Designing Races!

[moghue]

You give me the fluff, I'll give you the Race. I use Golden's race building guide and give you the points, Tell me if you prefer LA and how much.

[Sir_Chivalry]

You give me the fluff, I'll give you the Race. I use Golden's race building guide and give you the points, Tell me if you prefer LA and how much.

Okay, I'll bite just to test your skills, here's the fluff for one of my homebrew races.

Description
Galeans generally stand a little bit shorter than humans. They stand somewhere between 4-1/2 feet to 6 feet, and can weigh between 90 to 130 pounds. All Galeans share three highly noticeable traits, their chalk-white skin, bright, colourful hair and vivid eyes. Their hair is never a colour in the ordinary human range, instead being red, green, blue, metallic silver or even purple. Some have mixtures and bands of colours in their hair. Their eyes are described as like jewels, mianly because of the colours they share in common. Ruby red, sapphire blue, and emerald green are all common eye colours among Galeans. Though their appearance can be startling at first, many humanoids, especially humans, find a sort of exotic appeal to the Galean physique. Most Galeans are not muscular, and tend towards being slim and waif-like, though exceptions do exist, especially among those Galeans chosen to be Blades of Emotion. Galean males are able to grow facial hair, and frequently do grow short and neat beards.

Galean Psychology
Galeans are strangely dualistic creatures. They thoroughly enjoy urban life, almost exclusively spending most of their adult lives in cities and metropolises (or at least large trading towns). On the other hand they do not raise their children anywhere near cities, fearing that the negative emotions normally present in such a location would harm their children psychically. This leads Galeans cultivating two very separate and different personas. A Galean bard, for instance, might be outgoing and playful to his friends, his superiors, his employers, and might even of out of his way to start conversations with random strangers on the street, but in private, or among other Galeans, the same bard might be somber and quiet, drawing all the emotional sustenance he needs from his surroundings, savoring the silence so absent in the rest of his life. Years of quiet and subtle emotional molding by the Galean elders give all Galeans an ability to shut the world out from their minds when needed, and like all other humanoids, sometimes all a Galean wants is to be alone. But they never remain alone for long, always seeking out new friends and experiences.

Galean Life
Galean females bear children much like other humanoids, having generally one child at a time, at rare times perhaps twins. When a Galean child is born, it is known by its “hatchling name”, a three syllable name denoting who its father and mother are, and where it is from. The reason for this is simple, in the regrettable case a child is lost, any member of the Blades of Emotion who finds the child will be able to determine from its name where to return it. For the first fifteen years of a Galean’s life, it remains a small and frail creature. It has not yet mastered its empathic powers, and so is overwhelmed by strong emotions or loud noises. At the age of fifteen, a Galean undergoes a quick and uncomfortable transformation, in which its empathic ability becomes so sensitive it feels the emotions of every creature in a five mile radius. It is for this reason that the communities where Galean children are raised are far from cities.

Once this time of change is over, after about a week’s time, the young Galean is now an adult, and begins to physically mature. It is during this time that the parents of this Galean begin teaching him or her about Galean culture and religion, and after three years of maturation and education, the now fully adult Galean is taken to the nearest city, where he or she live with his/her parents for one year. After this time, the Galean is expected to live and work in the city (or any other city if they want to move) on his/her own. Most Galeans procure jobs as actors or musicians, but any job that brings them into contact with others is highly valued.

Leisure
If a Galean’s job brings him/her into contact with other people, they find great enjoyment in their work. That being said, in order to relax, many Galeans perform an art of some sort. Even as children, before they learn much of anything, the Galeans instinctively know how to dance and to sing. Soon after learning words, Galean children compose songs and short plays or comedies to perform. In their own private lives, many adult Galeans have a passion for writing, painting or composing, and create works in line with their chosen form of performance expression. Many Galeans create these works in Common, so as to share with their friends, but just as many keep at least some of their work confined to the Galean language, so that only other Galeans (or the particularly learned) can appreciate it.

Art
As mentioned above, most Galeans love art, both creating and showcasing it, and it is this love of art that defines an otherwise mainly individualist race. For the art of the Galeans is not merely copied from the books and galleries of humans or elves, but is a unique entity of its own. Galeans favour art that evokes great emotion, and are drawn towards merging both abstract and realistic art into a surreal fusion. A Galean poet, for instance, might create a string of adjectives and epithets for the subject of his work that becomes a poem onto itself in length, just to pinpoint the exact meaning of a word in his poem. A Galean painter may not even paint his subject as it is, but instead use a varied splash of colours to show the emotions present in the subject. Galean jewelry is asymmetrical and flowing, symmetry representing boredom to a Galean.

