The-Marksman
2009-12-14, 09:33 PM
Ive created a homebrew Ronso race from the Final Fantasy X game. The Ronso are a large humanoid race of leonine looking creatures with a nearly 1 foot horn on their forehead and are known for their strong sense of honor and loyalty, and their pride and quickness to anger. Ronsos also are not very smart or educated and speak very poor and badly broken common. Like for example, in the game Kimahri is a Ronso who is a bodyguard to a summoner named Yuna. If Kimahri were trying to protect Yuna from another Ronso named Biran, his grammar might sound like: "Kimahri like Yuna, Biran leave Yuna alone." For those unfamiliar with the race, here is a picture of some Ronso.
http://i670.photobucket.com/albums/vv67/Golbez01/Ronso.jpg
The problem Im having is Im not sure how to balance them: if I should use an LA, or if I should use racial hit dice to balance them, and then once I decide which one, how much of that one to use?
They are extremely similar to Goliaths from Races of Stone, but have MUCH more than Goliaths who are LA +1, but Im not sure they justify an LA +2. Not only that but with custom rules all over for removing LA, LA isnt as strong of a balancer as Racial HD.
One idea given to me was to have them have 1 racial hit die and +0 LA, but since 1 racial hit die is replaced when you gain 1 character level, the idea given to me was to include a custom rule that unlike standard racial HD, this racial HD cannot be substituted by class levels in any fashion or replaced. Which I like, but Im not all that experienced, so I dont know that that idea will balance it suffiently.
Any opinions in favor of, or against any of the ideas laid out here would be appreciated and Im open to other ideas for balancing as well. Although Im not really here to debate racial features I am open to hearing other peoples opinions or ideas for the Ronso. When this is complete, Im going to be posting it on http://dungeons.wikia.com/wiki/Dungeons_and_Dragons_Wiki
Heres what I have so far:
Ronso
+2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma: Ronsos are very big, strong and agile, but are quick to anger and are gruff and reserved. They live a very tribal, almost Neanderthal lifestyle that lacks thorough and formal educations. causing all Ronso to speak broken common and refer to themselves in the third person.
Monsterous Humanoid: As monsterous humanoids ronsos are proficient with all simple weapons, but they have no proficiency with any armor or shields.
Medium: As a medium creature a Ronso takes no penalty to attack rolls or AC.
Ronso have a land base speed of 30 feet.
Low light vision: Ronso can see three times as far as a humans in starlight, moonlight, torchlight or other similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color at these distances.
Darkvision: Ronsos can see in the dark upto 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but is otherwise like normal sight, and ronsos can function just fine with no light at all.
Powerful build: The physical stature of a Ronso lets him function in many ways as though he were one size larger. Whenever a Ronso is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed checks (such as a grapple checks, bullrush attempts or trip attempts) the Ronso is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. A Ronso is also considered one size larger when determining whether a creatures special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A Ronso can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However his space and reach remain that of a creature his actual size. The benefit of this racial trait stacks with the effects of powers, abilities and spells that change the subject’s size category.
Mountain Movement: Because ronso practically live on the ledges and cliffs of the most forbidding mountains, they are practically adept at negotiating mountain hazzards.Ronso can make standing long jumps and high jumps as tho they were running long jumps and high jumps.A ronso can engage in accelerated climbing (climbing half his speed as a move action) without taking the -5 penalty on climb checks.
Acclimated: Ronsos are automatically acclimated to life at high altitude. They don’t take the penalties for altitude described in the Mountain Travel section on page 90 of the Dungeon Master's Guide. Unlike other denizens of the mountains, Ronso do not lose their acclimation to high altitude even if they spend a long time at a lower elevation.
Natural Weapons: Bite (1d6), Gore (1d6)
Special Qualities: Scent
+4 racial bonus on Move Silently checks. All Ronso walk on the tippy toes of their padded feet, which softens their footsteps while they walk.
+2 racial bonus on jump and climb checks. Growing up on the mountains, Ronsos find themselves constantly jumping and climbing over obstacles and are racially adept at doing so.
+2 racial bonus on listen and spot checks. Ronso have very keen senses and are more aware than some other races.
+2 natural armor bonus, all ronso have a tough hide and thick fur covering their bodies.
