Races that gain features with leveling. 3.5v

[Badgercloak]

I had the idea that for my new campaign setting I could have races gain new abilities when they reach new levels. The abilities would be in keeping with the core concept of each race and expand upon some of the racial features already present in the PHB.

So Playgrounders what do you think?

[Starbuck_II]

So similar to Dragonborn (Races of the Dragon) who also get classs features as level?

[Glimbur]

This is an excellent idea if it's properly balanced. Raptorans(Races of the Wild) are also an example of a race that gets stuff as they level.

This is a better approach than LA. It is too good to have SR on a first level character, according to WotC, so drow have LA +2. But compare an ECL 5 drow cleric to an ECL 5 human cleric. The human is straight up better. If you gain abilities incrementally, then LA could go away.

The major risks I see are homogenized low levels and that it's a lot of work to make everything have a progression of new abilities to grant which are roughly comparable in utility.

[dragonfan6490]

I wonder what the Elves, Dwarves, and the other base races would get under this system?

[boomwolf]

Improved, yet scaling, variations of the abilities they have right now?

[Badgercloak]

Ideally they would all get new abilities that would improve their basic racial abilities and some abilities that would expand on the core concept of each race. It would be conceptually like bloodlines and racial paragon classes from Unearthed Arcana. You would get racial abilities based around your race as you attain new class levels.

[DragonOfUndeath]

how about abilities that you unlock whenever you met certain requirements like:
Elven Archer
Prerequisite: Elf, Ranger 1
+2 damage when using a ranged weapon

Elven Lore:
Prerequisite: Elf, can cast level1 spells
+2 bonus to Spellcraft and Knowledge (elven history)

[Aran Banks]

Improving Buff and utility SLAs.

Yes.

[Prime32]

I've got some stuff like that for drow:

Spoiler

Show

Elves

• Medium Humanoid (elf)
• +2 Dexterity, -2 Strength.
• Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.
• Low-Light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
• Weapon Familiarity (Ex): Elves receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the longsword, rapier, longbow and shortbow (including composite versions) as bonus feats. If they are already proficient in those weapons, they may apply their Dex bonus in place of their Str bonus on attack rolls (longsword and rapier) or ignore the penalties inflicted by up to 2 range increments (longbow and shortbow).
• Magical Training: An elf can cast three 0-level spells per day (caster level 1). He learns, prepares and casts these spells as a wizard (including the use of a spellbook). If he takes levels in an arcane spellcasting class which prepares spells, he instead gains three additional 0-level spells per day.
• Skills: +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, Spot and Knowledge (history) checks. An elf may make Knowledge checks untrained. An elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.
• Automatic Languages: Common and Elven. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan.
• Favored Class: Wizard

Half-Elves

• Medium Humanoid (elf, human)
• +2 Cha.
• Immunity to sleep spells and similar magical effects, and a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells or effects.
• Skills: +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search and Spot checks, 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level. A half-elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.
• Mixed Blood: A half-elf is treated as both a human and an elf. For instance, he can enter prestige classes which have the elf race as a prerequisite, and rangers with Humanoid (human) as a favoured enemy get bonuses against him.
• Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic).
• Favored Class: Any.

Orcs

• Medium Humanoid (orc)
• +4 Strength, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma.
• Darkvision: Orcs can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and orcs can function just fine with no light at all.
• Skills: +2 racial bonus on Intimidate checks
• Automatic Languages: Common and Orc. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, and Undercommon.
• Favored Class: Barbarian.

Half-Orcs

• Medium Humanoid (human, orc)
• +2 Str
• Darkvision: Half-orcs can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and half-orcs can function just fine with no light at all.
• Fast Movement (Ex): A half-orc's base land speed is increased by +10ft as long as he does not wear medium or heavy armor, or carry a medium or heavy load.
• Skills: +2 racial bonus on Intimidate checks.
• Mixed Blood: A half-orc is treated as both a human and an orc. For instance, he can enter prestige classes which have the orc race as a prerequisite, and rangers with Humanoid (human) as a favoured enemy get bonuses against him.
• Automatic Languages: Common and Orc. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, and Undercommon.
• Favored Class: Fighter.

