"Does that guy have a camel's head?" New race

[Mongoose87]

Dromedar

The Dromedar are a race of camel-headed humanoids. Sage wanderers, they are known for the wisdom of their oral tradition and for their patience. The Dromedar make their way across the *insert setting appropriate desert here*, living off the land, selling hand-crafted remedies, tools, and serving as caravan escort to supplement what they find. Down-to-earth, they are attuned to the way of things, and often offer keen insight.

Dromedar Racial Traits

+2 Wisdom, -2 Dexterity. Dromedar are wise, and often offer good advice, but are somewhat bulky and clumsy.
Medium: As Medium creatures, Dromedar have no special bonuses or penalties based upon size
Base land speed of thirty feet
Endurance: Dromedar receive Endurance as a bonus feat.
Dromedar are well-attuned to the world around them. Knowledge: Nature is always a class skill for Dromedar.
Camel-Blooded: Dromedar are distant relatives to camels. They receive a +4 racial bonus on Handle Animal, Diplomacy or Wild Empathy checks made towards camels (including any creatures that use camel as a base), due to their unique understanding of them.
Scimitars: The scimitar is a popular weapon amongst Dromedar. It is considered a simple weapon for them.
Spit (Ex): Dromedars may spit on nearby opponents to dissuade them from attacking. As a standard action, they expectorate in a 15 foot cone, causing all in the area that fail a Fortitude save at DC 10 +1/2 HD + Consitution bonus to become Sickened. A target continues to be Sickened each round until a sucessful save is made, or until a full round action is taken to remove the spit. This ability may be used once every four hours.
Desert Tracking: Dromedar spend nearly their entire lives in a desert environment. This familiarity makes them much more adept at tracking in such places. They have a +4 racial bonus to track in desert or sandy, dry environments.
Favoured Class: The Dromedar's favoured class is Ranger.


Racial Substitution Levels
Ranger: Desert Rider

Level 1: Loses first favored enemy, gains a camel animal companion and mount, as a druid of his level. Animal companion class feature at level 4 is overlapped by, not in addition to, this.
Level 2: Loses Normal Combat Styles, gains Mounted Scimitar Style. Gains weapon focus: Scimitar as a bonus feat, does +2 damage when wielding a scimitar and shield while mounted.
At level Level 6, he gains Weapon Specialization: Scimitar as a bonus feat, and may use his shield to deflect arrows.
At level 11, he gains Melee Weapon Mastery: Slashing
Level 3: Loses Endurance, gains Mounted Combat.

[golentan]

A half camel. Now we know what V is, though it explains nothing about hir build. :smallbiggrin:

Seriously speaking, the spitting power is a little strong at low levels, mostly because it's a cone. Bonus to a primary casting stat is powerful, but not necessarily unbalancing. The racial ranger substitution royally stinks, I can't think of any way were it would really be worth taking. The animal companion can be accomplished almost as well with a single feat without losing any of the other class features that get sacked, the bonus of +2 to damage while holding a weapon single handed and mounted is so specific and under optimal it's ridiculous, deflect arrows is a sub-par ability, and melee weapon mastery comes late and doesn't mesh at all with any of the previous abilities.

That being said, with some tweaking these could be a good addition to a desert campaign. Especially if you throw in some reduced water requirements to fit the image.

[Hazkali]

Must...resist...crude...innuendo...

Right, I've given the stat block a little formatting and a couple of tweaks for clarity if you click "Quote" you could copy-paste it over to your OP, making any changes you like.



Dromedar Racial Traits

+2 Wisdom, -2 Dexterity. Dromedar are wise, and often offer good advice, but are somewhat bulky and clumsy.
Medium: As Medium creatures, Dromedar have no special bonuses or penalties based upon size
Base land speed of thirty feet
Endurance: Dromedar receive Endurance as a bonus feat.
Attuned: Dromedar are well-attuned to the world around them. Knowledge: Nature is always a class skill for Dromedar.
Camel-Blooded: Dromedar are distant relatives to camels. They receive a +4 racial bonus on Handle Animal, Diplomacy or Wild Empathy checks made towards camels (including any creatures that use camel as a base), due to their unique understanding of them.
Scimitars: The scimitar is a popular weapon amongst Dromedar. It is considered a simple weapon for them.
Spit: Dromedar may spit on nearby opponents to dissuade them from attacking. As a standard action, they expectorate in a 15 foot cone, causing all in the area that fail a Fortitude save at DC 10 +1/2 HD + Consitution to become sickened. This may be done once every four hours.
Favoured Class: The Dromedar's favoured class is Ranger



I would say that they're not too bad, in all. I would add the following ability:




Hump: A Dromedar can go without water for 4 days plus a number of hours equal to his Constitution score.

[Iferus]

The racial ranger substitution royally stinks, I can't think of any way were it would really be worth taking. The animal companion can be accomplished almost as well with a single feat without losing any of the other class features that get sacked, the bonus of +2 to damage while holding a weapon single handed and mounted is so specific and under optimal it's ridiculous, deflect arrows is a sub-par ability, and melee weapon mastery comes late and doesn't mesh at all with any of the previous abilities.


