Scorpionfolk with LOWER Level Adjustment?

[sumkidy]

How would I be able to make an overall weaker scorpionfolk (http://ogc.rpglibrary.org/mirrors/d20srd/srd/monsters/scorpionfolk.htm) so one could play it in a lower level campaign?

Basically a friend is making a guest appearance in my campaign and wants to play a memorable race, but this one is WAY too strong (the other PCs are level 9!).

[Urpriest]

What traits do you want? (i.e., what is necessary for the character to be a "Scorpionfolk", and what isn't?)

Do you want to stick with published stuff, or homebrew something?

What ECL are you aiming for, besides "below 9"?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Use the Tauric Creature template (MM2, Savage Species), which combines two creatures into one, such as Human + Horse = Centaur. Use that to combine a Medium Monstrous Scorpion with a small-size humanoid (Strongheart Halfling or Air Gnome (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/elementalRacialVariants.htm#racesOfAir) are the best choices IMO). This is what you'll get:

Medium Monstrous Humanoid
40 ft. land speed
+4 natural armor
Str +2, Con +4, whatever modifiers to Int, Wis, and Cha that the small-size humanoid race would get.
Two claws primary for 1d4+Str, Sting secondary for 1d4+1/2 Str and poison, Improved Grab on the claws, Constrict 1d4+Str, plus any natural attacks the base humanoid would get (two claws and a bite for a Kobold (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060420a), for example).
Tremorsense 60 ft., Darkvision 60 ft., whatever special vision/senses the base humanoid would get.
Whatever traits that the base humanoid gets.
3d8 racial HD, which gets +3 BAB, base saves of Fort +3 and Reflex +2, (2+Int)x6 skill points with at least Climb, Hide, and Spot as class skills (add whatever you think a Gnome or Halfling would get as class skills for a racial HD, refer to the respective racial paragon class (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/racialParagonClasses.htm) for pointers), and two feats (as though it's a 3rd level character).
Level adjustment +3
Total ECL 6

[Starbuck_II]

How would I be able to make an overall weaker scorpionfolk (http://ogc.rpglibrary.org/mirrors/d20srd/srd/monsters/scorpionfolk.htm) so one could play it in a lower level campaign?

Basically a friend is making a guest appearance in my campaign and wants to play a memorable race, but this one is WAY too strong (the other PCs are level 9!).

Tauric template or
Say you've been energy drained down to 1 HD in your backstory:

1 HD can always be traded for class level so you have +4 LA, but 5 Class levels.

4 LA is worth the listed abilities.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Tauric template or
Say you've been energy drained down to 1 HD in your backstory:

1 HD can always be traded for class level so you have +4 LA, but 5 Class levels.

4 LA is worth the listed abilities.

Level draining racial HD doesn't actually work. Racial HD aren't optional, an adult of that species always has that many HD. You would just have to spend future levels regaining them if they were level drained away.

[Averis Vol]

Take away the spell-likes, large size and RHD and maybe knock down the LA to +3. Adjust stats accordingly. That would give him six levels to play with, and as long as he isn't a caster he shouldn't be too terribly gimped.

[RedWarlock]

Let's see...

Here's the racials for a medium-sized scorpionfolk, with half as many HD:


+4 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, +4 Wisdom. +4 Charisma.
Medium size.
A scorpionfolk’s base land speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision out to 60 feet.
Natural Attacks: Sting (1d6 + poison) and 2 claws (1d4).
Poison (Ex): A scorpionfolk delivers its poison (Fortitude save DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Con) with each successful sting attack. The initial and secondary damage is 1d4 points of Dexterity damage.
Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day - major image; 2/day - mirror image, Caster level 5th; save DC 10 + Cha + spell level.
Fire Resistance 5
Spell Resistance 12
Racial Hit Dice: A scorpionfolk begins with six levels of monstrous humanoid, which provide 6d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +6, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +2, Ref +5, and Will +5.
Racial Skills: A scorpionfolk’s monstrous humanoid levels give it skill points equal to 9 × (2 + Int modifier). Its class skills are Diplomacy, Spot, Intimidate, Listen and Sense Motive
Racial Feats: A scorpion’s monstrous humanoid levels give it three feats.
+4 natural armor bonus.
Automatic Languages: Common, Terran. Bonus Languages: any.
Favored Class: Ranger.
Level adjustment +3.


