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DiscipleofBob
2007-08-12, 04:07 PM
Pengine, 1st-level Expert

Small Humanoid (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: d6+1
Initiative: +2
Speed/Swim Speed/Slide Speed: 30ft/15ft/60ft
Armor Class: 13 10+1 small +2 Dex
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-5
Attack: Club -1 (d4-1)
Full Attack: Club -1 (d4-1)
Space/Reach: 5ft/5ft
Special Qualities: Fire Resistance 10, Cold Resistance 10, Arctic Mastery, Climate Vulnerability
Special Attacks: -
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +1
Abilities: Str 9, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 7, Cha 7
Skills: Appraise +6, Concentration +5, Craft (Engineering) +9, Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering) +6, Profession (Siege Engineer)+6, Spellcraft +6, Use Magic Device +3, 2 other Craft or Profession Skills +6
Feats: Skill Focus (Craft Engineering)
Environment: Arctic Regions
Organization: Solitary, Nomadic Group (2-5), Large Society (50-100)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually Lawful
Advancement: by Class
Favored Class: Artificer
Level Adjustment: +1

Pengines are a race usually found in arctic regions or the similar planes. Pengines usually are educated to live in the totalitarian Pengine society. While actual Pengine societies are remote and hard to find, a typical Pengine community has a population nearing a 1000. One Pengine functions as a dictator in a society, while the rest either function as soldiers or laborers. Pengines are quite technologically advanced and militaristic, usually having a small navy per community
Pengines usually come in two flavors. Either the silent Pengine who gets his work done without protest and goes largely unnoticed, or the loud, blabbering Pengine whose constant squawking (Pengines' mouths aren't equipped to speak Common or most normal lanugages) will grind on any non-Pengine's nerves.
Pengines look like small, squat birds that don't usually get larger than 3 feet. They have a thick, rubbery hide, beaks, and two wings instead of arms. Despite not having any clear hands or fingers, they can carry and wield items with the same dexterity as a human, and despite their usual movement of waddling around, they can be suprisingly fast.
Most Pengines are Lawful, being conditioned to function in a totalitarian society. Rarely, one Pengine will get fed up with the mundanity of their society and leave with a small following of groupies. Such Pengines hate to do manual labor, as it's the reason they left the Pengine society, but the groupies will happily do any work for their new leader.
The concept of religion is a strange and foreign concept to a Pengine, whose society has nothing of the sort. Even rogue Pengine rarely find the concept of worshipping a god appealing.

Pengines as Characters
A Pengine character has the following attributes:
-+2 Con, +2 Int, -2 Wis, -2 Cha
-A Pengine has a base land speed of 20 feet and a swim speed of 15 feet
-Slide: With a running start, a Pengine can jump and land on its belly, sliding for movement. This takes a full-round action which provokes an attack of opportunity to start, and a standard action which does not provoke an opportunity to stop. The Pengine's base speed while sliding is 60 feet.
-Fire Resistance 10 and Cold Resistance 10
-Climate Vulnerability: Pengines were built to survive in cold climates. In hot climates (those with temperatures above 70 degrees), a Pengine becomes fatigued four times as fast as a human who becomes fatigued from lack of sleep.
-Arctic Mastery: Pengines move through all snow-covered terrain at normal speeds, and receive no ill effects from blizzards.
- Automatic Language: Pengine (The only language Pengines can communicate in due to their beaks only being able to form squeaks and squawks. A Pengine can usually understand other languages quite well despite not being able to communicate in them.)
-Favored Class: Artificer

NakedCelt
2007-08-12, 09:12 PM
One Pengine functions as a dictator in a society, while the rest either function as soldiers or laborers... Most Pengines are Lawful, being conditioned to function in a totalitarian society.
The concept of religion is a strange and foreign concept to a Pengine, whose society has nothing of the sort. Even rogue Pengine rarely find the concept of worshipping a god appealing.

Incongruity there. I can't see that it's a big step from following a dictator to worshipping a god.
Does this mean Pengines are never clerics? You should say so explicitly.


+2 Con, +2 Int, -2 Wis, -2 Cha: Pengines are rigorously trained from birth to endure harsh conditions and function as working class citizens. They have a bit of difficulty thinking for themselves, and thus function poorly in social situations.

