Shark Uppercut
2011-04-09, 01:25 AM
It's obvious that the traditional D&D races are unbalanced. Go to any brilliantgameologists.com optimization guide, and check the most useful race they recommend. Human, right? Maybe strongheart halfing, which is basically a Small human. Elves get shafted with the Constitution penalty, and dwarves make off like bandits with all their save bonuses and a Constitution bonus.
What's more, some of the racial abilities just aren't that fun, or are only useful in some situations. In his forest homeland, how often will your elf really benefit from his secret door searching? How often will your dwarf use Stonecunning if they're hunting pirates on the open sea?
This is my stab at making all races equal.
WARNING: These races are, usually, more powerful than standard D&D races. I just want them to be equally powerful.
NOTE: Assume that races retain the skill bonuses listed in their original source, and well as racial languages and racial weapon proficiencies. Half-orcs/elves are considered both humans and orcs/elves for effects that vary by race. Otherwise, they only get what's listed here.
Aasimar and tieflings are considered normal humanoids, not outsiders.
Warforged are normal humanoids with some immunities, not living constructs. They need to sleep and breath, but not eat or drink.
Warforged can wear armor and robes like normal people, their plating isn't considered light armor.
Rather than arbitrarily say that all dwarves are tough and gruff, all elves graceful and asthmatic, you can now choose your stat bonuses and penalties. You can't boost any stat and lower any other one, but you aren't forced to use the default layout.
One more thing: in addition to acid, fire, cold and the rest, there's a new energy type: poison. Details:
Creatures immune to poison, whether by creature type or temporary effect, are immune to poison damage. Creatures with a save bonus to normal poisons have that number as a poison resistance.
DMs should consider swapping out ability damage from certain creatures' poisonous attacks, and putting in poison (hit point) damage.
Dwarf
+2 Constitution or Wisdom
-2 Charisma or Dexterity
Darkvision to 60 ft.
Resistance to poison 5. (The new kind that does HP damage)
Resilience: What doesn't kill a dwarf, makes him stronger. Once per encounter, when a dwarf successfully saves versus a spell, spell-like ability or poison (that kind that doesn't do HP damage), they can choose to actually heal health. Subtract 10 from the save DC. That's how much HP they heal. If they reach max HP, they gain the rest as temporary HP lasting 1 hour.
Elf
+2 Dexterity or Intelligence
-2 Constitution or Strength
Immune to sleep and paralysis.
Veteran of Wars: The long-lived elves may be peaceful, but their neighbors aren't. Goblins, gnolls, orcs, giants, the occasional dragon or demon. They've been on battlefields, and fought enemies face to face. Yes, even the wizards. And they've learned to survive.
An elf gets Combat Expertise as a bonus feat, and they need not meet the prerequisites. They can apply the feat at any time in combat, not just when attacking. When using the feat, they gain the dodge bonus and gain a racial attack bonus equal to their Intelligence modifier. The dodge bonus still can't exceed their BAB, but it is no longer capped at +5. The attack bonus can only be large enough to cancel out the normal attack penalty, which is their dodge bonus as a negative number.
(A 7th level wizard has an Intelligence of 15. While spellcasting, he uses Combat Expertise. His BAB of +3 means he can take -3 attack and +3 AC. His +2 Intelligence modifier means he gets +2 attack, so he really only has -1 to hit. If his intelligence was 19, he would have no attack penalty, but he couldn't have an actual attack bonus.)
Gnome
+2 Constitution or Intelligence
-2 Strength or Wisdom
Permanently have an Arcane Sight effect that can't be dispelled, but only functions out to 15 ft, not 120 ft as the spell normally would. Effective caster level is their character level.
Small size.
Technician: Gnomes are skilled at working with magic items of all sorts. Whenever a gnome uses a magic item, treat it as if it was created by a caster one level higher than stated.
(A scroll of Mage Armor that costs 25 GP is assumed to be made by a 1st level sorcerer/wizard, according to the DMG. For a gnome it would be treated as made by a 2nd level sorcerer/wizard, and still cost 25 GP.)