[togapika]

Give me a genie race that is low LA, but is an actual genie and not just the ancestor of one or somesuch...

[bobthe6th]

A PC undead race that dosn't make the DM throw books.

[moghue]

Give me a genie race that is low LA, but is an actual genie and not just the ancestor of one or somesuch...

Alrighty, should be up sometime today, actually may need fluff, the current genie race is a +5 la, I can fix it I guess, but if you want it custom fluff me pl0x.



A PC undead race that dosn't make the DM throw books.

Easy as cake, need to do this anyway for a current world build.

I'm holding off on the big fluffy first post for now, but it will get done.

[moghue]

Undead
This is loosely based on a revanant race I found for 3.5 as well as the forsaken from WOW

Humanoid (undead)

+2 to any one score
Call of Undeath (EX): 3% chance per HD that the character will rise from the dead as a full undead if killed (mindless zombie).
Darkvision (EX): 60ft range
Detection (EX): Counts as undead for detection purposes, Half HD for aura strength
Tomb born fortitude (EX): You have a 25% chance to resist critical hits. When a critical hit or sneak attack is scored against you, there is a 25% chance that the critical hit or sneak attack is negated and damage is instead rolled normally.
In addition, you do not risk death from massive damage.
Necrotic Life (EX): On a failed save, only suffers 1/2 damage from negative energy attacks, no damage on successful saves. In addition healing magic (positive energy) only heals ½ as many hit points as normal.
Turn Kind (EX): Undead clerics gain +2 bonus to turn undead.
Vulnerability to Holy water (EX): Holy water scalds the flesh of Half-undead, dealing 1d4 points of damage per direct hit with a flask.
Vulnerability to Turning (EX): Any turning attempt targeting the undead that would turn or rebuke an undead of equal HD imposes a -4 penalty to all attacks, saves, skill or ability checks. This effect lasts for 10 rounds or until the creature that turned or rebuked the undead attacks the undead. Successful attempts that would normal destroy or command undead of equivalent HD, instead stun it for 2d4 rounds.
Saves: Undead gain +2 bonus to save versus fear, poison, disease, paralysis, and necromancy spells, unless noted otherwise.
Unnatural Vitality (Ex): You are a tenacious combatant, continuing to fight when others would succumb to pain and injury.
you continue to fight without penalty if you are disabled or dying. This has the following specific game effects:
When reduced to 0 hp, you may act as if you weren’t disabled (that is, you ignore the normal restriction to only a single
move or standard action per round). You do not lose 1 hp for performing a standard or otherwise strenuous action while at 0 hp. When reduced to –1 to –9 hp, you do not fall unconscious.
You do not automatically lose 1 hp each round when at –1 to –9 hp.
When your current hit points drop to –10(-con for PF) or lower, you immediately die.
Additionally, you heal hit point damage, and ability damage, at twice the normal rate for a character of your level (minimum 1 point per class level).
Undead Body: You do not need to sleep, to regain spells or manuevers you must rest for 4 hours, during this you are completely aware of your surroundings. You still need to eat drink, and breathe. You can hold your breath for up to 10 minutes before starting to drown.

Call: 0 (pretty useless for anything. just fluffy.)
Darkvision: +2
Detection: -1 or (-2 pending on campaign, of course a campaign with lots of paladins and clerics.)
Tomb born: Fortification +2
Necrotic life: +1
Turn Kind: +1 (situational)
vulnerability to HW:-1
vulnerability to turning: -1 (-2 pending on campaign, of course a campaign with lots of paladins and clerics.)
Vitality: +4
Body:+4

[Weirdlet]

(Apologies, realized that what I was looking for was not applicable to the challenge as listed.)

[moghue]

(Apologies, realized that what I was looking for was not applicable to the challenge as listed.)

I didn't see it, maybe I can help you out anyway?

[chrisrawr]

Griffon race, based on the Heroes of Might and Magic series griffon - powerful hit points and defenses, instinctively lashes out against attackers, even if they might hurt themselves, fairly fast flying (max of ~80, though). LA 3 at the most, maybe 4 if something neat arises you'd like to include. Preferred class as Paladin, may apply mount benefits to self.

[ExemplarofAvg]

A Fine Sized Humanoid or Fey race based on the borrowers.

[Weirdlet]

I didn't see it, maybe I can help you out anyway?

What I had asked for, before realizing that Golden's rules were really for PC races and keeping things balanced, was to basically make up the big bad granddaddies of the PHB-standard elves- a race of terrifying, villainous Sidhe without being just 'elves with 18's and 20 levels of class'.

