PDA

View Full Version : Faeline Race[3.5] PEACH



Lord Vukodlak
2010-03-26, 07:52 PM
When I first made my campaign setting years ago one of the races I designed was the Faeline a race of cat people. Which FYI predates the catfolk from races of the wild by several years.
But I thought I'd share it here.

Faeline
+2 Dex -2 Con
Medium Sized, humanoid.
Base speed 40ft[when wearing light armor or a carrying no more then a light load], otherwise 30ft.

+2 Racial bonus to balance, hide, move silently and climb checks.

All Faelines have retractable claws on each hand with which they are proficient. These claws allow them to make unarmed strikes that deal 1d4 points of lethal slashing damage.
They are considered to have improved unarmed strike with their claws but without the option to deal non-lethal damage.*this means they can take feats such as deflect arrows*

This means their claw attacks are treated like unarmed strikes so using them in conjunction with say a sword is no different then TWF, much less powerful then a true natural attack

+1 racial bonus on attack rolls against gnolls, wolves and other canine enemies.

Low-Light Vision: A Faeline can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.

Automatic Languages: Common, Faeline.
Bonus Languages: Halfling, Gnoll, Gnome, Elven, and Sylvan.

Favored Class: Ranger,
DESCRIPTION
Faelines are a race of cat people. All Faelines have cat like heads with fuzzy ears and a tail too. They tend to have sandy colored fur but they can range in colors just like any cat. A Faelines body is covered with short fur. The color ranges in the same manner as a cat. Most faelines have a sandy color furr while others may stripped or spotted furr like a leopard of a tiger. In addition to the short fur covering their bodies they also grow hair on their head like most other humanoid races.

They rate at about 50% on the furry scale give or take 10%
http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff252/powderedtoastdude/furry.jpg

SOCIETY
Faeline behavior is often much like a cat. aloof one day, compassionate the next, and extremely aggressive if provoked. They tend to live in temperate to warm forests and warm plains. Faelines usually live in small tribes rarely numbering over a few hundred and separated into family units. Faelines dislike dogs and have a hatred for Gnolls. Faelines tend to range from 90 to 120 pounds and stand slightly taller then high elves but sill shorter then most humans. Faelines use the half-orc table for aging.

Admiral Squish
2010-03-26, 07:55 PM
What you want is catfolk from RoW. Basically exactly the same as what you're sayin' here, but it's a lot smoother.

Lord Vukodlak
2010-03-26, 08:06 PM
What you want is catfolk from RoW. Basically exactly the same as what you're sayin' here, but it's a lot smoother.

Did you bother to read my entire post, like the part where I said I designed this race before RoW was printed.
Hell If I had bothered to post the race on the internet back in 2003 I could claim wizards stole it, and if the two races had anything in common other then being cat people and speed.

But Catfolk have an level adjustment Faelines do not. And just because wizards made a cat race two years after I did doesn't mean I'll stop using my own. Especially as I've seen catfolk, I was not impressed with only really worth playing for their +4 Dex and +2 Charisma with which you of course pay a LA for.

Admiral Squish
2010-03-26, 08:29 PM
Well, to be honest, I'm not all that impressed by this. Allow me to enumerate why.

First, the racial adjustments are the same as elves. Not sure why they're taking a hit to con, really.

Second, the speed is all kinds of wierd. Why not just say land speed 40 or land speed 30? You could even say a +10 foot bonus to speed when wearing light or no armor and carrying no more than a light load.

The skill bonuses are okay.

Why not just say natural attack: Two 1d4 claws? A claw can't be used like a normal weapon, that's why there are rules for it, so it wouldn't be like TWF. You could make an off-hand attack with a claw and a normal, one-handed weapon. Two claws are hardly worth a level adjustment.

+1 vs. gnolls. Why not make it broader, such as, any canine? Woves, dire wolves, dogs, riding dogs, gnolls, hound archons... Because how likely is it you're going to be encountering a lot of gnolls? Not all that likely. With a dwarf, it's a bonus against orcs and goblinoids, which are a rather diverse and common group. With gnomes, kobolds and goblinoids. Again, diverse and common. Gnolls are neither varied, nor common. It'd go to waste in most games.

