PC race Moggae

Anyone else care to chime in?

I respect your opinion, Demiurge, but I feel like this version errs on the side of being underpowered. I think that even with a +4 to Int, it would still be balanced at LA +0.

What says the peanut gallery?
 

log in or register to remove this ad

Arbiter of Wyrms said:
Anyone else care to chime in?

I respect your opinion, Demiurge, but I feel like this version errs on the side of being underpowered. I think that even with a +4 to Int, it would still be balanced at LA +0.

What says the peanut gallery?
Now it looks balanced at LA +0. If you increase the Int however, it starts to get iffy again and might warrant a LA +1. But as it is now, it is pretty much equivalent in power to the PHB player races.
 

yes, agreed with the underpowered comment

also it is possible to have a race with say +2 con and nothing else it just wouldn't have much, if anything else.
 

The original version looks fine to me. I estimate approximately 16 feats worth of equivalent power besides the racial hit dice, which is what I'd normally consider a weak or mediocre +2 Level Adjustment. Two humanoid hit dice effectively absorb 1 point of LA (only a blind idiot could possibly consider Humanoid hit dice equivalent to class levels in power, after even just glancing at what Humanoid hit dice give a character), so four humanoid HD effectively absorb the Level Adjustment the race would otherwise require.

Even +6 Int, +2 Wis, and +4 Cha won't overcome the caster level, spells per day, spells known, spell levels, and other class features lost through having to start with 4 racial hit dice. When other PCs are casting Fireball a few times per day, Mr. Mog is casting Magic Missile a few times per day at best. When other PCs are casting Wish, Mr. Mog is casting Summon Monster VII. When other PCs are trying to overcome Spell Resistance, they're getting +4 more to their caster level check than Mr. Mog is getting.

For warrior-type characters, the Mog is even worse with their small size, lower strength and constitution, and meager combat-focused bonuses. They'll have fewer HP than most other warrior-types, a lower BAB (and thus slower access to some feats), and fewer bonus feats or other class abilities (i.e. weaker raging, weaker uncanny dodge, weaker unarmed damage dice, weaker smite evil ability, weaker lay on hands ability, weaker turning/rebuking ability, etc.). For skill-focused characters, i.e. rogues, bards, and monks, they won't be quite as bad if they focus on their skills, but even so they'll probably have slightly fewer skill points early on, and fewer class skills to spend their skill points on at the start.

Your revised version of the Mog is a bit too weak now IMHO. At least give 'em back their Favored Enemy (Aberrations) and their spell-like abilities Touch of Fatigue and Message.
 

Thanks, Arkhandus.
It's nice to see that I'm not the only one using this line of reasoning. The racial hit dice cripple spellcasting characters as effectively, but more fairly, than LA, and small size and penalties to both Str and Con ruin melee-munchkin worries. Skill-using moggae wouldn't be bad, but clearly, they're not akashics or rogues, so I was having a hard time seeing the problem with the initial version.

I do understand the need to balance power for powerful races: a first level minotaur barbarian is more powerful than a first level human barbarian, but a twentieth level human sorcerer is more powerful than a twelfth level minotaur sorcerer.

With the moggae, I really did start from the PHB gnome, making additions and subtractions to suit the concept, and I happen to believe that the gnome is perfectly balanced, but with some wonky abilities:

Stonecunning is cool, but not powerful.
Cantrips are neat - very flavorful, but since they're chosen for you, not at all powerful.
+2 Con: "Wow! I can build a tank!" -2 Str: "But that tank can't deal damage."

Halflings make bettter rogues
Elves and humans make better wizards and bards
Dwarves make better tanks

I suppose that I want the moggae to seem really cool and powerful, but still be balanced against the PHB races. The first time I read the races chapter in the 3.0 PHB, each one was "the best one." To an extent, I still feel that way.
 

Remove ads

Top