DnD 3.5 A handful of new races, LA judge (PEACH)

[desmond1323]

So I've been working fairly heavily on my own campaign setting, and the current workload has mostly steered towards new races. I know I've put the Kentao up here, and I may have also put up Tinker Gnomes, though I'm not sure. Without further ado, here's just the racial qualities for a few more. Keep in mind that some of these are just what I'm considering, not all has been fully accepted yet.

Mostly I just want a judge on the LA, as there's been some back and forth amongst my friends and I on what we'd call these races. Granted, I'd like for them to all be viable Player races, heh, but I keep wanting them to be too strong.


Azure Gnolls
AKA: Blue Gnolls, Lapis Gnolls

• Medium Humanoid (Gnoll)
• +4 Dex, +2 Con, +2 Wis, -4 Int
• Base land speed of 40 ft
• Darkvision 60 ft
• Powerful Build: The lanky body structure of azure gnolls lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger. Whenever an azure gnoll 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 azure gnoll is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. A azure gnoll is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. An azure gnoll 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.
• +2 on Survival checks, +4 in desert environs
• Treat bladed-shields and bucklerspears as martial weapons
• Automatic Languages: Gnoll, Common. Bonus: Ignan, Halfling, Dwarven, Goblin, Orc
• Common Classes: Druid, Ranger, Fighter
• Level Adjustment +2

Muldvarp

• Small Subterranean Humanoid
• Con+2, Dex +2, -2 Cha
• Base land speed of 20 ft
• Burrow speed of 20 ft, only through soft materials such as dirt and sand
• Darkvision 120 ft
• Claw attack (I don't have my books on me, but this will be one size category larger than Small in terms of damage + Str)
• Efficient Breathing...Muldvarps can hold their breath 8 times their Con score before suffocating or drowning.
• Natural Armor +1
• +2 to Listen, Search checks due to enhanced senses.
• -2 to Spot due to lack of reliance on eyesight.
• +2 Knowledge (Dungeoneering) and Knowledge (Architecture & Engineering)
• Automatic Languages: Terran, Common. Bonus Languages: Gnome, Dwarven, Halfling, Draconic, Goblin
• Common Classes: Haven't figured it out yet, going to try and make a couple of racial classes for them actually.
• Level Adjustment: +1, I'm thinking

Shorn

• Medium Humanoid (Plant)
• +4 Wis, -2 Dex, -2 Con
• Base land speed of 20 ft
• Low-light vision
• Immune to Sleep and similiar effects, +2 against mind-affecting effects
• Immune to poisons
• +2 against paralysis, polymorphing, stunning
• Natural Armor +2
• Fire vulnerability (1.5x)
• +4 Survival in wooded areas
• +2 on Listen, Search, and Spot
• +2 Handle Animal
• Automatic Languages: Sylvan, Elven. Bonus Languages: Auran, Terran, Ignan, Aquan
• Common Classes: Druid, Cleric
• Level Adjustment: +1

Pongara

• Medium Humanoid
• +2 Str, +2 Con, +2 Int, -2 Wis, -2 Cha
• Base land speed of 30 ft
• Climb Speed 30 ft
• Long Arms (will have to figure out something better to call this)...Pongara have an incredible armspan and are treated as having reach (10ft), despite being Medium creatures.
• (nothing further at the moment until I do more orangutan research, heh)
• Automatic Languages: Pangaran, Sylvan, Common. Bonus Languages: Elven, Auran, Halfling, Gnome
• Common Classes: No idea yet, don't have any society thought out for them quite yet.
• Level Adjustment: I'm thinking an LA +1, though maybe it still needs a bit or two.

Comments, questions, anything really...is all readily accepted and desired. Thanks, Playground. Happy gaming.

[Thomar_of_Uointer]

Azure Gnolls
AKA: Blue Gnolls, Lapis Gnolls

• Medium Monstrous Humanoid
• +4 Dex, +2 Con, +2 Wis, -4 Int
• Base land speed of 40 ft
• Darkvision 60 ft
• Powerful Build: The lanky body structure of azure gnolls lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger. Whenever an azure gnoll 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 azure gnoll is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. A azure gnoll is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. An azure gnoll 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.
• +2 on Survival checks, +4 in desert environs
• Treat bladed-shields and bucklerspears as martial weapons
• Automatic Languages: Gnoll, Common. Bonus: Ignan, Halfling, Dwarven, Goblin, Orc
• Common Classes: Druid, Ranger, Fighter
• Level Adjustment +2

Looks good.

Muldvarp

• Small Subterranean Humanoid
• Con+2, Dex +2, -2 Cha
• Base land speed of 20 ft
• Burrow speed...either 20 ft or 30 ft, I haven't decided yet.
• Darkvision 120 ft
• Claw attack (I don't have my books on me, but this will be one size category larger than Small in terms of damage + Str)
• Efficient Breathing...Muldvarps can hold their breath 8 times their Con score before suffocating or drowning.
• Natural Armor? I'm tempted for +1 or +2, but then again, maybe not.
• +2 to Listen, Search checks due to enhanced senses.
• -2 to Spot due to lack of reliance on eyesight.
• +2 Knowledge (Dungeoneering) and Knowledge (Architecture & Engineering)
• Automatic Languages: Terran, Common. Bonus Languages: Gnome, Dwarven, Halfling, Draconic, Goblin
• Common Classes: Haven't figured it out yet, going to try and make a couple of racial classes for them actually.
• Level Adjustment: +1, I'm thinking

Leave burrow speed at 20' for simplicity. +1 natural armor would probably work better considering their natural attacks and burrow speed. I would explicitly note that they can only burrow through dirt.

