My Homebrew "Dwarfs" - how power[ful\less] in D&D?

[Eerie]

I have this race of "dwarfs" (not really dwarfs, they looked like humans, with semi-transparent skin, so you could see their innards...) in one of my worlds.

They can swim\walk\"no_clip" through almost any solid unorganic material, they can see through it, they have very strong resistance to chemical damage and quite strong resistance to thermal damage. However, any sort of sky light - sun, moon, stars - is deadly to them as strong radiation to humans.

How would you describe them in D&D settings and how powerful\less woild they be compared to other races?

[brian c]

In the underdark, they'd be almost godlike. On the surface, painfully fragile. I wouldn't recommend this to be allowed as a playable race for PCs

[Eerie]

In the underdark, they'd be almost godlike. On the surface, painfully fragile. I wouldn't recommend this to be allowed as a playable race for PCs

Well, problem with "Underdark" in my world was - you can`t grow food there.

[brian c]

Well, problem with "Underdark" in my world was - you can`t grow food there.

So... what do these ghost-y dwarf guys do? Parasols? Or just trade for food

[FlyMolo]

I have this race of "dwarfs" (not really dwarfs, they looked like humans, with semi-transparent skin, so you could see their innards...) in one of my worlds.

They can swim\walk\"no_clip" through almost any solid unorganic material, they can see through it, they have very strong resistance to chemical damage and quite strong resistance to thermal damage. However, any sort of sky light - sun, moon, stars - is deadly to them as strong radiation to humans.

How would you describe them in D&D settings and how powerful\less woild they be compared to other races?

I really like these. I would give half standard movement on the no_clip movement, and limit the range on the seeing-through-rock ability. And then these would be AWESOME. As a player race, I could see their inclusion. They don't have to be too overpowered.

[vivi]

There either overpowered or way underpowered,

[Demented]

Overpowered in their native environment, but not very.

Burrow Speed, 30 ft. (6 sq.)
Wallhaxvision, 60 ft. (or more?)
Acid Resistance 10-15
Fire Resistance 5 (But also vulnerable to light from fire/lava.)
Extreme Light Vulnerability, 1d6/round

LA +2, probably?
Burrow speed's the sweet thing.

[DracoDei]

Earth Glide is WAY better than a burrow speed... burrowing leaves signs, and possibly even a route that is reasonably easy to follow...

How vulnerable are they to Daylight? Most light damaged creatures aren't hurt by it (perhaps dazzled but that is it... the guys are hurt by STARLIGHT... any of the light based spells would probably hurt these guys as bad if not worse than a vampire... other than that? LA = BIG

[Eerie]

So... what do these ghost-y dwarf guys do? Parasols? Or just trade for food

Yep.

It is more complex then this, you can grow some food underground, but the "dwarfs" overpopulated far beyond the capacity. So they trade.

[Eerie]

I really like these. I would give half standard movement on the no_clip movement, and limit the range on the seeing-through-rock ability. And then these would be AWESOME. As a player race, I could see their inclusion. They don't have to be too overpowered.

In a surface game, they will be limited to cellars and windowless rooms. Or walking around fully covered (so they can`t see anything).

[DracoDei]

How much do magicial "sun-goggles" to get around that problem cost? If nothing else Clairvoyance (+Silent Image?) as the base spell(s) for an item should get you a device that lets you see directly (or repeats what it sees onto surfaces in front of your eyes without transmitting any of the original light).

[Eerie]

How much do magicial "sun-goggles" to get around that problem cost? If nothing else Clairvoyance (+Silent Image?) as the base spell(s) for an item should get you a device that lets you see directly (or repeats what it sees onto surfaces in front of your eyes without transmitting any of the original light).

Hell, I`m sure D&D cheeze can beat every possible problem. :smallamused:

But there are no magical googles in this world. Pretty low magic, as far as I remember...

[Inyssius Tor]

Burrow Speed, 30 ft. (6 sq.)
Wallhaxvision, 60 ft. (or more?)
Acid Resistance 10-15
Fire ResistExtreme Light Vulnerability, 1d6/round

LA +2, probably?
Burrow speed's the sweet thing.

Actually, that's Earthglide. Way better.


How much do magicial "sun-goggles" to get around that problem cost? If nothing else Clairvoyance (+Silent Image?) as the base spell(s) for an item should get you a device that lets you see directly (or repeats what it sees onto surfaces in front of your eyes without transmitting any of the original light).
It isn't that the light hurts their eyes (although it presumably does), it's that the light hits them as if they were vampires. Goggles are not so helpful if your skin is sloughing off.

Anyway, are these supposed to be player characters? Because the LA would probably be enough to discourage anyone from actually playing them. In terms of CR--well, that depends on if you give them "daywalking suits," and how cumbersome they would be if so.

[Demented]

I couldn't remember the name of Earthglide. =S
Though I could've sworn there were creatures with a burrow speed that didn't leave tunnels.


These creatures could just clothe themselves entirely if they wanted to move about the surface. They can "see" right through the cloth. Though, eating would be trouble. They couldn't take the cloth off, and their food probably doesn't have the earthglide property. (Neither would their clothes, come to think of it!)