Ormur
2013-06-25, 07:34 PM
I put this here rather than homebrew since I'm only on the conceptual stage now but I don't know if it's the right place.
So, I'm going to customize and limit the available races in my next campaign. I don't really want to clutter it with too many distinct sentient humanoids so I made a selection that's a compromise between the ones I like and not messing too much with the familiar ones: Humans, Dwarfs, Halflings (with gnomes merged in), Elves, Orcs, Kobolds and Gnolls.
The real change, the one I'm asking your opinion on however is splitting racial attributes into a bunch of different traits. I wanted to make a bit of statement by divorcing physical and cultural characteristics, there's no reason every race should be a monoculture and that's the only reason for stuff like racial bonuses on killing giants, detecting secret doors or weaving flower patterns or whatever. I also don't like splitting everything up into a million different sub-races, it's to limited and again clutters up the setting.
My solution is to make the races themselves just a collection of the bare-bones physical characteristics, size, stats, darkvision, natural armour and such.
On top of that I could add cultural traits that would include the little bonuses I scoffed at before and they could be as many as the cultures in the setting. Skill bonuses, feats or small special abilities.
The idea behind this was to introduce a little more nuance and (one can vainly hope) anthropological realism into the setting, or to be blunt mould D&D so it better fits my ideological preferences.
Those also make me a bit uneasy about the mental stats. I can't do away with them but I don't want orcs to be objectively stupider and uglier than humans or elves either. So I was thinking about a third layer, allowing players to take traits to increase or decrease mental stats in exchange for some other specified stat changes completely independently of the physical or cultural traits.
The question is whether it's too complicated and if I can do this in a balanced fashion? Suggestion for traits or for some sort of a format for them are also very welcome.
You might wonder if D&D 3,5 is the right system for me and no it probably isn't but my group is kind of locked into it. We've homebrewed our way around it, we have attained a measure of system mastery and some of my players just really like level based systems and the complicated character options.
Jeff the Green
2013-06-28, 05:40 AM
I'm doing that for my campaign setting. Here's what I've come up with:
Race
Dwarves
Humanoid (Dwarf): Dwarves are subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person.
+2 Constitution, -2 Charisma.
Medium size: As Medium creatures, dwarves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Dwarf base land speed is 20 feet. However, dwarves can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load (unlike other creatures, whose speed is reduced in such situations).
Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and dwarves can function just fine with no light at all.
Stability: A dwarf gains a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground).
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like effects.
Elves
Humanoid (Elf): Elves are subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person.
+2 Wisdom, -2 Strength.
Medium: As Medium creatures, elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Elf base land speed is 40 feet.
Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +4 racial saving throw bonus against compulsion spells or effects.
Low-Light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
+2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. An elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.
Gnomes
Humanoid (Gnome): Gnomes are subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person.
+2 Constitution, -2 Strength.
Small: As a Small creature, a gnome gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but he uses smaller weapons than humans use, and his lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
Gnome base land speed is 20 feet.
Low-Light Vision: A gnome can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Half-Elves
Humanoid (Elf): Half-elves are subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person.
+2 to any one ability score.
Medium: As Medium creatures, half-elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Half-elf base land speed is 30 feet.
Immunity to sleep spells and similar magical effects, and a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against compulsion spells or effects.
Low-Light Vision: A half-elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
+1 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks.
Elven Blood: For all effects related to race, a half-elf is considered an elf.
Half-Orcs
Humanoid (Orc): Half-Orcs are subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person.
+2 Strength, -2 Charisma.
Medium: As Medium creatures, half-orcs have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Half-orc base land speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision: Half-orcs can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and half-orcs can function just fine with no light at all.
Orc Blood: For all effects related to race, a half-orc is considered an orc.
Fearsome Heritage: Half-orcs receive a +2 racial bonus to Intimidate.
Halflings
Humanoid (Halfling): Halflings are subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person.
+2 Dexterity, -2 Strength.
Small: As a Small creature, a halfling gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but she uses smaller weapons than humans use, and her lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
Halfling base land speed is 20 feet.
+1 racial bonus on all saving throws.
Humans
Humanoid (Human): Humans are subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person.
Medium: As Medium creatures, humans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Human base land speed is 30 feet.
1 extra feat at 1st level.
Kobolds
Humanoid (Reptilian): Kobolds are subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person.
-4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution.
Small size: As a Small creature, a kobold gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but she uses smaller weapons than humans use, and her lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
A kobold’s base land speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision: Kobolds can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and kobolds can function just fine with no light at all.
