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View Full Version : New Race: The Moulg [PEACH]



Phhase
2020-09-27, 05:15 PM
I've always thought that the current iteration of the Warforged is a bit reductive and perhaps a little setting-specific. The Moulg are my attempt at making something that satisfies the "Customizable automata" itch that the Warforged just doesn't quite reach. Please tell me if it's too strong/weak! There are a great many options, but I really wanted to cement the "highly specialized, no-two-the-same flavor.

https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/5CIO_M9h

sandmote
2020-09-28, 12:00 AM
It looks like 5e, but doesn't say anywhere. Among the base rules for the race, you don't actually specify if they count as humanoids or constructs for the purpose of spells that require a humanoid target.

Mechanically, your unique attributes are all over the place. Maybe rework them to make this race work similarly to the Simic Hybrid?

Individual Notes:

Completely Reversible: Flanking isn't a default rule in 5e
Extra arms: give a very short description, to explain they can't use weapons or anything similar.
Many-Eye & Predictive Models: races shouldn't give expertise in skills.
Multiphase Lenses: "magical darkvision" isn't a 5e term. Do you mean devil's sight or that the darkvision fails in an antimagic field?
Sonar Array: 30 feet of blindsight is a little nuts. This can ruin a lot of the Dm's options. Maybe reduce to 10?
Baroque Scale: specify none of your other statistics change.
Translation Codex: Increase the scale. You'd be learning languages at a ridiculous pace.
Capacitors & Coronal Discharge Ridges: I'd limit this extra damage to once per round
Heat Sinks: absorb elements grants resistance. If you were thinking of the damage, maybe just write out rather than requiring a different rule looked up?
Combat Codex: Maybe base it off of a number of attacks while in combat instead? However, this really only comes up for classes that don't already have martial weapon proficiency, so I dislike the implications it has for caster/martial balance.

Conceptually, I would make each person choose one option off of each of two lists. One list grants a strong mechanical benefit, while the other grants a social/characterization based benefit.

Lvl 2 Expert
2020-09-28, 04:13 AM
This is a linguistic nitpick, but from this document I can't figure out if what the singular and plural forms are supposed to be. Since you speak about "the Moulg" (similar to "the humans" and "the elves"), does this make Molgr the singular form? If yes, I'm probably simply unfamiliar with the way you stated that, and that's what has me confused.

Phhase
2020-09-28, 02:03 PM
It looks like 5e, but doesn't say anywhere. Among the base rules for the race, you don't actually specify if they count as humanoids or constructs for the purpose of spells that require a humanoid target.

Mechanically, your unique attributes are all over the place. Maybe rework them to make this race work similarly to the Simic Hybrid?

Yeah, I kinda tossed spaghetti at the wall. Personally, I think it's ok if some options are mechanically better than others, as long as they all have flavor/a niche. That's why they are sometimes so specific. And yeah, it's 5E, I'll mark it.

Is it really imortant to specify construct/humanoid? I think like, one spell (Charm person) cares about that. I'll make the change anyway, they count as humanoid.



Individual Notes:

Completely Reversible: Flanking isn't a default rule in 5e
Extra arms: give a very short description, to explain they can't use weapons or anything similar.
Many-Eye & Predictive Models: races shouldn't give expertise in skills.
Multiphase Lenses: "magical darkvision" isn't a 5e term. Do you mean devil's sight or that the darkvision fails in an antimagic field?
Sonar Array: 30 feet of blindsight is a little nuts. This can ruin a lot of the Dm's options. Maybe reduce to 10?
Baroque Scale: specify none of your other statistics change.
Translation Codex: Increase the scale. You'd be learning languages at a ridiculous pace.
Capacitors & Coronal Discharge Ridges: I'd limit this extra damage to once per round
Heat Sinks: absorb elements grants resistance. If you were thinking of the damage, maybe just write out rather than requiring a different rule looked up?
Combat Codex: Maybe base it off of a number of attacks while in combat instead? However, this really only comes up for classes that don't already have martial weapon proficiency, so I dislike the implications it has for caster/martial balance.

