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View Full Version : This is to angels as tap water is to domestic beer [RACE]



Collin152
2007-10-25, 11:50 PM
Alright, so I was thinking of what i wanted in my campaign setting, when it hit me. I wanted angels to play a big part. A really, really big part. Looking at the angels, I decided that they were all far too powerful to have wandering the earth. Really. The weakest variety is more than sufficient to overthrow any evil nation, much less deal with all a citys problems. So I decided to whip me up a more low class race that, while being watered down, will have a slightly differant flavor than Aasimars (which truth be told, I despise.)
So I cobbled together this little shanty, and would like some advice. If it gets a level adjustment, I don't want it over one. I also have plans to make others, to fill other niches.

EDIT: Day two remembrances are in italics, just so you are aware.

Seraphim
(singular: Seraph adjective: Seraphic)
Seraphim are the hosts of heaven, the servants of the OGds on earth. While many dwell within the upper planes, the vast majority are sent to earth as psuedomortals to carry out the will of their masters where clerics are insufficient.
Society: Seraphim tend to stay together within a community, and value family above anything else. Seraphim of Lawful dieties carry out the laws of whatever land they live in, provided the laws were presented by legitimate authority.
Religion: Seraphim worship the God they are servents of. IT is possible (via an atonement spell) for a seraph to change the god they serve, though this generally is unaccepted by any Lawful or Good god; it would take very powerful circumstances for a Seraphim to change religion.
Alignment: Seraphim alignments are generally the same as that of the diety they serve.

Seraphic Characters
Seraphim have the following racial traits:
+2 Cha -2 Con ; Their otherworldlieness lend sa peculiar atmosphere to Seraphim, but most Seraphic bodies are not adjusted to living in a world so fraught with mortal peril that they can't resist injury as well.
Medium Size
Creature Type: Outsider (Native); Seraphim have somewhat mortal bodies, and as such are treated differantly than both most other Angels and from mortals.Base land Speed 30 feet
Darkvision to 60 feet
Mortal Frame: For the purposes of magical effects, Seraphim are treated as humanoids and outsiders. If a spell effects outsiders differantly than humanoids, for the purpose of that spell, Seraphim are Outsiders.

Celestial Sustenance: A Seraph need only eat, drink, and sleep once per week. Particularly dehydrating circumstances do not incease the drinking requirement. If a Seraph does not rest, they do not still heal hit points, as normal. A Seraph ages, (age catagories as elves) but has no maximum age. Even very old Seraphim look moderatley young (no more than 50)

Supernatural ability: A Seraph has one of the following supernatural abilities, often dependant on its alignment. Each may be used once per day.
Detect Lies, as Discern lies, but it can only affect one creature, duration is one round, and may be fooled by careful wording (a Bluff check, which you gain a +5 bous on your sense motive check to negate, and they must actively be manipulating their words)
Mask Truth, you can cause one creature hearing your words to believe they are completely true. They are entitled to a will save (DC 10 + your Charisma modifier) to negate the effect. If they fail, they are till under no compulsion to act on what you say, but will believe your words without question, and thus may have their actions influenced. This can mask no more than 10 words, and an additional 5 words for each point of your charisma modifier.

[Suggestions for more of those? This is the real level adjustment area, if they even get one.]

Favored Class: Favored Soul
LA: +??

Not completley done, but I need input before I can expand my idea.

Baron Corm
2007-10-26, 12:05 AM
what you have there i'd call a definite LA +0.

everyone has a different idea for what "angel" means, but i would change the LA to +1, give them proper discern lies, give them flight, and change the ability scores to +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, +4 Charisma. maybe some kind of energy or damage resistance or some other unique ability depending on the god they represent. i would just never expect an angel to be on the same power level as a human.

you could grant them the ability to use one of the domain powers of their god once per day. otherwise, for the supernatural ability just think of something similar to a domain power which their god would have.