Orc, Ork, or Half-Orc depending on the campaign world and DM
+2 Charisma or Strength
-2 Intelligence or Wisdom
Darkvision to 60 ft.
Fury/Spellfury: Orcs love to lose themselves in the fury of war. Even spellcasters can enter a state of hatred, making their spells more hurtful.
Once per encounter, an orc can enter a rage, similar to that of a 1st level barbarian, and lasting a number of rounds equal to their (new) Constitution modifier. They gain +2 Strength or Constitution, a +1 morale bonus on Will saves, and take a -2 AC penalty. If they are also a barbarian, they instead gain the normal rage bonuses (which are twice as big) and the normal duration, and negate the -2 AC penalty that non-orc barbarians get.
Other orcs can enter another kind of fury. It can be done once per encounter, and lasts a number of rounds equal to their primary spellcasting ability modifier. Any spells are considered by at +1 caster level, and any save DCs are increased by 1.
At character creation, choose either the melee rage or the spell fury ability. This choice can't be changed later.
Human
No stat bonuses or penalties. Humans are normal.
Determination: Even though they may be short lived, humans make as much of an impact on the world as any other race. Once per encounter, a human can reroll almost any die roll, before the DM declares the roll a success/failure. The only thing they can't reroll is a natural 1 on a d20.
Half-elves, but elves call them Half-humans
No stat bonuses or penalties. Half-elves are mostly normal.
Aptitude: Half-elves are familiar with both elven and human culture, and frequently travel abroad to meet other races and expand their knowledge. At first level, a half-elf gets 2 bonus skill points, and every even level they get another bonus skill point.
At character creation, a half-elf can choose one skill, which doesn't need to be on their starting class's skill list. It will always be counted as a class skill for the half-elf, no matter what class they are.
Halfling
+2 Charisma or Dexterity
-2 Strength or Wisdom
Small size.
Small Man, Big Luck: A halfling in a bind . . is a halfling who hasn't yet gotten lucky. A halfling gets a racial bonus on all saves equal to their Charisma modifier, but not exceeding their level. Once per day, a halfling can reroll any d20 that isn't an attack roll, before the DM declares the roll a success/failure.
Dirty Fighter: A halfling gets a bonus to damage rolls with thrown weapons, slings and daggers equal to their Dexterity modifier, but not exceeding their level.
Aasimar, 0 LA
+2 Charisma or Wisdom
-2 Constitution or Strength
Darkvision to 60 ft.
The Light Protects Me: Having an angelic relative protects aasimars from the many woes of the material world. Once per encounter, they can gain immunity to one energy type. This takes no action to activate but must be activated on their turn. It lasts until the end of their next turn.
Tiefling, 0 LA
+2 Dexterity or Intelligence
-2 Charisma or Wisdom
Darkvision to 60 ft.
Vicious: Whatever path they walk, tieflings have little compunctions about hurting others. If a tiefling rolls a 1 when rolling damage, they can reroll that die. If it comes up a 1 again, they can't roll a third time. In any encounter, they can only reroll a number of dice equal to their level.
Drow, 0 LA
+2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma or Intelligence or Wisdom
-2 Constitution and Strength
Darkvision to 60 ft.
Body of Shadow: Drow can wreathe their body in shadow, making it hard to see where they are exactly. This can be done once per encounter, and only takes a free action to activate. It lasts 1 round per level. They gain 10% concealment, and at 3rd, 9th and 15th levels this increases by 10%. They also gain a bonus to Hide checks equal to their level.
Duergar, 0 LA
+4 Constitution
-2 Charisma and Dexterity
Darkvision to 60 ft.
Fade Away: Duergar are sneaky bastards who can disappear in a flash. They do this to escape, and to lay ambushes. Once per encounter, a duergar can turn invisible as a free action. This lasts till the end of their next turn, but can stop functioning prematurely if the duergar breaks it (such as by attacking).
Svirfneblin, 0 LA
+2 Dexterity or Wisdom
-2 Charisma or Strength
Small size.
Darkvision to 60 ft.
