Avendesora
2017-02-22, 11:18 AM
Heya everyone,
Ever since the first time I read the abilities and features of the base races in 3.5 D&D / Pathfinder I've found them rather dull; a big list of situtational flat number bonusses, where every dwarf ever has had specialized combat training against giants. So since the start I've been wanting to redo them, and just got done for the base races+. A large portion of abilities come from different editions or posts on the internet, but since I'm far from an expert or an experienced player, I thought I'd ask here for feedback, advice and critique.
I'm not looking for perfectly balanced, optimized races, and for actual power I'm fine with them being better than the base races in the book. I just hope to make each race have something unique and active they have/can do that sets them apart from the other races, but keeping them close enough to each other in terms of overal power.
To achieve this each race has the following:
- Normal race stuff: Size, Movement, Languages, Favoured Class
- Ability Score Adjustment (avarages out on 0)
- Additional Starting Health (hoping to bump up level 1 health)
- ~4 points worth of Skill Bonus
- Two impactful, useful Passive features
- One Useable / Active racial ability
- (occasionally something special, like elf/orc blood)
Considering giving each race a racial weapon as well, to give the exotic weapons some more use, but not sure on that yet.
Human
I've never really been sure about the whole 'jack of all trades, hard worker' thing humans had going on. I've always seen them more as a race that has to work together and combine skills to achieve the same as the more naturally gifted races. Nevertheless decided to keep them as the generalist race. They currently don't have an Active ability yet, partly because I hadn't come up with one yet, and because I felt they'd surpass the other races.
Size: Medium, humans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Land Speed: Human base land speed is 30 feet.
Ability Score Adjustments: None.
Additional Starting Health: +6
Automatic Languages: Common.
Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages).
Weapon Familiarity: Humans treat Bastard Swords as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
Features
- Flexible: Humans gain 4 extra skill points at 1st level.
- Ambitiousness: 1 extra feat at 1st level, you must still meet the feat’s prerequisites.
- United We Stand: When adjacent to an ally a human gain a +1 Racial bonus to Armor Class and Saving Throws.
Dwarf
Short, tough and sturdy craftsmen. Meant to be able to take the most punishment out of the races.
Size: Medium: Medium, dwarves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Land Speed: Dwarf base land speed is 20 feet. Dwarves can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor.
Ability Score Adjustments: +2 Constitution, –2 Charisma.
Additional Starting Health: +6
Automatic Languages: Common and Dwarven.
Bonus Languages: Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Terran, and Undercommon.
Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves treat Dwarven war-axes and Dwarven urgroshes as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
Features
- Craftsmen: Dwarves gain a +2 bonus on Appraise and Craft checks.
- Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and dwarves can function just fine with no light at all.
- Dwarven Resilience: When rolling for additional health when leveling up use a dice one step lower than you would normally use for your class (to a minumum of a d4), but always add +2 to the result.
- Ignore Pain: For a number of times equal to 1 + your Constitution bonus per long rest, this ability can be activated as a swift action. For the rest of this round half of all physical damage you take is taken as non-lethal damage instead.
Elf
What sets the elves apart from the other races is their increased movement speed.
Size: Medium, elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Land Speed: Elf base land speed is 40 feet.
Ability Score Adjustments: +2 Dexterity, –2 Constitution.
Additional Starting Health: +6
Automatic Languages: Common and Elven.
Bonus Languages: Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan.
Weapon Familiarity: Elves treat Elven Double Bows as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
Features
- Elven Perception: Elves gain a +2 racial bonus on Perception and Search checks.
- Low-light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
- Trance: Elves are immune to magic sleep effects. Instead of sleeping for 8 hours, Elves gain their rest by meditating for 4 hours and are concious during this time.
- Elven Accuracy: Once per encounter, when making an attack roll or touch attack, but before the damage is rolled, you may reroll the attack.
Gnome
Hoping to set the gnomes more apart from halflings by giving them a stronger connection to a fey ancestry (like I think they have in later editions).
Size: Small, gnomes gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks, but uses smaller weapons.
Land Speed: Gnome base land speed is 20 feet.
Ability Score Adjustments: +2 Constitution, –2 Strength.
Additional Starting Health: +4
Automatic Languages: Common and Gnome.
Bonus Languages: Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Goblin, and Orc.
Weapon Familiarity: Gnomes treat Hooked Hammers as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
Features
- Gnomish Cunning: Gnomes gain a +2 racial bonus on Escape Artist and Sleight of Hand checks.