I would have thought they'd function better, at least within their own totalitarian society.


Ice Breath: Once per day, a Pengine can use a cold breath weapon in a 10 foot cone doing 2d6 damage. In addition, all creatures whose HD are 2 or less than the Pengine must make a Reflex save (DC13 + Pengine's Con modifier) or be immobilized for d3 rounds.

That's one hell of a power for a player race, particularly since I don't see a level adjustment anywhere here.


Swim Speed: A Pengine has a swim speed of 15 feet.
Slide: With a running start, a Pengine can jump and land on its belly, sliding for movement. This takes a full-round action which provokes an attack of opportunity to start, and a standard action which does not provoke an opportunity to stop. The Pengine's base speed while sliding is 40 feet.

I'd imagine it'd be hard to turn while sliding, though... is there any rule about that? And can a Pengine slide and then attack, as a charge?


Energy Resistance: Due to their tough hide, Pengines gain Fire and Cold Resistance 10.

Again, far too powerful for a race with no level adjustment. And why fire resistance?


Climate Vulnerability: Pengines were built to survive in cold climates. In hot climates (those with temperatures above 70 degrees), a Pengine becomes fatigued four times as fast as a human who becomes fatigued from lack of sleep.

Fits your theme, but doesn't gel with fire resistance.


Automatic Languages: Pengine (The only language Pengines can communicate in due to their beaks only being able to form squeaks and squawks. A Pengine can usually understand other languages quite well despite not being able to communicate in them.)

Now there's a feature designed to wreck a party from the get-go. The Pengine character can't even talk to the other characters?! And which "other languages" does the Pengine understand quite well? All of them?


Favored Class: Expert

I don't think you can have an NPC class as a favoured class. Artificer, perhaps?

Truth to tell — sorry, DiscipleofBob, but this looks like a monster rather than a player race.

StickMan
2007-08-12, 10:17 PM
What kind of level adjustment are you shooting for now?

And I don't see why they have fire resistance, if anything the should have a weakness to fire from what you have said.

DiscipleofBob
2007-08-13, 01:37 AM
Incongruity there. I can't see that it's a big step from following a dictator to worshipping a god.
Does this mean Pengines are never clerics? You should say so explicitly.

Doesn't mean they can't be. Just means it's very, very rare. And religion and totalitarianism have a big difference. Mainly that said dictator isn't divine and can't grant spells or anything like that.


I would have thought they'd function better, at least within their own totalitarian society.

Well, the problem is there isn't much socializing in Pengine society other than praising the emperor at his rallies and communicating menial tasks to one another.


That's one hell of a power for a player race, particularly since I don't see a level adjustment anywhere here.

I was actually just going for NPC race, something random to throw at PCs sometime. And Level Adjustment is one of the things I'd like advice on, since I'm not sure exactly how to calculate that.


I'd imagine it'd be hard to turn while sliding, though... is there any rule about that? And can a Pengine slide and then attack, as a charge?

Noted, I'll have to include the fact that they should be only able to charge in a straight line (or maybe with only a very, very slight curve like tobaganning (sp?)


Again, far too powerful for a race with no level adjustment. And why fire resistance?

Fits your theme, but doesn't gel with fire resistance.

Think of it as wearing a thick, blubbery suit. Your body is kept warm from cold climates, but stuff like fire or a Ray of Frost wouldn't get through your thick hide. On the other hand, if you tried to wear the thick, blubbery suit in the middle of the Sahara desert, you'd faint from the heat very quickly.


Now there's a feature designed to wreck a party from the get-go. The Pengine character can't even talk to the other characters?! And which "other languages" does the Pengine understand quite well? All of them?

Whichever ones the Pengine decides to learn, as they could learn languages normally. So Common, Dwarven, Elven, a language from an Ice plane or something. Again, there mostly designed to be PCs, or at the most, a DM-Controlled PC.


I don't think you can have an NPC class as a favoured class. Artificer, perhaps?

Hm... Didn't see them as much of spellcasters, mostly just laborers. I'll consider it though, as a laboring team of Artificers does sound appealing.