Conceptually, I would make each person choose one option off of each of two lists. One list grants a strong mechanical benefit, while the other grants a social/characterization based benefit.

To preface, remember that any one feature has the opportunity cost of not being any other feature. This is less of a problem for some features than others, but still worth thinking about I believe.

Completely Reversible: Nyeh. I guess I'm ok with it only being useful in that scenario. It's still good if you want to create Norby, if anyone gets the reference.

Extra arms: The idea is that they CAN use weapons, but they don't get any action economy benefit other than an extra object interaction. You COULD wield 4 daggers, but that would still only give you a main hand and offhand attack action/bonus action. You'd just have two extra choices of weapon to deliver said attacks with. Other implicit benefits include being able to wield a two-handed weapon and cast at the same time, as well as grappling while casting.

Many-Eye & Predictive Models: Why not? The race gets no skill or tool proficiencies otherwise. I tried to balance the benefits with drawbacks in the case of Many-Eye, although I do readily admit it's a very specific drawback, the DM can make sure it's not completely free. As for predictive models, that's my attempt at making Insight deserve its name as opposed to the name "Polygraph". How good would you say an agnostic ready action is, anyway? Long rest, or short?

Multiphase Lenses: Well I think it should be :smalltongue:. It's the former, devil's sight, but that's a specific eldritch invocation, which isn't what this feature grants. I can make the mechanics more specific I guess.

Sonar Array: Blindsight is good, but does it really need to be that small AND keep the countermeasures I've added? Since it's explicitly sound-based, there are ways to deal with it.

Baroque Scale: Would they normally? As is, only max carry weight would change, which is intended.

Translation Codex: Are you sure? There'd have to be speakers, and (I should specify) it has to be active listening, not just background noise. And in a world where Comprehend Languages and Tongues exist, it it really that good?

Capacitors & Coronal Discharge Ridges: Correct me if I'm wrong, but Capacitors already works like that, no? "AN attack or spell". As for Discharge Ridges...maybe. What case are you thinking of? It does make you vulnerable.

Heat Sinks: I was actually debating the phrasing for this one, was worried about it getting too finicky. Thanks for the recommendation, I'll change it.

Combat Codex: Yeah, that's one of the things I don't like about 5e, the weapons are a bit more reductive and less unique, and there is a fair deal of blanket unspecific proficiencies, especially since Exotic is no longer a weapon class. I guess this is for the case where a player wants to be proficient with something very specific that isn't on the weapons list, like a lasso, and doesn't want to take Tavern Brawler for improvised weapon proficiency. I like the # of attacks idea, I'll add that.


This is a linguistic nitpick, but from this document I can't figure out if what the singular and plural forms are supposed to be. Since you speak about "the Moulg" (similar to "the humans" and "the elves"), does this make Molgr the singular form? If yes, I'm probably simply unfamiliar with the way you stated that, and that's what has me confused.

....come think of it, you're right. As a fellow nitpicker, I'd be remiss not to listen. I think the way I'll spin it is that Moulg, similar to moose, is both singular and plural for most everyone, but the Moulg themselves use Molgr as plural.

sandmote
2020-09-29, 09:19 AM
Note to self; make sure I'm awake when commenting.

Charm Person and Dominate Person aren't the real issues; it's Hold Person.

Additionally, the opportunity costs for the various optional features aren't equal. You can compare this to the "Variant" Human's bonus feat; flexibility is nice but there's several options for pure power that get taken most of the time.

Extra arms: Casting with a two handed weapon already works fine. Taking your hand off and on a two handed weapon isn't even an interaction; this is necessary for using bows. The actual issue is using the extra pair of hands for a shield.

