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Gnorman
2012-02-03, 04:41 PM
The Changeling



• +2 Charisma, -2 Constitution - Changelings possess an otherworldly presence and power, but are ephemeral and delicate
• Medium size
• 30' movement.
• Humanoid type.
• Bloodline: All changelings select a bloodline from the list below, which offer them different bonuses and abilities. This choice is permanent.
• Change Shape: changelings have the supernatural ability to alter their appearance as a full-round action as if using a Disguise Self spell that affects their bodies but not their possessions. This is not an illusory effect, but a physical alteration of a changeling's features within the limits given for the spell. A changeling can use this ability at will, and it lasts until the shape is changed again. A changeling reverts to its natural form when killed. True Seeing reveals its true form, as does touching or wielding items made out of cold iron. When using this to create a disguise, a changeling receives a +10 circumstance bonus on the check. Changelings also have the innate ability to know if they are looking at a disguised changeling, but not the ability to see through the disguise.
• Fey Charm: Add +1 to the DC for all saving throws against enchantment spells and telepathy powers cast by changelings. This adjustment stacks with those from similar effects.
• Wild Soul: At 3rd level, a changeling may use wild empathy (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/druid.htm#wildEmpathy), treating his hit dice as his druid level.
• Deep Cover: At 6th level, changelings gain a +4 bonus against all attempts to read their thoughts, discern their lies, or discover their true identity. If the attempt fails, he reads as if he truly was his cover identity. He is also no longer forced to revert to his true form by cold iron.
• +2 racial bonus to Diplomacy and Knowledge (local) checks
• Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: Celestial, Elven, Gnome, Halfling, and Sylvan
• Favored Classes: Blue mage (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=215876) and poet (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=219290)


Bloodlines

Autumn Court
• +2 Wisdom - autumn court changelings are wistful, almost melancholy, but focused and observant
• Once per day, an autumn court changeling can foster a deep sense of loss in any opponent within 30 feet as a standard action, causing it to receive a -2 penalty on all attack rolls, saves, skill checks, and ability checks for a number of rounds equal to the changeling's hit dice. Any shapeshifted creature affected by this ability must revert to its true form for the duration.

Spring Court
• +2 Dexterity - spring court changelings are whimsical and graceful
• A spring court changeling may change shape as a standard action, and may use his Wild Soul ability on plants, even those who do not possess an Intelligence score.

Summer Court
• +2 Strength - summer court changelings are intense and vibrant
• Whenever a summer court changeling is damaged, he gains fast healing 1 for a number of rounds equal to the damage dealt to him. Multiple instances of this ability do not stack - only the longest-lasting applies.

Winter Court
• +2 Intelligence - winter court changelings are cold, cruel, and calculating
• If a winter court changeling damages an opponent, that opponent takes one additional damage any time it receives damage from any other source for one round. This damage is of the same type of the concurrent damage, not of the original damage inflicted by the changeling. This ability does not stack.

Embrace of the Sidhe (Optional Epic Destiny)
Prerequisites: 6th-level character, twenty "epic" feats
Benefits: At the DM's discretion, a changeling character that has reached epic status may gain this ability. The changeling's type changes to Fey, he gains a +2 inherent bonus to two ability scores of his choice, and his Deep Cover ability now provides immunity to the stated effects rather than a +4 bonus against them.

Personality: Descending from a hodge-podge of creatures including dryads, hags and trolls (and a mess of other fey creatures), changelings are a varied lot, to say the least. Changelings tend to wear their emotions on their sleeves, and even the most serious of them is taken by flights of fancy and humor at times. Born with an instinctive ability to mimic other forms, they enjoy trickery and games, and especially love pretending to be other people - they often see how far they can take the game, or how long they can deceive their target's family and friends before being discovered - though the game is usually good-natured and innocent, some changelings use their gifts for more sinister ends, making unparalleled assassins and spies. They are just as useful in counter-intelligence, as their unique ability to sense others of their kind can make changeling espionage a risky proposition. Despite their mutability, their natural form is the most comfortable to them, and they do prefer to spend as much time in it as possible unless required. They generally tend to be light-hearted and friendly no matter their form, and enjoy the myriad pleasures life has to offer with aplomb. They are artistically-inclined and often produce adept musicians, painters, and actors. The season has an effect on their mood, and even the dourest winter court changelings brighten during the height of summer. At best, changelings are charming, warm, accepting, conscientious, and the life of any gathering. At worst, they are capricious, selfish, uncaring, manipulative, and given to violent mood swings.

Physical Description: Changelings, given their whimsical nature and shapeshifting abilities, have a good deal of flexibility in their physical form. In their natural forms, however, they resemble non-descript humans, with slight shifts in appearance given their particular court or their specific ancestry - changelings in their normal form occasionally possess hooves, goat-like horns, long ears, thick, bark-like skin, or small patches of leaves or flowers growing from their skin. Spring court changelings are especially given to the latter, and in their natural form often possess brightly colored blonde, orange, or even pink hair, with rosy pink skin. Summer court changelings are almost as colorful, with dark brown or greenish hair and a hale and hearty complexion, being more robust and taller than others. They have a slight greenish tint to their skin, which many claim as proof of their trollish ancestry. Autumn court changelings have deep orange or red hair, and are taller and thinner than other changelings with slightly sullen skin. Winter court changelings are thin, sometimes to the point of emaciation, and invariably possess either jet black or stark white hair. Their skin is pale white and icy to the touch.

