PEACHY PEACH: Campaign Setting Races, Balance Evaluation

[The Glyphstone]

I need some hard critiquing on the internal balance between the five non-human races I plan to make 'standard' PC races in my homebrew campaign setting. Humans will be the last addition, being able to choose from a set of different 'cultural packages' to give them some variety, that will hopefully be balanced against the following. I've stripped out race names, though a few will be easily recognizable as ports/expies of certain other races - some might not be so obvious though. Take a look and tell me if certain ones are too powerful, too weak, and maybe even what I should do to smooth them out.

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Race Alpha Racial Traits:
+2 Dexterity, -2 Strength.
Small Size: +1 AC, +1 to attack rolls, +4 to hide checks, -4 on Grapple checks.
Lucky: Race Alpha receive a +1 racial bonus to saves.
+2 morale bonus to saves to resist emotional changes and fear effects.
+2 bonus on Appraise, Climb, Profession(Sailor), and Swim checks.
Dexterous Adaptability: Race Alpha may choose to substitute their Dexterity bonus for their Strength bonus on any skill check, ability check, or attack roll that is dependent on Strength. This does not affect weapon damage rolls.

Race Beta Racial Traits:
Medium Humanoid
+2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom.
Base Speed 30ft.
Low-Light Vision.
+4 skill points at 1st level, +1 skill point at each additional level.
Spell-Like Ability: 1/day – expeditious retreat.
+2 to saves vs. Enchantments, Illusions, and Telepathy.
+1 DC when using an Enchantment, Illusion, or Telepathy spell, power, or ability.
Alignment: Typically Chaotic.


Race Delta Racial Traits:
Medium Humanoid
+2 Strength, -2 Dexterity.
Base Speed 30ft.
Darkvision 60ft.
+1 Natural Armor.
Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat.
+2 to saves vs. poison, paralysis, and sleep effects.
+1 to caster level when using any spell or power with an elemental descriptor.
Alignment: Typically Neutral.

Race Gamma Racial Traits:
+2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence.
Medium Construct (Living Construct).
Either Skill Focus (Any) or Weapon Focus (Any) as a bonus feat.
Plated Skin: +2 armor bonus and 10% chance to ignore critical hits or sneak attacks. This does not stack with any other armor bonus or the Fortification ability.

Race Epsilon
-Small Humanoid
-+2 Constitution, -2 Charisma.
-Speed: 20ft. Race Epsilon in heavy armor do not suffer a reduction to their speed.
-Darkvision 60ft.
-Stonecut Expertise (Ex): Race Epsilon can instinctively analyze nearby stonework, gaining a +2 racial bonus to any Search or Spot checks to detect traps or other unusual features made primarily of stone, or non-stone materials disguised as stone.
-Powerful Build (Ex): Race Epsilon may consider themselves one size larger whenever it would be beneficial to them. This allows them to make checks or opposed checks with a modifier based on size as if they were one size category larger, and they are affected by special attacks such as Improved Grab and Swallow Whole as if they were one size category larger as well. Race Epsilon may wield weapons designed for a creature up to one size category larger than themselves, though their space and reach remain the same. This trait stacks with spells, powers, and abilities that increase the subject’s size category.
-Resilience (Ex): Race Epsilon gain a +1 racial bonus on saving throws against poison and death effects.
-Stability (Ex): Race Epsilon gain a +4 racial bonus to resist being bull rushed or tripped.
Alignment: Frequently Lawful.

[The Glyphstone]

Cmon, anyone? I'm really not that good at judging balance, even when I don't have the horrible bias that's involved here.


Just to keep this from being a total BUMP post, I'll add the four 'culture packages' that Humans can pick from:

-Bonus Feat
-Weapon Familiarity with Whip-Daggers
-+2 on Knowledge: History checks

-Bonus Feat
-Weapon Familiarity with Harpoons
+2 on Knowledge: Geography checks

-Bonus Feat
-Weapon Familiarity with Repeating Crossbows (Heavy, Light, Hand)
-+2 on Knowledge: Religion checks

-Bonus Feat
-Weapon Familiarity with Greathammers
-+2 on Knowledge: Nobility and Royalty checks

[Another_Poet]

Okay, here are my thoughts.

First off, these are all ery powerful races compared to PHB races. LA +1 in most cases, in my opinion. But I assume you know that and are trying to make all the races serviceable for a higher powered game.

