Seventh race

[TheThan]

I’m working on a new D20 based fantasy roleplaying game. While I was working out which races I want to be represented in the “core” races I’ve decided to give each races a different attribute adjustment. So far I have:

Dwarf: +2 constitution
Elf: +2 wisdom
Gnome: +2 intelligence
Halfing: +2 dex
Human: +2 to one ability score of your choice
Orc: +2 strength

Each race has additional other benefits that I have not listed. However looking at this, I have five of the six attributes plus humans, I need a race to represent charisma. I was thinking some sort of fey,or possibly the Tiefling. However I’m not so sure I like any of those choices. So I was wondering if anyone had any other ideas for a highly charismatic race. I would appreciate any input.

[Eloel]

There's always Spellscale from Races of Dragon for bonus to Charisma.
You could also swap around a bit;
Gnome & Cha (Favored Class Bard should account for something here :))
Elf & Int (Stereotypical Elven Wizard...)
Lesser Aasimar & Wis (Some kind of a Lesser Centaur could also work here)

[Jack Zander]

Kobolds for Int, Gnomes for Cha.

[Amiria]

Tiefling (or other planetouched races) seems ok for charisma. My group has houseruled Tiefling ability modifiers to +2 Dex and +2 Cha (we also made Aasimar and Tieflings templates (mainly for humans only but there are rare exceptions)).

Some kind of "Feytouched" is also good, maybe a modified Killoren (RotW) ?

[truemane]

I would either retool it so the Elf gets the Charisma bonus and have an Eladrin for the Wisdom (if maybe High Elf ort Grey elf or somesuch) to account for the lofty-wise-Elrond elves and the dancy-happy Hobbit elves.

Or go with Aasimar. If it's your own world, I wouldn't even call them Lesser Assimars. Just have them be beautiful and leadership-y types.

[TheThan]

In the campaign world I’m creating to go along with the system, gnomes are highly talented with magic. So much so that are known as the premier magic users in the world. Kings spend a lot of money to employ a gnome over any other magic user.

In the distant past the gnomes built a mighty city just for them. It was supposed to be the crowning achievement of their race. Unfortunately during its construction they weave too much magic. The city collapsed in a great catastrophe. The gnomes “burnt out” the world’s supply of magic. This lead to a lengthy “Dark Age” where magic was no more.

That was a long time ago. Now, the magical nature of the world (not quite sure what to name it yet) has begun to re-energized and magic is once available. The Gnomes however learned their lesson about magic. They have vowed as a race to never draw too deeply on magic. Parents teach their children to treat it with as much respect and caution as possible.

[Doc Roc]

I would either retool it so the Elf gets the Charisma bonus and have an Eladrin for the Wisdom (if maybe High Elf ort Grey elf or somesuch) to account for the lofty-wise-Elrond elves and the dancy-happy Hobbit elves.

Eladrin is a reserved word in d20 namespace.

[Morty]

Half-elves, perhaps? They're a little more mundane than feytouched or tieflings.

[Herbstfarben]

So gnomes get a int bonus but won't be wizards? That doesn't sound right.

What aboutt a race of evil clowns for the charisma bonus?

[Myshlaevsky]

I'll second (third?) planetouched, but instead of making it Tiefling or Aasimar just make a general term. You could give the race a bit of customisable crunch so players can determine their own heritage.

[DragoonWraith]

Kobolds could also take Cha, if you wanted. The whole sorcerous aspect of them makes that make sense.

[TheThan]

So gnomes get a int bonus but won't be wizards? That doesn't sound right.

What aboutt a race of evil clowns for the charisma bonus?

Actually they are wizards, very powerful wizards. They just aren’t the zany explodey wow style gnomes.

I'll second (third?) planetouched, but instead of making it Tiefling or Aasimar just make a general term. You could give the race a bit of customisable crunch to players can determine their own heritage.

This is a distinct possibility. Its one I'll have to give greater though to.

[Bayar]

You cant go wrong with kobolds. And unless those are tinker gnomes...I hate them already [/joke]

[deuxhero]

g.kill your other 5 races and use something original.


Anyways, prehaps a race that looks ugly, but gets a charisma boost, to drive home the fact that it isn't based on good looks.

[Foryn Gilnith]

Being original does not mean you are useful.

