steeldragons
Steeliest of the dragons
Heh. heh. Oops. This was intended to be its own thread...not posted to the "Classes/Themes/Races" thread.
Anywho...here it is.
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Just cuz I'm in a racial thinkin' frame so far today, from various other threads.
What would you count/want to see as Race Abilities/Bonuses? How flavor/fluff specific, or not, would you want them?
Should dwarf abilities be stone-related or elf abilties woods-related, for example?
How many (if any) of the "traditional" racial abilities be inculded: dark-/infra-/low-light vision, size bonuses to AC against large creatures, +1 to use bows and swords, etc. ?
I'm curious what people are thinking are "broad" or "common" enough to warrant a race's initial abilities should be. Which are capable of being increased over level (whether you gain them at 1st level or later)? Which are totally "separate" or "specialized" abilities that could optionally be picked later in the character's development?
What's (or should be considered) genetic? i.e. Is automatic to the race and can't be changed or increased...it's just something that any "X" has.
I'm thinking there could be some things like this (just examples here, not exhaustive lists):
Dwarves
-Stonecraft: know distance and direction below ground (automatic).
Be able to discern construction and/or detect stonework secret doors and/or stonework traps with, I dunno, say...50% accuracy (at 1st level)..which gets bumped +5% every other or every 3rd level...or must be chosen to be bumped?
-Darkvision out to 60'. Automatic. Increase by 10' for each additional racial "bump" selected.
-Bonus to AC (and/or to hit and/or damage) when fighting Ogres, Trolls and Giantkind. Must be chosen/gained-not automatic. Bonus +1 when first taken and increases +1 (to a max of +4) for each additional "bump" chosen as you increase in level.
-Similar bonus to above but applied to Orcs.
-Appraisal skill as related to items of metal, gemstones and weaponry/armor. Automatic at 30% at 1st level. Increase by 10% for each "bump" chosen.
-+1 Reaction adjustment to dealings with Dwarves. Additonal +1 (to a max of +4) for each time selected.
Now, this could be presented in numerous ways: you get +1 "Racial rank" to place as you like each level. Or every other or every third. Or +however many points you have as bonus to your primary ability (which then starts blurring Race with Class, but it's a possibility).
For the purposes of this example, let's say 1 "Race rank" for every level above 1st:
So a 10th level dwarf, of any class with any theme could conceivably have:
-Darkvision
-Stonecraft skills at 75% (5 "ranks/bumps" chosen as he increased level)
-+2 to his AC against Ogres,Trolls and Giantkind.
-+1 to his "to hit" and damage rolls against Orcs.
-+1 to his interactions with other Dwarves.
For Elves, I'd go with options lke the following:
-Low light vision out to 60'. Scales/additional 10' per added rank.
-A, say, 50% resistance to enchantment magics. Increases by 5% per added rank. (So, in theory, a 10th level elf might be entirely immune to enchantment spells)
-bonus to bow use +1 per rank, to max of +4.
-bonuses (AC or attack) against Orcs and Goblinoids
-Woodcraft skills (hunting, foraging, detection of naturally made traps-pits, snares, etc.)
-Reaction adjustments/bonuses for dealings with any race (each race must be chosen separately). So an Elf could conceivably be +3 with other elves, +2 gnomes, +1 humans, etc. Or specify it to being elves only or Elves & Fey or Sylvan creatures only, etc.
You get the idea?
How about Gnomes, Halflings, Dragonborn, race(s) of your choice?...and/or what you'd think/like to see for elves and dwarves too.
--SD
Anywho...here it is.
-----------------------------------
Just cuz I'm in a racial thinkin' frame so far today, from various other threads.
What would you count/want to see as Race Abilities/Bonuses? How flavor/fluff specific, or not, would you want them?
Should dwarf abilities be stone-related or elf abilties woods-related, for example?
How many (if any) of the "traditional" racial abilities be inculded: dark-/infra-/low-light vision, size bonuses to AC against large creatures, +1 to use bows and swords, etc. ?
I'm curious what people are thinking are "broad" or "common" enough to warrant a race's initial abilities should be. Which are capable of being increased over level (whether you gain them at 1st level or later)? Which are totally "separate" or "specialized" abilities that could optionally be picked later in the character's development?
What's (or should be considered) genetic? i.e. Is automatic to the race and can't be changed or increased...it's just something that any "X" has.
I'm thinking there could be some things like this (just examples here, not exhaustive lists):
Dwarves
-Stonecraft: know distance and direction below ground (automatic).
Be able to discern construction and/or detect stonework secret doors and/or stonework traps with, I dunno, say...50% accuracy (at 1st level)..which gets bumped +5% every other or every 3rd level...or must be chosen to be bumped?
-Darkvision out to 60'. Automatic. Increase by 10' for each additional racial "bump" selected.
-Bonus to AC (and/or to hit and/or damage) when fighting Ogres, Trolls and Giantkind. Must be chosen/gained-not automatic. Bonus +1 when first taken and increases +1 (to a max of +4) for each additional "bump" chosen as you increase in level.
-Similar bonus to above but applied to Orcs.
-Appraisal skill as related to items of metal, gemstones and weaponry/armor. Automatic at 30% at 1st level. Increase by 10% for each "bump" chosen.
-+1 Reaction adjustment to dealings with Dwarves. Additonal +1 (to a max of +4) for each time selected.
Now, this could be presented in numerous ways: you get +1 "Racial rank" to place as you like each level. Or every other or every third. Or +however many points you have as bonus to your primary ability (which then starts blurring Race with Class, but it's a possibility).
For the purposes of this example, let's say 1 "Race rank" for every level above 1st:
So a 10th level dwarf, of any class with any theme could conceivably have:
-Darkvision
-Stonecraft skills at 75% (5 "ranks/bumps" chosen as he increased level)
-+2 to his AC against Ogres,Trolls and Giantkind.
-+1 to his "to hit" and damage rolls against Orcs.
-+1 to his interactions with other Dwarves.
For Elves, I'd go with options lke the following:
-Low light vision out to 60'. Scales/additional 10' per added rank.
-A, say, 50% resistance to enchantment magics. Increases by 5% per added rank. (So, in theory, a 10th level elf might be entirely immune to enchantment spells)
-bonus to bow use +1 per rank, to max of +4.
-bonuses (AC or attack) against Orcs and Goblinoids
-Woodcraft skills (hunting, foraging, detection of naturally made traps-pits, snares, etc.)
-Reaction adjustments/bonuses for dealings with any race (each race must be chosen separately). So an Elf could conceivably be +3 with other elves, +2 gnomes, +1 humans, etc. Or specify it to being elves only or Elves & Fey or Sylvan creatures only, etc.
You get the idea?
How about Gnomes, Halflings, Dragonborn, race(s) of your choice?...and/or what you'd think/like to see for elves and dwarves too.
--SD
