Ashy
First Post
http://www.enworld.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1602369&postcount=15
Let me know what you think gang - more to come!
Let me know what you think gang - more to come!
Homebrew Races - gimme some feedback...
- Thread starter Ashy
- Start date
Ferret
Explorer
They seem to be ok. They do look like an elven sub-race though, whether they deny it or not. If you want them shy away from that I would refrain from saying 'elf'. The word always brings up ideas, some it seems you do not want.
I like the uniqueness of the eyes and owl-likeness, any further description on that?
I like the uniqueness of the eyes and owl-likeness, any further description on that?
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Sigurd
First Post
Like it a lot
I like the race alot.
I agree with Ferret but I would suggest sharing a common ancester with elves if the elves emerged from the Fey. If not, I'd cut the cord and rewrite them as emerging from the magic forrest without elven blood.
If they are elven they might make an interesting watcher of the drow\elf conflict.
What sort of lands do they make their home in???
Sigurd
If I have a small gripe it is stylistic - things like they are "supremely Graceful" - graceful will do. I'd rewrite the description so it was shorter and more concrete then move the extras into a backgound or history section.
I like the race alot.
I agree with Ferret but I would suggest sharing a common ancester with elves if the elves emerged from the Fey. If not, I'd cut the cord and rewrite them as emerging from the magic forrest without elven blood.
If they are elven they might make an interesting watcher of the drow\elf conflict.
What sort of lands do they make their home in???
Sigurd
If I have a small gripe it is stylistic - things like they are "supremely Graceful" - graceful will do. I'd rewrite the description so it was shorter and more concrete then move the extras into a backgound or history section.
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Quick Leaf
First Post
Groovy! I'm not sure what the d20 take on noisy vs silent flight is, but I think it would be really cool to include some description of owl-like silent flight in the race's stat block. Cheers!
Arkhandus
First Post
I'd definately have to give them a +1 or +2 Level Adjustment for the flight.
It's not slow enough or clumsy enough to be worth just a +1 LA I think, so
probably +2 LA. Their other racial abilities put them on par with elves and
superior to humans as-is, so the flight is completely over the top if you
don't give a Level Adjustment for that alone at the very least.
As for silent flight like an owl, that wouldn't make sense unless their body is
thickly covered in very owl-like feathers with a feathered tail and everything,
because that's primarily what muffles an owl's flight. At most though it'd be
perhaps +2 or +4 on Move Silently checks when flying.
It's not slow enough or clumsy enough to be worth just a +1 LA I think, so
probably +2 LA. Their other racial abilities put them on par with elves and
superior to humans as-is, so the flight is completely over the top if you
don't give a Level Adjustment for that alone at the very least.
As for silent flight like an owl, that wouldn't make sense unless their body is
thickly covered in very owl-like feathers with a feathered tail and everything,
because that's primarily what muffles an owl's flight. At most though it'd be
perhaps +2 or +4 on Move Silently checks when flying.
Acid_crash
First Post
With the racial bonuses alone: Darkvision 120 ft, +6 to Search and Spot, +8 to Listen this race should be LA +1 minimum, even +2. Add in Flight 60 ft of average maneuverability, it should be +2 LA at least.
Lower the Darkvision to 60 ft, make the Search, Spot and Listen +4 racial bonuses, and make the Flight Poor maneuverability, and it's a +0 or +1 LA.
This is what bites about the d20 system...you have a really cool idea for a race (and the Mycra are pretty cool as a race), and you know what abiilties you want to give them. What sucks is that if you want it to be a race that is on par with the 'core' races and 'balanced' with them, we have to tone down races like the Mycra here so they are acceptable to begin as a race played at 1st level without any penalties.
Unfortunately, by toning down the race, we are penalizing the race for the way they should be in the first place.
Lower the Darkvision to 60 ft, make the Search, Spot and Listen +4 racial bonuses, and make the Flight Poor maneuverability, and it's a +0 or +1 LA.
This is what bites about the d20 system...you have a really cool idea for a race (and the Mycra are pretty cool as a race), and you know what abiilties you want to give them. What sucks is that if you want it to be a race that is on par with the 'core' races and 'balanced' with them, we have to tone down races like the Mycra here so they are acceptable to begin as a race played at 1st level without any penalties.
Unfortunately, by toning down the race, we are penalizing the race for the way they should be in the first place.
