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hierophant
2012-08-04, 07:28 PM
So, warming up my homebrew muscles, I've come up with a few ideas worth trying out. I thought I'd start with a few racial and class substitution ideas for the dwarf, because why not?
I'll be adding to the OP as I go, but feel free to make a request or suggestion, and pretty please give me some feedback!

ALTERNATE RACIAL FEATURES
Not all dwarves are born into the clan-halls of their ancestors. They have different talents and characters to their cousins, but are not so far removed as to be a sub-race.
To take a dwarf alternate racial feature, a character must be a Humanoid [Dwarf] with access to the racial ability being traded out.

Feral Dwarf:
Most feral dwarves are the children of outcasts, forever forbidden the security of clan and cave. However, a growing number of feral dwarves may be found in the sewers of large cities, victims of cruel circumstance and a disturbing reflection of the proud underground homes of Moradin's children.
Gain:

+2 racial bonus to Survival checks that provide food and water for yourself
+2 racial bonus on saving throws versus disease
Tenacious Opponent: Once per day per point of Constitution modifier (minimum one), a feral dwarf may reroll an opposed skill or ability check.

Lose:

+2 racial bonus on Craft checks that are related to stone or metal
+2 racial bonus on Appraise checks that are related to stone or metal items
Weapon Familiarity
Stonecunning


Metropolitan Dwarf:
Dwarves who move to the cities of humankind retain their traditions, but occasionaly find their children born into human families. Never elves though, perish the thought! No, that's just a rumour. Go wash your mouth out with ale.
Gain:

Base land speed is 30 feet (And may still move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load)
Bonus Feat: Skill Focus
Leverage: +2 bonus on bull rush, trip and grapple attempts

Lose:

Darkvision
Stability
+2 racial bonus to saving throws versus poison


DWARF MONK
In vast caverns deep underground, dwarven monks have trained with the tireless vigour of their race to blend the fighting skills of their vocation with the military techniques of their culture.
Hit Die: d12
Requirements
To take a dwarf monk substitution level, a character must be a dwarf about to take their 1st, 4th, or 15th level of monk.
Class Skills
Dwarf monk substitution levels have the class skills of the standard monk class plus Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (Int).
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier (or four times this number as a beginning character).
Class Features
All the following are features of the dwarf monk’s racial substitution levels.
Axe Brother: A dwarf monk who takes the first level racial substitution level gains the battleaxe and dwarven waraxe weapon proficiencies.
They may also treat the battleaxe, dwarven waraxe and handaxe as special monk weapons. This substitution feature augments, but does not replace, the standard monk's proficiencies.
Unarmed Strike: Their focus on using weaponry in combat leaves dwarf monks less time to train their unarmed technique. A dwarf monk who takes the first level racial substitution level deals unarmed damage as if they were one size smaller than they actually are.
Stone Body: A dwarf monk who takes the fourth level racial substitution level gains damage reduction 1/adamantine. This substitution feature replaces the standard monk slow fall ability. Any time the slow fall ability would increase, the dwarf monk's damage reduction increases by one. If the dwarf monk would gain the slow fall any distance ability, their damage reduction both increases by one, and becomes untyped (from DR 8/adamantine to DR 9/-, for example). This ability stacks with any other similar damage reduction the dwarf monk may have from class abilities, feats or racial abilities, but not from spells, items or other temporary sources.
Telling Blow: A dwarf monk who takes the fifteenth level racial substitution level learns to overcome his enemies' defences. As an immediate action after successfully striking an enemy (but before damage is dealt) they may lower that enemy's damage reduction, energy resistances and spell resistance by an amount equal to the dwarf monk's wisdom modifier.
This reduction lasts until the end of the dwarf monk's next round. This substitution benefit replaces the standard monk's quivering palm ability.

Baron Corm
2012-08-04, 08:55 PM
Looks pretty cool. I kind of like the idea of a dwarven brawler beating someone with his fists, so I'd be likely not to take the first level. Is there anything else that could be replaced? Siangham/nunchaku/sai proficiency?

Does Telling Blow work after your attack roll or damage roll?

hierophant
2012-08-04, 09:10 PM
Looks pretty cool. I kind of like the idea of a dwarven brawler beating someone with his fists, so I'd be likely not to take the first level. Is there anything else that could be replaced? Siangham/nunchaku/sai proficiency?
Glad you like it! I was tempted to trade the regular monk weapons, but liked the idea of a dwarven monk carrying a whole arsenal of weaponry around.
And yeah, I'm aiming to make it so people can pick and choose which levels to trade according to taste.

Does Telling Blow work after your attack roll or damage roll?
Hmmm, good point. I originally meant to make it work after the damage roll, but now that I rethink it... after attack but before damage is better, and I'll go ahead and make it an immediate action too, so it can work for AoOs.

Also, added the Feral Dwarf alternate racial feature (ARF).

Temotei
2012-08-04, 09:36 PM
Also, added the Feral Dwarf alternate racial feature (ARF).

Dog dwarf! ARF!

Feral dwarf seems like a straight-up buff in most cases, though it's fairly small anyway. Just thought I'd say that.

hierophant
2012-08-04, 09:41 PM
Dog dwarf! ARF!

Feral dwarf seems like a straight-up buff in most cases, though it's fairly small anyway. Just thought I'd say that.

Yeah, I just threw that up quickly, and am now re-evaluating it. Will lose dwarf weapon proficiencies too. I still think it's lacking in flavour though, needs more... feralness?

Hmmm, just got another ARF idea (amusingly, it's a bit of a mongrel...)