Racial Aspect

[Nether Mage Ash]

So, I just thought of this. The opening fluff is done but the actual in-game rules still need to be worked on.

I was thinking of using the Racial Paragon Classes in Unearthed Arcana. What do you guys thing.

If any of you find this to your liking and feel like contributing, then feel free.

Racial Aspect

All PCs have the potential to have four distinct components to who they are. The first is their Race, the second is their Class, and third is their Path, and the fourth is their Destiny. But that is not actually it, for one also has access to something else, something that enhances who they were even before they took on the mantle of an adventurer.

For you see some do not feel that they can forget where they came from, of the culture and the background that birthed them. For those individuals they have an option, and that option is a Racial Aspect. This is not a specialization, rather it is an enhancement. It is an enhancement of their being by unlocking some of the secrets of their race. By learning who they were they are able to gain access to the mysteries that underline the magic and blood that runs through their veins.

As with a Paragon Path, a Racial Aspect provides a character with new character options and capabilities. Also like the other feature, this comes in addition to their class and path features, not as a repalcement for them. One does not stop being a Wizard or a Battle Mage just because he has chosen to gain greater knoweldge of what it means to be a Human. Rather, your knowledge of your race enhances your capabilities and grants you improved abilities, skills and some new powers.

Unlike Paragon Paths, Racial Aspects only have one requirement - you must be a blood member of the race from which you are choosing the aspect. And while their is, in theory, dozens of possibilites that can be unlocked in each race, a single character can only learn to master one of them. Half-Elfs can choose to take a Half-Elf Aspect, a Human Aspect, or an Elf Aspect.

Racial Aspects come into varieties - General Aspects and Career Aspects. General Aspects, for which their are one for each race, is a generalized aspect that tries to cover as much of the race as possible in a single Aspect. The Career Aspect is a much more specific Racial Aspect whose takers choose to master a particular realm of racial ability, at the expense of the general. There can be untold numbers of Career Aspects but only one General Aspect for each race.

All Racial Aspects follow in a similar theme to each other. The first part of them contains a brief description of what the aspect is and what it represents. The second will list the prerequisites needed to be met before one can take the aspect. Besides a race requirement, which all Racial Aspects have, some also have a class prerequisite. In that case, this follows all the standard rules listed for the Paragon Paths of the corebook. And the third part will contain the new game rules, such as powers, enhancements and all that.

Dragonborn Aspect

General Aspect
*Description:
*Prerequisite: Dragonborn
*Benefits:

Career Aspect

Aspect of the Paladin
*Description:
*Prerequisite: Dragonborn, Paladin
*Benefits:

Dwarf Aspect


Eladrin Aspect


Elf Aspect


Half-Elf Aspect


Halfling Aspect


Human Aspect


Tiefling Aspect

 

[tombowings]

I like the sound of aspects, but I can't say I fully understand the concept. It will be interesting to see what you come up with in the future.

 

[Nether Mage Ash]

tombowings,

The basic concept is that I am trying to bring back Racial Classes (which can be found in Unearthed Arcana as well as in the WoW Core Book) in 4e without causing them to be multiclassing. To do this I am creating a rules variant of the Paragon Paths. These Racial Aspects can be chosen at any time.

The nice thing about these is that they can be increased upward in power across the board so that a GM in a high powered game can have more powerful characters. But because they are not a core part they do not have to be used.

+

By the way, on a completely unrelated topic, I gotta tell you that I relaly like your signature. It is very cool and funny.

 

[tombowings]

Thanks.

That seems like a really cool idea. At first I was imagining these being feats for specific race/class combinations to make any race/class combination work well. Which, I guess, is what your still doing in a way. In any case, I hope the development goes well, good luck to you.