Gibberlings [three-in-one race! PEACH!]

[Admiral Squish]

Gibberlings

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Personality: Gibberlings are curious creatures, always eager to see what lies beyond the horizon. They enjoy experimenting and they can be a bit nosy at times. They are generally peaceful, and easily make friends. However, those who attack or pick on them will quickly find that angry gibberlings are quite dangerous, and fighting a gibberling sprout is like tangling with your weight in rabid weasels.
Physical Description: Gibberlings are virtually always found in groups of threes. Gibberlings almost always give birth in litters of three, a unit known as a ‘sprout’, and these siblings share a powerful emotional and social bond. They spend all their time together, and by the time they reach adulthood, they function as a single individual of three minds. Gibberlings are usually barely more than two feet in height, but they can range from just under two feet to almost three feet. Gibberlings are covered head to toe in fur. Males and females both have longer hair on the top of their heads and their chins. They wear these longer patches of fur in a wide variety of extravagant styles. Their fur can range anywhere from dark brown to peach pink to pale blue to snowy white. The patterns of their fur is as unique as a fingerprint, and can be patches of color, stripes, spots, or speckles. They are most often said to resemble a cat or a panda.
Relations: Gibberlings get along well with most races. On a personal level, they object to those who judge others solely by size or physical strength, and more than one orc has found themselves on the wrong end of a sprout of angry gibberlings.
Alignment: Gibberlings, due to their constant company, are usually either very good, or very bad. Siblings encourage or scold each other, keeping each other on the straight and narrow or driving each other to deeper depths of corruption. They’re more often chaotic than lawful, and usually more good than evil.
{table=head]|L|N|C
G|15|15|20
N|5|5|10
E|5|10|15[/table]
Lands: Gibberlings are a lost race, a people without a true homeland. A magical cataclysm tore their homeland, a large island chain known as Isa off the face of the material plane. Magical scholars believe that the cataclysm may have moved the islands into the astral plane, but none of those who search have yet found them. Gibberlings spend much of their lives on ships, and some sprouts even have tiny ships that they can run together.
Religion: Gibberlings revere and respect nature, particularly the sea. They also have a deep respect for fate, and revere luck in an almost deific fashion.
Language: Gibberlings speak their own language, which is actually two. Their ‘proper’ language is used to speak between sprouts. To hear it spoken, it features a large number of ch sounds and sharp vowels. The second is an extremely simplified version, which is augmented with body language and context, and is often highly customized, and usually only used between sprout-mates.
Names: Gibberlings have their own individual names, but for most purposes, they use their sprout name and address themselves with a royal ‘we’.
Adventurers: Gibberling adventurers are fairly common. Rogues are the most common, but rangers, barbarians, druids, and even psions are also fairly common.

• +4 dexterity, +2 constitution, -2 strength. Gibberlings are quick and nimble and possess exceptional vitality.
• Monstrous Humanoid: gibberlings have the monstrous humanoid creature type. As such, they are not subject to spells that affect humanoids only, such as charm Person and Dominate Person.
• Small: As a small creature, a gibberling gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but she uses smaller weapons than humans use, and her lifting and carrying limits are 3/4 of those of a Medium character.
• A Gibberling’s base land speed is 20 feet.
• Darkvision: Gibberlings can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and gibberlings can function just fine with no light at all.
• Sprout: Playing a gibberling does not mean controlling one gibberling, but three. Much as a swarm, the gibberlings are considered a single entity in most cases - they make a single saving throw against spells, traps and other effects, and the whole group suffers the consequences should they fail the save, with the exception of polymorph effects (See below). They have a single pool of hitpoints (though they suffer casualties, after a fashion, as their hitpoints descend to a certain point, see below) and they both wear and benefit from equipment as a collective whole. As they gain class levels or use class features (such as spells, attacks or maneuvers) it is assumed that the trio is cooperating in the task or that two members of the trio are cheering on the third. As such, they can be considered a single individual except where noted below:

