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View Full Version : Pathfinder [Race] Amorian, Spawn of Narcissism



Xuldarinar
2016-02-17, 02:53 AM
AMORIAN
Spawn of Narcissism


-Said to be born from narcissism, amorians are fiendish images of self-perfection and adoration, at least that is what they believe. All that mattes to them is what is theirs, namely themselves, and what isn't in their possession aught to be. True to their heritage, they are nothing if not cautious in their pursuits.
-Physical Description: The physical characteristics of amorians vary as much as their origins. Many possess strong similarities to their mortal forebears, though more wiry in appearance and twisted towards the fiendish. Often an amorian possesses sharp nails, a pair of ram horns upon their heads, and jagged teeth. Their skin tones typically run the gamut of human tones though often their flesh bares a faint sickly green tinge.
-Society:
-Relations: Save for those few societies that recognize them for what they are and hold esteem for those tied to the lower planes, amorians tend to face ridicule from other races. Be it their narcissism or, when their nature is revealed, their demonic heritages, amorians are frequently shunned by members of most civilized races. More often not, the feelings are mutual, for amorians see members of other races as, at best, means to an end. Members of mixed races may find amorians as kindred spirits, but too often their apparent love for themselves can become grating even upon them.
-Alignment and Religion: While by no means are all amorians held to the alignment of their fiendish predecessor, the majority are chaotic evil. While they can be civil, to a majority of amorians all that matters is them and them alone. What they possess matters, and what isn't theirs aught to be. While few deities are typical among amorians, the demon lords are frequent among their self-serving prayers. Beyond the traditional deities and demigods, many amorians practice a form of ancestor worship, both revering and reviling their mortal predecessors.
-Adventurers: With a relative few having a true home to call their own, many amorians turn to the life of an adventurer when all else fails. Typically this pursuit is taken with a goal in mind, be it for power or strictly to entertain themselves. Amorians often are sorcerers or rogues, channeling the fiendish blood that runs through their veins or putting their natural agility to use. Those with deeper ties to their mortal forebears or find themselves willing to offer service in exchange for power often become oracles, shamans, or witches. Regardless of the path they walk, amorians typically pursue acquiring a familiar, often shattering their souls to acquire a quasit of their own.
-Male Names:
-Female Names:


AMORIAN RACIAL TRAITS
+2 Dex, +2 Cha, -2 Wis:: Amorians are agile and socially adept, but too often their focus lies in themselves and not the world around them.
Native Outsider: Amorians are outsiders with the native subtype
Medium: Amorians are medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Amorians have a base speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision: Amorians can see perfectly in the dark for up to 60 feet.
Stealthy: Amorians possess a +2 bonus to Stealth checks. Additionally, stealth are always considered a class skills.
Change Shape (Su): Amorians can change shape to take on a form of a single humanoid creature of their mortal ancestor's race. This form is static and cannot be changed each time it takes this form. The amorian gains a +10 racial bonus on disguise checks made to appear as the member of the race whose appearance it assumes. This is done as a standard action and otherwise functions as alter self, but the amorian does not adjust its ability scores.
Twisted Sorcerery: Amorians treat their effective class level as one higher for the purpose of abilities and spells drawn from the Abyssal or Arcane bloodlines.
Languages: Amorians begin play speaking Common and Abyssal. Amorians with high intelligence scores can choose from the following; Draconic, Dwarves, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling, Orc.

