Human Subrace Level Adjustment Question

[Machiavelli]

[sblock]

   Spells/day  Spells Known
HD   0/1/2       0/1/2
1    1/0/0       1/0/0
2    2/0/0       1/0/0
3    3/1/0       2/1/0
4    3/1/0       2/1/0
5    3/1/0       2/1/0
6    4/2/0       3/1/0
7    4/2/0       3/1/0
8    4/2/0       3/1/0
9    5/3/1       4/1/1
10   5/3/1       4/2/1
11   5/3/1       4/2/1
12   6/4/1       4/2/1
13   6/4/2       5/2/1
14   6/4/2       5/2/1
15   6/5/2       5/3/1
16   6/5/3       5/3/1
17   6/5/3       6/3/1
18   6/6/3       6/3/1
19   6/6/4       6/4/2
20   6/6/4       6/4/2

[/sblock] They look better that way. Humor me, I'm picky about reading charts on message boards. I figure that if I'm going to format it for myself to read, why not share that easy format?

It looks quite fine to me. I take it that this is a Major bloodline, and that the silly name "sorcerous bloodline" would be replaced by whatever subrace name you come up with. After all, "Sorcerer" is not a race of creature.

 

[justinsluder]

[sblock]

   Spells/day  Spells Known
HD   0/1/2       0/1/2
1    1/0/0       1/0/0
2    2/0/0       1/0/0
3    3/1/0       2/1/0
4    3/1/0       2/1/0
5    3/1/0       2/1/0
6    4/2/0       3/1/0
7    4/2/0       3/1/0
8    4/2/0       3/1/0
9    5/3/1       4/1/1
10   5/3/1       4/2/1
11   5/3/1       4/2/1
12   6/4/1       4/2/1
13   6/4/2       5/2/1
14   6/4/2       5/2/1
15   6/5/2       5/3/1
16   6/5/3       5/3/1
17   6/5/3       6/3/1
18   6/6/3       6/3/1
19   6/6/4       6/4/2
20   6/6/4       6/4/2

[/sblock] They look better that way. Humor me, I'm picky about reading charts on message boards. I figure that if I'm going to format it for myself to read, why not share that easy format?

It looks quite fine to me. I take it that this is a Major bloodline, and that the silly name "sorcerous bloodline" would be replaced by whatever subrace name you come up with. After all, "Sorcerer" is not a race of creature.

Correct, and thank you for making it look right.

 

[szilard]

Okay, how about this:

Eldritch Human Racial Traits
• Medium: As Medium creatures, humans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Human base land speed is 30 feet.
• 1 extra feat at 1st level.
• 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level.
• Innate Spellcasting: All eldritch humans can cast arcane spells as a Sorcerer equal to one quarter of their hit dice (minimum Sor 1). These innate Sorcerer levels are separate from any Sorcerer levels taken as class levels.
• Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic). See the Speak Language skill.
• Favored Class: Any. When determining whether a multiclass human takes an experience point penalty, his or her highest-level class does not count.
• Level Adjustment: +?

That's what I want, just a level adjustment. I think +1 or +2 is enough. After all, even by 20th level they'll only have 2nd level spells.

What do you all think?

"All eldritch humans can cast arcane spells as a Sorcerer equal to one quarter of their hit dice (minimum Sor 1)."

So a 7th level character would cast as a Sorcerer 1? I suspect you meant to say "round up."

Assuming that:

HD Effective Sorcerer Level
1-4 1
5-8 2
9-12 3
13-16 4
17-20 5


You could just set the LA = to the effective sorcerer level. Honestly, though, that is probably too high. The fact that a 20th level Barbarian can cast spells as a 5th level sorcerer doesn't necessarily make him as powerful as a 25th level character.

Also, is spell ability capped by Charisma? (It should be.) Does a high Charisma give bonus spells as normal?

I'd probably set LA = 2/3 Effective Sorcerer Level (rounded up) or somesuch.


"These innate Sorcerer levels are separate from any Sorcerer levels taken as class levels."

- I would have them stack, for the sake of simplicity.

-Stuart

 

[justinsluder]

*slams head against desk*

Yes, that's what I mean. But I still don't want them to stack. Simplicity is nice and all, but not for my world in this situation.

 

[Machiavelli]

If these levels stack with sorcerer levels, then woe to they who face a 20th-level eldritch sorcerer!

The intent, as I understand it, is to infuse a potentially very physical race with a measure of innate magical ability, not to create an uber-sorcerer. Non-stacking abilities would work very well to this end.

 

[brehobit]

I'm thinking about adding a human subrace which can cast spells as a sorcerer, yet still have all the normal human racial qualities.

I can decide on the total power of such a race, depending on which variant I decide to use.

My options are:
1. Cast spells as a Sorcerer equal to Hit Dice.
2. Cast spells as a 1st level Sorcerer.
3. Cast spells as a Sorcerer equal to 1/4 Hit Dice.

1. Most folks agree that a Gestalt is about a +2 or +3 LA. I'd call #1 +3 and be happy.
2. It would be a weak +1LA. I'd toss something else in too. Maybe +2 CHR or something. I mean you could take 1 level of sorc and get the hit points and skill points...
3. Rounding up? I'd say +1 LA if you cap it at 5th level (so no epic craziness) As a PC race this would perhaps break some PrCs, so you might want to restrict that.

Mark

 

[Darklone]

Duh. Simply make them Duskblades with full sorcerer spell list!

You're the DM, you'll have to handle them. Do it and enjoy.

 

[justinsluder]

Yes, to add magical skill to a small percentage of the human populace is my goal. Even those who choose to channel magic as their "career" by taking actual levels of Sorcerer would only be as powerful as normal, just have a second set of Sorcerer spells/day and spells/known which they could cast each day.

Also, as Mark mentioned, their innate Sorcerer spells wouldn't be usable for PrC and feats (except feats made for them).

 

[Quartz]

I'm thinking about adding a human subrace which can cast spells as a sorcerer, yet still have all the normal human racial qualities.

I can decide on the total power of such a race, depending on which variant I decide to use.

My options are:
1. Cast spells as a Sorcerer equal to Hit Dice.
2. Cast spells as a 1st level Sorcerer.
3. Cast spells as a Sorcerer equal to 1/4 Hit Dice.

#1 is Gestalt. Either run a Gestalt game or ban it.
#2 makes a 1st level character just about a 2nd level character so LA +1.
#3 is better than #2 so LA +2 (but barely). Remember that at L16+ the character wll have access to those juicy buff spells.

Just a suggestion, but you might want to follow the half-celestial / half-fiend templates and allow characters access at different levels to abilities that follow a theme (e.g. Fire would give you Burning Hands at L1 and Meteor Swarm at L18).

 

[kenobi65]

Remember that at L16+ the character wll have access to those juicy buff spells.

True, though, at that level, in many campaigns, the character and his allies will very likely own stat-enhancement items for their primary stats that are at least as good as the +4 bonus from the buff spells.

And, until level 20, the character will know a grand total of one 2nd-level spell.

I think it's a very useful power at low levels, and would become close to useless at the mid-to-high levels.

LA+1 at least, but strikes me as a pretty weak LA+2