Automatic languages: Common. Bonus Languages: Giant, Dwarven, Gol-Kaa, Feline, Gnoll, Terran, Orc.
Favored class: Barbarian. A multiclass Ronsos Barbarian levels do not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty. The tribal life of the Ronso produces many Barbarians.
Level adjustment: +? Help here please
http://i670.photobucket.com/albums/vv67/Golbez01/Ronso.jpg
The problem Im having is Im not sure how to balance them: if I should use an LA, or if I should use racial hit dice to balance them, and then once I decide which one, how much of that one to use?
They are extremely similar to Goliaths from Races of Stone, but have MUCH more than Goliaths who are LA +1, but Im not sure they justify an LA +2. Not only that but with custom rules all over for removing LA, LA isnt as strong of a balancer as Racial HD.
One idea given to me was to have them have 1 racial hit die and +0 LA, but since 1 racial hit die is replaced when you gain 1 character level, the idea given to me was to include a custom rule that unlike standard racial HD, this racial HD cannot be substituted by class levels in any fashion or replaced. Which I like, but Im not all that experienced, so I dont know that that idea will balance it suffiently.
Any opinions in favor of, or against any of the ideas laid out here would be appreciated and Im open to other ideas for balancing as well. Although Im not really here to debate racial features I am open to hearing other peoples opinions or ideas for the Ronso. When this is complete, Im going to be posting it on http://dungeons.wikia.com/wiki/Dungeons_and_Dragons_Wiki
Heres what I have so far:
Ronso
+2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma: Ronsos are very big, strong and agile, but are quick to anger and are gruff and reserved. They live a very tribal, almost Neanderthal lifestyle that lacks thorough and formal educations. causing all Ronso to speak broken common and refer to themselves in the third person.
Monsterous Humanoid: As monsterous humanoids ronsos are proficient with all simple weapons, but they have no proficiency with any armor or shields.
Medium: As a medium creature a Ronso takes no penalty to attack rolls or AC.
Ronso have a land base speed of 30 feet.
Low light vision: Ronso can see three times as far as a humans in starlight, moonlight, torchlight or other similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color at these distances.
Darkvision: Ronsos can see in the dark upto 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but is otherwise like normal sight, and ronsos can function just fine with no light at all.
Powerful build: The physical stature of a Ronso lets him function in many ways as though he were one size larger. Whenever a Ronso is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed checks (such as a grapple checks, bullrush attempts or trip attempts) the Ronso is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. A Ronso is also considered one size larger when determining whether a creatures special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A Ronso can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However his space and reach remain that of a creature his actual size. The benefit of this racial trait stacks with the effects of powers, abilities and spells that change the subject’s size category.
Mountain Movement: Because ronso practically live on the ledges and cliffs of the most forbidding mountains, they are practically adept at negotiating mountain hazzards.Ronso can make standing long jumps and high jumps as tho they were running long jumps and high jumps.A ronso can engage in accelerated climbing (climbing half his speed as a move action) without taking the -5 penalty on climb checks.
Acclimated: Ronsos are automatically acclimated to life at high altitude. They don’t take the penalties for altitude described in the Mountain Travel section on page 90 of the Dungeon Master's Guide. Unlike other denizens of the mountains, Ronso do not lose their acclimation to high altitude even if they spend a long time at a lower elevation.
Natural Weapons: Bite (1d6), Gore (1d6)
Special Qualities: Scent
+4 racial bonus on Move Silently checks. All Ronso walk on the tippy toes of their padded feet, which softens their footsteps while they walk.
+2 racial bonus on jump and climb checks. Growing up on the mountains, Ronsos find themselves constantly jumping and climbing over obstacles and are racially adept at doing so.
+2 racial bonus on listen and spot checks. Ronso have very keen senses and are more aware than some other races.
+2 natural armor bonus, all ronso have a tough hide and thick fur covering their bodies.
Automatic languages: Common. Bonus Languages: Giant, Dwarven, Gol-Kaa, Feline, Gnoll, Terran, Orc.
Favored class: Barbarian. A multiclass Ronsos Barbarian levels do not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty. The tribal life of the Ronso produces many Barbarians.
Level adjustment: +? Help here please