My New Races Thread (4 races currently)

[DreamChaser]

Of course a +2 Int class is probably the best wizard, just as elves are obviously the best wizards in the core rules and dwarves are the best fighters or barbarians in the core rules.

Elves don't have a bonus to Intelligence and their favored is wizard.
Dwarves don't have a bonus to Strength and their favored is Fighter.

Only one core race has a bonus to their favored classes stat: halflling (which in some peoples opinion makes them too good at being rogues).

The idea of a race that has a bonus in their favored class stat says to the players "you will never be a decent X unless you play race Y" and when you combine that with druidic plant people (syvlani) the issue is hit home even more.

My personal opinon is that there is a golden rule of race creation:
"No race should ever have a bonus in the main stat of their favored class"

DC

 

[DreamChaser]

Basically, if it looks better than it is better and these races are just too powerful to be +0 ECL. I would make the Sylvani get
their +2 AC at 2nd Level of a Sylvani racial class because the bark needs to
harden. The Emrudin might even be a +2 ECL.

I wouldn't go that far. I would simply say that the sylvani favored class is ranger and the emrudin favored class is bard. I would also take away low light vision and give them another penalty (since intelligence affects skills as well).

DC

 

[Kavon]

My personal opinon is that there is a golden rule of race creation:
"No race should ever have a bonus in the main stat of their favored class"

Then how do you justify half-orcs? Throw them out the window?

Half-orcs have +2 Str, favored class: barbarian.
Halflings have +2 Dex, favored class: rogue.
Dwarves have +2 Con, favored class: fighter.

For your golden rule, these three races should have different favored classes.


Anyway, I don't see a problem with how Merlion did it. I'll look into the races in more detail later, since I have to get going right now.

 

[Arkhandus]

Your complaint is not only unfounded, DreamChaser, but absurd in the face of roleplaying and what the favored classes and racial traits represent. Elves have wizard as a favored class because their society is infatuated with the wonder of magic and they naturally gravitate to that study. Half-orcs are naturally strong, not very intelligent, and often grow up amongst savage orcs, so of course they tend to become barbarians more often than not. These Sylvani are naturally inclined towards becoming druids because of their own close connection to the natural world and their way of life. And so on and so forth. People don't tend to take up professions that diverge from what their natural talents are, or what their culture promotes, unless they're forced. Favored classes are only an indicator of what the race gravitates towards more often than not, and thus it is easier for them to practice those trades while also taking up other paths (multiclassing).

Most players won't spring to the odd conclusion that the only way to be a decent X is to be race Y, as you suppose. Are all fighters dwarves? Are all barbarians half-orcs? Are all rogues halflings? Hell no, because players in general aren't that stupid to where they would believe those are the only viable or good ways to play. Even munchkins can find some good combinations with other race/class combinations.

Mental ability score bonuses, even combined with appropriate favored classes, are not at all overpowering. Smart or wise races will not gravitate towards barbaric, chaotic, or brutish classes, they will gravitate towards wizardry or priestly pursuits. In combat, bonuses to mental stats will not aid a caster any more than bonuses to physical stats help a warrior. Woop-de-doo, the caster gets +1 to spell DCs, o shoot, cower in terror of the almighty half-power Spell Focus. But look, the half-orc over there is dishing out more damage with more accuracy and a bigger weapon than everyone else, because he has superior strength. Personally I don't see either as overpowered, they all have their strengths and weaknesses, their benefits and shortcomings.

 

[DreamChaser]

Then how do you justify half-orcs? Throw them out the window?

Half-orcs have +2 Str, favored class: barbarian.
Halflings have +2 Dex, favored class: rogue.
Dwarves have +2 Con, favored class: fighter.

Half orcs: +2 Str FC: Barbarian. The barbarian's rage abilities are based upon Constitution so no bonus.

Dwarves: A fighter might find the +2 Con useful, but so would anyone else. No fighter abilities are based on Constitution.

Halflings: see my above post on this one.

Elves have wizard as a favored class because their society is infatuated with the wonder of magic and they naturally gravitate to that study.

And why then don't they gain a bonus to intelligence? If they spend so much time studying magic (to the point where it is virtually stated that most elves know some magic) why is their bonus in Dex? I'd say its because the ptb felt that a bonus to Intelligence would make anyone who wanted to play a wizard play an elf.

Lets look at this by a list
Dwarf = Con = Fighter
Elf = Dex = Wizard
Gnome = Con = Bard
Halfling = Dex = Rogue
Half-orc = Str = Barbarian

It can be assumed that all classes desire Con for HP and Int for skill points. The following are a break down of the desireable stats for the different classes.
Barbarian = Con (rage ability)+Str (melee)+Dex (AC)+Wis (survival)
Bard = Cha (perform abilities)
Cleric = Wis (spells)+Cha (turn undead)
Druid = Wis (spells)
Fighter = Str (melee)+Dex (ranged+AC)
Monk = Wis (AC)+Str (melee)
Paladin = Cha (most class abilities)+Str (melee)+Wis (spells)
Ranger =Str (melee)+Dex (ranged)+Wis (survival & spells)
Rogue =Dex (skills, ranged, AC)
Sorcerer = Cha (spells) +Int (Spellcraft & knowledge arcana)
Wizard = Int (spells + spellcraft & knowledge)

Especially with Int, Wis, and Cha, an extra +2 in these can be very attractive at 1st level. It can mean the difference between 1 1st level bonus spell and 2 1st level bonus spells (18 vs 20).

Plus, conceptually, I think that I would rather play a race that doesn't seem so pidgen-holed. It is lame, IMHO, to have a race that as soon as you see one you can (with little risk of being wrong) say "That is a member of class X because what sort of moron in that race is going to give up the benefits they gain."

YMMV
DC