New races

[heroe_de_leyenda]

What do you think? this are some of the races of a setting I'm creating to play with my friends. Tell me what you think, if they are balances, Is the LA ok? suggestions accepted (but not necesarilly applied)

In this setting elves trace their lineage to a powerful race of magical beings and are intended to be more powerful tahn most common folk, and are not as numerous as other races. This magical heritage is reflected in aditional racial features. Half-elves are born among humans and have some amount of elven blood, with some of the power and features of their elven ancestors. They look very similar to humans but are a little bit more beautiful. They often live among humans hiding and sometimes ignoring their natural power.

Jikuu is an ancient race of alien-like creatures that's almost extinct now, they focus their training in controlling space and time. They have a blueish gray thick skin with not to sharp spikes. Their heads feature no hair, no mouth and display two pairs of pupil-less(?) eyes.

Alumians are a race of aquatic warriors, members of a monarchic-theocratic society, with noble ideals and zealous spirit, rediscovered shor ago and reintegrated to "global" society.

Jikuu

· Medium
· Jiiku´s base land speed is 30 feet.
· +2 on Spot checks, jikuu’s extra eyes give them above average vision
· +1 Natural armor bonus
· Naturally psionic: jikuu revieve +2 bonus power points at 1st level
· Intra-dimensional warps: spending one power point, a jikuu can create a hole in his space that leads to another hole within 30 feet, it lasts until the end of his turn. The holes have 5 feet of diameter. If the end-hole of the warp is placed behind an enemy the jikuu can make an attack through it (melee or ranged) and the enemy is denied his dexterity bonus to armor class). This warp can be made as a move action and you still get your 5-foot step to pass through it an appear on the other side just before or after your standard action takes place
· Silent speech: Jikuu don’t have mouths, but they can communicate by transferring their ideas into other’s minds. They can’t transfer concepts or images, they give information by words and sentences, just as if they were speaking directly into the mind of the “listener”. They can’t read other’s mind either. This form of speech is no obstacle for spells with verbal components, unless the spell specifically relies on the sound of speech, such as: holy word, dictum, wail of the banshee, blasphemy, word of chaos, shout, and greater shout. Likewise, they are immune to effects that would make them speak or make any sound with their mouth, like Tasha’s hideous laughter. Jikuu can’t sing either; to use bardic music, they can do it by playing instruments.
· -1 penalty on saving throws against sonic effects. Jikuu are not used to loud noises.
· Jikuu don’t eat and they absorb water from the atmosphere.
· Additional features: roll a d4
- 1: 1d2 extra pairs of eyes: (+1 to Spot checks for each additional pair)
- 2: Larger spikes: treat them as armor spikes
- 3: Claw-like hands: claw attack d4 damage. -1 on attack rolls with weapons not made specially for them
- 4: Extra thick skin: extra +1 natural armor bonus
· Automatic Language: Common, Bonus Languages: Any
· Favored Class: Psion
· Level Adjustment: +1

Alumians

· +2 wisdom, -2 charisma,
· Medium
· Alumians’ base land speed is 20 feet. Their base swim speed is 40 ft
· Darkvision 60 feet.
· +2 racial bonus on Escape Artist checks and Grapple checks to avoid being grappled: Alumians’ slippery skin makes them harder to bind on constrict.
· Amphibious: Alumians breathe water as well as air.
· Weapon Familiarity: Alumians treat tridents as simple weapons instead of martial weapons.
· Spell-like abilities: 1/day- create water, guidance, light, cure minor wounds, like a sorcerer of her character level.
· Like fish in water: +1 racial bonus on attack rolls when fighting underwater.
· +4 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by aquatic animals and magical beasts

