, and this pressure takes its toll on them. Many are hard, cunning, coarse, foul-mouthed, greedy, and tough. A Dwarven saying goes, “Where there’s one Weasel, there’s three: one to smile at you, one to lift your purse, and the last to stab you in the back,” and it is not usually far from the truth.

Physical Description: Quith resemble human children, with slightly sharper and fairer facial features. Male Quith are a little taller and heavier than females. Skin tones range from light alabaster to deep brown, depending on from where the Quith hales, and their hair and eye color is usually dark. Their child-like appearance continues long into old age; most Quith show graying hair as their only sign of aging.

Relations: Quith are nomads by nature, and usually thieves by trade. Most dismiss them out of principle – a single Quith is easily locked up or escorted out of town. En masse, however, most people actually fear the Quith. The Quith, however, really don’t care either way about their neighbors; as long as they are left alone, no one gets hurt. Only a few nations actually maintain policies against the Quith. Many towns in Drakenmoore incarcerate Quith upon discovery. Major Callandorian cities also consider Quith to be dangerous criminals and incarcerate them out of hand. Obviously, the Quith, depending on their mood, either flock to these places to wreck havoc or avoid them as a matter of principle.

Alignment: Chaos, as if it weren’t obvious, figures strongly into the Quith’s mental state, as well as a general neutrality. Others normally exist for the Quith’s benefit; as long as no one gets physically hurt and the Quith gets what he wants, and then everything will be fine.

Quith Lands: The Quith actually have no lands of their own, and mingle more or less freely among the other races. As such, the Quith collectively may know more about the uninhabited parts of Devro than any other group of people.

Language: Quith speak Quith and, in addition, many speak either Thieves Cant or Hand Sign.

 

[SylverFlame]

IMHO, the flavor text shows that a bonus to innuendo and bluff would not be out of order. It just fits with the character.

Also, a bonus to disguise when emulating human children may go over well.

 

[Technik4]

As other said seems to be a subrace of halfling rather than their own race. As such, just alter some of the skill bonuses to fit your flavor. Personally I dont see any reason to make them ECL +1, they arent outsiders, they dont have outrageous stat bonuses, and they arent inherently magical. Seems simple enough to trim them down to ECL +0, just get rid of the extra speed and lowlight, or sub out some of the halflings abilties for low-light.

Technik