Pick holes in my dwarf replacement race

[Bagpuss]

Basically they were forged from stone so are heavier and sturdier than other races and have an affinity with stone and metal.

Stoneling

· +2 Strength, -2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma
· Medium: As Medium creatures, stonelings have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
· Stoneling base land speed is 30 feet.
· Stonelings enjoy a +2 racial bonus to all Craft skill checks.
· Stability: A stoneling gains a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground).
· Tireless Step: Stonelings never suffer non-lethal damage from hustling or forced march, and cannot be fatigued from such activity.
· Stonelings are immune to poisons, unless specified in the poison’s description.
· Stonelings are not naturally buoyant and suffer a –6 racial penalty on all swim checks.
· Automatic Languages: Regional, Trade Common.
· Bonus Languages: Terran.
· Racial Levels: Unlike humans and some other races, stonelings can take a few racial levels in “stoneling” as a class, as they increase their affinity with there earthern heritage.

Racial Levels
A stoneling can progress in racial levels.
Hit Dice: 1d4+6/level (Using Iron Heroes, so it would be d10 in D&D)
Skill Points: 4 + Int modifier (Using Iron Heroes, so it would be 2+Int in D&D)

“Class” Skill Groups: Athletics, Wilderness Lore (In D&D probably similar skills to a Barbarian)

Level  BAB   Fort Ref  Will  Special
1st    +0    +2    +0    +2     Constitution +1, Tremorsense 5ft
2nd    +1    +3    +0    +3     Strength +1, Constitution +1, 
3rd    +2    +3    +1    +3    Strength +1, Tremorsense 15ft

Tremorsense (Ex): At 1st level a stoneling gains tremorsense and can automatically senses the location of anything that is in contact with the ground and within 5 feet range, at 3rd level this range increases to 15 feet. Any opponent the stoneling cannot see has total concealment (50% miss chance) against the stoneling, and the stoneling still has the normal miss chance when attacking foes that have concealment. Visibility still affects the movement of a stoneling. The stoneling is still denied its Dexterity bonus to Armour Class against attacks from creatures it cannot see.

 

[Nyaricus]

I love your title Looks like a solid race, in any case - better than many I've seen

Changes in red

Basically they were forged from stone so are heavier and sturdier than other races and have an affinity with stone and metal.

Stoneling

· +2 Strength, -2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma
· Medium: As Medium creatures, stonelings have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
· Stoneling base land speed is 30 feet.
· Stonelings enjoy a +2 racial bonus to all Craft skill checks with stone items
· Stability: A stoneling gains a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground).
· Tireless Step: Stonelings never suffer non-lethal damage from hustling or forced march, and cannot be fatigued from such activity.
· Stonelings are immune to poisons, unless specified in the poison’s description. Couldn't you just give them +10 vs poison? I personally don't like giving out immunities and give out bonuses like that instead - elves, for example, get +10 versus Sleep, etc.
· Stonelings are not naturally buoyant and suffer a -8 racial penalty on all swim checks. (reasoning: usually large bonuses are -8, so large penalties should be -8. You could also state that Stonelins can never take 10 on a swim check, even if not rushed, etc. It fits the flavour.
· Automatic Languages: Regional, Trade Common. no Racial language
· Bonus Languages: Terran.
· Favoured Class = ???
· Racial Levels: Unlike humans and some other races, stonelings can take a few racial levels in “stoneling” as a class, as they increase their affinity with there earthern heritage.

Racial Levels
A stoneling can progress in racial levels.
Hit Dice: 1d4+6/level (Using Iron Heroes, so it would be d10 in D&D)
Skill Points: 4 + Int modifier (Using Iron Heroes, so it would be 2+Int in D&D)

“Class” Skill Groups: Athletics, Wilderness Lore (In D&D probably similar skills to a Barbarian)

Level  BAB   Fort Ref  Will  Special
1st    +0    +2    +0    +2     Constitution +1, Tremorsense 5ft
2nd    +1    +3    +0    +3     Strength +1, Constitution +1, 
3rd    +2    +3    +1    +3    Strength +1, Tremorsense 15ft

Why the good Will Save??

Tremorsense (Ex): At 1st level a stoneling gains tremorsense and can automatically senses the location of anything that is in contact with the ground and within 5 feet range, at 3rd level this range increases to 15 feet. Any opponent the stoneling cannot see has total concealment (50% miss chance) against the stoneling, and the stoneling still has the normal miss chance when attacking foes that have concealment. Visibility still affects the movement of a stoneling. The stoneling is still denied its Dexterity bonus to Armour Class against attacks from creatures it cannot see.

 

[Goldmoon]

What kind of weight range do these creatures have?

 

[Bagpuss]

Reason for the flat bonus to craft was the races I'm working on have affinity with various elements (Earth, Air, Fire and Water) while they are closely related to stone, they also share an affinity with metals ores, and even soil and by association wood. Besides I prefer flat bonuses, easier to keep track of, but yeah I might limit it to stone (and metal perhaps).

Immunity I might change to a +4 save, with the immunity coming in either in the class levels or the Prestige class I mention below. It's there because well Warforged can have so why can't I give it out... and to reflect that they arn't mamals so have a different body chemistry.

Swim check thing to -8 I'm fine with, I was going to make them automatically fail, but thought that was a bit too harsh.

No Racial language I don't particularly like the idea of them. Not all Stonelings will speak the same language, if they come from different regions.

Favoured Class I hadn't put since Iron Heroes doesn't use it, but most probably Fighter.

The reasons for Will save is because as they progress in the class they become more elemental in nature and their mind works more like stone and less like flesh. My original idea they gained Damage Reduction, but I found that was hard to balance if they got decent DR at a very low level. So I'm thinking of making a Prestige Class that they can join that gives that and at the end they become the elemental type.

 

[Bagpuss]

What kind of weight range do these creatures have?

No idea, probably about double human density, they are also taller and broader so, more than double in overall mass.

 

[Nyaricus]

Alrighty then, sounds good. For the DR, since in Iron Heroes it's never X DR (and usually 1d4 or 1d6 for armour) why don't you have, instead of Will Saves, 1d4-2 DR at first, 1d4-1 at second and 1d4 DR at 3rd - that balances out, I think.

 

[Arkhandus]

I'm kinda confused as to why they normally have no Constitution increase, but instead a Strength increase. If they're 2x as dense as humans (or even denser), why is their extra-dense flesh and bone every bit as fragile and easily cut/pierced as a human's? Logical disconnect for me.

 

[dante58701]

Only one problem...by default they should be immune to disease. Diseases are harmful because they "poison" the body, biochemically speaking. In all my campaigns I go by the house rule of....if you are immune to poison or disease, you are immune to both. It simplifies things. I mean, what person who could drink pitfiend venom would die of the flu. It's just nonsensical.

 

[Bagpuss]

I'm kinda confused as to why they normally have no Constitution increase, but instead a Strength increase. If they're 2x as dense as humans (or even denser), why is their extra-dense flesh and bone every bit as fragile and easily cut/pierced as a human's? Logical disconnect for me.

I thought Str and Con would be a bit too much without making it a LA+1 race, which I want to avoid. Certainly I might drop the Str and Cha modifiers and have a Con one instead.

dante58701 you make a very good point, as opposed to making them immune to one, I'll probably give a higher save modifier for both.

 

[dante58701]

Just read that note on density...how bout splitting the modifier...+1Str +1Con ?

Then you satisfy both points.