Natural Weapons: Kobolds have two primary claw attacks that deal 1d3 points of slashing damage plus Strength bonus, and a secondary bite attack that deals 1d3 points of piercing damage plus 1/2 Strength bonus. Despite possibly being the weakest reptilian humanoid, kobolds retain a connection to their feral nature.
Slight Build: The physical stature of kobolds lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category smaller. Whenever a kobold is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as Hide), the kobold is treated as one size smaller if doing so is advantageous to the character. A kobold is also considered to be one size smaller when "squeezing" through a restrictive space. A kobold can use weapons designed for a creature one size smaller without penalty. However, the space and reach of a kobold remain those of a creature of their actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject's size category.
+1 natural armor bonus.
Light sensitivity: Kobolds are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
Lizardfolk
Humanoid (Reptilian): Lizardfolk are subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person.
+2 Strength, -2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence
Medium: As Medium creatures, lizardfolk have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
A lizardfolk’s base land speed is 30 feet.
Low-Light Vision: A lizardfolk can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Natural Weapons: Lizardfolk have two primary claw attacks that deal 1d4 points of slashing damage plus Strength bonus, and a secondary bite attack that deals 1d4 points of piercing damage plus 1/2 Strength bonus.
+1 natural armor bonus.
Region
Valerus Mountains
Weapon Familiarity: Characters from the Valerus Mountains may treat any two weapons with the word "dwarf" or "dwarven" in the name as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
Hardy: Characters from the Valerus Mountains have a +4 racial bonus on Fortitude saves made to resist the effects of cold weather or exposure.
Stonecunning: This ability grants a character from the Valerus Mountains a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. If the character already has the Stonecunning ability the bonus to Search checks increases by 4. Something that isn't stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. A character from the Valerus Mountains who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as if he were actively searching, and an character from the Valerus Mountains can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can. An character from the Valerus Mountains can also intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underground as naturally as anyone else can sense which way is up.
Automatic Languages: Velerian. Common Bonus Languages: Tana, Ammyritic.
Favored Classes: Ranger, Wu Jen
The Valerus mountains are wild and inhospitable, and those who live there must endure both freezing winters and attacks from the creatures that live in the snowy peaks, such as giants, winter wolves, and uldra. This has turned them into a hard and warlike people. Towns are often built into the side of a cliff, with thick and high stone walls; in some towns the quarry or mine that provides their livelihood lies inside the walls, so the residents rarely must leave their protection.
Because of their insularity, most Valerians are very conservative. Valerian dwarves are the most likely to strictly adhere to rites of ancestor worship and traditional marriage practices. Those elves and humans living on the eastern slopes frequently follow the old religions, and with their walls and martial spirit, the Mindolite inquisitors have considerably more difficulty stamping out such cults than in other regions.
Silver Patriarchy (cities)
Ordered Mind: Characters from the cities of the Silver Patriarchy have a tendency towards order and reason, and have a +2 racial bonus on Concentration and Profession checks.
Magic Heritage: Most characters from the cities of the Silver Patriarchy have some training in at least the theory of magic, giving them a +2 racial bonus on Craft (Alchemy) and Spellcraft checks.
Automatic Languages: Velerian. Common Bonus Languages: Tana, Ammyritic, Daltacian
Favored Classes: Wu Jen, Incarnate
The great Argent cities—Seurndr, Saynbw, and Fimtayn—and the surrounding smaller cities, towns, and villages are highly organized and quite unlike the sprawling metropolises of Daltacia or the cities and colonies of the elven cities. Streets are laid out in efficient grids in even the smallest thorp, and farmers are encouraged to follow careful plans that ensure soil remains fertile. Magic is relatively common, and most farmland is magically enhanced with spells such as plant growth. In the more valuable farmland, magical irrigation systems and mazes of canals, dykes, and levies help to increase productivity.
This institutionally imposed order tends to be reflected in the way residents of the Argent cities think. Self-knowledge and discipline are encouraged, and magical education is strongly encouraged. Many from the Argent cities have some magical ability, even if only the ability to shape a single soulmeld or cast a few cantrips.
Colors: Silver* and black.
Silver Patriarchy (marches)
Weapon Familiarity: Characters from the marches of the Silver Patriarchy may treat any two weapons with the word "dwarf" or "dwarven" in the name as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
Armor Familiarity:Characters from the marches of the Silver Patriarchy may treat battle plate, mountain plate, and exotic shields as normal heavy armor and shields, rather than exotic armor.