Low-light vision, I have no problem with.

then, there's your description. It's just... bland. You go on and on about how similar they are to cats. It could be summed up in a few sentences, then the rest of the paragraph could be used to go into common clothing, jewlery, hairsyles, mannerisms... Something to make this more interesting than just 'it's a catgirl'.

The society entry is bland, but no glaring issues.

I admit, I didn't read the first bit of your post, because I thought the crunchy parts would be more important. I figured it would be a helpful suggestion to point out it would be simpler to bring down a catfolk a little bit than to create a whole new race.

Lord Vukodlak
2010-03-26, 08:47 PM
I thought about just a base land speed of 40ft but then wondered if that was to powerful, so I gave it limitations and tried to spell it out right away so pre-answer any questions, but your right +10 to land speed is just easier to say, its just sounds weirder to give them a base speed of 30ft then give them a racial ability that makes them faster.

And most people think that two claw attacks are worthy of a level adjustment, but I thought a race of cat people should have claws so I made them unarmed strikes.
If it was simply two claw attacks then they'd have two attacks at 1st level, and if used in conjunction with a weapon attack the off-hand claw gives no penalty to the manufactured weapon.
I've updated it to clarify that the claws count as having improved unarmed strike[but without the option to deal nonlethal damage, you'd need the actually feat for that]

The description could be better but I'm not good with those kind descriptions. Its was much easier to show they are 50% furry then describe it, and the society bit well I didn't feel like having the two page history of the Faeline being peached. So I posted the abridged version... also I can't find the extended version.

Why the bonus to dex and penalty to con? because that's very catlike. Sleek and agile but not tough. So elves have the same ability score mods. What should the penalty go to strength? don't halflings already do that? what about two mental scores, wait that didn't work out for half-orcs.
I don't really have any options to be different, +2 Dexterity and -2 Wisdom didn't feel right either.

The gnolls was one of those things I kind of threw in there, it could probably be as broad as canine enemies, but then people would ask, "oh what qualifies as a canine"

Geiger Counter
2010-03-26, 09:03 PM
I think a dodge bonus might be more appropriate than an attack bonus.

Temotei
2010-03-26, 09:04 PM
The gnolls was one of those things I kind of threw in there, it could probably be as broad as canine enemies, but then people would ask, "oh what qualifies as a canine"

Not really.

–adjective
1.
of or like a dog; pertaining to or characteristic of dogs: canine loyalty.
2.
Anatomy, Zoology. of or pertaining to the four pointed teeth, esp. prominent in dogs, situated one on each side of each jaw, next to the incisors.

Lord Vukodlak
2010-03-26, 09:09 PM
Not really.

–adjective
1.
of or like a dog; pertaining to or characteristic of dogs: canine loyalty.
2.
Anatomy, Zoology. of or pertaining to the four pointed teeth, esp. prominent in dogs, situated one on each side of each jaw, next to the incisors.

Yes but in D&D creature type is so very important, there is no canine subtype like there is a reptilian, then its well how canine? Should they get it vs a Hound Archon?

Temotei
2010-03-26, 09:13 PM
Yes but in D&D creature type is so very important, there is no canine subtype like there is a reptilian, then its well how canine? Should they get it vs a Hound Archon?

Probably. Since the hound archon is based on a dog, it would be considered a humanoid canine. Or something. :smallamused:

Admiral Squish
2010-03-26, 09:13 PM
I thought about just a base land speed of 40ft but then wondered if that was to powerful, so I gave it limitations and tried to spell it out right away so pre-answer any questions, but your right +10 to land speed is just easier to say.

And most people think that two claw attacks are worthy of a level adjustment, but I thought a race of cat people should have claws so I made them unarmed strikes.
If it was simply two claw attacks then they'd have two attacks at 1st level, and if used in conjunction with a weapon attack the off-hand claw gives no penalty to the manufactured weapon.

The description could be better but I'm not good with those kind descriptions. Its was much easier to show they are 50% furry then describe it.

Why the bonus to dex and penalty to con? because that's very catlike. Sleek and agile but not tough. So elves have the same ability score mods. What should the penalty go to strength? don't halflings already do that? what about two mental scores, wait that didn't work out for half-orcs.
I don't really have any options to be different, +2 Dex and -2 Wis didn't feel right either.

