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View Full Version : [4e] Nine Draconic Races (Dragon Magic Update)



Xefas
2008-05-29, 11:25 AM
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/dmag_gallery/100208.jpg

Silverbrow Human
Abilities: +2 to any one ability score, +2 Cha
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Normal
----
Languages: Common, Draconic
Skills: +2 Bluff
----
Bonus Feat: Any one bonus feat
Feather Fall: Whenever you are knocked prone, make an immediate saving throw to remain standing.
Bonus Power: One extra at-will power from your class list


Deepwyrm Drow
Abilities: +2 Dex, +2 Cha
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: darkvision
----
Languages: Common, Undercommon
Skills: +2 Bluff, +2 Stealth
----
Trance: Spend 4 hours in extended rest instead of 6; while taking an extended rest, you are fully aware of your surroundings.
Deepwyrm Blessing: Once per encounter, you may use either Cloud of Darkness or Guise of the Wyrm.

{table=head]Guise of the Wyrm (Deepwyrm Drow Racial Power)
Magical darkness begins to swirl around your form, clouding the senses of all who look upon you, and making it difficult to tell exactly where you are.
Encounter
Minor Action * Personal
Effect: Make a Stealth check. Until the beginning of your next turn, any enemies who attempt to target you with an ability must first make a Perception check opposed by the Stealth check that you rolled. If their check fails, they must select an alternative target. Abilities that effect an area are not affected by Guise of the Wyrm.[/table]

{table=head]Cloud of Darkness (Drow Racial Power)
A cloud of darkness obscures you, but your vision pierces it.
Encounter
Standard Action * Close Burst 1
Effect: A cloud of darkness is created that lasts until the beginning of your next turn. The cloud blocks line of sight for all creatures except you. Any creature who is entirely within the cloud is blinded (you are immune).[/table]


Fireblood Dwarf
Abilities: +2 Con, +2 Wis
Size: Medium
Speed: 5 (Dwarves are not slowed by wearing heavy armor)
Vision: Normal
----
Languages: Normal, Dwarven
Skills: +2 Endurance, +2 Dungeoneering
----
Dwarven Resilience: Use Second Wind as a minor action
Fire Resistance: You have Resist Fire equal to 5 + ½ your level
Heat Resistance: +2 racial bonus on all saving throws against abilities with the Fire keyword.


Glimmerskin Halfling
Abilities: +2 Dex, +2 Cha
Size: Small
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Normal
----
Languages: Common, Draconic
Skills: +2 Acrobatics, +2 Heal
----
Nimble Reactions: +2 AC against Opportunity Attacks
Bold: +5 racial bonus on all saving throws against fear
Defense Bonus: +1 Reflex

{table=head]Touch of Luck (Glimmerskin Halfling Racial Power)
Your luck is focused outward instead of inward.
Encounter
Immediate Interrupt
Trigger: An enemy hits one of your allies within 3 squares
Effect: Force the enemy to reroll the attack. The enemy must take the new roll, even if it is lower. This ability cannot be used on yourself.[/table]


Viletooth Dragonborn
Abilities: +2 Con
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Normal
----
Languages: Common, Draconic
Skills: +2 Intimidate, +2 Stealth
----
Aquatic: You can breathe water as well as air
Bonus Skill: Stealth

{table=head]Acidic Bite (Viletooth Dragonborn Racial Power)
You produce a deadly acid that can be ejected from glands in your mouth.
Encounter * Acid
Minor Action Melee
Target: Adjacent creature
Attack: Con vs Fortitude
Hit: 1d6 + Con modifier damage and 5 ongoing acid damage (save ends)[/table]


Frostblood Orc
Abilities: +2 Str, +2 Con
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 squares (8 when charging)
Vision: Low Light
----
Languages: Common, Orcish
Skills: +2 Endurance
----
Cold Resistance You have Resist Cold 5
Fire Vulnerability You have Vulnerable Fire 5

{table=head]Warrior’s Surge (Orc Racial Power)
Encounter * Healing, Weapon
Standard Action * Melee
Target: Adjacent creature
Attack: Str vs AC
Hit: 1[W] + Str mod damage and you spend a healing surge.[/table]


Forestlord Half-Elves
Abilities: +2 Con, +2 Dex
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Normal
----
Languages: Common, Elven, Draconic
Skills: +2 Stealth, +2 Insight
----
Dilettante: At 1st level, you choose an at-will power from a class different from yours. You can use that power as an encounter power.
Dual Heritage: You can select feats that have either elf or human as a prerequisite, as long as you meet any other requirements.