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• Hitpoints, Unconsciousness and Death: The gibberlings have individual hitpoints, equal to their hit point total divided by three (any remainder is distributed evenly, favoring the final gibberling where possible). While any hitpoint damage dealt to the group is deducted from their collective pool, should the group take a total amount of damage equal to twice a single gibberling’s hit points, a gibberling collapses, unconscious and the group shrinks by one member (See Left Behind, below, for the mechanical effect of this). A second gibberling falls when the group’s total damage exceeds 2.5x the HP of a single gibberling. A fallen gibberling does not die or start dying until all three gibberlings have fallen, and they cannot be coup de graced or otherwise finished off until the entire group is helpless. Surviving gibberlings can revive an unconscious gibberling and pull them to their feet as a full round action that raises that gibberling to 1 hp.
• Spacing: The gibberlings in a sprout move in perfect sync, occupying the same 5x5 space, unless a gibberling is separated from the group, as described in the left behind entry below.
• Basic Needs: Gibberlings can clothe or equip themselves with the clothing necessary for a single individual... they're not modest. They share any carried equipment between them and need 8 hours of rest as normal. Gibberlings eat as much as three individuals, however.
• Attacks: The gibberlings can make a standard action attack as normal, using any one of the gibberling's weapons, but when full attacking, they can strike together. In doing so, each may make an attack with their equipped weapon (with standard penalties for firing ranged weapons into melee, etc) at a -4 penalty. When the gibberlings have +6 BAB, this penalty decreases to -2. The penalty is removed when the gibberlingss have +11 BAB. Gibberlings do not gain iterative attacks in the usual fashion, but for every +5 BAB after +11 BAB, one of the gibberlings may make an additional attack at a -5 penalty. Should gibberlings get an additional attack from another source (such as a natural attack), they simply add one appropriate attack to their mob attack (their full attack equivalent).
• Weapons and Shields: The gibberlings may each wield a single light weapon, one-handed weapon, or ranged weapon. Each shield worn by the group (to a maximum of three) offers only half benefit (to a maximum of 1.5 times the benefit), with the group suffering the full penalty for each shield worn (so wearing three light steel shields would impose a -3 armor check penalty and a -15% arcane spell failure chance).
• Equipment/Magic Items: Equipment/Magic items are divided among the gibberlings. They still have the same total number of equipment slots, and the ambient benefits of any magic items stretch to encompass the group. However, there is one exception to this in that each member of the group may wield either a magic weapon or a magic shield.
• Companions, Familiars, Mounts: The gibberlings share a single companion or familiar if they take levels in a class that would grant such to them. In the event of mounts, the gibberlings gain a medium sized mount that they can all ride at once.
• Spells and Special Abilities: Gibberlings that gain special abilities, trigger activation magic items, breath weapons or special attacks from spells simply use the ability as though one individual had them, originating from any gibberling-occupied square. Consider them to be acting in concert or that one gibberling is performing the action (such as breathing fire) while the others cheer them on or dance in glee at the devastation wrought.
• Grappling: The gibberlings that get involved in a grapple with a foe may reroll grapple checks a number of times equal to the number of members in the group (up to three times), taking the higher result. In the event of a grapple, all three gibberlings move into the enemy's space.
• Left Behind: The gibberlings may leave a member of the group behind as part of a move action. The main group moves and operates as normal, but reduces its base total of hitpoints, and number of available attacks appropriately (these stats, etc. are taken on by the gibberling left behind). Gibberlings left behind (be it intentionally or as a consequence of being knocked unconscious and then revived while the rest of the group is elsewhere) may (taking their turn after the main group has) make attacks of opportunity, keep watch, perform any free actions the group could or move the shortest, easiest available route back to the main group. Alternately, a gibberling may be left behind to revive a fallen gibberling in the manner described under Hitpoints, above.
  