The gnolls was one of those things I kind of threw in there, it could probably be as broad as canine enemies.

Two claw attacks may be a boost at level one, but generally, natural attacks are underpowered compared to manufactured weapons. And since they double as claws and hands, they will quickly fall to the wayside in favor of two-handed weapons or regular TWF. You can make an off-hand attack with a natural weapon without affecting your manufactured weapon rolls anyway, and an unarmed strike is basically a normal natural weapon, it just sucks even more because you provoke AoOs for doing it without a feat.

As for the adjustments, well, they are cats, so -2 int to represent their simpler brains? -2 con really doesn't work for something intended for melee.

Lord Vukodlak
2010-03-26, 09:24 PM
But does -2 Intelligence really balance out a +2 Dexterity. If your playing a wizard or other intelligence based class it certainly does but maybe not for most others. I suppose making it more difficult to take combat expertise and the feats that require it is a kind of penalty.

I think your missing reading parts of my post,

You can make an off-hand attack with a natural weapon without affecting your manufactured weapon rolls anyway
I know that, the point is they don't get that off-hand attack without affecting the main hand. And they provoke no AoO as they are treated as having improved unarmed strike in relation to their claws.

If I can get some consensus that people no longer think having natural weapons warrants a level adjustment, I'll change it, but I need more then just you, to say its ok, To me it sounds like a great advantage to rogues.

Oh and thanks everyone for the feedback so far.

Geiger Counter
2010-03-26, 09:46 PM
Natural weapons are only valuable if they add an extra attack or you are a monk with claws. If your claws are mechanically identical to dual wielding daggers than this trait is worth about as much as a +2 skill bonus.

Temotei
2010-03-26, 09:47 PM
Natural weapons are only valuable if they add an extra attack or you are a monk with claws. If your claws are mechanically identical to dual wielding daggers than this trait is worth about as much as a +2 skill bonus.

Agreed. Even then, manufactured weapons and two-weapon fighting is better, usually.

Agi Hammerthief
2010-03-26, 09:48 PM
+2 racial bonus to climb feels rather odd:

the crude mechanical Climber Kitt grants +2.
With the claws naturally build in, shouldn't this be at least doubled?
and/or a take 10 even when stressed and distracted.
- when not wearing shoes.

what about a +2 on tumble when reducing damage from a fall?
or double the distance (normally the first 10 feet can be negated when falling on purpose)
this could be made 20 feet and/or expanded to any fall (not only on purpose) - cats land on their feet.

if canine is too undefined in D&D you could shift the bonus to (feathery?) winged creatures :smallbiggrin:
after all: which cat doesn't like to catch a bird and has therefore "special training"

Lord Vukodlak
2010-03-26, 09:58 PM
Agreed. Even then, manufactured weapons and two-weapon fighting is better, usually.

Alright you both agree that natural weapons are only viable if they grant an extra attack, but would actually making the claws a natural weapon be to powerful? without adding an LA.

Well Agi Hammerthief what you basically suggest is giving them a climb speed, Which is certainly a powerful ability as it lets you do things like cling to walls.
I based the Faeline skill bonuses on the cats skill bonus from the MM, which includes climb, hide, move silently, jump and balance checks. The only one Faelines are missing is jump. I thought 5 skills was a little much.

Maybe they could have ability of some cats from the MM to use their Dexterity modifier instead of their Strength modifier for Climb and Jump checks.

Temotei
2010-03-26, 10:06 PM
Alright you both agree that natural weapons are only viable if they grant an extra attack, but would actually making the claws a natural weapon be to powerful? without adding an LA.

It depends. I don't think they deserve LA +1 with natural weapons, but that might be just me.

Lord Vukodlak
2010-03-26, 10:10 PM
It depends. I don't think they deserve LA +1 with natural weapons, but that might be just me.

Alright that's two people, If I get one more I'll feel confidant enough to change it.

Also can anyone describe 50% furry with words?

