Using FCTF to create ECL races

[FullTinCan]

I don't know if this is the appropriate forum to use, or not, but I had a wonderful new use for FCTF.

I am using it to create races that have an ECL. For instance, I created a minotaur variant at ECL +3 using the Half-Orc as the base creature.

• +6 Strength, +4 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma
• Darkvision.
• Medium size (6'9 inches).
• Minotaurs base speed is 30 feet.
• Immunity to maze spells.
• +1 racial bonus to all saving throws.
• +1 racial bonus to hit.
• +2 natural armor bonus to AC.
• +4 racial bonus to Spot and Intimidate.
• Power Attack
• Scent (Ex): This ability allows the creature to detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell. Creatures with the scent ability can identify familiar odors just as humans do familiar sights.
  The creature can detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of smell. If the opponent is upwind, the range increases to 60 feet; if downwind, it drops to 15 feet. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at triple normal range.
  When a creature detects a scent, the exact location is not revealed—only its presence somewhere within range. The creature can take a partial action to note the direction of the scent. If it moves within 5 feet of the source, the creature can pinpoint that source.
  A creature with the scent ability can follow tracks by smell, making a Wisdom check to find or follow a track. The typical DC for a fresh trail is 10 (no matter what kind of surface holds the scent). This DC increases or decreases depending on how strong the quarry’s odor is, the number of creatures, and the age of the trail. For each hour that the trail is cold, the DC increases by 2. The ability otherwise follows the rules for the Track feat. Creatures tracking by scent ignore the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility.
• Bonus hit points: +9.
• Level adjustment +3.
• Favored Class: Barbarian.

I assumed the following:
I wanted the Minotaur to be ECL +3.
So 3 levels of hero, and presto, I have the minotaur.

• Heightened Physical Ability +4 Strength (Cost 6 HrP)
• Heightened Physical Ability +4 Constitution (Cost 6 HrP)
• Scent (Cost 3 HrP)
• +1 Racial bonus to all saves (3rd level Hero's base save bonus)
• +1 Racial bonus to hit (3rd level hero's base attack bonus)
• +9 Hit points (3rd level hero's base hit points, kind of)
• Heightened Defenses +2 Natural Armor bonus to AC (4 HrP)
• Keen Sight +4 Spot (2 HrP)
• Skill Bonus +4 Intimidate (2 HrP)
• Power attack, 3rd level feat

So there you have it. I believe this is a reasonably balanced race, and highlights the very powerful elements of FCTF.

 

[Cheiromancer]

That's a very interesting application of the 4CTF. Nicely done.

 

[Morrus]

That's exactly the use I have for it - in that I imagine that, say, a "Kryptonian" is a racial type with an ECL. If you look at the templates section, you'll see that that is exactly the approach used.

It's basically one of the different ways you can use the book. Creating a template with an ECL is my preferred method (you take a human as the base race, and just add abilities/restrictions etc). There's no real difference between a D&D racial ability and a superpower, except for thematically.

 

[RangerWickett]

Well, the finished, polished rules just got their first use in my home D&D game, when a kobold sorcerer multiclassed and began developing acid breath and wings. He's listed as a Sorcerer 5/Dragon 1, since 'Hero' doesn't really fit his character. It's just fun to say that he's multiclassing as a Dragon.

Never did much like the Dragon Disciple class.

Also, it's helped me balance out all the 'free stuff' I give to my PCs. Get this:

• The party's druid can spontaneously convert any 2nd-level or higher spell slot into a Briar Web (because his player misunderstood the rules, and thought Druids didn't have to prepare spells; when he learned the truth, he still bargained me into giving him this power). I figured this counted as about a 2 Hero Point bonus, so I gave it to him.
• To balance this out, I recently let our bolo-flinging bard learn an ancient martial arts style called Bolo-Jutsu, which lets him use bolos in melee combat like nunchaku. He loves it, and I guestimated it's worth 1 Hero Point. So I also let him also take a +1 bonus to his attack rolls with Bolas, worth another 1 Hero Point (a little overpriced, but the player is a canny one, so he'll make due).
• I gave the kobold sorcerer two 'gadgets', in the form of a bottle of magical water he fed to his riding lizard to make it warm-blooded (don't ask), and a wind spirit that occasionally delivers messages for him long distance, when he's too busy to travel himself.
• Mixing the rules for the Heroic Powers feat with the above 'indulgences' for my other players, I gave the fourth PC, a half-minotaur, an ability to potentially dispel magical fields with a touch. It has to do with the backstory involving how mixing races messes up magical auras, but this finally allows the party's barbarian to have more tactics than "I hit it with my club." Now she can run through walls of force. And then hit things with her club.
• An NPC in the party also gets a few nifties. Since she's an air mage, she floats a little above the ground and never leaves tracks, and can hold her breath indefinitely.

So yeah, I've helped all of the players add more little powers to their characters than are normally available, and the powers list gave me a few ideas to help balance things out. Now I'm going to have to add some of these to The Big Book of Super Powers.

 

[arwink]

One of my first responses after reading the rules - perfect for a low-magic game. Erradicate the mages, bards and clerics, just add in levels of hero. Everything has the arcane drawback, and people get to choose between learning a new "spell" (power they can use) or developing an item of power from the lore they've accumulated (Arcane Gadets to get powers). May not work for everyone, but for the low-levels of complexity I crave in a game...

 

[RangerWickett]

Hey, nifty idea. One I hadn't really considered using, but I will now. Especially because in a lot of myths, legends, and TV shows, the magic-users only have a handful of magical options available to them, and not the huge array you see with D&D spellcasters.

I'll have to mod the rules a bit to see how well they fit with D20 Modern when it comes out, but until then, I think I'll try to use this in a High Fantasy game (in the vein of the Savannah Knights Storyhour).