Pimp my PC Race #1: Rakasta

[thundershot]

While I like that, I think the falling damage part needs clarification. If you fall 50 ft. into a pit, you can't avoid the damage... otherwise, what's the point of having +4?

How about "When you would be knocked prone by an attack or from falling, you may make an immediate saving throw to avoid the effect. Additionally, you gain a +4 racial bonus to Acrobatics checks made to reduce falling damage."

The saving throw doesn't help against the falling damage.. it would just help you not fall prone.


Chris

 

[thundershot]

I just did a major update to the first post and cleaned it up a little... Do you guys think we have enough racial features as it is? If we just made the pounce a Rakasta feat (or series of feats) it'd be much easier to balance it out.

Also... the ability scores. Dex is a given, but should we keep Wisdom as the second?




Chris

 

[erik_the_guy]

How about "When you would be knocked prone by an attack or from falling, you may make an immediate saving throw to avoid the effect. Additionally, you gain a +4 racial bonus to Acrobatics checks made to reduce falling damage."

The saving throw doesn't help against the falling damage.. it would just help you not fall prone.
Chris

That's what I said, the +4 reduces falling damage by 4.

I just did a major update to the first post and cleaned it up a little... Do you guys think we have enough racial features as it is? If we just made the pounce a Rakasta feat (or series of feats) it'd be much easier to balance it out.

Also... the ability scores. Dex is a given, but should we keep Wisdom as the second?
Chris

The rakshasa in the monster manual have dex and wis as their highest scores. In mythology tigers were also known for their feriocity and represented things like war and wrath, so Wis and Str both make valid choices for a second stat. If you are leaning to a more Rakasha-like depiction of them (similar to the monster in the monster manual) go with Wis.

 

[erik_the_guy]

When I review the powers the race actually seems a little weak (I don't think your current edit gives them pounce without a feat). They gain some standard skill bonuses, a weapon proficiency feat (which is basically a short sword) and a resistance to being knocked prone. You could give them a racial power (about as strong as the dragonborns breath) and still be well within the league of balanced. I would suggest giving them an attack such as pounce. Make it a minor action (most racial abilities are minor so that they don't waste a standard action that could be used for a more powerful class skill).

 

[Bhikku]

I'm enjoying this. Rakastas were always a favorite in my old BD&D days, and a 4e version would be fun. I like the idea of a pounce attack as a heroic feat. It seems to me like it would work well as an encounter power with a standard action, and would basically hand-deliver combat advantage to allies (so a Rakasta with a rogue ally would be a great team). Maybe the paragon feat would make it a move action instead of standard, and the epic feat would make it a minor action? Or maybe it would even work as a standard action for a basic racial power, with a heroic feat that extends the distance of the pounce?

 

[thundershot]

First off, welcome Bhikku to EN World. I'm honored to have your first post be in one of my threads.

Second, let's focus then on POUNCE. Erik, I agree that it's still a little weak, but I like it better coming from other people. Compared to the Dragonborn ability, my original idea was to have them leap at the foe and make an attack with the War Claws (or any light weapon) that does 1d6+Dex damage. Maybe use the feat concept and make an Heroic, Paragon, and Epic feat chain that enhances it (and including the knocking prone in there, too).

Here's one idea... using 3E's Spring Attack only with less distance.

As an encounter power, whenever a foe within 2 squares makes a move action, you may leap into the square before it moves into it and, as an immediate action, make a melee basic attack.

Then the Heroic power could let you leap two squares back away from the foe as part of it.

Paragon maybe you can toss in the prone part.

Then Epic I don't know... but you get the drift. How does that sound? THe wording may need fixed up if one of you can come up with something..


Thanks
Chris (has had a long day at work...)

 

[erik_the_guy]

I wasn't calling the pounce weak (actually I haven't seen pounce), I was just saying the race will be weak without at least one more feature (like pounce, as you suggested). Seeing as you don't currently have something down for pounce I'll make a suggestion.

Pounce
When a Rakasta prepares to make the first strike, enemies should consider running.
Encounter - Move
Move up to twice your movement, or jump up to your movement, so that you are adjacent to an enemy. If you wield war claws, you may make an immediate melee basic attack against the target. Any attacks you make against the target this turn are considered charge attacks.

This represents the tigers great mobility, and allows you to make 2 attacks in one turn (like the dragonborn's racial feature).


As far as the claws are concerned, you could add this to make them a bit more flavored than shortswords but still balanced:
When you makes a melee basic attack with war claws, you may use your dexterity modifier to hit and damage instead of strength.

I think that a heroic teir feat that causes "pounce" to knock an enemy prone is balanced. It knocks the enemy prone if the melee basic attack hits. It works well with pounce because being prone makes the character vulnerable to an attack from the rakasta's standard action (great for rogues).

Maybe add another feat that allows the rakasta to use the pounce attack with an entire class of weapons (such as light blades) in case a player decides they don't want to use the claws.

EDIT: I just read your ideas for the pounce power and I like all of them. As far as balance is concerned I'm arguing with myself whether 'knock prone" is balanced at heroic teir. You might make it paragon or heroic, your call.

 

[thundershot]

I meant the race was a little weak, not the pounce...


Also keep in mind that they're not tigers. They're based on housecats (who also pounce). The tiger and lion and panther and cheetah are other monster variations I want to have for this by the time we're done.. I figure we can do the PC race first, which is a standard Rakasta.

So my question is: In your version of Pounce, is it a move action or an immediate attack? It just seems like an extra full move and attack action put together. That's why I was thinking of just having a two square maximum for the Pounce, and then an immediate attack. However the trigger is that the enemy has to try to move first, and you pounce on them to catch them off guard or stop them.

I like the idea of using Dex with War Claws (or at least you get the option).


Thanks for helping bounce ideas around.



Chris

 

[thundershot]

Good grief, why has EN World been so SLOW the last week? I hardly know if something posted or not....

 

[erik_the_guy]

I made the pounce a move action because it grants so much movement (but more that you would with a normal move action). I toyed with the idea of making it a minor. If you make it a minor action, it should only allow you to move one times your movement speed (or jump the same distance). The point is, it doesn't use a standard action, and it still lets you attack. This way you can attack twice in one turn (although the attack granted by pounce is weaker than an attack from a power).

The idea of targeting a moving enemy with pounce is attractive, but I honestly favor using it as a move or minor action for the sake of simplicity. I suppose the skill works for all cat species, not just tigers, since most felines have excellent jumping and running abilities.