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freeze43
2007-05-22, 06:32 AM
Hi! I put this class up on dandwiki but there only really good for posting, not getting a rating. Wouldn't mind one here. LA +0 *apparently*. These particular creatures are a cross between Jackals in Halo and the behaviour of ostriches, chickens and so on with bobbing, flighty behaviours.

Charner
[edit] Personality
Charners usually remain quiet and subdued when in their own company but quickly become flustered or defensively aggressive if in any way provoked. Charners in trade are known for their squawkish behavior, cold agreements and sharp tongues. Charners love fast-paced marathons, non-combative competitions and situations where their agility outclasses others.

[edit] Physical Description
Charners have height ranging from 4"10 to 5"11, although freakishly large charners [7 feet] are not unheard of. Charners have small, red, pebble-shaped eyes on either side of their long heads, which end in a beak-like proboscis that is full of stiletto teeth. Their hair, ranging from thin and slight to fluffy and prominent is held up in a mohawk by bony growths of skull underneath their skin. Their skin is hairless and dull yellow. They possess small feet but very long toes with an extra joint, similar to their hand structure. Particularly old charners have skin that forms rudimentary scales here and there. Charner's leg joints are reversed, making their legs well suited to vertical leaps and desert running. Charners are in a constant stooping posture that seems that they are ready for any unsettlement as they go about their business. Very occasionally a charner may have a feather here or there. Charners weigh very little thanks to their slim bodies and hollow bones (usually about 50 lbs.).

[edit] Relations
The Mystics of Charn possess their own names for themselves that few outsiders have managed to pronounce. Charners were discovered less than two-hundred years ago, yet have managed to travel around the world quite well picking up jobs as exotic tradesmen, farmers and couriers. Humans, with economist minds find charners as perfect lackeys for long distance communication but rarely possess a close relationship with them. Most races deal with them well enough, except for Halflings who they are usually in competition with for the merchant business. Halflings cite the Charner's cold personality and strange ways as testament to the inferior customer-handling skills.

[edit] Alignment
Charners bend slightly towards neutrality in their dealings. They tend to go their own way and rarely feel betrothed towards any other person, right or creed.

[edit] Lands
Charners love deserts and hot desert sun. They are found in all climates though but owing to their skinny bodies like to be wrapped up tightly in clothes.

[edit] Religion
Charners' own god has since let them lives their own lives. Charners are likely to follow Boccob if they decide to ascend a few ranks in magic, otherwise are suited to St. Cuthbert and his honest, harsh dealings.

[edit] Language
Charners outside Charn speak Common. The Charn language is a mixture of squawks and vocal sounds.

[edit] Names
Charners have two naming conventions. Those born outside of a warrior family tend to have names with little back meaning- family names are rarely used. However, these names also tend to be sharp to pronounce such as Grizslet, Ve'dunz and Yuukinock. The warrior naming convention has Charn with very intentional and very illustrative names such as Bloodsun, Scytheran and Warlust.

[edit] Racial Traits
Type: Humanoid
Stat Bonuses: +2 Con +2 Dex -2 Wis -4 Cha
Size: Medium
Base Land Speed: 60 feet. Charners are exceptionally fast runners.
Automatic Languages: Common, Charn
Favored class: Monk
Skill Bonuses: +2 Jump, +2 Swim, +2 Spot, -2 Intimidate
Special Qualities:
Desert adaptation: Charners have had a very tough life in the desert, fortifying them against the hazards of the world and giving them +2 racial bonus on Fortitude and +2 on the Survival skill.
Bargaining Power: Despite their ailing charisma, Charners have a +6 to any Appraise or Diplomacy checks involving bargaining for items.
Dawn Runner: Charners can run for twice as long as most other humanoids.
Disciple: Charners have the exclusive ability to become a Mystic of Charn prestige class.
Cowardice: Any Charners below 5th level in any class must take a Will save (DC=10+1/2HD of creature) or be affected as though by a fear spell (duration= 1/3HD) for fighting any creature of Large or greater size. This stacks with any fear spell, but can be negated by a team member's Diplomacy check (DC= 10+1/2HD of creature).
Odd hands: Charner's hands are oddly jointed meaning they have some deficiencies with fiddly tasks; -2 on Open Lock and Use Rope checks.

Fireball.Man.Guy.
2007-05-22, 06:42 AM
Uh, class or race? Lookes good thematically, though it reminds me of something from Star Wars.

freeze43
2007-05-22, 06:47 AM
Oops sorry I meant race. Which ones from star wars does it remind you of?

Inyssius Tor
2007-05-22, 07:04 AM
Well, I like the idea (nagging sense of deja vu, but we're allowed to be subconsciously derivative here).

Some minor corrections:

Disciple ought to be removed from this entry, and inserted into the prerequisite area for your prestige class (worded like this:
To qualify to become a Mystic of Charn, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:

Race
Charner I mean, Elves don't have any entry in their Race section that says "Awesome: Elves are just so nifty that only they can qualify for the following PrCs: Order of the Bow Initiate, Arcane Archer, Wildrunner, Champion of Corellion, or any of a billion other nifty classes, feats, and special abilities".

Also, the whole Cowardice thing seems like it should be based on the BAB of the charner in question.

JackMage666
2007-05-22, 07:28 AM
I'm on the fence on this one - The whole race looks pretty good, but it needs some changes in order to be a +0 LA. The ability scores look good, at first, until you realize that this race is perfect for melee classes.
Cha and Wis don't affect fighter, and a Paladin would completely negate the effect of Cowardice. Monk isn't a bad class for him, since his reduced AC from Wis is countered directly by his increased AC from Dex.
However, Cowardice is detremental. Fear spell lowers his effectiveness in combat, so he is weakened as a Melee fighter. Unless he's a Paladin, in which case who cares about Fear? Also, this only lasts for (at most) 6 Rounds, at 20th level - And he should have done something about fear effects by now.
Then the clincher is 60 ft land speed and Double Run ability. That's hugely fast for a +0 LA. The Xeph can do it, but only for short time and only at high levels. Too fast. Way too fast.
Then, the skill bonuses help unbalance it further - +8 overall, with an additional +12 conditional.

+1 LA, as stands.

freeze43
2007-05-22, 10:58 AM
Hmmm.

I may change the effect of the fear to last 1/2HD not 1/3, that makes sense (especially considering that after 5th level Cowardice is meaningless.
So a 60ft speed is too fast? I was considering maybe a 50ft speed but overland running to remain rather strong. Effectively I would like a Charner to emulate a long distance runner with a lot of stamina.

I don't think a Charner, gaming wise, would be a paladin, and if someone tried to avert the Cowardice issue I dare say that with wisdom and charisma penalties, no one would want to be a Charner Paladin anyway.

Thanks for the feedback :)

JackMage666
2007-05-22, 04:46 PM
I wouldn't go for more than 40 ft - Remember, the average Human (in D&D) runs 30 ft, and Con comes into play with how long they can run, naturally. But, I think you'd need to be at 40 ft to consider it +1 - No reason they should be quicker than the Catfolk, after all.

EDIT - Also, rather than Dawn Runner, I'd give them Run as a bonus feat. Allows faster running, for the same amount of time. Most characters don't take it, so it'll show off their running more as well.

freeze43
2007-05-22, 08:19 PM
Wow, thanks alot that sounds like some really good ideas and I'll put them in there.

The idea for this race was inspried a little by Jackals from Halo but any other stuff (star wars???) I really have no idea. For me right now they are sitting on the shelf as my campaign doesn't really call for them, but yeah anyone use them as fodder for your evil campaign for all I care.