Many-Eye, Sonar Array: This depends on how often the drawback comes up, and how obvious it is the DM is invoking the drawback. Many-Eye I suppose could justify something powerful, as it grants a bonus the character could still get with a 1 level dip (or UA feat). Note that blindsight lets you see through illusions, ignore invisibility, and bypass a number of other effects, thereby having far more impact on what the character can do.

Also, I missed this last time but "sonic" isn't a 5e descriptor. Vulnerability to Thunder damage, maybe?

Capacitors, Coronal Discharge Ridges: I was thinking of "The damage bonus applies to one damage roll of a spell," as with the Draconic Sorcerer and Scorching Ray. Apologies.

Translation Codex: If the effect was temporary I'd consider it a fair option relative to the spells. Tongues makes it easier for someone nearby to eavesdrop, while Comprehend Languages don't help you respond. This has a 2 hour delay before you can start using it, but afterward you don't have to spend any resources to regain the benefits.

Phhase
2020-09-30, 03:37 PM
Note to self; make sure I'm awake when commenting.

Charm Person and Dominate Person aren't the real issues; it's Hold Person.

Additionally, the opportunity costs for the various optional features aren't equal. You can compare this to the "Variant" Human's bonus feat; flexibility is nice but there's several options for pure power that get taken most of the time.

Extra arms: Casting with a two handed weapon already works fine. Taking your hand off and on a two handed weapon isn't even an interaction; this is necessary for using bows. The actual issue is using the extra pair of hands for a shield.

Many-Eye, Sonar Array: This depends on how often the drawback comes up, and how obvious it is the DM is invoking the drawback. Many-Eye I suppose could justify something powerful, as it grants a bonus the character could still get with a 1 level dip (or UA feat). Note that blindsight lets you see through illusions, ignore invisibility, and bypass a number of other effects, thereby having far more impact on what the character can do.

Also, I missed this last time but "sonic" isn't a 5e descriptor. Vulnerability to Thunder damage, maybe?

Capacitors, Coronal Discharge Ridges: I was thinking of "The damage bonus applies to one damage roll of a spell," as with the Draconic Sorcerer and Scorching Ray. Apologies.

Translation Codex: If the effect was temporary I'd consider it a fair option relative to the spells. Tongues makes it easier for someone nearby to eavesdrop, while Comprehend Languages don't help you respond. This has a 2 hour delay before you can start using it, but afterward you don't have to spend any resources to regain the benefits.

Ah, got it. Yeah, they're people.

Is having a shield and a two-handed weapon broken though? I mean, I can see why it would be good, but

I get your point on blindsight, and agree to a certain extent, but if it's only a tiny radius, I contest that it isn't worth that much anyways. If you're already that close to something that's invisible or illusory, you likely are in a fair bit of trouble. You're probably right though.

Eh, I just like the word Sonic more than Thunder. Thunder sounds more like it should just be bludgeoning damage to me, whereas Sonic invokes that sweet shredding screech. It's just a me thing though. Also, the drawback is "Disadvantage on saves versus sonic effects", so any effect or attack that deals Sonic (thunder, whatever) damage and allows a save is made at disadvantage.

No problem. I anticipated the Magic Missile case, and I know it's a potent combo, but...it's cool. I like it. I want it to be a thing.

True, but also note that it's not guaranteed that you learn the language on your first try. This is kinda just my attempt at adding a language-learning system. (I'll patch soon)

apocryphaGnosis
2020-10-10, 01:18 PM
From your responses its a little unclear what type of feedback you want.

Your race is really cool! There are a lot of fun and flavorful abilities. If it works for your table, that's awesome. I would probably allow most of the options in a game I was running, bar perhaps one or two.

However, is it balanced? Not really. There are several abilities that violate 5e conventions for building races, are unbalanced, or have other problems.
It sounds like you don't really care about those small issues, which is a valid way to approach homebrew. It's your creation! But other people critiquing it or considering it for mainstream viability are probably gonna be a little more nitpicky about those fine details.

Are you looking for glaring balance issues, feedback on the flavor and roleplaying value, or something else?