OA 3.5 - Vanara racial mods, Shugenja and Shaman

[Snoweel]

I might be reading this wrong, but the 3.5 update for Oriental Adventures (found in Dragon magazine from a few months back) states that the Vanara no longer has racial mods (formerly STR -2, INT +2, WIS +2).

Anybody here know the reason for this, or care to hazard an educated guess?

On another note, how do you guys feel about the new Shugenja and Spirit Shaman from Complete Divine, compared with the 3.0 OA versions?

 

[Tarril Wolfeye]

They made the Vanare lose his racial mods because they don't want to have a race with bonuses to mental ability scores that doesn't have a level adjustment. (I don't agree. Even with the old version of Vanaras the casters in my OA campaign were Nezumi, Humans, Hengeyokai and a Gaijin Gnome)

I like the new Shugenja as it fits even better in my Homebrew OA campaign. The Sprit Shaman is not like the OA shaman, and I use both.

 

[Kalanyr]

My Guess is that it defies the rule that any bonus to anything is worth at least an equal penalty to something else to be balanced. ie +2 Str -2 Int -2 Wis is balanced but -2 Str +2 Int +2 Wis isn't.

 

[Snoweel]

They made the Vanare lose his racial mods because they don't want to have a race with bonuses to mental ability scores that doesn't have a level adjustment.

Is this a guess or you've heard/read it somewhere?

And do INT/WIS/CHA bonuses make a race a superior choice for a primary spellcaster than human?

 

[Alzrius]

They made the Vanare lose his racial mods because they don't want to have a race with bonuses to mental ability scores that doesn't have a level adjustment.

I also want to know where you heard this, since it doesn't seem right. The Gray Elf subtype (MM page 104) has a +2 Int bonus and it doesn't require an LA.

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

But the Blue from XPH has a +2 Int and is +1 LA.

 

[Alzrius]

But the Blue from XPH has a +2 Int and is +1 LA.

That's currently something in debate, since the PC info section has it being +1 LA, but the stat table lists, as the bottom, LA +0.

 

[Felon]

Well, for one thing the vanara has a climb speed, which is on the cusp of being worth a level adjustment right there.

They made the Vanare lose his racial mods because they don't want to have a race with bonuses to mental ability scores that doesn't have a level adjustment.

More specifically, the designers only seem comfortable handing out Dex and Con bonuses to LA0 races.

(I don't agree. Even with the old version of Vanaras the casters in my OA campaign were Nezumi, Humans, Hengeyokai and a Gaijin Gnome)

Well, it's safe to say the vanara was highly optimized to be an Int or Wis-based caster. Of course, not everyone makes optimal choices.