{table=head]Luring Gaze
For a brief moment, you enter the target's mind and fill it with an unnatural compulsion to come and stand before you.
Encounter * Charm, Gaze
Minor Action * Ranged 10
Target: One Creature
Attack: Int, Wis, or Cha vs Will
Hit: The target is pulled 3 squares[/table]


Stonehunter Gnome
Abilities: +2 Int, +2 Con
Size: Small
Speed: 5 squares, Climb 5
Vision: Low Light
----
Languages: Common, Draconic
Skills: +2 Athletics, +2 Endurance, +2 Stealth, +2 Dungeoneering
----
Reactive Stealth: If you have cover or concealment when you make an initiative check, you can make a Stealth check to escape notice.


Sunscorch Hobgoblin
Abilities: +2 Con, +2 Cha
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Low-Light
---
Languages: Common, Goblin
Skills: +2 Athletics, +2 Bluff
---
Defense Bonus: +1 Fortitude

{table=head]Thunderclap
By clapping your equipment together, stomping your foot on the ground, or some similar act, your draconic nature takes effect, amplifying the sound to a loud boom.
Encounter * Thunder
Standard Action * Close Blast 3
Target: All creatures in blast
Attack: Str, Con, or Cha vs Fortitude
Hit: 1d6 + Str, Con, or Cha damage and the target is dazed for 1 round[/table]

Xefas
2008-06-03, 09:51 PM
Added three new races to complete the Dragon Magic set: Forestlord Half-Elf, Stonehunter Gnome, and Sunscorch Hobgoblin.

Stycotl
2008-06-04, 04:21 PM
very cool.

Moff Chumley
2008-06-04, 06:35 PM
Very nice. I shall bookmark and present to my players when 4e D-day arrives...

Azerian Kelimon
2008-06-04, 06:55 PM
The Silverbrow human is b0rked. All of the important human advantages, PLUS an extra boosted stat? Too powerful. Remove one of the two bonuses. and the half elf gets TWO encounter powers from race? Too strong, too.

The rest seem good.

Xefas
2008-06-04, 08:22 PM
The Silverbrow human is b0rked. All of the important human advantages, PLUS an extra boosted stat? Too powerful. Remove one of the two bonuses. and the half elf gets TWO encounter powers from race? Too strong, too.

The rest seem good.

Alright, I took away the +2 Cha and gave them +1 Will instead.

That way, the Human is trading an Extra Trained Skill for a +2 Bluff and a +1 Fort and Ref for the ability to resist getting knocked prone 55% of the time. Sound fair?

Oh, and are you saying that the normal Half-Elf is balanced? It's ass. The addition of a single non-damaging ability makes them good and fun, in my opinion. It's the extra nudge they needed.

Azerian Kelimon
2008-06-04, 09:25 PM
You're kidding? Getting the enemy to you is awesome. If he enters your threat range, he's hit by an OA. A Heavy Blade opportunist or a Swordmaster can smack an opponent silly with the OA, a paladin can mark the target. It's silly good for defenders or anyone who can capitalize on OA's. And if the enemy passes through another friend's threat range, he gets Smacked.

Not to mention the advantage having the opponent close to you gives you. You can now provide flanking to a striker, you have a setup to combine with the controller, and the leader...well, I'll have to look for things a leader could do with that.

But yes, you underestimate the effect. Sometimes, damage is NOT everything.

Xefas
2008-06-04, 09:50 PM
But yes, you underestimate the effect. Sometimes, damage is NOT everything.

Forced Movement, such as Push, Pull, or Slide does not provoke Opportunity Attacks. It just moves the enemy 3 squares closer, nothing else. Player's Handbook, page 285.


Forced Movement does not provoke opportunity attacks or other opportunity actions.

Azerian Kelimon
2008-06-05, 11:38 AM
Forced Movement, such as Push, Pull, or Slide does not provoke Opportunity Attacks. It just moves the enemy 3 squares closer, nothing else. Player's Handbook, page 285.

Sustained attacks. What about pulling the enemy into a stinking cloud, or such? Do they avoid that too, or does it work?

Xefas
2008-06-05, 09:11 PM
Sustained attacks. What about pulling the enemy into a stinking cloud, or such? Do they avoid that too, or does it work?

Yes, those still work. However, there are only 3 abilities like that in the PHB. All of them belong to the Wizard and all of them are Daily powers. The powers are also spread far from one another, so the Wizard is only likely to have 1, maybe 2 at the same time.

So, assuming that 1) You have a Wizard in your group, 2) He is 5th level or higher, 3) He has 1 of those specific Daily powers, 4) The Wizard uses his Daily power, 5) The target is not immune to Charm, 6) The target is 3 squares away from the effected area...