Relations: Changelings get along exceptionally well with others, at least if those others aren't aware that they are interacting with a changeling. A changeling's ability to be whatever suits his situation best allows for exceptional blending skills. Once discovered for what they really are, changelings drop somewhat in the estimation of most - smaller villages in particular tend to be superstitious and wary of feyborn, and will not trust a changeling unless he has proven himself. In larger cities and cosmopolitan provinces, changelings are relatively common and therefore more accepted - or at least tolerated. While they are rightly seen as fickle and inconsistent, they do not have a reputation for thievery or criminal behavior.

Alignment: Changelings exhibit no overwhelming preference for good or evil, but many possess a definite bent towards chaotic behavior.

Lands: Changelings are raised in many disparate areas and environments, and so have no true lands of their own. Quite a few of them aren't even raised by others of their kind - changelings balk at the idea of parenthood distressingly often, and commonly choose to leave their offspring on doorsteps and orphanages. A changeling's shapeshifting abilities do not usually manifest themselves until puberty, and so their adoptive parents are usually none the wiser until that time. Changelings tend to congregate in large cities, where the crowd offers them plenty of opportunity to satisfy their curiosity as well as the chance to disappear if necessary. Some band together in itinerant caravans, roaming the countryside as traveling merchants and entertainers. Changelings are often pariahs, unaccepted in either of the worlds from which they sprang - mortals find their shapeshifting abilities and capricious nature unsettling or off-putting at best and abominable at worst, and fey courts consider changelings to be too polluted by human blood to be allowed to join their society. The rare changeling who embraces his heritage and denounces mortal life may be allowed to join as a minor courtier.

Language: Changelings often learn two or three languages, the better to move from society to society, though they are not quite as linguistically adept as some. Changelings more interested in the fey side of their heritage will frequently learn the language of the fairy folk.

Names: Changelings adopt and discard names as easily as they do faces, but their true names tend to be short and relatively simple.

Adventurers: Changelings are possessed of a natural wanderlust and an endless desire to meet and interact with new people, so adventuring is a perfect vocation for them - though they are not the hardiest warriors or the most skilled swordsmen, they make up for their physical deficiencies with their talents in the mental and manipulative arts. They tend to be creative strategists in parties, and are usually the first to advocate a solution other than head-first assault.

hivedragon
2012-02-03, 09:03 PM
You do know changelings already exist and already possess most of the abilities you described this race as having. I suggest scraping this project.

Amechra
2012-02-03, 09:37 PM
Hivedragon, he's converting the Changeling into his particular race structure.

He already did the Aasimar, the Tiefling, and Goliaths, so why not let him have his fun?

Curious
2012-02-03, 09:41 PM
I like it, especially the bloodlines being flavored as the four seasonal courts.

hivedragon
2012-02-03, 10:21 PM
My main qualm with this race is that the races that compose it's ancestry don't match it's abilities. Out of fairies trolls hags and dryads; which species is the source of which trait?

Also the summer trait is too complicated, just give them fast healing.

Also whenever they assume their true form they will have trouble keeping their shoes on as they have hooves, not feet.

Eldest
2012-02-03, 10:34 PM
My main qualm with this race is that the races that compose it's ancestry don't match it's abilities. Out of fairies trolls hags and dryads; which species is the source of which trait?

None of the above. It's for his own setting, the Fey gain their ability based off of which court they are descended from.


Also the summer trait is too complicated, just give them fast healing.

But then that would be way, way too strong. The idea is that they heal from one wound at a time. So say a Summer Court Changeling gets hit for five damage, then three. He heals one damage a round for the next five rounds, then leaves the three unhealed.


Also whenever they assume their true form they will have trouble keeping their shoes on as they have hooves, not feet.

They occasionally have hooves. I'm pretty sure their race has managed to figure out how to work around it.

hivedragon
2012-02-03, 10:47 PM
suggestions for a middle-of-the-road level healing power:
-she only heals while in her natural form
-she heals one point per hour
-she heals only non-magical damage
-she heals a number of points per round; provided she takes no actions

Eldest
2012-02-03, 10:53 PM
What's wrong with the ability as is?

hivedragon
2012-02-03, 11:07 PM
None of the above. It's for his own setting, the Fey gain their ability based off of which court they are descended from.


I'm specifically talking about her change shape and deep cover abilities, from wence do they come? Also the hooves, I assume satyr but they wern't mentioned on the list.

While we're on the topic how does the whole court system function? Can a fey switch courts? How come numerous types of creature (hags fairies trolls and dryads) all evolve similar traits baised on a season?

Gnorman
2012-02-04, 05:04 AM
Knowledge is power! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changeling)

EDIT: Crunch done, fluff still in progress.

The Bandicoot
2012-02-04, 10:12 AM
I believe hive is just finding problems where there aren't any. The courts act as bloodlines you gain the abilities listed. You cannot switch courts. A changeling is not any of the other creatures you listed. Hence why they have different abilities. Different creatures have different abilities. Crazy right?:smalltongue:

Gnorman
2012-02-06, 04:08 AM
Fluff is done, and the changeling is now complete.

stack
2012-02-06, 08:40 AM
Summer court is perfect for a melee changeling, the healing off-setting the CON hit. Very nice. This stands out because I built a melee changeling using the old version of the race for that PBP you ran, as you may recall.

Anyway, the races are great overall, as so far, with the bloodlines, there hasn't been more than one type of character each one is BAD for. Changelings are good for anything, the others are bad for the type of caster that eats the stat penalty. Very cool, keeps races from being pigeon-holed into one or two roles.

Wyntonian
2012-02-06, 03:53 PM
Ain't this just a beauty?

I think I might like your races better than your classes. Well done, sir. You've earned a tip of my hat. *Tips Hat*