Alabastra 3.5 (The Mechnics Thread)

[Inkidu]

You can find Alabastra proper over in the World Building forum. I put all the details there so that they could be judged at how they lined up with the fluff.

So here they are... for the dreaded mechanical critique...

be gentle...

Buteos
Racial Traits
• +2 to dexterity, -2 to constitution. Buteos are fast and quick-witted, but frail like any bird.
• Medium. Buteos are medium creatures.
• Low-light vision.
• +2 racial bonuses to spot and jump checks.
• Flight (Ex): A buteo is an average flyer and can fly 40ft. and they need 15ft. of space (running or falling) to take flight. They cannot fly with a medium or heavy load, and they cannot fly in heavy armor at all. They can only fly half as far in medium armor. They can make diving attacks granted they have 30ft. and can descend 10ft.
Buteos can stay aloft for one round for every bonus point his or her constitution score (minimum 1). Buteos cannot fly if incapacitated or unconscious.
They can exert themselves to fly for up to twice as long, but then they’re fatigued at the end of the flight. buteos are likewise fatigued after spending a total of more than 10 minutes per day flying. Because buteos can glide before, after, and between rounds of actual flight, they can remain aloft for extended periods (even if they can only use flight for 1 round at a time without becoming fatigued). A buteo with flight can use the run action while flying, provided she flies in a straight line.
• Gliding (Ex): A buteo can use his or her wings to glide, negating damage from a fall of any height and allowing 20 feet of forward travel for every 5 feet of descent. Buteos glide at a speed of 30 feet (average maneuverability). They cannot glide if carrying a medium load. They cannot glide in heavy armor or a heavy load. They can glide half as far and descend twice as fast in medium armor.
If a buteo is unconscious or incapacitated in a way that denies them the use of their wings they fall to the ground and take falling damage as normal.
• Flyby Attack (Gen.): Buteos have the natural ability to make flyby attack with any weapon they are proficient with (see Monster Manual I p. 303).
• Base land speed is 20ft. Their bird feet are not ideal for running, and they rarely wear footwear
• Automatic languages: Buteo and Common.
• Weapon Proficiencies: Buteos receive martial weapons proficiencies for the throwing axes, light picks, sickles, and halberds.
• Favored class: Fighter. Buteos are proud and not given to subtlety



Merfolk
• Medium. Merfolk are medium creatures.
• +2 to charisma, -2 to wisdom. Merfolk are very charismatic and attractive, but they usually live in the moment.
• Base land speed is 20ft. Swim speed 50ft.
• +8 racial bonus on swim checks when making an underwater maneuver or avoiding an obstacle. Merfolk can take 10 on swim checks even when endangered or distracted. They can make underwater or swimming charges as long as it is in a straight line.
• Amphibious. Merfolk can breathe on land and in the water.
• Cold Endurance feat, +4 to saving throws against cold weather effects.
• Low-light vision.
• Merfolk have racial weapon proficiencies for the trident, ranseur, scimitar. They can treat fighting nets and skip blades as martial weapons instead of exotic.
• Automatic Languages: Merfolk and Common.
• Favored Class: Bard. Merfolk bards can sing underwater.


Half-Merfolk
• Medium. Half-merfolk are medium characters.
• Merfolk blood. Half-merfolk have merfolk blood, meaning any spell or ability that affects an aquatic creature affects them as well.
• Base land speed is 30ft. (swim 30ft.)
• Low-light vision.
• +4 to swim checks to perform a maneuver or avoid a hazard. They can take ten when distracted but NOT when endangered.
• +4 save against drowning.
• Child of the Waves (Ex): Though half-merfolk do not have their parents gills, they do have extraordinarily efficient lungs. They are able to stay underwater for extended periods of time beyond normal humanoids. They can stay underwater one round plus an additional round for each bonus point to his or her Constitution score.
• +2 to diplomacy and handle animal checks.
• Automatic Languages: Merfolk and Common.
• Favored class: Any


I've been tinkering, but without a group to play it, I can't really judge that well on paper. :\

[Inkidu]

Seriously? I mean it's awesome knowing that my skill at crafting and redesigning races is without reproach, but I'm sure there's something that makes one of these over-powered or under-powered. :\

I'm not that good. :|

[The Mentalist]

I feel that the Buteos may deserve a +1 LA or some greater negative (flight being a rather powerful mechanical advantage, especially getting it early in the game) and they need a feat to make their flights longer. I would definitely incorporate them into my games though, their flight mechanic is a very good one.

