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View Full Version : New 3.5 Race: Alu-Fiend + Lesser Variant, [PEACH]



SciChronic
2013-06-14, 12:58 PM
So upon reading some of the deeper lore for Tieflings, I learned that when tieflings have a demonic heritage, succubi and mariliths are the likely ancestors. yet, when i read some of the racial traits for tieflings, they don't seem to reflect the possibility of having succubi ancestry. This race hopes to fix that.

This is my first time doing something like this, so please, please offer any advice and/or criticism you have.

Current Design (i added some lore stuff too!):
Alu-fiend
Alu-fiends are the descendants of succubi with a male partner. Cousins to, and often mistaken for, tieflings, alu-fiends are often associated and persecuted as evil due to their heritage. alu-fiends are often killed at birth or as they grow up, either by their horrified parents, or people who believe that alu-fiends, are the sign of impending doom or other such superstitions. Those who reach maturity and learn to control their abilities can almost seamlessly blend in with society.

Personality: Alu-fiends tend to be aloof and suspicious of others, growing up being despised and feared by others has made them very distrustful. Even with the most seemingly open alu-fiend, it is likely a faηade.

Physical Description: Alu-Fiends are a female only race. Alu-fiends share many similarities with humans, usually the other part of their ancestry. Their height ranges from 5 feet to 6 feet, with a weight ranging from 110 to 160 pounds on average. They typically have black hair and glowing red eyes, evidence of their heritage. Some have small bumps that can be felt between the shoulder blades where wings would have grown. Succubi live to tempt mortals, and their comely allure is apparent in their descendants. This being said, adult alu-fiends are rarely in their natural form, using their Alter Shape (see below) ability to change their appearance to match with their surroundings and blend into the local society.

Relations: Alu-fiends trust few and suspect many. They treat most others race equally – at arm’s length. They are always wary of a friend suddenly becoming an enemy, so they have few attachments with others. Aasimar often trigger an instinctive fear or revulsion in tieflings, making it difficult for them to work together at all.

Alu-fiends see tieflings as kindred spirits, but tieflings do not understand lonliness as alu-fiends do. Half-orcs are toleratated about the same, being a common race that is derided as much as they are. Even so, an alu-fiend is not more likely to trust these races; they just understand their perspectives.

They feel that if they are revealed for what they are, they will be abandoned, and rejected. Due to their rather unusual origins, most alu-fiends will go their entire lives without encountering another of their kind – and know about it. This makes them feel alone, and unable to truly connect with others. Alu-fiends see true outsiders and true fiends with mixed feeling of both envy and fear.

Alignment: The evil within their blood makes them especially susceptible to succumbing to evil. It is easy for them to fall to lives of crime, depravity, and cruelty. There are some who seek the light, but few last long, and many more are neutral.

Alu-fiends as a whole tend to prefer chaos over law.

Alu-fiend Lands: Alu-fiends have no lands and blend in with human society.

Religion: Alu-fiends have no common racial dietiey, but sometimes worship powerful demons or whatever divine being their ancestor serves.

Language: Alu-fiends speak common, and many learn Abyssal, the language of their succubus ancestors.

Names: Alu-fiends are typically given human names.

Racial Traits
• -2 Strength, +2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma. Alu-fiends are exceptionally cunning, attractive and can easily feign being charismatic. However, alu-fiends are physically weaker than the other races.
• Medium size
• Female: Alu-fiends are a female-only race.
• Alu-fiend base land speed is 30 feet
• Cold, fire, and electricity resistance 5
• Charm Person (Sp): Alu-fiends can use charm person once per day as a sorcerer of their character level. The save is charisma-based.
• Alter Shape (Su): Alufiends have the supernatural ability to alter their appearance as though under an alter self spell at will, but with the following changes:

o You can only assume the form of medium humanoids.
o You do not gain the physical qualities (racial skill bonuses, modes of travel, etc.) of the form you take.
o There is no limit to the duration, and can be dispelled at will.
• +2 racial bonus on diplomacy checks vs. the opposite sex.
• +2 racial bonus on bluff, hide, move silently, and sense motive checks.
• Darkvision up to 60 ft.
• Outsider: Alu-fiends are native outsiders.
• Racial Feats: Fiendish Bloodline, Improved Energy Resistance, Outsider Wings, Planetouched Animal Affinity.
• Level Adjustment: +2

Variant: Lesser Alu-Fiend
Lesser Alu-Fiends are identical to Alu-Fiends except:

Lesser Alu-Fiends cannot use Alter Shape and are always in their natural form.
Lesser Alu-Fiends cannot take Outsider Wings as a racial feat.
Lesser Alu-Fiends are not outsiders.
Level Adjustment: +1


so, what do you guys think?

eftexar
2013-06-15, 01:55 PM
It seems fair to me. Charm is a bit powerful though. You might even consider a list of 4 or 5 abilities to choose from there (for different ancestries).

