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InaVegt
2010-12-02, 03:39 PM
I'm just going to dump the stats for now... fluff is basically the same as 3.5

Dwarves
+2 con, +2 wis, -2 cha
Small (Powerful Build)
Dwarf base land speed is 20 feet. However, dwarves can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load (unlike other creatures, whose speed is reduced in such situations).
Darkvision 60 ft.
Weapon Familiarity: All dwarves have been trained with the Axes and Picks and Hammers weapon groups, giving them proficiency with those weapon groups.
Crafting Mastery: All dwarves gain 8 additional skill points at first level, and 2 each level thereafter. These skill points can only be spent on crafting skills.
Stability: A dwarf gains a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground).
+1 racial bonus on saving throws
+2 racial bonus on saves versus poison (this stacks with their general bonus on saving throws)
+2 favored enemy bonus against goblinoids (thus functions as, and stacks with, the ranger favored enemy class feature)
Favored Class: Fighter

Elves
+2 dex, +2 int, -2 str
Medium
30 ft. land speed
Low Light Vision x2
Weapon Familiarity: All elves have been trained with the Swords and Bows weapon groups, giving them proficiency with those weapon groups.
Magical Aptitude: Elves have a knack for magic, and they have a +1 bonus to all save DCs and a +2 bonus on caster level checks to overcome spell resistance.
Knowledgable: Elves gain 8 additional skill points at first level, and 2 each level thereafter. These skill points can only be spent on knowledge skills.
Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.
+2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. An elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.
Favored Class: Wizard

Gnomes
+2 con, +2 cha, -2 str
Small
20 ft. land speed
Low Light Vision x2
Weapon Familiarity: All gnomes have been trained with the Picks and Hammers weapon group, giving them proficiency with those weapon groups.
Entertainers: Gnomes gain 8 additional skill points at first level, and 2 each level thereafter. These skill points can only be spent on perform skills.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against illusions
+1 racial bonus on illusion spell save DCs, and a +2 racial bonus on caster level checks to overcome spell resistance with illusion spells.
+2 favored enemy bonus against kobolds (thus functions as, and stacks with, the ranger favored enemy class feature)
Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day—speak with animals (burrowing mammal only, duration 1 minute). A gnome with a Charisma score of at least 10 also has the following spell-like abilities: 1/day—dancing lights, ghost sound, prestidigitation. Caster level 1st; save DC 10 + gnome’s Cha modifier + spell level.
Favored Class: Bard

Other races to come.

LOTRfan
2010-12-12, 09:41 AM
I like the skill point increase for Elves. Sort of makes sense, considering the standard beginning elf adventurer was around much longer than the standard human adventurer.

Dwarves with Powerful Build: YES! I completely agree. I'm sure, had WOTC had powerful build at the time of the creation of the Player's Handbook, the writers would have made dwarves small with powerful build as well. One problem, though: Doesn't powerful build increase a creature by +1 to level adjustment (unless your system is using a different power level, like Pathfinder)?

Gamer Girl
2010-12-13, 12:52 AM
I think you might want to expand the bonus skills a bit. Not every dwarf is a craftier, every elf a sage or every gnome an entertainer.

Letting them take a couple of more skills to round them out looks like a good idea.

Adding Profession to all three races, for example. This can cover a lot of stuff for each race. Dwarves can take farmer, hunter, miner or woodcutter; Elves can take bookkepper, herbalist, scribe or woodcutter; Gnomes can take apothecary, brewer, fisher and scribe.

Adding craft to elf and gnome is a good idea. As they would have likely spend a good deal of their youths making items.

And preform for elves too.

GnomeWorks
2010-12-13, 01:04 AM
I think you might want to expand the bonus skills a bit. Not every dwarf is a craftier, every elf a sage or every gnome an entertainer.

I have to ask - why not?

Ranks do not necessarily have to represent training. They could just as easily represent innate ability. Even if a given dwarf is not a craftsdwarf, I could easily see arguments that they are simply intuitively better at it than other races. They still have the option to pursue other careers.

Giving bonuses such as this helps encourage races having a particular feel. In this case, dwarves are naturally better craftsmen - which encourages players to play dwarves if they want to be crafters, because they're naturally better at it. PC demographics begin to reflect the world you're trying to construct, if you do things like this. It is a far cry better than 2e and earlier's method of restricting you from playing certain race/class combos.