Thaellegoth

[ChimericDream]

Here are the final versions of the Thaellegoth. Fluff text to come in the next few days.

Racial Traits (Orc / Elf)

• +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma
• Medium: As Medium creatures, thaellegoth have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Thaellegoth base land speed is 30 feet.
• Low-Light Vision: A thaellegoth can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
• +3 racial bonus on listen, search, spot, and survival checks.
• -2 racial penalty on diplomacy and gather information checks.
• Mixed Blood: For all effects related to race, a thaellegoth is considered both an elf and an orc. However, in cases where these distinctions would conflict with one another, a thaellegoth is considered to be the more beneficial race.
• Hardened by Nature: Due to the fact that they are forced to live in the wild, thaellegoth are considered to be under the effect of an endure elements spell at all times. This is considered a supernatural ability.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Orc. Bonus Languages: Elven, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, Undercommon.
• Favored Class: Barbarian or Ranger.

Racial Traits (Orc / Drow)

• +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom.
• Medium: As Medium creatures, thaellegoth have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Thaellegoth base land speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision out to 120 feet.
• Light Sensitivity: Thaellegoth are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
• +3 racial bonus on listen, search, spot, and survival checks.
• -2 racial penalty on diplomacy and gather information checks.
• Mixed Blood: For all effects related to race, a thaellegoth is considered both a drow and an orc. However, in cases where these distinctions would conflict with one another, a thaellegoth is considered to be the more beneficial race.
• Hardened by Nature: Due to the fact that they are forced to live in the wild, thaellegoth are considered to be under the effect of an endure elements spell at all times. This is considered a supernatural ability.
• Spell-Like Ability: Thaellegoth characters may pick one of the following at character creation: 1/day - faerie fire, darkness, or spider climb.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Orc. Bonus Languages: Drow, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, Undercommon.
• Favored Class: Barbarian or Ranger.
• Level Adjustment: +1.

I'm still working on a lot of stuff for this race, but I've got the basic stats worked out.

*+2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom, -4 Charisma
*Medium: As Medium creatures, thaellegoth have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
*Thaellegoth base land speed is 30 feet.
*Low-Light Vision: A thaellegoth can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
*+1 racial bonus on listen, search, and spot checks.
*-2 racial bonus on diplomacy and gather information checks.
*Mixed Blood: For all effects related to race, a thaellegoth is considered an elf or an orc, whichever is more appropriate for the situation.
*Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, Orc, Undercommon.
*Favored Class: Barbarian.

I'm still working on a background for the race, but the basic thought is that they are shunned by nearly every civilization. Orcs and Elves both despise them, and they have only managed to eke out meager existences with other, more monstrous, races. Thaellegoth harbor a deep inner rage that all but prevents them from fitting into any kind of organized life.

As always, opinions and advice are welcome.

 

[ChimericDream]

Opinions? Flames?

 

[Sound of Azure]

They seem a little on on the weak side to me. What are you balancing them against?
For the ability score modifiers, I'd drop the wisdom penalty.

They are Elf-Orcs, yeah? Obviously (well, maybe obviously) they wouldn't get the elven proficiency stuff, since that's more of a cultural thing.

Since they are universally despised, I think they might develop good survival techniques. I'd say that blending orcs and elves would lead to excellent senses... I'd probably improve the bonus to listen, search and spot back up to +2. Allowing Scent to be taken as a feat wouldn't go astray... but I wouldn't give it for free.

-2 racial penalty on diplomacy/gather info, and a -4 charisma penalty... ouch! still, it seems to fit (the anti-half-elf )

Any ideas on their life span?

It seems like they need something else to reflect their toughness and tenacity. Perhaps a racial save bonus against disease and poison, reflecting their unique bloodline.

Potentially, they could have a racial emnity ability, where thye focus their famed rage against one or two races (+1 racial bonus on attack rolls against two from a particular list, and +2 (maybe 4) dodge bonus to AC against those races, due to the conflict between Thaellegoth and that race). Similar to the dwarf ability.

That's about it for now... I'll think about it some more and come back later.

 

[ChimericDream]

Hmmm... I like the ideas. I'll rework the class a bit and repost it. I hadn't thought about a few of the things. Of course, this is a first draft, so I'm glad to be getting feedback.

 

[Arkhandus]

Actually the race is already more than powerful enough in combat. As a barbarian or fighter, they don't really lose any effectiveness. As a rogue or ranger, they lose a bit of effectiveness but remain viable. As a monk they're subpar but roughly similar to an orcish monk in combat (just worse at everything else).

