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Milo v3
2013-10-06, 11:57 PM
Kaleth

–4 Strength, +4 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom: Kaleth are swift, tough and have keen senses, but their tiny size renders them rather feeble.
Dragon: Kaleth have the dragon type. This grants it low-light vision, darkvision to a range of 60 ft., and Immunity to magic sleep effects and paralysis effects.
Tiny size: +2 size bonus to Armour Class, +2 size bonus on attack rolls, +8 size bonus on Hide checks, -8 size penalty on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits ¾ those of Medium characters. As a tiny creature their reach is 0 ft. (unless using their tail).
Kaleth base land speed is 15 feet. Kaleth have a fly speed of 60 ft. (Good)
Blindsense: A kaleth can locate creatures within 60 feet by nonvisual means (mostly hearing and scent, but also by noticing vibration and other environmental clues). Opponents the kaleth can’t actually see still have total concealment against the kaleth.
Dragon Shield: The draconic scales of a kaleth grant +4 Natural Armour bonus to Armour Class. These scales can also change colour at the whim of the kaleth, granting them a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks. This bonus increases further to +8 in forests or overgrown areas.
Dragon Sword: As proud members of dragonkind, kaleth have natural weapons in the form of a stinger at the end of their tail and razor sharp fangs. Kaleth have a primary sting attack which deals 1d3 damage and a secondary bite attack which deals 1 damage. The kaleth’s sting attack has a reach of 5 ft. and causes poison.
Poison: Injury, Fortitude DC (12 + Constitution bonus + 1/2 HD) initial damage sleep for 1 minute, secondary damage sleep for 1d3 hours.
Racial Hit Dice: A kaleth begins with two levels of dragon, which provide 2d12 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +2, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +3, Ref +3, and Will +3.
Racial Skills: A kaleth’s dragon levels give it skill points equal to 2 × (6 + Int modifier, minimum 1). Its class skills are Diplomacy, Perception, Search, Sense Motive, Stealth and Survival.
Racial Feats: A kaleth’s dragon levels give it one feat.
Spell Resistance: Kaleth have SR equal to it's Hit Dice + 17.
Telepathy (Su): Kaleth can communicate telepathically with creatures that speak Common or Sylvan, provided they are within 60 feet. Kaleth rely on this for communication, as they can only vocalize cat-like hisses and purs.
Weapon Finesse: Kaleth gain Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat.
Level Adjustment: +3.

Vadskye
2013-10-07, 01:20 AM
Shouldn't the SR and poison save DC increase with level?

Zaydos
2013-10-07, 01:25 AM
You did not list its skills for its racial hit points... I'm guessing something like Diplomacy, Hide, Listen, Search, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival.

Looking it over. I'd probably not play it because Pixie fills a similar niche and looks objectively stronger. That said the +12 total to Hide, ability to take Mindsight, and the rather potent poison which is in effect a hit based SoD with a DC of 1 or 2 higher than a caster's save or die of the level if you focus on Con actually might make it worth its LA. It would depend upon what I was going for, but I can see being tempted to play this race despite its LA, and have seen people talk about playing a very similar one.

If the LA was only +2 I'd be extremely tempted for a rogue or stealth based character.

DeAnno
2013-10-07, 01:39 AM
Racial Hit Dice: Kaleth possess two Dragon Hit Dice.

That's roughly equivalent to +1 LA already, maybe slightly less painful since they are Dragon HD. By WotC standards I would say +3 or more would be expected, but by fair standards maybe +2?

You might want to clarify the SR as 17 + total HD (or 19 + class levels), which would be the standard way something like that works.

Milo v3
2013-10-07, 02:11 AM
Shouldn't the SR and poison save DC increase with level?
For Poison save yes. Maybe for SR, but I'm not 100% sure though, since its a monster race.


You did not list its skills for its racial hit points... I'm guessing something like Diplomacy, Hide, Listen, Search, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival.
I was rather lazy in the whole racial HD thing wasn't I... Give me a sec- and there. And yes, you got the skill list exactly (were you looking at statblocks or just guessing?).


Looking it over. I'd probably not play it because Pixie fills a similar niche and looks objectively stronger. That said the +12 total to Hide, ability to take Mindsight, and the rather potent poison which is in effect a hit based SoD with a DC of 1 or 2 higher than a caster's save or die of the level if you focus on Con actually might make it worth its LA. It would depend upon what I was going for, but I can see being tempted to play this race despite its LA, and have seen people talk about playing a very similar one.

If the LA was only +2 I'd be extremely tempted for a rogue or stealth based character.
Well Pixes don't exist in the campaign setting, only ten sentient races aside from True Dragons. But anyway, so... between +2 and +3 somewhere.


That's roughly equivalent to +1 LA already, maybe slightly less painful since they are Dragon HD. By WotC standards I would say +3 or more would be expected, but by fair standards maybe +2?
The HD was the reason for me questioning the LA.
And by WotC standards yes, this is a LA +3 cause this is just a Psuedodragon with different name. But I disagree with it because of the 2HD, and was seeing if it would be justified lowering it to LA +2.

bekeleven
2013-10-07, 05:24 AM
Notes:

The main disadvantages of tiny size are lack of reach and low strength. You've partially negated both (-4 STR is the equivalent of +4 STR on a medium creature; standard at tiny size is -8). Speed is occasionally a minus, so we have fly 60 here. Weapon finesse completes this mitigation.

Total mods are +4 in a divine caster or zen archer spread. Of course, until high levels, the LA and RHD will make spellcasting undesirable.

RHD are a negative of course, but Dragon HD are the best, straight up. Call those a wash - good for a fighter type that needs skills, bad for spellcasters.

Misc buffs like LLV, Darkvision, blindsense, and +4/8 to hide.

Do they get bonus languages? If no, and they learn languages later through the skill or an item, can they telepathy in their new languages?

Dragons without draconic?

This will start a game at ECL 5 with 2HD, giving it SR19. Equivalent-level casters will hit 35% of the time. that is good SR, more so when the LA gets bought off at higher levels (starting at ECL 14, so it's not an immediate concern).

A neutral array on this creature gives it 18 AC. By the time it has dex and wears armor it will be nearly unhittable for your average melee, at least until high levels. Consider that your average CR5 monster has just over +6 to hit, so they're swinging at 40% against a naked Kaleth with 10 base dex.

Overall, the race has a bunch of powerful stuff, but lacks focus towards a single build. Melees will deal reduced damage and only have reach on a natural, spellcasters will start 2+LA caster levels late, archers will be firing longbows for 1D4. The size, stat spread, and reach only on a natural weapon suggests that the user play a monk. And that's the saddest of all.

I'd say +3-+4 for the power that all of the individual abilities, have, but +2-+3 for the race as put together. The whole is less than the sum of its parts.

Milo v3
2013-10-07, 05:42 AM
Do they get bonus languages? If no, and they learn languages later through the skill or an item, can they telepathy in their new languages?
Didn't see anything bout language in the pseudodragon entry. So it automatically understands common. Bonus Languages are up to GM I guess. Telepathy by RAW would stay as is.


Dragons without draconic?
Yeah, it's weird but WotC aren't known for staying to logic.