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Adumbration
2008-07-20, 11:19 AM
This is what I have about Yak folk - from Monster Manual II page 200. Are they right? I haven't found anything resembling an errata about MMII, and I want to know if they're right.

- Large-sized.
- 5 monstrous humanoid racial hit dice, 8-sided. Grants 2 feats.
- LA +2.
- Good Reflex and Will saves - this means poor Fort saves, right? All in all: Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +4.
- Skill points 2 + Int modifier, quadrupled at first level.
- BAB +5.
- Darkvision 60 ft.
- Proficient with all simple weapons and any weapons mentioned in its entry. In other words, simple weapons and falchions.
- No armor proficiencies.
- +7 natural armor.
- Speed 30 ft.
- Class-skills: Disguise, Heal, Knowledge (arcana), Use Magic Device.
- Ability modifiers: +8 Str, +4 Con, +4 Int, +4 Wis, +4 Cha.
- Automatic Languages: Common.
- Special attacks: Body Meld (Sp)
- Special qualities: Command genie (Su), Use Staff (Ex).
- Favored class: Sorceror.

A picture of one of them:
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mm2_gallery/88268_620_126.jpg

Have I missed anything? Did I get something wrong?

Sledge_bro
2008-07-20, 11:28 AM
IIRC innuendo is now bluff.

Adumbration
2008-07-20, 11:30 AM
Ah, thanks. I thought it might be, but couldn't be sure. Updated.

EDIT: I could also use opinions on the power level of the yak folk. They would appear to be fairly powerful considering their racial abilities, but I'm not very good at judging these things. Are they good? Are they bad?

Albonor
2008-07-21, 10:24 AM
They would make great paladins I guess...

Adumbration
2008-07-21, 10:36 AM
They would make great paladins I guess...

True, I guess, if it wasn't for their inherent evilness.

By the way, a question about the use staff special ability - it says that it works just like UMD, except that it doesn't require any skill check for using a staff. Does this still require you to have the specific spells in your spell list?

Burley
2008-07-21, 10:40 AM
No, it doesn't require you to have a spell list at all. The point of UMD is that you can use a magic item that you normally couldn't.
I think it means that you can automatically use any magic item that is made in staff form.

Adumbration
2008-07-21, 10:41 AM
Wow, that's better than I thought. I was figuring to make gish of some sorts to fully utilize the use staff, but now I don't have to. Thanks. :smallsmile:

Any other ideas for a good character class? I realize that the crunch of paladin is pretty good for them, taking their ability modifiers to account, but I just can't see it in fluff without going for the whole evil-turned-good cliche.

Telonius
2008-07-21, 10:43 AM
The LA of +2 hurts them a bit for any kind of spellcasting, but that LA is probably way too low. Compare this guy's stats and abilities to the Satyr, which is also LA+2. I'd peg it as a +3 at the very least, maybe even bumping it up to +4 (to put it roughly equivalent to a Pixie) becuse of those ability bonuses and special abilities.

Adumbration
2008-07-21, 10:46 AM
Don't forget that the racial hit dice hits it quite hard too, all in all making a caster character lack 7 caster levels. I'd like to think of the special abilities as the "class features" of the racial hit dice, and the ability modifiers taken into account by the LA.

Telonius
2008-07-21, 11:00 AM
Ah, I always forget about the racial dice. Then yeah, 2 is probably about right for them.

Hm, and Large sized, yes? This guy might actually be able to achieve what Monks are trying to do. And with simple weapon proficiency built-in, he can use gauntlets, avoiding that bit of Monkish stupidity. He'd probably still be more powerful as another class - or a mix or classes - but it could work.

Fenix_of_Doom
2008-07-21, 11:07 AM
- 5 monstrous humanoid racial hit dice, 8-sided. Grants 3 feats.
Have I missed anything? Did I get something wrong?

How does 5 HD gives you 3 feats? you should only have two, one for level 1 and one for level 3. Unless of course you take an additional class level, that would give you a level 6 feat, but it seems illogical to add that here.

Adumbration
2008-07-21, 11:41 AM
How does 5 HD gives you 3 feats? you should only have two, one for level 1 and one for level 3. Unless of course you take an additional class level, that would give you a level 6 feat, but it seems illogical to add that here.

I was reading the Yak Folk monster entry. Maybe they got it wrong?

