PDA

View Full Version : [Pathfinder] Homebrew Races Critique



Cho'steh
2013-11-14, 10:16 AM
I was looking at the Pathfinder Race Building rules and wanted to create a few new races. Before I show them to Mr. DM, I wanted to get some critique, because for some I am creating new abilities and weaknesses. I will be adding them as I make them.

One of the major considerations that I wish to hold to is keeping the race below 14 points, as to facilitate balance with any official race.

Species: Krait
Type: Monstrous Humanoid (3)
Size: Medium
Ability Scores-Specialized(Physical): +2 Str, +2 Dex, -2 Cha (1)
Base Speed: 30 ft
Language: Xenophobic (Racial auto; Common + 3 others Bonus)
Abilities:
Racial Effect(4)-Prone Movement-Members of this race may move at normal speed while prone. You still suffer all bonuses and penalties related to the prone condition. You may make an Acrobatics check to avoid attacks of opportunity provoked by your movement as normal. You are treated as having the Fast Crawl Feat for all purposes.
Stalker (1)-Perception and Stealth are always class skills for this race.
Silent Hunter (2)-Members of this race reduce the penalty for using Stealth while moving by 5 and can make Stealth checks while running at a –20 penalty (this number includes the penalty reduction from this trait).
Climb (2)-Members of this race have a climb speed of 20 feet, and gain the +8 racial bonus on Climb checks that a climb speed normally grants.
Swim (2)-Members of this race have a swim speed of 30 feet and gain the +8 racial bonus on Swim checks that a swim speed normally grants.
Hold Breath (1)-Members of this race can hold their breath for a number of rounds equal to four times their Constitution score before risking drowning or suffocating.
Small Torso (-2)-Krait use weapons sized for Small creatures, as most of their apparent size is their tail.

Natural Terrain: Swamps and Bayous
Physiology: One head, two arms, lower body is ophidian. Range from 5-8 feet long. Torso is a third of it's length. Have semi-retractable fins at elbows, spine, cranial ridge and along tail to aid in swimming. Male's fins are larger and more colorful, presumably to aid in mating displays. Jaw contains many smaller tearing teeth for a carnivorous diet. Jaw has weakened with advent of tool use; no longer useful as a weapon. Eyes have a nictitating membrane but have no special ability to see through water murk or land concealment. Sense of smell, hearing, touch and taste are of no special import.
Psychology:
Culture:

Comments: I wanted to create a race similar in look to the Yuan-ti Abominations from 3.5. I didn't want Large size, simultaneously for the cost, but also because I imagine these as smaller ambush predators of swamp and bayou territories. I bought a Climb and Swim speed, and Hold Breath because of this territory. Because they are ambush predators, I added Stalker and Silent Hunter.
The last two are the problem. Prone Movement is a modification of the Fast Crawl feat. Because of their body shape, the lower snake half, they would be able to move normally if they are low to the ground; Fast crawl did not seem sufficient for this. In effect, I created a new racial feat, allowing them to move normally while prone. Pricing was paying for two separate static feats, Fast Crawl and "Normal Crawl".
Small Torso is simultaneously a flavor and a rule thing. Due to the body shape and that medium creatures are around 5-8 ft tall, a Krait's torso would only be a third of its body length at maximum(Torso size: 1ft 8 in -2ft 8 in), near the sizes of a Halfling(1ft 5 in-1ft 8 in) or Gnome(1ft 6 in-1 ft 10 in). A bipedal individual's torso is about half their body length for comparison; Human (2ft 6 in-3ft 3 in). As such, I limited the size of their weapons.