  Should the group be entirely split up (with two of the three members left behind), one gibberling may shout at another gibberling in earshot as a swift action, effectively changing which gibberling is performing the actions and which two are left behind. This does not change the group's allowance of movement, standard and swift actions. For example, one gibberling might use a move action, use a swift action to call out to a buddy, and then that buddy could use a standard action.
  
  Gibberlings left behind are not subjected to spells (positive or not) that affect the main group, and vice versa. They make their own saving throws and retain any beneficial or harmful effects. Should they rejoin the main group, all effects are shared across members.
  
  A gibberling sprout that is separated for any great length of time grows morose and depressed, eventually becoming completely unresponsive. For every 24 hours a gibberling sprout remains separated, they must make a will save (DC 12, +1 per previous save) or take 1d4 points of wisdom damage.
• Polymorph effects: When subject to a polymorph effect, such as a polymorph spell or a druid's wild shape ability, only one gibberling is affected. That gibberling's space changes to match that of it's new form, and the gibberlings can use the new forms abilities in regards to that gibberling only.

• Tooth and Claw: If a gibberling is not wielding a weapon or shield, they can still prove effective fighters, combining claws and teeth into a single, surprisingly effective attack. A gibberling not carrying anything in it's hands can make a tooth and claw attack. This attack deals 1d4 points of damage, plus 1.5x the gibberling's strength modifier. This attack is effectively a natural weapon, but it cannot be used in addition to a normal full attack routine.
• Natural Armor: A gibberling's fur provides limited protection from attacks. They gain a +1 natural armor bonus to armor class.
• Cooperation: A gibberling can use aid another to help the other members of their sprout. A gibberling can use the aid another action in combat to benefit another member of their sprout as a move action. When making a skill check, a gibberling can make a second check against DC 10 to grant the +2 aid another bonus to the first check.
• Skills: Gibberlings gain a +2 racial bonus to profession (sailor) and use rope checks, as they spend much of their lives aboard ships, be they mundane or astral. They also gain a +2 racial bonus to jump and tumble checks
• Automatic Languages: Common, Gibberling. Bonus Languages: Halfling,
• Favored Class: Rogue
• LA +1

Feats:
Cooperative Magic:
Prerequisites: Gibberling, Cooperation, Able to use 1st level spells or powers.
Benefits: Through a shared training and an understanding of the actions of a gibberling's sproutmates, a gibberling can lend power to another gibberling to empower a spell. A gibberling can use aid another to help with spellcasting. to do so, a gibberling must make a spellcraft check against a DC of 10+the level of the spell being cast. If the check is successful, the gibberling can choose the grant the next spell cast a bonus to damage equal to their primary casting stat bonus, or increases the save DC by +1. If the gibberling possesses the great ally feat, the bonus to the spell's DC becomes +2, and the damage bonus increases by 50%.

Great Ally:
Prerequisites: Gibberling, Cooperation
Benefit: When using the aid another action, the bonus granted increases to +3.

Independent Sprout:
Prerequisites: Gibberling
Benefit: A gibberling sprout with this feat can move independantly of each other to a certain degree. While left behind, a gibberling can move up to their speed in any direction whenever the sprout uses a move action, asl long as they remain within 30 feet of all other gibberlings in the sprout and have a line of effect to all sprout-mates at the end of each turn. If they are separated by more than 30 feet or their line of effect is blocked, the only direction they can move is the quickest, easiest path back to their sprout-mates.
Special: A gibberling with this feat cannot gain any feat that has the cooperation ability as a prerequisite.

Isolationist:
Prerequisite: Gibberling, Independent Sprout
Benefit: A gibberling sprout with this feat no longer risks taking wisdom damage from being left behind for long periods of time.
Special: A gibberling sprout must have taken at least one point of wisdom damage from being left behind for more than 24 hours in order to take this feat.

