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View Full Version : Like Planetouched, Only Different [Races, Feats]



Yuki Akuma
2007-01-19, 10:21 AM
These are a couple of player races for a new campaign setting I'm creating. It's basically an asian-themed world, entirely removed from the Great Wheel... most of the time. However, in the last fifty years or so, the world has been starting to converge with the Great Wheel, so Outsiders have been able to get in. The Outsiders most commonly found are refered to as 'lings', and are as close to mortal as Outsiders get on this world.

These races are meant to be playable from level 1, so I've tried to balance them as +0 LA races. I'm not sure I've managed it, but... here.

Angeling
Angelings are creatures from outside the known Worlds. They appear similar to humans, but often have much fairer skin, and often exhibit oddly coloured eyes, such as gold and purple. While their hair is naturally stark white, many angelings dye it, causing angeling hair to vary from natural blondes and browns to unnatural blues and greens to absurd striped patterns. There's no accounting for taste.
Angelings also have wings, but oddly, they seem to be able to hide them at will. Their wings are large, usually spanning as wide as they are tall, and are covered in white feathers. Like their hair, angelings often dye their wings, often the same colours as their hair.
Angelings tend towards goodness, but, unlike their immortal cousins, can be of any alignment.

Game rule information:
Outsider (native, good): Angelings are Outsiders with the native and good subtypes.
-2 Consitution, +2 Charisma: Angelings are slightly frailer and more fragile than humans, but are often very likable and personable.
Medium: As Medium creatures, angelings have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Angeling base land speed is 30 ft. Angelings with their wings manifest also have a glide speed of 50ft.; while not true fliers, angelings are able to glide through the air for some distance, desending ten feet for every fifty feet travelled in this manner. Angelings may not glide if they are wearing armour heavier than light, or carrying more than a light load. An angeling may not run while gliding, but may take a double move action.
Mortal: Angelings age just like normal mortals do. They age at about the same rate as elves, although they often begin adventuring at around 20, when they fully mature. Due to their mortal nature, angelings can be affected by spells and effects that normally only work on humanoids, such as Charm Person, although they enjoy a +2 racial bonus to saving throws against these spells and effects.
Wings: Normally, angelings tend to walk around without their wings exposed. However, as a swift action, an angeling may manifest their wings, which seem to fade into existance sprouting from their shoulderblades. While her wings are deployed, an angeling may glide (see above), and gains a +10 racial bonus to Jump checks. An angeling may not manifest their wings if wearing overly bulky clothing, or wearing armour that isn't specially designed for their use (see below).
Holy touch (Su): Three times per day, an angeling may replicate bless, bless water or bless weapon on touch, using the angeling's level as her caster level. The holy water created with this ability is not permanent, however, and loses its potency in one hour for every level the angeling possesses, returning to normal water.
Automatic languages: Celestial, Common. Bonus languages: Nekogo (replace with Haling in normal D&D games), Demonic (replace with Abyssal and Infernal in normal D&D games), Elven and Nezumigo (replace with Dwarven in normal D&D games). Angelings tend to learn the languages of their friends over those of their enemies.
Favoured class: Priest (replace with Cleric in normal D&D games)Fiendling
Fiendlings, as their name suggests, are the polar opposite of angelings. While they stand at the same height as humans, they tend to slouch a little, and have dark, charcoal-grey skin. Their eyes are usually dull reds, but are sometimes silver or even yellow. Their hair is naturally black; while they don't usually dye it, it isn't uncommon for them to bleach it to dull shades of grey or even stark white. Their wings are identicle to angeling wings, except the feathers are black. Fiendlings generally don't bleach their wings.
Fiendlings are more often antisocial than actually evil, and, unlike their immortal cousins, can be of any alignment.
Outsider (native, evil): Fiendlings are Outsiders with the native and evil subtypes.
+2 Dexterity, -2 Consitution: fiendlings are lithe and quick, but are just as frail and fragile as their cousins.
Medium: As Medium creatures, fiendlings have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Fiendling base land speed is 30 ft. Fiendlings with their wings manifest also have a glide speed of 50ft.; while not true fliers, fiendlings are able to glide through the air for some distance, desending ten feet for every fifty feet travelled in this manner. Fiendlings may not glide if they are wearing armour heavier than light, or carrying more than a light load. An fiendling may not run while gliding, but may take a double move action.
Mortal: Fiendlings age just like normal mortals do. They age at about the same rate as elves, although they often begin adventuring at around 20, when they fully mature. Due to their mortal nature, fiendlings can be affected by spells and effects that normally only work on humanoids, such as Charm Person, although they enjoy a +2 racial bonus to saving throws against these spells and effects.
Wings: Normally, fiendlings tend to walk around without their wings exposed. However, as a swift action, a fiendling may manifest their wings, which seem to fade into existance sprouting from their shoulderblades. While her wings are deployed, a fiendling may glide (see above), and gains a +10 racial bonus to Jump checks. A fiendling may not manifest their wings if wearing overly bulky clothing, or wearing armour that isn't specially designed for their use (see below).
Unholy touch (Su): Three times per day, an fiendling may replicate bane, curse water or corrupt weapon on touch, using the fiendling's level as her caster level. The unholy water created with this ability is not permanent, however, and loses its potency in one hour for every level the fiendling possesses, returning to normal water. The use of bane requires a touch attack to effect the target; a missed touch attack does not waste the charge, although if he uses the ability again, or casts a touch spell, the use of the ability is wasted if he has not already used the charge.
Automatic languages: Common, Demonic (replace with Abyssal OR Infernal in a normal D&D game). Bonus languages: Abyssal OR Infernal (in normal D&D games only), Bakemono (replaced with Goblin in normal D&D games), Celestial and Giant. Fiendlings tend to be suspicious and would much rather understand their enemies than their friends.
Favoured class: Priest (replace with Sorcerer in a normal D&D game)Society
While angelings and fiendlings are often seen as polar opposites, they seem to be able to get along easily enough; there are a number of angeling and fiendling-only villages and towns in the world. Angelings are outgoing, curious, and fashion-concious, while fiendlings are rather introverted, but are still rather fashion-concious, tending to go with the crowd more often than angelings. Angelings have brought brand new styles of dress to the world, including casual pants for women, but also enjoy dressing up in other cultures' clothing.
Angelings and fiendlings are fully sexually compatible with humans, elves and feyn (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1859866), although the product of such unions are usually either angelings or fiendlings (depending on the parent). However, about 20% of the time, the result will be a half-celestial or half-fiend (as appropriate), using the other parent as the base creature.
Angelings and fiendlings can also produce offspring with each other; the offspring are always either angelings of fiendlings (it seems to be randomly determined), although such 'half-breeds' sometimes exhibit oddly mismatched wings, black hair with white streaks, and other tell-tale signs of their mixed parentage.