- Low-light Vision: A gnome can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
- Trickster: If you have any cover or concealment when you make an initiative check, you can make a Stealth check to start the fight hidden from sight.
- Fey Ancestry: Tied strongly to the Feywild, Gnomes are illusive and supernatural creatures. As such, a Gnome can teleport up to 10ft as a move action. This does not provoke an attack of opportunity, but you must be able to see the target location. This can only be used once per day, and you gain an additional use per day at every character level that’s divisible by 5, to a maximum of 5 uses at 20th level.
Half-Elf
Bit of a mix between elves and humans. Also with half-elfs and half-orcs existing, why are half-halflings not a thing.
Size: Medium, half-elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Land Speed: Half-elf base land speed is 30 feet.
Ability Score Adjustments: None.
Additional Starting Health: +6
Automatic Languages: Common and Elven.
Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages).
Weapon Familiarity: Half-elves treat Two-Bladed Swords as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
Features
- Diplomat: +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy checks and one Knowledge field of choice.
- Low-light Vision: A half-elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
- Inventiveness: After rolling a d20 for an attack roll, ability check, skill check or saving throw, but before you know the result, you may roll 1d4 and add that result to your d20 result as an Insight Bonus. This can only be done once per long rest.
- Knack for Success: Once per encounter, as a standard action, you can inspire an ally within melee range with success. Choose one of the following effects: “the ally gains a +2 racial bonus to the next saving throw”, “the ally shifts two squares as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity”, “the target gains a +2 racial bonus to his next attack roll”, “the target gains a +4 racial bonus to his next skill check”. This bonus lasts until used, or the end of the half-elf’s next turn.
- Elven Blood: For all effects related to race, a half-elf is considered an elf, and they can use magic items that are only usable by elves.
Half-Orc
Considering getting rid of one of the two negative Ability Scores.
Size: Medium, Half-Orcs have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Land Speed: Half-Orc base land speed is 30 feet.
Ability Score Adjustments: +2 Strength, –2 Intelligence, –2 Charisma.
A half-orc’s starting Intelligence score is always at least 3. If this adjustment would lower the character’s score to 1 or 2, his score is nevertheless 3.
Additional Starting Health: +8
Automatic Languages: Common and Orc.
Bonus Languages: Draconic, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, and Abyssal.
Weapon Familiarity: Half-orcs treat Orcish Double Axes as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
Features
- Intimidating: +2 to Intimidate and Survival checks. Intimidate is always considered a class skill for half-orcs.
- Darkvision: Half-Orcs can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and Half-Orcs can function just fine with no light at all.
- Last Stand: When you are reduced to 0 or -1 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead, and act normally. If your hit points are reduced between -2 and -9 you can heal two hit points. This ability can only be used once after each long rest.
- Overpower: Once per encounter you can activate this ability as a swift action. For melee or melee touch attack that you hit during this turn you and the target make opposing strength rolls. If you succeed on the check, the target gets pushed back by 5ft, plus an additional 5ft for every 5 points by which you won the strength check.
- Orc Blood: For all effects related to race, a Half-Orc is considered an Orc, and they can use magic items that are only usable by Orcs.
Halfling
Currently feeling a bit underwhelming in my opinion.
Size: Small, Halflings gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks, but uses smaller weapons.
Land Speed: Halfling base land speed is 20 feet.
Ability Score Adjustments: +2 Dexterity, –2 Strength.
Additional Starting Health: +4
Automatic Languages: Common and Halfling.
Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, and Orc.
Weapon Familiarity: Humans treat Tripple Daggers as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
Features
- Halfling Agility: +2 racial bonus on Acrobatics and Climb checks.
- Lucky: When you roll a natural 1 on attack roll, ability check, or saving throw you can reroll the die, and must use the new result. This ability can only be used once after each long rest.
- Underfoot: A halfling can move through spaces occupied by an enemy without provoking an attack of opportunity from that enemy, so long as the enemy is atleast two size catogories larger than you. They still can’t end their turn in another creature’s space.
- Avoidance: Once per encounter, at the start of your turn, you can end any ongoing daze, slow, stun, sickened or weakened condition currently affecting you.
Drow
Because of the 'Light Blindness', and a little compensation for that, the drow has become a bit of an exception to the 'lower number of features' rule Still, that felt important enough for the 'drow feel' and uniqueness to keep it.