Now, on to specifics. Race Alpha is the most powerful of the 5 races you presented. This is because they get a +1 to all saves (??) on top of a +2 bonus to some select saves. Since one is racial and one is morale they stack, giving a +3 to many saves. This is even more powerful because the +2 applies to saves against nebulous "emotional changes". Emotional change is not a a technical term in D&D (unlike say, mind-affecting or language-dependent or something). So it's really up to the player and DM to argue over what counts as "emotion changing." If I were a player I would expect all charm/compulsion effects to be counted. So now these guys have +3 on saves against most of the save-or-lose spells in the game. Arguably any mental ability damage/drain would count too. And of course anything that imposes morale penalties should count. Wow.

Now I want to be clear that Alphas (some kind of maritime halflings?) are more powerful than the other 4, but not WAY overpowered. All these races are strong, so Alpha is only a little bit ahead. But still those save bonuses are valuable.

I would also change their +2 bonus on those saves from a "morale" bonus to a "luck" bonus but that's just because I think you can't have high morale 24-7. Your call.

The others seem pretty well balanced against each other. I would consider getting rid of Gamma's fortification-like ability. It's just going to be a pain in the butt to keep track of and the +2 natural armour is pretty good on its own. If you keep it in, consider taking a page out of 4e and making it "once per day a Gamma can choose to negate extra damage from a critical hit or sneak attack."

Betas have the most abuseable ability score adjustments, especially since they seem to be meant to take wizard levels. There's no reason for a wizard to have a high Wis score whereas Dex will help with the lack of armour.

The size category shell game is the only thing that makes dwarves, oops, I mean Epsilons strong enough to compete with the others. That is a cool ability and well thought out. Even so, Epsilons end up being a little on the weak end compared to the others. Only Deltas are weaker.

Deltas are probably the weakest, though not by much. It's mostly just that their abilities don't compliment each other well like the others do. They've got a strength bump and other martial-oriented abilities, but their only really cool power is aimed at casters. I'd feel cheated whether as a caster or a warrior with this race. If it's meant for a gestahlt game, more power to you. Also, if they take levels in monk (or some other class that grants Improved Unarmed Strike) do they get something special? Maybe say "if a Delta would normally acquire Improved Unarmed Strike as a class ability, they instead gain Weapon Focus: Unarmed."

Okay, on to the humans:

Basically you have three tiers here. You have the lowest tier, which is "I get a bonus to a crappy skill and I get top use a crappy weapon!" Whip-dagger is just a fancy word for "I couldn't afford a spiked chain" and I don't know your harpoon stats but I'm guessing it's basically a javelin. If I tie a rope to my bastard sword can we call it a harpoon? Please? No? *grumble grumble*

Second tier is the last ethnic group, that gets a crappy skill bonus (knowledge nobility, aka knowledge (things your DM will reveal anyway if you don't have ranks in this skill)) BUT gets a great weapon. I could see taking it.

Then you have your shining first tier human race, basically the paragons that rule over all the neanderthals from the other tier. Seriously they can choose any type of Repeating Crossbow as their ethnic weapons AND they get a bonus to a skill that comes up at least once every session? SIGN ME UP. If I lived in this world and WASN'T from this human ethnic group, I'd just walk to their nearest settlement and surrender. It seems like it'd be better being a slave on the non-pointy end of the repeating crossbows than being a free man who has to charge their forts with his trusty whip-dagger.

Okay I'm trying to be funny here, so I hope that comes across as not just poking fun at your creations. The real question that determines how balanced these human ethnic groups are is this:

Is the "bonus feat" mentioned in each of their packages in addition to the normal human bonus feat (i.e. these groups all get 2 bonus feats at L1) or do they only get the usual 1 bonus feat for being human?

If it's in addition to, then these human types are all balanced with races alpha - epsilon. If they still only get one bonus feat, then I'd say only your first tier humans would be worth playing in this world, and even they would not be quite as cool as the other races (since most of the other races get a bonus feat now too, plus other stuff besides).

Also, I don't see mention of the bonus skill points that humans normally get. If your humans only get 1 bonus feat, 1 skill boost and 1 weapon familiarity then they are way underpowered.

ap

[DracoDei]

Wisdom applies to Will Saves.... or are you saying that with Good save progression Will Saves are never as much of a concern for wizards/sorcerers as Armor Class is?

Also, as written, it is worse than that with the Repeater Crossbows... The don't pick one, they get proficiency in ALL of them.

(Sidenote: How good ARE repeater crossbows? I have heard that Spiked Chains are the only Exotic Weapons worth the feat, but I am not so sure, and one of my campaigns includes and implied prestige class that uses them. I haven't written it up yet though.)

[The Glyphstone]

Okay, here are my thoughts.

First off, these are all ery powerful races compared to PHB races. LA +1 in most cases, in my opinion. But I assume you know that and are trying to make all the races serviceable for a higher powered game.


