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Making Another Homebrew Race
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<blockquote data-quote="Arkhandus" data-source="post: 5731942" data-attributes="member: 13966"><p>There's no way this is a +0 LA race.</p><p></p><p>It comes down to their Powerful Build-esque ability, which basically gives them all the advantages of Large size (except reach) with absolutely none of the drawbacks. Sure they lack the Str/Con of a Large creature, but they get to use Large weapons as well as Medium weapons when needed (Large weapons usually do as much or more extra damage as the Weapon Specialization feat for a Medium character, without needing to take that feat for every single weapon). They also get the +4 on grapple checks and the much lower chance of being swallowed whole, grappled, etc. due to the size limits of those abilities. They get to use the cheaper and lighter armor of Medium creatures. They do lack the extra carrying capacity of a large creature, but it's no big deal since they don't need to use the heavier Large armors etc. Half-Giants and Goliaths (IIRC) are +1 LA <em>because</em> of Powerful Build combined with a few other racial traits.</p><p></p><p>Treelings don't need the extra food and water of a large creature; heck, they don't even need food or water because they can spend a little while rooted to the ground once per week to get their nourishment (which, by the way, doesn't say anything about requriring appropriate soil for those purposes; as it is they could root themselves down in a desert or a rocky mountainside or salt flats or a drought-stricken field or frozen tundra and still be nourished). And if they really want to, they can root themselves down once every day to provide the whole party with full nourishment all the time (equivalent to the 3rd-level spell Create Food And Water; the Goodberry spell is only 1st-level because it generally requires the PCs to find fresh berries in the vicinity every day they want to use Goodberry, so it's environmentally limited in when, where, and how often if can be used). I don't particularly have a problem with the Goodberry/rooting-in-place ability, but I feel the need to point out the significant impact of it on some common adventuring hazards/costs.</p><p></p><p>Besides that stuff, the race is otherwise okay. Being a Fey makes them immune to effects like Charm Person, Enlarge Person, Hold Person, Dominate Person, etc. plus it's less likely to be an opposing ranger's Favored Enemy than, say, Humanoid (Human) or Humanoid (Goblinoid) or what-have-you. While the Plant-like trait lessens that minor advantage by making them a little bit more susceptible to rare effects like Horrid Wilting or Command Plants. Low-Light Vision is almost equivalent to a dwarf's darkvision but not quite. They have the speed and unhindered-by-armor/encumbrance capability of dwarves. Their skill bonuses are similar to those of dwarves in value. Their Subterranean Sensitivity and Dexterity penalty are roughly balanced out by their natural armor and Charisma bonus. They lack a dwarf's save bonuses and Stonecunning, but Goodberry and the rooting-in-place-for-nourishment make up for some of their shortcomings.</p><p></p><p>If the Sturdy Body Structure were nerfed somewhat, the Treelings would be about equal to Dwarves as a +0 LA race. I would suggest that it simply be a matter of their height and weight, counting towards grappling/improved grab/swallow whole/etc., but NOT affecting what weapons or other gear they could use. So they'd use Medium-sized weapons and armor and such, since they're not any stronger than humans, just taller and heavier (to the point where their weight slows them down to the pace of dwarves). The grappling etc. advantages of this ability would then just be similar in value to the Improved Grapple feat (though not entirely, but then, Improved Grapple has a cruddy feat as a prerequisite, providing an opportunity cost). Also, this ability ought to give them the Stability quality that dwarves possess, for resisting trip/bull rush attempts more easily given their weight (unless they're top-heavy and thus more easily toppled/unbalanced?).</p><p></p><p>In any case, while the Goodberry ability needs some clarification, I add these minor questions for clarification: can Treelings spend their rooted-down time sleeping when the party camps for the night or whatever, so it doesn't cut into the amount of travel/adventuring they can do each day? How long does it take them to root themselves down, or to uproot themselves (i.e. actions), and do they benefit from greater stability while rooted down? Such as when the party's camp is attacked, and the Treeling suddenly needs to move? Do Treelings count as immobilized while rooted down (and thus more vulnerable)?</p><p></p><p>Why doesn't their Subterranean Sensitivity apply in other situations where they are out of sunlight? Like inside a windowless room (or a room with only narrow windows or the like where hardly any sunlight comes in, for example), or inside an area of magical Darkness/Deeper Darkness, or in a closed tent? What about on the Plane of Shadow, the Plane of Negative Energy, the Astral Plane, the Plane of Water, the Plane of Air, the Plane of Fire, the Plane of Positive Energy, or various demiplanes and Outer Planes where there's no actual sunlight? Or at night anywhere (the moon only reflects so much sunlight, after all, and hardly any on a night of the new moon)? Arguably sunlight reaches the Ethereal Plane just fine, but most other planes have none. How about calling it Sunlight Affinity and having the Dazzled status simply apply whenever the Treeling is not exposed to direct sunlight or in an area otherwise well-lit by sunlight?