Size: Medium, Drow have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Land Speed: Drow base land speed is 30 feet.
Ability Score Adjustments: +2 Wisdom, –2 Strength.
Additional Starting Health: +6
Automatic Languages: Common, Elven, Undercommon.
Bonus Languages: Abyssal, Aquan, Draconic, Drow Sign Language, Gnome, Goblin.
Weapon Familiarity: Drow treat Whips as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
Features
- Focussed Mind: Drows gain a +2 racial bonus on Stealth and Spellcraft checks.
- Darkvision: Drow can see in the dark up to 120 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and Drow can function just fine with no light at all.
- Trance: Drow never sleep and are immune to sleep effects. Instead of sleeping for 8 hours, drow gain their rest by meditating for 4 hours and are concious during this time.
- Cloud of Darkness: Once per encounter, you can create a cloud of darkness that remains in place until the end of your next turn. The cloud blocks line of sight, squares within it are totally obscured, and creatures entirely within it are blinded until they exit. You are immune to these effects.
- Light Blindness: Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds drow for 1 round. On subsequent rounds, they are dazzled as long as they remain in the affected area.
- Elven Blood: For all effects related to race, a Drow is also considered an elf, and they can use magic items that are only usable by elves.
Lizardfolk
Bit of an odd one; split ability bonusses, natural attacks are confusing.
Size: Medium, lizardfolk have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Land Speed: Lizardfolk base land speed is 30 feet.
Ability Score Adjustments: +1 Strength, +1 Constitution, –2 Intelligence.
Additional Starting Health: +8
Automatic Languages: Common and Draconic.
Bonus Languages: Aquan, Common, Goblin, Gnoll, or Orc.
Weapon Familiarity: Lizardfolk treat Claw Bracers as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
Features
- Well-Balanced: Lizardfolk gain a +2 racial bonus to Climb and Swim.
- Swimming: Lizardfolk have a swim speed of 15 feet. A lizardfolk can use the run action while swimming, provided he swims in a straight line. A lizardfolk can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to 4 times its Constitution score before it risks drowning.
- Thickskinned: Lizardfolk gain one point of natural Armor Class, and recover twice as many hit points from naturally by resting.
- Natural Weapons: Lizardfolk possess natural claw attacks that inflict 1d4 damage on a successful hit. This is a primary attack. And a secondary bite attack that inflicts 1d6 damage.
Merfolk
Wanted these to really be in their element during aquatic combat. However, currently they might be a bit too much aquatic-based, and too little outside of that. While that is sort of their 'thing', it does make them feel like a bit of an unatractive option.
Size: Medium, Merfolk have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Land Speed: Merfolk have the aquatic subtype, a land speed of 30ft, and a swim speed of 50 ft.
Ability Score Adjustments: +2 Charisma, -2 Dexterity.
Additional Starting Health: +8
Automatic Languages: Common and Aquan.
Bonus Languages: Elven, Sylvan.
Weapon Familiarity: Merfolk treat Nets as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
Features
- Grace: Merfolk gain a +2 racial bonus to Bluff and Perform checks.
- Amphibious: Merfolk can breathe normally, both on land and underwater, and do not suffer penalties when using a spell with vocal components underwater. Merfolk gain a +8 Racial Bonus to any movement-related check while swimming. Merfolk also have the ability to take 10 on any swim check that would not be considered part of an exceptional situation.
- Rejuvenation: Your ability scores regenerate at a rate of 2 per day, rather than 1 per day. Further. whenever you are healed by a healing spell, add 1d4 to the amount healed by the healing spell.
- Transformation (Ex): Two times a day, merfolk may choose to transform the lower half of their bodies to a more traditional merfolk tail. This form allows for an increase of Swim Speed equal to 10 times their hit die, divided by two (to a maximum of 50). It also increases the racial bonus gained for swim checks by one for every hit die, but decreases their base land speed to 5 feet, and merfolk gain the Monstrous Humanoid type when using this, replacing their Humanoid (Aquatic) type; If humanoid-based heavy armor is worn during the transformation, it is destroyed, as well as any legwear or boots being worn, though Light Armor is unaffected. This transformation is permanent until canceled out by using another use of this ability.
