HELP! I need to fix some races! Non-Gambling thread! (WIP, PEACH))

[Ninjadeadbeard]

Alright, so I've been preparing a campaign setting for a while now (first DM in a few years). I've got a lot of the history/mythology/sociopolitical background all laid out. While I'm also streamlining a few classes (3.5 with much homebrew like vitality points and such), I realized that I still needed to stat the various races. While some are similar enough to their 3.5 counterparts for me to crib some notes, most of these are somewhat whole-cloth.

Anyway, my point. I've never been good at Crunch. I like messing with it, but I just can't wrap my head around it in a practical sense. So I've written up the various races of the campaign (think Rome at its height for reference) and I hope someone can look at these and tell me what needs to be done to balance the setting. Thank you so much in advance.

The Races:


Humans

Taloran – Based off the Roman Empire. Defining trait is stubbornness.
Racial Traits
+2 Con
-2 Dex
Land Speed – 20 ft. Unaffected by armor weight or load weight
Stability – +4 against being tripped or bull rushed
Skill Points – add 4 at Lvl 1, and 1 extra at each Lvl Up
Weapon Prof – Short Swords as Simple Weapons, Proficiency with all shield, including tower shield

Dannic – Gaelic Warriors, as the Romans saw them. Sneaky cutthroats and ambushers
Racial Traits
+2 Dex
-2 Cha
Land Speed – 30 ft
+2 to AC while fighting without armor
+2 to Move Silently, Listen
Darkvision – Can see in the dark up to 60 ft. Black and White only

Bannorn – Vikings/Native Americans. Proud Warrior Race, lovers of stone and sea
Racial Traits
+2 Str
-2 Int
Land Speed – 30 ft
+2 Balance, Use Rope and Profession (Sailor)
Low-light vision – can see twice as far in low light situations as Talorans
Weapon Prof – One Exotic Weapon treated as Martial or one Martial treated as Simple

Elves

Akhamari/Sharakor – Persian/Egyptian/Jewish Zealots. Slight magic, quickness
Racial Traits
+2 Int
-2 Con
Land Speed – 30 ft
Spell-like Ability – Can cast Charm Person as the spell 1/day without cost
Weapon Prof – Longswords and Bows
+2 Listen, Search, Spot. If within 5 ft of secret door, auto search check

Xeloric – Hindu Vedic Monks (peripheral). Wise men limited by mortal bodies
Racial Traits
+2 Wis
-2 Con
Land Speed – 30 ft
Spell-like Ability – Can cast Sanctuary as the spell 1/day without cost
+2 Climb, Move Silently, Listen
+2 save against illusions

Halhvannen

Halhvannen – Greek Half-Elves. The Magic race. Half-breed and proud of it
Racial Traits
+2 Cha
+2 Dex
-2 Con
-2 Wis
Land Speed – 30 ft
+2 save against Sleep spells
+2 Listen, Search, Spot. If within 5 ft of secret door, auto search check
1 additional Feat at Lvl 1 (must still qualify)

Beastmen

Brutum – Dog/Wolf themed Half-Orcs. Similar to Loyal Germans in Roman Legion
Racial Traits
+2 Str
-2 Dex
+2 Cha
-2 Wis
Land Speed – 40 ft
+4 against Enchantments
Cannot take Caster Levels

Canids – Same race, but Mongolian/Hun in culture. Savage Barbarians
Racial Traits
+2 Con
-2 Int
Land Speed – 40 ft
+4 against Enchantments
Cannot take Caster Levels

Hesh

Errgiansk – Mesopotamian Lizardmen meet Eastern Orthodox
Racial Traits
+2 Int
-2 Cha
Land Speed – 20 ft
Swim Speed – 40 ft
+ 2 Move Silently, Spot
+2 save against poison
Weapon Prof – Tridents, Nets, and Spears are treated as Martial Weapons

Huitzelopotal – Mesoamerican Lizardmen.
Racial Traits
+2 Dex
-2 Str
Land Speed – 20 ft
Swim Speed – 40 ft
+2 Diplomacy, Sense Motive, Appraise
Weapon Prof – Bows

[Thomar_of_Uointer]

Odd ability score changes (all those -1 and +1 modifiers) are generally considered a bad idea. Because of the math behind ability score modifiers, half the time they don't matter.

Other than that, these look pretty good to me.

[Ninjadeadbeard]

Odd ability score changes (all those -1 and +1 modifiers) are generally considered a bad idea. Because of the math behind ability score modifiers, half the time they don't matter.