The rest are fine.

[Thugorp]

So I like the Beuets, I even get the realism, though i wouldn't say it is more or less accurate than the Raptorens it really depends on to much physiologically. Though I will admit that I think yours is more fun.

I do have a question though. They can, "stay aloft," one round + con. mod / what? day, week, year, hour?

[Inkidu]

I don't know what a +LA is, and what negative would you suggest. My idea especially with the rewrite was that the negative to their con would nerf the flying ability of someone who didn't want to focus on it.

I'm not understanding. When I say stay aloft that means move the entirety of their flight range in one round (like an average flyer, no hovering) they can then (if they have room) glide, but you lose altitude. So even someone with no Con bonus gets over one hundred feet. The stay aloft part means the power needed to be exerted to keep flying and not gliding or dive bombing.

It's as close to moving and running for non flight races as I could get, I think. That's why the move faster in the same amount of time.

EDIT: Never mind I figured out that LA means level adjustment.

[Debihuman]

You are missing pertinent information. What type of creature is a Buteo? Is it Humanoid, Monstrous Humanoid or Magical Beasts. It looks like these are Magical Beasts since they are like birds.

Creatures don't need glide if they have flight since flight is better. You should take a better look at flying creatures. Gliding is only necessary if they don't get flight at first level.

Flight is worth +1 Level Adjustment.

All that matters for flight is speed and maneuverability. You don't need to say anything else about it. See the rules on flying.

Getting Flyby Attack is a separate bonus and not one that should be incorporated with flight. It should be listed a bonus feat.

Stop making racial languages that no other race speaks unless you don't want them to be able to communicate. They should speak Auran and Common.

Buteo blood makes no sense since there is nothing (that I know of) that specifically affects birds. Since birds are affected by anything that affects Animals such as speak with animal or animal trance then I would recommend you lose this since it is really bad for you (especially if you are affected by animal trance whiled flying).

Your merfolk are overpowered compared to standard merfolk. No PC should have a bonus to Fortitude save as racial ability. That comes from a feat. If you want to give Great Fortitude as a bonus feat that's okay but getting it for free and allowing it to stack is too powerful. That alone is worth a +1 level adjustment.

Level Adjustment is "a number that, when added to creature's Hit Dice and class levels, determines the level of character to which it would be equivalent as a PC."

You have to compare your race to one of the standard races and if it is more powerful it gets a level adjustment.

I recommend you read Savage Species since it explains this in greater detail.

Debby

[Inkidu]

You are missing pertinent information. What type of creature is a Buteo? Is it Humanoid, Monstrous Humanoid or Magical Beasts. It looks like these are Magical Beasts since they are like birds.

Creatures don't need glide if they have flight since flight is better. You should take a better look at flying creatures. Gliding is only necessary if they don't get flight at first level.

Flight is worth +1 Level Adjustment.

All that matters for flight is speed and maneuverability. You don't need to say anything else about it. See the rules on flying.

Getting Flyby Attack is a separate bonus and not one that should be incorporated with flight. It should be listed a bonus feat.

Stop making racial languages that no other race speaks unless you don't want them to be able to communicate. They should speak Auran and Common.

Buteo blood makes no sense since there is nothing (that I know of) that specifically affects birds. Since birds are affected by anything that affects Animals such as speak with animal or animal trance then I would recommend you lose this since it is really bad for you (especially if you are affected by animal trance whiled flying).

Your merfolk are overpowered compared to standard merfolk. No PC should have a bonus to Fortitude save as racial ability. That comes from a feat. If you want to give Great Fortitude as a bonus feat that's okay but getting it for free and allowing it to stack is too powerful. That alone is worth a +1 level adjustment.

Level Adjustment is "a number that, when added to creature's Hit Dice and class levels, determines the level of character to which it would be equivalent as a PC."

You have to compare your race to one of the standard races and if it is more powerful it gets a level adjustment.

I recommend you read Savage Species since it explains this in greater detail.

