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*Pathfinder & Starfinder
Looking at the core races to try and balance new ones - feedback please
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<blockquote data-quote="Nonei" data-source="post: 5119411" data-attributes="member: 88176"><p>Hello folks,</p><p></p><p>I have been working much of today trying to put a weight to the various abilities of the core classes so that I can whip up new races etc while maintaining some sort of balance. I compared different things available with other sources - like feats - as well as some of the MM versions of the core races. I'm not completely satisfied with the way things turned out... </p><p></p><p>I feel like they are in about the right order of strength, but even disregarding the half-orc there is a huge spread. I would love your opinions and critiques on what could/should be adjusted or even how you feel things of the same or different weights compare.</p><p></p><p>edit: adjusted relative value of stats to +60 str, dex, con/+40 rest instead of +80 str/+40 rest</p><p></p><p>Summary of total weights:</p><p>Half-orc: 30</p><p>Gnome: 205</p><p>Halfling: 210</p><p>Half-elf: 190</p><p>Human: 230</p><p>Elf: 230</p><p>Dwarf: 235</p><p></p><p>Here is how I weighted things:</p><p>Each +1 to a skill: 10 (7.5 (round up) for specialized bonus)</p><p>Each +1 to a save: 20 (specialized bonus 15)</p><p></p><p>Listen and spot I count as worth double, and I counted the gnome's bonus to Craft (alchemy) as specialized.</p><p></p><p>5 = 1/day Spell like abilities lvl 0 or 1</p><p>10 = most misc abilities (like the dwarf/gnome weapon familiarity, stability, favored class:any, +1 to attack vs. goblinoids, etc</p><p>20 = low light vision, +1 attack w/ thrown weapons, +4 dodge bonus vs. giants, Dwarf's ability to not slow down in heavy load</p><p>40 = Wis, Int, or Cha +2, base speed +10, Darkvision (60'), immunity to sleep effects, gnome's +1 to save DC of illusions, edit:specific bonus feat</p><p>60 = choice of feat, Str, Dex, or Con +2</p><p>-40 = Stat -2, base speed -10</p><p></p><p>I did not include the racial languages, because I feel that the extra bonus language balances the human's ability to pick from any bonus language.</p><p></p><p>I also did not give small size a weight, because there are some bonuses, and once you look at the penalty to strength/bonus to dex separately the rest evens out (feel free to disagree <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> )</p><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px">So the core races look like this:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"></span><u><strong>Half-orc</strong></u></p><p>-20 - +2 Str, -2 Int, -2 Cha (+60, -40, -40)</p><p>+10 - Orc blood</p><p>+40 - DV 60'</p><p>=30</p><p></p><p><u><strong>Half-Elf</strong></u></p><p>+20 - low light</p><p>+40 - +1 listen, +1 spot</p><p>+10 - +1 search</p><p>+40 - +2 x2 other skills</p><p>+10 - favored class:any</p><p>+10 - elf blood</p><p>+20 - +2 vs enchantment</p><p>+40 - immune to sleep effects</p><p>=190</p><p></p><p><u><strong>Gnome</strong></u></p><p>+0 - +2 con, -2 str (edit:+60, -60)</p><p>+20 - low light</p><p>+10 - gnome hooked hammer</p><p>+30 - +2 save vs illusions</p><p>+40 - +1 save DC vs illusions</p><p>+10 - +1 attack vs. goblinoids</p><p>+20 - +4 dodge bonus vs. giants</p><p>+40 - +2 listen</p><p>+15 - +2 craft (alchemy)</p><p>+20 - 4x spell like ability (lvls 0,1)</p><p>=205</p><p></p><p><u><strong>Halfling</strong></u></p><p>+0 - -2 Str, +2 Dex (-60, +60)</p><p>+40 - +2 listen</p><p>+60 - +2 x3 other skills</p><p>+20 - +1 attack w/ thrown weapons</p><p>+30 - +2 save vs fear</p><p>+60 - +1 to each save</p><p>=210</p><p></p><p><u><strong>Human</strong></u></p><p>+60 = free feat</p><p>+160 = 4 free skill points +1/lvl (counted to lvl 5, but also counted double like listen/spot as they can be placed in the most beneficial area so (4+4)*10*2 = 160)</p><p>+10 - favored class (any)</p><p>=230</p><p></p><p><u><strong>Elf</strong></u></p><p>+0 - +2 dex, -2 con (+60, -60)</p><p>+40 - immune to sleep effects</p><p>+30 - +2 vs enchantment</p><p>+20 - low light</p><p>+40 - automatic prof with longsword, rapiers, bows</p><p>+80 - +2 listen, +2 to spot</p><p>+20 - +2 to another skill</p><p>=230</p><p></p><p><u><strong>Dwarf</strong></u></p><p>+20 - +2 con, -2 cha (+60, -40)</p><p>-40 - -10' movement</p><p>+20 - Heavy load doesn't slow</p><p>+40 - Darkvision 60'</p><p>+10 - dwarven weapon familiarity</p><p>+10 - Stable (+4 vs. bullrush, trip)</p><p>+30 - +2 vs. poisons</p><p>+60 - +2 vs spells (I calc it as specialized bonus to each save)</p><p>+10 - +1 attack vs. goblinoids</p><p>+20 - +4 dodge bonus vs. giants</p><p>+45 - +2 specialized bonuses to 3 skills</p><p>=235</p><p></p><p>If you reach here: Thank you for looking through it!! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>Edit: I was just looking through these again, and I realized that they would all (excluding half-orc) be around the same 'value' if:</p><p>Gnomes got -2 Cha instead of -2 strength</p><p>Halflings got +10' movement (for 30' movement total)</p><p>Half-elves got +2 bonus skill points at first level (from their mom's side <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> )</p><p></p><p>I think all those would preserve the flavor of the races, but would they be balanced? Or are they more balanced the original way?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nonei, post: 5119411, member: 88176"] Hello folks, I have been working much of today trying to put a weight to the various abilities of the core classes so that I can whip up new races etc while maintaining some sort of balance. I compared different things available with other sources - like feats - as well as some of the MM versions of the core races. I'm not completely satisfied with the way things turned out... I feel like they are in about the right order of strength, but even disregarding the half-orc there is a huge spread. I would love your opinions and critiques on what could/should be adjusted or even how you feel things of the same or different weights compare. edit: adjusted relative value of stats to +60 str, dex, con/+40 rest instead of +80 str/+40 rest Summary of total weights: Half-orc: 30 Gnome: 205 Halfling: 210 Half-elf: 190 Human: 230 Elf: 230 Dwarf: 235 Here is how I weighted things: Each +1 to a skill: 10 (7.5 (round up) for specialized bonus) Each +1 to a save: 20 (specialized bonus 15) Listen and spot I count as worth double, and I counted the gnome's bonus to Craft (alchemy) as specialized. 5 = 1/day Spell like abilities lvl 0 or 1 10 = most misc abilities (like the dwarf/gnome weapon familiarity, stability, favored class:any, +1 to attack vs. goblinoids, etc 20 = low light vision, +1 attack w/ thrown weapons, +4 dodge bonus vs. giants, Dwarf's ability to not slow down in heavy load 40 = Wis, Int, or Cha +2, base speed +10, Darkvision (60'), immunity to sleep effects, gnome's +1 to save DC of illusions, edit:specific bonus feat 60 = choice of feat, Str, Dex, or Con +2 -40 = Stat -2, base speed -10 I did not include the racial languages, because I feel that the extra bonus language balances the human's ability to pick from any bonus language. I also did not give small size a weight, because there are some bonuses, and once you look at the penalty to strength/bonus to dex separately the rest evens out (feel free to disagree :) ) [SIZE=3]So the core races look like this: [/SIZE][U][B]Half-orc[/B][/U] -20 - +2 Str, -2 Int, -2 Cha (+60, -40, -40) +10 - Orc blood +40 - DV 60' =30 [U][B]Half-Elf[/B][/U] +20 - low light +40 - +1 listen, +1 spot +10 - +1 search +40 - +2 x2 other skills +10 - favored class:any +10 - elf blood +20 - +2 vs enchantment +40 - immune to sleep effects =190 [U][B]Gnome[/B][/U] +0 - +2 con, -2 str (edit:+60, -60) +20 - low light +10 - gnome hooked hammer +30 - +2 save vs illusions +40 - +1 save DC vs illusions +10 - +1 attack vs. goblinoids +20 - +4 dodge bonus vs. giants +40 - +2 listen +15 - +2 craft (alchemy) +20 - 4x spell like ability (lvls 0,1) =205 [U][B]Halfling[/B][/U] +0 - -2 Str, +2 Dex (-60, +60) +40 - +2 listen +60 - +2 x3 other skills +20 - +1 attack w/ thrown weapons +30 - +2 save vs fear +60 - +1 to each save =210 [U][B]Human[/B][/U] +60 = free feat +160 = 4 free skill points +1/lvl (counted to lvl 5, but also counted double like listen/spot as they can be placed in the most beneficial area so (4+4)*10*2 = 160) +10 - favored class (any) =230 [U][B]Elf[/B][/U] +0 - +2 dex, -2 con (+60, -60) +40 - immune to sleep effects +30 - +2 vs enchantment +20 - low light +40 - automatic prof with longsword, rapiers, bows +80 - +2 listen, +2 to spot +20 - +2 to another skill =230 [U][B]Dwarf[/B][/U] +20 - +2 con, -2 cha (+60, -40) -40 - -10' movement +20 - Heavy load doesn't slow +40 - Darkvision 60' +10 - dwarven weapon familiarity +10 - Stable (+4 vs. bullrush, trip) +30 - +2 vs. poisons +60 - +2 vs spells (I calc it as specialized bonus to each save) +10 - +1 attack vs. goblinoids +20 - +4 dodge bonus vs. giants +45 - +2 specialized bonuses to 3 skills =235 If you reach here: Thank you for looking through it!! :) Edit: I was just looking through these again, and I realized that they would all (excluding half-orc) be around the same 'value' if: Gnomes got -2 Cha instead of -2 strength Halflings got +10' movement (for 30' movement total) Half-elves got +2 bonus skill points at first level (from their mom's side :) ) I think all those would preserve the flavor of the races, but would they be balanced? Or are they more balanced the original way? [/QUOTE]
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