3.0 Possible Race

[Evoker]

I had an idea to create a new race for 3.0

The Empath.

+2 to Charisma, -2 to wisdom.
Empaths are naturally charismatic, but somewhat naive.

+2 on Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks
Empaths can sense emotions. It is very easy for them to convince you of things or tell if you are lying to them

Can take Animal Empathy as a Cross-Class skill.
Empaths are good at understanding animals.

Whenever a creature is reduced to 0HP or fewer within 15 feet of the empath, they must make a Will save(DC15). If they fail, they are stunned for 1 round.
Empaths can get powerful feedback from creatures being killed or knocked unconscious.

Empaths can cast Calm Emotions 1 time each day, targeting only one creature, and lasting only one round. the DC for this effect is 11+Charisma Modifier.

Is this too powerful? Too weak? I am a starting DM and would love feedback on how to balance this.

[Khedrac]

I had an idea to create a new race for 3.0
Do you actually mean 3.0 or do you mean 3.5? (not that it makes much difference).

Also, this would probably be better posted in the Homebrew sub-forum.

The Empath.

+2 to Charisma, -2 to wisdom.
Empaths are naturally charismatic, but somewhat naive.

+2 on Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks
Empaths can sense emotions. It is very easy for them to convince you of things or tell if you are lying to them
Balanced stats, with a bonus to one usually considered weak and a penalty to a save boost.
Minor skill bonuses - nothing special here.

Can take Animal Empathy as a Cross-Class skill.
Empaths are good at understanding animals.
I think you mean "as a Class skill" - everyone can take it as a cross-class skill.
Even as a class skill this is a very weak ability.
Edit: thank-you to ZamielVanWeber for pointing out that 3.0 did have prohibited skills, I still think this is weak as a class skill.

Whenever a creature is reduced to 0HP or fewer within 15 feet of the empath, they must make a Will save(DC15). If they fail, they are stunned for 1 round.
Empaths can get powerful feedback from creatures being killed or knocked unconscious.
Now this is a major penalty for the race, and I really don't see the point in this, other than for roleplaying purposes.

Empaths can cast Calm Emotions 1 time each day, targeting only one creature, and lasting only one round. the DC for this effect is 11+Charisma Modifier.

Is this too powerful? Too weak? I am a starting DM and would love feedback on how to balance this.
And you finish with a fairly weak 1/day SLA. I would suggest specifying "caster level 1" for this, it gives the duration you want whle clarifying interaction with other effects.

My suggestions would be to go through this race doing a point-by-point comparison with a gnome or an elf (medium is better, but you want a race with SLAs).
I think you will see that this race will be seriously underpowered before you add the "save or stun" drawback; with that drawback I think this class is pushing LA minus 1.

[Inevitability]

The stun drawback is crippling and makes any kind of combat at low levels very frustrating. Even at higher levels it can easily eat up a round every few combats. Honestly the race would be more balanced if you just cut it out entirely.

[ZamielVanWeber]

3.0 had banned skills and IIRc Animal Empathy was one (it was later folded into some classes as a class feature) so being able to take it CC is relevant.

Also this race is pretty meh aside from possessing the rarest bonus stat in all of 3.0/3.5 (Cha) and being one of the few races to not have a Con penalty alongside it,

[TheBrassDuke]

I had an idea to create a new race for 3.0

The Empath.

+2 to Charisma, -2 to wisdom.
Empaths are naturally charismatic, but somewhat naive.

+2 on Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks
Empaths can sense emotions. It is very easy for them to convince you of things or tell if you are lying to them

Can take Animal Empathy as a Cross-Class skill.
Empaths are good at understanding animals.

Whenever a creature is reduced to 0HP or fewer within 15 feet of the empath, they must make a Will save(DC15). If they fail, they are stunned for 1 round.
Empaths can get powerful feedback from creatures being killed or knocked unconscious.

Empaths can cast Calm Emotions 1 time each day, targeting only one creature, and lasting only one round. the DC for this effect is 11+Charisma Modifier.

Is this too powerful? Too weak? I am a starting DM and would love feedback on how to balance this.

Bolded emphasis is mine. Empaths are supernaturally wise, in the sense that they can "just tell" what's going on inside your head, how you're feeling, if there's a problem, etc. They wouldn't be the most charismatic of the bunch necessarily, but they would sure be the wisest. So you should probably switch that.

Also, empaths are generally not naive, but rather optimistic and helpful, regardless of how things turn sour.