DebbyI see some of what you're saying, but you'd should go to homebrew: World Building. if you want to read the setting details and some of the rationale behind these builds. (i.e. Plenty of races get cold fortitude resistances on an ice-ball. :\)

Weakness to birds is a placeholder while I read some books. I think it'll become spells that effect air elementals or creatures of air, but like I said still reading. Also, I think they're less OP than the Raptorens by far. Though I probably do need to adjust some of the things, no doubt.

Actually a lot of your advice strikes me as suspect in that you didn't even read my setting. Of course anybody can learn the buteo language. It's like saying dwarven shouldn't exist because it's the language of the dwarves.

[Sgt. Cookie]

I'm looking over the Half-Merfolk, and I feel like I should add my advice.

First off, it's not a Fort save to resist drowning, it's just a Constitution Check. Also, it wouldn't be unbalanced to state they only need to make the check once every two rounds.

It seems strange that they lack any ability to stay underwater for long periods of time. I would add something like this:

Child of the waves (Ex): Despite lacking their parent's ability to breath underwater the Half-Merfolk's vestigial gills do allow them to stay underwater for long periods of time. A Half-Merfolk can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to 10 X his constitution score, but only when underwater. After this time, the Half-Merfolk does not immediately fall unconscious and drown after failing its Constitution check, instead it takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage per round until he falls unconscious or reaches air. If his nonlethal damage equals or exceeds his normal total hit points, it starts drowning normally. This Damage cannot be healed while the Half-Merfolk is drowning, although once they reach air any damage caused by drowning is healed instantly.

While the Half-Merfolk cannot hold extended conversations while underwater, they are able to speak small phrases, allowing them to activate command word magic items.

Additionally, a Half-Merfolk never takes Pressure Damage or is at risk from Hypothermia.

[Inkidu]

Good point. A save against drowning isn't the same as being able to stay under the water longer.

Honestly, on the cold thing I just copied the same trait from the arctic race variants in Unearthed Arcana.

[Thugorp]

I understand how your fly speed works, what I am saying is as writen, I could fly 60 strait up, glide for one round and then fly 60 up AGAIN. Because, you don't list how often per day, hour, minute, etc. I can use my fly, only that there is some sort of limit.

[Inkidu]

Oh okay. No, I don't have a specific cool-down period I know it'll be less than a week if there is one, but right now the only limiting factor to how long you can fly is your con bonus.

[Thugorp]

Please don't take this the wrong way, but you seem a bit new at this. I would like to suggest trying something like this out for your fly ability, please note that this is not my own, I took this from another homebrewer I am suggesting this, because your current flight ability doesn't actually have a limiting factor of any kind regardless of what you think(again that wasn't meant to be as snippy as it will sound when you read it):

Gradual Flight (Ex): All half-petals have wings, as described above, but these wings are initially not strong enough to support flight. A half-petal can use her wings to glide, negating damage from a fall of any height and allowing 20 feet of forward travel for every 5 feet of descent. Half-petals glide at a speed of 20 feet (average maneuverability). Even if a half-petal's maneuverability improves, she can't hover while gliding. A half-petal can't glide while carrying a medium or heavy load. If a half-petal becomes unconscious or helpless while in midair, her wings naturally unfurl and weak ligaments stiffen the wings. The half-petal descends in a tight corkscrew and takes only up to 3d6 points of falling damage, no matter what the actual distance of the fall.

When a half-petal reaches 4 Hit Dice, she becomes able to fly at a speed equal to their land speed (average maneuverability). A half-petal can't fly while carrying a medium or heavy load or while fatigued or exhausted. half-petals can safely fly for a number of rounds equal to their Constitution modifier (minimum 1 round). They can exert themselves to fly for up to twice as long, but then they're fatigued at the end of the flight. Half-petals are likewise fatigued after spending a total of more than 10 minutes per day flying. Because half-petals can glide before, after, and between rounds of actual flight, they can remain aloft for extended periods (even if they can only use flight for 1 round at a time without becoming fatigued).

When they reach 10 Hit Dice, half-petals have enough stamina and prowess to fly for longer periods, and their fly speed increases to double their land speed (good maneuverability). Flying requires no more exertion than walking or running. A half-petal with flight can make a dive attack. A dive attack works like a charge, but the half-petal must move a minimum of 30 feet and descend at least 10 feet. A half-petal can make a dive attack only when wielding a piercing weapon; if the attack hits, it deals double damage. A half-petal with flight can use the run action while flying, provided she flies in a straight line.

