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Serafina
2012-08-14, 10:47 AM
This is a race (and some variants) for Pathfinder.

Note that it scales with HD. It is normally worth 15 Race Points (from the Advanced Race Guide, Core Races are 9-11 RP), but at 6 HD this increases to 20, at 11 HD to 30 and at 16 HD to 40. If you look at the Race Building Rules, (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/arg-creating-new-races) you will see that taking higher-RP races comes with a pseudo-level adjustment (your level is increased for determining the CR of your encounters) - but that this allows for more RP the more HD the characters have.

So i thought "hey, why not just build a race that scales with level, similar to some templates"? And voila, here we go!
If you want to use this in your campaign, all player should have access to this or something similar - or you can just ignore all the parts that say "when X HD, Y happens" and it's a fully functional - if slightly more powerful - race than the Core-races.

I might also create other new races, for Angels, Demons etc. and maybe for Undead, Constructs and so on.



Stormbound

Stormbound are humans or members of other races that have been infused with the power of elemental lightning by ancient magic. Outwardly they appear as members of their former race, but their blood crackles with electricity and most find themselves fundamentally altered.

Standard Racial Traits
Ability Score Racial Traits: Stormbounds are radiant and bound by ancient magic. They gain +2 Charisma and +2 Constitution. This increase to +4 if they have more than 15 HD.
Type: Stormbounds are Outsiders with the Native Subtype, and one other subtype based on their original race.
Size: Stormbounds are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Base Speed: Stormbounds have a base speed of 30 feet. If they have more than 10 HD their base speed increases by 10 feet.
Languages: Stormbounds speak Common, Auran and the racial language of their old race. Stormbounds with high Intelligence can learn any bonus language of their former race.
Height, Weight and Age: As a member of their former race, but all age increments are increased by 50%

Defense Racial Traits
Storm Resistance: Stormbound have electricity resistance 5. If they have more than 5 HD this increases to 10, and if they have more than 10 HD they become immune to elecricity.
Magic Grounding: A Stormbound with more than 5 HD gains Spell Resistance equal to her HD+6. This increases to HD+11 once she has more than 10 HD.
Damage Resistance: A Stormbound with more than 10 HD has Damage Resistance 5/Silver.

Offense Racial Traits
Lightning Assault (Su): Once per day, a Stormbound can unleash her inner lightning as a swift action. For a number of rounds equal to her HD, all her attacks with unarmed strikes, natural attacks an wielded melee weapons deal an additional 1D6 electricity damage. If she has more than 10 HD this is permanently active.

Feats and Skills Racial Traits
Swift as Lightning: Stormbound can add their Charisma instead of their Dexterity to their Initiative. If they have more than 15 HD they also gain Improved Initiative as a bonus feat.

Senses Racial Traits:
Darkvision: Stormbounds can see in the dark up to 60 feet.

Racial Heritage
Stormbound retain some characteristic of their former race.
Dwarf: You have the Defensive Training, Stability, Greed, Stonecunning, Hatred and Weapon Familiarity traits of a Dwarf. Your base speed is 20 feet, but it is never reduced by encumbrance or armor. You have the Dwarf subtype and speak Dwarven.
Elf: You have the Keen Senses and Weapon Familiarity traits of an Elf. You have the Elf subtype and speak Elven.
Gnome: You have the Defensive Training, Hatred, Obsessive and Weapon Familiarity traits of a Gnome. You are small and your base speed is 20 feet. You have the Gnome subtype and speak Gnome and Sylvan.
Half-Elf: You have the Adaptability and Multitalented traits of a Half-Elf. You have the Elf and Human subtype and speak Elven.
Halfling: You have the Sure-footed, Weapon Familiarity and Keen sense traits of a Halfling. You are small and your base speed is 20 feet. You have the Halfling-subtype and speak Halfling.
Half-Orcs: You have the Orc Ferocity and Weapon Familiarity traits of a Half-Orc. You have the Orc subtype and speak Orc.
Human: You gain an additional skill rank at first level and one additional rank whenever you gain a level. You have the Human subytpe and gain one bonus language as if you had a high intelligence score.

Becoming a Stormbound:
Only very powerful magic can turn a humanoid into a Stormbound. This can be achieved with a Wish or Miracle, making a pact with an Air Elemental with more than 20 HD, or by any other means the GM sees fit.
If a humanoid becomes a Stormbound, she looses all her old racial traits and becomes a Stormbound with the Racial Heritage of her old race. Humans lose their bonus feat and can not use any of their feats or class features that required this feat.
Stormbound can still chose Archetypes, Prestige classes and Feats of their old race, and Alternate Racial Traits that replace any of the trait they still have.


Earthbound, Firebound and Waterbound
It is possible to forge a bond with other elements.
Earthbound: Earthbound speak Terran instead of Auran, and replace the Swift as Lightning with Steadfast Earth: They can use their Charisma in place of their Dexterity to determine their CMD. Their Lightning Assault deals Acid instead of Elecricity damage, and they gain Resistance/Immunity to Acid instead of Elecricity. Instead of increasing their base speed, they gain a climb speed of 20 feet if they have more than 10 HD.
Firebound: Firebound speak Ignan instead of Auran, and replace the Swift as Lightning with Burning Wind: They can add their Charisma instead of their Strength to damage with any Finesse Weapon. Their Lightning Assault deals Fire instead of Elecricity damage, and they gain Resistance/Immunity to Fire instead of Elecricity.
Waterbound: Waterbound speak Aquan instead of Auran, and replace the Swift as Lightning with Steadfast Earth: They can use their Charisma in place of their Dexterity to determine their Armor Class. Their Lightning Assault deals Cold instead of Elecricity damage, and they gain Resistance/Immunity to Cold instead of Elecricity. Instead of increasing their base speed, they gain a swim speed of 30 feet if they have more than 10 HD.

Serafina
2012-08-14, 11:01 AM
Creating this was rather easy once i had the idea to use the proposed pseudo-LA that way.

I started by creating a race that could be taken along the core races. Going for 9-11 RP turned out to be too restrictive - mostly due to Native Outsider costing 3 RP, and wanting to save about 4 RP for the abilities of the original race. So i went slightly higher, since you can take up to 19 RP without getting any level adjustment.
Then i simply added new abilities - or strengthened old ones - keeping with the RP-limits for 0 LA (20 for 6+, 30 for 11+, 40 for 16+), taking care that at no point you would lose old abilities (because that really wouldn't make sense).

It should be easy to do the same to create half-dragons, undead or construc-rages, half-celestials or half-fiends etc. Or Drow Nobles that don't start out super-strong, but get there over time. Or any other cool race, really.