Just got Races of Stone

[johnsemlak]

I will do the best I can without the book in front of me. I basically it uses the same concept as the Planar Substitution levels from the Planar Handbook. At certain levels, if there is a substitution level available for that race and class you can choose to give up the listed class ability from the PHB for an alternate ability. The substitution option is designed to allow you to tailor some of the core classes to a variant that is more appropriate for the race and make you slightly more powerful in a specific area that the race is supposed to be good at.

For example, If I remember correctly, the dwarf cleric swaps out the ability to turn undead and d8 HD for d10 HD and the ability to Smite Giants. The implication is that dwarven clerics tend to battle giants more than they battle undead so the option allows you to tailor your cleric to be more of a prototypical dwarven cleric.

The fighter swaps out bonus feats at the listed levels for bigger HD at those levels (d12) and abilities to get more effectiveness out of heavy armor (reduce armor check penalties and increase overall AC while in heavy armor if I remember correctly). At first level he swaps out his bonus feat and gains Axe Focus or something like that which counts as the Weapon Focus feat for all of the listed axe types (so it gives you the benefit of multiple Weapon Focus feats all wrapped up in one).

The dwarf sorcerer swaps out d4 HD and the "spell known" he would gain at the specified levels for a higher HD (d6), the ability to functionally draw power from the earth to metamagic spells (empower is the one I specifically remember), give himself a little DR and some other abilities that I can't remember right now.

I didn't look closely at the gnome substitution stuff (for the Bard and the Illusionist) but they tended to be geared to making illusions better. I don't really remember the goliath stuff at all. I will however check my books and reply in more detail when I get back home this afternoon.

Tzarevitch

This is a really awesome concept IMO. It's exactly a direction I have been looking for. Give each class/race combo a particular feel.

 

[buzzard]

I picked this up Saturday. I've given it a cursory examination, and am currently doing the in-depth read at the moment. It seems pretty good.

The Dwarven section is pretty good, but it seems like they decided to rebel against dwarves being greedy and made them into socialists. A bit uncharacteristic IMHO, but I don't have to use it.

I'm not so sure I like the way that Bards being the perferred class for gnomes has been wrapped into their whole culture however. The book does everything short of flat-out out stating that gone wizards are looked down upon by their communities.

The prestige classes are OK, the feats are pretty good though. I like the various fighter improving feats, not all of which are racially restricted. The new equipment is also pretty good. The new armor types are good.

Overall I don't feel bad about spending the money. I just need to know when LG will allow the stuff.

buzzard

 

[Gez]

Yeah, gnomish bard is a weird choice. If anything, the elves would have been a better fit, for the bard class melds spellcasting, swordfight, and art together. With gnomes and their innate spells (3.O)/spell-like abilities (3.5) becoming wizards.

It would have made much more sense. I guess that's what rule-0 is for.

 

[IanB]

Since we have one of the authors posting here, I was wondering what the rationale was for revising the dwarf and gnome pantheons so much? Purely a question of academic interest, as I don't use the racial pantheons in my game. Just always interested to see what the design objectives are behind the removal of what may or may not be a sacred cow for particular gamers.

 

[Michelle Lyons]

Well, while I had some input into the pantheons, I wasn't the one who designed them specifically. Basically, my understanding is that they wanted pantheons that weren't already tied to a specific campaign setting, that had some depth to them, and that could be used to explore some of the themes presented for that race.

I personally really like them. I think in many ways they have a versimilitude that has been lacking in the demihuman pantheons at times. As I see it, by keeping some of the old and adding some new ones (but also keeping it not too heavily tied to culture as a whole) it lets the GM decide who will be present and who won't be. Moradin and Garl are still there, so they keep the same foundation, but then we got to explore some new directions as well.

To answer someone else, I hadn't actually considered the dwarves as socialists, though that's an interesting interpretation. And as far as the gnomes and their relationship with magic is concerned, there is some internal and social conflict there. It's not enough that it should necessarily show up in every game for every wizard, but it's enough to allow a player to use that to add a slight twist to their character if they want. Conflict creates story, after all.

Mostly, what I tried to do is take the races as they were given and extrapolate what sorts of cultures and views might spring naturally from this. I don't expect that everyone will adopt it wholesale (or at least I'd be really surprised if that were the case), but hopefully there will be bits and pieces that GMs and players can draw upon in their own games to add some color and dramatic flair.

 

[Tzarevitch]

This sounds particularly intriguing. Can you give us some details?

Here are some more details without revealing too much. Each race gets 3 classes and 3 substitution levels per class. Oops, the gnome bard gets 4 substitution levels.

Dwarves gain a HD 1 size larger and Knowledge (Dungeoneering) for their class substitution levels.
Dwarf Cleric: gets the ability to smite giants, kinda specialize in warhammer hammer use, and power up their spells of the Earth domain.
Dwarf Fighter: gets functional weapon focus in 6 weapons all wrapped in one, bonuses to damage vs. orcs, goblinoids and giants, and the ability to squeeze even more AC bonuses out of heavy armor.
Dwarf Sorcerer: can draw on the power of the earth to give himself a small DR and Alertness, the effective benefit of the extend feat AND spell focus if he and his target are touching the ground. He can also rest and meditate on the ground and add his Con bonus to his Cha bonus for the purpose of determining his bonus spells for the day.

Gnomes gain - Bard: The ability to add some spells to his spells known, counter fear, grant bonuses to resist illusions and mind effecting effects, and produce mind effecting illusions by song.
Gnome wizard (illusionist only): gains the ability make his illusions last longer without concentration and make his illusions resistant to spells and abilities that see through illusions (so it can resist detection by True Seeing and similar effects).
Gnome ranger gains additional favored enemy bonuses, a burrowing animal companion that he can talk to at will and the ability to add some illusion spells to his ranger spell list.

Goliath Barbarians gain: the ability to get Large when they rage, light fortification as an extraordinary ability, and an adamantine DR.
Goliath Druids gain: improved ability to summon creatures of the elemental (earth) type, the ability to empower his animal companion with the power of earth making it stronger and tougher and giving it a burrow speed, and the ability to wildshape into an earth elemental earlier than normal.
Goliath Rogues gain: +4 to fortitude saves and the Mettle ability vs fortitude effects, bonuses to Knowledge (nature) and Survival, and light fortification.

Note these abilities do not all come in at once and you do have to give up some normal class abilities to get them. (Fighters normally give up their bonus feat at certain levels, rogues tend to give up trap sense or something, spellcasters tend to give up a spell known at certain levels etc.) Some are very low level, some are very high level.

I hope this teaser is enough to convince people to buy the book. I am not going to be more precise than this because I would like people to buy it and reward WoTC and the authors for a job well done.

Tzarevitch

 

[Gez]

I do not like the level substitution mechanism, but those can make nifty racial feats.

 

[johnsemlak]

I do not like the level substitution mechanism, but those can make nifty racial feats.

I'm not sure if I like the particular mechanics (I'll have a look when I get the book) but I love the idea. I have always thought a Dwarf cleric should be substantially different than a Human one, for example.

 

[Li Shenron]

I do not like the level substitution mechanism, but those can make nifty racial feats.

Total agreement. What I have heard so far could have been done just by simply swapping a class feature with something equivalent.

 

[glass]

I do not like the level substitution mechanism...

Total agreement. What I have heard so far could have been done just by simply swapping a class feature with something equivalent.

Isn't swapping class features for something equivalent exactly what substitution levels do so?

glass.