PDA

View Full Version : My Baby 1 - Races



Arioch
2007-12-02, 08:05 AM
The world of Iladrin is a campaign setting. I've been working on-and-off on it for two years now, and I'm still ironing out the faults, but i want it to be watertight.
The main problem is that the main country is the Empire, which is a Lawful Good sovereignty (empires are always evil, eh?) with VERY efficient law enforcement. This makes it hard to have adventures in. I may end up fragmenting it.
Anyway, the setting: I have a new(ish) cosmology, new races, adjusted classes, new feats, new character features, a truly massive pantheon (I can't stop making gods!) and recharge magic (from Unearthed Arcana). Like I said, I'm still working on it, but I'd like some critiques on what I've got (except the pantheon - I can't ask anyone to look through that. It's 45 pages long!).

Anyway, the races. I'll post the new subraces first, and the new true races later.

I was generally quite harsh to elves in this setting. I don't like them much, so I cut them right down. There are some high elves and wood elves, painted elves in the deserts, and cold elves:

1) The Cold Elf

These traits are in addition to high elf traits, except where noted.

-+4 Intelligence, -2 Strength. Cold Elves are very clever, but are also frail.
-+2 racial bonus on Spellcraft checks. This replaces a high elf’s low-light vision.
-Cold Resistance (Ex): Cold Elves are completely at home in freezing environments, and they suffer no harm from being in a cold environment. The cold elf’s equipment is likewise protected. Against attacks that cause cold damage a cold elf has resistance to cold 5. This replaces a high elf’s weapon proficiency.
-Automatic Languages: Imperial and Frostelven. Bonus Languages: Elven, Draconic, Avian, Orc, Giant and Goblin.
-Favoured Class: Wizard. A multiclass Cold Elf’s wizard class levels do not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty. Wizardry is second nature to cold elves.

Cold elves use the same paragon class as elves (presented in Chapter 1 of Unearthed Arcana)

Magnificence
2007-12-02, 09:19 AM
Looks good, I think it could do with a weakness of some kind to balance the great intelligence and spellcrafting skills. But it depends on how powerful everything else in your world is.:smallcool:


Edit because depends isn't spelt with a "b". Heh.

Charlie Kemek
2007-12-02, 06:45 PM
can it speak common? as or as not a bonus languge?

Mewtarthio
2007-12-02, 06:57 PM
I'm guessing that "Imperial" is the new "Common."

Rigon
2007-12-02, 07:25 PM
i would say it needs -2 con or -2 cha to fix that +4 int.

Tyrolin
2007-12-02, 07:30 PM
Actually, the DMG says that each point of physical scores are worth 2 points of mental scores (unless I missed something)

Rigon
2007-12-02, 07:36 PM
might be true... but i like stat mods balanced to zero AND i think elven weapon proficiency is not a real loss for cold resistance as you get some from your class anyway.

brian c
2007-12-02, 07:54 PM
Actually, the DMG says that each point of physical scores are worth 2 points of mental scores (unless I missed something)

Ehhh yeah but the DMG is wrong. Spellcasters are so much stronger than melee fighters in D&D that giving a bonus to a spellcasting stat (like Intelligence) actually more than makes up for a penalty to a physical stat. +4 Int, -2 Str, -2 Con would be okay, but still pigeonholed as a wizard.

Nebo_
2007-12-02, 08:56 PM
Reduce the Int bonus. I don't see any reason why it needs to be that high. If the justification is 'because they're smart' then a +2 represents that.

Arioch
2007-12-03, 12:05 PM
It's already getting -2 Con anyway. Those ability score adjustments are in addition to hig elf ones. I could just take away the Dex bonus that it gets. Then its adjustments would be: -2 Str, -2 Con, +4 Int. I'm not sure that's fair, though.

Cold elves aren't just smart. They're really smart. Seriously. they mostly live in a big ice fortress in the middle of thousands of square miles of empty ice. They have nothing to do but think. They are almost all wizards, archivists or warmages.

To be honest, the cold elf wizard in the party is pwning, but in a recharge magic setting that's to be expected.

Arioch
2007-12-03, 12:12 PM
Anyway, next races: my gnomes. :smallbiggrin:

Most gnomes in Iladrin are sailors, though rock gnomes do exist. The stats for wave gnomes are in addition to rock gnome traits, except where noted:

-+2 Charisma, +2 Intelligence, -2 Strength. Gnomes are smart, witty and likeable, but not physically strong. These ability core adjustments replace those in the Player’s Handbook.
-+1 racial bonus on attack rolls against locathath and sahuagin. Gnomes have defended their islands from these creatures for generations. This bonus replaces the one against goblinoids and kobolds described in the Player’s Handbook.
-+2 bonus on Craft (shipmaking) checks. Gnomes specialise in this art. This bonus replaces the one for Craft (alchemy) described in the Player’s Handbook.
-+5 bonus on Profession (sailor) checks. Gnomes are excellent sailors. This bonus replaces the dodge bonus against giants described in the Player’s Handbook.
-Spell-like abilities: 1/day – speak with animals (sea birds only, duration 1 minute). This ability replaces the gnome ability to speak to burrowing animals.

