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View Full Version : Reducing LA for Yak Folk



Nightgaun7
2013-04-20, 03:51 PM
Yak Folk are pretty cool. Problem is, they have 5 Racial hit die and +2 LA, so nobody will ever play as one. I want to take them down to LA+1 or +2.

What they have normally:


- Large-sized.
- 5 monstrous humanoid racial hit dice, 8-sided. Grants 2 feats.
- LA +2.
- Good Reflex and Will saves - this means poor Fort saves, right? All in all: Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +4.
- Skill points 2 + Int modifier, quadrupled at first level.
- BAB +5.
- Darkvision 60 ft.
- Proficient with all simple weapons and any weapons mentioned in its entry. In other words, simple weapons and falchions.
- No armor proficiencies.
- +7 natural armor.
- Speed 30 ft.
- Class-skills: Disguise, Heal, Knowledge (arcana), Use Magic Device.
- Ability modifiers: +8 Str, +4 Con, +4 Int, +4 Wis, +4 Cha.
- Automatic Languages: Common.
- Special attacks: Body Meld (Sp)
- Special qualities: Command genie (Su), Use Staff (Ex).
- Favored class: Sorceror.


What I am thinking:
- Large-sized.
- Darkvision 60 ft.
- Weapon Proficiency: Yak Folk are automatically proficient with Falchions and Great Falchions
- +3 natural armor.
- Speed 30 ft.
- Skill Bonus: +2 Knowledge (Nature), +2 Use Magic Device.
- Ability modifiers: +2 Str, +2 Con, +2 Wis
- Automatic Languages: Common.
- Favored Class: Ranger

I'm aiming for a nature-oriented feeling rather than sorcerous, so I got rid of the INT and CHA bonus, left them with Wisdom, and made their favored class ranger. I kept a little of their racial skills by giving them Know. Nature and UMD bonuses. I cut their natural armor down to +3.

Is this good for LA+1?

Just to Browse
2013-04-20, 09:09 PM
It's on the stronger side of LA +1. The large size in itself is really good because reach is awesome, and this race kind of rocks for clerics who are willing to get sorcerer-style casting access.

I'd personally feel better if the armor went down to +2 and either the Con or Wis got dropped.

Alternatively to this, you could write up a yak folk monster class.

LordErebus12
2013-04-20, 09:25 PM
See, i would have done this, myself. But you took it further towards being a base race.

+2 Str, +2 Con, +2 Cha
Large-sized.
2 Racial HD of monstrous humanoid, BAB +2, Fort +0, Ref +3, Will +3, 1 Feat and Skill points equal to 5x (2 + Int modifier).
Class-skills: Climb, Disguise, Heal, Jump, Knowledge (arcana), Listen, Spot, Survival, and Swim.
Darkvision 60 ft.
Natural Armor +4
Speed 30 ft.
Proficient with all simple weapons and one martial or exotic weapon of their choice.
Automatic Languages: Common.
Bonus Languages: Giant, Sylvan.
Favored class: Sorcerer
LA +0

Vadskye
2013-04-20, 09:31 PM
I think that if you replace Large with "powerful build", like Goliaths do, I would be comfortable calling that LA +1. Large size has a lot of other implications, such as reach and the general awkwardness of being so large, which are problematic in practice.

LordErebus12
2013-04-20, 09:33 PM
I think that if you replace Large with "powerful build", like Goliaths do, I would be comfortable calling that LA +1. Large size has a lot of other implications, such as reach and the general awkwardness of being so large, which are problematic in practice.

except for the reach, powerful build is better, imo. you sure, Vadskye?

Just to Browse
2013-04-20, 10:33 PM
Ereberus, I don't think that's worth 2 RHD and 1 LA. I mean, it's a cleric chassis with +1 to hit, +1.5 damage, and +4 NA. That's about it.

LordErebus12
2013-04-20, 10:42 PM
Ereberus, I don't think that's worth 2 RHD and 1 LA. I mean, it's a cleric chassis with +1 to hit, +1.5 damage, and +4 NA. That's about it.

Its Erebus.

Yeah, now that you mention it, id prolly give it +2 Con with no LA.

RedWarlock
2013-04-20, 10:50 PM
Actually, large size also gives you better melee control because of your space. True, it's harder to move, but you have better spread, easier flanking... PB is strong too, but large w/reach is the one I'd choose, all else aside.

But yeah, Erebus, your combo isn't worth 2 RHD +1 LA, I'd say either 2RHD flat or +1 LA alone.

The OP's version, it's a little strong for LA +1, IMO, but throw a -2 dex on there and I could see calling it good.

Nightgaun7
2013-04-21, 01:18 AM
Should I give them a stat penalty, powerful build instead of large, or both?

DrunkenMists
2013-04-21, 02:08 AM
if I had to "rebuild" this race from scratch...I'd do it more as a.


Medium Sized

+2 Str, +2 Int, -2 Dex
- Darkvision 30 ft.
- +2 natural armor.
- Powerful Build: See Goliath
- Racial Weapon Familarity: Yak Folk Treat Falchions as light Weapons for Purposes of Weapon Finesse and Two Weapon Fighting.
- +2 racial bonus on saving throws against illusions.
- Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against illusion spells cast by Yak Folk. This adjustment stacks with those from similar effects, such as the Spell Focus feat.
- Natural Attack: Gore (1d6)


Essentially...a bad tauren with some illusionary ability.

Vadskye
2013-04-21, 02:22 PM
except for the reach, powerful build is better, imo. you sure, Vadskye?

Powerful build is much more balanced than Large size. The increased space and reach are the most problematic parts of being Large. Yes, it is supposedly "Large without the downsides", but in practice your game will run much smoother if the PC has powerful build than if he is Large.