Shorn

• Medium Humanoid Plant
• +4 Wis, -2 Dex, -2 Con
• Base land speed of 20 ft
• Low-light vision
• Immune to Sleep and similiar effects, +2 against mind-affecting effects
• Immune to poisons
• +2 against paralysis, polymorphing, stunning
• Natural Armor +2
• Fire vulnerability (1.5x)
• +4 Survival in wooded areas
• +2 on Listen, Search, and Spot
• +2 Handle Animal
• Automatic Languages: Sylvan, Elven. Bonus Languages: Auran, Terran, Ignan, Aquan
• Common Classes: Druid, Cleric
• Level Adjustment: Once again, thinking +1...but strongly also thinking +0.

It's definitely +1. The only reason it's not +2 is their fire vulnerability and 20' move speed.

Not sure, working name is:
Pongara

• Medium Humanoid
• +2 Str, +2 Con, +2 Int, -2 Wis, -2 Cha
• Base land speed of 30 ft
• Climb Speed 30 ft
• Long Arms (will have to figure out something better to call this)...Pongara have an incredible armspan and are treated as having reach (10ft), despite being Medium creatures.
• (nothing further at the moment until I do more orangutan research, heh)
• Automatic Languages: Pangaran, Sylvan, Common. Bonus Languages: Elven, Auran, Halfling, Gnome
• Common Classes: No idea yet, don't have any society thought out for them quite yet.
• Level Adjustment: I'm thinking an LA +1, though maybe it still needs a bit or two.

Looks alright.

Are these going to take the place of the PHB races, or be new ones for the setting?

[lunar2]

Azure Gnoll: gnolls are humanoid (gnoll). is there any particular reason this subrace is a different type?

Shorn: is it a Humanoid type with the plant subtype? or is it a humanoid shaped Plant type? the entry is confusing.

[Togath]

The reason the gnolls are monstrous humanoids is probably due to flinds being monstrous humanoids.
Though the blue gnoll probably only needs a +1 level adjustment, as it's slightly weaker than a flind(if you cut out a flind's racial hd) which has a +2 level adjustment.
edit; looked at the flind stats, the power level is closer then I thought, however; +2 level adjustment is a bit harsh for a race without racial hd(the reason it works for flinds is their 2 hd and their high stats).

[desmond1323]

Are these going to take the place of the PHB races, or be new ones for the setting?

Thanks for the comments. They'll be in addition to, as replacing them would mean all my players would lose all their characters, heh. Though I've made some changes to the PHB ones as well, due to the slightly different flavor of my universe.

Azure Gnoll: gnolls are humanoid (gnoll). is there any particular reason this subrace is a different type?

Shorn: is it a Humanoid type with the plant subtype? or is it a humanoid shaped Plant type? the entry is confusing.

Combined with Togath's post = because I forgot, and didn't have my books on me and forgot to check the SRD.

Sorry 'bout that...should read Humanoid (Plant), as leaving tghem the straight up Plant type would be too powerful, and too similar to the Volodni, which I was trying to avoid.

The reason the gnolls are monstrous humanoids is probably due to flinds being monstrous humanoids.
Though the blue gnoll probably only needs a +1 level adjustment, as it's slightly weaker than a flind(if you cut out a flind's racial hd) which has a +2 level adjustment.
edit; looked at the flind stats, the power level is closer then I thought, however; +2 level adjustment is a bit harsh for a race without racial hd(the reason it works for flinds is their 2 hd and their high stats).

Heh, that first bit makes me sound more intelligent than I am....never heard of flinds before (have been educated now). I'll probably change them back to Humanoid (Gnoll). As for the rest, I'll have to find the actual data for flinds and make a comparison. RaceHD and LA is a bit of a wiggy thing, from my experience. The azure gnolls seem really powerful, but I'll check and figure it out.


Thanks all. If necessary, keep 'em comin'. At the least, I'll be adding a few more bits to the Pongara eventually. Much obliged.

[Togath]

flinds(3.5 dnd ones) are from mmIII, there are also some in pathfinder if I remember correctly

[desmond1323]

flinds(3.5 dnd ones) are from mmIII, there are also some in pathfinder if I remember correctly

Yeah, I got a copy of it and looked 'em up....ye gods, they are strong, especially compared to MM gnolls. Made me think my azure ones were not as strong as believed....I'ma keep them at +2 though, because their stats are only slightly below flinds, and combining that with the powerful build (which I've always judged as around a +.5 LA alone, as Large size is usually an instant +1) makes me think a +2 is fair, though they may be on the low end of it.