Unfindable: Svirfneblin spend their whole lives avoiding other races, for they have had too many bad run-ins with drow, duergar, illithids, aboleths . . pretty much the rest of the underdark. Svirfneblin benefit from a continuous Nondetection effect that can't be dispelled. Effective caster level is their character level. They can take 10 on Hide and Move Silently checks, even if they are distracted or threatened.
Warforged
+2 Constitution or Intelligence
-2 Charisma or Wisdom
Inorganic Body: A warforged is immune to sleep, poison, disease, energy drain and bleeding effects.
Body of War: A warforged gains DR 1/adamantine.
Jormung-spawn, or reskinned Yuan-Ti with 0 LA
+2 Dexterity of Intelligence
-2 Charisma or Constitution
Darkvision to 60 ft.
Reptilian subtype, humanoid type.
Immune to poison.
Sons of the Serpent: Yuan-ti are humanoids who were changed by the presence of Jormungand, the world serpent, nemesis of Thor, the son of Loki. As move action, a Jormung-spawn can apply their own venom to a melee weapon they wield, or 5 projectiles they have on hand. It retains its potency for 1 hour. As an attack action, they can spit poison at someone within 30 ft, as a ranged touch attack. As part of a successful grapple check, they can spit toxin on an opponent. On a weapon, the poison does 1 poison damage per level. As a ranged attack or grapple, the poison does 1d4 poison damage per level. They also gain +1 natural armor.
Shifters, or Wolven, or Worgen, or whatever you call 'em
+2 Dexterity or Strength
-2 Charisma or Intelligence
Shapechanger subtype, humanoid type.
Sons of the Wolf: Shifters are humanoids who were changed by the presence of Fenrir, the progenitor wolf, bane of Odin, the son of Loki. They have DR 1/silver and the scent ability. They gain the Wild Empathy ability, but only usable towards wolves, dogs, and canine-like creatures.
Unleash the Beast: Once per encounter, they can become a human-wolf hybrid with incredible durability. This lasts a number of rounds equal to their (new) Constitution modifier, and takes no action to activate, similar to a barbarian's rage. They get +2 Constitution, and they gain a natural armor bonus equal to their (new) Constitution modifier.
Whad'ya think? If you were DMing, would you allow these races? Are they equally good?
What's more, some of the racial abilities just aren't that fun, or are only useful in some situations. In his forest homeland, how often will your elf really benefit from his secret door searching? How often will your dwarf use Stonecunning if they're hunting pirates on the open sea?
This is my stab at making all races equal.
WARNING: These races are, usually, more powerful than standard D&D races. I just want them to be equally powerful.
NOTE: Assume that races retain the skill bonuses listed in their original source, and well as racial languages and racial weapon proficiencies. Half-orcs/elves are considered both humans and orcs/elves for effects that vary by race. Otherwise, they only get what's listed here.
Aasimar and tieflings are considered normal humanoids, not outsiders.
Warforged are normal humanoids with some immunities, not living constructs. They need to sleep and breath, but not eat or drink.
Warforged can wear armor and robes like normal people, their plating isn't considered light armor.
Rather than arbitrarily say that all dwarves are tough and gruff, all elves graceful and asthmatic, you can now choose your stat bonuses and penalties. You can't boost any stat and lower any other one, but you aren't forced to use the default layout.
One more thing: in addition to acid, fire, cold and the rest, there's a new energy type: poison. Details:
Creatures immune to poison, whether by creature type or temporary effect, are immune to poison damage. Creatures with a save bonus to normal poisons have that number as a poison resistance.
DMs should consider swapping out ability damage from certain creatures' poisonous attacks, and putting in poison (hit point) damage.
Dwarf
+2 Constitution or Wisdom
-2 Charisma or Dexterity
Darkvision to 60 ft.
Resistance to poison 5. (The new kind that does HP damage)
Resilience: What doesn't kill a dwarf, makes him stronger. Once per encounter, when a dwarf successfully saves versus a spell, spell-like ability or poison (that kind that doesn't do HP damage), they can choose to actually heal health. Subtract 10 from the save DC. That's how much HP they heal. If they reach max HP, they gain the rest as temporary HP lasting 1 hour.