Dropped one point of LA, for ECL 9.

Narrowing it down, to get to the playable core of it, I could see:


+4 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom.
Medium size.
A scorpionfolk’s base land speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision out to 60 feet.
Natural Attacks: Sting (1d4 + poison) and 2 claws (1d4).
Poison (Ex): A scorpionfolk delivers its poison (Fortitude save DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Con) with each successful sting attack. The initial damage is 1 point of Dex damage, secondary damage is 1d4 points of Dexterity damage.
Fire Resistance 5
Spell Resistance 6 + 1/2 HD.
Racial Hit Dice: A scorpionfolk begins with two levels of monstrous humanoid, which provide 2d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +2, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +0, Ref +3, and Will +3.
Racial Skills: A scorpionfolk’s monstrous humanoid levels give it skill points equal to 5 × (2 + Int modifier). Its class skills are Diplomacy, Spot, Intimidate, Listen and Sense Motive
Racial Feats: A scorpion’s monstrous humanoid levels give it two feats.
+4 natural armor bonus.
Automatic Languages: Common, Terran. Bonus Languages: any.
Favored Class: Ranger.
Level adjustment +2.


Tough call though.

[ZamielVanWeber]

Tauric template or
Say you've been energy drained down to 1 HD in your backstory:

1 HD can always be traded for class level so you have +4 LA, but 5 Class levels.

4 LA is worth the listed abilities.

You also run into the "can I legally drop non-humanoid dice" issur. The DM would have to rule one way or another on that, so it is unreliable.

[Immabozo]

I focus on a different key word in the OP


a memorable race

Same book as many others have used, Savage Species.

Anthropomorphic Baleen Whale. Stats are (IIRC)

+6 str, +4 dex, +4 con, +4 int, +6 wis, +4 cha
NA 9
Size large (WITH reach)
LA 0 and 3 RHD, which, especially for a one shot guest appearance, or a short one, is just strictly better than LA. You still get BAB, saves and HD from those levels. EDIT: and skills and feats

And how could that NOT be memorable?

EDIT: I am strange, but I LOVE the War Hulk class. This would make for a nice war hulk character.

levels 1-3: RHD
level 4-6: Spirit lion totem, whirling frenzy barbarian
level 7-9: War Hulk
get the skilled enchantment on a Greathorn Minotaur Warhammer (or whatever the exact name is) or some other exotic weapon so that you are treated as being proficient and have a 3/4ths BAB and have 2 attacks (one extra from whirling barbie) and at 10 have 3 attacks, all hitting 3 squares.

+ 6 str (racial) + 4 str (rage) + 6 (war hulk) you will be swinging a whopping +16 str, before magical enhancements.

[TuggyNE]

You also run into the "can I legally drop non-humanoid dice" issur. The DM would have to rule one way or another on that, so it is unreliable.

Not really; it's actually pretty cut-and-dried by RAW, even if you're as nitpicky as Curmudgeon. RAI is even clearer.

Which reminds me, I need to start that thread to clear the air on the subject.

[ZamielVanWeber]

See, I have never found a valid reason to ignore the "humanoids" under RAW. Granted I ignore it anyways for totally different reasons. (And yes, I read that thread the entire time that discussion was going on.) It is still up to the DM regardless, so it is not as reliable as the tauric template.

[TuggyNE]

See, I have never found a valid reason to ignore the "humanoids" under RAW. Granted I ignore it anyways for totally different reasons. (And yes, I read that thread the entire time that discussion was going on.)

Which part of the argument, as presented in summary, was wrong or invalid? Because it looked pretty clear to me: all humanoids, and also all playable races, qualify. It's not as though it says "humanoids and only humanoids" at any place, or even comes close to implying as much. So no, you don't ignore the rules, but in the end "humanoid" is not a limiting factor, but a permissive.


It is still up to the DM regardless, so it is not as reliable as the tauric template.

No more than, say, the amount of gp available at character creation is up to the DM. The rules are not ambiguous*, and require no houseruling or interpretation to function, only a methodical reading of all relevant rules.


* For the most part, anyway. The only gray area really is the question of what happens to a non-humanoid playable race with fractional HD, but there aren't many of those.