Old Fezziwig
this is a low-flying panic attack
Truth be told, it's just a dwarven subrace and a kobold subrace, but I'd like some opinions on whether or not they seem too weak or too strong. I don't think that they're all that far out of line, but I'd love for another pair of eyes to take a look at them. As a side note, the flavor text is pretty rough — I'm going to go over it again later. It was more important for me to get something down than to write beautiful prose. 
Some quick notes about why I made some choices:
* Swamp dwarves lose the +4 racial attack bonus against giants because there aren't any giants in the world (at least that's how things are working now). I gave them a +2 racial bonus to saves against disease, instead.
* The dwarven bonus to appraise checks became a bonus to swim checks.
* The canis kobold was partially meant as a surrogate halfling, which is why it probably looks like one. I knocked the standard kobold darkvision down to low-light vision, gave it a +1 on saves, and a +2 on bluff to balance that change as well as the heavy penalty to strength and loss of typical kobold bonuses.
Anyhow, feel free to tear this stuff apart — that's why I've posted it. I'm considering approx. 2 more non-standard races, so when I get them done, I'll put them up here as well.
Thanks,
tKL
*****
Swamp Dwarves are the descendants of the ancient hill dwarf tribes that previously lived in the broken lands north of the Chasm. Forced to evacuate their ancient homes during the failed Fourth Pelorian Crusade, they settled in the Great Western Swamp, between the Sink and the southern edge of the Caerrhenians. Over the five centuries since their migration, the swamp dwarves have tamed the swamp as much as possible for a non-native people.
* +2 Con, -2 Cha. Living in the swamps has maintained the famous hardiness of the old hill dwarf clans but has done little to improve their surly demeanor.
* Medium-size, 20 ft. base speed.
* Darkvision 60 ft.
* Swampcunning: +2 racial bonus to any checks to notice quicksand, bogsinks, sudden changes in depth of water, and other environmental hazards in swamps and marshes. Coming within 10 ft. of anything unusual within this environment is enough to grant the dwarf a Search check. He may also use the Search skill to find traps, natural hazards or man-made snares, as a rogue.
* +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poisons and diseases. Living in the swamp for so long has inured the dwarf to many of the contagions carried by the various types of vermin that call the terrain home. Also, their ancestral resistance to poison has remained intact.
* +1 racial bonus to attack rolls against lizardfolk and gnolls. With their move out of the broken lands, it became necessary to readapt their training to new foes.
* +2 racial bonus to Craft checks related to building boats and rafts for use in the swamp. This bonus also applies to any Profession (Sailor) checks the dwarf may need to make. Swamp dwarves are intimately familiar with operating small crafts to navigate some of the less hospitable areas of the Great Western Swamp.
* +2 racial bonus to Swim checks. Years of life in a swamp have tended to nullify the ancient dwarven apprehensions about water and swimming.
* Favored Class: Ranger.
Canis Kobolds are related to gnolls and flinds, although they rarely possess the malicious characteristics associated with their biological cousins. Generally speaking, canis kobolds look like small, bipedal foxes with red-brown fur and bright, intelligent eyes. Fond of company and society, the Canis tend to live in human and elven cities.
* -4 Str, +2 Dex. Although their small size makes them rather elusive and nimble, they tend to be substantially weaker than other races.
* Small-size, base speed 30 ft. Because of their small size, canis receive a +1 natural bonus to AC.
*Low-light vision 60 ft.
* +1 racial bonus to saving throws. Canis kobolds are almost obscenely lucky.
* Scent, as per MM. Like their canine ancestors, the canis have an extremely sensitive sense of smell.
* +2 racial bonus to Sense Motive checks. Their keen sense of smell makes them more acute to subtle changes in body odors, etc. At times, things just smell wrong.
* +2 racial bonus to Bluff checks. Because of their strong resemblance to domestic hounds and seemingly guile-less demeanor, most people are favorably disposed to believing a canis, even at times when they shouldn’t be.
* Favored class: Rogue.
[Edit — I've made modifications to the canis kobold, per the suggestions in this thread. Thanks!
]
Some quick notes about why I made some choices:
* Swamp dwarves lose the +4 racial attack bonus against giants because there aren't any giants in the world (at least that's how things are working now). I gave them a +2 racial bonus to saves against disease, instead.
* The dwarven bonus to appraise checks became a bonus to swim checks.
* The canis kobold was partially meant as a surrogate halfling, which is why it probably looks like one. I knocked the standard kobold darkvision down to low-light vision, gave it a +1 on saves, and a +2 on bluff to balance that change as well as the heavy penalty to strength and loss of typical kobold bonuses.
Anyhow, feel free to tear this stuff apart — that's why I've posted it. I'm considering approx. 2 more non-standard races, so when I get them done, I'll put them up here as well.
Thanks,
tKL
*****
Swamp Dwarves are the descendants of the ancient hill dwarf tribes that previously lived in the broken lands north of the Chasm. Forced to evacuate their ancient homes during the failed Fourth Pelorian Crusade, they settled in the Great Western Swamp, between the Sink and the southern edge of the Caerrhenians. Over the five centuries since their migration, the swamp dwarves have tamed the swamp as much as possible for a non-native people.
* +2 Con, -2 Cha. Living in the swamps has maintained the famous hardiness of the old hill dwarf clans but has done little to improve their surly demeanor.
* Medium-size, 20 ft. base speed.
* Darkvision 60 ft.
* Swampcunning: +2 racial bonus to any checks to notice quicksand, bogsinks, sudden changes in depth of water, and other environmental hazards in swamps and marshes. Coming within 10 ft. of anything unusual within this environment is enough to grant the dwarf a Search check. He may also use the Search skill to find traps, natural hazards or man-made snares, as a rogue.
* +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poisons and diseases. Living in the swamp for so long has inured the dwarf to many of the contagions carried by the various types of vermin that call the terrain home. Also, their ancestral resistance to poison has remained intact.
* +1 racial bonus to attack rolls against lizardfolk and gnolls. With their move out of the broken lands, it became necessary to readapt their training to new foes.
* +2 racial bonus to Craft checks related to building boats and rafts for use in the swamp. This bonus also applies to any Profession (Sailor) checks the dwarf may need to make. Swamp dwarves are intimately familiar with operating small crafts to navigate some of the less hospitable areas of the Great Western Swamp.
* +2 racial bonus to Swim checks. Years of life in a swamp have tended to nullify the ancient dwarven apprehensions about water and swimming.
* Favored Class: Ranger.
Canis Kobolds are related to gnolls and flinds, although they rarely possess the malicious characteristics associated with their biological cousins. Generally speaking, canis kobolds look like small, bipedal foxes with red-brown fur and bright, intelligent eyes. Fond of company and society, the Canis tend to live in human and elven cities.
* -4 Str, +2 Dex. Although their small size makes them rather elusive and nimble, they tend to be substantially weaker than other races.
* Small-size, base speed 30 ft. Because of their small size, canis receive a +1 natural bonus to AC.
*Low-light vision 60 ft.
* +1 racial bonus to saving throws. Canis kobolds are almost obscenely lucky.
* Scent, as per MM. Like their canine ancestors, the canis have an extremely sensitive sense of smell.
* +2 racial bonus to Sense Motive checks. Their keen sense of smell makes them more acute to subtle changes in body odors, etc. At times, things just smell wrong.
* +2 racial bonus to Bluff checks. Because of their strong resemblance to domestic hounds and seemingly guile-less demeanor, most people are favorably disposed to believing a canis, even at times when they shouldn’t be.
* Favored class: Rogue.
[Edit — I've made modifications to the canis kobold, per the suggestions in this thread. Thanks!
]
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