High Folk (+2 LA race)

[Mikka]

........................ High Folk

http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2008/147/reviews/520538_20080527_embed002.jpg



Medium: As Medium creatures, High folk have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Speed: High Folk base movement speed is 40 ft.

+2 Strength, +2 Constitution, +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma and another +2 to any single ability score.

Weapon Familiarity: High Folk may treat Crescent Axes and Mercurial Weapons as martial weapons, rather than exotic.

Grace: This ability grants a High One a +2 racial bonus to all Strength and Dexterity based checks. Furthermore, High Folk get an additional +2 AC bonus when using defensive fighting, total defence or combat expertise.

+2 racial bonus on Survival checks.

Automatic Languages: High Tongue

Favored Class: Fighter

Level Adjustment: +2

Crescent Axe
1d10 , 19-20/x3. Two-Handed, Tripping


High Folk compared to a puny elf.

http://i.imm.io/9lyn.jpeg

[Gnorman]

EDIT:

And i just looked at the saint template! And, it looks like i can boost this thing quite a bite more!

The Saint template is balanced (somewhat) by the high standards of morality it is held to - don't take it as a typical example of how powerful +2 LA should be. As it is, yours is probably about right.

[Mulletmanalive]

"Strength and Dexterity checks" implies that its only ability checks, which is kind of limited.

If it were everything related to those stats, that included attack rolls, skill checks, reflex saves, initiative checks, damage rolls etc. That's a lot more, bringing this solidly into the LA 2 range.

Otherwise, it's very limited for an LA 2 creature; usually they are either incredibly powerful [+4 in at least 2 stats] and have a wide variety of interesting skill benefits and at least a handful of spell-like abilities.

Note:
You also haven't included their Speed stat, which if this is a high elf version, we're talking about a Speed 40ft and a bonus on Balance checks [already covered by the ability bonuses if option a) is being used.

[Mikka]

"Strength and Dexterity checks" implies that its only ability checks, which is kind of limited.

If it were everything related to those stats, that included attack rolls, skill checks, reflex saves, initiative checks, damage rolls etc. That's a lot more, bringing this solidly into the LA 2 range.

Otherwise, it's very limited for an LA 2 creature; usually they are either incredibly powerful [+4 in at least 2 stats] and have a wide variety of interesting skill benefits and at least a handful of spell-like abilities.

Note:
You also haven't included their Speed stat, which if this is a high elf version, we're talking about a Speed 40ft and a bonus on Balance checks [already covered by the ability bonuses if option a) is being used.

Ahh right i should re-word that. Strength and Dexterity BASED checks? It was meant to include things combat things such as Trip, Grapple and such, as well as skills.

Attack, damage and reflex does not fall under this category, though i suppose initiative checks do?

40 ft. speed seems like a good idea as well.

Thanks : )

Edited now: What do you think?

[Mulletmanalive]

If it's just ability and skill checks, worth spelling it out. I read it the way i did because it seemed needed for the LA.

Otherwise it's probably still not worth the whole second level

[Mikka]

40 ft speed.
+2 to MANY Things, including initiative and potentially AC and combat modifiers.
+10 stats
Weapon Familiarity with some cool exotic weapons.

Hmm, what if i top it off with one free +2 to a single stat? Im afraid if i for example went +2 to strength it limits them to only being picked by warrior types, or if its +2 wis it'll be clerics and favored souls. With a "floating" +2 it becomes a cool MAD race with a slight lean towards the build you're going for.

[Mulletmanalive]

probably about right.

[SamBurke]

CRUNCH:

Total Defense? If someone's taking total defense, they need to look at boosting their AC anyway, so giving them a bonus to being a bump on a log is not a good idea.

Anyway, that aside, look at what the race gets:

Medium size... Oh yeah. Ten feet tall (see comparison) and medium, baby!

40 Foot move speed. That's one trait, right there. (Speedy trait- Gain 10' Move speed, lose 1 HP per level).

+2, +2, +2, +2, +2, +2. Bonuses are spread out like nuts. No class needs this (Save the monk, of course, but if you're using homebrew, that can be fixed easily enough) sort of spread... Combining those into three bonuses would make more sense. Otherwise, that'd detract from the race, not add.

