Dark Knight Renee
2007-01-03, 03:18 PM
My group agrees that the Tiefling race as presented doesn't work for us (neither does half-fiend, of course - I've already got a template for half-succubus), so I finally got around to tweaking it somewhat.
Firstly, our biggest beef with the original Tiefling was the Charisma penalty, which is stupid, because Charisma usually the third highest ability for fiends, right behind Str and Con (which are usually effected by size and monstrous physique!). It should be a bonus.
Secondly, no set of rigid stats for tieflings can easily acount for the differance between devils and demons. For example, those decended from Demons should have electricity resistance - while those desended from devils should NOT. Aditonally, not all tieflings are decended from either. Some may come from Yugoloths, Night Hags, or other misc evil outsiders. In some Forgotten Realms sources, their bloodlines are sometimes even attributed to evil deities.
Keeping reletively close to the existing Tiefling stats for flavor's sake, what I've come up with is a flexible set of bonuses that are chosen on character creation:
Generic Tiefling Racial Traits:
+2 in two of the following stats: Dexterity, Intelligence, Charisma.
Medium size, Native Outsider type.
A tiefling’s base land speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision out to 60 feet.
Spell-Like Ability: Tieflings have either Darkness or Invisibility (self only), usable 1/day, caster level equal to HD.
Skills: Tieflings have a +2 racial bonus on Hide, Intimidate, and Move Silently checks, and on on either Bluff or Listen and Spot checks.
Resistance: Tieflings have resistance 5 to two of the following energy types: acid, cold, electricity, fire.
Favored Class: Rogue or Warlock.
Level Adjustment: +1
Example Demonic Tiefling
+2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma.
Medium size, Native Outsider type.
A tiefling’s base land speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision out to 60 feet.
Spell-Like Ability: Invisibility (self only), usable 1/day, caster level equal to HD.
Skills: Tieflings have a +2 racial bonus on Hide, Intimidate, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks.
Resistance to electricity 5 and acid 5.
Favored Class: Warlock.
Level Adjustment: +1
Dropping one energy resistance doesn't exactly balance the lack of a Cha penalty or the increased number of skill bonuses, but I figure it's still not LA +2... right?
---------------
Now, for Aasimars. The original stats weren't that bad, but like the tiefling they didn't really represent the various celestials that could have spawned the bloodline. In particular, the Daylight SLA and those energy resistances.
The new Aasimar is less powerful than the new Tiefling, and a little weaker than the original as well. Compared with the original, it loses two energy resistances, and gains two skill bonuses and better SLA choices - a net loss.
Now, adding back an energy resistance seems like a good idea balance-wise... but at least two types of celestals (archons and lillends) have only one type of energy resistance/immunity. So unless a Resistance 10 balances against two Resistace 5s, that's not good option.
Generic Aasimar Racial Traits:
+2 in two of the following stats: Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisima.
Medium size, Native Outsider type.
An aasimar's base land speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision: Aasimars can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Aasimars have a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy, Listen, Sense Motive, and Spot checks.
Spell-Like Ability: Aasimars have a single spell-like ability, usable 1/day, caster level equal to HD. Possible spells include: Daylight, Cure Moderate Wounds, Lesser Restoration, Neutralize Poison, Remove Curse, or Remove Disease.
Resistance: Aasimars have resistance 5 to a single energy type (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic).
Favored Class: Paladin or Favored Soul.
Level adjustment +1.
Example: Typical Archon-Blooded Aasimar
+2 Wisdom, Charisima.
Medium size, Native Outsider type.
An aasimar's base land speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision: Aasimars can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Aasimars have a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy, Listen, Sense Motive, and Spot checks.
Spell-Like Ability: Daylight, usable 1/day, caster level equal to HD.
Energy Resistance: Resistance to a electricity 5.
Favored Class: Paladin.
Level adjustment +1.
Example: Typical Eladrin-Blooded Aasimar (Bralani)
+2 Dexterity, Wisdom.
Medium size, Native Outsider type.
