Need help for new PC race

[billking]

I've noticed that most of the character classes have two or at least one race that is better than human. For example, elves and halflings both make good rogues, half-orcs and dwarves both make good fighters, etc. However, this is not true for clerics and paladins. Therefore, I was thinking of making a race that had +2 Wis, -2 Int; it seems to me that such a combination would be great for both but scare off rogues and rangers who, although helped by the Wisdom bonus, are too skill-dependent to afford the Intelligence penalty.

What kind of race would have +2 Wis, -2 Int? What other details should I throw in? Help me!

 

[Kamard]

This could be a race with little book smarts or possibility for book smarts, but close ties to the earth and/or a lot of common sense.

I can see a race of anti-technology, primitive philosophers- possibly centaurs of Charon's ilk in mythology?

A race of very faithful but sort of ignorant humanoids, like the Orcs from one of the 2nd edition Monstrous annuals- I can't remember what they were called, but they worshipped a good god as simple farmers.

 

[Crothian]

You could have a biult in theology in the race. Make them a little more fanatical tyhen your normal race. Fanatics all think a like and counter thinking (thinking things that are viewed us bad by the others) is meet with harsh discipline. Using something like this you can give them +2 race bonus to Knowledge Religion (to balance out the -1 the Int penalty gives).

 

[Kamard]

You could make the race very empathic- perhaps they pick up on other individuals auras or mood or what have you.

Give them limited range telepathy like a ghostwise halfling perhaps? Bonuses to Sense Motive, Bluff, or Diplomacy.

Maybe give them some low level psionic powers having to deal with emotions.

I can also picture lizardmen or another druid race with a bonus to wisdom.

 

[WaterRabbit]

Aasimar

The Aasimar have a +2 Wis and +2 Cha and make great clerics and paladins.

However, if you want a good cleric, use +2 Wis, -2 Dex instead.
A good paladin would definitely be +2 Wis, -2 INT.

I agree that you are looking for a race that is intuitive and probably intune with nature.

Humans are fairly good at all classes and probably make the best all around clerics and paladins. The race that should make a good paladin (IMHO) is the dwarves. Unfortunately that -2 CHA penalty is fairly harsh for both paladins and clerics.

None of the humanoid races in the PHB, MM, FRCS, MC:MoF have the stats you are looking for.

The simple suggestion is to make a variant Elf or Gnome race