Your favorite Race-Template combos

[NerdHut]

I'm prepping for the next campaign I run. Every so often I like to throw in an unusual NPC or enemy, and a great way to do that is to present something that isn't straight out of the Monster Manual.

One example is someone I'll put in later. A warlord who is half orc, half ogre (Orc base, plus half-ogre template, surprisingly producing only +1 LA). He'll be big baddy for a quest and I hope will be an interesting challenge.

I've found that adding templates can make for some interesting characters, so I wanted to know if you all, as players or DMs, had Race-Template combos you really like. Maybe I'll use them as NPCs, too.

[Bobby Baratheon]

Magic-blooded + Unseelie Fey + base race is a pretty fun combo. It's a great way to make a character who is obviously and blatantly magical, as well as being a pretty damn fine chassis for any charisma based caster. When I used this combo as a player, I went for a Lesser Cansin as the base race.

[NerdHut]

That sounds pretty cool. I can imagine a small character showing up, seeming weak at first, then showing tremenedous magical prowess. "Oh, look at that cute little halfling, he's so cute... Did he just kill a zombie just by touching it?"

[Bobby Baratheon]

I like the Winter's Chill power even better. You scare the crap out of someone . . . by being within five feet of them, and thus allowing them to get a good look at your disturbing appearance. It's also mechanically awesome as a way to make people fail saves.

[ComaVision]

Since last night, I've really wanted to make a Half-Minotaur Kobold Totemist.

[Bobby Baratheon]

Since last night, I've really wanted to make a Half-Minotaur Kobold Totemist.

Just don't think too hard about how such a hybrid came into being.

[ComaVision]

Just don't think too hard about how such a hybrid came into being.

Forced copulation between the kobold tribe leader and a captured minotaur because the seer foretold it would create an avatar of evil that would usher on a new age of tyranny.








That's what I like to think, anyway.

[Gildedragon]

Just don't think too hard about how such a hybrid came into being.

It was a magical night; they'd had too much to drink, the faerezz was glowing, they reeked of charisma: she was a sorceror, he was a crusader, and they had an eternal wand of grease...
Biggest egg In the clutch by far!

[curious-puzzle]

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is spongy and bruised...

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[Red Fel]

Three of my favorites, all of which involve Dragonborn.

1. Dragonborn Warforged. It is a Dragon Robot. It is a Dragon Robot. For bonus points, make it a Warlock, and it is now a Gundam.

http://pa1.narvii.com/5732/f7c7da2933613e7904de49b47c5a1180969cec2b_hq.gif

2. Dragonborn Goliath. Because of this guy.

http://66.media.tumblr.com/35fb30f1d6579ff8e30a5aa9c2ce6410/tumblr_nhudmxx1tg1qzvrluo1_400.gif

3. Dragonborn Hellbred. Because of the sheer, awesome flavor. Think about it. Hellbred is a person who was destined for the Hells, but repented at the last moment. The spirit is good, but never atoned. It is given a momentary cosmic reprieve, but on dying, it goes straight back to the pit. Except Dragonborn removes that racial trait. Basically, Bahamut singlehandedly (-clawedly? -talonedly?) redeems this character, protecting them from their infernal fate. If this character remains true to Bahamut's tenets, he's not only saved from the Hells, he's awesome. If, however, Bahamut abandons him, he goes back to being Hellbred, and hellbound. The flavor, man, the flavor!

[NerdHut]

3. Dragonborn Hellbred. Because of the sheer, awesome flavor. Think about it. Hellbred is a person who was destined for the Hells, but repented at the last moment. The spirit is good, but never atoned. It is given a momentary cosmic reprieve, but on dying, it goes straight back to the pit. Except Dragonborn removes that racial trait. Basically, Bahamut singlehandedly (-clawedly? -talonedly?) redeems this character, protecting them from their infernal fate. If this character remains true to Bahamut's tenets, he's not only saved from the Hells, he's awesome. If, however, Bahamut abandons him, he goes back to being Hellbred, and hellbound. The flavor, man, the flavor!

It's like Emeril Lagasse, Gordon Ramsay, Julia Child, and Martha Stewart all got together to make that much flavor. It's tastes so good in my RP!

[Red Fel]

It's like Emeril Lagasse, Gordon Ramsay, Julia Child, and Martha Stewart all got together to make that much flavor. It's tastes so good in my RP!

For bonus points, consider the fact that the Hellbred retain few or no memories of their prior lives. And while a Hellbred looks somewhat different than it did in life - being discolored, or pockmarked, or otherwise disfigured - a Dragonborn Hellbred looks like that, plus scales and eye-ridges and other cool Dragon stuff. Which means that the Dragonborn Hellbred (or Hellborn, as I call them, because seriously can this thing get any more awesome?) can actually run into people it knew in life, whom it won't remember and who won't recognize it. The plot threads write themselves!

[Zsaber0]

""Half-minotaur" is an inherited template that can be added to any creature of the giant, humanoid, or monstrous humanoid type."

A half Minotaur Minotaur is 3 halfs minotaur!

[torrasque666]

""Half-minotaur" is an inherited template that can be added to any creature of the giant, humanoid, or monstrous humanoid type."

A half Minotaur Minotaur is 3/2 parts minotaur!
"Of course I'm half minotaur. Other half minotaur too."

[Gildedragon]

Three of my favorites, all of which involve Dragonborn.

