Making Another Homebrew Race

[Oversquid]

Ok well four things

+2 NA, fey type, and powerful build is a little much for a LA+0.
Definitely cut the NA to +1, or out entirely.

I want to keep the NA and all that like it is, though I'll insert another penalty, and see what you think.

I'm a little confused on the good berry ability, do they have to feed 8 hours to use the ability every day? or do they feed on sunday and provide berries through saturday (or whatever 7 day cycle your world uses).

Every day, a Treeling needs to root themselves into the ground for 8 hours. In that time, a Treeling both eats and rests. During this time, they grow 2d4 fruits. After they are done feeding, the fruits are mature and ready to eat by others. A Treeling can be a breakfast monger.

The fey typing and plant thing are a little weird, assuming you don't ditch the fey bit entire, what i'd suggest is that you say: Spells affect treelings as if they were plant creatures.

Not exactly, Treelings are effected by spells that specifically target plants.

Also given the tree like build you may wanna go with that skill penalty suggestion too.

I plan on it.

 

[Oversquid]

A score bonus should reflect something that applies to the races function in all areas. Just because creature gets along well with it's own kind doesn't mean it's charismatic when forced into a group of races it isn't familiar with. I'm pretty sure Dwarves get along with eachother. Even if it doesn't have strength in muscle, what you just described as it's "sturdiness" would translate into a bonus to strength, or CON. In fact, a lot of races with a CON bonus describe the reasoning for it as "sturdiness."

A Treeling can adapt to other social environs though, its just that they often don't care to leave their forests as they already like it there.

And yes, the CON does make sense too, infact, I had a racial trait here before I abolished it that said that a Treeling gets +1 more bonus Hitpoint per HD. Would you reckon be bringing this back would wildly unbalance this?

 

[xigbar]

A Treeling can adapt to other social environs though, its just that they often don't care to leave their forests as they already like it there.

And yes, the CON does make sense too, infact, I had a racial trait here before I abolished it that said that a Treeling gets +1 more bonus Hitpoint per HD. Would you reckon be bringing this back would wildly unbalance this?

If the treelings can adapt to other social environments, then you should include a more unusual and specific reason as to why this is. So far, what I see, based on physiology, is a race with a tough bark-like skin, and sturdy structure. There is nothing indicating to me that this race should be charismatic. Everything scream STR and CON to me, a penalty to DEX, and probably a mental stat to round it out. Natural Armor and Powerful Build are tough to balance out. Overall, I think a race should have just slightly more advantages than disadvantages, so I'd try to balance out Powerful Build first; The skill penalties are a start, and make sense. I might also include something in the way of the opposite of light sensitivity, so that they can't spend too much time indoors, and such. Natural Armor could just be that slight advantage, in my opinion.

 

[kitcik]

I see it fine as an LA +0 race.

What class / build would (automatically) take this as a race in a wide open 3.5 game? I can't think of one. In that case, it is probably balanced.

 

[Oversquid]

If the treelings can adapt to other social environments, then you should include a more unusual and specific reason as to why this is. So far, what I see, based on physiology, is a race with a tough bark-like skin, and sturdy structure. There is nothing indicating to me that this race should be charismatic. Everything scream STR and CON to me, a penalty to DEX, and probably a mental stat to round it out. Natural Armor and Powerful Build are tough to balance out. Overall, I think a race should have just slightly more advantages than disadvantages, so I'd try to balance out Powerful Build first; The skill penalties are a start, and make sense. I might also include something in the way of the opposite of light sensitivity, so that they can't spend too much time indoors, and such. Natural Armor could just be that slight advantage, in my opinion.

I just added a new trait, being Dense Weight, which should also help to explain the Powerful Build.

And your suggestion of making a Photophillic racial trait is a good idea, but I'll see what you think of what I put in.

Keep criticising!

 

[Rampant]

Ok the problem with dense weight is that it doesn't mean anything.

See weight has nothing to do with size.

A colossal air elemental weighs less than a small earth elemental, and that's not even including incorporeal creatures.

What I'd suggest is giving them a hefty average weight range, maybe yoink from the ogre or the minotaur, treat them as one size category larger for the purpose of wind effects as long as they're on the ground, reduce their speed to 25-20, and increase the amount of damage they take on a fall.

The problem with treating treelings as plants, and not plant creatures is that many spells that affect plants, and not plant creatures, do pretty amazing/nasty things. There are several spells that will slay them out right, what about animate plants? it's already animate, but it's not a plant creature so it's probably a legal target for the spell.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

The problem with treating treelings as plants, and not plant creatures is that many spells that affect plants, and not plant creatures, do pretty amazing/nasty things. There are several spells that will slay them out right, what about animate plants? it's already animate, but it's not a plant creature so it's probably a legal target for the spell.

A few plant spells specifically state "This spell does not affect plant creatures". With that said, not all do.
A thurough research of all the plant-affecting spells should be undertaken to see if there are any obvious abuses with the wording of this race.
'cause, you know, abusing wording to break stuff is what we do.

 

[Oversquid]

Ok the problem with dense weight is that it doesn't mean anything.

See weight has nothing to do with size.

A colossal air elemental weighs less than a small earth elemental, and that's not even including incorporeal creatures.

What I'd suggest is giving them a hefty average weight range, maybe yoink from the ogre or the minotaur, treat them as one size category larger for the purpose of wind effects as long as they're on the ground, reduce their speed to 25-20, and increase the amount of damage they take on a fall.

The problem with treating treelings as plants, and not plant creatures is that many spells that affect plants, and not plant creatures, do pretty amazing/nasty things. There are several spells that will slay them out right, what about animate plants? it's already animate, but it's not a plant creature so it's probably a legal target for the spell.

To address your first point, which is a very good point, is that yes, by the looks of it, there is no weight/size table, which I could have sworn there was. Theres too many tables sometimes. I'll fix that, and go with the other suggestion.

And yes, by Plants, I mean Plant Type creatures, as in animated plants, not grass.

UPDATE: I installed Subterranean Sensitivity in place of Dense Weight.

 

[Rampant]

Honestly I think you'd be better off with reduced speed as a penalty.

Subterranian sensitivity is only a factor in some games, part of the time, your bonuses are bonuses all the time so your penalties should be more generally applicable as well.

 

[xigbar]

Make a plant version of the sentient/living construct type, or whatever the warforged are called.