[Inkidu]

Please don't take this the wrong way, but you seem a bit new at this. I would like to suggest trying something like this out for your fly ability, please note that this is not my own, I took this from another homebrewer I am suggesting this, because your current flight ability doesn't actually have a limiting factor of any kind regardless of what you think(again that wasn't meant to be as snippy as it will sound when you read it):

Gradual Flight (Ex): All half-petals have wings, as described above, but these wings are initially not strong enough to support flight. A half-petal can use her wings to glide, negating damage from a fall of any height and allowing 20 feet of forward travel for every 5 feet of descent. Half-petals glide at a speed of 20 feet (average maneuverability). Even if a half-petal's maneuverability improves, she can't hover while gliding. A half-petal can't glide while carrying a medium or heavy load. If a half-petal becomes unconscious or helpless while in midair, her wings naturally unfurl and weak ligaments stiffen the wings. The half-petal descends in a tight corkscrew and takes only up to 3d6 points of falling damage, no matter what the actual distance of the fall.

When a half-petal reaches 4 Hit Dice, she becomes able to fly at a speed equal to their land speed (average maneuverability). A half-petal can't fly while carrying a medium or heavy load or while fatigued or exhausted. half-petals can safely fly for a number of rounds equal to their Constitution modifier (minimum 1 round). They can exert themselves to fly for up to twice as long, but then they're fatigued at the end of the flight. Half-petals are likewise fatigued after spending a total of more than 10 minutes per day flying. Because half-petals can glide before, after, and between rounds of actual flight, they can remain aloft for extended periods (even if they can only use flight for 1 round at a time without becoming fatigued).

When they reach 10 Hit Dice, half-petals have enough stamina and prowess to fly for longer periods, and their fly speed increases to double their land speed (good maneuverability). Flying requires no more exertion than walking or running. A half-petal with flight can make a dive attack. A dive attack works like a charge, but the half-petal must move a minimum of 30 feet and descend at least 10 feet. A half-petal can make a dive attack only when wielding a piercing weapon; if the attack hits, it deals double damage. A half-petal with flight can use the run action while flying, provided she flies in a straight line.That's copied almost verbatim out of Races of the Wild

Which in a all fairness I'm probably going to do anyway. Minus the subconscious ability to glide when incapacitated and the wind spirit thing-a-magummy power they have.

[Thugorp]

I know where it comes from... I own every D&D book...

[Inkidu]

I know where it comes from... I own every D&D book...
I didn't mean to offend, I was just making a remark. I think the bird-people in that book are a bit OP.

My main issue is I don't like the idea of hit-dice determining a buteos flying power. All adolescent buteo can fly, and even most of the prepubescent ones (as long as they're not toddlers) can at least glide. They don't fly for long, but they can fly. :\

Oh well, I'll just have to take a deeper look at it.

[Thugorp]

yours are more powerful than the raptorans because there is NO LIMIT to how long they can fly.

[Inkidu]

yours are more powerful than the raptorans because there is NO LIMIT to how long they can fly.Except when Raptoran reach 10 Hit-dice. Then they can fly as if running.

Still, I put it more in line with the raptoran. I'm thinking of just not offering the 10-hit-dice option, sticking with the basic five-hit-dice option for all the levels. Again, flying while part of their culture is not their main means of long-distance travel.

So they need fifteen feet of running distance to take off. In theory this should make taking off for a buteo a full-round processes. They're not enhanced by air elementals or anything so they have to get a running (or falling start).

They are not protected by their wings should they become incapacitated in the air.

They naturally take a con penalty so that kind of tempers it a bit.

Hmm... I could figure this out if I could play it with a real life group, but I don't have one right now... theory always trips me up. :\

[Inkidu]

Okay, so I tinkered with pretty much all of them. Now that I've started the weapon and armor tables the merfolk got skipping blades. (Ooh, forgot the aquatic crossbow... add that later).

I think I adjusted the Buteos to be more like the Raptorans. I thought it would be a fair trade off to give them the five-hit-dice option from the beginning, but they don't get the ten-hit-dice option. Also, instead of air power and and unwavering sense of direction they can make flyby attacks.

Half-merfolk now have lung capacity, and (though I forgot that too) they can at least do words of activation in merfolk language.

