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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Saurian Races, Because Dinosaurs (PEACH)



ReturnOfTheKing
2015-04-06, 09:40 PM
So, for a 4e campaign (yes, I actually played it, and my brain survived), I made a character who was a dinosaur, using Dragonborn stats. It was fun, but my DM and I decided that it would be far more fun to actually make, and play as, a dinosaur race. So we decided to make a dinosaur race. We ended up with three of them, now in 5e (we gave up on 4e, with good reason). However, they really need critique, so I decided to take them to the Playground. Feedback would be appreciated, thanks :smallsmile:



Firstborn


These little guys were inspired by the Troodon from Jurassic Park: The Game, which, while it might've been a fairly meh game, had some pretty cool dinos. Originally, they were a system-free, non-rpg race we used for an alternate universe, called the Xenosaurs. They were peaceful biogeneticists in that incarnation. Here, while they retain their scientific roots, peaceful they most certainly aren't. Firstborn were originally conceived as a race combining aspects of genetic scientists and poison-wielding assassins, which we split into two subraces. They call themselves the Firstborn because they're one of the oldest surviving races. I realize they don't seem particularly dinosaur-y, but I hope you enjoy them anyway.

Ability Score Increase: Your Intelligence score increases by 2.

Size: Firstborn range between 4 and 5 feet in height. Your size is Medium.

Speed: Your base speed is 35 feet.

Languages: You can speak, read and write Saurian and Common.

Clever Girl: You have proficiency in the Investigation skill.

Made of Ice: You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.

Subraces: Two subraces of Firstborn exist, the Nightborn and the Dayborn.

Nightborn

The Nightborn are probably the closest to the original JP:TG Troodon of the two subraces. Regarding the name, at one point we were considering that the Firstborn born at nighttime become Nightborn and the ones born during the day become Dayborn, but now I feel like that doesn't really work. Thoughts?

Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Master of Poisons: You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage. You also have advantage when inflicting poison damage.

Darkvision: In dim light, you can see within 60 feet of you as if it were the light of day. You can see in darkness in shades of grey.

Dayborn

These are the more sciencey/naturey aspects of the Firstborn. They're intended to be genetic engineering types, and they were sort of designed to line up well with a class we were planning to create, the Genomancer (a combination of a paleontologist and a genetic engineer/genobiologist). The best way I could think of to represent that was with the primal augment trait, although I'm concerned said trait might be a bit too op. Again, let me know what you think.

Ability Score Increase: Your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Wild Hunter: You have proficiency in the Nature skill.

Primal Augment: If you are within 5 feet (or adjacent, if using a grid) of any monster that has the beast key-word, has a challenge rating equivalent to one-half your level, and is currently not a danger to you (ie. incapacitated, trapped, friendly or allied), you may spend one turn to copy one of its moves, during which time you grant advantage on all attacks made against you. Once you have gained the move, you may use it as much as its original host, and retain it for one week or until you level up, at which time it must be re-gained through the same process as it was originally taken.


Warmaker

The obligatory kickass raptor guys. Whereas the Firstborn were inspired by Troodon, these guys found their genesis in Utahraptor, one of the largest and coolest of all raptor species. Also like the Firstborn, they were originally part of an unrelated non-rpg race created by my friend and I, the Intellectaraptors. These guys were the tyrants of their alternate universe, ruling a society fuelled by volatile energy crystals. Originally, we wanted them to be a chaotic warrior race, with stats for Fighter, Monk, Barbarian, the full spread. However, we also wanted them to make good Sorcerers, to reflect the explosive chaos aspects of their nature. We settled for subraces as a compromise.

Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity score increases by 2.

Size: You are forebodingly tall, ranging from over 5 to nearly 7 feet tall. Your size is Medium

Speed: Your base speed is 35 feet.

Menace: You gain proficiency in the Intimidate skill.

Savage Attacks: When you score a critical hit with an unarmed or melee weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapons’ damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.

Raking Claws: When making an unarmed strike, you can choose to instead inflict 1d4 slashing damage instead of the usual 1d1 bludgeoning damage.

Subraces: There are two Warmaker subraces, the Clawsworn and the Shardfused.

Clawsworn Warmakers

The more slash-y subrace, as opposed to the more explode-ey Shardfused. Essentially, there was a split in Warmaker society long ago, where the ancestors of the Clawsworn wanted to retain their ancient, more primeval roots in spite of pressure to industrialize. As a result, they continue to live as pack hunters, even as prey dwindles and their land vanishes.

Ability Score Increase: Your Strength score increases by 1.

Bloody Frenzy: When you reduce an enemy to 1/2 it's total hp, you gain advantage on melee weapon or unarmed attacks against that foe.

Shardfused Warmakers

The Shardfused are descended from a highly industrial, technologically advanced society which was destroyed by an ancient and bloody conflict, most likely a civil war. Exposure to the energy crystals which made their empire great has given them magical powers, but at great cost - many have surrendered their sanity and become warped mutants. In spite of this, Warmaker cities and kingdoms continue to thrive and expand, still fuelled by energy crystals. Due to the obvious thematic similarities, I guess you can represent power crystals with dragonshards? Maybeh?

Ability Score Increase: Your Charisma score increases by 1.

Crystalline Powers: Thanks to the energy crystals which imbue you with magical power, you know one cantrip of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it.


Raptorans

Yes, these guys are dinosaurs. Birds are dinosaurs. This isn't big news anymore, people. OK, non-avian dinosaurs are cooler, and I suppose this is a bit of a cheat (Especially given that WotC recently released the Aarakocra, which the original Raptorans we ripped off were ripped off from). Lore-wise, they were originally descended from a Microraptor-esque race called the Windlords, which I'd planned to make into a Raptoran subrace but decided against. The Raptorans are beings of change and unpredictability, who worship an aspect of Ka known as Ka the Everchanging. Didn't mention Ka yet, did I? Hmm... I might have to do a follow up to this post.

Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity score increases by +2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Size: Your size is Medium. Lightweight, relatively tall, I guess. Of course, if we decide to include the Windlords, then we should leave this blank, since, you know, we’ve got a small subrace.

Flight: You have a flying speed of 50 feet. To use this trait, you can’t be holding any items or wearing medium or heavy armor.

Gliding: You can cast the feather fall spell on yourself as a 1st-level spell without using any material component. Dexterity is your spellcasting ability for this trait.

Nature Attuned: You have proficiency in the Nature skill.

Gripping Talons: While in flight, you can wield an item less than 1/4 of your weight as if you were holding it with your hands.

Languages: You can speak Common, Saurian and Raptoran.

Logosloki
2015-04-08, 07:25 AM
Very nice, seems roughly balanced. The only thing you need to do is rework Blood Frenzy as there is no bloodied mechanic in D&D (though from memory, bloodied is 50% hp so as long as the DM tracks it it shouldn't be an issue).

ReturnOfTheKing
2015-04-09, 12:55 PM
Very nice, seems roughly balanced. The only thing you need to do is rework Blood Frenzy as there is no bloodied mechanic in D&D (though from memory, bloodied is 50% hp so as long as the DM tracks it it shouldn't be an issue).

Thanks for the reminder :smallsmile: