BigB
2020-02-25, 01:57 PM
Hi. So I've always been fascinated by characters that can transform, both in Games as well as in movies and tv.
And I'm pretty sure that a Saiyan race for D&D isn't that strange of an idea. But all the existing versions I've found are either lacking elements I want or very unbalanced.
So I decided to make my own. So for starters, a problem a lot of the existing versions have, is using Goku and Vegeta as a template for an average Saiyan. I didn't.
For starters, firing Ki-blasts like Kamehameha and Final Flash isn't a basic ability. In fact, the only Ki-based ability I kept, is the ability to create a fake moon to enable the transformation to Oozaru.
To keep them more in line with existing races, I actually used the official Half-Orc race as a basis. So here's what I wrote.
Saiyans live out in the wilderness, where they can hunt and fish for their food. They looks mostly human, with the exception of them having a prehensile brown-furred tail. While they can use this tail to carry light-weight items, Saiyans usually keep their tail wrapped around their waist like a belt.
Saiyans are usually tall and muscular with black hair.
- Ability Score Increase: +2 to Strength and +1 to Constitution
- Age: Can live up to about 2 centuries.
- Alignment: Neutral
- Size: Same as humans
- Speed: Base walking speed is 30 feet.
- Menacing: You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill.
- Relentless Endurance: When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
- Oozaru Form: During a full moon, if you look up at the moon, you transform into an Oozaru. Roll an Intelligence check (DC21 – Character Level). If you succeed, you are in full control. If you fail,
you go berserk. As an Oozaru you are considered a Huge Creature and your Strength and Constitution each goes up by +3. The transformation ends when the source of the moonlight
is removed or if someone cuts of your tail.
* Fake Moon: you have the ability to create a palm-sized fake moon which lasts for five minutes and allows you to transform into an Oozaru.
* Golden Oozaru Form: By turning into an Oozaru while in one of your Super Saiyan forms, you instead turn into a Golden Oozaru. Roll an Intelligence Check (DC31 – Character Level). If
you succeed you are in full control. If you fail, you go berserk. You get +4 on your Strength and Constitution. If you are in control, you turn into a Super Saiyan 4.
- Super Saiyan: You have learned to harness the innate powers of the Saiyan race and transform into what is called a Super Saiyan. Once per long rest you can transform for one round per Character
Level. You get +1 to Strength and Dexterity. Your speed goes up by 5 feet.
* Super Saiyan 2: You can sacrifice two rounds of your Super Saiyan transformation for one round of Super Saiyan 2. In this form you get +2 to strength, +1 to Dexterity and your speed
goes up by 5 feet.
* Super Saiyan 3: You can sacrifice four rounds of your Super Saiyan transformation for one round of Super Saiyan 3. In this form you get +3 to strength, +1 to Dexterity and your speed
goes up by 10 feet.
* Super Saiyan 4: By controlling your Golden Oozaru form, you activate your transformation into Super Saiyan 4. This form lasts for 1 round per Character Level and you get +3 to
strength, +1 to Dexterity and Constitution and your speed goes up by 10 feet. After the first Transformation, you can activate this form at will with the same conditions
as the basic Super Saiyan form, except you require a tail.
* Super Saiyan God: By performing a ritual with five other Super Saiyans the Super Saiyan can one time achieve a new form called Super Saiyan God. First the Saiyan must defeat the
other five Super Saiyans in combat, when victorious the losing five transfer their power to the winning Saiyan. This requires a CON save of DC20 for the Saiyan
receiving the energy and a CON save of DC15 for the ones giving energy. If any of the six fail their CON save, the ritual fails and the ones who failed their roll receive
2 points of exhaustion (3 points on a Critical Fail). After the first transformation the same power is now available as Super Saiyan Blue. Both forms last for 1 round per
Character Level and give +3 to Strength, +1 to Dexterity and +10 feet to Speed.
- Languages: Saiyans speak, Read and Write Common and one other language of choice
So, yeah, as you can see, it's a lot of text. I'm still not sure which version is better, this one, or my previous version where I locked away Super Saiyan transformations behind level-walls, making it more like a character class than a character race.
