Reskinning PCs

[jasin]

I've also reskinned a few races, but this is from a DM's perspective.

This reminds me of another example: I don't like dragonborn. Not so much that I would ban them for a generic anything goes D&D game, but I have a strong bias against playing a monstrous race.

But what it comes down to is having a dragon-like head. Strip that out, and you have a nation of proud, imposing, honourable warriors who worship and emulate dragons, and have the ability to breathe fire, that could be magical or alchemical as easily as racial. Half 3.5's dragon disciple, half Rokugan's Dragon clan.

And suddenly, I want to make a dragonborn paladin...

 

[Mokona]

In a new campaign, before the setting was even determined, I asked the DM to allow me to reskin a lazer cleric to be a psionicist instead. He said no with the stated justification as "Wizards will release psionics rules in the future so wait until then".

Obviously I couldn't wait because the game began two months ago and who knows how long it will be before I see a psionicist leader class I can use.

 

[Desdichado]

Wow, I've done a lot of really bastardy things to my PCs, but I've never given them new skins.

Except that one Acolyte of the Skin character. I guess he counts.

 

[Rechan]

Wow, I've done a lot of really bastardy things to my PCs, but I've never given them new skins.

Except that one Acolyte of the Skin character. I guess he counts.

You know, I completely forgot about the Acolyte of the Skin class. But the fluff for that is perfect for a Warlock.

 

[Soel]

Actually, I found a 2 weapon Ranger to make for a better monk so far, with the 2 weapon attack powers and hunters quary, it lives up to things pretty well. You can also use your fists as improvised weapons, or buy weapon gauntlets of some sort.

Well, I'm not interested in the two attacks thing, and sneak attack damage instead of multiple attacks fits the elegance factor just right. The rogue seemed to handle mobility pretty well, too. I will take a closer look at the ranger though.

 

[Mokona]

As a DM, I take to heart the idea that monsters of the same species are different. If one player wanted to play a Human and another wanted to play a Tiefling using the stats of Human I'd allow it. Why not allow the players to reskin the player character races within reason. If someone wanted to play an Orc or other monster it might cause havoc in town situations but if they wanted to reskin the Orc rules as a Half-orc or even a wild human that seems perfectly reasonable to me.

The only drawback to the player of reskins is that a Tiefling with Human stats would not qualify for Tiefling feats/classes and would qualify for Action Surge.

The most problematic race would be Minotaur since it has that gore attack that wouldn't make much sense if the character looked like a Dwarf or Human. Heck, if the player required the character to wear special equipment to use the gore or renamed the attack headbutt or shoulder slam it seems fine.

A doppelganger reskinned as a Human could just be a witch who uses a "class power" to Change Shape. Just because a feature comes from your race doesn't mean you can't role play as if it comes from your class and vice versa. A Human wizard based on the Shadar-Kai stats could say that Shadow Jaunt was a wizard spell. A Tiefling wizard could act as if any fire spells she casts are actually racial powers as a result of the infernal taint of Tiefling curse.

 

[Evilhalfling]

ranger to monk seems the most popular re-skin.
I just submitted one for a githzari "monk" who is followed by a fractal creature from the far realms that is an embodyment of concept of predation. (cat) Having to issue a command each time so that it won't chase anything that runs, (or moves away from it quickly) is merely flavor.