BowStreetRunner
2013-06-25, 10:24 AM
Okay, so I'm probably not going to completely break it, maybe just bend it a little. I'm not sure if anyone else has discussed this concept, but a few Google searches did not turn up anything so maybe it's a new idea. Let me explain:
The Spellscale transformation ritual from Races of the Dragon changes a creature from any humanoid race into a Spellscale. On page 32 it states "The Rite of Spellscale Assumption does not add a template to your previous racial characteristics— it replaces most of your original racial traits."
There are a couple of things you are allowed to keep from your original character: any languages you already know, your original favored classes, and most importantly for what I am trying to do: "If your Intelligence changes, do not change your allocation of skill points; simply use your new Intelligence score to determine skill points gained for future class levels or Hit Dice." (This goes hand in hand with the general concept that permanent INT changes do not retroactively affect skill points for levels already gained.)
It also states that you lose any level adjustment from your previous race.
Now the description of the Rite of Spellscale Assumption on page 31 states that only any willing humanoid can become a spellscale. So what I am trying to do is find a humanoid race with a high INT bonus, regardless of its level adjustment. The idea is to start taking levels in this first race, accumulating a large number of skill points along the way, then change to spellscale when I have the skills I need. This might work particularly well for prestige classes with a large number of skill rank prerequisites.
Of course, a nice bonus would be a decent favored class other than sorcerer which is gained from spellscale, and even a good selection of languages would be added icing on the cake.
As I said, this is hardly breaking the race, but if you were already considering a spellscale for a skill-monkey build, it would be a pretty cool bonus to start off with a bunch of extra skills.
The Spellscale transformation ritual from Races of the Dragon changes a creature from any humanoid race into a Spellscale. On page 32 it states "The Rite of Spellscale Assumption does not add a template to your previous racial characteristics— it replaces most of your original racial traits."
There are a couple of things you are allowed to keep from your original character: any languages you already know, your original favored classes, and most importantly for what I am trying to do: "If your Intelligence changes, do not change your allocation of skill points; simply use your new Intelligence score to determine skill points gained for future class levels or Hit Dice." (This goes hand in hand with the general concept that permanent INT changes do not retroactively affect skill points for levels already gained.)
It also states that you lose any level adjustment from your previous race.
Now the description of the Rite of Spellscale Assumption on page 31 states that only any willing humanoid can become a spellscale. So what I am trying to do is find a humanoid race with a high INT bonus, regardless of its level adjustment. The idea is to start taking levels in this first race, accumulating a large number of skill points along the way, then change to spellscale when I have the skills I need. This might work particularly well for prestige classes with a large number of skill rank prerequisites.
Of course, a nice bonus would be a decent favored class other than sorcerer which is gained from spellscale, and even a good selection of languages would be added icing on the cake.
As I said, this is hardly breaking the race, but if you were already considering a spellscale for a skill-monkey build, it would be a pretty cool bonus to start off with a bunch of extra skills.