There is also a psionic family of gnomes, the Red Flame clan. Stats are basically the same as those above, except for:

- +2 Wisdom, +2 Intelligence, -2 Strength. Red Flame gnomes are less comfortable interacting with others than most gnomes, but are more insightful. These ability core adjustments replace those in the Player’s Handbook.
-Telepathy (Su): Red Flame gnomes can communicate telepathically with other psionic beings within 30 ft. This ability replaces the gnome’s spell-like abilities.
-Naturally Psionic: Red Flame gnomes gain 1 bonus power point at 1st level. This benefit does not grant them the ability to manifest powers unless they gain that ability through another source, such as levels in a psionic class.
-Favoured class: Psion (not bard).

brian c
2007-12-03, 02:45 PM
Anyway, next races: my gnomes. :smallbiggrin:

Most gnomes in Iladrin are sailors, though rock gnomes do exist. The stats for wave gnomes are in addition to rock gnome traits, except where noted:

-+2 Charisma, +2 Intelligence, -2 Strength. Gnomes are smart, witty and likeable, but not physically strong. These ability core adjustments replace those in the Player’s Handbook.
-+1 racial bonus on attack rolls against locathath and sahuagin. Gnomes have defended their islands from these creatures for generations. This bonus replaces the one against goblinoids and kobolds described in the Player’s Handbook.
-+2 bonus on Craft (shipmaking) checks. Gnomes specialise in this art. This bonus replaces the one for Craft (alchemy) described in the Player’s Handbook.
-+5 bonus on Profession (sailor) checks. Gnomes are excellent sailors. This bonus replaces the dodge bonus against giants described in the Player’s Handbook.
-Spell-like abilities: 1/day – speak with animals (sea birds only, duration 1 minute). This ability replaces the gnome ability to speak to burrowing animals.

There is also a psionic family of gnomes, the Red Flame clan. Stats are basically the same as those above, except for:

- +2 Wisdom, +2 Intelligence, -2 Strength. Red Flame gnomes are less comfortable interacting with others than most gnomes, but are more insightful. These ability core adjustments replace those in the Player’s Handbook.
-Telepathy (Su): Red Flame gnomes can communicate telepathically with other psionic beings within 30 ft. This ability replaces the gnome’s spell-like abilities.
-Naturally Psionic: Red Flame gnomes gain 1 bonus power point at 1st level. This benefit does not grant them the ability to manifest powers unless they gain that ability through another source, such as levels in a psionic class.
-Favoured class: Psion (not bard).

Once again, please disregard the DMG guidelines of strength being the most important stat. Primary caster key abilities (ie mental abilities, Wis, Cha and Int) are the strongest and deserve to be treated as such. The DMG might think that those races are balanced, but in practice they both deserve +1 LA

Arioch
2007-12-03, 04:18 PM
So, take away the Int bonus then?

brian c
2007-12-03, 04:25 PM
So, take away the Int bonus then?

In both cases, taking away the Int bonus makes them a balanced LA 0 (maybe a little stronger than most LA 0, but not deserving of +1). It's really up to you though: do these races need to be particularly smart? You could keep the bonuses how they are and balance it out with some other sort of penalty

Arioch
2007-12-03, 04:40 PM
Do you know, I can't actually remember why these gnomes have an Int bonus? I made them more than a year ago, so its not that surprising. The Intelligence is gone on the wave gnomes and wisdom is gone on the Red Flame psionic gnomes.
Otherwise, I don't think they're that good really - they're only really useful on water. There is far less sea on Iladrin than normal anyway, so I think they're okay now.

Arioch
2007-12-03, 04:46 PM
Right, the first new race.
These are the arristar, an ancient race that used to be nomadic until they wan the war against the high elves and took over their forests. Thus, the two races hate each other with a passion. Arristar look reptilian, with vertical pupils and slit nostrils, and are often confused with yuan-ti by the ignorant peasentry. Ironically, they are one of the few races completely uncorruptable by yuan-ti magic in Iladrin.