- Aquatic Combat: Merfolk can fight underwater with minimal combat penalties (-2 hit, -2 damage)
That's all I have, thanks for reading and I would love to hear what you all think. :)
Ever since the first time I read the abilities and features of the base races in 3.5 D&D / Pathfinder I've found them rather dull; a big list of situtational flat number bonusses, where every dwarf ever has had specialized combat training against giants. So since the start I've been wanting to redo them, and just got done for the base races+. A large portion of abilities come from different editions or posts on the internet, but since I'm far from an expert or an experienced player, I thought I'd ask here for feedback, advice and critique.
I'm not looking for perfectly balanced, optimized races, and for actual power I'm fine with them being better than the base races in the book. I just hope to make each race have something unique and active they have/can do that sets them apart from the other races, but keeping them close enough to each other in terms of overal power.
To achieve this each race has the following:
- Normal race stuff: Size, Movement, Languages, Favoured Class
- Ability Score Adjustment (avarages out on 0)
- Additional Starting Health (hoping to bump up level 1 health)
- ~4 points worth of Skill Bonus
- Two impactful, useful Passive features
- One Useable / Active racial ability
- (occasionally something special, like elf/orc blood)
Considering giving each race a racial weapon as well, to give the exotic weapons some more use, but not sure on that yet.
Human
I've never really been sure about the whole 'jack of all trades, hard worker' thing humans had going on. I've always seen them more as a race that has to work together and combine skills to achieve the same as the more naturally gifted races. Nevertheless decided to keep them as the generalist race. They currently don't have an Active ability yet, partly because I hadn't come up with one yet, and because I felt they'd surpass the other races.
Size: Medium, humans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Land Speed: Human base land speed is 30 feet.
Ability Score Adjustments: None.
Additional Starting Health: +6
Automatic Languages: Common.
Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages).
Weapon Familiarity: Humans treat Bastard Swords as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
Features
- Flexible: Humans gain 4 extra skill points at 1st level.
- Ambitiousness: 1 extra feat at 1st level, you must still meet the feat’s prerequisites.
- United We Stand: When adjacent to an ally a human gain a +1 Racial bonus to Armor Class and Saving Throws.
Dwarf
Short, tough and sturdy craftsmen. Meant to be able to take the most punishment out of the races.
Size: Medium: Medium, dwarves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Land Speed: Dwarf base land speed is 20 feet. Dwarves can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor.
Ability Score Adjustments: +2 Constitution, –2 Charisma.
Additional Starting Health: +6
Automatic Languages: Common and Dwarven.
Bonus Languages: Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Terran, and Undercommon.
Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves treat Dwarven war-axes and Dwarven urgroshes as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
Features
- Craftsmen: Dwarves gain a +2 bonus on Appraise and Craft checks.
- Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and dwarves can function just fine with no light at all.
- Dwarven Resilience: When rolling for additional health when leveling up use a dice one step lower than you would normally use for your class (to a minumum of a d4), but always add +2 to the result.
- Ignore Pain: For a number of times equal to 1 + your Constitution bonus per long rest, this ability can be activated as a swift action. For the rest of this round half of all physical damage you take is taken as non-lethal damage instead.
Elf
What sets the elves apart from the other races is their increased movement speed.
Size: Medium, elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Land Speed: Elf base land speed is 40 feet.
Ability Score Adjustments: +2 Dexterity, –2 Constitution.
Additional Starting Health: +6
Automatic Languages: Common and Elven.
Bonus Languages: Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan.
Weapon Familiarity: Elves treat Elven Double Bows as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
Features
- Elven Perception: Elves gain a +2 racial bonus on Perception and Search checks.
- Low-light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
- Trance: Elves are immune to magic sleep effects. Instead of sleeping for 8 hours, Elves gain their rest by meditating for 4 hours and are concious during this time.
- Elven Accuracy: Once per encounter, when making an attack roll or touch attack, but before the damage is rolled, you may reroll the attack.
Gnome
Hoping to set the gnomes more apart from halflings by giving them a stronger connection to a fey ancestry (like I think they have in later editions).
Size: Small, gnomes gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks, but uses smaller weapons.
Land Speed: Gnome base land speed is 20 feet.
Ability Score Adjustments: +2 Constitution, –2 Strength.
Additional Starting Health: +4
Automatic Languages: Common and Gnome.
Bonus Languages: Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Goblin, and Orc.
Weapon Familiarity: Gnomes treat Hooked Hammers as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
Features
- Gnomish Cunning: Gnomes gain a +2 racial bonus on Escape Artist and Sleight of Hand checks.