The fluff ran that "the elves you see in the caravans, in the orchards, living in the theater district? Foundlings. Pale, weak descendents of the exiles from Underhill, found wandering without names or memories or true immortality hundreds of years ago. They are nothing like their ancestors, and you had best be grateful for that. Because the true elves- they who rode on the night sky, laughing and slaying any unfortunate to stray into their path? They chose to retreat underground. They were never defeated- they were never destroyed."

I wanted a base race that could be scary as straight-up soldiers, and with added class levels could be outright terrifying as a general, lord, sorceress lady, or High King. Iron would be their kryptonite, and possibly holy power.

[Mystify]

A LA +10 race that is actually worth the LA.

[chrisrawr]

A LA +10 race that is actually worth the LA.

Depends on the tiering. We can just count the ECL as levels of your casting class and bam, t0-2 is fine. Making a balanced and interesting LA +10 race might be harder - I'd personally involve some outsider and big chunks of scaling sexy abilities.

Demigod maybe? I kind of want to work on this, now...

[VarianArdell]

an LA +0 race of dwarf with an innate inability to use magic of any sort...

[moghue]

A LA +10 race that is actually worth the LA.

I don't think I can do a la +10...


an LA +0 race of dwarf with an innate inability to use magic of any sort...

How about dragonlance gully dwarves, though they also prove to be very unintelligent... if not satisfied, I can do this, though this could really just be fluff that makes dwarves not use magic but rather technology?


A Fine Sized Humanoid or Fey race based on the borrowers.

This I can do

[moghue]

Borrowers

+2 wisdom, -2 intelligence.
Fine size. +8 bonus to Armor Class, +8 bonus on attack rolls, +8 bonus on Hide checks, -8 penalty on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits 1/8 those of Medium characters. Space is 1/2 foot and reach is 0 feet.
+16 size bonus to Hide and move silently checks.
A "borrower's" base land speed is 20 feet.
Low-light vision. Tremorsense 40 ft
+4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against creatures of the giant type (such as ogres, trolls, and hill giants).
+2 racial bonus on Listen checks.
Automatic Languages: Common

They don't have much to go on, the fine size limits them heftily and they don't have any type of magic from what I've read. they are basically fine sized humans, so you may consider getting rid of most of these class features and just changing humans to fine size.. and changing the size bonus' accordingly.

[moghue]

Griffon race, based on the Heroes of Might and Magic series griffon - powerful hit points and defenses, instinctively lashes out against attackers, even if they might hurt themselves, fairly fast flying (max of ~80, though). LA 3 at the most, maybe 4 if something neat arises you'd like to include. Preferred class as Paladin, may apply mount benefits to self.

Need more on what you want, In some settings gryphons are intelligent and could be used as a monster race. Do you want anthropomorphic?

On another note, Please be more specific if you are asking for a race, the first post was quite nice, I'm just having a hard time deciding how to change them from humans and keep the la at 0

[chrisrawr]

Need more on what you want, In some settings gryphons are intelligent and could be used as a monster race. Do you want anthropomorphic?

On another note, Please be more specific if you are asking for a race, the first post was quite nice, I'm just having a hard time deciding how to change them from humans and keep the la at 0

Sorry! Monster race would be lovely. The fluff I'm using has them with steel-like wings, beaks, and claws, able to be ridden but also fierce alone or in packs. They have an instinctual skill with their natural weapons that allows them to lash out at multiple attacking enemies (perhaps their AoO's affect adjacent squares, or they get AoO's against attacks made by attackers without weapon spec with their weapon? This one might be hard to crunch). Compared to other options of their cost and tech-level, griffons have lots of health and lots of defense, but less damage and attack. They're fairly fast, and flying.

Socially, they tend to roost together in high-up, nearly inaccessible caves, but they hunt alone. At first, they let only human royalty use them for mounts, but eventually they paired up with very particular crusaders, who became griffon knights. A great many take up faith with the (implied main good diety), so I'd assume Pelor would make an ideal choice. Other considerations for porting might be Raptorans stealing their roosts or viewing them as lesser species.

I dunno really. If I'm not giving you what you need it's probably because I'm bad at this :D

[moghue]

Nope this is fine, Expect it to be done today or tomorrow morning.

[silver spectre]

You give me the fluff, I'll give you the Race. I use Golden's race building guide and give you the points, Tell me if you prefer LA and how much.

How about a Yuan-ti like race (same basic fluff) based on on spiders or scorpions..?

[moghue]

How about a Yuan-ti like race (same basic fluff) based on on spiders or scorpions..?

Sure, be up later tonight/tomorrow.

[Mystify]

How about a half-construct race that is actually playable? 3 LA at most.