- +2 Dexterity, -2 Strength. Arristar are lithe and graceful, but not physically strong or hardy.
- Medium: As medium creatures, arristar have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- Arristar base land speed is 30 feet.
- Light Step (Su): The arristar have an innate magical ability that allows them to walk on surfaces that beings of their weight would not normally walk on: water, lava, and even spider’s web. They can move across these surfaces at their normal base land speed, and they can hustle and run as normal. However, this ability only applies while the arristar is standing up - only his feet have the magical properties. Should he fall prone, having been tripped or knocked out for instance, or move using other parts of his body (if he is for some reason doing a handstand :smallwink:), he immediately sinks or falls through, as appropriate. An arristar can only use this ability while carrying a light load and wearing light or no armour. Light Step does not protect the arristar from other effects of the surface, such as fire damage from lava or entanglement in web.
- Low-light vision: an arristar can see twice as far as a human in areas of poor illumination. She retains the ability to see colour and detail while under these conditions.
- Automatic Languages: Imperial and Arristar. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic).
- Favoured Class: Any

brian c
2007-12-03, 04:53 PM
Do Arristar take any damage if they walk on lava?

Arioch
2007-12-04, 01:43 PM
Light Step does not protect the arristar from other effects of the surface, such as fire damage from lava or entanglement in web.

Yes. They're not that uber. :smalltongue:

They've surrounded their city with a large lake and shoot anyone crossing in an unsanctioned boat. Since they can walk across the water, its a valuable defence.

Do you think these guys are overpowered? Its a fun ability, but not really an amazing one.

brian c
2007-12-04, 02:20 PM
Yes. They're not that uber. :smalltongue:

They've surrounded their city with a large lake and shoot anyone crossing in an unsanctioned boat. Since they can walk across the water, its a valuable defence.

Do you think these guys are overpowered? Its a fun ability, but not really an amazing one.

It's a nice flavorful ability, with utility benefits but not too strong. Only reason I asked about the lava is because you said they could walk on it.

Arioch
2007-12-04, 02:39 PM
You're being really helpful, brian c, and I'm grateful. :smallsmile:
Anyway, the second new race: The Y-Trann. Basically, brightly-coloured psionic orcs with crystals growing out of their foreheads, called lobestones. These guys are good, but I'm not sure what to nerf to make them balanced while retaining flavour.


- +2 Strength, +2 Intelligence, -2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma. Y-trann are strong and smart, but they have slow reflexes and are shy and often unfriendly.
- Crystal Mind: Rather than brain matter, y-trann brains are made up of pink crystal, which is a better conduit for psionic energies. Y-trann gain 2 bonus power points at first level, a +4 bonus vs. mind-affecting effects, and are immune to an illithid’s extract ability and any other effect that manipulates brain matter specifically.
- Lobestone: A tranni’s lobestone is actually a part of its crystalline brain. It has 50 hit points and hardness 8. The tranni takes 1 point of Int drain for every 10 points of damage the crystal takes, but this drain turns to damage when the crystal has regrown. A crystal regenerates 5 hit points of damage every day, transforming 1 point of drain into damage per 2 days. If the crystal is sundered, it disintegrates, and a new one begins to grow in a month. The tranni is considered dazed for that time, and its broadcast emotions ability and its psi-like abilities cease to function during that time. The stone becomes inert if the tranni dies. The lobestone can be turned into a cognizance crystal or a power stone, but this costs the same amount of gold and XP as normal and the tranni must make a DC 12 Concentration check to manifest a power while the lobestone is energised due to the buzzing of psionic power. If the lobestone is sundered, the new one does not have the old one’s powers.
- Broadcast emotions: this is a tranni’s most distinctive ability. The lobestone on its forehead emits whatever emotion the tranni is feeling at the time. This causes any other sentient being within 60ft of the tranni to feel the same emotion, albeit much less intensely. This provides a bonus or penalty to all recipients of the emotion (no save). This ability cannot be controlled, and often causes problems. Up to two emotions can be broadcast at once. The different emotional effects are as follows:

Emotion Effect
Anger +1 on attack and damage rolls, -1 to AC
Awe -2 on Cha-based skill checks
Boredom -3 on Concentration checks
Calm +1 on all skill checks.
Courage +1 on saves against fear
Disgust +1 to AC, -1 on attack rolls
Fear -2 on saves against fear
Guilt -1 on saves against fear, -2 on Bluff checks.
Happiness +1 on saves against fear, +1 on Cha-based skill checks
Sadness -1 on attack and damage rolls
Surprise (e.g. flat-footed) No Dex bonus to AC.