Sigurd
First Post
Acid_crash said:
I'd say that the problem is really that people are bored with the core races or feel they can go shopping for something to start with rather than evolve into. I'm sure the adventures today are populated by a much less uniform set of characters after all the d20 character mod sources. Of course people should play how they have fun but I think you have to agree it strains realism. I think the ECL is a very good system.
BTW. I agree with your ECL appraisal and I understand the frustration of being denied a cool character.
Ashy
First Post
Yea, I was looking them over last night and was thinking that a Level adjustment was needed - this was an initial stab...
Basically, I like letting the players play whatever they want - it keeps them interested and always makes for an interesting game. I never find it too tough maintaining balance - once you've played a game with a Chaotic Good Firbolg Paladin, a Half-Modron/Half-Githzerai Magi, an Arcane Cleric/Sorcerer (this was in 2e mind ya!), and a doppleganger rogue (just to name a few) then you can pretty much handle anything!
Basically, I like letting the players play whatever they want - it keeps them interested and always makes for an interesting game. I never find it too tough maintaining balance - once you've played a game with a Chaotic Good Firbolg Paladin, a Half-Modron/Half-Githzerai Magi, an Arcane Cleric/Sorcerer (this was in 2e mind ya!), and a doppleganger rogue (just to name a few) then you can pretty much handle anything!
Ashy
First Post
Let me know what you think of this - I do not have all of the flavor text done yet, but....
Pooka Racial Traits
• +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Constitution, -2 Wisdom: Bright and inquisitive to the end, quick of deed and foot, pooka are the very essence of faerie. However, their ever-busy hands and minds often overpower their sense of self and common sense and they are, by nature ephemeral and airy creatures in the physical sense
• Pooka have a level adjustment of +3
• Pooka have a natural armor bonus of +3
• Medium Humanoid; as such Pooka receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Pooka possess a base speed of 30 feet.
• Pooka possess Darkvision and Low-light vision with a range of 60 feet.
• Pooka enjoy a +2 circumstance bonus to all saving throws vs. illusions
• Pooka benefit from a +4 racial bonus to all Dexterity based skill checks.
• Shapechange (Su): Starting at 10th level, pooka can shapechange into any normal animal form. The transformation takes a full round action but otherwise functions as per the spell. Starting at 10th level the pooka can perform this transformation once per day; every three rounds thereafter, the pooka can shapechange an additional time each day. For instance a pooka at 10th level can shapechange once per day but a 30th level pooka could do so ten times in a given day.
• Spell-like abilities (Sp): Pooka enjoy a number of innate spell-like abilities, which they can employ as casters of level equal to their hit dice: invisibility to animals (at will), invisibility to undead (3 times/day), invisibility (1/day), haste (1/day), slow (1/day), mass invisibility (1/week).
• Ferment and Ripen (Ex): At will, pooka can cause any liquids that have the potential to do so (such as grape juice, milk, or a water, hops and barely mixture) within 10 yards of their person to ripen or ferment (whichever the case may be) into an alcoholic or fermented version of themselves (grape juice into wine, milk into sour milk, etc.)
• Wax (Sp): Do to their close affiliation with the realms of faerie, pooka are able to infuse themselves (or others) with positive energy. This functions as per a cure minor wounds spell, with the following two exceptions. First, pooka can heal up to 1 hit point of damage per level with each use of this ability. Secondly, pooka are able to use this ability once per day for every level they have achieved. Therefore, a 1st level pooka can heal 1 point of damage once per day, while a 10th level pooka can heal 10 points of damage 10 times a day for a total of 100 total points of healing. A Will save (DC = 10+ the pooka’s level) is required to resist this influx of positive energy.
• Wane (Sp): In a twisted reversal of their Wax ability, pooka are also able to cause a measure of damage by routing negative energy into a victim, as per the spell cause minor wounds. This ability causes as much damage as the Wax ability heals, but the pooka suffers half of the total inflicted damage. As such a 1st level pooka can cause ½ point of damage once a day to an enemy but also suffers ½ point of damage himself. Likewise, a 10th level pooka can cause 50 points of damage to an opponent and 50 points of damage to himself at 10 different times in a given day. . A Will save (DC = 10+ the pooka’s level) is required to resist this influx of negative energy.
