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Xuldarinar
2013-08-06, 03:33 AM
SILHOUETTES

Silhouettes are said to be shadows made corporeal, reflections of the humanoid creatures that live in the material plane. While their exact origins are a mystery, there is no denying their origins lie within the plane of shadow itself.

Personality: Silhouettes very widely in personalities, but what they do share an innate dislike for light and living creatures not of the plane of shadow. In terms of light, silhouettes find the presence of light uncomfortable and will try to remove themselves from it or get rid of the source. While they are certainly capable of overcoming this, especially when dealing with intelligent humanoids, they are constantly plagued with discomfort or even disgust.
Physical Description: Silhouettes possess skin and eyes that range from pale gray to pitch black and often are translucent. Their blood is the color of ink, and their flesh shares their drained complexion. Their hair is typically dark grey or black, though highlights are known to appear. Many of the finer details most races possess are absent from silhouettes, leaving them to look much like the silhouettes of humanoids of the material plane, hence their name. Their heights are comparable to humans, but their builds are lithe, comparable to elves or fey.
Alignment: Due to their natural disposition against both light and life, silhouettes tend towards evil. Often not only willing but delighting in extinguishing light and life alike. While silhouettes are usually neutral evil, any alignment is possible.
Religion: While deity worship does occur among silhouettes, it is relatively uncommon. The most common beings worshiped are Graz'zt, Orcus, Tenebrous, and Vechna. Any deity associated with darkness or shadow have worshippers among silhouettes, though ones associated with particular races, like Lolith, are almost unheard of. On occasion there are worshippers of other beings, more benign deities even. Curiously, other than perhaps good aligned deities associated with shadow, the most common good aligned deity worshipped by silhouettes is Pelor.
Language: Curiously, silhouettes seem to lack any sort of language of their own. Like shadow elementals, which they are believed to be related to, they seem to communicate with one another just fine without it. While they are capable of learning other race's languages, and indeed are capable of speaking, most prefer to remain silent.

SILHOUETTE RACIAL TRAITS

+4 Dexterity, -4 Strength. -2 Constitution: Silhouettes are incredibly graceful, however their bodies are weak compared to most races.
Elemental: Silhouettes are elementals native to the Plane of Shadow, and thus have the elemental type. They gain the extraplanar subtype when not on the Plane of Shadow. They are not subject to spells or effects that affect only humans, such as charm person and dominate person.
Medium: As Medium creatures, silhouettes have no special bonuses or penalties due to size.
A silhouette's base land speed is 40 feet.
Silhouettes have blindsight out to 60 feet.
Dusk and Dawn (Sp): A silhouette can use dusk and dawn, as the mystery, once per day. His caster level is equal to his character level.
Shadow Mastery (Ex): A silhouette gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls if both it and it's foe are in an area of darkness or shadowy illumination. While in an area of bright light, silhouette take a -4 penalty on attack rolls and damage rolls.
Automatic Languages: None. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic).
Favored Class: Shadowcaster.
Level Adjustment: +2


Table 1-1: Random Starting Ages
{table=head]Race|Adulthood|Simple Classes|Moderate Classes|Complex Classes
Silhouette|50 years|+4d4|+4d6|+6d6[/table]

Table 1-2: Aging Effects
{table=head]Race|Middle Age|Old|Vulnerable|Maximum Age
Silhouette|
-*|
-*|
-*|
Unlimited* [/table]
*As elementals, silhouettes do not age. Unlike most elementals however, they do not grow stronger as they age.


Table 1-3: Random Height and Weight
{table=head]Race|Base Height|Height Modifier|Base Weight|Weight Modifier
Silhouette, male|4' 10"|+2d10|90 lb.|x (1d6) lb.
Silhouette, female|4' 5"|+2d10|85 lb.|x (1d6) lb. [/table]

SILHOUETTES AND SOULS

Silhouettes lack a dual nature. Their bodies and souls are innately intwined, and having bodies made of shadow made flesh, their souls are also of shadow. This manifests in a number of ways.

Meldshapers: A silhouette's soulmelds, along with all other manifestations of incarnum, appear to be made of darkness.
Soulknives: A silhouette's mindblade typically manifests as a blade made of darkness or shadow. Silhouette soulknives and silhouette shadowsmiths are often confused with one another over this.
Warlocks: A silhouette's eldritch blast and invocations all appear to be made of shadow.

SILHOUETTE FEATS

Table 2-1: New Feats
{table=head]General Feats|Prerequisites|Benefit
Light Adaptation|Silhouette|Shadow mastery's penalty for being in bright light is reduced by 2 [/table]

LIGHT ADAPTATIONS
Through continued exposure to light, some silhouette gain a greater tolerance to light.
Prerequisite: Silhouette
Benefit: The penalty for being in bright light from shadow mastery is reduced by 2.