So a kobold, then, for the ugly factor. Three small races (kobold, gnome, halfling), one semi-small race (dwarf), and three medium races (orc, human, elf). Neat little symmetry, although if you have too many small races running around I'd think about houseruling (in part or in whole) size modifiers to Hide checks.

[erikun]

Anyways, prehaps a race that looks ugly, but gets a charisma boost, to drive home the fact that it isn't based on good looks.

Hobgoblins, then?

A bit more seriously, lesser planetouched makes a lot of sense for the +2 Cha race. The desendants of outerworldly, spiritual creatures being naturally good at inate magic and divine pursuits? Makes sense.

[Myshlaevsky]

Hobgoblins, then?

A bit more seriously, lesser planetouched makes a lot of sense for the +2 Cha race. The desendants of outerworldly, spiritual creatures being naturally good at inate magic and divine pursuits? Makes sense.

Hobgoblins makes quite a lot of sense as well, mind.

Strong, natural leaders who are capable at magic as well as battlefield command.

[Kobold-Bard]

Half-elves, perhaps? They're a little more mundane than feytouched or tieflings.

Seconded. After all they get those nice social skill bonuses normally.

[TheThan]

While I appreciate the advice on the kobolds, I already have one “monster race” and I didn’t really want to include another one.

I actually really like the idea of the generic plane touched race I think I might go with that idea. +2 charisma plus some other otherworldly abilities.

[The Dark Fiddler]

I'd second picking either Kobold or Planetouched.

As a side note, I'd also suggest making Half-Elf and Half-Orc templates if you're keeping them, instead of races. Makes much more sense that way.

[Elfin]

I agree with Planetouched.

[Drider]

Cat-people with a stupifying aura of cute they can't ever turn off.

[Hat-Trick]

Cat-people with a stupifying aura of cute they can't ever turn off.

Susceptible to conversations about hard data. When any conversation in hearing has to deal heavily in anything requiring Profession: Any roles, the cat people take 30d6 per rank in Profession of the conversationalists.

[Starbuck_II]

Dromite as a core race! They get Cha bonus.

[Dixieboy]

Planetouched is also pretty easy to fluff in when you have a giant explosion of magic in your history somewhere.

[Lord Loss]

Catfolk, toned down as to not have an LA

That's what I'd do...

[Mushroom Ninja]

I like the idea of having plane-touched as a CHA race and letting the Pcs choose their planar heritage.

Susceptible to conversations about hard data. When any conversation in hearing has to deal heavily in anything requiring Profession: Any roles, the cat people take 30d6 per rank in Profession of the conversationalists.

A successful Knowledge (Physics) check deals 1.23*10^4 damage a nearby catfolk.

[Gnorman]

Planetouched is also pretty easy to fluff in when you have a giant explosion of magic in your history somewhere.

Maybe it's not even Planetouched so much as Magictouched - somewhere along their ancestry, their predecessors were affected the mystical cataclysm so much that their very genetics/history/whatever was infused with the essence of pure magic - and that this ancestry lay dormant for a long time since magic was effectively "dead". Now that it's back, these magic-touched bloodlines are reappearing. You could have all of them give a flat +2 to CHA, but each character could be infused by a certain kind of magic giving a certain minor bonus a la planar ancestry. Maybe illusion-descended characters could get concealment in certain situations a time or two a day, or bonuses to Hide. Maybe a necromantic-touched character would gain bonuses to social skills when dealing with intelligent undead.

[Jack Zander]

While I appreciate the advice on the kobolds, I already have one “monster race” and I didn’t really want to include another one.

They don't have to be "monsters" just because they have scaly skin.

[Karma Guard]

Maybe it's not even Planetouched so much as Magictouched - somewhere along their ancestry, their predecessors were affected the mystical cataclysm so much that their very genetics/history/whatever was infused with the essence of pure magic - and that this ancestry lay dormant for a long time since magic was effectively "dead". Now that it's back, these magic-touched bloodlines are reappearing. You could have all of them give a flat +2 to CHA, but each character could be infused by a certain kind of magic giving a certain minor bonus a la planar ancestry. Maybe illusion-descended characters could get concealment in certain situations a time or two a day, or bonuses to Hide. Maybe a necromantic-touched character would gain bonuses to social skills when dealing with intelligent undead.

This is a clever idea.