Personally, thought of options aside for now, I would add the ability to take a few preset alternate shapes, add a bonus to diplomacy checks against the opposite sex, and replace charm with a single round suggestion, or song of discord, with increasing uses per day based on HD and/or charisma.

Zweisteine
2013-06-15, 01:58 PM
This looks pretty good.
Of course, if it had a Lesser variant, as the normal tiefling, it would be far too powerful... But this actually seems balanced.

SciChronic
2013-06-15, 05:57 PM
I felt that adding shape changing would push the class into the +2LA area, as changlings have +0LA and they get little else on top of that.

I chose Charm Person as the SLA as it is a 1st level spell, and unless you are a SAD class based on charisma the DC for it wont be much higher than a DC13 Will, and in hostile situations, the target gets a +5 to the save, so this pretty much sets up the SLA to be used in towns for getting information/discounts at stores and such. I also felt Charm Monster was a bit too strong, and didnt quite suit their "diluted" powers like the fact that they've lost their wings and ability to fly after so many generations.

I think the Tiefling(Alu-Fiend) variant of my homebrew would simply add in Minor Shapechange-like effect. That said, what should i name it? maybe Minor Polymorph? though, if i search hard enough, that's likely taken.

SciChronic
2013-06-16, 01:33 PM
So for a race i'm creating, I want them to have an ability similar to the minor shape change ability of changlings. However, the ability for changelings is gained through their doppleganger blood. The ability i'm trying to create is granted through having a succubi, who has at will polymorph, as an ancestor.

concerns:

The race itself is Outsider(native) but i don't want them polymorphing into outsiders, but the other part of their ancestry, medium humanoids, with a change in height at a max of 1 foot either way.
I do not want them gaining the stat blocks of things they polymorph into, nor do they gain extra attacks, special attacks, spell like abilities, special qualities, etc.
I want the effect to be able to be dispelled, since a succubi's polymorph is.
I do not want them gaining hit points as if they had rested a day, as a normal polymorph would.
The effect is physical, not illusory
True seeing or similar magic will reveal them for what they are.
Morphing takes a Full-Round Action


As you can see, I want the ability to be an interesting RP tool, with limited use in combat situations (except maybe morphing into an orc and intimidating kobolds/goblins, etc. if your DM would allow that kind of circumstance bonus)

I need a name for this ability, and help wording the ability so that it's uses are clear, without room for error. So can you playgrounder's help?

side question: While the direct descendant of an succubus and male partner is an Alu-Fiend, and many generations down the line they become Tieflings, what would you call the step in between them or what would you call a Tiefling that better reflects having a succubus as an ancestor? At the moment I'm calling them Lesser Alu-fiends and they have a +2 LA, but I want to create a variant for the race that removes Outsider(Native) and the morphing ability to become +1 LA, calling this a Lesser Lesser Alu-Fiend seems silly don't you think?

eftexar
2013-06-16, 02:58 PM
Change Shape (Sp)
The Tiefling can, at will, change her appearance as a full round action, as if with the Disguise Self, but the effect is real, instead of illusory, and has a duration of permanent.
It has no effect upon any equipment she has, but it does, however, change audible and tactile properties of herself to match her new appearance.

Notice I didn't list a way to change back and made the duration of permanent. This is on purpose because you should add the shapechanger subtype, which provides a method to change back.
Also remember the newest shapechange takes precedence, over the previous, making it easy to change between different appearances without actually ending one first.


You can add in anything you think is missing, but I think allowing true seeing to see through it just kind of makes it Disguise Self. And frankly I think it needs to be closer to alternate shape to set it apart from the spell and keep the flavor of shapechanging.

Reddish Mage
2013-06-16, 03:09 PM
Shapechange would add an LA and it always seemed clear to me that a lvl-adjustment pretty much gimps any character taking the race unless the character is very carefully engineered. I have a lot of trouble with the exercise of making these races for this reason or accepting the level adjustments rules as written.

eftexar
2013-06-16, 03:14 PM
Shapechanger is just basically immunity to polymorph, plus this subtype is essentially a vulnerability as well. I think it's better to eyeball it than assume any of the standards in the Monster Manual. Vampire being my case in point.

[edit]: also note that this is really just Disguise Self without a duration or the illusion tag, but is gimped on disguising equipment. Truthfully I think it could disguise equipment and things would still be fine.

SciChronic
2013-06-16, 04:11 PM
Change Shape (Sp)
The Tiefling can, at will, change her appearance as a full round action, as if with the Disguise Self, but the effect is real, instead of illusory, and has a duration of permanent.
It has no effect upon any equipment she has, but it does, however, change audible and tactile properties of herself to match her new appearance.

Notice I didn't list a way to change back and made the duration of permanent. This is on purpose because you should add the shapechanger subtype, which provides a method to change back.
Also remember the newest shapechange takes precedence, over the previous, making it easy to change between different appearances without actually ending one first.