Elf
+2 Dexterity or Intelligence
-2 Constitution or Strength
Immune to sleep and paralysis.
Veteran of Wars: The long-lived elves may be peaceful, but their neighbors aren't. Goblins, gnolls, orcs, giants, the occasional dragon or demon. They've been on battlefields, and fought enemies face to face. Yes, even the wizards. And they've learned to survive.
An elf gets Combat Expertise as a bonus feat, and they need not meet the prerequisites. They can apply the feat at any time in combat, not just when attacking. When using the feat, they gain the dodge bonus and gain a racial attack bonus equal to their Intelligence modifier. The dodge bonus still can't exceed their BAB, but it is no longer capped at +5. The attack bonus can only be large enough to cancel out the normal attack penalty, which is their dodge bonus as a negative number.
(A 7th level wizard has an Intelligence of 15. While spellcasting, he uses Combat Expertise. His BAB of +3 means he can take -3 attack and +3 AC. His +2 Intelligence modifier means he gets +2 attack, so he really only has -1 to hit. If his intelligence was 19, he would have no attack penalty, but he couldn't have an actual attack bonus.)
Gnome
+2 Constitution or Intelligence
-2 Strength or Wisdom
Permanently have an Arcane Sight effect that can't be dispelled, but only functions out to 15 ft, not 120 ft as the spell normally would. Effective caster level is their character level.
Small size.
Technician: Gnomes are skilled at working with magic items of all sorts. Whenever a gnome uses a magic item, treat it as if it was created by a caster one level higher than stated.
(A scroll of Mage Armor that costs 25 GP is assumed to be made by a 1st level sorcerer/wizard, according to the DMG. For a gnome it would be treated as made by a 2nd level sorcerer/wizard, and still cost 25 GP.)
Orc, Ork, or Half-Orc depending on the campaign world and DM
+2 Charisma or Strength
-2 Intelligence or Wisdom
Darkvision to 60 ft.
Fury/Spellfury: Orcs love to lose themselves in the fury of war. Even spellcasters can enter a state of hatred, making their spells more hurtful.
Once per encounter, an orc can enter a rage, similar to that of a 1st level barbarian, and lasting a number of rounds equal to their (new) Constitution modifier. They gain +2 Strength or Constitution, a +1 morale bonus on Will saves, and take a -2 AC penalty. If they are also a barbarian, they instead gain the normal rage bonuses (which are twice as big) and the normal duration, and negate the -2 AC penalty that non-orc barbarians get.
Other orcs can enter another kind of fury. It can be done once per encounter, and lasts a number of rounds equal to their primary spellcasting ability modifier. Any spells are considered by at +1 caster level, and any save DCs are increased by 1.
At character creation, choose either the melee rage or the spell fury ability. This choice can't be changed later.
Human
No stat bonuses or penalties. Humans are normal.
Determination: Even though they may be short lived, humans make as much of an impact on the world as any other race. Once per encounter, a human can reroll almost any die roll, before the DM declares the roll a success/failure. The only thing they can't reroll is a natural 1 on a d20.
Half-elves, but elves call them Half-humans
No stat bonuses or penalties. Half-elves are mostly normal.
Aptitude: Half-elves are familiar with both elven and human culture, and frequently travel abroad to meet other races and expand their knowledge. At first level, a half-elf gets 2 bonus skill points, and every even level they get another bonus skill point.
At character creation, a half-elf can choose one skill, which doesn't need to be on their starting class's skill list. It will always be counted as a class skill for the half-elf, no matter what class they are.
Halfling
+2 Charisma or Dexterity
-2 Strength or Wisdom
Small size.
Small Man, Big Luck: A halfling in a bind . . is a halfling who hasn't yet gotten lucky. A halfling gets a racial bonus on all saves equal to their Charisma modifier, but not exceeding their level. Once per day, a halfling can reroll any d20 that isn't an attack roll, before the DM declares the roll a success/failure.