· Metamorphosis: when an alumian reaches 5 hit dice, if he is willing to do so, may undergo a magical transformation into a more reptile-like creature, that gains these aditional traits:
· +2 Strength, -2 Dexterity
· Base land speed 15 feet, their speed is not reduced when wearing medium or heavy armor, Their swim speed is 20 feet
· Leap: Morphed alumians walk more slowly, but when there is enough space they can leap forward instead of hustling running or charging, if there is at least 10 feet from floor to ceiling thy can move six times their speed per round (90 feet) as a full round action, or three times their speed (45 feet) as a move action. If there’s at least 15 feet from floor to ceiling, they can move 12 times their speed (180 feet) as a full round action. During these moves they can make 45° turns once every 30 feet. To make a charge, they must move in straight line at least 30 feet, and no more than 90 feet, they get the normal bonuses and penalties for charging. They receive a +5 bonus on all jump checks, and they get +2 bonus feet to the check’s result on hi jumps, and +20 bonus feet on long jumps. They do not need a running start.
· Automatic Languages: Common and Alumian. Bonus Languages: Aquan, Elven, Sahuagin, Halfling.
· Favored Class: Cleric (females) or Fighter (males)

Elves

Like the elves of the PHB, plus:
· +2 to Charisma
· One rank on 6 of the following skills:
-Perform (any)
-Craft (any)
-Profession(any)
-Knowledge (any)
During their long lives, before becoming adventurers, elves have enough time to develop some practical or artistic skills, while searching what they really want to specialize in.
· +2 on Spellcraft checks. Elves can use Spellcarft untrained, though this doesn’t make it a class skill automatically.
· Spell-like abilities: at will: any two cantrips from the sorcerer spell list as a sorcerer of the elf’s character level.
· Some elves focus even more their early training on magical aptitude rather than martial skill. These elves know two 1st level spells, and can cast one of them per day as a sorcerer of the elf’s character level. If the elf has sorcerer levels add one to 1st level spells per day and two spells to 1st level spells known. These feature may replace the elf’s proficiency with longsword and rapier. It’s on the player to decide which feature to take.
· Favored class: Sorcerer
· Level Adjustment: +1

Dwarves
just like PHB, plus:
· Craft (amorsmith) and Craft (weaponsmith) are class-skills for any dwarf.

Halflings
Just like PHB (though I'm thhinkin of making teh a bit likke the dragonlnce kenders)

Gnomos:
Just like PHB, plus
+1 to all Knowledge and bardic knowledge checks

Humans: like PHB

[Mewtarthio]

· Intra-dimensional warps: spending one power point, a jikuu can create a hole in his space that leads to another hole within 30 feet, it lasts until the end of his turn. The holes have 5 feet of diameter. If the end-hole of the warp is placed behind an enemy the jikuu can make an attack through it (melee or ranged) and the enemy is denied his dexterity bonus to armor class). This warp can be made as a move action and you still get your 5-foot step to pass through it an appear on the other side just before or after your standard action takes place

Wouldn't it be simpler to just give them Psionic Dimension Door with a power point cost of 1 point and a range of thirty feet?


Additional features: roll a d4
- 1: 1d2 extra pairs of eyes: (+1 to Spot checks for each additional pair)
- 2: Larger spikes: treat them as armor spikes
- 3: Claw-like hands: claw attack d4 damage. -1 on attack rolls with weapons not made specially for them
- 4: Extra thick skin: extra +1 natural armor bonus

You probably shouldn't make people roll for their bonus trait. Just say it's one of the four.

Metamorphosis: when an alumian reaches 5 hit dice, if he is willing to do so, may undergo a magical transformation into a more reptile-like creature, that gains these aditional traits:

Nice flavor, but it'd probably be easier to make a "metamorphed alumian" race and note that alumians can change into it if they have more than five HD. Difficult to say, because there's not really any precedent I can think of, but it'd just be nice to have all the metamorphed alumian's stats in one place. Also, what's the LA?




Some elves focus even more their early training on magical aptitude rather than martial skill. These elves know two 1st level spells, and can cast one of them per day as a sorcerer of the elf’s character level. If the elf has sorcerer levels add one to 1st level spells per day and two spells to 1st level spells known. These feature may replace the elf’s proficiency with longsword and rapier. It’s on the player to decide which feature to take.