Feats

Dark Sight [Racial]
Your eyes glow faintly in the dark, and allow you to pierce pitch blackness.
Prerequisite: Fiendling
Benefit: You gain Darkvision out to 60 feet.

Dark Soul [Racial]
Tapping into the darkness within your body, you may snuff out light around your body.
Prerequisites: Dark Sight, fiendling, character level 6th
Benefit: Three times per day as a supernatural ability, you may emulate a darkness spell, centered on you. Alternatively, you may use all three daily uses to emulate deeper darkness.
You also gain the ability to use your darkvision in magical darkness.

Flight [Racial]
You strengthen your wings enough to fly, rather than just glide.
Prerequisites: Angeling or fiendling, character level 3rd
Benefit: You gain a fly speed of 50ft., with average maneuverability.
Normal: An angeling or fiendling can usually only glide using their wings.

Healing Touch [Racial]
Your sense of life develops into an ability to alter it, strengthening life force that has been damaged.
Prerequisites: Life Sight, angeling, character level 6th.
Benefit: Three times per day, as a supernatural ability, you may emulate Cure Moderate Wounds. Alternatively, you may use up all three daily uses to emulate Cure Serious Wounds.
The range of your Life Sight also increases to 120 feet.

Life Sight [Racial]
Your eyes glow as you concentrate on the life around you. Living creatures seem to be outlined with a pale blue glow.
Prerequisites: Angeling
Benefit: As a full-round action, you may activate this supernatural ability. As long as you maintain concentration, any living creature within sixty feet appears to you to be shrouded by a pale blue aura; this ability even pierces magical darkness and invisibility. The aura persists for one round after you cease concentration, and allows you to strike true without suffering any miss chance due to concealment (but you still suffer miss chances due to cover). This ability even allows you to see creatures through walls, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead or 3 feet of dirt or wood blocks it.

Item

Wing Armour: Armour created for use by angelings and fiendlings must be specially crafted. It is treated as one weight category lighter than it actually is for the purposes of flight, and also weighs three quarters its base weight (round up). Wing Armour also allows an angeling or a fiendling to manifest their wings, even if it is heavy armour.
Wing Armour is always masterwork, and the price for masterworking is included in the price. Light Wing Armour costs 250 gp extra; medium wing armour costs 350 gp extra; and heavy wing armour costs 450 gp extra.
A character without wings (natural or otherwise; an angeling or fiendling without their wings manifest are counted as having wings) is treated as nonproficient when wearing wing armour.

Fax Celestis
2007-01-19, 02:45 PM
I would suggest replacing the Healing Touch feat with something similar to Lay on Hands or Touch of Vitality. Darkness is better than Lay on Hands, but probably pretty close to Touch of Vitality.

Further, the nonproficiency addendum for the armor confuses me.