Lappy9000
2010-03-26, 10:29 PM
First off, whattheheckhilarious for that picture :smalltongue:

Otherwise, I was actually a little disappointed not to see a race of faerie cats. Of course, my insane ramblings aside, they look perfectly fine balance-wise, especially since the higher land speed only applies in light or no armor. You could probably make an argument for underpowered, but you'd have no problems keeping them as-is.
Edit: Scratch that catman, I just noticed that there were several skill bonuses. They look just right then!

And if you're not gonna make faerie cats, I am :smallbiggrin:

Temotei
2010-03-26, 10:31 PM
And if you're not gonna make faerie cats, I am :smallbiggrin:

Do it. :smallbiggrin:

Agi Hammerthief
2010-03-26, 10:34 PM
Well Agi Hammerthief what you basically suggest is giving them a climb speed, Which is certainly a powerful ability as it lets you do things like cling to walls.
I based the Faeline skill bonuses on the cats skill bonus from the MM, which includes climb, hide, move silently, jump and balance checks. The only one Faelines are missing is jump. I thought 5 skills was a little much.

Maybe they could have ability of some cats from the MM to use their Dexterity modifier instead of their Strength modifier for Climb and Jump checks.
oh, and I was so cereful not to use the word climb speed :smallbiggrin:

I agree an assigned Climb Speed would be over the top, but SRD has the boni for cats at +4 throughout, even a +8 on jump - you have dumped the skill with the highest bonus there!

I'd scratch the hide in lieu of jump: they are humanoid and walking upright on 2 legs I presume, no bonus for a low profile.
If you don't want a bonus on jump for that very same reason, at least they should get a claws bonus on the Reflex Check to grab the far edge on a failed jump:


If your check succeeds, you land on your feet at the far end. If you fail the check by less than 5, you don't clear the distance, but you can make a DC 15 Reflex save to grab the far edge of the gap

-----


Also can anyone describe 50% furry with words?
Bond, James Bond
http://moesucks.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/seanconnery.jpg

Lord Vukodlak
2010-03-26, 10:35 PM
So basically faerie cats are cat people with wings or just cats with wings?

Temotei
2010-03-26, 10:39 PM
So basically faerie cats are cat people with wings or just cats with wings?

Fey type, I imagine. Butterfly wings on a cat...hmm...:smallbiggrin:

Lappy9000
2010-03-26, 10:40 PM
Bond, James BondWow.


So basically faerie cats are cat people with wings or just cats with wings?Nothing so simple my friend, but I wish not to hijack your thread further.

Lord Vukodlak
2010-03-26, 11:08 PM
oh, and I was so cereful not to use the word climb speed :smallbiggrin:

I agree an assigned Climb Speed would be over the top, but SRD has the boni for cats at +4 throughout, even a +8 on jump - you have dumped the skill with the highest bonus there!

I'd scratch the hide in lieu of jump: they are humanoid and walking upright on 2 legs I presume, no bonus for a low profile.
If you don't want a bonus on jump for that very same reason, at least they should get a claws bonus on the Reflex Check to grab the far edge on a failed jump:

Well technically cats have a +12 bonus to hide, (+4 racial) and +8 size.

Bond's closer to 10% furry actually, give him animal ears and he'd be 10%.

And I asked for someone to describe 50% furry not show another picture, I already have the furry scale.

Agi Hammerthief
2010-03-27, 12:00 AM
Well technically cats have a +12 bonus to hide, (+4 racial) and +8 size.
which is an argument for/against dumping the racial +8 bonus skill... how?

Lord Vukodlak
2010-03-27, 12:05 AM
which is an argument for/against dumping the racial +8 bonus skill... how?

How's this, usually when your hiding you get down on all fours anyway to keep a low profile anyway. The ability to walk upright shouldn't effect ones ability to hide. Being able to walk upright is actually an advantage because you have more options.

Faeline
+2 Dex -2 Con
Medium Sized, humanoid.
Base speed 40ft[when wearing light armor or a carrying no more then a light load], otherwise 30ft.

+2 Racial bonus to balance, hide, move silently and jump checks.

All Faelines have retractable claws on each hand and possess two claw attacks that deal 1d4 points of damage.

+1 racial bonus on attack rolls against gnolls, wolves and other canine like creatures.

Low-Light Vision: A Faeline can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.

