[PF] Races book playtest, and breaking it

[Zagaroth]

So this thread is slightly dual purposed. One is obviously to post breaks in the RAW of the current Advanced Races Guide Playtest (http://paizo.com/store/downloads/v5748btpy8osf&source=search) that you find. Break is defined as anything that for the same cost as a standard race (10 Race Points), you can build a race that is significantly better that a standard race of similar style, or that at a reasonably low cost create some break in the world's economy or some other game play rules.

The other purpose is to post fun an interesting race builds :)

I'll start off with an easy and simply break. The Better Human

Remove +1 skill point per level (-4 RP), add +2 INT (+4 RP)


Getting the +2 to INT gets back the skill point per level, AND increases all INT based skills by 1. And that's assuming you aren't playing a Wizard or Psion, or other INT based class.

[Zagaroth]

Break # 2, an economic break, sort of. Get money fast as a 1st level character! Have some fluff to go with this one, so spoilering it.

FLUFF
Light-Maker Family

This little family of humans are almost always magewrights or artificers, though not always. They have picked up a distinct knack however, one that has turned them a pretty profit. This insular family feels no need to learn the languages of anyone else.

Light-Makers are mostly like normal humans, but do not learn languages from a high intelligence, and do not gain the bonus skill point per level due to their focus on their light making craft.

Light-Makers can use Continual Flame 2/day as a spell like ability as a cast of one level higher than their level. If they have an INT of 10 or higher, they can also use Light at-will.

They are also immune to light-based blindness and dazzle effects, and are treated as one level higher when determining the effects of any light-based spell or effects they cast (including spell-like and supernatural abilities).

They also gain a bonus feat at 1st level like any other human


CRUNCH

Humanoid (Human), Human Heritage Modifier, Medium, Normal Speed (0 RP)
Xenophobic (Common only, need to take Linguistics to learn more languages.) (0RP)
Light Bringer: (2 RP)
Spell Like Ability (Continual Flame, 2nd level, sorc/wizard version) 2/day (4 RP)
Bonus Feat (4 RP)

10 RP
Note: Spell Like abilities do not have a material Component, thus making Continual Flame free to cast. Sell Continual Lights on a stick for cheap!

[Zagaroth]

Advanced Human: The Birth of a new breed.

Fluffy


Background:
Humans can be very clever, adaptive creatures. They can also be very ambitious. Upon occasion, these traits can combine to inspire a new movement that leads to incredible. That is what happened with these people, though whether for good or ill might depends on one’s point of view.

The idea was simple enough: There are many entities who can do things humans can not, yet human social traits and flexibility seems to be a greater factor, for humans have spread across the world can find ways to do things they are not born able to do. But what might humans be capable of, if we exceeded these boundaries? Thus a secret movement began.

The members of this small organization started out simply enough. All they had to do was marry a non-human, or a human with a strong touch of non-human to them such as a half-elf, or an aasimar or tiefling, and then have lots of children.

These children would be raised normally, but around the age of 10 or so, would be introduced to each other socially, deliberately forging a sub-culture inside the city where this movement started. The slight ‘outcast’ feeling many of them shared would help forge emotional bonds, and the society members let nature take its course from there.

When they became adults, offspring whose mindset was judged to be practical enough were let in on the organization’s goals. Others were allowed to continue their life as they pleased, though the community always kept in touch with the extended ‘family’, drawing as many back into the fold as would come.

Quite predictably, after a few generations this growing sub-culture felt pressure from the rest of the human society they were in. the leaders of this movement had already picked out a place to move to and found a new city. Other racial outcasts were encouraged to come and join this new city, which began to grow and prosper quickly given the wide range of talents the citizens had.

Over time the breeding goals of the founders came to fruition. Though the citizens of the city count many not-quite humans amongst them, such as the elemental-touched races like the Ifrit and Sylph, the majority of citizens have a blended, diluted blood that gives them just enough abilities that a human might well be envious of them. Though they consider themselves human, and in most ways are, they also refer to their sub-species and culture as ‘advancers’.

Appearance:
Due to the influx of heritage from so many species, almost any coloration imaginable is possible. Height ranges from barely over 4’ tall to long-limbed people topping 8’.