The ranger animal companion progresses as a druid of half-level. There is no SRD feat that can accomplish this. Deflect arrows without needing a free hand is actually quite good.

Having said that, there are some downsides. Losing both a favored enemy AND track is quite harsh, and the third level ranger ability Endurance is worthless because this race already provides that.

Personally, I'd have the substitution levels affect levels 1,2 and 3. The first would provide the animal companion at the cost of the favored enemy; the second level would change the combat style progression for the rest of the class and the third level would switch out Endurance for Mountained Combat - a no-brainer.

[Debihuman]

How long does the Sickened condition last if you fail the Fortitude save on the Spit attack?

Debby

[DracoDei]

Tracking through a sandy desert is so hard if the wind has had any time to work as to be pointless at low levels I should think. Thus I would drop Track rather than First Favored Enemy if you are only dropping one.

[Iferus]

Tracking through a sandy desert is so hard if the wind has had any time to work as to be pointless at low levels I should think. Thus I would drop Track rather than First Favored Enemy if you are only dropping one.

If anyone should be able to track through the desert, this class should be it. It's just that de DCs are very high for low-level characters, so the real benefit will only show up later.
Perhaps a bonus to tracking in desert environments is in order!

[Mongoose87]

Alright, I made the changes Iferus suggested to the substitutions levels, I gave them a bonus to track in the desert, made a couple formatting corrects and I made the duration more clear on the spitting ability.

[Debihuman]

I think this might be more specifc:


Spit (Ex): Dromedars may spit on nearby opponents to dissuade them from attacking. As a standard action, they expectorate in a 15 foot cone, causing all in the area that fail a Fortitude save at DC 10 +1/2 HD + Consitution bonus to become Sickened. A target continues to be Sickened each round until a sucessful save is made, or until a full round action is taken to remove the spit. This ability may be used once every four hours.


Debby

[Pika...]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XN7dfMFuxyw/R9pPR6snk6I/AAAAAAAAACc/DcSyaZmVzCE/s400/20060405113952.jpg


?

[Archpaladin Zousha]

I was wondering if someone was gonna make that joke.

[Mongoose87]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XN7dfMFuxyw/R9pPR6snk6I/AAAAAAAAACc/DcSyaZmVzCE/s400/20060405113952.jpg


?

Oh, gods, no. The race is actually inspired by one of my "backup" characters that I've got, in case my current guy gets KO'd: Khalid the Camel Cleric. He's an awakened camel, who is also a Cleric. I figured it would be kinda cool to have Camel-People instead of literal camels, who speak.

[golentan]

The ranger animal companion progresses as a druid of half-level. There is no SRD feat that can accomplish this. Deflect arrows without needing a free hand is actually quite good.

Having said that, there are some downsides. Losing both a favored enemy AND track is quite harsh, and the third level ranger ability Endurance is worthless because this race already provides that.

Personally, I'd have the substitution levels affect levels 1,2 and 3. The first would provide the animal companion at the cost of the favored enemy; the second level would change the combat style progression for the rest of the class and the third level would switch out Endurance for Mountained Combat - a no-brainer.

But there is a web enhancement feat (which makes it RAW legal and which I've never seen a DM turn down, and is just as available to anyone with an internet connection as the SRD) which is "Gain an animal companion as a druid, subtract 1 from bonuses" (1 less bonus hit die, armor adjustment). And you can get it at 1st level without having to give up anything. It can be foundhere. (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118a) And with that in mind, and everything you need to sac for the substitution levels, it is very much not worth it IMO.

[Pika...]

I was wondering if someone was gonna make that joke.

Glad to not disappoint.




Oh, gods, no. The race is actually inspired by one of my "backup" characters that I've got, in case my current guy gets KO'd: Khalid the Camel Cleric. He's an awakened camel, who is also a Cleric. I figured it would be kinda cool to have Camel-People instead of literal camels, who speak.

May I recommend the Camel Lord as their patron?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_Lord#Animal_Lord



ps. Oh, and you have to give them hootas (sp?). or other forms of smoking.

[Mongoose87]

ps. Oh, and you have to give them hootas (sp?). or other forms of smoking.

Hookas are what I think you're talking about.

[Asbestos]

Hookas are what I think you're talking about.

I was hoping for cigarettes... are they at war with the Rabbit-men?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr4QBZfjtqs

[Ashtagon]

expectorate in a 15 foot cone

That's a LOT of drool for a supposedly non-magical effect.

I'd make it one creature within 15 feet. More than that, and you're going to have to find someone else to mop the floors. I'd also make it a per encounter ability (or once every five minutes... whatever works for you). Normal creatures can create drool quite readily, but can't store vast quantities of it.

[Mongoose87]

That's a LOT of drool for a supposedly non-magical effect.