1. Dragonborn Warforged. It is a Dragon Robot. It is a Dragon Robot. For bonus points, make it a Warlock, and it is now a Gundam.

http://pa1.narvii.com/5732/f7c7da2933613e7904de49b47c5a1180969cec2b_hq.gif

2. Dragonborn Goliath. Because of this guy.

http://66.media.tumblr.com/35fb30f1d6579ff8e30a5aa9c2ce6410/tumblr_nhudmxx1tg1qzvrluo1_400.gif

3. Dragonborn Hellbred. Because of the sheer, awesome flavor. Think about it. Hellbred is a person who was destined for the Hells, but repented at the last moment. The spirit is good, but never atoned. It is given a momentary cosmic reprieve, but on dying, it goes straight back to the pit. Except Dragonborn removes that racial trait. Basically, Bahamut singlehandedly (-clawedly? -talonedly?) redeems this character, protecting them from their infernal fate. If this character remains true to Bahamut's tenets, he's not only saved from the Hells, he's awesome. If, however, Bahamut abandons him, he goes back to being Hellbred, and hellbound. The flavor, man, the flavor!

1 is F U N and I love to play it
2 is cute, reminds me of my attempts to play a diabolan swordsage (they're nightcrawler!)
3 is pure awesome! I love it.

As for race-template love
Karsite (which is sorta allowed to be a template) Half-Orcs make great mage killers
Unseelie Fey (Autumn Touch) on top of that feels... Great magic just snafus around them

Athasian Human Karsite also does that role great (via being psionic) though the +3 LA is killer

Half-Nymph Lesser Celadrin
Innate bard, charm out the wazoo, fiery eyes and a smile so dazzling it hurts

Necropolitan Deep Spirit Hellbred
They aren't going back: no way, not a chance ritual thiannium knives and nails are more expensive, but they aren't gonna let themselves fall back there after clawing out by the skin of their teeth

Magic blooded Dragonwrought Kobold
Sorcerer supreme!!!

[Strigon]

Three of my favorites, all of which involve Dragonborn.

1. Dragonborn Warforged. It is a Dragon Robot. It is a Dragon Robot. For bonus points, make it a Warlock, and it is now a Gundam.

http://pa1.narvii.com/5732/f7c7da2933613e7904de49b47c5a1180969cec2b_hq.gif

2. Dragonborn Goliath. Because of this guy.

http://66.media.tumblr.com/35fb30f1d6579ff8e30a5aa9c2ce6410/tumblr_nhudmxx1tg1qzvrluo1_400.gif

3. Dragonborn Hellbred. Because of the sheer, awesome flavor. Think about it. Hellbred is a person who was destined for the Hells, but repented at the last moment. The spirit is good, but never atoned. It is given a momentary cosmic reprieve, but on dying, it goes straight back to the pit. Except Dragonborn removes that racial trait. Basically, Bahamut singlehandedly (-clawedly? -talonedly?) redeems this character, protecting them from their infernal fate. If this character remains true to Bahamut's tenets, he's not only saved from the Hells, he's awesome. If, however, Bahamut abandons him, he goes back to being Hellbred, and hellbound. The flavor, man, the flavor!

So tell me, friend, what's your favourite template?

[Techwarrior]

I like to use Stony (Mineral Warrior) Goliath as NPC's.

I've heard that everyone's got a dark side, but it loss like the surprise here was Red Fel's light side. Seriously, admits to playing paladins and Dragonborn in the same week. Good stuff.

[NerdHut]

Seriously, admits to playing paladins and Dragonborn in the same week. Good stuff.

You think that's bad, my friend played a Dragonborn Paladin of Tyranny in another campaign. It's like "Dude, you've been obsessed with dragons and paladins since middle school. Branch out." (it was a well-made character though)

[zyggythorn]

I love the hellborn thing so much I'm sticking it in both my DnD campaigns.

You, good sir (or Madame) win the thread.

[AnimusBane]

Half fey template and fey rei is one of my favorite mixes for a Bard since it does kinda make up for them being a half caster.

[BowStreetRunner]

Illumian (RoD 51) with the Dark Creature (ToM 158) template. From a flavor perspective, Illumians are supposed to have an entire city on the plane of shadow, so it makes sense that some might pick up the template. The template gives a fantastic bonus to both Hide and Move Silently, as well as HiPS. With the Uurkrau sigil you can get DEX for bonus spells. Put it on a Spellthief, Loredelver, or something similar and it's a really nice stealth caster chassis.

[Naez]

My personal favorite is Half-Minotaur Goliath. +16 Str out the gate, can wield huge weapons, and if you just want insane strength they meet the size prereq for War Hulk.

Edit: Remembered an assassin I made to mess with my players. Dark, Lolth-Touched Skulk. +20 Move Silently and +29 Hide before ranks.

[NerdHut]

My personal favorite is Half-Minotaur Goliath. +16 Str out the gate, can wield huge weapons, and if you just want insane strength they meet the size prereq for War Hulk.

Edit: Remembered an assassin I made to mess with my players. Dark, Lolth-Touched Skulk. +20 Move Silently and +29 Hide before ranks.

I have a soft spot in my heart for the insane strength characters. My last character as a player was a Aventi Half-Ogre that went into War Hulk. He was a softy out of combat, and had a Dragonwrought Kobold (cloistered cleric, I think) to do his thinking for him (since his INT was 7).

That Skulk though sounds awesome. It begs to be an Assassin.

[Pyromancer999]

Whisper Gnome and Dark Creature template combo means nobody will ever find you, if they even saw you in the first place.

[atemu1234]

I once had a slave-race in my campaign controlled by a dragon. Half-minotaur Dwarves, whose overseers were Half-Dragon (Half-Minotaur Dwarves).

I'm always a fan of simple templates like Nocturnal that can be used to make a more nosferatu-ish type of elf or something.

[ExLibrisMortis]

Primordial half-giant is a favourite of mine. Lots of intelligence and charisma, Powerful Build and a strength penalty, at-will invisibility. Really nice flavour with Wedded to History (Golden Ager).