The Weekly Racial Substitution Level Thread

[Angel Tarragon]

With your own thread up Frukathka, would you mind moving your two racial substitution examples over to that thread and remove them from this one?

No offense, just a bit OCD.

sorry.

 

[Sejs]

Weather Weaving: An avariel cleric that takes the twelfth level racial substitution level gains the spell-like ability to control the weather around him. This effect is similar to the control weather spell, but weather command is effective in a five mile radius. The avariel cleric may not direct specific applications of the weather, such as the point of a lightning strike or the path of a tornado. However, the avariel cleric may cause any sort of normal weather to manifest within the area of effect.

As long as the avariel cleric remains within the area of effect, the weather patterns she created will continue. Should the avariel cleric leave an area where she has used weather command, natural weather will reassert itself after 4d12 hours. The avariel cleric may choose not to use weather command and allow natural weather to run its course.

Wait, wait, wait... Control Weather at will?!

A 7th level spell at will. And at a level before they could cast it themselves. With an Area in excess of that if they had Widened it. So effectivly a 10th-11th level spell.

At will.

Tell me there's a typo, because otherwise that is far too powerful.

 

[Ferrix]

Working on the halfling paladin, suggestions for ideas are welcome.

 

[Dog Moon]

So, um, the weekly racial substitution level thread is dead?

 

[Arbiter of Wyrms]

I doubt it.

See, there's real time, like they keep at the Naval Observatory

There's football time, where the first 30 seconds of play take 30 seconds, and the last 30 seconds of play come out to about 30-45 minutes.

There's people-who-have-kids-time where "I'm ready to leave right now. Let's get in the car and go." means that you still have time for lunch and a quick shower before departure.

Then. . .
There's amatuer game-design time, where "Weekly X" means "Occasionally, unless real life hedges in too much." and can vary between three per day and a one-shot deal.

 

[Ferrix]

It's not dead, I'm just having a fit of a time developing a Halfling Paladin set of racial substitution levels.

 

[Arbiter of Wyrms]

I always pictured halfling paladins as shire-reeves, looking out for locals and solving minor disagreements.

 

[Nifft]

Give it ranged powers (like the Elf Paladin), or rip stuff out of the Halfling Outrider (mounted combat stuff).

-- N

 

[FireLance]

This will probably reduce my chances of coming up with a Halfling Paladin Class Act for Dragon, but I can live with that.

When doing racial substitution levels, consider the unique characteristics of the race that make certain class abilities less useful or less suitable thematically, then consider how to replace them.

For example, a halfling paladin might be more focused on defense than a standard paladin. His aura of courage may not be as useful to other members of his race because they already gain saving throw bonuses against fear. He would want to attack from a distance rather than close up, to take advantage of his better Dexterity.

So, I would replace the standard paladin's smite evil ability. Elven paladins already get ranged smite, so how about something else instead? In keeping with the halfing's focus on defence, perhaps it would be something to hamper an evil opponent, reducing its effectiveness in combat. Perhaps a weaken evil ability - once per day, a halfling paladin may attempt to weaken evil with a melee or ranged weapon attack. If the attack hits, the opponent takes a penalty to Strength equal to the halfling paladin's Charisma bonus plus half his paladin level for 1 minute (Will half, DC 10 + half paladin level + Charisma modifier). This ability cannot reduce an opponent's Strength below 1. If the attack misses, or he hits a non-evil opponent, his daily use of this ability is wasted. The halfling paladin gets more uses of this ability at the same rate at which a regular paladin gets more smites.

I would also change the Aura of Courage ability. The halfling paladin should continue to be immune to fear, perhaps with a Courage ability. However, his aura should grant something else, perhaps an aura of protection that grants +1 sacred bonus to AC and saving throws against evil attacks.

Finally, since I don't expect a halfling paladin to be in melee a lot, I would change his special mount's Strength adjustment to a Dexterity adjustment.

There, halfling paladin substitution levels at 1st (weaken evil), 3rd (aura of protection) and 5th (agile mount).

EDIT: Added Will save to weaken evil ability.