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eleazzaar
2015-07-17, 11:44 AM
Ghostwise Halfling

Part of Eleazar’s D&D 5e Homebrew Race Compendium (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1m7qG9BDQEH1pIykhmUb88f1--ghHvJZlV5QBJUtzTR4/edit#heading=h.891fs8ss7v4a)

Lore
For the official 3.5 Lore on this race, see Races of Faerun p 74.

Less numerous, and less well known than the jovial Lightfoot and Stout halflings, the Ghostwise prefer to live isolated in the wilderness. Most Ghostwise clans actively avoid contact with outsiders, and try to keep their holdings hidden. They have been known to pack up and move away when the neighborhood becomes too crowded. They live a simple, rural life where family ties are treasured above all else.
But to an outsider a Ghostwise village is an eerie place. No one speaks aloud except when they cannot come close enough to use telepathy, and to do so is considered rude without an urgent reason.

Traits
Base Race. See PHB p. 28 for the traits of the base halfling race.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.

Psychic Battlecry. You know the cantrip, psychic battlecry. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

Speak without Sound. As a free action you may telepathically “speak” to any creatures you can see within 30ft. As with normal speech, the recipient must know the language to understand the message. Your telepathy is one way— it cannot bring you a reply.
Even if you can’t see your target, you can use this power through solid objects if you are familiar with the target and know it is beyond the barrier. 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood blocks your telepathy. Your telepathy doesn’t have to follow a straight line and can travel freely around corners or through openings.

Cantrip: Psychic Battlecry
Enchantment cantrip

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: none
Duration: Instantaneous

Using your telepathic voice, you scream a blood chilling battlecry which only the creature of your choice hears. Unless it is immune to psychic damage, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or take 1d4 psychic damage and have disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn.

This spell’s damage increases by 1d4 when you reach 5th level (2d4), 11th level (3d4), and 17th level (4d4).



Commentary
I always thought these odd halflings would be interesting to play, but it never worked out. These guys would make great druids, since they can communicate while in animal form.

Andrew S. provided the idea of including a “psychic battlecry” with this subrace. Obviously this cantrip is based off of the Bard’s vicious mockery.

Points

1 Ability Score Increase
0.5 Psychic Battlecry
0.5 Speak without Sound
3.75 Halfling Base Race
5.75 Total

ZenBear
2015-07-17, 12:28 PM
I love the Ghostwise Halflings and the fluff you wrote is excellent, but I don't think you built this right.

I would simply give them the same one-way telepathy that GOOlocks have but requires the recipient to understand the language "spoken".

+1 STR doesn't make sense, give them +1 WIS. They make even better Druids this way, as well as Clerics, Rangers and Rogues.

Instead of a brand new cantrip, give them advantage on Insight checks in the way Elves have advantage on Perception.

JNAProductions
2015-07-17, 02:08 PM
Alternatively, give them Vicious Mockery without requiring a verbal component. No need to clutter the spellist.

eleazzaar
2015-07-17, 03:26 PM
would simply give them the same one-way telepathy that GOOlocks have but requires the recipient to understand the language "spoken".
Their telepathy is sorta based on the message cantrip. And since many people consider it unclear as to weather GOO telepathy is one way or not, the language is not a good template.


+1 STR doesn't make sense, give them +1 WIS. They make even better Druids this way, as well as Clerics, Rangers and Rogues.
My first drafts had a WIS bonus, but IMHO that made them too good as Druids-- arguably a lot better than any PHB/EE race at being druids. That does not suit my idea of balance.

The source I used listed "Barbarian" as the favored class, and while I hate the 3.5 favored class concept, I try to make any race conversions good at their old favored class. Thus the STR bonus.



Instead of a brand new cantrip, give them advantage on Insight checks in the way Elves have advantage on Perception.
Elves don't get advantage on perception, they get the skill. And why in the world would having one-way telepathy give you advanage with insight?



Alternatively, give them Vicious Mockery without requiring a verbal component. No need to clutter the spellist.

There are enough non-negotiatable differences between this and viscious mockery that it seemed clearer to simply make a new cantrip. For instance VM requires that the target be able to hear the caster, and PBC should not. Also I didn't want the PBC range to be longer than speak without sound.

ZenBear
2015-07-17, 05:10 PM
Their telepathy is sorta based on the message cantrip. And since many people consider it unclear as to weather GOO telepathy is one way or not, the language is not a good template.


My first drafts had a WIS bonus, but IMHO that made them too good as Druids-- arguably a lot better than any PHB/EE race at being druids. That does not suit my idea of balance.

The source I used listed "Barbarian" as the favored class, and while I hate the 3.5 favored class concept, I try to make any race conversions good at their old favored class. Thus the STR bonus.



Elves don't get advantage on perception, they get the skill. And why in the world would having one-way telepathy give you advanage with insight?




There are enough non-negotiatable differences between this and viscious mockery that it seemed clearer to simply make a new cantrip. For instance VM requires that the target be able to hear the caster, and PBC should not. Also I didn't want the PBC range to be longer than speak without sound.

I think I was thinking of the playtest rules that had Elves getting Advantage. I don't know.

Even with +1 WIS and telepathy I don't see them being much or any better than Wood Elves at being Druids, and even if they are I don't consider it a problem. +1 STR makes no sense to me.

The bonus to Insight, which would be proficiency not advantage for consistency, comes from the telepathy that might extend further than one-way speech but also a bit of psychic sensitivity. That combined with a culture where they rarely talk audibly might suggest an emphasis on body-language. That's how I'm going to incorporate them into my game.

eleazzaar
2015-07-17, 08:21 PM
Even with +1 WIS and telepathy I don't see them being much or any better than Wood Elves at being Druids, and even if they are I don't consider it a problem. +1 STR makes no sense to me.

The bonus to Insight, which would be proficiency not advantage for consistency, comes from the telepathy that might extend further than one-way speech but also a bit of psychic sensitivity. That combined with a culture where they rarely talk audibly might suggest an emphasis on body-language. That's how I'm going to incorporate them into my game.

Druid's can't talk in the vast majority of beast forms. A Ghostwise halfing Druid can reconnoiter in beast form, and report his findings without needing to waste a wildshape, or can communicate and coordinate in the midst of battle. Not such a big deal of you are going Circle of Land, but still something that negates one of the largest downsides of wildshaping.

As for insight, yeah, that can make sense, but it is not the flavor i'm trying to create-- barbaric, semi-wild halflings.