[Inkidu]

Razorwool padded 3,050gp +5 +6 0 10% 30ft. 20f. 10lbs.

From left to right: Name, cost, AC Bonus, Max Dex, Armor check penalty, speeds for 30ft and 20ft weight.

Special abilities +2 bonus against cold weather effects.

There's also a clothing variety that's much cheaper but allows the cold weather bonus, but doesn't receive the treatment to make it armor. I still think it might be too expensive. Not sure. It's not as expensive as mithral chainmail but. Looking for some opinions.

[Sgt. Cookie]

Looking over the Half-Merfolk. That seems quite a loss from a regular Merfolk. That's not even that big of a boost against normal characters, either. Even my prior suggestion isn't enough.

Thinking about it, if they really are the hybrid children of Merfolk and Menfolk, then something like this is probably better:

Vestigial Gills (Ex): Although a Half-Merfolk possesses gills, they are not as efficient as their Merfolk parent's but they are still very useful. A Half-Merfolk may breath underwater, provided that he is swimming at a normal pace, resting, crafting, etc, but the Half-Merfolk cannot breath underwater while doing anything strenuous. This includes things such as combat, sprinting, training, etc, except for the Hustle action, which the Half-Merfolk may use and still breath underwater.

While doing something strenuous, the Half-Merfolk must hold his breath, except that he may hold it for a number of rounds equal to 4 X his Con score and the Con check to continue holding his breath need only be made every other round. However, the Half-Merfolk may take two consecutive full round actions to "reset" the time he may hold his breath for.

[Inkidu]

Looking over the Half-Merfolk. That seems quite a loss from a regular Merfolk. That's not even that big of a boost against normal characters, either. Even my prior suggestion isn't enough.

Thinking about it, if they really are the hybrid children of Merfolk and Menfolk, then something like this is probably better:

Vestigial Gills (Ex): Although a Half-Merfolk possesses gills, they are not as efficient as their Merfolk parent's but they are still very useful. A Half-Merfolk may breath underwater, provided that he is swimming at a normal pace, resting, crafting, etc, but the Half-Merfolk cannot breath underwater while doing anything strenuous. This includes things such as combat, sprinting, training, etc, except for the Hustle action, which the Half-Merfolk may use and still breath underwater.

While doing something strenuous, the Half-Merfolk must hold his breath, except that he may hold it for a number of rounds equal to 4 X his Con score and the Con check to continue holding his breath need only be made every other round. However, the Half-Merfolk may take two consecutive full round actions to "reset" the time he may hold his breath for.You mean surface for air when you say reset?

[Sgt. Cookie]

No, they're still underwater, just taking a few seconds to catch their breath.

[Inkidu]

But if they were still in combat they couldn't do that. They'd be under duress.

Maybe I should give them additional skill points, racial bonuses, or +1 charisma.

[Sgt. Cookie]

That's why they're taking two full round actions. They're giving up 12 seconds of doing, well, anything, so that they can breathe.

Also, don't give out odd ability score bonuses. Always, always, always give out an even one.

[Inkidu]

That's why they're taking two full round actions. They're giving up 12 seconds of doing, well, anything, so that they can breathe.

Also, don't give out odd ability score bonuses. Always, always, always give out an even one.Fair point, forgot about that.

I tend to stay away from vestigial stuff. If I'm going to give a race something, I'm going to give a race something, but that's fluff.

Also I'm thinking 4x might be a bit much, what about 2x?

[Sgt. Cookie]

I think your getting confused between a Vestige, the thing that Binders summon, to vestigal, a perfectly ordinary word that means something extra. Like a vestigal digit or limb.


X2 is normal. All characters can hold their breath for a number of rounds equal to twice their con score.

[Inkidu]

I think your getting confused between a Vestige, the thing that Binders summon, to vestigal, a perfectly ordinary word that means something extra. Like a vestigal digit or limb.


X2 is normal. All characters can hold their breath for a number of rounds equal to twice their con score.I know what vestigial means. You're forgetting something about the biological term. Vestigial organs, limbs, or gills are useless or close to it. They have to serve no useful function. Vestigial wings would not allow a person to fly. They do not function. So vestigial gills would not operate like normal gills. So their gills would not allow them to breath in water.

Hmm... Maybe they can get a water boost to magic, like the Raptorans do with air. Perhaps I could take out their water weakness. :\