- Low-light Vision: A gnome can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
- Trickster: If you have any cover or concealment when you make an initiative check, you can make a Stealth check to start the fight hidden from sight.
- Fey Ancestry: Tied strongly to the Feywild, Gnomes are illusive and supernatural creatures. As such, a Gnome can teleport up to 10ft as a move action. This does not provoke an attack of opportunity, but you must be able to see the target location. This can only be used once per day, and you gain an additional use per day at every character level that’s divisible by 5, to a maximum of 5 uses at 20th level.
Half-Elf
Bit of a mix between elves and humans. Also with half-elfs and half-orcs existing, why are half-halflings not a thing.
Size: Medium, half-elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Land Speed: Half-elf base land speed is 30 feet.
Ability Score Adjustments: None.
Additional Starting Health: +6
Automatic Languages: Common and Elven.
Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages).
Weapon Familiarity: Half-elves treat Two-Bladed Swords as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
Features
- Diplomat: +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy checks and one Knowledge field of choice.
- Low-light Vision: A half-elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
- Inventiveness: After rolling a d20 for an attack roll, ability check, skill check or saving throw, but before you know the result, you may roll 1d4 and add that result to your d20 result as an Insight Bonus. This can only be done once per long rest.
- Knack for Success: Once per encounter, as a standard action, you can inspire an ally within melee range with success. Choose one of the following effects: “the ally gains a +2 racial bonus to the next saving throw”, “the ally shifts two squares as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity”, “the target gains a +2 racial bonus to his next attack roll”, “the target gains a +4 racial bonus to his next skill check”. This bonus lasts until used, or the end of the half-elf’s next turn.
- Elven Blood: For all effects related to race, a half-elf is considered an elf, and they can use magic items that are only usable by elves.
Half-Orc
Considering getting rid of one of the two negative Ability Scores.
Size: Medium, Half-Orcs have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Land Speed: Half-Orc base land speed is 30 feet.
Ability Score Adjustments: +2 Strength, –2 Intelligence, –2 Charisma.
A half-orc’s starting Intelligence score is always at least 3. If this adjustment would lower the character’s score to 1 or 2, his score is nevertheless 3.
Additional Starting Health: +8
Automatic Languages: Common and Orc.
Bonus Languages: Draconic, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, and Abyssal.
Weapon Familiarity: Half-orcs treat Orcish Double Axes as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
Features
- Intimidating: +2 to Intimidate and Survival checks. Intimidate is always considered a class skill for half-orcs.
- Darkvision: Half-Orcs can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and Half-Orcs can function just fine with no light at all.
- Last Stand: When you are reduced to 0 or -1 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead, and act normally. If your hit points are reduced between -2 and -9 you can heal two hit points. This ability can only be used once after each long rest.
- Overpower: Once per encounter you can activate this ability as a swift action. For melee or melee touch attack that you hit during this turn you and the target make opposing strength rolls. If you succeed on the check, the target gets pushed back by 5ft, plus an additional 5ft for every 5 points by which you won the strength check.
- Orc Blood: For all effects related to race, a Half-Orc is considered an Orc, and they can use magic items that are only usable by Orcs.
Halfling
Currently feeling a bit underwhelming in my opinion.
Size: Small, Halflings gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks, but uses smaller weapons.
Land Speed: Halfling base land speed is 20 feet.
Ability Score Adjustments: +2 Dexterity, –2 Strength.
Additional Starting Health: +4
Automatic Languages: Common and Halfling.
Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, and Orc.
Weapon Familiarity: Humans treat Tripple Daggers as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
Features
- Halfling Agility: +2 racial bonus on Acrobatics and Climb checks.
- Lucky: When you roll a natural 1 on attack roll, ability check, or saving throw you can reroll the die, and must use the new result. This ability can only be used once after each long rest.
- Underfoot: A halfling can move through spaces occupied by an enemy without provoking an attack of opportunity from that enemy, so long as the enemy is atleast two size catogories larger than you. They still can’t end their turn in another creature’s space.
- Avoidance: Once per encounter, at the start of your turn, you can end any ongoing daze, slow, stun, sickened or weakened condition currently affecting you.
Drow
Because of the 'Light Blindness', and a little compensation for that, the drow has become a bit of an exception to the 'lower number of features' rule Still, that felt important enough for the 'drow feel' and uniqueness to keep it.