Truth to tell — sorry, DiscipleofBob, but this looks like a monster rather than a player race.

Like I said, going for NPC race. But maybe I should put it as a monster format instead?

Kyace
2007-08-13, 04:33 AM
In the SRD, there is no Ice subtype. Do you mean the Cold subtype? Also, outsiders born on the material plane usually have the native subtype.


Ice Breath: Once per day, a Pengine can use a cold breath weapon in a 10 foot cone doing 2d6 damage. In addition, all creatures whose HD are 2 or less than the Pengine must make a Reflex save (DC13 + Pengine's Con modifier) or be immobilized for d3 rounds.
The DC is usually 10 + 1/2 HD + ability.


Swim Speed: A Pengine has a swim speed of 15 feet.
Slide: With a running start, a Pengine can jump and land on its belly, sliding for movement. This takes a full-round action which provokes an attack of opportunity to start, and a standard action which does not provoke an opportunity to stop. The Pengine's base speed while sliding is 40 feet.

You didn't give them a base land speed. Is that on purpose?


Energy Resistance: Due to their tough hide, Pengines gain Fire and Cold Resistance 10.
I'll third nixing the fire resistance. The cold subtype gives immunity to cold damage while taking extra damage to fire. That sounds right for something from an ice plane.


Automatic Languages: Pengine (The only language Pengines can communicate in due to their beaks only being able to form squeaks and squawks. A Pengine can usually understand other languages quite well despite not being able to communicate in them.)
If Pengines can't talk, can pengines spellcasters' mouths provide verbal component? If you wan't players to play this might I suggest a change? Instead of making it impossible to speak other languages make it twice as hard to learn other language. Thus, they gain one bonus language per every +2 of int and buying languages with skill points cost twice as much.


Favored Class: Expert
Ok, instead of giving them the favored class of expert, might you consider making this a monster race and have them advance by racial hitdice? As it stands for a race, this could either use an LA or some racial hit die. Actually, racial hit dice for outsiders would be better than taking levels in expert in every way: You get as many skill points, better HD, fighter BAB, all good saves.

DiscipleofBob
2007-10-04, 12:52 PM
Okay, I FINALLY changed this to a monster entry, since that was more appropriate anyway, and I decided to get rid of the breath weapon. Any improvements?

EvilElitest
2007-10-04, 04:44 PM
.................................................. ............


I honestly don't know what to say
from,
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JackMage666
2007-10-04, 08:54 PM
I assume you want +0 LA, so...


Small Outsider
Outsider is a VERY strong type to have - It gives you Simple and Martial weapons proficiency, Darkvision out 60 ft, and since it's not Native, he doesn't need to eat or sleep. +1 LA there... Make it Humanoid (Extraplanar) for +0 LA.


Pengines as Characters
A Pengine character has the following attributes:
-+2 Con, +2 Int, -2 Wis, -2 Cha
They have high Str for a Small length, but they also have a lower Dex than a normal small race as well. Stat's are built for Wizards.


-A Pengine has a swim speed of 15 feet
Land speed? Remember, most small races only have a 20 ft land speed.


-Slide: With a running start, a Pengine can jump and land on its belly, sliding for movement. This takes a full-round action which provokes an attack of opportunity to start, and a standard action which does not provoke an opportunity to stop. The Pengine's base speed while sliding is 60 feet.
Can they slide forever? Can they turn? I'd set it so they can Slide in a straight line for a number of rounds equal to their Dex modifier, cannot turn more than 45 degrees in a round, and cannot attack. Also, they provoke attacks of opportunity from threatening opponents.
Overall, no PC will really use this ability, though.


-Fire Resistance 10 and Cold Resistance 10
Nix Fire Resistance, and reduce Cold Resistance to 5. Resistance 10 is a bit much for a +0 LA race.


-Climate Vulnerability: Pengines were built to survive in cold climates. In hot climates (those with temperatures above 70 degrees), a Pengine becomes fatigued four times as fast as a human who becomes fatigued from lack of sleep.
These should be easily negated about level 5 or so, and earlier levels only provide a small problem. Endure Elements is a 1st level spell, after all. It's not a very potent weakness.


