Best +1 or +0 LA Player Race for Wisdom Bonus (Under Certain Bans)

[supersonic29]

I want to pick a player race with big wisdom, LA 1 or 0, as many templates as I need available, but the following books are banned:
• Iron Kingdoms
• Dragon and Dungeon Magazine
• Serpent Kingdoms
• Savage Species
• Stronghold Builder's Guide
Unfortunately that stops anthropomorphic animal, but what else can I use? Thanks in advance!

[Zaq]

The only one I know of offhand (aside from a venerable Dragonwrought kobold, of course) is the buomman, from Planar Handbook. +2 WIS, –2 CHA, racial vow of silence that gives them stacking penalties if they say actual words (including spellcasting). LA 0.

There's probably something better that's LA +1, but I absolutely hate LA, so I don't know too many offhand.

[Fax Celestis]

PF Dwarf, if you're playing 3.P.

[Bluydee]

There is also the obligatory Lesser Aasimar.

[Sian]

(Lesser) Aasimar is the obvious choice with +2WIS +2CHA

ever so slightly more exotic would be (Lesser) Zenythri with +2STR +2DEX +2WIS -2CHA

[Forrestfire]

Lesser Aasimar gets my vote as well. Or Human. Can't really go wrong with Human.

[ShurikVch]

Uldra (Frostburn) - Small Fey; –2 Str, +2 Con, +2 Wis; LA +1

[Sian]

if Wisdom is the only stat thats important, then Jermlaine from MMII is the way to go (Update Booklet pegs them at LA+0) ... Tiny Fey with -8 str, +6 dex, -2 con, -2 int, +6 wis, -6 cha

[A Tad Insane]

I don't have it on me, but anthropomorphic bat has crazy good wisdom

[Bluydee]

I don't have it on me, but anthropomorphic bat has crazy good wisdom

He said Savage Species was banned.

[supersonic29]

if Wisdom is the only stat thats important, then Jermlaine from MMII is the way to go (Update Booklet pegs them at LA+0) ... Tiny Fey with -8 str, +6 dex, -2 con, -2 int, +6 wis, -6 cha

Thats the best I found too.


I don't have it on me, but anthropomorphic bat has crazy good wisdom

Yes, but Savage Species is banned :/


With a base of Jermlaine seeming ideal, are there any +1 or +0 templates that offer wisdom bonuses?

[Garktz]

I know I know, you asked for +0 or +1 LA
BUT

for +2 you can have 2 great choices

Domovoi, frostburn -2 str +4dex +2con +4int +6wis&cha small size +2Nat arm. and some sell like ab

Or


Lumii mm3 +4 and tons of weird cool and useful abilities

[Tarlek Flamehai]

Domovoi +6WS, +2LA Frostburn (Check this before you settle on Jermelane)
Slyth +2WS, +2LA Underdark
Uldra +2WS, +1LA Frostburn

[Fax Celestis]

Half-Fey is LA+2, Wis +2, and a bunch of other very worth-it abilities. Fiend Folio.

Half-Minotaur does. LA +1. Dragon 313.

Saint is LA +2, Wis +2, bunch of other stuff. Exalted. BoED.

Everything else is swimming in LA.

[supersonic29]

I appreciate the many responses, but I am hard capped at +1 LA, that's not a personal stipulation. :smalleek:

That said I think I'm looking at a good setup, at this point I just need to get some items to fill out my situation

The context, for those curious, is a tainted sorcerer. With a big ol' wisdom score to take up that taint penalty I just need some fortitude save bonuses to keep from killing myself :smallbiggrin: though this thread is not the place for that.

If anyone finds something in the cap that beats out Jermlaine I would switch it out for sure though :smallsmile:

[The Glyphstone]

Why is Stronghold Builder's Guide on the ban list? It's such an obscure niche book, I've met very few people who even know it exists, let alone consider it ban-worthy. It's not exactly useful for anything except a money sink unless you build a campaign around it, or for extremely niche things like the Cube from Test of Spite.

[Fax Celestis]

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/bloodlines.htm Major Celestial bloodline, maybe?

[supersonic29]

Why is Stronghold Builder's Guide on the ban list? It's such an obscure niche book, I've met very few people who even know it exists, let alone consider it ban-worthy. It's not exactly useful for anything except a money sink unless you build a campaign around it, or for extremely niche things like the Cube from Test of Spite.

Funny you mention it, we're playing a house variant of Test of Spite!


http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/bloodlines.htm Major Celestial bloodline, maybe?

Oh my... is there any penalty to bloodlines? I'm only glancing but this looks like free benefits.

[The Glyphstone]

Funny you mention it, we're playing a house variant of Test of Spite!



That explains why it's banned, I guess.

Bloodlines cost character levels over the course of your adventuring life, as noted in the Bloodline Levels section above. So they can be 'free', but only if your character never advances to the threshold where you are required to take a 'Bloodline Level' that does nothing except raise your ECL.

[emeraldstreak]

Why is Stronghold Builder's Guide on the ban list? It's such an obscure niche book, I've met very few people who even know it exists, let alone consider it ban-worthy. It's not exactly useful for anything except a money sink unless you build a campaign around it, or for extremely niche things like the Cube from Test of Spite.

Because it's the true Book Of Vile Darkness.

[ShurikVch]

Taking one level in some lycanthropic Savage Progression (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/arch/sp) will give you exactly +2 Wis for +1 LA

Which race is your PC? Human (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/racialParagonClasses.htm#humanParagon) or Half-Elf (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/racialParagonClasses.htm#halfElfParagon) Paragon classes allow to take +2 to any ability at 3rd level

[Sian]

With a base of Jermlaine seeming ideal, are there any +1 or +0 templates that offer wisdom bonuses?

Not as far as i can tell (using the Master Template List (http://community.wizards.com/forum/previous-editions-character-optimization/threads/1117261)), certainly not which allow a Fey to enter it

[AmberVael]

Oh my... is there any penalty to bloodlines? I'm only glancing but this looks like free benefits.

Bloodlines are a bit funky. Welknair explains them best here. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?208703-3-5e-Bloodline-Guide-What-in-the-Nine-Hells-is-a-Bloodline)


My race contribution is Lesser Zenythri. Zenythri is a lawful planetouched from Monster Manual II that gets +2 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Wis, and -2 Cha. And 1/day true strike. They're kind of awesome.

Edit: Wow I can't believe I didn't notice that both of these things were basically said already I'm just going to go away and put some ranks in spot now.

[ShurikVch]

Lesser Shyft (Fiend Folio): -2 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Wis, -2 Cha; Low-light vision; cold, fire, and sonic resistance 5; +4 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks; Ethereal Jaunt (Sp) 1/day (CL 9 or character's level)

[Rebel7284]

Dragonborn Buomman RAW lose their racial silence vow so may be a good choice for base race. Although lesser Aasimar are probably still better...