An aasimar's base land speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision: Aasimars can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Aasimars have a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy, Listen, Sense Motive, and Spot checks.
Spell-Like Ability: Cure Moderate Wounds, usable 1/day, caster level equal to HD.
Energy Resistance: Resistance to a electricity 5.
Favored Class: Favored Soul.
Level adjustment +1.
Example: Typical Lillend-Blooded Aasimar
+2 Dexterity, Charisima.
Medium size, Native Outsider type.
An aasimar's base land speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision: Aasimars can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Aasimars have a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy, Listen, Sense Motive, and Spot checks.
Spell-Like Ability: Daylight, usable 1/day, caster level equal to HD.
Energy Resistance: Resistance to fire 5.
Favored Class: Favored Soul.
Level adjustment +1.
---------------
Genasi are decended from elemental-related creatures, such as azer, djinn, efreet, mephits, or rarely from true elementals. Their original stats appear in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, but generally suck.
These new stats are notably stronger than the originals. I have tried to balance them against each other and the Tiefling and Aasimar above, but I'm not sure I've succeeded. The following are simply the latest revisions... because I'm not sure what works.
Air Genasi Racial Traits:
+2 Dexterity, and one of the following stats: Wisdom, Charisma. Alternately, an Air Genasi may have +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma.
Medium size, Native Outsider type.
Air Genasi base land speed is 30 ft.
Darkvision out to 60 ft.
Spell-Like Ability: Air Genasi have a single spell-like ability, usable 1/day, caster level equal to HD. Possible spells include: Invisibility (self only), Levitate, Gust of Wind, Whispering Wind.
+2 racial bonus on Balance and Spot checks.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws vs. air and electricity spells and effects.
Energy Resistance: Resistance to cold 5.
Breathless: Air Genasi do not breath, and are immune to drowning, suffocation, and attacks which require inhalation (such as some kinds of poison).
Favored Class: Sorcerer.
Level adjustment +1.
Earth Genasi Racial Traits:
+2 Strength, +2 Constitution, and -2 in either Intelligence or Charisma. Alternately, +2 in either Strength or Constitution, with no penalties.
Medium size, Native Outsider type.
Earth Genasi base land speed is 30 ft.
Darkvision out to 60 ft.
Earth Genasi have a single spell-like ability, usable 1/day, caster level equal to HD. Possible spells include: Meld into Stone, Pass without Trace, Plant Growth, Soften Earth and Stone, Spider Climb, Stone Shape.
+2 racial bonus on Climb and Listen checks.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws vs. earth and stone spells and effects (Flesh to Stone, for example).
Energy Resistance: Resistance to acid 5.
+3 natural armor bonus.
Favored Class: Fighter.
Level adjustment +1.
Fire Genasi Racial Traits:
+2 Dexterity and one of the following stats: Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma. Alternately, a Fire Genasi may have +2 in two of the above and -2 in the remaining mental stat.
Medium size, Native Outsider type.
Fire Genasi base land speed is 30 ft.
Darkvision out to 60 ft.
Spell-Like Ability: Control Flame (see bellow), usable 1/day, caster level equal to HD. Fire Genasi can cause nonmagical fires within 10 feet of them to diminish to the level of the coals or flare to the brightness of daylight and double the normal radius of it's illumination. This ability does not change the heat output or fuel consumption of the fire source, and lasts for 1 minute/level.
+2 racial bonus on Bluff and Tumble checks.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws vs. fire spells and effects.
Energy Resistance: Resistance to fire 5.
Favored Class: Rogue or Sorcerer.
Level adjustment +1.
Water Genasi Racial Traits:
+2 in either Dexterity or Constitution, and +2 in either Intelligence or Wisdom. Alternately, either -2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom; or +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom.
Medium size, Native Outsider type.
Water Genasi base land speed is 30 ft.
Water Genasi also have a swim speed of 30 ft. It has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
Darkvision out to 60 ft.
Amphibious (Ex): Water Genasi can breathe both air and water.
Spell-Like Ability: Create Water or Obscuring Mist, usable 1/day, caster level equal to HD.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws vs. acid and water spells and effects.