Drow

• Medium Humanoid (drow, elf)
• +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma.
• Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against all spells and spell-like abilities.
• Darkvision: Drow can see in the dark up to 120 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and drow can function just fine with no light at all.
• Weapon Familiarity (Ex): Drow receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the shortsword and rapier as bonus feats. If they are already proficient in those weapons, they may apply their Dex bonus in place of their Str bonus on attack rolls. In addition, a drow receives Exotic Weapon Proficiency (hand crossbow) as a bonus feat.
• Poison Use (Ex): A drow may apply poison to a weapon as a move action, and is never at risk of poisoning themselves while doing so.
• Spell-like abilities (Sp): As they gain levels, a drow gains a number of 3/day spell-like abilities with a caster level equal to their character level.
  1HD: dancing lights, detect surface elf (as detect good, but for non-drow elves)
  3HD: darkness, faerie fire
  5HD: detect magic (at will), levitate
  7HD: greater dispel magic, suggestion
• Light Blindness: Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds drow for 1 round. On subsequent rounds, they are dazzled as long as they remain in the affected area.
• Skills: +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search and Spot checks. A drow may make Knowledge checks untrained. A drow who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.
• Automatic Languages: Elven and Undercommon. Bonus Languages: Abyssal, Aquan, Common, Draconic, Drow Sign Language, Gnome, and Goblin.
• Favored Class: Cleric (female) or Wizard (male)
• Level Adjustment: +1

An alternative would be to give characters a separate progression of racial feats.


EDIT: Maybe elves can cast spells as a wizard of half their character level, humans get more feats...

[DragonOfUndeath]

humans would need a LOT more feats to make up for 1/2 wizards progression. a straight elf fighter gaining 1/2 level spells as a wizard against a human fighter with more feats. i wonder who would win in a fight?

[Aran Banks]

Don't give extra spellcasting, especially wizard-tier. At low levels, that color spray will automatically win you the battle... and adaption-wise, the best elves would be Grey Elves (since they've got an Int Bonus for extra spellz).

SLAs are the way to go. Races with SLAs should get some cute (0th level) 1/day spell at 1 HD, and then get that 2/day at 3 HD, then 3/day at 5 HD, then 4 at 7 HD, and at-will at 9 HD. In following with that, they should also get a 1st-level SLA at level 2 (usable 1/day), and improve their abilities in the same progression as the 0th-level SLAs. New SLAs added at each even level, following the same progression

1. 0th-level SLA 1/day
2. 1st-level SLA 1/day
3. Improve all SLAs by +1/day
4. 2nd-level SLA 1/day
5. Improve all SLAs by +1/day
6. 3rd-level SLA 1/day
7. Improve all SLAs by +1/day

etc. to "Improve all SLAs by +1/day" for slots 18-20. If something hits 5/day, it's at-will instead. Maybe you could bump this progression up so it starts at 1st or 2nd level. But this seems like the best idea.

The spells, though, should be utility or minor buffs. Prestidigitation to speak with plants to cat's grace and on and on... 9th-level SLAs could be more badass, I suppose. At level 17, you've only got it 1/day (2/day at level 18). Beyond that, the game is pointlessly ridiculous, and I don't feel bad about giving ultimate sphere of destruction for 38d6 damage to a 19th-level character 3/day. It really doesn't bother me at all.

[Prime32]

Don't give extra spellcasting, especially wizard-tier. At low levels, that color spray will automatically win you the battle... and adaption-wise, the best elves would be Grey Elves (since they've got an Int Bonus for extra spellz).

