Little people, BIG hurt. [3.5 Race]

[Admiral Squish]

Titan-Souled


Titan-souled are warriors, first and foremost. A distant relative of gnomes, the titan-souled live in walled cities on the plains, where they practice their warrior's craft. they are valuable mercenaries, but their temperament makes them somewhat risky to deal with.

Personality:
The titan-souled are a strict, militaristic people. However, this hasn't cost them their individuality. The titan-souled are efficient and courageous when it comes to warfare or battle of any kind, but once they relax they become fun-loving and extremely loyal friends, especially with those they fight alongside. They have little tolerance for disrespect, and anyone making a short joke is likely to lose a toe or two by way of a warning. Those around them quickly learn to avoid such comments.

Physical Description:
The titan-souled stand about three feet tall, give or take a few inches, and usually weigh between 80-100 pounds. Their bodies are extremely dense with a subtle muscle, and their bones are nearly diamond. Their skin looks slightly rosy, and it's soft to the touch, but it proves to be remarkably resilient to damage. both males and females are known to have hair of bizarre colors, from pink to blue to green to snowy white, even red or black. Both males and females favor elaborate styles when they go out to have fun, but they also wear their hair practically when getting ready for combat. Most are mature by age 50, and naturally, they can live up to 750 years old. Very few reach that age, however, dying in battle of some sort.

Relations:
Titan-souled get along pleasantly with dwarves who share their lawful and logical approach to combat as well as their militaristic lifestyle, but they generally disconnect on the social aspects, though sometimes dwarves can loosen up enough to keep up with a titan-souled in a social setting. Most titan-souled can have a little trouble with the taller races at first, though those who know of them generally are smart enough to avoid the short comments.

Alignment:
Most titan-souled are lawful good. Their society strongly emphasizes the good of the community over the good of the individual, and most titan-souled find work in the military, or, failing that, as mercenaries. The titan-souled believe in personal strength and strongly dislike showing weakness or dependence on others.

Titan-Souled Lands:
Titan-souled live in walled, fortified cities on the plains, their stone walls crenelated, with massive gates and numerous defenses in place. The titan-souled offer military alliances to their neighbors in exchange for positive trade arrangements. Those who come to visit are rarely allowed into the inner city, where the military installments are placed, and they often keep an close eye on them. Titan-souled who settle outside their own lands are often exiles or mercenaries.

Religion:
The titan-souled worship their own pantheon of gods who focus on the community of the titan-souled, war, and strength. They also worship a number of powerful earth-elemental beings.

Language:
The titan-souled speak a dialect of gnomish and write with dwarven script. Their language has many words relating to combat and battle. There are many different words to describe strikes and parries, as well as different tactical maneuvers.

Names:
Titan-souled have a more logical system of names than their gnomish cousins. First names and family names are given at birth, and used until a titan-souled comes of age, where a titan-souled chooses an adult name. As they progress though life, they gain a number of other names or titles based on their accomplishments. A formal introduction for an accomplished titan-soul can take several minutes.

Adventurers:
Most titan-souled adventurers are mercenaries of one sort or another, or exiles. A great many titan-souled adventurers become martial adepts, usually warblades or swordsages. Most take the path of adventurer because it's the fast track to both wealth and recognition, and it aligns nicely with their martial talents.

Titan-Souled

• +4 Strength, +4 Constitution, -2 Intelligence -4 Wisdom: Titan-souled are incredibly strong and tough for their size, but they aren't particularly intelligent and they lack foresight.
• Small: As a Small creature, a titan-souled gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but he uses smaller weapons than humans use, and his lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
• Titan-souled base land speed is 20 feet.
• Low-light Vision: A titan-souled can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
• Natural Armor: titan-souled have +4 natural armor due to their tough skin.
• Leverage: The incredible strength and special training of a titan-souled lets him function in many ways as if he were one size category larger. Whenever a titan-souled is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the titan-souled is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. A titan-souled can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size category.
• Favored Class: Warblade. A multiclass titan-souled warblade's class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty.
• Level Adjustment: +1

----------------
So, this was my attempt to produce a playable race based off the idea of the Cute Bruiser.

[Antonok]

I love it! Always need more munchkin races with uber strength and no charisma (seriously, thats all I play usually lol) to annoy the living crap outta my DM! But it just seems a bit too much for only a +1 LA. Probably wrong but thats just the way it seems.

[Lord_Gareth]

Cute Bruisers require Charisma, sir! Require it!

[gkathellar]

Cute Bruisers require Charisma, sir! Require it!

I second this!

[Mulletmanalive]

Might as well just stick to Powerful Build as an ability name, rather than leverage... saves confusion.

Otherwise, I kinda like the idea, If only because it allows me to include a mutant strain of halflings...

Now, what are those evil halflings called? Jerrow?

[Admiral Squish]

I love it! Always need more munchkin races with uber strength and no charisma (seriously, thats all I play usually lol) to annoy the living crap outta my DM! But it just seems a bit too much for only a +1 LA. Probably wrong but thats just the way it seems.

Well, a half-ogre is LA +2. But that's got large size, which includes reach, and a +4 to all the size-related thingies. The titan-souled only counts as medium. The stat bonuses are slightly larger.

Cute Bruisers require Charisma, sir! Require it!

Where ELSE am I going to put the penalty? I mean, yeah, they're LIKABLE, but it's hard to take them seriously. Maybe they'd be good at perform, but bluff, diplomacy, or intimidate? No way.