Energy Resistance: Resistance to electricity 5.
Favored Class: Fighter.
Level adjustment +1.
Firstly, our biggest beef with the original Tiefling was the Charisma penalty, which is stupid, because Charisma usually the third highest ability for fiends, right behind Str and Con (which are usually effected by size and monstrous physique!). It should be a bonus.
Secondly, no set of rigid stats for tieflings can easily acount for the differance between devils and demons. For example, those decended from Demons should have electricity resistance - while those desended from devils should NOT. Aditonally, not all tieflings are decended from either. Some may come from Yugoloths, Night Hags, or other misc evil outsiders. In some Forgotten Realms sources, their bloodlines are sometimes even attributed to evil deities.
Keeping reletively close to the existing Tiefling stats for flavor's sake, what I've come up with is a flexible set of bonuses that are chosen on character creation:
Generic Tiefling Racial Traits:
+2 in two of the following stats: Dexterity, Intelligence, Charisma.
Medium size, Native Outsider type.
A tiefling’s base land speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision out to 60 feet.
Spell-Like Ability: Tieflings have either Darkness or Invisibility (self only), usable 1/day, caster level equal to HD.
Skills: Tieflings have a +2 racial bonus on Hide, Intimidate, and Move Silently checks, and on on either Bluff or Listen and Spot checks.
Resistance: Tieflings have resistance 5 to two of the following energy types: acid, cold, electricity, fire.
Favored Class: Rogue or Warlock.
Level Adjustment: +1
Example Demonic Tiefling
+2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma.
Medium size, Native Outsider type.
A tiefling’s base land speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision out to 60 feet.
Spell-Like Ability: Invisibility (self only), usable 1/day, caster level equal to HD.
Skills: Tieflings have a +2 racial bonus on Hide, Intimidate, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks.
Resistance to electricity 5 and acid 5.
Favored Class: Warlock.
Level Adjustment: +1
Dropping one energy resistance doesn't exactly balance the lack of a Cha penalty or the increased number of skill bonuses, but I figure it's still not LA +2... right?
---------------
Now, for Aasimars. The original stats weren't that bad, but like the tiefling they didn't really represent the various celestials that could have spawned the bloodline. In particular, the Daylight SLA and those energy resistances.
The new Aasimar is less powerful than the new Tiefling, and a little weaker than the original as well. Compared with the original, it loses two energy resistances, and gains two skill bonuses and better SLA choices - a net loss.
Now, adding back an energy resistance seems like a good idea balance-wise... but at least two types of celestals (archons and lillends) have only one type of energy resistance/immunity. So unless a Resistance 10 balances against two Resistace 5s, that's not good option.
Generic Aasimar Racial Traits:
+2 in two of the following stats: Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisima.
Medium size, Native Outsider type.
An aasimar's base land speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision: Aasimars can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Aasimars have a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy, Listen, Sense Motive, and Spot checks.
Spell-Like Ability: Aasimars have a single spell-like ability, usable 1/day, caster level equal to HD. Possible spells include: Daylight, Cure Moderate Wounds, Lesser Restoration, Neutralize Poison, Remove Curse, or Remove Disease.
Resistance: Aasimars have resistance 5 to a single energy type (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic).
Favored Class: Paladin or Favored Soul.
Level adjustment +1.
Example: Typical Archon-Blooded Aasimar
+2 Wisdom, Charisima.
Medium size, Native Outsider type.
An aasimar's base land speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision: Aasimars can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Aasimars have a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy, Listen, Sense Motive, and Spot checks.
Spell-Like Ability: Daylight, usable 1/day, caster level equal to HD.
Energy Resistance: Resistance to a electricity 5.
Favored Class: Paladin.
Level adjustment +1.
Example: Typical Eladrin-Blooded Aasimar (Bralani)
+2 Dexterity, Wisdom.
Medium size, Native Outsider type.
An aasimar's base land speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision: Aasimars can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Aasimars have a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy, Listen, Sense Motive, and Spot checks.