Yeah, I’m not looking to balance these against PHB races, only versus each other – they’ll be the only races available when I finish the world and open it for a test game.



Now, on to specifics. Race Alpha is the most powerful of the 5 races you presented. This is because they get a +1 to all saves (??) on top of a +2 bonus to some select saves. Since one is racial and one is morale they stack, giving a +3 to many saves. This is even more powerful because the +2 applies to saves against nebulous "emotional changes". Emotional change is not a a technical term in D&D (unlike say, mind-affecting or language-dependent or something). So it's really up to the player and DM to argue over what counts as "emotion changing." If I were a player I would expect all charm/compulsion effects to be counted. So now these guys have +3 on saves against most of the save-or-lose spells in the game. Arguably any mental ability damage/drain would count too. And of course anything that imposes morale penalties should count. Wow.

Now I want to be clear that Alphas (some kind of maritime halflings?) are more powerful than the other 4, but not WAY overpowered. All these races are strong, so Alpha is only a little bit ahead. But still those save bonuses are valuable.

I would also change their +2 bonus on those saves from a "morale" bonus to a "luck" bonus but that's just because I think you can't have high morale 24-7. Your call.

Hm – I had been thinking ‘emotional’ in terms of spells like Mindless Rage, Crushing Despair, or Fear, but that’s a good point. How would it change it if I altered the ‘emotional bonus’ to only affect abilities with the [Fear] descriptor and/or abilities that inflicted a morale penalty to rolls or stats? Would it better if both save bonuses were racial bonuses and thus overlapping instead of stacking? Both changes, or would that be overkill?




The others seem pretty well balanced against each other. I would consider getting rid of Gamma's fortification-like ability. It's just going to be a pain in the butt to keep track of and the +2 natural armour is pretty good on its own. If you keep it in, consider taking a page out of 4e and making it "once per day a Gamma can choose to negate extra damage from a critical hit or sneak attack."

That’s not a bad idea, though it could be pretty easily automated – it shouldn’t be that much harder to keep track of than, say, stabilization rolls…just toss a d10 any time they would get critted, and if it’s a 10, bonus damage negated. Also, note that the armor bonus is that, an Armor bonus – like Warforged, it doesn’t stack with any actual armor they’re wearing.



Betas have the most abuseable ability score adjustments, especially since they seem to be meant to take wizard levels. There's no reason for a wizard to have a high Wis score whereas Dex will help with the lack of armour.

Realy? I was thinking them as equally suited for sorcerer levels or even fighter levels, since their racial bonus versus Enchantments helps make up for the fighter’s poor Wisdom.



The size category shell game is the only thing that makes dwarves, oops, I mean Epsilons strong enough to compete with the others. That is a cool ability and well thought out. Even so, Epsilons end up being a little on the weak end compared to the others. Only Deltas are weaker.

Hehe. Well, I can’t take credit for inventing Powerful Build, though it’s usually seen on Medium races like the Goliath and Half-Giant who pretend to be Large. Would giving them Familiarity/Proficiency with Race Epsilon Waraxes be an improvement? I had cut it out because one of my goals with this is trimming out unnecessary stereotypes…you’ve identified Epsilon as my dwarf analogue, and drinking is a very small side aspect of their culture because I couldn’t find any reason for dwarves to always be drunkards besides the humor factor. Similarly, “dwarves must have axes’ wasn’t something I wanted to encourage – they’d be more likely to use warhammers or spears instead.



Deltas are probably the weakest, though not by much. It's mostly just that their abilities don't compliment each other well like the others do. They've got a strength bump and other martial-oriented abilities, but their only really cool power is aimed at casters. I'd feel cheated whether as a caster or a warrior with this race. If it's meant for a gestahlt game, more power to you. Also, if they take levels in monk (or some other class that grants Improved Unarmed Strike) do they get something special? Maybe say "if a Delta would normally acquire Improved Unarmed Strike as a class ability, they instead gain Weapon Focus: Unarmed."

I considered giving them a Charisma bonus in place of a Strength bonus, but I’ve been trying to avoid Grey Elf Wizard Syndrome. As for the Imp. Unarmed Strike ability, what it does do is auto-qualify them for a homebrew feat that I’m codenaming Unarmed Combat (AKA Punch Like A Monk). Most of the base classes I’m using are homebrewed (other people’s) or otherwise modified, and my attempt to make the monk something coherent and effective was such a disaster that I deleted it entirely and created the Unarmed Combat feat, which gives any character the unarmed damage that a monk of their character level would have (no Monk’s Belt, and no Superior Unarmed Strike feat). Honestly, I’m not sure what else to do with them right now.

