Races of Tyrus (3.x PEACH)

[brutticusforce]

Last night, a friend was talking about her pathfinder game, and it gave me an itching to run a game of that sort. It also reminded about everything i hate about that game, including the fact that didn't fix anything. Humans are still very clearly the most powerful core PC race, Druids still wreck everything in the universe...

So I started a project; I have ideas. I started with races, because they are the easiest. Self contained, almost. Classes will come... later. prestige classes... unlikely, but we will see. anyways, heres what there is:


Common Races
Orcs

Racial stat Modifications: +4 Str -2 dex -2 Cha
Major Racial feature: Toughness: Orcs gain an extra hit point for every HD they have
Minor racial feature: Diehard: Orcs gain Diehard as a bonus feat

Humans:
Floating +2
Major Racial feature: Versatile: Bonus feat
Minor racial feature: Skilled: Bonus skill point when they level

Dwarf
Speed: 20
+2 Con +2Wis -2 Cha
Major racial feature: Short: dwarves gain a size bonus to AC and attack rolls as though they were small. They gain no other bonuses or penalties, and their size is still medium in all other respects
Minor racial feature: Stability: Dwarves get +4 to saving throws to avoid being tripped or knocked prone. In addition, a dwarves’ speed may not be lowered for any reason, including encumbrance

Elf
-2 con +2 dex +2 Cha
Minor racial feature: Changeling: An elf can cast Disguise Self as a spell like ability, with a caster level equal to her level
Major racial feature" Fairy Companion: An elf has a fairy familiar. It always gives off dim light, out to 5 feet. It is unlike a wizard’s familiar: it does not give her skill bonuses. It is not a creature and does not have AC, Hitpoints, or other in game statistics. It cannot attack, and it does not have its own turn or initiative. As a standard action, the elf can give her fairy the following command:
Harry: The fairy moves up to 20 feet into an enemy space and distracts him. A distracted enemy cannot take minor actions that turn unless he succeeds on a will save (DC 10+ the elf's level). The fairy continues to distract the enemy for as long as the elf wishes, but gets a new saving throw every round. A distracted enemy also takes a -2 penalty to his AC, and furthermore, weapon attacks rolls the elf makes against the target get a +1 bonus. A fairy can only harry one enemy at a time.

Goblin
-2 Str +4 Dex -2 Cha
Size: Small. Speed: 40
Major Racial Trait: Lucky: Goblins get a +1 bonus to all saving throws
Minor Racial Trait: Big head, Sharp teeth: Gobins have a natural bite attack that deals 1d3+ half str mod damage.

Some things to note:
* I'm not sure how much size modification is worth. The goblins racial features are kind of minor, but hes fast and has an inherent +3 to AC.
* I'm slightly worried about the Elves' fairy companion. Im not sure how powerful it is.
* When suggesting revisions, keep a few things in mind:
- No race may have a hit or boost to INT. Slavery and racism are a big part of the setting, and it undermines the injustice if one race is mechanically always stupider than their human counterparts.
- I tried when designing these to avoid abilities that have a use only to one class or subset of classes. More hit points or a boost to saving throws anyone can use. A boost to caster level pigeon holes a race.
- I don't do level adjustment. I wont.
- These races are designed to be used with each other, not with standard races, or anything printed. Are they balanced compared to each other?



Things I want to do:
* A half racial sub system. This is why this is boiled down to major and minor racial traits, to make it easier to mix and match
*Uncommon Races. These included PC Dragons, Giants, and fairies. This also makes half giants as easy to create as half orcs. I have no idea how i would handle it in this streamline system though.
* Rules for Gods and fiends to be stated. They wouldn't be playable, but it would allow for God and Fiend blooded PCs
* Id consider redoing the class system to make melee classes less front loaded and magic class less back loaded. I have some ideas, but I have no idea how to implement it without killing myself.
* A fluff page, if people care.
Changelog
- Changed Alter self to disguise self for the elves racial ability.
- Changed Harry to disable minor actions rather than standards.
- Changed to Stability from a flat immunity to tripping and proning to a +4 to saves against those conditions.
- Minor clarifications to harry.
- Minor grammar fixes.
Anyways, these are what i have. PEACH! PLEASE!

[Zman]

I like most of them and what you are trying to do. The one I like least is Elves. I don't like the familiar, and am no a fan of Alter Self. I universally give up access to a familiar whenever possible.

I'd like to see for Elves...

Minor: Magic Affinity: Elves treat their Int as two higher for all Spellcasting purposes.

Major: Greater Beings: Elves are long lived beings and become resilient to the trainsient nature of the universe receiving a +2 to Will Saving throws and even receive a Will saving throw against effects which do not normally allow one albeit at a -8 penalty. Elves also only require one quarter the rest of other humanoids.