Thunderfist12
2013-08-06, 08:30 AM
I want to say this is LA+0, but I'm not quite sure...

Overall, though, it's a pretty good race - fleshed out and playable.

Xuldarinar
2013-08-06, 01:35 PM
I want to say this is LA+0, but I'm not quite sure...

Overall, though, it's a pretty good race - fleshed out and playable.

I've added their level adjustment. I was honesty struggling with that. My guess was going to be +0, +1, or at worst +2. They have a higher bonus than most races, but also a greater penalty. In part because I based this race strongly on the shadow elemental, and they -lack- a strength score. Looking at shadow mastery, its quite the penalty and grants a very small bonus. Of course, with use of Dusk and Dawn, they have ways around the penalty should they be stuck out in the day. I can imagine a campaign that takes place, for instance, in a desert to be particularly hard on them.

Now, beyond that, I'm thinking of adding further content. Not sure what exactly, but I like expanding upon what I have. Substitution levels maybe. If you, or anyone, have any suggestions then by all means post em.

Pesimismrocks
2013-08-07, 07:03 AM
I would disagree with LA +0. LA+1 at least because these may be bad for fighters but all their negatives have no effect on spellcasters.

Xuldarinar
2013-08-07, 07:22 AM
I would disagree with LA +0. LA+1 at least because these may be bad for fighters but all their negatives have no effect on spellcasters.

You have a good point, and LA +1 isn't that big of a penalty. Would you say these things are roughly as powerful as tiefling/aasimar?

BelGareth
2013-08-07, 12:22 PM
I like it, bookmarked.

Vision: Do they only have blindsight or do they also have regular vision?

And I agree with the +1LA.

You might want to create some way to circumvent the Shadow Mastery drawback, Drow have sunglasses and some feats, perhaps a racial feat that allows for a reduced penalty?

Xuldarinar
2013-08-07, 01:02 PM
I like it, bookmarked.

Vision: Do they only have blindsight or do they also have regular vision?

And I agree with the +1LA.

You might want to create some way to circumvent the Shadow Mastery drawback, Drow have sunglasses and some feats, perhaps a racial feat that allows for a reduced penalty?

Aha. Interesting you bring that up. I based this race on, and this race essentially is corporeal relative of, shadow elementals. Shadow elementals lack visible eyes, but it is never stated if they have regular vision or not. Silhouettes, while they have eyes, i've not actually decided if they function or are there simply there because most humanoid's possess them, being vestigial. However, given that they lack an immunity to visual affects (like destrachans), I'd say they also have regular vision.

As for the way to circumvent the Shadow Mastery drawback, funny that the elemental power for shadow elementals and thus this race is being called a drawback, there is one thing automatic.

Dusk and Dawn creates an area of shadowy illumination in a 20-ft radius, centered on a single point and lasting 10 minutes/level. Innately, they have a work around, that is sadly only usable 1/day. As for an item that gives them a work around… I have an idea. Perhaps an amulet that perpetually projects a 5-ft area of shadowy illumination. This wouldn't make it so they always benefit from the +1, but would circumvent the -4 so long as it were on.

As for a racial feat, thats not a bad idea. Maybe one that reduces the penalty by 2 or something to that effect. I should make some racial feats for these guys.

Mithril Leaf
2013-08-07, 05:43 PM
If you want them to be a solid +1 LA, I'd consider giving them another +2 Dex, so that you get unbalanced ability scored at least. Elemental is a nice type, but doesn't make +1 LA on its own.

BelGareth
2013-08-07, 05:53 PM
If you want them to be a solid +1 LA, I'd consider giving them another +2 Dex, so that you get unbalanced ability scored at least. Elemental is a nice type, but doesn't make +1 LA on its own.

I would say Blindsight does that.

I think you could tack on another +2 dex and still be good.

Also, love the built in Dusk and Dawn sla, very cool, didn't even think about that when I was reading.

Xuldarinar
2013-08-07, 06:52 PM
Wouldn't hurt terribly to add that, so I guess I shall add the extra +2 Dexterity.

Does anyone have any ideas for classes to gain substitution levels, and what to give them? Or for feats, items, or racial PrCs?

Durazno
2013-08-07, 11:12 PM
If, instead of bringing them up to a solid +1, you wanted to bring them down from LA+1, a constitution penalty might work. I mean, it would really hurt, but I think it'd be thematically appropriate, right?

Xuldarinar
2013-08-07, 11:46 PM
If, instead of bringing them up to a solid +1, you wanted to bring them down from LA+1, a constitution penalty might work. I mean, it would really hurt, but I think it'd be thematically appropriate, right?

