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alexi
2011-01-14, 01:45 PM
Ignoring the heavily abbreviated fluff for a second, does this seem balanced for a LA 0 race? They have been a NPC race for a few years, but want to open them up to PC's in the next campaign.



The Khale appear to be pale dark haired humans, skinny verging on emaciated. At least this is the way they look fully dressed, when naked a Khale’s double joints and hinged chest are fully visible. A Khale’s fingers, elbows, knees and hips all can bend the opposite way a normal humans can to about half the range of motion as the normal bend, his wrists can move side to side with the same amount of motion as up and down and the strangely hinged chest and ribs allows him to bring his shoulders forward till they almost touch.

+2 Dex -2 Str
+2 Slight of Hand, craft clockwork/mechanical, escape artist
+1 Diplomacy, bluff, sense motive
Weapon Familiarity: All Crossbows
Languages known: Khrow, Strum and trade

Strange Blood (EX):
For all effects relating to race positive and negative a Khale count as Human, Fey and Goblin.

Dexterous build:
The physical stature of a Khale lets him function in many ways as if he were one size category larger or smaller depending on the advantage provided. Whenever a Khale is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the Khale is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. When making an opposed strength check to disarm, during a grapple, bull rush and trip a Khale may substitute his dexterity modifier for his strength modifier. If a Khale is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as Hide), the Khale is treated as one size smaller if doing so is advantageous to the character. A Khale is also considered to be one size smaller when "squeezing" through a restrictive space. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size category.

alexi
2011-01-15, 04:34 PM
69 views and know comments on balance?

LOTRfan
2011-01-15, 04:44 PM
Dexterous Build should give them at least LA +1. Just Powerful Build or Slight Build is already pushing it towards the LA +1 area, let alone both combined.

Weapon Familiarity (Crossbows) is interesting. Does this include Kobold-manufactured crossbows, like the Double-crossbows?

Strange blood is cool. So they count as having the Fey type, while having the Humanoid (Human, Goblinoid) type? Or am I misunderstanding something?

Pretty cool as an LA +1 race. Still, others may disagree with me and call it LA +0, so I'd wait for more comments if I were you.

AugustNights
2011-01-15, 08:47 PM
IMO Powerful Build is always worth 1 LA, and is very hard to reduce to LA+0. That said it is very interesting to see Powerful and Sleight Build in the same feature. I dig it, but I'm agreeing with LOTRfan, it's a sound LA+1. To reduce that and keep the Dexterous build (and you should keep the dexterous build) you'll need some drawbacks, light blindness, or water dependency like things. Maybe extreme weather issues, or terrible weakness against X type of spells. Perhaps a hefty penalty to Wisdom as well, fey and goblins and humans never struck me as the wisest of creatures out there. Could also give them something like a 'travel outside of the grove' like focus. A lich's phylactery of sorts, a enchanted device that allows them to leave whatever magical homeland that fey/goblin/people come from.
That is if you want LA 0.

Dead_Jester
2011-01-15, 09:23 PM
Actually, I'd keep it at LA 0, especially if you are going for a more PF level of balance.

Dexterous build doesn't give Powerful build, it give the benefits of Jotunbrud, the equivalent of a feat. The bonuses for small size, if they don't include the bonuses to AC and to attacks, isn't worth that much.

Compare this to half-giants or goliaths, who get better stat totals, other abilities and the full effects of powerful build. This race is definitely not as strong.

I's at the high end of 0 LA, but it's still isn't worth a level adjustement.

AugustNights
2011-01-16, 11:11 AM
Ah, there we are, the reason it isn't as good as powerful build: No big weapons. With no big weapons I could see an argument for the very high end of LA +0. Also tossing in a 'no big weapons' reminder in the text may help.

LOTRfan
2011-01-16, 11:20 AM
D'oh, should've read it more carefully. No big weapons, as Chump Lump has mentioned...

I like these guys. Have any more fluff on them?