Crunchy


‘Greater’
Human (Humanoid) (0 RP), Human Heritage Modifier (0 RP)
Medium (+0 RP), Normal Speed (+0 RP)
Linguist Array (2 RP)
Fortunate (4 RP) +2 to all saves
Spell Resistance, Greater (3 RP)
Swim Speed (1 RP) 30’
Flight (8 RP) Flight Speed 50’, Average maneuverability
Ferocity (4 RP) (conscious at negative hp)
Claws (2 RP)
See in Darkness (4 RP)
Amphibious (2 RP)
Spell Like Ability (2 RP): Pick a 1st or second level spell, use it 2/day for first level, 1/day for second level.
Damage Reduction (4 RP) 5/magic
36 RP


‘Normal’:
Human (Humanoid) (0 RP), Human Heritage Modifier (0 RP)
Medium (+0 RP), Normal Speed (+0 RP)
Linguist Array (2 RP)
Swim Speed (1 RP) 30’
Flight (4 RP) Flight Speed 30’, Clumsy maneuverability
See in Darkness (4 RP)
Amphibious (2 RP)
13 RP



‘Air-breather’
Human (Humanoid) (0 RP), Human Heritage Modifier (0 RP)
Medium (+0 RP), Normal Speed (+0 RP)
Linguist Array (2 RP)
Flight (4 RP) Flight Speed 30’, Clumsy maneuverability
See in Darkness (4 RP)
10 RP

‘Flightless’
Human (Humanoid) (0 RP), Human Heritage Modifier (0 RP)
Medium (+0 RP), Normal Speed (+0 RP)
Linguist Array (2 RP)
Swim Speed (1 RP) 30’
See in Darkness (4 RP)
Amphibious (2 RP)
9 RP

‘Throwbacks’
Human (Humanoid) (0 RP), Human Heritage Modifier (0 RP)
Medium (+0 RP), Normal Speed (+0 RP)
Linguist Array (2 RP)
See in Darkness (4 RP)
Bonus Feat (4 RP)
10 RP


Possible offspring probabilities.

Greater + Greater = 75% Greater, 25 % Normal
Greater + Normal = 50% Greater, 50% Normal
Greater + Flightless/Air-breather = 10% Greater, 75% Normal, 15% Flightless/Air-breather
Greater + Throwback = 5% Greater, 70% Normal, 10% Flightless, 10% Air-breather, 5% Throwback

Normal + Normal = 85% Normal, 5% Greater, 5% Flightless, 5% Air-breather
Normal + F/A = 80% Normal, 10 % F/A (matching parent), 5%F/A (opposite), 4% Throwback 1% Greater
Normal + Throwback: 50% Normal, 15% Flightless, 15% Air-breather, 19% Throwback 1% Greater

F/A + Same F/A = 85% same F/A, 10% Normal, 4% Throwback 1% Greater
F/A + opposite = 40% Flightless, 40% Air-breather, 15% Normal, 4% Throwback 1% Greater
F/A + Throwback = 60% Same F/A, 10% opposite F/A, 4% Normal, 20 % Throwback 1% Greater

Throwback + Throwback = 75% Throwback, 10% Flightless, 10% Air-breather, 4% Normal, 1% Greater

[Ravens_cry]

It is a DM tool (read the start of the PDF, it meant for DM and possibly players with DM permission). So breaking it is a little silly.
Personally ,I don't see it being much even for a DM, I know how to homebrew. The most use I see for it is reverse engineering existing monsters to see if and what kind of campaign they would fit into.

[Larpus]

Yeah, I guess it's a cute effort to give DMs something to check if their races/their players' suggestions for swaps are balanced (in case they weren't sure).

But then again, it's an easy to break system, so I'm not sure of its worth as a measuring tool.

[stack]

Common only is not allowed in the xenophobic array, you have to have a racial language and common doesn't count.

Adding a flat +2 INT is drawing from the advanced pool, so can't be done on a standard race.

Not to defend the balance of the playtest, but your first two examples don't work (assuming standard races).

[gomanfox]

I'll start off with an easy and simply break. The Better Human

Remove +1 skill point per level (-4 RP), add +2 INT (+4 RP)


Getting the +2 to INT gets back the skill point per level, AND increases all INT based skills by 1. And that's assuming you aren't playing a Wizard or Psion, or other INT based class.

It's actually +1 skill rank per level, so for characters with negative INT modifiers, the original is still better because it would move their minimum number of skill increases per level up to 2 instead of 1.

But for any character with a non-negative INT modifier, you'd be correct that +2 INT would be better.