Well, it is actually both appropriate and inappropriate. Keeping in mind this race would be related to shadow elementals. Statistically, until shadow elementals hit huge their Constitution is their highest statistic. Capping off at 18, it remains 2nd only to Dexterity. Though, being weaker in terms of strength could contribute to weaker durability as well.

I can see where it would fit but also where it would be against theme. If I went with constitution penalty however, what penalty would you suggest?

Durazno
2013-08-07, 11:53 PM
Personally, I'm not sure. I'm really uncomfortable with LA.

-2 is probably as bad as it should go, considering how important Con is, do you think?

Xuldarinar
2013-08-08, 12:06 AM
Personally, I'm not sure. I'm really uncomfortable with LA.

-2 is probably as bad as it should go, considering how important Con is, do you think?

I understand having a problem with LA. I agree that even a -2 penalty is significant. Enough to take it down to LA +0? I'm not certain.

Xuldarinar
2013-08-08, 12:24 PM
A potential balancing issue has dawned on me. The elemental type traits. I'll post the points of any relevancy.


Elemental type: An elemental is a being composed of one of the four classical elements: air, earth, fire or water.
Features: An elemental has the following features.
.
.
.
.
Traits: An elemental possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature's entry)
-Darkvision out to 60 feet.
-Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, and stunning.
-Not subject to critical hits or flanking
-Unlike most other living creatures, an elemental does not have a dual nature-its soul and body form one unit. When an elemental is slain, no soul is let loose. Spells that restore souls to their bodies, such as raise dead, reincarnate, and resurrection, don't work on an elemental. It takes a different magical effect, such as limited wish, wish, miracle, or true resurrection, to restore it to life.
-Proficient with natural weapons only, unless generally humanoid in form, in which case proficient with all simple weapons and any weapons mentioned in it's entry.
-.
-Elementals do not eat, sleep, or breathe.



Are there any of these benefits i should: Outright remove via entry, replace (darkvision is replaced with blindsight in them), or create penalties to balance out? Or… are we to assume they only posses these traits if they are listed in the racial entry?



Furthermore: I've adjusted the their ability scores to be: +4 Dex, -4 Str, -2 Con.

Xuldarinar
2013-08-09, 04:49 PM
While I hate posting back to back like this without further comments yet. I have a few questions to pose.

I intend to add substitution levels for this race.

1: Which classes should I add substitution levels? While I have some listed as possibles, they are not definite until the levels have been added.

2: Does anyone have any suggestions for possible substitution abilities or approaches?

3: Does anyone have any suggestions regarding other content to add? Im still looking for answers regarding balancing, if it seems balanced with all things considered, great. If not, then the silhouette race still needs some work.

Anachronity
2014-01-21, 10:40 PM
Blindsight 60 feet is absurd for LA +0. A high base land speed and elemental traits in addition are too much.

Xuldarinar
2014-01-21, 11:34 PM
Blindsight 60 feet is absurd for LA +0. A high base land speed and elemental traits in addition are too much.

Rather than pealing back racial traits, what LA would you feel suits the race at hand?

Anachronity
2014-01-22, 04:16 PM
It's immune to poison, sleep, sneak attacks, crits, paralysis, stuns, and suffocation and it ignores concealment in most cases. Depending on how you read blindsight it might also ignore illusions other than phantasms, although that one is pretty iffy.

They seem a lot like warforged as far as immunities go. The two races are pretty darn close, with warforged having an advantage in sicken/fatigue/energy drain immunity and silhouettes having an advantage in stun/crit immunity. They also both have -2 net base stats, but I would argue that silhouettes get better stats because the numbers are larger (I would much rather have +4 Int and -4 Str than +2 Int and -2 Str, since I can choose my class accordingly).

I think warforged are already very close to a +1 level adjustment, so I would say the differences above and the fast base speed put you there.

And then there's blindsight. I would say 60 feet of blindsight is +1 LA by itself, and I don't think blindsight 60' should go on anything with less than a +2.

I would give it a low but firm +2 LA. You could probably knock off 2 points of strength penalty and still stay at +2, but again I don't think it should be less than that because blindsight and elemental traits are both very powerful. However, this has the side effect of making it suck at its favorite class since shadowcasters are casters, and do not like level adjustments. You may want to change the favored class to rogue.

If you want them to be at +1 then I would nerf the blindsight to 30 feet, reduce the speed to 30 feet, and put both the Dex bonus and Str penalty at 2, but add a special ability that gives them a +2 hide bonus and +10 ft. speed while in dim light.

Xuldarinar
2014-01-22, 08:16 PM
-Snip-

That was actually very insightful, thank you.

As tempting as it was to take the chance to lower them to a reasonable +1, I decided to keep them as is as a +2 LA. Its not something you'd start a 1st level group with, but drow are a +2 LA too, and its still something that can be bought off. It is not a bad place to be at all in all.