You can add in anything you think is missing, but I think allowing true seeing to see through it just kind of makes it Disguise Self. And frankly I think it needs to be closer to alternate shape to set it apart from the spell and keep the flavor of shapechanging.

i'm trying to stay true to having a succubus as an ancestor, and thus they wouldn't become shapechangers. I'm trying to make it a rather diluted form of having at will polymorph, stripping out what would make it game breaking. That said i'm considering changing the action required into a standard action as the succubus's polymorph is an SLA and thus is a standard action.

I suppose i want it to function more like Alter Self rather than Disguise Self, so i suppose i should remove the true seeing bit.

@eftexar
if it effected armor as well it would a) break the rules of polymorph, as with the spell it either fits or is subsumed into your form until you revert and b) would make the effect have to be illusory.

@Reddish Mage
Without the shapechange the race would be +1 LA. I based the race off of Tieflings, and changed the stats from +2 dex +2 int -2 cha into -2 str +2 Int +2 cha, and since a penalty to str is heavier than cha, i added in some bonus racial skill bonuses. Then changed the SLA form darkness to charm person.

As for your issue with +X LA Races, theres always the LA buyoff

SciChronic
2013-06-17, 04:37 PM
Current Design (i added some lore stuff too!):
Alu-fiend
Alu-fiends are the descendants of succubi with a male partner. Cousins to, and often mistaken for, tieflings, alu-fiends are often associated and persecuted as evil due to their heritage. alu-fiends are often killed at birth or as they grow up, either by their horrified parents, or people who believe that alu-fiends, are the sign of impending doom or other such superstitions. Those who reach maturity and learn to control their abilities can almost seamlessly blend in with society.

Personality: alu-fiends tend to be aloof and suspicious of others, growing up being despised and feared by others has made them very distrustful. Even with the most seemingly open alu-fiend, it is likely a faηade.

Physical Description: alu-fiends share many similarities with humans, usually the other part of their ancestry. Their height ranges from 5 feet to 6 feet, with a weight ranging from 110 to 160 pounds on average. They typically have black hair and glowing red eyes, evidence of their heritage. Some have small bumps that can be felt between the shoulder blades where wings would have grown. Succubi live to tempt mortals, and their comely allure is apparent in their descendants. This being said, adult alu-fiends are rarely in their natural form, using their Alter Shape (see below) ability to change their appearance to match with their surroundings and blend into the local society.

Relations: Alu-fiends trust few and suspect many. They treat most others race equally – at arm’s length. They are always wary of a friend suddenly becoming an enemy, so they have few attachments with others. Aasimar often trigger an instinctive fear or revulsion in tieflings, making it difficult for them to work together at all.

Alu-fiends see tieflings as kindred spirits, but tieflings do not understand lonliness as alu-fiends do. Half-orcs are toleratated about the same, being a common race that is derided as much as they are. Even so, an alu-fiend is not more likely to trust these races; they just understand their perspectives.

They feel that if they are revealed for what they are, they will be abandoned, and rejected. Due to their rather unusual origins, most alu-fiends will go their entire lives without encountering another of their kind – and know about it. This makes them feel alone, and unable to truly connect with others. Alu-fiends see true outsiders and true fiends with mixed feeling of both envy and fear.

Alignment: The evil within their blood makes them especially susceptible to succumbing to evil. It is easy for them to fall to lives of crime, depravity, and cruelty. There are some who seek the light, but few last long, and many more are neutral.

Alu-fiends as a whole tend to prefer chaos over law.

Alu-fiend Lands: Alu-fiends have no lands and blend in with human society.

Religion: Alu-fiends have no common racial dietiey, but sometimes worship powerful demons or whatever divine being their ancestor serves.

Language: Alu-fiends speak common, and many learn Abyssal, the language of their succubus ancestors.

Names: Alu-fiends are typically given human names.

Racial Traits
• -2 Strength, +2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma. Alu-fiends are exceptionally cunning, attractive and can easily feign being charismatic. However, alu-fiends are physically weaker than the other races.
• Medium size
• Alu-fiend base land speed is 30 feet
• Cold, fire, and electricity resistance 5
• Charm Person (Sp): Alu-fiends can use charm person once per day as a sorcerer of their character level. The save is charisma-based.
• Alter Shape (Su): Alufiends have the supernatural ability to alter their appearance as though under an alter self spell at will, but with the following changes:

o You can only assume the form of medium humanoids.
o You do not gain the physical qualities (racial skill bonuses, modes of travel, etc.) of the form you take.
o There is no limit to the duration, and can be dispelled at will.
• +2 racial bonus on diplomacy checks vs. the opposite sex.
• +2 racial bonus on bluff, hide, move silently, and sense motive checks.
• Darkvision up to 60 ft.
• Outsider: Alu-fiends are native outsiders.
• Racial Feats: Fiendish Bloodline, Improved Energy Resistance, Outsider Wings, Planetouched Animal Affinity.
• Level Adjustment: +2

SciChronic
2013-06-19, 04:40 PM
Updated main post, and added lesser variant!

EDIT:
currently thinking about creating the Alu-Fiend's male counterpart, the cambion