Okay, on to the humans:



Basically you have three tiers here. You have the lowest tier, which is "I get a bonus to a crappy skill and I get top use a crappy weapon!" Whip-dagger is just a fancy word for "I couldn't afford a spiked chain" and I don't know your harpoon stats but I'm guessing it's basically a javelin. If I tie a rope to my bastard sword can we call it a harpoon? Please? No? *grumble grumble*

Seriously? I was worried about the whip-dagger one being overpowered, because the things threaten out to 15ft with adjacent threatening – for a tripmonkey controller, it should be even better than the Spiked Chain. Harpoons are actually in Stormwrack and Frostburn, a d10 piercing weapon with a 30ft’ throwing increment, a hit impaling the target and cutting them to half speed until they yank it out (causing damage as if they got hit again), and can have a rope tied to the end to keep the enemy from retreating.

Remember that Familiarity is not Proficiency, you still need Martial Weapon Proficiency to use it. Fighters, Paladins, and Barbarians (rangers went bye-bye like the Monk) are the only classes I have automatically proficient with Martial Weapons.



Then you have your shining first tier human race, basically the paragons that rule over all the neanderthals from the other tier. Seriously they can choose any type of Repeating Crossbow as their ethnic weapons AND they get a bonus to a skill that comes up at least once every session? SIGN ME UP. If I lived in this world and WASN'T from this human ethnic group, I'd just walk to their nearest settlement and surrender. It seems like it'd be better being a slave on the non-pointy end of the repeating crossbows than being a free man who has to charge their forts with his trusty whip-dagger.

Echoing Draco_Dei, I hadn’t thought RCrossbows were that good. In play, I’d think it would equate more to getting familiarity with one type and using it, similar to how PHB Dwarves are Familiar with Waraxes and Urgoshes, but rarely end up actually taking advantage of the proficiency for both.



Is the "bonus feat" mentioned in each of their packages in addition to the normal human bonus feat (i.e. these groups all get 2 bonus feats at L1) or do they only get the usual 1 bonus feat for being human?

If it's in addition to, then these human types are all balanced with races alpha - epsilon. If they still only get one bonus feat, then I'd say only your first tier humans would be worth playing in this world, and even they would not be quite as cool as the other races (since most of the other races get a bonus feat now too, plus other stuff besides).

Also, I don't see mention of the bonus skill points that humans normally get. If your humans only get 1 bonus feat, 1 skill boost and 1 weapon familiarity then they are way underpowered.


No, the free bonus points are the property of Race Beta, and the listed bonus feat is the normal one for being a human. I figured that my Human Packages would be underpowered compared to the Races, so that’s the primary thing I need to tackle. What if I took another leaf out of 4th Ed, much as I hate to do so, and let Humans have a free +2 to any stat of their choice with no corresponding -2 penalty? Would that bring them up to par?

It might also be worth noting that one of the homebrew rule sets I’ll probably be using is the Giant’s system for Knowledge skills, found here ( http://www.giantitp.com/articles/paBcfg1YaEccDMQACfu.html). I don’t plan to use Undead every session, and with how my cosmology and ‘pantheon’ such as it is are arranged, Religion shouldn’t be considerably more useful than the other two.

[The Glyphstone]

One part of the design philosophy I'm trying to follow is the idea that no race should be pidgeonholed into one class/role because that's the only one or the best one they're suited for (the aforementioned Grey Elf Wizard Syndrome). For example:

Alphas are best with any class that gets an alternative damage source, such as rogues/scouts or casters, but they still make passable frontliners with their free Weapon Finesse+ and using ToB material (which is available in the setting).

Betas can be skillmonkeys or casters, with racial traits supporting both roles. They're not so good at being a melee warrior, though that's not a problem of negatives so much as a lack of direct support.

Gammas aren't realy encouraged towards anything specific, though the Int penalty makes them less likely to be Wizards. Sorcerers in particular might appreciate free Bracers of Armor +2, but any class can use Con and mini-Fortification.

Deltas are, admittedly, the oddball, but that might just be the aforementioned design philosophy manifesting a bit too strongly. Strength bonus and the head-start on unarmed combat make them more attractive warriors, though the natural armor bonus and elemental affinity give them incentive to be a blaster caster/manifester.

Epsilons work as anything that's not Cha-dependent, though they do best as a caster (who can enjoy the size bonuses) as well as a meleer (again, size bonuses with no serious penalty).

Humans are the odd one out, but it's already determined that they need a boost to compete. I'm wary about giving a net positive with no negative, since that's almost exclusively the territory of +1 races, but since all these are pretty close to +1 LA on their own, it might not be too bad.