Might as well just stick to Powerful Build as an ability name, rather than leverage... saves confusion.

Otherwise, I kinda like the idea, If only because it allows me to include a mutant strain of halflings...

Now, what are those evil halflings called? Jerrow?

Well, it is SLIGHTLY different. They still count as small for the purpose of special abilities that can affect or target them. Besides, powerful build on a small character conjures the image of a dwarf.

I've never heard of evil halflings before.

[Lord_Gareth]

See, Cute Bruisers are supposed to be ditzes. Being taken seriously is a function of personality, not CHA bonus.

[AtlanteanTroll]

Where ELSE am I going to put the penalty? I mean, yeah, they're LIKABLE, but it's hard to take them seriously. Maybe they'd be good at perform, but bluff, diplomacy, or intimidate? No way.

Bluff: "I swear mistuh, I have no idea whats goin' on."

Diplomacy: "ILL HELP YOU FIND YOUR KITTEH!"

Intimidate: What? Come on now. A little girl standing on you chest, carrying a +20 lbs hammer doesn't scare you?

[Lord_Gareth]

I'd make it -4 Wis, -2 Int, personally.

[Moose Man]

I've never heard of evil halflings before.

Belkar, nuff said. and of course, me.

[Lord_Gareth]

They're called Jerrens, BoVD.

[LOTRfan]

Yeah. If I remember correctly, they are basically common Halflings with a bonus vile feat. I would have preferred something more Drow or Duergar-esque.

Hmmm... possibly a new homebrew project for me...

[SurlySeraph]

@Mulletmanalive: Jerren.

A net +6 to stats is a bit much for an LA +1 race, especially one that gets what amounts to Powerful Build and +4 natural armor. Since small creatures have the same reach as medium creatures, the only actual disadvantages they get from being small are 20' speed and not getting a reach extension from Enlarge Person.

I agree with Lord Gareth on the stats. Mongrefolk get -4 Cha, adorable little hammer-people would have to have pretty massive social dysfunction to be that uncharismatic.

I'd either up the LA to +2 or +3, or drop the natural armor and 2 points of stat bonuses.

[Mulletmanalive]

Yeah. If I remember correctly, they are basically common Halflings with a bonus vile feat. I would have preferred something more Drow or Duergar-esque.

Hmmm... possibly a new homebrew project for me...

Maybe they would turn that way in time, but the fluff didn't imply all that much timescale. Drow changed over a bucketload of centuries in wierd radiation...

That said, take Titan-souled and add tha bonus Vile feat and you basically have a horrific sub caste of the impossibly awesome 4e Derro...

[Admiral Squish]

How about I take the str down to +4 and keep the NA?

[SurlySeraph]

That'd be fine.

[Admiral Squish]

Done and done.

[Lord_Gareth]

Now I must play one of these with levels in Fighter, Barbarian, maybe a dip or two in sorc or cleric, and epic hero. With a greatspear.

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!

[Orzel]

So a race of better Belkars

Where do I sign up?

[Admiral Squish]

First person to actually play this gets an cookie made of internets. With sprinkles of awesome if you tell how it went.

[Soulblazer87]

Actually, these 'little guys' are more suited to the warblade rather than the swordsage. Remember; swordsages fight in light armor and use two weapons more often than not. Warblades are the people most likely to scream 'WAAAGH!!!' and charge down their foes.

Anyway, this is too strong for LA+1. Even the stat bonuses are too much (every +2 to a physical gives -4 to mental). Other than that, it's fine really. Would love to play one; smash dem big uns style. Maybe a warblade/barbarian mix or something.

[al'raith]

not to nit pick but

Favored Class: Swordsage. A multiclass titan-souled bard class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty.

just pointing it out

[Admiral Squish]

Actually, these 'little guys' are more suited to the warblade rather than the swordsage. Remember; swordsages fight in light armor and use two weapons more often than not. Warblades are the people most likely to scream 'WAAAGH!!!' and charge down their foes.

Anyway, this is too strong for LA+1. Even the stat bonuses are too much (every +2 to a physical gives -4 to mental). Other than that, it's fine really. Would love to play one; smash dem big uns style. Maybe a warblade/barbarian mix or something.

True, but I thought these guys were developing a more intellectual warrior sort of thing. Though, the wis penalty would certainly hurt a SS...

Compare to goliath, which is often considered one of the very few LA +1 raceas actually worth it. They get +4 str, +2 con and only a -2 to dex. This is +4 to two stat, -4 to another, and a -2. Overall, goliath comes off with a net gain of +4 in his stats, while mine only leaves with a +2.

Also, the formula you're using is a precedent set by half-orcs, widely viewed as the worst of the base races.

not to nit pick but


just pointing it out

Ahh, I shall go fix that, then.

[Soulblazer87]

Agreed. However, these guys get the benefits of being small without being small. And small IS considered to be better than large in many cases. For whatever reason, because I don't get it right now (blame DWO and Aeria...).

Anyway, I get your point and concede mine. Or something like that. My head hurts, I'm off to get an aspirin or some sleep...

[Admiral Squish]

Agreed. However, these guys get the benefits of being small without being small. And small IS considered to be better than large in many cases. For whatever reason, because I don't get it right now (blame DWO and Aeria...).

Anyway, I get your point and concede mine. Or something like that. My head hurts, I'm off to get an aspirin or some sleep...

MUAHAHAHA! My logic armor is impenetrable! Victory!

[Lateral]

Okay, now I have to run a campaign with a party made up of solely Small creatures.