Maretids [3.5 Base Race]

[Jergmo]

Hello! It's been some time since I've visited the forums, but I'm working to become a regular again. In my last campaign setting I was experimenting more with creating base races, and in my most recent setting many of the non-human races are primarily NPC-oriented. As such I've been working to increase them to +1 LA races in order to give them more fleshed-out or powerful abilities and modifiers.

I'd like to introduce one of two races unique to the setting, the Maretids. Anyone is free to use the race if it interests you for your own games, but I'm interested in feedback about the racial attributes.

Please note that I use the Generic Classes (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/genericClasses.htm) variant, which is why the favored class is listed as "Spellcaster".

Maretid
Maretids are semiaquatic beings often residing in coastal communities. They are tall, slender, have large chests and light blue skin with gaunt features - they lack any hair and possess short, sharp teeth and eyes with white pupils. The diet of a maretid consists of a large amount of fish, eggs and fruit. Maretids are highly intolerant of substances such as alcohol or nicotine, but they are capable of consuming large amounts of mercury with no ill effects, granting an exception to their weaknesses to poisons. Maretids often accentuate with trills, croaks and clicks, their speech patterns including the rolling of letters.

Maretids are typically led by the most powerful spellcasters of their communities. Being a race that is intolerant of toxins, many maretids lead a more disciplined life highlighting values of purity and serenity and take great joy in music, particularly singing. In the words of one maretid philosopher, "We must be still pools. The ocean reminds us of this daily, for choppy water is unstable and restless. We must find harmony within ourselves."

Maretid Traits
Maretids possess the following racial traits:

-2 Strength, +4 Wisdom
Medium: As Medium creatures, maretids have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Maretid base land speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision: Maretids can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and maretids can function just fine with no light at all.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like abilities.
-2 racial penalty on saving throws against poisons.
+4 racial bonus on Swim checks. A maretid can use its Strength or Dexterity modifier for Swim checks, whichever is highest.
Special Qualities: Expansive lungs. A maretid can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to three times its Constitution score before risking drowning.
Automatic Language: Common, Mioulidish. Bonus Languages: Aquan, Celestial
Favored Class: Spellcaster
Level Adjustment: +1
While maretids favor divine spellcasting, I envision them having potential as gishes despite their lack of high strength and constitution by focusing on both high AC and touch AC, archery and delivery of debilitating spells that use touch attacks - or paladin abilities such as smite evil or an adaptation of the duskblade's channeling ability.

[inuyasha]

This is pretty good dude, I might use this in a post apocalyptic, arctic, aquatic (I know it sounds confusing) campaign I may or may not be writing. Thank you very much for this well made piece of homebrew.

:)

[Jergmo]

I am very sad to see I missed your monster competition. I'm going to make something which I will post soon anyway as inspiration from it.

[Temotei]

The race kind of works out, but there's nothing really special mechanically about them. In fact, if you made the Wisdom bonus +2, you could probably slide with LA +0. I think a little boost is in order.

They favor spellcasting, but have a Constitution penalty, which hurts their Concentration. Yet, they seem like they would be good at it with the line
"We must be still pools. The ocean reminds us of this daily, for choppy water is unstable and restless. We must find harmony within ourselves."

A little +2 to Concentration or Combat Casting as a bonus feat wouldn't be out of line.

A +1 or +2 bonus on saving throws against fear effects would give a little nod to the harmony deal (make sure you mention that it stacks with the saving throw bonus against spells and spell-like effects if you use this).

Actually, here's something: blindsense out to 30/60 feet, but only while underwater and only able to sense things that are also underwater. Word that better if you use this idea. :smallredface: Read it wrong and thought they were aquatic creatures.

Also, as far as I know, they're humanoids, but it's not mentioned anywhere. Make sure you put their type somewhere in there.

I could definitely see these people being monks (or swordsages).

Oh, and you mentioned them being ranged gishes. Perhaps an alternate class feature (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9186186&postcount=1) is in order?

[Jergmo]

You're absolutely right, I didn't think about the net Concentration penalty. Just in general I was nervous about the implication of having a +4 in a primary attribute.

If I removed the Con penalty, would it still be roughly +1 LA? Removing something rather than adding more would keep it tidier.

Edit: I went back on what I said a bit. I removed the bonus to Dex and penalty to Con. It feels balanced as a +1 adjustment as is and they can take the Zen Archery feat to maximize the effect of their high Wisdom scores.