Automatic Languages: Common, Faeline.
Bonus Languages: Halfling, Gnoll, Gnome, Elven, and Sylvan

DESCRIPTION
Faelines are a race of feline humanoids with numerous features, from eyes, ears to tale and covered head to toe with furr. The furr can range in colors as much as any cat domesticated or wild. In addition to the short fur covering their entire body they also grow hair on their heads like most humanoids, this is always a different shade then the furr.

SOCIETY
Faeline behavior is often much like a cat. aloof one day, compassionate the next, and extremely aggressive if provoked. Like a common cat they enjoy having their belly rubbed or their ears scratched, though they may take it as a from of sexually harassment and claw you in the face.

They tend to live in temperate to warm forests and warm plains. But they may be found in almost any environment other humanoids may travel. Typically they live in small tribes rarely numbering over a few hundred and separated into family units. It is the cat curiosity that leads many Faelines to adventure and often trouble

Faelines tend to range from 90 to 120 pounds and stand slightly taller then high elves but sill shorter then most humans. They use the half-orc table for aging.
Faelines worship and revere Bast the goddess of cats (more or less the exact same one from deities and demi-gods, the variation for my setting is below)
Bast, Lady of the Faelines
Greater Deity
Symbol: A Cat
Homeplane: Elysium
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Portfolio: Faelines, Cats, vengeance, and protection
Worshipers: Faelines, Mothers, Weretigers and other cat creatures
Cleric Alignments: CG, NG, CN.
Domains: Chaos, Destruction, Protection, Healing, and War
Favored Weapon: Claw


History/Relationships
Bast the Goddess of Faelines, appears as a beautful Faeline woman though she can shift into any cat creature. She is the creator and protector of all Faeline kind. Her portfolio also includes protection (as a mother protects her children) and vengeance. Her favored weapon is that of her own two claws. She is a goddess of extremes granting great blessing to those she favors and destruction to any who irk her. In recent decades she has been coming under increasing worship by Weretigers especially in lycanthral as Lycans have no parton deity of their own kind. She has welcomed them into her worship with open arms as she loves all cats.

Dogma
To speak of dogma in connection with Bast is nearly a joke. She is a whimisical deity who demands nothing in the form of rigid adherence to principles of faith. Overall she promotes life and liberty and the freedom from the oppressiveness of regulation. Above all other gods Bast hates none more then Blackhand as the lord of tyrants embodies all she hates.

Clergy and Temples
Bast maintains temples or shrines in nearly all Faeline communities. The temples have no set layout but almost all contain sky lights in order to let the rays of the sun shine through, with seating underneath. Her clergy are charged to always keep a watchfull eye for evil, like a cat watches for vermin.

Agi Hammerthief
2010-03-27, 01:21 AM
How's this, usually when your hiding you get down on all fours anyway to keep a low profile anyway. The ability to walk upright shouldn't effect ones ability to hide. Being able to walk upright is actually an advantage because you have more options.
gotcha
you could also explain the hide bonus with the slender build (-2 to Con)



+2 Racial bonus to balance, hide, move silently and jump checks.

I see what you did there
cat claws and no climb bonus? you try explaining that to a player :smalltongue:

how about this:

+2 Racial bonus to hide, tumble and move silently checks.

Special Synergy: If Faeline have 5 or more ranks in Tumble, they get a +2 bonus on Balance and Jump checks, this bonus doubles if Faeline have 10 or more ranks in Tumble.

Lord Vukodlak
2010-03-27, 01:50 AM
gotcha
you could also explain the hide bonus with the slender build (-2 to Con)


I see what you did there
cat claws and no climb bonus? you try explaining that to a player :smalltongue:

how about this:

+2 Racial bonus to hide, tumble and move silently checks.

Special Synergy: If Faeline have 5 or more ranks in Tumble, they get a +2 bonus on Balance and Jump checks, this bonus doubles if Faeline have 10 or more ranks in Tumble.

Regular cats don't have a bonus on tumble checks why would Faelines.
And the way I figure it, cats climb with 4 claws. Faelines have two.
I also figure a PC can argue for a climb bonus in any material the claws could in theory dig into. Say wood but not stone or metal.

Agi Hammerthief
2010-03-27, 02:06 AM
And the way I figure it, cats climb with 4 claws. Faelines have two.
ah, I was asuming 4