[VarianArdell]

How about dragonlance gully dwarves, though they also prove to be very unintelligent... if not satisfied, I can do this, though this could really just be fluff that makes dwarves not use magic but rather technology?

if it helps any, and to clarify my request, the dwarves I'm requesting are effectively the duergar (deep dwarves), but in this world, the source of arcane magic is the core of the planet. the dwarves' proximity to this magic over a thousand years has led to their inability to use arcane magic, or to have such magic be used against them.

also, I am not seeing anywhere in the DLCS book that says that gully dwarves can't use magic... maybe I'm missing something?

[ExemplarofAvg]

Borrowers

+2 wisdom, -2 intelligence.
Fine size. +8 bonus to Armor Class, +8 bonus on attack rolls, +8 bonus on Hide checks, -8 penalty on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits 1/8 those of Medium characters. Space is 1/2 foot and reach is 0 feet.
+16 size bonus to Hide and move silently checks.
A "borrower's" base land speed is 20 feet.
Low-light vision. Tremorsense 40 ft
+4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against creatures of the giant type (such as ogres, trolls, and hill giants).
+2 racial bonus on Listen checks.
Automatic Languages: Common

They don't have much to go on, the fine size limits them heftily and they don't have any type of magic from what I've read. they are basically fine sized humans, so you may consider getting rid of most of these class features and just changing humans to fine size.. and changing the size bonus' accordingly.

Thank You, Possibly getting rid of the +4 dodge bonus against the giant creatures and the listen bonus. Tossing a bonus to dex and maybe a negative to strength and con (rather hefty) rather than intelligence. I just feel it's fairly strong.

[Merchant]

Plant race. humanoid in appearance.
Very much like a flower that releases several different kinds of pollens that hide its' scent as well as gives minor hindrances(irratated eyes[blur effect or partial cover], sneezing or coughing ( raise DC for concentration), sleeping powder, paralyzing(requires high HD and maybe it will be a feat).
bonus to Hide
Favored class: Scout (Hit and Runs with a little extra fun)

Constrcut I:
Construct small or medium where the Main construct it actually comprised of many small constructs (thinking either swarm (The Day the World Stood Still) or five parts(2 arms, 2 legs, and torso[ power rangers/transformers{I think the 2nd movie showed that})
Favored Class: Rogue or Artificer (Either building things faster, or being too light to set off traps and Aiding Yourself either crafting or disabling)



Construct II:
Medium Sized Living construct. Something akin to a Handhaversack. Simply put a Construct of many pockets. It can hide items within itself(magical weightlessness?), supress magical affects inside(?)
Favored Class Rogue (hiding all your gear inside yourself.
Feats: Allow for quick drawing and hiding, Maybe suppress magic auras this way.
bonuses -2Con(?)[not a hardy material]
Expert Carrier(when it comes to carrying capacity act as if the Construct had a strength 4(?) points higher.

[moghue]

if it helps any, and to clarify my request, the dwarves I'm requesting are effectively the duergar (deep dwarves), but in this world, the source of arcane magic is the core of the planet. the dwarves' proximity to this magic over a thousand years has led to their inability to use arcane magic, or to have such magic be used against them.

also, I am not seeing anywhere in the DLCS book that says that gully dwarves can't use magic... maybe I'm missing something?

Sorry, I didn't mean that they couldn't I just meant that they are unintelligent and I would be hard pressed to see a gully dwarf wizard. But I see what you want here, just give me some time as this forum is beginning to be more than I can handle.

[ExemplarofAvg]

Alright, I liked what you did the first time, here's another.

A Medium Race that is always invisible. Like the Invisibility special ability. As little penalties as possible.

Like
Here: (3.5)
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#invisibility
or
Here: (Pathfinder)
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/special-abilities#TOC-Invisibility

A race kind of like The Invisible Man, maybe even applying the actual physics that anyone invisible through refractive light methods would be blind.

[Mystify]

Alright, I liked what you did the first time, here's another.

A Medium Race that is always invisible. Like the Invisibility special ability. As little penalties as possible.

Like
Here: (3.5)
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#invisibility
or
Here: (Pathfinder)
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/special-abilities#TOC-Invisibility

A race kind of like The Invisible Man, maybe even applying the actual physics that anyone invisible through refractive light methods would be blind.

Like a pixie, but medium?

[ExemplarofAvg]

Like a pixie, but medium?

Are they absolutely always invisible? Then yes. But Medium Size, with no other benefits.

[Mystify]

Are they absolutely always invisible? Then yes. But Medium Size, with no other benefits.

Well, they can choose to stop being invisible, but otherwise they are invisible 24/7.

[ExemplarofAvg]

Well, they can choose to stop being invisible, but otherwise they are invisible 24/7.

Well, just plain ol' 24/7 invisibility.