-Arctic Mastery: Pengines move through all snow-covered terrain at normal speeds, and receive no ill effects from blizzards as though under the Endure Elements spell.
Um, Endure Elements does nothing against Weather Hazards, only Hot and Cold climates.


- Automatic Language: Pengine (The only language Pengines can communicate in due to their beaks only being able to form squeaks and squawks. A Pengine can usually understand other languages quite well despite not being able to communicate in them.)
Lizardfolk can speak Common. Minotaurs can speak Common. Ettercaps can speak Common. I'd nix this.


-Favored Class: Artificer
And if you're not playing Ebberon?

Overall, it's somewhere around +2 LA, as is. Maybe pushing +1 on a stretch.

DiscipleofBob
2007-10-06, 01:53 AM
I assume you want +0 LA, so...


Outsider is a VERY strong type to have - It gives you Simple and Martial weapons proficiency, Darkvision out 60 ft, and since it's not Native, he doesn't need to eat or sleep. +1 LA there... Make it Humanoid (Extraplanar) for +0 LA.

Changed.



They have high Str for a Small length, but they also have a lower Dex than a normal small race as well. Stat's are built for Wizards.



Land speed? Remember, most small races only have a 20 ft land speed.

Changed.



Can they slide forever? Can they turn? I'd set it so they can Slide in a straight line for a number of rounds equal to their Dex modifier, cannot turn more than 45 degrees in a round, and cannot attack. Also, they provoke attacks of opportunity from threatening opponents.
Overall, no PC will really use this ability, though.

I guess I'll have to do some more work on the Sliding. And I don't expect any PC's from this race really.



Nix Fire Resistance, and reduce Cold Resistance to 5. Resistance 10 is a bit much for a +0 LA race.

Adjusted LA accordingly.



Um, Endure Elements does nothing against Weather Hazards, only Hot and Cold climates.

Fixed.



Lizardfolk can speak Common. Minotaurs can speak Common. Ettercaps can speak Common. I'd nix this.

It's mostly a plothook, as in the game I plan to use them for they seem like average penguins squawking until someone casts Comprehend Languages. I might consider changing this...



And if you're not playing Ebberon?

No reason Artificers can't be played outside Eberron. Besides, my group doesn't use the Favored Class rules that often anyway.


Overall, it's somewhere around +2 LA, as is. Maybe pushing +1 on a stretch.

Well, I got rid of the outsider. I guess Humanoid (Extraplanar) is a better subtype though I was also considering Magical Beast, but I'm not sure if that would be appropriate.

Thanks for the input. Very much appreciated.

The Neoclassic
2007-10-06, 08:05 AM
Looks like a creative idea. I do have a few comments however...

Why show a 1st level expert? Usually PCs run into warriors of NPC humanoid races, not experts (for example, the elf & hobgoblin entries in the MM display default warriors).

As they are now, they need a +1 LA in my opinion. This could be eliminated by eliminating the fire resistance (which doesn't make much sense here anyway).

For how many rounds can they slide? Are there any restrictions on the type of surface? Does it need to be straight or downhill (I can't imagine uphill realistically, but the description doesn't prohibit that)?

DiscipleofBob
2007-10-06, 10:59 AM
Looks like a creative idea. I do have a few comments however...

Why show a 1st level expert? Usually PCs run into warriors of NPC humanoid races, not experts (for example, the elf & hobgoblin entries in the MM display default warriors).

Mostly because I just needed a class level for the stats, and expert most suited the race given the fluff. I intend for the group to encounter five of these of various class levels.


As they are now, they need a +1 LA in my opinion. This could be eliminated by eliminating the fire resistance (which doesn't make much sense here anyway).

+1 in addition to the +1 I already gave them?

The fire resistance is explained by having a heavily insulated hide that heat and cold have trouble getting through to damage.


For how many rounds can they slide? Are there any restrictions on the type of surface? Does it need to be straight or downhill (I can't imagine uphill realistically, but the description doesn't prohibit that)?

Hm... Quite a few details I need to work on the slide. I don't think there should be a round limit, but maybe the speed should drop 5 feet for every round going on a level plane, or 10 feet every round for going uphill, and can't even be used in difficult terrain.