Thoughts?
And I'm pretty sure that a Saiyan race for D&D isn't that strange of an idea. But all the existing versions I've found are either lacking elements I want or very unbalanced.
So I decided to make my own. So for starters, a problem a lot of the existing versions have, is using Goku and Vegeta as a template for an average Saiyan. I didn't.
For starters, firing Ki-blasts like Kamehameha and Final Flash isn't a basic ability. In fact, the only Ki-based ability I kept, is the ability to create a fake moon to enable the transformation to Oozaru.
To keep them more in line with existing races, I actually used the official Half-Orc race as a basis. So here's what I wrote.
Saiyans live out in the wilderness, where they can hunt and fish for their food. They looks mostly human, with the exception of them having a prehensile brown-furred tail. While they can use this tail to carry light-weight items, Saiyans usually keep their tail wrapped around their waist like a belt.
Saiyans are usually tall and muscular with black hair.
- Ability Score Increase: +2 to Strength and +1 to Constitution
- Age: Can live up to about 2 centuries.
- Alignment: Neutral
- Size: Same as humans
- Speed: Base walking speed is 30 feet.
- Menacing: You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill.
- Relentless Endurance: When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
- Oozaru Form: During a full moon, if you look up at the moon, you transform into an Oozaru. Roll an Intelligence check (DC21 – Character Level). If you succeed, you are in full control. If you fail,
you go berserk. As an Oozaru you are considered a Huge Creature and your Strength and Constitution each goes up by +3. The transformation ends when the source of the moonlight
is removed or if someone cuts of your tail.
* Fake Moon: you have the ability to create a palm-sized fake moon which lasts for five minutes and allows you to transform into an Oozaru.
* Golden Oozaru Form: By turning into an Oozaru while in one of your Super Saiyan forms, you instead turn into a Golden Oozaru. Roll an Intelligence Check (DC31 – Character Level). If
you succeed you are in full control. If you fail, you go berserk. You get +4 on your Strength and Constitution. If you are in control, you turn into a Super Saiyan 4.
- Super Saiyan: You have learned to harness the innate powers of the Saiyan race and transform into what is called a Super Saiyan. Once per long rest you can transform for one round per Character
Level. You get +1 to Strength and Dexterity. Your speed goes up by 5 feet.
* Super Saiyan 2: You can sacrifice two rounds of your Super Saiyan transformation for one round of Super Saiyan 2. In this form you get +2 to strength, +1 to Dexterity and your speed
goes up by 5 feet.
* Super Saiyan 3: You can sacrifice four rounds of your Super Saiyan transformation for one round of Super Saiyan 3. In this form you get +3 to strength, +1 to Dexterity and your speed
goes up by 10 feet.
* Super Saiyan 4: By controlling your Golden Oozaru form, you activate your transformation into Super Saiyan 4. This form lasts for 1 round per Character Level and you get +3 to
strength, +1 to Dexterity and Constitution and your speed goes up by 10 feet. After the first Transformation, you can activate this form at will with the same conditions
as the basic Super Saiyan form, except you require a tail.
* Super Saiyan God: By performing a ritual with five other Super Saiyans the Super Saiyan can one time achieve a new form called Super Saiyan God. First the Saiyan must defeat the
other five Super Saiyans in combat, when victorious the losing five transfer their power to the winning Saiyan. This requires a CON save of DC20 for the Saiyan
receiving the energy and a CON save of DC15 for the ones giving energy. If any of the six fail their CON save, the ritual fails and the ones who failed their roll receive
2 points of exhaustion (3 points on a Critical Fail). After the first transformation the same power is now available as Super Saiyan Blue. Both forms last for 1 round per
Character Level and give +3 to Strength, +1 to Dexterity and +10 feet to Speed.
- Languages: Saiyans speak, Read and Write Common and one other language of choice
So, yeah, as you can see, it's a lot of text. I'm still not sure which version is better, this one, or my previous version where I locked away Super Saiyan transformations behind level-walls, making it more like a character class than a character race.
Thoughts?