Kercpa

[CRGreathouse]

So you want -8 to major physical abilities, to counter only +4 to a major physical ability?

Yes, as you can see. The creature's Tiny - how strong do you think it should be? I think Str 5 is actually a little too good for a typical ("peasant") member of the race - picture a little squirel lifting 25 pounds over its head.

The +4 Dex is also realistic, though a good case could be made for the realism of anything from +0 to +6. I chose +4 for balance reasons. As a Tiny creature, combat isn't particularly workable - the best weapon that can be finessed deals 1d2 points of damage, and you don't threaten an area (so being a rogue is severely weakened).

Really, no matter how you argue, combat with "normal"-size creatures isn't this race's strength. Thus, I chose spellcasting. Isn't 3E great? No more racial class restrictions means that dwarf wizards are possible!

 

[CRGreathouse]

Check out Monte's article on ECLs:
http://www.montecook.com/arch_dmonly11.html

 

[Angel]

Yes, as you can see. The creature's Tiny - how strong do you think it should be? I think Str 5 is actually a little too good for a typical ("peasant") member of the race - picture a little squirel lifting 25 pounds over its head.

The +4 Dex is also realistic, though a good case could be made for the realism of anything from +0 to +6. I chose +4 for balance reasons. As a Tiny creature, combat isn't particularly workable - the best weapon that can be finessed deals 1d2 points of damage, and you don't threaten an area (so being a rogue is severely weakened).

Really, no matter how you argue, combat with "normal"-size creatures isn't this race's strength. Thus, I chose spellcasting. Isn't 3E great? No more racial class restrictions means that dwarf wizards are possible!

The average Str we've been using is 3, actually, not 5. My cleric only has a light load of 6 lb. "-8" to Str is a very heavy consideration, in more ways than just combat.

No, combat isn't particularly workable. You're just pointing out more of the downsides to being Tiny. Thank you.

No more racial class restrictions doesn't mean you should completely dump racial tendencies. There may be dwarf wizards now, but no one would certainly think wizard should be the dwarven prefered class. Kercpa just do NOT have a precident for a large quantity of spellcasters. RANGER I might be able to see, going by the pictures we've seen of them in action. Plus, again, they don't use fire magic, as a cultural taboo. That kicks the crap out of 'spell combat', unless you have access to Tomb & Blood, and blow a feat on Energy Substitution. ..which would hobble sorcerers, actually, as they cast metamagic as a full-round action.

 

[CRGreathouse]

How effective do you think a kerpaca ranger would be with Str 3 and Reach 0 wielding two 1d2 damage weapons? Two attacks at a single point of damage each isn't that impressive - if I wanted to deal one point of damage, I'd use a halfling monk with Rapid Shot shuriken.

 

[drowdude]

If anyone is interested, this is the conversion of the Kercpa that I did a few months back...

_________________________________________

Kercpa

Tiny Monstrous Humanoids

Hit Dice: 1/2 d8 (2 hp)

Initiative: +8 (Dex, +4 Imp Init)

Speed: 20', Climb 40'

AC: 16 (+2 size, +4 Dex)

Attack/Damage: tiny kercpa bow - +5 (+3/+3)/ 1d3
within 30' ------ +6 (+4/+4)/ 1d3+1
or tiny shortsword - -3/1d3-4

Face/Reach: 2 1/2' x 2 1/2' / 0'

Special Attack: none

Special Qualities: Scent; +2 to all saves; Dodge Missiles; Low-Light Vision
[Dodge Missiles (Ex): opposed Reflex save versus opponents attack roll to
dodge incoming missiles; Kercpa can dodge no more than 2 missiles per rnd
in this way.]

Saves: Fort +2, Ref +8, Will +5

Abilities: Str 03, Dex 19, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10
[adjustments: -8 Str, +8 Dex, +2 Wis]

Skills: Balance +8, Climb +12, Craft (bowyer/fletcher) +2, Hide +20 (includes Size bonus), Intuit Direction +3, Jump +10, Listen +5, Move Silently +10, Spot +5, & Wilderness Lore +5
Auto.-Languages: Kercpa, Sylvan, & Elvish.
[racial bonuses: +8 to climb, +4 to balance, hide, jump, & move silently; Kercpa may also use their Dex bonus for Climb & Jump skill checks rather than their Str.]

Feats: Improved Initiative
[bonus featsAlertness, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, MWP (Kercpa Bow)
____________________________

Climate/Terrain: Temperate & warm forests

Organization: gang (2-4), band (6-11), or tribe (20-80)

Challenge Rating: 1/2 (ECL +2)

Treasure:

Alignment: Any non-evil + non-lawful

Advancement: By character class [favored class: ranger*]



A sub-race of Kercpa exists that the capacity to glide as a flying squirrel
does. Add "Glide 30'" to the speed entry. However these Kercpa tend to be
a bit more fragile and have their Con reduced to 09 (-2 racial adjustment).

* IMC the favored class will be Shaman I think

 

[Angel]

How effective do you think a kerpaca ranger would be with Str 3 and Reach 0 wielding two 1d2 damage weapons? Two attacks at a single point of damage each isn't that impressive - if I wanted to deal one point of damage, I'd use a halfling monk with Rapid Shot shuriken.

He wouldn't be very effective in COMBAT, but then, a kercpa will NEVER be very effective in combat. The point is that Ranger is a lot closer to the race's history and flavor. Why are you trying to min-max so much, rather than keeping with the initial flavor of the species? The RACE matters.. not the NUMBERS.

 

[CRGreathouse]

The RACE matters.. not the NUMBERS.

I agree, but my focus is realism. Why would a race focus on something it's bad at?

It would be as if I created a race based on combining the features of gnomes and halflings and made their favored class barbarian. Why would a race with -2 Str and the inability to wield Large weapons have barbarian as a favored class?

The favored class of a race is what that race in particular is good at. Making it otherwise destroys verisimilitude - like if a DM changed the favored class of half-orc to sorcerer. Sure, half-orcs can be sorcerers, but there's no reason that their racde would focus on it, as they are at a disadvantage in sorcery. Kerpaca fighters or rangers would be much worse.

 

[Angel]

Um... we're not trying to 'create' Kercpa.. we're trying to CONVERT them.


You wouldn't make sorcerer the prefered class for Half-orc not because they'd be bad at it, but because they just historicaly AREN'T delvers in the arcane.


Favored Class should not be relevant to how said class min-maxes with said race. Or rather, you should not try to convert a race with the INTENTION of min-maxing it to a specific class.

 

[CRGreathouse]

Favored Class should not be relevant to how said class min-maxes with said race. Or rather, you should not try to convert a race with the INTENTION of min-maxing it to a specific class.

"Intention of min-maxing"? I think you have it quite backward. Look at the stats and find what class would take advantage of its charactaristics in the most munchkin, most min/max way possible. This is the basis for the ECL - not the favored class.

Once it's balanced for the worse-case scenario, the favored class should be set in such a way that it is a *workable* class for that race.

Since there were no favored classes in 2E, I think we have some liscense to choose freely.

If you don't think sorcerer is a good choice, that's fine... The favored class, though, should fit the race itself.

 

[drowdude]

Ranger certainly does fit the race best in a straight conversion. That is why I included that as the favored class in my conversion.


That said, CGreathouse's suggestion of Sorcerer is much more sound from a game mechanics/race survivability point of view. I also feel that the race could have sorcerer as it's favored class and loose little of it's "feel". They would just have to avoid fire spells.


Actually, I really wanted to make their favored class Shaman (from OA) but I didnt want to stretch that far from the core rules