[Spiryt]

Stability written like that seems just wonky to me. Just (bigger) bonus would be definitely better. Kinda weird for a Dwarf to not be tripped if elephant pushes him.

Elves abilities does seem easily breakable.



Slavery and racism are a big part of the setting, and it undermines the injustice if one race is mechanically always stupider than their human counterparts.

I'm not sure I get it.

[brutticusforce]

I like most of them and what you are trying to do. The one I like least is Elves. I don't like the familiar, and am no a fan of Alter Self. I universally give up access to a familiar whenever possible.

I'd like to see for Elves...

Minor: Magic Affinity: Elves treat their Int as two higher for all Spellcasting purposes.

Major: Greater Beings: Elves are long lived beings and become resilient to the trainsient nature of the universe receiving a +2 to Will Saving throws and even receive a Will saving throw against effects which do not normally allow one albeit at a -8 penalty. Elves also only require one quarter the rest of other humanoids.

Unfortunately, Magic Affinity benefits casters, and no one else. Elves are the one I like the least as well, but I want to come up racial traits that don't pigeon hole a race into a class choice (in this case, casters.) I do like greater beings, Im going to hang on to it. Its more in line with the racial traits for the other races.


Stability written like that seems just wonky to me. Just (bigger) bonus would be definitely better. Kinda weird for a Dwarf to not be tripped if elephant pushes him.

Elves abilities does seem easily breakable.




I'm not sure I get it.

Good point about the elephant. Ill probably change it to account for that. What about the elf particularly is breakable? Im not trying to fight, just to pin point how i can tighten it up.

So the thing is this: In Tyrus, the orcs were just peaceful herders, gatherers, hunters and farmers on the outskirts of the human empires until human empires started expanding to engulf them. The humans enslaved many orcs, saying they were stupid, incapable of civilization and invention, only hunting and violence, no better than bipedal cattle. They are supposed to be wrong, but if i give them an INT hit, it kind of proves their point.

[Morph Bark]

So... Dwarves can wear Mountain Plate and pull 5 times their heavy load and still go along at their normal 20 ft land speed?

Also, Elves are much overpowered. Alter Self is incredibly powerful. Are you sure you didn't mean Disguise Self?

I'm not even sure what to think of Harry.

[brutticusforce]

So... Dwarves can wear Mountain Plate and pull 5 times their heavy load and still go along at their normal 20 ft land speed?

That's what I had in mind, yes. I think I might scale back the no knocking prone, but dwarves being able to move full speed in plate is what I thought they do. What do you recommend?


Also, Elves are much overpowered. Alter Self is incredibly powerful. Are you sure you didn't mean Disguise Self?

I did. That is something Ill change. I should stop getting dumb ideas at like 3 in the morning.

You mentioned you dont know what to think of harry. I went back to Knight of the Raven, the place I initially got it from and see that I remembered it wrong. I can see the potential for stun lock, particularly in boss fights (when there is only one enemy)

Would it be salvaged if the target could not take minors rather than standard? Or is this whole fairy thing beyond salvage?

[Debihuman]

Do these still have standard traits associated with each race in addition to the changes you made?

Since you have this for 3.x rather than Pathfinder, what is the "Floating +2" for Humans?

I'm not sure how balanced these are with each other. . I suspect that the Orc is overpowered. I'd see no reason to play a Goblin (1d3 bite and +1 to all saves doesn't scale nearly as much as the Toughness feat (which is actually Improved Toughness since regular Toughness only add +3 hit points).

Debby

[brutticusforce]

Do these still have standard traits associated with each race in addition to the changes you made?

Since you have this for 3.x rather than Pathfinder, what is the "Floating +2" for Humans?

I'm not sure how balanced these are with each other. . I suspect that the Orc is overpowered. I'd see no reason to play a Goblin (1d3 bite and +1 to all saves doesn't scale nearly as much as the Toughness feat (which is actually Improved Toughness since regular Toughness only add +3 hit points).

Debby

This is more of a revamp with power creep, but im borrowing quite a bit from pathfinder. (In my opinion, they are more or less the same game, but thats another question entirely.)

Uh, well, goblins are Small, and dex +4, thats an inherent +3 to AC. also, they have a base speed of 40. Being the only small standard race in my setting, the goblin is a better skirmisher (and caster!), and the orc is the better bruiser (although an orc rouge, for instance, could probably be a fun character to play mechanically and RP wise).

That being said, i wasnt sure how much Small size and the speed boost were worth, and only gave goblins mediocre traits (at least compared to the other races.) Should lucky scale? Should the bite attack be replaced?

On another note, how much is size worth? I've begun thinking about i might construct Giants, who are always large. How much is it worth? compared to racial abilites? To stat bumps? Do large creatures get Str and Con bonuses inherently?