Would you use Half-Dwarves in your campaign?

[MissingDividends]

I am considering changeing the name...it isnt much like a "half-dwarf" as much as a whole new race...suggestions are welcomed

The Half-Dwarf:

Personality: The personality of a Half-Dwarf is much similar to that of a Dwarf. They are not quite as suspicious of strangers, yet they have a much better sense of humor.

Physical Description: Half-Dwarves stand about 5 feet tall, and are much like a larger version of a Dwarf. Half-Dwarves are considered an adult at the age of 35, and live to be about 250 years old. Half-dwarf males value their beard just as dwarfs, but spend less time fussing about it. Half-Dwarves have a longer upper body than dwarves, and shorter legs than humans.

Alignment: Half-Dwarves tend to be a lawful alignment, but there is no tendency towards god over evil, but neutrality is common.


Religion: Half-Dwarves tend to worship Wee Jas, Silverbeard, Berronar Truesilver, or Laduguer.

Languages: Half-Dwarves speak Dwarven and common. In addition, they tend to learn a variety of languages.
Names: A Half-Dwarf’s name has almost a sacred meaning; they usually have 2 names one from the Dwarven parent and one for the human.

Half-Dwarven Racial Traits:
- +2 Constitution, +2 Strength, -2 Charisma, -2 Dex - Medium sized
- Base speed is 20 feet)
- Dwarven Blood
- Darkvision 60ft.
- +2 racial saving throw against poisons
- +2 racial bonus to appraise or craft checks relating to metal, stone, or exotic materials
- +2 racial bonus to balance checks bacause of half-dwarves shorter legs, they have a lower center of balance
- +2 racial bonus to heal cheacks beacause of half-dwarves incredible resiliance to injury
- Favored Class Any
- Free Racial Feat at first level (non-weapon, non-magic…ex. Run, Alertness, Lightning reflexes)

 

[Crothian]

I picked the option that just wasn;t there: I would use them because I'm not a fan of them. It has nothing to do with balance.

 

[MissingDividends]

i realized after i made to poll that i forgot to include the option "No..."

 

[Mordane76]

I've been kicking the idea around myself for my own campaign, but I still wouldn't use what you have here because I don't know if I agree with some of the reasonings given for the skill bonuses, and I'm not sure I agree with the statistics.

Half-Elf has good additions, but it doesn't have ability modifiers, and I don't know if any of the human/standard X half-breeds should, just following that trend; I know the obvious rebuttal to this is, "Well, what about the Half-Orc?" To that I say -- well, Orc isn't normally a standard race; it's a monstrous race.

The Heal Skill reasoning is a little thin -- just because someone is more resilient doesn't make them better at healing others, which is the primary use of the Heal skill. Finally, the appraise/craft bonus shouldn't be a "racial" thing; I dislike a societal stereotype being considered a "racial" bonus, and if you're a Half-Dwarf raised among humans, there is nothing saying you will have the same metal/stone immersive experience as a normal Dwarf would.

 

[MissingDividends]

the statistics are based on the arcticle below

written by: ANDREW JUDD
Optional PC Race Creation
A race begins with a base of 43 racial points. Begin by allocating the points to various abilities at the listed cost until the points are used up completely. There are a handful of choices for purposes of choosing additional points.

The base statistics are: Medium size; base speed of 30'; a single favored class; balanced modifiers in multiples of 2 per attribute (see DMG); if half-human and half-something else, considered that something for purposes of special abilities and effects; base language of one or two, based on race and optional for 2nd.

1 point racial option
* +1 racial bonus to a single skill (maximum of two points allocated per
skill)

4 point racial options
* Small size
* Free weapon proficiency

8 point racial options
* Low-light vision
* +2 racial bonus to saving throws against a certain type (examples below, pick only one)
Poison
Single school of magic
Fear
* +1 racial attack bonus vs. subspecies (goblinoids) AND +4 dodge bonus vs. creature type (giants)
* Free feat

11 point racial options
* Darkvision 60'
* Favored Class: Any

13 point racial options
* Immunity to sleep
* +2 racial bonus to spells and spell-like effects
* +1 racial bonus to all saves
* +1 racial attack bonus with a specific weapon type (e.g. thrown)

14 point racial option
* Gnome spell abilities

16 point racial option
* Scent feat

24 point racial option
* Intelligence score raised by two for purposes of determining skill points

+3 point racial option (grants extra 3 racial points to spend)
* Base speed 20ft.

 

[Mordane76]

While possibly pretty cut and dry, it still seems like more a completely new race than something that's a half-human and half-dwarf. I'm not faulting your math in the least, but sometimes just because it likes okay on statistical paper, it doesn't necessarily make sense from a more elaborative standpoint.

The Ability Modifiers -- Dwarfs are tougher and more gruff than humans. Elves are more graceful, yet frail, when compared to humans. When elves and humans interbreed, the half-elves aren't just as graceful and frail as their elven parents, nor are they as skilled and versatile as their human parents. But they also aren't gaining ability modifiers that don't exist in either race. For math's sake, I personally would go halfsies on ability modifiers, but the designers didn't do that because of the truly powerful usefulness of a +1 as an Ability modifier at time of character creation, and they are correct in their decision not to do so.

However, in the end, it's all a question of utility for you. While I don't agree with how you've done it, if it works for you and those who decide that they do like it, then it's all good. I'm not trying to be mean -- I'm just offering an opposing viewpoint.

 

[MissingDividends]

yes i see the point that it looks too powerfull...i am having a whole several page topic on this here

feel free to contribute there as well (actuall please contriblue there instead of here...i spend more time there

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

The reason half-dwarves should get a +2 Strength modifier is the Dwarven muscle density and build being scaled up to a roughly human height.

It was one of the ability modifications of the Mul in Dark Sun, and I think it fits just about right.

As for how to balance that properly-- I have no idea. Maybe Half-Dwarves are an ECL +1, with the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.

 

[Azure Trance]

Yoink; look what the NPC just shifted into. Although I admit I'm not picky about races and balance from a DM / It's only going to be an NPC at least for now viewpoint (since the PCs won't make new characters yet anyway). Still, I appreciate the hard work and effort you did. I saw the other thread ;D

 

[Azure Trance]

Curiously though was A Judds point system significantly different from the first issue of Asgard where someone made a "make a half-anything race"? That too was a point system as well though I didn't read up on it.