Perfect Cooperation:
Prerequisites: Gibberling, Cooperation
Benefit: A gibberling sprout with this feat can use the aid another action in combat as a swift action. If the gibberling uses this ability, only one gibberling can attack in this turn.

Squad Tactics (WIP):
Prerequisite: Gibberling, Great Ally
Benefits: A gibberling sprout with this feat has a number of options in combat.
Surround: A gibberling sprout that is adjacent to an opponent can take a move action that provokes an attack of opportunity (The Gibberlings can make a tumble check as though moving through the opponent's space to avoid the AoO) to surround the opponent. The gibberlings occupy any three spaces adjacent to the target, and are all considered to be flanking the target.
Swarm: A gibberling sprout that is inside an opponent's space automatically does Tooth and Claw damage to the opponent each round as they bite, claw, and climb over the opponent.
Phalanx: A gibberling sprout with at least one shield can fight defensively to gain the full shield bonus from all equipped shields.

Triple-team:
Prerequisites: Gibberling, Cooperation
Benefit: A gibberling with this feat can use the aid another action to help another member of their sprout twice as part of the same action. These two checks can be made to achieve different ends. For example, if a gibberling sprout were to use a move action to use the aid another action to grant a bonus to it's next attack roll, the gibberlings would make two attack rolls, and, if both were successful, apply the aid another bonus twice.

[Admiral Squish]

Hey, everybody. Back again with yet another race. This one comes to you out of a russian MMO named Allods. I actually joined the game for a while because of these guys. I had some real design challenges with these guys until The Mage King was kind enough to point out a kobold race-class-thing that helped me make them work. I tweaked a few things, but the gist is the same.

I'm also trying to come up with some feats for these guys 'cause I think they're cool enough to deserve some extra support. Anyone have suggestions?

[Admiral Squish]

Nobody? Come on, I thought these guys were more than a little interesting...

[radmelon]

Wait... inspired by a 3-in-1 kobold thing? Someone was inspired by my work? I mean, the kobolds IMC was based of of Hyudra's class, but I'm still flattered.

Now on to the actual race. I'd say it's worth maybe +1 LA, but the lack of other racial abilities does balance it out somewhat. It's hard to evalute, there not really being anything else like it by WotC. For feats, maybe a few that enhances the individual gibberlings autonomy, but you'd have to be careful about the action economy.

[Debihuman]

What Type and Subtype, if any, do these have?

Debby

[Admiral Squish]

Wait... inspired by a 3-in-1 kobold thing? Someone was inspired by my work? I mean, the kobolds IMC was based of of Hyudra's class, but I'm still flattered.

Now on to the actual race. I'd say it's worth maybe +1 LA, but the lack of other racial abilities does balance it out somewhat. It's hard to evalute, there not really being anything else like it by WotC. For feats, maybe a few that enhances the individual gibberlings autonomy, but you'd have to be careful about the action economy.

Yeah, your race was a huge help. These guys were something I wanted to build a while ago, but I had no clue how to start with it. I looked at dvati, but everyone says they're terrible. They were sitting in my computer for days before TMK pointed me to your work.

There are a few key differences from your kobolds, though. For one, I made it so you lose gibberlings at 1/3rd, then 1/6th max HP, so you don't start losing actions in the middle of combat. Second, I made the gibberlings all occupy the same space. I also added a time limit to left behind, albeit a 24 hour one.

Well, if it's too powerful for LA 0, I certainly can't pare it back any further. so, the only solution is to move it up toward LA +1.

I like the idea of feats enhancing their autonomy. I could see allowing them to move separately, as long as they remain within a set distance of each other, or something like that. I could also see feat enhancing teamwork. Maybe allowing uninvolved gibberlings to use aid another?

What Type and Subtype, if any, do these have?

Debby

It's always the obvious stuff I miss. On it!

EDIT: Stupid forum didn't register the post... anyways, I gave them a +1 natural armor bonus, a natural attack that deals 1d4+1.5x str that allows them to stay somewhat effective even if you can't afford to give them all weapons, and I added a racial ability that lets them aid another themselves.