As it stands, the race is about as potent as a dwarf in combat ability, I think. Give or take a little bit depending on circumstances and opinion.

All they really merit is a boost to Survival, Bluff, or something else, and maybe Will saves. At most. Perhaps get the sleep/trance/benefit and enchantment-resistance of a half-elf instead.

 

[Nifft]

This ability worries me a bit:

Mixed Blood: For all effects related to race, a thaellegoth is considered an elf or an orc, whichever is more appropriate for the situation.

What does "appropriate" mean? Beneficial or baneful? Since the race is otherwise weak, I'd explicitly state that they're treated as which ever race would be most beneficial.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Dominic Ladon]

The idea of an orc / elf hybrid is interesting and scary at the same time. It seems that the race would be one based solely on combat, as opposed to even considering the possibilities of the divine or magical, which makes sense. Furthermore, it seems as though this would be one of the more balanced races for a fighter type to choose, as it allows the oppurtunity for a character to be good at both melee and ranged combat, without the straightforward possibility at being a great melee character like an orc, or a great ranged character like an elf. I think you are going in the right direction with the anti half elf concept that one of the other posts mentioned, but I also agree that perhaps the mix of two natural based races would warrant some beneficial resistances to the nature they live in. My suggestions are...

+2 Str +2 Dex -2 Int -4 Cha
( Moderate Strength and Dexterity Bonuses from being both orc and elf, though plagued with the lack of intelligence of an orc, and the inevitable ugliness of being an orc and elf... ughhh I also agree that the wisdom penalty doesn't seem to fit. )

Low Light Vision
( Provides good balance between losing the benefit of Darkvision, but also losing the penalty of Light Sensitivity )

+2 to Listen, Search, Spot
( Also agree that some impressive senses would no doubt be a result of this combination of races )

+2 to Survival
( Being shunned by everyone and having to live secluded and alone would surely force one to gain some inherent survival instincts )

-2 Diplomacy and Gather Information
( What more can one say other than the fact that these dudes are butt ugly and not likely smart enough to be able to talk their way passed that social barrier )

+2 to saves vs. poison
( Being born of races indigenous to the wild would likely grant this interesting breed a hardiness that could manifest in the way of a bonus to saves versus the poisonous things that exist in the world around them )

Orc and Elf Blood: For all things racially dependent, this race gains any benefits, as well as any penalties, of either race.

Languages: Common, Elven, and Orc

One may say that this could be a little tipped in the direction of overpowered on the balance scale, but I think once you consider that you are quite limited on the class selections you can choose, and how careful you have to be when choosing them, it all balances out.

All in all though, it would be interesting

 

[ChimericDream]

Thanks all for the suggestions. Here is a revised version. I tried to take some of the advice above into account without altering my view of where the race will fit in my world.

• +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence, -4 Charisma
• Medium: As Medium creatures, thaellegoth have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Thaellegoth base land speed is 30 feet.
• Low-Light Vision: A thaellegoth can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
• +2 racial bonus on listen, search, spot, and survival checks.
• -2 racial bonus on diplomacy and gather information checks.
• Mixed Blood: For all effects related to race, a thaellegoth is considered an elf or an orc, whichever is more beneficial for the situation.
• Survivor: A thaellegoth may select Scent, Self Sufficient, or Track as a bonus feat at 1st level.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Orc. Bonus Languages: Elven, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, Undercommon.
• Favored Class: Barbarian or Ranger.

At this point, it seems almost a bit on the strong side of LA +0 to me, but not really strong enough for a +1. I'm considering bumping the strength bonus to +4 and adding in one or two other abilities, such as the bonus to saves vs poison and/or sleep, but I'd like to try and keep this as a balanced +0 race.

 

[Sound of Azure]

Nice work!

I'm a little uncertain on giving the race the ability to circumvent effects that target elves and/or orcs, but being able to use elf/orc stuff and enter elf/orc Prestige classes and etc.

Personally I'd keep it as counting as both races (including the penalties), then add some other special ability of your choice (your as in muzick).

Otherwise, looks great. Any thoughts on the actual physical characteristics of your race? Would there be different blends of orcs/elves based on the subraces involved. Drow/orc could be nasty, not to mention the aqualic ones or avariel-based ones... :\

 

[Dominic Ladon]

I like the updated version. I would say that you should eliminate the bonus feat option and make the Orc / Elf Blood feature take into account the penalties that would come with those races as well. It should be noted though, that if these were to ever conflict with one another specifically, the positive outcome would take precedent. I think that these two things would tip the scale back towards balanced a little bit, and I also agree that this race would lend itself to wanting to be an LA +0.