Deathwalkers

[Goff]

Alright, this is a very rough draft of this race, so bear with me. This race is designed for a post-(magical)apocalypse type scenario where the magic of an entire continent is being drawn out life in the area. Undead roam the continent, forests have been petrified, basically the only living things are a very small number of evolved, tough creatures and fungi. The deathwalkers are a nomadic people who evolved from humans, living off of the scaps of life, hunting and gathering what fresh food they can, and often resorting to killing undead and devouring their flesh. I'm really only posting the crunchy bits because I am going flesh out the fluff later on.


Deathwalkers:
•+2 Constitution, -2 Charisma: The deathwalkers have evolved to be tough, but their rough environment has left them less than articulate and sociable.
•Medium: As Medium creatures, deathwalkers have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
•Deathwalkers have a base land speed of 40 feet. After generations of evolving, only the quickest have survived to pass on their genes.
•+4 racial bonus on Survival checks. Deathwalkers always treat survival as a class skill as they are taught these skills from a young age.
•Immunity to poison. See iron gullet below.
•Iron gullet. Deathwalkers have evolved the ability to survive on almost any kind of food. As a result, deathwalkers can ingest and live on matter that would be inedible to other humanoids, such as rotting flesh, poisonous fungi, rotting wood etc.
•Spell resistance of 11 + class levels. The deathwalkers have evolved to an environment where magic is constantly being sucked from the land; as a result, they are also hardy against the effects of magic.
•Unmagical: Deathwalkers cannot be spontaneous spellcasters of any variety. If they choose to learn magic (which can only be done outside of their homeland), they must sacrifice their spell resistance in order to be able to cast spells. As a result, there are non-magical variant classes for deathwalkers of semi-magical classes such as the ranger.
•Favoured class: Ranger. A multiclass deathwalker’s ranger class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.

What do you all think?
The big question is what level adjustment does it warrant? And any suggestions for improved would be much appreciated. I am aiming for a reasonably low LA, in the range of +1 to +3.

[The_Logic_Ninja]

The spell resistance pushes them above +1 LA into the realm of +2.

[Goff]

I thought that it might.

[Everyman]

The incredible speed bonus and spell resistance makes this race worthy of a LA 2. Yes, they lack magical potential, but generally a race works to manipulate and work to their strengths. In this case, they make great barbarians and rangers (and possibly fighters). They make rubish bards and sorcerers, though they might make decent wizards.

Eh, at any rate I'm still standing by a firm LA +2.

[The_Logic_Ninja]

I'd compare them with another LA +2 race, such as drow--I'd say you're safe giving them another stat boost, such as WIS.

Alternatively, they might be best balanced with LA +1 and one racial hit die--that way, they only lose one HD's worth of HP, a major factor at lower levels.

Don't count on the "no spontaneous casters, casters give up spell resistance" to balance them, BTW--nobody's gonna take an LA of +2 as a primary caster and not even get SR out of it, and these guys are pretty clearly built for melee-type.

[LordOfNarf]

they are low on the +2 scale, but way above the +1 scale. Give them a few more skill bonuses, and another entirely unique ability to even it out more. (a stat bonus would help too)

BTW, can they eat sand? How about dirt? you should put more specifications on iron gullet.

[Goff]

BTW, can they eat sand? How about dirt? you should put more specifications on iron gullet.

Good point, I will have to restrict that to organic matter, and probably put some other restrictions on it as well.

[Goff]

Hmmm... at this stage I'm thinking that I have two ways to go:
1. Nerf the spell resistance to being somewhat akin to a dwarfs to try for a +1 LA.
2. Loading these guys up with stacks of extras to aim for a +2 LA.

[LordOfNarf]

my advice is load 'em up, most fighters don't care about losing a couple of levels if they get good trade off, but wizards panic when they don't have their spel levels faste enough. Since these guys aren't wizard type, load the stuff on

[The_Logic_Ninja]

Just don't load -too- much stuff on. +WIS and CON, -CHA is pretty strong for Favored Class; Ranger.