Yuki Akuma
2007-01-19, 02:47 PM
I would suggest replacing the Healing Touch feat with something similar to Lay on Hands or Touch of Vitality. Darkness is better than Lay on Hands, but probably pretty close to Touch of Vitality.

Further, the nonproficiency addendum for the armor confuses me.

Wing armour feels uncomfortable for non-winged creatures, so they take penalties as if they weren't proficient, even if they are.

And I don't have the PHBII, so no Dragon Shaman for me. :smallfrown:

Tormsskull
2007-01-19, 02:53 PM
I'm a core-only DM, so take that into account, but Flight @ 3rd level for the cost of 1 feat seems pretty powerful to me. These races don't seem to be LA 0 overall.

Winged One
2007-01-19, 05:58 PM
Er...Fiendlings have a racial CHA penalty and their favored class is Sorcerer? Also, the spell you refer to as curse weapon already exists as a Blackguard spell called corrupt weapon. Finally, it's cure serious wounds, not cure major wounds.

Don't get me wrong, I think these are great. I'm not sure if they're balanced for LA 0, but it would be nice to play one.

Yuki Akuma
2007-01-19, 06:21 PM
Er...Fiendlings have a racial CHA penalty and their favored class is Sorcerer? Also, the spell you refer to as curse weapon already exists as a Blackguard spell called corrupt weapon. Finally, it's cure serious wounds, not cure major wounds.

Don't get me wrong, I think these are great. I'm not sure if they're balanced for LA 0, but it would be nice to play one.

This is what I get for rushing during my lunch break at work. *sigh*

And yeah, don't know what I was thinking there. *changes it to wizard*

Winged One
2007-01-19, 08:04 PM
Their favored class in a standard D&D game makes the most sense as Warlock if anything; I meant that as advice to nix the CHA penalty.

Krimm_Blackleaf
2007-01-19, 08:30 PM
Maybe the cost for light wing armor should be more. Right now it's less than masterwork cost. But you may have your reasons, I don't know.

Fizban
2007-01-20, 02:20 AM
*Drools*

The SLA and flight feats are weaker than those in Races of Faerun for Aasimar/Tieflings, so I think they're fine.

I agree that the cha penalty for Fiendlings could be changed. While all abilities can be equally powerful, charisma is still the least useful and most dumpable. I'd change it to a con penalty just to be sure.

Overall, I so want to play as one of these now. It's what the Aasimar/Tiefling should have been.

Yuki Akuma
2007-01-20, 06:24 AM
Maybe the cost for light wing armor should be more. Right now it's less than masterwork cost. But you may have your reasons, I don't know.

Masterwork armour costs 150gp extra.


*Drools*

The SLA and flight feats are weaker than those in Races of Faerun for Aasimar/Tieflings, so I think they're fine.

I agree that the cha penalty for Fiendlings could be changed. While all abilities can be equally powerful, charisma is still the least useful and most dumpable. I'd change it to a con penalty just to be sure.

Overall, I so want to play as one of these now. It's what the Aasimar/Tiefling should have been.

...Thank you. And fine, I'll change the Charisma penalty to something else. Perhaps Constitution, to fit with their 'good' cousins.

Peregrine
2007-01-20, 12:35 PM
...Thank you. And fine, I'll change the Charisma penalty to something else. Perhaps Constitution, to fit with their 'good' cousins.

Umm. As it currently stands, they have -2 Charisma, but the flavour text says they're frail. Forgot to change a word?

Also, in the Mortal part of both races' descriptions, you seem to have dropped the word 'age' in the sentence, 'They at about the same rate as elves'.

And once, in the Wings part of the fiendling description, you say 'angeling' instead.

I think it's going to be difficult to make these an LA 0 race. Even something like Outsider type is going to be an issue, since it's an advantage in a range of situations that will be hard to enumerate and consider when balancing.

Nonetheless, you've done a very cool job of it. :smallsmile:

Yuki Akuma
2007-01-20, 12:38 PM
Typos, typos everywhere...

Also, the "Mortal" special quality and the native subtype really do get rid of most of the benefits of being an Outsider.

The only real benefit they have left is their automatic proficiency with simple and martial weapons...

Peregrine
2007-01-20, 12:46 PM
Well, a +2 bonus on saves against humanoid-targeting effects isn't quite getting rid of the benefits... :smallwink: But close. And admittedly, you've left them the large liability that is Good/Evil subtype (although I think the Evil subtype would be more of a liability than Good). I just can't help feeling that there's got to be some benefits I'm not thinking of, that will make these races more powerful than they ought to be.

Yuki Akuma
2007-01-20, 12:49 PM
But gnomes get a +2 bonus to saving throws against illusions, and halflings get a +1 bonus on all saves.

How many humanoid-only spells are there, anyway? Not many.