Yeah, looking back at the PHB I should have remembered those races all used (+/-2) for stat changes. Is there anything you could add about the various extra abilities? Do some not fit? Do some synergize too well?

[togapika]

Halhvannen win. Bonus feat and other abilities? No brainer which race to take...

[Ninjadeadbeard]

Halhvannen win. Bonus feat and other abilities? No brainer which race to take...

I removed the bonus to resist enchantments and Weapon proficiency. I really want to keep the bonus feat at level 1, seeing as how I removed that from the Humans. Should I remove Sleep Immunity entirely for balance?

EDIT: Instead, I've gone ahead and given them a Con hit. I wanted to make them a good Sorcerer/Rogue race originally. I hope adding this makes them squishier and a little less likely to be used for every other class. Does anyone think this is a good move? Should I go back to a Strength hit?

[Landis963]

I removed the bonus to resist enchantments and Weapon proficiency. I really want to keep the bonus feat at level 1, seeing as how I removed that from the Humans. Should I remove Sleep Immunity entirely for balance?

EDIT: Instead, I've gone ahead and given them a Con hit. I wanted to make them a good Sorcerer/Rogue race originally. I hope adding this makes them squishier and a little less likely to be used for every other class. Does anyone think this is a good move? Should I go back to a Strength hit?

Even with the CON hit, Halhvannen are still really good. I would change the Sleep Immunity to something like "+x to save against Sleep spells" with x being 1 or 2. Everything else seems good in terms of balance.

...Except for one or two flavor issues: Why are the half-elf beings more magical than the full-elf beings, and why don't the Akhamari get an INT boost to contrast the Xeloric WIS boost?

[Ninjadeadbeard]

Even with the CON hit, Halhvannen are still really good. I would change the Sleep Immunity to something like "+x to save against Sleep spells" with x being 1 or 2. Everything else seems good in terms of balance.

...Except for one or two flavor issues: Why are the half-elf beings more magical than the full-elf beings, and why don't the Akhamari get an INT boost to contrast the Xeloric WIS boost?

I can't believe I didn't see the Sleep answer before. I basically did the same for the Beastmen before I posted, turning a Total Magic Immunity (good or bad) into a smaller bonus. I feel silly missing that here. You'll notice I also switched the Akhamari bonus from Dex to Int. I was awfully torn by that one, but I can see how the change might be better.

As to why I made the Half-elfs the Magic Race, that's a complicated answer. This was an idea in my head for a while so please bear with me: What do you get when you go out and buy a Dog? Mutt or Pure-bred. For the longest time, I thought, "Naturally the Pure-bred. People make such a big deal about it, they must be better." The thing is though, Pure-breds are not better. In fact, a Pure-bred dog is generally less intelligent and more prone to health issues than a Mutt.

Mutts, as I've seen after owning many dogs and observing many others, are usually smarter, quicker to pick up skills, and healthier than their Pure-bred cousins. So when I think of Half-Elves, I don't see a race of people who have half the power of each parent (I think PHB Half-Elves are notorious for being fairly useless) I see a character who is a synthesis of the best qualities of each. For the Halhvannen I merely extended the metaphor to a more spiritual, magical plane.

TLDR: Halhvannen are best of both Parent races

[Omeganaut]

I like what you have so far except for the humans. Taloran are too powerful, I'd say weapon proficiency should work like the Bannorns. I feel like the Dannic could use a small flavor boost. Perhaps +1 to will saves vs. mind affecting spells or +10 speed or +1 ac when wearing no armor. Finally, give the Bannorn Cold resistance 3 or 5, or you could say they get +2 to Balance, Profession (Sailor), and Use Rope to reflect their sailing heritage.

[Ninjadeadbeard]

I like what you have so far except for the humans. Taloran are too powerful, I'd say weapon proficiency should work like the Bannorns. I feel like the Dannic could use a small flavor boost. Perhaps +1 to will saves vs. mind affecting spells or +10 speed or +1 ac when wearing no armor. Finally, give the Bannorn Cold resistance 3 or 5, or you could say they get +2 to Balance, Profession (Sailor), and Use Rope to reflect their sailing heritage.

Those...are seriously good suggestions. I think I'll give the Talorans Short swords as simple weapons and proficiency with all shields (based on Romans after all). Dannicans should get a +2 AC while fighting without armor. And I totally forgot about Cold Resistance, so Cold Resist 5 for the Bannorn, in addition to a +2 to Balance, Profession (Sailor) and Use Rope as you suggested, thank you. Anything else, you think?