EDIT: Jeah, the entry lists three feats: Improved Initiative, Power Attack and Weapon Focus (Quarterstaff). Strange. Fixing the the OP...

Oh, and marking it down anyhow was just for my own benefit. I sometimes get confused or forget the exact way feats go, and I wanted to get all the necessary info in one place. :smallsmile:

Ecalsneerg
2008-07-21, 11:47 AM
Unless one is denoted as a bonus feat...?

Adumbration
2008-07-21, 11:50 AM
Unless one is denoted as a bonus feat...?

Could be, though I doubt it. MM II is not the best made of Monster manuals, the saves were wrong too in the entry. Had to check the Monstrous Humanoid entry in d20 SRD to get it right.

Oh, and yes, they're Large-sized. I added that and a picture to the original post.

Destro_Yersul
2008-07-21, 12:08 PM
I remember seeing an errata once, I'll see if I can find it...

Here we go. From the 3.5 update booklet:


Yak Folk: Monstrous Humanoid; 10 ft./10 ft.; Disguise +10, Heal +10,
Knowledge (arcana) +10, Use Magic Device +10; Improved Initiative, Power
Attack, Weapon Focus (quarterstaff); LA +2.

Fenix_of_Doom
2008-07-21, 12:13 PM
Not that it matters much, but do they have a favourite class?

BTW, I like the way they look:smallsmile:.

Adumbration
2008-07-21, 12:18 PM
Not that it matters much, but do they have a favourite class?

BTW, I like the way they look:smallsmile:.

Their favored class is sorceror. Added it just now. The picture is partly what drew me too, plus the fluff. There's just something about a civilized, smart and graceful evil overlord bastard who looks cute.

I'm planning on pretending to be good, if I ever play one. :smallwink:

Thanks for the errata by the way - I couldn't find it myself.

nobodylovesyou4
2008-07-21, 12:21 PM
Their favored class is sorceror. Added it just now. The picture is partly what drew me too, plus the fluff. There's just something about a civilized, smart and graceful evil overlord bastard who looks cute.

I'm planning on pretending to be good, if I ever play one. :smallwink:

Thanks for the errata by the way - I couldn't find it myself.

sorceror? on a +7 ECL? what was wizards thinking?

Ascension
2008-07-21, 12:30 PM
There's just something inherently awesome about a walking yak. If I were to play one, though, he'd probably be a barbarian. An intelligent barbarian, but still a barbarian.

Adumbration
2008-07-21, 12:36 PM
There's just something inherently awesome about a walking yak. If I were to play one, though, he'd probably be a barbarian. An intelligent barbarian, but still a barbarian.

I know what you mean. Personally, I find the fluff pretty amusing as well, despite slight illogicalities. If strangers stumble upon their mountain villages, they think they've arrived in an utopia where all races live together in harmony, led by their wise yak folk leaders. The yak folk upkeep this illusion for a while, before enslaving them as well. I want to play a yak folk who wanders around spreading rumors about the wonders of their life to attract more slaves. And he acts all kind and good while he's at it. :smallbiggrin:

Yakk
2008-07-21, 12:41 PM
This monster entry does not reflect my cultural heritage at all.

Ascension
2008-07-21, 12:41 PM
Personally, I find the fluff pretty amusing as well, despite slight illogicalities. If strangers stumble upon their mountain villages, they think they've arrived in an utopia where all races live together in harmony, led by their wise yak folk leaders. The yak folk upkeep this illusion for a while, before enslaving them as well.

So Shangri-La is a slave village ruled by evil Yak Folk? :smallbiggrin:

Ya gotta love the expanded Monster Manuals. They give you all sorts of fun things like this.

Telonius
2008-07-21, 12:49 PM
Pretty much, yeah. Remember that Conway had to sneak out with Lo Tsen and Mallinson. Chang and the monks weren't going to let them out.

Serpentine
2008-07-22, 12:02 AM
There is an erratta for MMII. I think it's on the Wizards site somewhere.

Silence
2008-07-22, 12:45 AM
Excuse me, but step back for a moment and look at how ridiculous this idea is. Seriously, it's bloody hilarious.

Adumbration
2008-07-22, 07:09 AM
Excuse me, but step back for a moment and look at how ridiculous this idea is. Seriously, it's bloody hilarious.

I know, I keep laughing at it myself. Doesn't change the fact that it's not a bad one. :smallwink: