Malapterus
2020-09-02, 11:10 AM
I've gotten a bug to make these ant-people into a playable race.
Some background: The Queen had to move the colony, and she could not take all of her people with her. Thousands of Formians were left behind and are well out of range of the hive mind; most of them are workers. Free of or lacking the queen's influence, over time they lost their connection to the lawful plane and are now just regular creatures; Monstrous Humanoids. They've begun to think and act freely and their faculties are returning, granting them the curse of individuality that they now struggle with. The playable race will be based on these uplifted Formian Workers.
I've been trying to hash out the Ability adjustments based on the arrays and the best I came up with was;
+4 Dex
+2 Con
-4 Int
-2 Cha
-but I don't really like that. It's a lot of big numbers and really screws over a lot of magic classes, in my opinion. Instead, I am thinking:
+2 Dex
-2 Int
-with the Int penalty being because these creatures have only been thinking for themselves for a few months.
Monstrous Humanoid is easier to work with than Outsider so I am switching them over. This retains their 60-foot darkvision but forces them to eat, sleep, and breathe here on the material plane. It also takes away the huge array of immunities and resistances they have, save for poison which I hope to keep.
Keeping +4 natural armor; that's a lot, but it's hard to explain why it would be reduced.
Keeping the +10 movement speed for the same reason.
They are still quadrupedal so they get the related bonuses.
Size remains as Small.
Still speak Formian and Common.
Formians don't have a Climb speed, but have a racial +10 to Climb, so I am keeping it that way.
They get +5 to one Craft skill and skill focus in that skill. I am thinking of changing that to allowing them to take one Craft skill as a class skill.
Still bite for 1d4 damage.
I'd like them to have a stinger since the bigger ones do. I am thinking of using the sting attack from a Giant Ant; 1d4 damage plus 1d4 acid, though I am thinking they can only inject acid once per day. Also, they won't have Improved Grab, but if they do grapple someone they can automatically sting.
So it's looking like:
-+2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence.
-Small size.
-A Free Formian's base land speed is 40 feet.
-Free Formians have four legs.
-Racial Skills: A Formian may take one Craft skill as a class skill.
-Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Formians are proficient with their natural weapons.
-+4 natural armor bonus.
-Natural Weapons: Bite (1d4) and sting (1d4).
-Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 feet.
-Special Attacks: Once per day, a Formian may add 1d4 Acid damage to a successful sting attack. If the Free Formian is grappling at the start of its turn, it automatically stings its victim.
-Automatic Languages: Formian, Common.
-Favored Class: N/A I don't use this rule
-Level adjustment +0.
----
I would like to add more, but I feel like I am already pushing what a non-level-adjusted race would have.
Please critique the hell out of this because I do want it to work.
Useless info: The Formians in the story are based on leafcutter ants.
Some background: The Queen had to move the colony, and she could not take all of her people with her. Thousands of Formians were left behind and are well out of range of the hive mind; most of them are workers. Free of or lacking the queen's influence, over time they lost their connection to the lawful plane and are now just regular creatures; Monstrous Humanoids. They've begun to think and act freely and their faculties are returning, granting them the curse of individuality that they now struggle with. The playable race will be based on these uplifted Formian Workers.
I've been trying to hash out the Ability adjustments based on the arrays and the best I came up with was;
+4 Dex
+2 Con
-4 Int
-2 Cha
-but I don't really like that. It's a lot of big numbers and really screws over a lot of magic classes, in my opinion. Instead, I am thinking:
+2 Dex
-2 Int
-with the Int penalty being because these creatures have only been thinking for themselves for a few months.
Monstrous Humanoid is easier to work with than Outsider so I am switching them over. This retains their 60-foot darkvision but forces them to eat, sleep, and breathe here on the material plane. It also takes away the huge array of immunities and resistances they have, save for poison which I hope to keep.
Keeping +4 natural armor; that's a lot, but it's hard to explain why it would be reduced.
Keeping the +10 movement speed for the same reason.
They are still quadrupedal so they get the related bonuses.
Size remains as Small.
Still speak Formian and Common.
Formians don't have a Climb speed, but have a racial +10 to Climb, so I am keeping it that way.
They get +5 to one Craft skill and skill focus in that skill. I am thinking of changing that to allowing them to take one Craft skill as a class skill.
Still bite for 1d4 damage.
I'd like them to have a stinger since the bigger ones do. I am thinking of using the sting attack from a Giant Ant; 1d4 damage plus 1d4 acid, though I am thinking they can only inject acid once per day. Also, they won't have Improved Grab, but if they do grapple someone they can automatically sting.
So it's looking like:
-+2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence.
-Small size.
-A Free Formian's base land speed is 40 feet.
-Free Formians have four legs.
-Racial Skills: A Formian may take one Craft skill as a class skill.
-Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Formians are proficient with their natural weapons.
-+4 natural armor bonus.
-Natural Weapons: Bite (1d4) and sting (1d4).
-Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 feet.
-Special Attacks: Once per day, a Formian may add 1d4 Acid damage to a successful sting attack. If the Free Formian is grappling at the start of its turn, it automatically stings its victim.
-Automatic Languages: Formian, Common.
-Favored Class: N/A I don't use this rule
-Level adjustment +0.
----
I would like to add more, but I feel like I am already pushing what a non-level-adjusted race would have.
Please critique the hell out of this because I do want it to work.
Useless info: The Formians in the story are based on leafcutter ants.