Maerok
2007-10-26, 12:24 AM
If you're looking for ideas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_angelic_hierarchy

I've always considered the Seraphim to be the most majestic, not tap water...

13_CBS
2007-10-26, 12:29 AM
what you have there i'd call a definite LA +0.

everyone has a different idea for what "angel" means, but i would change the LA to +1, give them proper discern lies, give them flight, and change the ability scores to +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, +4 Charisma. maybe some kind of energy or damage resistance or some other unique ability depending on the god they represent. i would just never expect an angel to be on the same power level as a human.

you could grant them the ability to use one of the domain powers of their god once per day. otherwise, for the supernatural ability just think of something similar to a domain power which their god would have.

Wait, how would all of those fat stat boosts and extra powers only amount to LA +1? :smallconfused:

ArmorArmadillo
2007-10-26, 12:47 AM
Wait, how would all of those fat stat boosts and extra powers only amount to LA +1? :smallconfused:

Nope, that would be LA 3, maybe a heavy 2.

As is, they're just about LA 0.


Please clean up the abilities section, it's kind of messy and hard to follow right now. Use bold and italics liberally to deliniate the ability names and sections.

Jack Mann
2007-10-26, 12:53 AM
This is to angels as tap water is to domestic beer

Indistinguishable?

Fizban
2007-10-26, 09:20 AM
Well you could try the movanic deva in the field folio, but they're still CR 5...

The aasimar stats seem just fine for this kind of thing, though I would prefer something with flight as well. Maybe just give an aasimar flight and LA+2 and call it good.

Magnor Criol
2007-10-26, 10:16 AM
Indistinguishable?

Ba-dum-bum-pssh.


Well you could try the movanic deva in the field folio, but they're still CR 5...

The aasimar stats seem just fine for this kind of thing, though I would prefer something with flight as well. Maybe just give an aasimar flight and LA+2 and call it good.

He said he hates the Aasimar, which means he wants to avoid using them.

As for the creature - as most people said, some sort of power of flight seems appropriate. Perhaps it's not manifested all the time, but they can sprout their wings with - I dunno, a full action, and then go flying the next round?

I agree about making the ability boosts slightly larger, though not too much. Maybe another +2 thrown in there (I can see a good argument for any of the abilities getting this; Wisdom is probably the best choice.)

You mentioned 'dealing with a city's problems'. Is this celestial intended to come to earth and pose as a mortal to deal with these problems? If so, consider adding some more high angelic-style abilities that they can't access without 'blowing their cover', so to speak. Wings would probably be one of those.
They could have different stats, even, depending on their status at the moment; as a posing mortal, they've got such-and-such, but if they have to, they can activate the rest of their hidden angelic abilities, gaining flight and perhaps an aura and a good boost to most of their abilities. At this point, they become full-fledged angels on the Material Plane, and with their cover blown, they can only stay for a little while longer before they're recalled to the plane they originally came from.

That sets them up well for the story; they're working to fix problems, but they can only do so for an extended time as pseudomortals. Their normal forms are considered by the gods to be just too much good to linger on the Material Plane for very long. So they have to suppress themselves to deal with things, but if worst comes to worst, they can activate their inherent powers to save themselves and others from dying or defeat some terrible evil that reveals itself.

puppyavenger
2007-10-26, 10:56 AM
Religion: though this generally is unaccepted by any Lawful or Good god;


why lawful?
after all why would the god of ecconomics exept them more than the god of anarchy?

Collin152
2007-10-26, 05:16 PM
Sorry, I negelcted to mention this wasn't the whole thing! heheh heh... edits coming momentarily. Whoops.

As for wings, and flight, I intended that to be a feat, among other things. You know, things like that. Flight is kinda powerful, but Favored Souls dont get wings til level 17, so I needed a happy medium, and Feats is the way to go, it seems. Im still working, of course. It needn't be LA 1, unless I decide that it's just too wimpy once its all settled. If possible, an LA of 0 would be pleasent enough.