Size: Medium, Drow have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Land Speed: Drow base land speed is 30 feet.
Ability Score Adjustments: +2 Wisdom, –2 Strength.
Additional Starting Health: +6
Automatic Languages: Common, Elven, Undercommon.
Bonus Languages: Abyssal, Aquan, Draconic, Drow Sign Language, Gnome, Goblin.
Weapon Familiarity: Drow treat Whips as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
Features
- Focussed Mind: Drows gain a +2 racial bonus on Stealth and Spellcraft checks.
- Darkvision: Drow can see in the dark up to 120 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and Drow can function just fine with no light at all.
- Trance: Drow never sleep and are immune to sleep effects. Instead of sleeping for 8 hours, drow gain their rest by meditating for 4 hours and are concious during this time.
- Cloud of Darkness: Once per encounter, you can create a cloud of darkness that remains in place until the end of your next turn. The cloud blocks line of sight, squares within it are totally obscured, and creatures entirely within it are blinded until they exit. You are immune to these effects.
- Light Blindness: Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds drow for 1 round. On subsequent rounds, they are dazzled as long as they remain in the affected area.
- Elven Blood: For all effects related to race, a Drow is also considered an elf, and they can use magic items that are only usable by elves.
Lizardfolk
Bit of an odd one; split ability bonusses, natural attacks are confusing.
Size: Medium, lizardfolk have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Land Speed: Lizardfolk base land speed is 30 feet.
Ability Score Adjustments: +1 Strength, +1 Constitution, –2 Intelligence.
Additional Starting Health: +8
Automatic Languages: Common and Draconic.
Bonus Languages: Aquan, Common, Goblin, Gnoll, or Orc.
Weapon Familiarity: Lizardfolk treat Claw Bracers as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
Features
- Well-Balanced: Lizardfolk gain a +2 racial bonus to Climb and Swim.
- Swimming: Lizardfolk have a swim speed of 15 feet. A lizardfolk can use the run action while swimming, provided he swims in a straight line. A lizardfolk can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to 4 times its Constitution score before it risks drowning.
- Thickskinned: Lizardfolk gain one point of natural Armor Class, and recover twice as many hit points from naturally by resting.
- Natural Weapons: Lizardfolk possess natural claw attacks that inflict 1d4 damage on a successful hit. This is a primary attack. And a secondary bite attack that inflicts 1d6 damage.
Merfolk
Wanted these to really be in their element during aquatic combat. However, currently they might be a bit too much aquatic-based, and too little outside of that. While that is sort of their 'thing', it does make them feel like a bit of an unatractive option.
Size: Medium, Merfolk have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Land Speed: Merfolk have the aquatic subtype, a land speed of 30ft, and a swim speed of 50 ft.
Ability Score Adjustments: +2 Charisma, -2 Dexterity.
Additional Starting Health: +8
Automatic Languages: Common and Aquan.
Bonus Languages: Elven, Sylvan.
Weapon Familiarity: Merfolk treat Nets as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
Features
- Grace: Merfolk gain a +2 racial bonus to Bluff and Perform checks.
- Amphibious: Merfolk can breathe normally, both on land and underwater, and do not suffer penalties when using a spell with vocal components underwater. Merfolk gain a +8 Racial Bonus to any movement-related check while swimming. Merfolk also have the ability to take 10 on any swim check that would not be considered part of an exceptional situation.
- Rejuvenation: Your ability scores regenerate at a rate of 2 per day, rather than 1 per day. Further. whenever you are healed by a healing spell, add 1d4 to the amount healed by the healing spell.
- Transformation (Ex): Two times a day, merfolk may choose to transform the lower half of their bodies to a more traditional merfolk tail. This form allows for an increase of Swim Speed equal to 10 times their hit die, divided by two (to a maximum of 50). It also increases the racial bonus gained for swim checks by one for every hit die, but decreases their base land speed to 5 feet, and merfolk gain the Monstrous Humanoid type when using this, replacing their Humanoid (Aquatic) type; If humanoid-based heavy armor is worn during the transformation, it is destroyed, as well as any legwear or boots being worn, though Light Armor is unaffected. This transformation is permanent until canceled out by using another use of this ability.
- Aquatic Combat: Merfolk can fight underwater with minimal combat penalties (-2 hit, -2 damage)
That's all I have, thanks for reading and I would love to hear what you all think. :)