Dirty Fighter: A halfling gets a bonus to damage rolls with thrown weapons, slings and daggers equal to their Dexterity modifier, but not exceeding their level.
Aasimar, 0 LA
+2 Charisma or Wisdom
-2 Constitution or Strength
Darkvision to 60 ft.
The Light Protects Me: Having an angelic relative protects aasimars from the many woes of the material world. Once per encounter, they can gain immunity to one energy type. This takes no action to activate but must be activated on their turn. It lasts until the end of their next turn.
Tiefling, 0 LA
+2 Dexterity or Intelligence
-2 Charisma or Wisdom
Darkvision to 60 ft.
Vicious: Whatever path they walk, tieflings have little compunctions about hurting others. If a tiefling rolls a 1 when rolling damage, they can reroll that die. If it comes up a 1 again, they can't roll a third time. In any encounter, they can only reroll a number of dice equal to their level.
Drow, 0 LA
+2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma or Intelligence or Wisdom
-2 Constitution and Strength
Darkvision to 60 ft.
Body of Shadow: Drow can wreathe their body in shadow, making it hard to see where they are exactly. This can be done once per encounter, and only takes a free action to activate. It lasts 1 round per level. They gain 10% concealment, and at 3rd, 9th and 15th levels this increases by 10%. They also gain a bonus to Hide checks equal to their level.
Duergar, 0 LA
+4 Constitution
-2 Charisma and Dexterity
Darkvision to 60 ft.
Fade Away: Duergar are sneaky bastards who can disappear in a flash. They do this to escape, and to lay ambushes. Once per encounter, a duergar can turn invisible as a free action. This lasts till the end of their next turn, but can stop functioning prematurely if the duergar breaks it (such as by attacking).
Svirfneblin, 0 LA
+2 Dexterity or Wisdom
-2 Charisma or Strength
Small size.
Darkvision to 60 ft.
Unfindable: Svirfneblin spend their whole lives avoiding other races, for they have had too many bad run-ins with drow, duergar, illithids, aboleths . . pretty much the rest of the underdark. Svirfneblin benefit from a continuous Nondetection effect that can't be dispelled. Effective caster level is their character level. They can take 10 on Hide and Move Silently checks, even if they are distracted or threatened.
Warforged
+2 Constitution or Intelligence
-2 Charisma or Wisdom
Inorganic Body: A warforged is immune to sleep, poison, disease, energy drain and bleeding effects.
Body of War: A warforged gains DR 1/adamantine.
Jormung-spawn, or reskinned Yuan-Ti with 0 LA
+2 Dexterity of Intelligence
-2 Charisma or Constitution
Darkvision to 60 ft.
Reptilian subtype, humanoid type.
Immune to poison.
Sons of the Serpent: Yuan-ti are humanoids who were changed by the presence of Jormungand, the world serpent, nemesis of Thor, the son of Loki. As move action, a Jormung-spawn can apply their own venom to a melee weapon they wield, or 5 projectiles they have on hand. It retains its potency for 1 hour. As an attack action, they can spit poison at someone within 30 ft, as a ranged touch attack. As part of a successful grapple check, they can spit toxin on an opponent. On a weapon, the poison does 1 poison damage per level. As a ranged attack or grapple, the poison does 1d4 poison damage per level. They also gain +1 natural armor.
Shifters, or Wolven, or Worgen, or whatever you call 'em
+2 Dexterity or Strength
-2 Charisma or Intelligence
Shapechanger subtype, humanoid type.
Sons of the Wolf: Shifters are humanoids who were changed by the presence of Fenrir, the progenitor wolf, bane of Odin, the son of Loki. They have DR 1/silver and the scent ability. They gain the Wild Empathy ability, but only usable towards wolves, dogs, and canine-like creatures.
Unleash the Beast: Once per encounter, they can become a human-wolf hybrid with incredible durability. This lasts a number of rounds equal to their (new) Constitution modifier, and takes no action to activate, similar to a barbarian's rage. They get +2 Constitution, and they gain a natural armor bonus equal to their (new) Constitution modifier.
Whad'ya think? If you were DMing, would you allow these races? Are they equally good?