I'd make it one creature within 15 feet. More than that, and you're going to have to find someone else to mop the floors. I'd also make it a per encounter ability (or once every five minutes... whatever works for you). Normal creatures can create drool quite readily, but can't store vast quantities of it.

I based this off of real camels' defense mechanism and camels don't actually spit. What they do is they vomit the contents of their foremost stomach up, and shake their head, and flap their lips, to spray it everywhere.

[Renrik]

Not another god-damn furry race! No! No! No! No!

[The Tygre]

Not another god-damn furry race! No! No! No! No!

Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!

How do these guys interact with the Camel Sages from Scarred Lands Creature Collection? I once read about an arch-devil of lust under the service of Belial in Green Ronin's Book of Fiends. Do you thin he could be shoe-horned into their mythos?

[Mongoose87]

Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!

How do these guys interact with the Camel Sages from Scarred Lands Creature Collection? I once read about an arch-devil of lust under the service of Belial in Green Ronin's Book of Fiends. Do you thin he could be shoe-horned into their mythos?

The Arch-Devil of Lust is Camel-Headed!?

I've never even heard of that creature collection. I'd imagined these fellows as generally good-natured, though.

[Golden-Esque]

Not another god-damn furry race! No! No! No! No!

That's quite an ignorant statement, I think :/.

[NosferatuZodd]

This is a interesting looking race, could be fun in a desert game.



Not another god-damn furry race! No! No! No! No!

Not really a furry race considering it's not Anthro, they just happen to have some camel abilities and have camel heads. That's like calling the Minotaur a furry.

I shall stop this argument before it overtakes the thread now.

[Teutonic Knight]

Don't the camels find it awkward being ridden by bipedal camels.

Anyway nice job, but am still wondering, how big are these guys? To spray like a camel with a camel head, should the body be proportionate too?

[Pika...]

Don't the camels find it awkward being ridden by bipedal camels.

Anyway nice job, but am still wondering, how big are these guys? To spray like a camel with a camel head, should the body be proportionate too?

Agreed.

And I feel them being large size would give them a more alien/different/fantasy feel. One that would highlight "not everything here is basically a Human, but with different stats".

[Mongoose87]

Agreed.

And I feel them being large size would give them a more alien/different/fantasy feel. One that would highlight "not everything here is basically a Human, but with different stats".

Would something large be able to ride a camel?

You know what could be fun is turning them into a sort of camel-centaur.

[Lappy9000]

Treating scimitars as simple weapons is kind of strange; why not just give them Martial Weapon Proficiency (scimitar)?

The dromedar are looking quite good! I like 'em :smallcool:

[Pika...]

You know what could be fun is turning them into a sort of camel-centaur.

Personally I think that would be an awesome idea. Try stating it out and see if you like it.


-Retarded Pikachu

[Mongoose87]

Treating scimitars as simple weapons is kind of strange; why not just give them Martial Weapon Proficiency (scimitar)?

The dromedar are looking quite good! I like 'em :smallcool:

Because, this at least requires a passing familiarity with fighting - even Wizards would get them if they all got it. No big deal I know, but I like it this way.

[Pika...]

I just have to ask, do they have camel toes?

[Mongoose87]

I just have to ask, do they have camel toes?

I can't believe you just...

*sigh*

[Pika...]

I can't believe you just...

*sigh*


What? I am talking about their feet. >.>

[Lappy9000]

Because, this at least requires a passing familiarity with fighting - even Wizards would get them if they all got it. No big deal I know, but I like it this way.Ah, alright then. I just wanted to know why you chose that over the conventional method; and your logic makes perfect sense.

[blueblade]

Question: I take it they are very specifically strength based Rangers? Because you have given them an inherent penalty to Dex, which makes a two-weapon Dex build very tough to play out.

Or am I missing something?

[Mongoose87]

Question: I take it they are very specifically strength based Rangers? Because you have given them an inherent penalty to Dex, which makes a two-weapon Dex build very tough to play out.

Or am I missing something?

They have racial substitution levels that make them mounted Sword and Board fighters, instead of TWFers.

[blueblade]

Ah, fair enough. Didn't really appreciate that you were replacing the combat styles very well. Actually a pretty neat way to do it (better than a variant or similar).

[Ashtagon]

Because, this at least requires a passing familiarity with fighting - even Wizards would get them if they all got it. No big deal I know, but I like it this way.

Out of interest, in terms of game mechanics, what difference does it make if they have martial proficiency (scimitar) vs. treating scimitars as simple weapons? I was under the impression that these are really just two ways to say the same thing.

[golentan]

Out of interest, in terms of game mechanics, what difference does it make if they have martial proficiency (scimitar) vs. treating scimitars as simple weapons? I was under the impression that these are really just two ways to say the same thing.

Well, not every class has simple weapon proficiency. Primary arcane casters are especially notably lacking. So this makes it so classes with general simple weapon proficiencies will be able to grab a scimitar proficiency.