If it goes:
lv3: wizard 1
lv5: wizard 2
lv7: wizard 3
etc. then you'll cast as a wizard 9 at 20th-level. Handy, but you won't be one-shotting anyone.


Maybe hobgoblins could gain Iron Heart maneuvers as a warblade of half their character level.

[Thomar_of_Uointer]

How about making it every 5th level, to keep it in line with the 3rd level feat and 4th level ability score? The impact would be very minor (basically equivalent to an extra magical item,) but would result in a character whose race is more important at higher levels.

Variant: Progressing Racial Features

This is especially useful for games where you have a small party (4 characters or less,) as it allows each character to be more unique and versatile to fill the necessary roles.

Human:
5th level: Bonus Feat
10th level: Bonus Feat
15th level: Bonus Feat
20th level: Bonus Feat
(Keeps human appealing with the other racial changes.)

Elf:
5th level: Bonus Feat from the Fighter list
10th level: Any one 1st-level arcane spell 3/day as a SLA, CL 1/2 level
15th level: Bonus Feat from the Fighter list
20th level: One 2nd-level arcane spell 3/day as a SLA, CL 1/2 level
(I'm modelling this after the original D&D elf, which was basically a multiclass fighter/magic-user.)

Half-Elf:
5th level: 2/day, add level as a competence bonus to a skill check before rolling
10th level: 2/day, add level as a competence bonus to a saving throw before rolling
15th level: 2/day, add level as a competence bonus to an attack roll before rolling
20th level: 2/day, add level to AC as a dodge bonus until the end of your next action, this is an immediate action
(Something different, elfy, yet useful and versatile.)

Dwarf:
5th level: DR 1/-
10th level: DR 2/-
15th level: DR 3/-
20th level: DR 4/-
(Do I need to justify this?)

Halfling:
5th level: Reroll any skill check and use the better result 3/day, before the result is declared
10th level: Reroll any saving throw and use the better result 3/day, before the result is declared
15th level: Reroll any attack roll and use the better result 3/day, before the result is declared
20th level: Force an attacking opponent to reroll his attack roll and use the worse result 3/day, before the result is declared
(Halflings are all about luck, after all.)

Gnome:
5th level: Use any two 1st level spells as a SLA 1/day each. CL 1/2 level.
10th level: Use any two 2nd level spells as a SLA 1/day each. CL 1/2 level.
15th level: Use any two 3rd level spells as a SLA 1/day each. CL 1/2 level.
20th level: Use any two 4th level spells as a SLA 1/day each. CL 1/2 level.
The gnome may only choose spells from the illusion and transmutation schools.
(Gnomes are all about unpredictability and innate magic.)

Half-Orc
5th level: Gain a +2 cumulative morale bonus to Strength each time you take damage in combat, lasts until the end of your next action
10th level: Reroll a damage roll and use the better result 3/day, before the result is declared
15th level: Automatically confirm a critical hit 3/day, before rolling to confirm
20th level: Do maximum damage with an attack 3/day, before rolling
(Makes them more interesting, at least... This race needs other fixes, though.)

[Duke of URL]

If you're giving character extra abilities from one source (race) without removing them from other sources (such as class), you're changing the balance of the game. Add in the fact that CR, especially at higher levels, is already iffy, and you now have a situation where using a system like this can make estimating encounter levels very difficult indeed.

Some other things to think about:

* If this becomes common for the standard races, then you'll also need to consider how this affects non-standard races for when PCs or NPCs are made from them. (I.e., for every monster with class levels.)

* Level adjustment (another generally borked concept in the first place) will need to be revised to account for how racial abilities from non-adjusted races compare to the LA races' features.

[Prime32]

If you're giving character extra abilities from one source (race) without removing them from other sources (such as class), you're changing the balance of the game. Add in the fact that CR, especially at higher levels, is already iffy, and you now have a situation where using a system like this can make estimating encounter levels very difficult indeed.

What if everyone was gestalted with their race's favoured class?