Then I threw in a bunch of feats regarding their ability to aid themselves.

[Doorhandle]

Cooperative Magic:
Prerequisites: Gibberling, Cooperation, Able to use 1st level spells or powers.
Benefits: Through a shared training and an understanding of the actions of a gibberling's sproutmates, a gibberling can lend power to another gibberling to empower a spell. A gibberling can use aid another to help with spellcasting. to do so, a gibberling must make a spellcraft check against a DC of 10+the level of the spell being cast. If the check is successful, the gibberling can choose the grant the next spell cast a bonus to damage equal to their primary casting stat bonus, or increases the save DC by +2. If the gibberling possesses the great ally feat, the bonus to the spell's DC becomes +3, and the damage bonus increases by 50%.

Just a question about this. If one gibberling will be casting and 2 will be aiding another, that is the equilent of a 3x mainstat bonus to damage or a D.C bonus of +6. Is this okay with you?

[Admiral Squish]

Just a question about this. If one gibberling will be casting and 2 will be aiding another, that is the equilent of a 3x mainstat bonus to damage or a D.C bonus of +6. Is this okay with you?

For that effect, you'd need four feats on a LA +1 race. Minimum level 10, if you put all your eggs in that proverbial basket, and to do so requires your move and standard actions for the round. The damage bonus seems pretty much fine, considering you could get easily that kind of mileage out of empower spell at that level, for a lot less investment. The DC bonus does seem a bit powerful, though. How about I lower it to +1, +2 with great ally?

[The-Mage-King]

Hm... looks interesting...

Is what I would say had you not already asked for advice on this.


Looks good. Glad you took my advice for how to represent them being a 3-in-1 race.

[Admiral Squish]

Hm... looks interesting...

Is what I would say had you not already asked for advice on this.


Looks good. Glad you took my advice for how to represent them being a 3-in-1 race.

Well, I'm glad you liked how it turned out.

I did fix the cooperative magic ability. More review is always appreciated, I'm hoping the current ability array is worth LA +1.

[Meeky]

Do note, I'm not claiming to be the world's best critic when it comes to D&D races, but I did notice some things that you may want to consider. (I enjoyed reading this, by the by.)

Let's look at low-level play for a bit. We know each Gibberling may wield a weapon. Let's say each weapon is magical and each weapon is poisoned. We're not assuming that the player using them is a powerbuilder or anything, but that's still quite a lot of potential oomph in a single round (at low levels), and the attack penalty they suffer for fighting all at once can be reduced with, say, a bard in the party and a Bless spell. Sure, it's not the most game-breaking thing, but I'd hate to be a low-level anything-not-undead-or-a-dwarf being hit in the surprise round by three poisoned +1 crossbow bolts.

If you have a Gibberling Druid with Wildshape, do all three Gibberlings merge to become one entity, or do they go by the given Polymorph Effect rules they provided for them, meaning you have one Gibberbear and two Gibberlings fighting alongside it? How does this impact their Full Attack, or is the Full Attack assumed to be that of the Gibberbear's? And what happens if the Gibberlings are struck by a Mass Enlarge spell? Do they have to be in separate squares at that point?

There's a lot of little questions that need to be thought about, basically. It's a very fun looking concept though, and I'm very tempted to ask my next DM if I may play one of these critters.

EDIT: Personally, though, a net +4 to stats may bump their worth a tad over +1 LA. I'd be tempted to just give them +4 DEX and -2 STR if I was you; no CON bonus.

EDIT 2: ...D'oh, I just read the Druid Wildshape clause you added. Sorry. But does that mean that one Gibberling could be affected by a Wildshape ability and another affected by a Polymorph spell, meaning you have two separate, 1/3 HP total creatures as part of this group (not mentioning the remaining normal Gibberling)? That will get interesting with attacks.