• Weapons: Pooka are proficient with small, easily hidden weapons such as saps, daggers, dirks, punching daggers and short swords. Further, Pooka generally disdain the use of missile weapons in general, but occasionally they can be drawn to the unusual specimens such as a repeating or clockwork crossbow, with which they can become proficient (they can also become proficient with the more mundane versions of these weapons, but usually do not).
• Automatic Languages: Common, Sylvan. Bonus languages: select from Elven, Auran, Terran, Aquan, or Ignan.
• Favored class: Bard. A multiclassed Pooka’s Bard class does not count when determining whether or not they suffer an XP penalty for multiclassing. Pooka are naturally intelligent, crafty, tricky and prone to be pranksters and showmen so the profession of Bard comes as second nature to them.
Pooka Racial Traits
• +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Constitution, -2 Wisdom: Bright and inquisitive to the end, quick of deed and foot, pooka are the very essence of faerie. However, their ever-busy hands and minds often overpower their sense of self and common sense and they are, by nature ephemeral and airy creatures in the physical sense
• Pooka have a level adjustment of +3
• Pooka have a natural armor bonus of +3
• Medium Humanoid; as such Pooka receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Pooka possess a base speed of 30 feet.
• Pooka possess Darkvision and Low-light vision with a range of 60 feet.
• Pooka enjoy a +2 circumstance bonus to all saving throws vs. illusions
• Pooka benefit from a +4 racial bonus to all Dexterity based skill checks.
• Shapechange (Su): Starting at 10th level, pooka can shapechange into any normal animal form. The transformation takes a full round action but otherwise functions as per the spell. Starting at 10th level the pooka can perform this transformation once per day; every three rounds thereafter, the pooka can shapechange an additional time each day. For instance a pooka at 10th level can shapechange once per day but a 30th level pooka could do so ten times in a given day.
• Spell-like abilities (Sp): Pooka enjoy a number of innate spell-like abilities, which they can employ as casters of level equal to their hit dice: invisibility to animals (at will), invisibility to undead (3 times/day), invisibility (1/day), haste (1/day), slow (1/day), mass invisibility (1/week).
• Ferment and Ripen (Ex): At will, pooka can cause any liquids that have the potential to do so (such as grape juice, milk, or a water, hops and barely mixture) within 10 yards of their person to ripen or ferment (whichever the case may be) into an alcoholic or fermented version of themselves (grape juice into wine, milk into sour milk, etc.)
• Wax (Sp): Do to their close affiliation with the realms of faerie, pooka are able to infuse themselves (or others) with positive energy. This functions as per a cure minor wounds spell, with the following two exceptions. First, pooka can heal up to 1 hit point of damage per level with each use of this ability. Secondly, pooka are able to use this ability once per day for every level they have achieved. Therefore, a 1st level pooka can heal 1 point of damage once per day, while a 10th level pooka can heal 10 points of damage 10 times a day for a total of 100 total points of healing. A Will save (DC = 10+ the pooka’s level) is required to resist this influx of positive energy.
• Wane (Sp): In a twisted reversal of their Wax ability, pooka are also able to cause a measure of damage by routing negative energy into a victim, as per the spell cause minor wounds. This ability causes as much damage as the Wax ability heals, but the pooka suffers half of the total inflicted damage. As such a 1st level pooka can cause ½ point of damage once a day to an enemy but also suffers ½ point of damage himself. Likewise, a 10th level pooka can cause 50 points of damage to an opponent and 50 points of damage to himself at 10 different times in a given day. . A Will save (DC = 10+ the pooka’s level) is required to resist this influx of negative energy.
• Weapons: Pooka are proficient with small, easily hidden weapons such as saps, daggers, dirks, punching daggers and short swords. Further, Pooka generally disdain the use of missile weapons in general, but occasionally they can be drawn to the unusual specimens such as a repeating or clockwork crossbow, with which they can become proficient (they can also become proficient with the more mundane versions of these weapons, but usually do not).
• Automatic Languages: Common, Sylvan. Bonus languages: select from Elven, Auran, Terran, Aquan, or Ignan.
• Favored class: Bard. A multiclassed Pooka’s Bard class does not count when determining whether or not they suffer an XP penalty for multiclassing. Pooka are naturally intelligent, crafty, tricky and prone to be pranksters and showmen so the profession of Bard comes as second nature to them.
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