Er, what? A choice between either taking proficiency in two specific weapons that any class that grant martial weapon proficiency (ie Fighter) gives you for free OR take some nice new spells to cast? Why not simply give Elves the ability to cast like a first-level sorceror and let class levels stack with that (this has precedent: See the Rakasha with its Sorceror levels or the Unbodied with Psion(telepath) levels)?

[heroe_de_leyenda]

Wouldn't it be simpler to just give them Psionic Dimension Door with a power point cost of 1 point and a range of thirty feet?

You probably shouldn't make people roll for their bonus trait. Just say it's one of the four.


That's sounds okay. This trait would look like this:
· Intra-dimensional warps: spending one power point, a jikuu can create a hole in his space that leads to another hole within 30 feet, it lasts until the end of his turn. This fuctions like a psionic dimension door, but it is personal, with a range limited to 30ft, and it is manifested as a move action.
· Additional features, pick one of the following or roll a d4
- 1: 1d2 extra pairs of eyes: (+1 to Spot checks for each additional pair)
- 2: Larger spikes: treat them as armor spikes
- 3: Claw-like hands: claw attack d4 damage. -1 on attack rolls with weapons not made specially for them
- 4: Extra thick skin: extra +1 natural armor bonus

On the other hand, Alumians don't have a Level Adjustment. I think they''re fine as they are.

[icke]

Erm...

Elves: You might want to think twice if You want to assign a level adjustment to so popular a race as the elves just for a few skill ranks. Let Your players have the choice to either play a PHB elf or Your variant at least. That said, the sorcerer abilities are hefty, so the level adjustment of +1 is rectified.

Jikuu: The dimension door is very powerfull, especially for sneaky characters. You shouldn't deny the defender her dexterity bonus to armor class, at least not without a save or Sense Motive check for example. Also, even if You change the intra-dimensional warps accordingly, I think these guys deserve at least a level adjustment of +2.

The alumians are almost fine, but with increased AC, cantrips and a bunch of other bonuses I'd make it a level adjustment+1, at latest when they do the metamorphosis.

[heroe_de_leyenda]

Do you think I should make it a psi-like ability maybe? with a number of uses per day... maybe three? I just want it to be LA+1 tops.

Another option (I like this better but what do you say?) is to give them a penalty of -2 DEX. This way it's usefullness for sneaky people could be nerfed, making them think it twice before picking a Jikuu for a rouge for the dex penalty. It would be justified "in-game" because their alien anatomy full of spikes and stuff would make their movement a bit difficult.

I think I could take the suggestion of allowing players to pick the traditional elf.

Mewtarthio's suggestion on elves is also quite interesting... instead of their spell-like abilities and bonus 1st level spells and make them cast spells like a 1st level sorcerer stackable with class levels... but then the charisma bonus would unbalance things don't you think? please give me your thoughts on this.

[icke]

You can either give them an improved caster ability score(here: charisma), or grant them a basic caster level. If You do both, it should be LA +2.

[heroe_de_leyenda]

http://img213.imageshack.us/my.php?image=jikuukz1.jpg
Here's a quick sketch of what a Jikuu looks like. Sorry if it's not clear enough but i got no scanner. I just took a picture with my camera.

[Fael IsilLuin]

I like the drawing. But, what is the tail for? It looks like it could be used for attacking but that way it would be even more powerful, at least too much for a LA +1.

[icke]

I'm not so sure about the spikes. They seem more of a hindrance than of use, especially while tumbling etc.

[DementedJester]

I would play a jikuu in a heartbeat, and I would play a rogue jikuu, even with a dex penalty. i would DANCE while doing so, even with the limiting of the warps to thrice daily.
I don't know if that means that there's potential for abuse or not, but, there's a little machine in my head that's working out ways to make this a truly terrifying ability.

[Nocte]

Ese magnus :D