Automatic Languages: Velerian. Common Bonus Languages: Tana, Wildtongue.
Favored Classes: Incarnate, Crusader
Standing between the Argent cities and the Betweens are the marches. Few live in the marches save the Silver Legionnaires tasked with defending the Patriarchy from all sorts of attacks from the Betweens, and their families. Those who grow up in the marches endure much in their journey to adulthood. Because there are few civilians, boys and girls are expected to work from an early age, cooking, cleaning, sewing, and serving as squires. Most train to enter the legions, whether they eventually do or not, and have considerable training with traditional Dwarven weapons and armor.
Tanagale
Cosmopolitan: An character from Tanagale may choose two skills at 1st level. He can always purchase cross-class ranks in them as though they were class skills, though he is still limited to the normal maximum ranks for cross-class skills.
Automatic Languages: Tana. Common Bonus Languages: Any living.
Favored Class: Any
Colors: Gold and maroon*
Located in the crossroads between the Silver Patriarchy and the Fraxic Coast, Tanagale is the most diverse of all cities in Adem. No race holds a majority, and
Fraxic Coast
+2 morale bonus on saving throws against fear. If
+1 racial bonus on attack rolls with thrown weapons and slings.
+2 racial bonus on Climb, Jump, Listen, and Move Silently checks.
Automatic Languages: Tana. Common Bonus Languages: Velerian, Ammyritic, Daltacian.
Favored Class: Swashbuckler, paladin
Life on the Fraxic Coast is hard. The soil is poor and the weather harsh and stormy, and unlike Daltacia to the south there are few trees suitable for building ships. The beaches are almost universally rocky, with cliffs of basalt and granite hanging over the sea and with no berth to be found. There are no cities or governments on the Fraxic coast, and most of the inhabitants eke out a meager existence through subsistence farming and herding goats and sheep.
In any other place, such a disorganized and poor region might be expected to have been conquered by its neighbors long ago, and indeed the region has been invaded multiple times by nearly every major power in Adem, but all have abandoned such ambitions for two reasons. First, the region is so poor it has little value and justifying a costly invasion is difficult. Second, the challenges posed by the elements have produced a fearless and motivated people. Both knights-errant and privateers are uncommonly prevalent on the Fraxic Coast and keep their people free.
Color: Red*
Bence
Weapon Familiarity: Characters from Bence may treat any one weapon with the word "gnome" or "gnomish" in the name as a martial weapon rather than an exotic weapon.
Natural Merchant Characters from Bence receive a +2 racial bonus on Appraise, Profession, and Bluff checks.
Well-Traveled: Characters from Bence receive a +2 racial bonus on Sense Motive and Gather Information checks. They always know when their welcome is wearing out.
Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day–speak with animals (aquatic or marine animal only, duration 1 minute). If the character already has this ability, they gain an extra use per day.
Automatic Languages: Daltacian. Common Bonus Languages: Any.
Favored Class: Beguiler, Shadowcaster
Colors: Gold and Blue*
Bandlpace
Weapon Familiarity: Characters from Bandlpace may treat any one weapon with the word "gnome" or "gnomish" in the name as a martial weapon rather than an exotic weapon.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against illusions.
+4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against monsters of the giant type. Any time a creature loses its Dexterity bonus (if any) to Armor Class, such as when it's caught flat-footed, it loses its dodge bonus, too. If the character already has this ability, the bonus increases by 2.
Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against illusion spells cast by characters from Bandlpace, but subtract 1 from the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against Conjuration, Evocation and Necromancy spells cast by characters from Bandlpace.
Spell-Like Abilities: A character from Bandlpace with a Charisma score of at least 11 has the following spell-like abilities: 1/day–dancing lights, ghost sound, prestidigitation. Caster level 1st; save DC 10 + character's Cha modifier + spell level. If the character already has this ability, they gain an extra use per day.
Automatic Languages: Daltacian. Common Bonus Languages: Tana, Ammyritic.
Favored Class: Beguiler, Shadowcaster
Colors: Green and gold*
Cities of the South
Weapon Proficiency: Characters from the Cities of the South receive a Martial Weapon Proficiency feat for either kukri, trident, longbow (including composite longbow), or shortbow (including composite shortbow) as a bonus feat.
Faerie Rituals (Yeth Hound): A character from the Cities of the South can issue a supernaturally chilling howl once per day as a standard action. Any creature hearing the howl must make a DC 10 + character's Cha modifier + half the character's HD or be shaken for one round. This ability has no effect on a creature that is already shaken. A creature that succeeds on its save is immune to this character's howl for 24 hours. When a character from the Cities of the East reaches 5 Hit Dice, and for every 5 HD thereafter, she gains one additional use of this ability per day and the effect lasts for an additional round.