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Arkhandus, post: 5731942, member: 13966"] There's no way this is a +0 LA race. It comes down to their Powerful Build-esque ability, which basically gives them all the advantages of Large size (except reach) with absolutely none of the drawbacks. Sure they lack the Str/Con of a Large creature, but they get to use Large weapons as well as Medium weapons when needed (Large weapons usually do as much or more extra damage as the Weapon Specialization feat for a Medium character, without needing to take that feat for every single weapon). They also get the +4 on grapple checks and the much lower chance of being swallowed whole, grappled, etc. due to the size limits of those abilities. They get to use the cheaper and lighter armor of Medium creatures. They do lack the extra carrying capacity of a large creature, but it's no big deal since they don't need to use the heavier Large armors etc. Half-Giants and Goliaths (IIRC) are +1 LA [I]because[/I] of Powerful Build combined with a few other racial traits. Treelings don't need the extra food and water of a large creature; heck, they don't even need food or water because they can spend a little while rooted to the ground once per week to get their nourishment (which, by the way, doesn't say anything about requriring appropriate soil for those purposes; as it is they could root themselves down in a desert or a rocky mountainside or salt flats or a drought-stricken field or frozen tundra and still be nourished). And if they really want to, they can root themselves down once every day to provide the whole party with full nourishment all the time (equivalent to the 3rd-level spell Create Food And Water; the Goodberry spell is only 1st-level because it generally requires the PCs to find fresh berries in the vicinity every day they want to use Goodberry, so it's environmentally limited in when, where, and how often if can be used). I don't particularly have a problem with the Goodberry/rooting-in-place ability, but I feel the need to point out the significant impact of it on some common adventuring hazards/costs. Besides that stuff, the race is otherwise okay. Being a Fey makes them immune to effects like Charm Person, Enlarge Person, Hold Person, Dominate Person, etc. plus it's less likely to be an opposing ranger's Favored Enemy than, say, Humanoid (Human) or Humanoid (Goblinoid) or what-have-you. While the Plant-like trait lessens that minor advantage by making them a little bit more susceptible to rare effects like Horrid Wilting or Command Plants. Low-Light Vision is almost equivalent to a dwarf's darkvision but not quite. They have the speed and unhindered-by-armor/encumbrance capability of dwarves. Their skill bonuses are similar to those of dwarves in value. Their Subterranean Sensitivity and Dexterity penalty are roughly balanced out by their natural armor and Charisma bonus. They lack a dwarf's save bonuses and Stonecunning, but Goodberry and the rooting-in-place-for-nourishment make up for some of their shortcomings. If the Sturdy Body Structure were nerfed somewhat, the Treelings would be about equal to Dwarves as a +0 LA race. I would suggest that it simply be a matter of their height and weight, counting towards grappling/improved grab/swallow whole/etc., but NOT affecting what weapons or other gear they could use. So they'd use Medium-sized weapons and armor and such, since they're not any stronger than humans, just taller and heavier (to the point where their weight slows them down to the pace of dwarves). The grappling etc. advantages of this ability would then just be similar in value to the Improved Grapple feat (though not entirely, but then, Improved Grapple has a cruddy feat as a prerequisite, providing an opportunity cost). Also, this ability ought to give them the Stability quality that dwarves possess, for resisting trip/bull rush attempts more easily given their weight (unless they're top-heavy and thus more easily toppled/unbalanced?). In any case, while the Goodberry ability needs some clarification, I add these minor questions for clarification: can Treelings spend their rooted-down time sleeping when the party camps for the night or whatever, so it doesn't cut into the amount of travel/adventuring they can do each day? How long does it take them to root themselves down, or to uproot themselves (i.e. actions), and do they benefit from greater stability while rooted down? Such as when the party's camp is attacked, and the Treeling suddenly needs to move? Do Treelings count as immobilized while rooted down (and thus more vulnerable)? Why doesn't their Subterranean Sensitivity apply in other situations where they are out of sunlight? Like inside a windowless room (or a room with only narrow windows or the like where hardly any sunlight comes in, for example), or inside an area of magical Darkness/Deeper Darkness, or in a closed tent? What about on the Plane of Shadow, the Plane of Negative Energy, the Astral Plane, the Plane of Water, the Plane of Air, the Plane of Fire, the Plane of Positive Energy, or various demiplanes and Outer Planes where there's no actual sunlight? Or at night anywhere (the moon only reflects so much sunlight, after all, and hardly any on a night of the new moon)? Arguably sunlight reaches the Ethereal Plane just fine, but most other planes have none. How about calling it Sunlight Affinity and having the Dazzled status simply apply whenever the Treeling is not exposed to direct sunlight or in an area otherwise well-lit by sunlight? [/QUOTE]
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