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View Full Version : Help Needed 3.5 Alternate Races (for a low-magic campaign)



Kree West
2014-04-26, 03:11 PM
I'm running a low-magic campaign and need some help on homebrew races. I'm trying to base them kind of around human (the use of bonus feats and skill points). Please keep in mind that primary casters are non-exhistant for this campaign (otherwise Hillfolk would be too strong).

Human: +1 feat, +4 skill points, +1 skill point per level. Standard human for comparison.

Dwarf: +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma, +2 skill points, +1 skill point per level, +2 Fortitude. Stocky warrior race. Good at taking blows.

Mountainfolk: +2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma, +1 feat, +2 Climb, +2 Balance, +2 Reflex. Humans that have lived in the mountains for a long time. They have good reflexes due to years of dodging the fierce predators.

Elf: +2 Charisma, -2 Constitution, +2 skill points, +1 skill point per level, +2 Will. Right now underpowered. Sociable race often found in the high class. Their involvement in politics and magic have led them to be iron willed.

Treefolk: +1 Natural Armor, -2 Intelligence, +2 Hide in forest environments, +15 ft. Climb Speed. Tree like creatures. Similar to small ents. Their still animal like brains are not very strong but their life in and around trees has led to extraordinary abilities.

Hillfolk: +2 Dexterity, -2 Strength, 40ft. Base land speed. Nimble warriors from the hills. This life has led to quick speed. This allows them to gain the height advantage quickly.

ThreadNecro5
2014-04-26, 04:51 PM
I presume the question your asking is if your races look balanced, and I'd say they look like they would work mechanically, but however I think they are a bit 'dull' (if admittedly I always play something weird to the degree where the most human character I have is a seascarred skinwalker (the pathfinder version of a shiftier, with the shark-themed subrace) who is also a were-dire shark). a specific thing that would make them notably different than a regular human, other than stat mods and skill boosts make them feel like a different race. for example if your treefolk are tree people they could be large size and/or have natural Armour along with the plant type or if they just live in them give them a climb speed, or some other thing that actually allows/make them act different than a human. I apologise if I sound rude just trying to express y point

As an idea I am tossing in (partly to advertise a race I have written :smallsmile:) is to include something odd, I have recently written a race that would offer a prospect for a player who wants to play a 'summoner' type character in a low-magic setting, or just something less humanoid (indeed it is the vermin type), called the hivefolk which are essentially a giant humanoid shaped termite/locust creature with an actual hive of their larval stage inside their body that they can summon into combat. indeed with -4 INT and CHA they are unlikely to ever cast spells. you can feel free to use the race and as they are rather powerful and designed for pathfinder they could have a racial hit dice or two, or +1 level adjustment or so. the link should be in my extended signature that is just below this post, with he page it is mounted on. a simple way to write them in could be a surface dwelling offshoot of uber-hulks is your campaign setting has them.

Kree West
2014-04-26, 07:25 PM
but however I think they are a bit 'dull'. a specific thing that would make them notably different than a regular human, other than stat mods and skill boosts make them feel like a different race. for example if your treefolk are tree people they could be large size and/or have natural Armour along with the plant type or if they just live in them give them a climb speed, or some other thing that actually allows/make them act different than a human. I apologise if I sound rude just trying to express y point


Thanks for the input, I'll try to spice them up a bit.