Idea: Racial Abilities Instead Of Classes?

[Diamond Cross]

My basic idea is instead of having classes such as fighter, sorcerer etc, is to have a race that has special abilities. For example:

Seranians
Core race: Human
Core ability: Healing

1st: lay on hands (as Paladin ability), Heal (Wis) +2
2nd: Fast heal 1
3rd: Cure light wounds
4th: Cure Moderate Wounds, Heal (Wis) +3
5th: Cure Disease

So on and so forth.

This is a basic working idea, so what do you think?

 

[Asmor]

I think this belongs in House Rules. I'm sure a friendly mod'll come by and move it soon enough.

Not really something I'd be interested in. Simplest thing to do if you wanted to go this direction is just turn the classes into races.

For example, The stout, robust Fvards are statted as dwarven fighters. The lithe, magical Vlen are statted as elvish wizards.

 

[Gez]

My basic idea is instead of having classes such as fighter, sorcerer etc, is to have a race that has special abilities. For example:

Seranians
Core race: Human
Core ability: Healing

Alright. The implication is that people could be, at best, biclassed (for metis characters, I suppose) and that free-form multiclassing would be impossible.

Otherwise, it's exactly equivalent, mechanically-speaking, to having many classes which all are exclusive to a single race -- your Seranians could be instead "healers" and the class be restricted to humans, bringing back the 2e racial limitations, in a more hardcore way.


Now, that's the rulesy-stuff. For the setting, it would have strange implications -- the world would have to be cosmopolitan as each little racial community, if closed to outsiders, would be highly specialized in one domain and lacking in all others.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Actually, this isn't all that different from the Savage Species Monster Classes, CompPsi racial classes, or (IMHO, the best version) the Arcana Unearthed/Arcana Evolved (Malhavoc) Racial classes.

In SS, Monster Classes are a way to play a +LA adjusted race at 1st level without losing game balance. In CompPsi, the same theory is in effect, but handled slightly differently.

In both cases, the PC must take all of the racial class levels.

In AU/AE there is a slightly different rationale. As in the 2 WotC systems, the PC races are given a set of base stats that are diminished from their full-power Monster Manual entries. Unlike the other systems, PCs need never take the additonal levels- those additional levels represent a certain potential that never needs to be realized, like person choosing between pro sports or going to law school.

Also unlike the WotC systems, the racial levels in AU/AE have full HD, BAB adjustments, and saving throw adjustments.

Like PrCls, none of them incur favored class penalties.

IOW, yes, this idea can work, and quite well!

The real tricks are to make sure your base racial stats aren't too juicy and your racial classes are balanced against normal character classes.