- A tranni is vulnerable to certain effects that affect earth or stone, as they affect his crystalline brain, and there are other spells and effects that restore this damage. See “Y-trann Vulnerabilities” (in spoiler).
A tranni is vulnerable to certain effects that affect earth or stone, as they affect his crystalline brain, and there are other spells and effects that restore this damage, as follows:

- A shatter effect affects deals 1d6 damage/2 levels to a tranni (maximum 5d6)and stuns him. A successful save deals ½ damage and negates the stunning. He takes 1 point of Int damage/5 points of damage. Alternatively, the spell can specifically target the lobestone.
- A Diminutive or smaller creature can use meld into stone to enter a tranni’s brain, and can choose to deal 1 point of Int damage/round while in there.
- A soften earth and stone, transmute rock to mud or transmute stone to sand effect sends the tranni into a coma if he fails a Fortitude save, reducing his Int score to 0, and results in death after 1 week. This effect can be reversed by a regenerate, make whole, or similar effect.
- Repel metal or stone repels a tranni.
- A transmute rock to lava effect puts the tranni in a coma (unless it makes a Fortitude save), reducing his Int score to 0, and deals 10d6 fire damage every round until death. Only powerful magic (wish, miracle, greater restoration, etc.) can restore the tranni to his former state. [Complete Arcane]
- A stone to flesh targeted specifically on the brain spell deals 10 points of Int drain to the tranni and destroys the lobestone, as his crystalline brain becomes normal brain matter. The tranni also loses the benefits of his crystal mind. A flesh to stone spell targeted specifically on the tranni’s brain restores the abilities and heals the drain.
- A stone tell effect targeting a tranni functions as a detect thoughts effect, but the tranni does not gain its normal +4 bonus to save against it.

- Transmute sand to stone reverses the effects of a transmute stone to sand effect on a tranni.
- A mending effect repairs 10 damage to a tranni’s lobestone and 1 point of Int damage. A make whole effect completely restores any damage to the lobestone and any Int damage. These effects only restore Int damage caused due to damage to the tranni’s crystalline brain.
- A regenerate spell restores the lobestone and any Int damage due to brain damage.
- Transmute mud to rock reverses the effects of a soften earth and stone or transmute rock to mud effect on the tranni.
- A crystallise effect can specifically target a tranni’s brain, restoring it to its original state. This negates any effect that changes the subject’s brain matter, such as stone to flesh or transmute rock to lava, but does not restore the lobestone. [Expanded Psionics Handbook]
- A tranni can use stone mind as though standing on stone even when she isn’t.

There may be other effects, such as new spells or powers, or epic spells, that can affect a tranni specially. The DM must decide what the correct effect should be.


- Psi-like abilities: 1/day – detect psionics, energy ray (shoots from lobestone; sonic damage), sense link (sight only), stone mind. Manifester level is equal half your HD, rounded down.
- Automatic Languages: Imperial and Orc. Bonus Languages: Arristar, Draconic, Drome, Elven, Goblinoid, Maenad, Sylvan, Xeph.
- Favoured class: Psion.
- Level Adjustment: +0


I can't be bothered to go through and re-italicise all the spell and power names. Sorry.

Lady Tialait
2007-12-04, 02:50 PM
I like them, they get hurties in the head if they arn't careful that Nerf's them a bit, but as for the psi-likes, a bit much don't you think? maybe one of the gone. I see nothing wrong otherwise.

Arioch
2007-12-04, 03:50 PM
I think I'm going to get rid of the energy ray psi-like ability. It doesn't really fit.

Kaelaroth
2007-12-04, 04:03 PM
I like them. :smallsmile:

Arioch
2007-12-04, 04:33 PM
Aww, thanks Kaelaroth :smallbiggrin:. Its always nice to get praise.

Sam Panda
2007-12-05, 12:39 AM
Edit: I'm foolish, didn't see the part about cold elves getting high elf traits such as -2 con >.< never mind that.

I'm assuming from a later post you made, the gnomes don't get +2 int, +2 cha, and -2 str? It's just +2 cha, -2 str right? And then the fire ones are +2 int, -2 str?

Like the arristar, they seem balanced.

Really like the idea of the Y-Trann, though you seem to have a fondness of adding racial intelligence bonuses when previously, iirc, Gray Elf is the only race with int bonuses in the base books.

I think the Y-Trann are deserving of either being converted to +1 LA (zomg!) or having their +2 int bonus removed.
Either of those nerfs would fix them in my mind.


Sorry if any of these sounded harsh, just trying to do some constructive criticism, take it however you like.

Edit: ohh, also, I think the concentration check for the Y-Trann should scale in some way.

DC 12 concentration check is ok for a level 1, but a level 3 or above pretty much cannot fail and theres not much reason to have it. I would say DC 10 + character level, or maybe 1/2 character level, something like that.

Arioch
2007-12-05, 12:01 PM
ohh, also, I think the concentration check for the Y-Trann should scale in some way.

DC 12 concentration check is ok for a level 1, but a level 3 or above pretty much cannot fail and theres not much reason to have it. I would say DC 10 + character level, or maybe 1/2 character level, something like that.

The thing is, the Concentration check has to be made every time he tries to manifest a power while the stone is charged. This could be for a long time, so the DC can't be too high or he'll never get powers manifested. How about 10 + the manifester level of the item the lobestone is emulating. So one emulating a power stone holding a 9th-level power would have a DC of 27. By 17th-level, a psion will have a Concentration modifier of at least +20, so it should be okay.