[Goff]

Alright then, how does this sound for balance?

Deathwalkers
•+2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma: The deathwalkers have evolved to be tough and have tuned senses, but their rough environment has left them less than articulate and sociable.
•Medium: As Medium creatures, deathwalkers have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
•Deathwalkers have a base land speed of 40 feet. After generations of evolving, only the quickest have survived to pass on their genes.
•+4 racial bonus on Survival checks. Deathwalkers always treat survival as a class skill as they are taught these skills from a young age.
•Immunity to poison. See iron gullet below.
•Iron gullet: Deathwalkers have evolved the ability to survive on almost any kind of food. As a result, deathwalkers can ingest and live on matter that would be inedible to other humanoids, such as rotting flesh, poisonous fungi, rotting wood etc. This is restricted to organic matter that the deathwalker can manage to chew and swallow, for example a solid lump of wood would not be allowed, whereas a mouthful of splinters would. Additionally, the inside of a deathwalkers mouth and throat is rubbery and less likely to be cut or pierced by ingested objects.
•Spell resistance of 11 + class levels: The deathwalkers have evolved to an environment where magic is constantly being sucked from the land; as a result, they are also hardy against the effects of magic.
•Unmagical: Deathwalkers cannot be spontaneous spellcasters of any variety. If they choose to learn magic (which can only be done outside of their homeland), they must sacrifice their spell resistance in order to be able to cast spells. As a result, there are non-magical variant classes for deathwalkers of semi-magical classes such as the ranger.
•Favoured class: Ranger. A multiclass deathwalker’s ranger class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
•+2 Level adjustment.

[Gyrfalcon]

Not too bad, and they're already a mage's nightmare with instant spell immunity and the faster speed. Give him a level dip into barbarian and scout, and he'll be moving at 60ft a round. But to compare to another +2 LA race... *compares to the drow*

Drow:
+2/+2/+2/-2 trait bonuses
darkvision replacing low-light vision
immunity to sleep spells and effects.
+2 bonus versus enchantment spells and effects
extra +2 bonus on will saves versus spells and spell-like abilities
spell resistence of 11+class levels.
Level 0, 1 and 2 spell-like abilities 1/day
automatic weapon proficiences
light blindness 1-round, dazzled effect for rest of time in sunlight or a daylight spell.
+2 bonuses to various skills (total: +6)
automatic search roll within 5' of any hidden door


Deathwalkers:
+2/+2/-2 trait bonuses
immunity to poison (natural only or also magical? Might want to specify)
spell resistance 11+class levels
enhanced movement speed (40' as compared to 30')
penalty to casters (no sorcerer/bard, loss of magic resistance for paladin/wizard/ranger/etc.)
+4 survival bonus

Overall, I think you're solid on the major items. You might want to consider giving your Deathwalkers some minor (+2) bonuses to search, listen and spot (a wary person survives to pass on his genes) and you should be good.

[Jack Mann]

Hmm. One thing I'm not sure about. Now, magic is being drawn from the land? So, they've evolved in an extremely low magic environment, yes? It doesn't seem as though spell resistance would be as useful in such an environment. One would expect spell resistance to develop in a high magic area, where creatures could expect to have magic used on them on a regular basis.

[Goff]

Hmm. One thing I'm not sure about. Now, magic is being drawn from the land? So, they've evolved in an extremely low magic environment, yes? It doesn't seem as though spell resistance would be as useful in such an environment. One would expect spell resistance to develop in a high magic area, where creatures could expect to have magic used on them on a regular basis.

Ah, there is an explanation for that, in this campaign setting, all life has an inherent base piece of magic, the soul or divine spark if you will. Anyway, this environment is where the magic is being drawn from the land by arcane means, so life is being drawn from the land. As such, the survivors have been the ones with a resistance to this effect.

[Morchaint]

a monk/fighter deathwalker would kick some serious butt with that bonus to con AND wis.

[Evil_Pacifist]

Maybe some weapon proficiency?

[ExHunterEmerald]

Or some bonus feats like endurance/diehard?