...then yes, that Encounter, the Half-Elf can deal 1d10+int damage. You're right.

Azerian Kelimon
2008-06-05, 09:19 PM
Yes, those still work. However, there are only 3 abilities like that in the PHB. All of them belong to the Wizard and all of them are Daily powers. The powers are also spread far from one another, so the Wizard is only likely to have 1, maybe 2 at the same time.

So, assuming that 1) You have a Wizard in your group, 2) He is 5th level or higher, 3) He has 1 of those specific Daily powers, 4) The Wizard uses his Daily power, 5) The target is not immune to Charm, 6) The target is 3 squares away from the effected area...

...then yes, that Encounter, the Half-Elf can deal 1d10+int damage. You're right.

Cloud of daggers. At will.

What were you saying?

Xefas
2008-06-05, 09:34 PM
Cloud of daggers. At will.

What were you saying?

Oh my god, you're so right. If the Wizard takes the least useful At-Will power, then a Half-Elf can deal 1d6+int damage once per encounter if there's an enemy that is on the exact opposite side of the 1 square that the Half-Elf is on and is 3 squares or less away.

If the Dragonborn couldn't do the exact same thing without all the qualifiers in a 3-5 blast area, and without requiring the use of an additional standard action from himself or someone else, I might be mildly impressed.

Azerian Kelimon
2008-06-05, 09:58 PM
Oh my god, you're so right. If the Wizard takes the least useful At-Will power, then a Half-Elf can deal 1d6+int damage once per encounter if there's an enemy that is on the exact opposite side of the 1 square that the Half-Elf is on and is 3 squares or less away.

If the Dragonborn couldn't do the exact same thing without all the qualifiers in a 3-5 blast area, and without requiring the use of an additional standard action from himself or someone else, I might be mildly impressed.

What I mean to say is, there aren't as little powers as you seem to think. Freezing or stinking cloud, for instance. Pull them through, and thunderwave them in again for some really easy damage.

InaVegt
2008-06-05, 10:02 PM
Oh my god, you're so right. If the Wizard takes the least useful At-Will power, then a Half-Elf can deal 1d6+int damage once per encounter if there's an enemy that is on the exact opposite side of the 1 square that the Half-Elf is on and is 3 squares or less away.

It's not exactly the least useful.

It's a guaranteed minion kill.

Xefas
2008-06-05, 10:13 PM
What I mean to say is, there aren't as little powers as you seem to think. Freezing or stinking cloud, for instance. Pull them through, and thunderwave them in again for some really easy damage.

I'm not saying that the power is useless, I'm just saying that it isn't as overpowered as you're saying. Yes, in very specific circumstances, you can deal some damage with it, but without those circumstances, it's just a pull. You can build your entire character specifically around this one power to make it an okay damage dealer, but you can just as easily do that with something else.


It's not exactly the least useful.

It's a guaranteed minion kill.

I suppose this is simply a matter of taste, but I would consider Scorching Burst a more effective Minion slayer. Please excuse my use of absolutes.

InaVegt
2008-06-06, 02:23 AM
I suppose this is simply a matter of taste, but I would consider Scorching Burst a more effective Minion slayer. Please excuse my use of absolutes.

Scorching burst has to hit, CoD doesn't.

Also, remember that 4e combat was build for large combat areas, much larger than was the case for 3.x.

They recommend at least 80 squares for most encounters, some encounters they reccommend a higher minimum for. I distinctly remember that 25 squares was a 'reasonable' size in 3.x.

9 squares out of eighty is nice enough, but not exactly overwhelming, especcially if you consider that most enemies which are that close together will be flanking a team mate.

Scorching burst does have it's uses, but it's inferior as a minion killing device.

Xefas
2008-06-06, 03:34 AM
Scorching burst does have it's uses, but it's inferior as a minion killing device.

Look, I already said it was a matter of taste. You prefer to kill 1 minion per round. I prefer to kill 0-3 minions per round. Some of what you said is outright misleading, and I'd love to get into it and have a whole blown out pointless argument that will end with neither of us satisfied, but it has nothing to do with this thread, and I'd prefer not to deviate from the topic any more than I already have.

InaVegt
2008-06-06, 06:35 AM
Some of what you said is outright misleading,

Like what?

I'm just trying to explain that 4e is a wholly different beast than 3.x, and stuff that might look useful/useless to someone who's used to is used to 3.x might actually learn it's different because of different rules.

Xefas
2008-06-06, 07:22 AM
Like what?

This:

9 squares out of eighty is nice enough...

This is misleading because you're using an unrealistic scale. Minions are always (there might be an exception I haven't read, but as far as I know) melee, so they're always going to need to close with your party before they are capable of even participating in the fight.

Assuming you have a Defender who is defending your party, there is at least a vague semblance of a "front line" in which melee transpires. This is the only part of the battlefield Minions are going to be in after the first round, so it's the only area you need to be focusing on if you're specifically targeting minions.

In this way, the total amount of space the battlefield takes up, 80 or 800 squares, doesn't matter, because all the Minions are going to need to pile in to the same "front line".

You aren't targeting "9 squares out of 80", you're targeting "9 squares out of the 20 that matter" (20 is an estimate, not a definite number).

That said, Scorching Burst is still a gamble. Cloud of Daggers is an auto-kill, which makes it a very safe, precise, and easily calculable option. You can say with nigh-100% certainty "You guys do X, because in Y number of rounds, I'll have killed all the minions".

Scorching Burst is a lot more random, and while randomness favors the NPCs, I believe that it has enough punch to back up the liability. You could end up blasting 4 kobolds to oblivion in one round and be a hero, or you could miss them all and get laughed at, but chances are likely that you'll land somewhere in the middle, killing 1 or 2.

The risk of looking like a dope, for me, is outweighed by the fact that I could end up being a hero. That's why I prefer Scorching Burst over Cloud of Daggers.

InaVegt
2008-06-06, 06:36 PM
This:


This is misleading because you're using an unrealistic scale. Minions are always (there might be an exception I haven't read, but as far as I know) melee, so they're always going to need to close with your party before they are capable of even participating in the fight.

Assuming you have a Defender who is defending your party, there is at least a vague semblance of a "front line" in which melee transpires. This is the only part of the battlefield Minions are going to be in after the first round, so it's the only area you need to be focusing on if you're specifically targeting minions.

In this way, the total amount of space the battlefield takes up, 80 or 800 squares, doesn't matter, because all the Minions are going to need to pile in to the same "front line".

You aren't targeting "9 squares out of 80", you're targeting "9 squares out of the 20 that matter" (20 is an estimate, not a definite number).

That said, Scorching Burst is still a gamble. Cloud of Daggers is an auto-kill, which makes it a very safe, precise, and easily calculable option. You can say with nigh-100% certainty "You guys do X, because in Y number of rounds, I'll have killed all the minions".

Scorching Burst is a lot more random, and while randomness favors the NPCs, I believe that it has enough punch to back up the liability. You could end up blasting 4 kobolds to oblivion in one round and be a hero, or you could miss them all and get laughed at, but chances are likely that you'll land somewhere in the middle, killing 1 or 2.

The risk of looking like a dope, for me, is outweighed by the fact that I could end up being a hero. That's why I prefer Scorching Burst over Cloud of Daggers.

Your point about the lesser size of the combat fails to account for one thing.

Catching multiple melee opponents in a single blast also has a high chance of catching melee allies in that blast.

SamTech1
2008-08-21, 09:43 AM
so is there no lv adjustments anymore in 4e?

Yakk
2008-08-21, 01:15 PM
I agree -- half elves don't suck as written (you only do 3 or so at-wills per fight, having an at-will from another class as a per-encounter can be very nice, often better than picking a 3rd at-will from your class).

And making a race that is strictly better than an existing race is bad mojo.

I'm also a bit concerned about your Drow, and maybe your Dwarf.

I haven't done detailed comparisons, but the general feel is "power creep".

...

You also seem to mix up the difference between EFFECT and HIT. Effects happen regardless of your hit roll. The orc power, for example...

Immediates should have a trigger, which says when you can use it, and an effect. You rolled the trigger into the effect.

Glooble Glistencrist
2009-01-03, 02:24 PM
What about fighter powers? A half-elf fighter combines this with Rain of Steel. That's a guaranteed minion kill, or even up to a d12 of guaranteed damage.

Course, nothing you can't do once per day by combining it with Come and Get It (which my party fighter makes sure to do every day.) But still, now you can do it again.

Alteran
2009-01-03, 03:14 PM
Luring gaze isn't nearly as powerful as some people think. It's never an automatic minion kill, since you still have to hit with Luring Gaze before you pull it into auto-damage. Also, I would suggest adding a bonus to the attack roll, since it has neither the implement nor weapon keyword. The attack bonus is a little low as is. The way it was done with dragon breath is +2 bonus at level 1, +4 bonus at level 11, and +6 bonus at level 21. Damage also scaled, up so perhaps you could increase distance pulled to 4 squares at level 11 and 5 squares at level 12.