Automatic Languages: Ammyritic. Common Bonus Languages: Gleddingish, Tana, Daltacian.
Favored Class: Crusader, Bard
Cities (colors): Ammyr (green* and black), Sidilean (light brown* and silver), Ferut (Plum* and pale orange)
Cities of the East
Weapon Proficiency: Characters from the Cities of the East receive a Martial Weapon Proficiency feat for either kukri, throwing axe, longbow (including composite longbow), or shortbow (including composite shortbow) as a bonus feat.
Faerie Rituals (Duskling): A character from the Cities of the East can gain one point of temporary essentia for 3 rounds once per day as a swift action. When a character from the Cities of the East reaches 5 Hit Dice, and for every 5 HD thereafter, she gains one additional use of this ability per day.
Automatic Languages: Gleddingish. Common Bonus Languages: Ammyritic.
Favored Class: Crusader, Favored Soul
Cities (colors): Sallabaug (wine* and green), Lllorness (steel blue* and black), Dimestad (Pale orange* and navy), Gledding (White* and black)
Tokaver
Weapon Proficiency: Characters from Tokaver receive a Martial Weapon Proficiency feat for either light hammer, throwing axe, longbow (including composite longbow), or shortbow (including composite shortbow) as a bonus feat.
Faerie Rituals (Dryad): Once per day, a character from Tokaver can enter a tree by touching it as a move action; once inside the tree, she instantly transports to any other tree within 60 feet. The character appears in a square adjacent to the second tree at the beginning of her next turn. When a character from Tokaver reaches 5 Hit Dice, and for every 5 HD thereafter, she gains one additional use of this ability per day.
Automatic Languages: Gleddingish. Common Bonus Languages: Ammyritic, Velerian.
Favored Class: Crusader, Ranger
Colors: (dark brown* and green)
Gallo Vale
Horselord: Characters from the Gallo Vale receive a +2 racial bonus to Ride and Handle Animal checks with horses and horse-like creatures such as unicorns and pegasuses. They also receive the Mounted Combat feat as a bonus feat. Finally, if an character from the Gallo Vale has a horse or horse-like creature as a companion, cohort, special mount, or similar, his level is treated as one higher than his actual level for purposes of determining the horse's HD, special abilities, and other bonuses that it receives.
Automatic Languages: Velerian. Common Bonus Languages: Ammyritic, Gleddingish, Tana.
Favored Class: Totemist, Warblade
Color: sand
Entois Fens
Weapon Familiarity: Characters from the Entois Fens may treat either nets or boomerangs as martial weapons rather than exotic weapons.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against the spells and spell-like abilities of spirits (see [I]Complete Divine/I] p. 17).
+2 racial bonus on Survival and Knowledge (nature) checks.
Automatic Languages: Draconic. Common Bonus Languages: Sidhe
Favored Class: Ranger, Spirit Shaman
Color: pale green
Sunide
Natural Merchant Characters from Sunide receive a +2 racial bonus on Appraise, Profession, and Bluff checks.
Well-Traveled: Characters from Sunide receive a +2 racial bonus on Sense Motive and Gather Information checks. They always know when their welcome is wearing out.
Automatic Languages: Daltacian. Common Bonus Languages: Any
Favored Class: Any
Colors: Black and Teal*
Frostwyrm Mountains
Weapon Proficiency: Characters from the Frostwyrm Mountains receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the heavy pick and light pick as bonus feats.
Weapon Familiarity: Characters from the Frostwyrm Mountains may treat greatpicks as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
Racial Skills: A character from the Frostwyrm Mountains has a +2 racial bonus on Craft (gemcutting), Profession (miner), and Search checks.
Automatic Languages: Draconic. Common Bonus Languages: None
Favored Class: Sorcerer, Swordsage
Colors: Red and green*
Northern Malaben
Horselord: Characters from Northern Malaben receive a +2 racial bonus to Ride and Handle Animal checks with horses and horse-like creatures such as unicorns and pegasuses. They also receive the Mounted Combat feat as a bonus feat. Finally, if an character from the Northern Malaben has a horse or horse-like creature as a companion, cohort, special mount, or similar, his level is treated as one higher than his actual level for purposes of determining the horse's HD, special abilities, and other bonuses that it receives.
Automatic Languages: Sune. Common Bonus Languages: None
Favored Class: Barbarian, Totemist
Color: violet
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