Spell-Like Ability: Cure Moderate Wounds, usable 1/day, caster level equal to HD.
Energy Resistance: Resistance to a electricity 5.
Favored Class: Favored Soul.
Level adjustment +1.
Example: Typical Lillend-Blooded Aasimar
+2 Dexterity, Charisima.
Medium size, Native Outsider type.
An aasimar's base land speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision: Aasimars can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Aasimars have a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy, Listen, Sense Motive, and Spot checks.
Spell-Like Ability: Daylight, usable 1/day, caster level equal to HD.
Energy Resistance: Resistance to fire 5.
Favored Class: Favored Soul.
Level adjustment +1.
---------------
Genasi are decended from elemental-related creatures, such as azer, djinn, efreet, mephits, or rarely from true elementals. Their original stats appear in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, but generally suck.
These new stats are notably stronger than the originals. I have tried to balance them against each other and the Tiefling and Aasimar above, but I'm not sure I've succeeded. The following are simply the latest revisions... because I'm not sure what works.
Air Genasi Racial Traits:
+2 Dexterity, and one of the following stats: Wisdom, Charisma. Alternately, an Air Genasi may have +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma.
Medium size, Native Outsider type.
Air Genasi base land speed is 30 ft.
Darkvision out to 60 ft.
Spell-Like Ability: Air Genasi have a single spell-like ability, usable 1/day, caster level equal to HD. Possible spells include: Invisibility (self only), Levitate, Gust of Wind, Whispering Wind.
+2 racial bonus on Balance and Spot checks.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws vs. air and electricity spells and effects.
Energy Resistance: Resistance to cold 5.
Breathless: Air Genasi do not breath, and are immune to drowning, suffocation, and attacks which require inhalation (such as some kinds of poison).
Favored Class: Sorcerer.
Level adjustment +1.
Earth Genasi Racial Traits:
+2 Strength, +2 Constitution, and -2 in either Intelligence or Charisma. Alternately, +2 in either Strength or Constitution, with no penalties.
Medium size, Native Outsider type.
Earth Genasi base land speed is 30 ft.
Darkvision out to 60 ft.
Earth Genasi have a single spell-like ability, usable 1/day, caster level equal to HD. Possible spells include: Meld into Stone, Pass without Trace, Plant Growth, Soften Earth and Stone, Spider Climb, Stone Shape.
+2 racial bonus on Climb and Listen checks.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws vs. earth and stone spells and effects (Flesh to Stone, for example).
Energy Resistance: Resistance to acid 5.
+3 natural armor bonus.
Favored Class: Fighter.
Level adjustment +1.
Fire Genasi Racial Traits:
+2 Dexterity and one of the following stats: Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma. Alternately, a Fire Genasi may have +2 in two of the above and -2 in the remaining mental stat.
Medium size, Native Outsider type.
Fire Genasi base land speed is 30 ft.
Darkvision out to 60 ft.
Spell-Like Ability: Control Flame (see bellow), usable 1/day, caster level equal to HD. Fire Genasi can cause nonmagical fires within 10 feet of them to diminish to the level of the coals or flare to the brightness of daylight and double the normal radius of it's illumination. This ability does not change the heat output or fuel consumption of the fire source, and lasts for 1 minute/level.
+2 racial bonus on Bluff and Tumble checks.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws vs. fire spells and effects.
Energy Resistance: Resistance to fire 5.
Favored Class: Rogue or Sorcerer.
Level adjustment +1.
Water Genasi Racial Traits:
+2 in either Dexterity or Constitution, and +2 in either Intelligence or Wisdom. Alternately, either -2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom; or +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom.
Medium size, Native Outsider type.
Water Genasi base land speed is 30 ft.
Water Genasi also have a swim speed of 30 ft. It has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
Darkvision out to 60 ft.
Amphibious (Ex): Water Genasi can breathe both air and water.
Spell-Like Ability: Create Water or Obscuring Mist, usable 1/day, caster level equal to HD.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws vs. acid and water spells and effects.
Energy Resistance: Resistance to electricity 5.
Favored Class: Fighter.
Level adjustment +1.