Weapon Familiarity: So... less weapons, than, say... a dwarf? Decent weapons, though. I like that axe.

Bonus to "STR/DEX based checks"... on first read, I thought that was skill checks, but that can mean other things too, I guess. Reflex saves, perhaps. CMD, etc. But still not much... +2 to AC when Total Defense? Already talked about that.

+2 Racial Bonus on Survival Checks. Hrm. Like every other race, they get a +2 (only one, mind you) to a random skill. Not much here.

Automatic Languages: High Tongue. WHAT. I can't even talk to my teammates without having a high Int? I need to LEARN Common, the ubiquitous language, the one that every other race gets, for free (including PC goblinoid races, in many cases)?

Favored Class: Fighter. NO. That's negative LA, alllll on its own. And, that means I'm likely to have a low-to-moderate Int, making the previous problem worse.

To sum it up: LA 2? Not a chance... LA 1, maybe, but only because it gets +12 to a ton of random stats... otherwise, I'd say 0. If it's going to be for fighters, let them actually get some useful stuff. Fighters don't use TD (especially not fighters!). Fighters don't need Wisdom or Charisma AT ALL. So most of the bonuses go right out the window, due to multi classing penalties and such.

[Gandariel]

give it natural armor instead of AC bonuses. problem solved :P

Also, Powerful Build

[Hazzardevil]

I personally think you should give this Powerful build. (I'm pretty sure this is bigger than a half-ogre.)
And a +4 bonus on strength and maybe charisma.
And a bit of natural armour, maybe +3?

Also, is this a humanoid with the human subtype?

[rypt]

I agree with a lot of the previous suggestions.

By the picture alone, I think they should be large size or have powerful build.

I would also suggest focusing the ability score bonuses. Maybe strength or constitution, plus dexterity and charisma?

I think Grace should be streamlined if possible. A flat bonus to AC (either natural or dodge bonus) and reflex saves? Alternatively, let them use dexterity instead of constitution for their fortitude saves or instead of strength for melee attack and damage rolls? You could also consider making this similar to a paladin's divine grace and have it add their charisma bonus to AC or saves.

The bonus to survival seems a little out of place. Maybe knowledge (nature) and or handle animal as well? Otherwise, maybe let them always treat survival as a class skill?

[Spiryt]

I think that people are kinda exaggerating that picture, in part because of a bit silly looong barbute that is optically elongating the tall guy.

http://www.mmaconvert.com/wp-content/uploads/post-images/struve_barry.jpg

That's how 210 cm and 179 cm humans look like, and since elf chick can very well be 5 foot tall, this dude just looks to be 7-footish.

Anyway, the fact that such different creatures both count as "medium" can indeed seem a little weird, but that's 3.5

And for what we see, he is just tall, we don't really know if he's powerful under that lion stuff and armor.

Anyway, class seems okay for LA +2 to me, but I'm no expert.


Fighters don't need Wisdom or Charisma AT ALL

Hmmm.... Will Saves? Spot stuff?

Most high op characters probably will go around it differently, but not everyone plays like that.

[Mikka]

I think that people are kinda exaggerating that picture, in part because of a bit silly looong barbute that is optically elongating the tall guy.

http://www.mmaconvert.com/wp-content/uploads/post-images/struve_barry.jpg

That's how 210 cm and 179 cm humans look like, and since elf chick can very well be 5 foot tall, this dude just looks to be 7-footish.

Anyway, the fact that such different creatures both count as "medium" can indeed seem a little weird, but that's 3.5

And for what we see, he is just tall, we don't really know if he's powerful under that lion stuff and armor.

Anyway, class seems okay for LA +2 to me, but I'm no expert.



Hmmm.... Will Saves? Spot stuff?

Most high op characters probably will go around it differently, but not everyone plays like that.

Thank you. Elves are about 5 foot, and hes nearly 7 and wearing a huge-ass helmet!

Now regarding survival its a story thing, a minor bonus that doesn't really have much effect.

Regarding the defence its part of trying to make the race more "guardian"-like, again a story thing. Natural armor just doesn't become them in my opinion.


+2 to AC when Total Defense

+3 AC for -1 to attack with expertise. Pretty neat IMO, and makes defensive fighting +4 AC for -4 attack, suddenly a viable move for people who don't have expertise.