ALTERNATE RACIAL TRAITS
The following racial traits may be selected instead of existing amorian racial traits.
-Ancestral Animosity: Deep runs the hatred of an amorian for themselves. While they have been known to show a similar reverence as to themselves for their ancestors, they view themselves as superior to these beings. An amorian gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls against creatures of the Demon subtype, or the subtype of their humanoid ancestor (typically humanoids of the human subtype). This racial trait replaces twisted sorcerer.
-Maw or Claw: Tending more towards the physical nature of their fiendish blood, some amorians possess razor sharp teeth or claws. The amorian can choose a bite attack that deals 1d6 points of damage, or two claws that each deal 1d4 points of damage. These attacks are primary natural attacks. This racial trait replaces the change shape racial trait.
-Wretched Countenance: While most amorians display some deformities, betraying their fiendish heritage, some amorians possess far more than others. Horrific to behold, amorians with this racial trait gain a +2 bonus to Intimidate checks and treat Intimidate as a class skill. This racial trait replaces Stealthy.
More to come:

FAVORED CLASS OPTIONS
-The following options are available to all amorians who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the class reward.

Antipaladin: Add +1 to the antipaladin's energy resistance to one kind of energy (Maximum +10).
Bloodrager: Increase the bloodrager's total number of blood rage rounds per day by 1.
Medium: When gaining a taboo, the medium can use spirit surge without incurring influence an additional 1/4 times per day.
Oracle: Add +1/6 to the oracle's level for the purpose of determining the effects of one revelation.
Psychic: Increase the total number of points in the psychic's phrenic pool by 1/3 point.
Rogue: Add +1 to the number of times per day the rogue can cast a spell gained from the minor magic talent or major magic talent. The number of times this bonus is selected for the major magic talent cannot exceed the number of times it is selected for the minor magic talent. The rogue must possess the associated rogue talent to select these options.
Shaman: Add +1 hit point or 1 skill rank to the shaman's familiar.
Sorcerer: Add +1 hit point or 1 skill rank to the sorcerer's familiar. This familiar can be derived from the 1st level arcane bloodline power, or be a bloodline familiar.
Thaumaturge: ???
Witch: Add +1 hit point or 1 skill rank to the witch's familiar.

inuyasha
2016-02-18, 02:17 PM
Icky. Demonic inbreeding.
The name reminds me of a song...
So, my first question is, why does a race born of narcissism and self-loathing have a bonus to wisdom? It seems like these things should be very vain and prone to hubris, perhaps even warranting a penalty to wisdom instead of strength. I don't know what the bonus should be replaced with, perhaps charisma to make them more manipulative and commanding to things they deem lesser than themselves (basically everyone)?

As for possible racial traits:
Stealth and disguise as automatic class skills, as creatures of narcissism and self loathing they are usually trying to make themselves look appealing, but at other times they have fits of melancholia and depression, wanting to remain unseen by all.
Lowlight vision? When the moon hits your eye...
Perhaps a +2 to stealth and disguise for the above reasons.
+2 to knowledge (astronomy) and profession (cook). When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie
Disguise self as a spell like ability?
Hypnotism and light as spell like abilities? When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine
+1 to effective sorcerer level for either abyssal or arcane bloodlines, as these things are born of strange circumstances. It's very birth is something of a both a fiendish and arcane nature.
+1 to effective bard level when playing bells? Bells will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling
+1 on attack rolls against demons and whatever kind of humanoid it's non-demon parent was because it believes itself to be extremely superior to it's forebears.
+1 on attack rolls against fey because they're too beautiful! ...And you'll sing "vita bella"
That's all I've got for those, I think that the alternate racial traits could replace those with traits that are really weird, showing off the whole "I'm the result of freaky inbreeding with the same soul" thing, resulting in crazy mutations like gliding wings, toxic saliva, or maybe even the ability to change shape to look exactly like it's humanoid parent.
Seriously, I like this. But it's kinda disgusting haha! And I'm not sorry for all of the dumb Dean Martin puns.

Xuldarinar
2016-02-18, 03:02 PM
Always a delight to see you show up on these projects.


Icky. Demonic inbreeding.
The name reminds me of a song...
So, my first question is, why does a race born of narcissism and self-loathing have a bonus to wisdom? It seems like these things should be very vain and prone to hubris, perhaps even warranting a penalty to wisdom instead of strength. I don't know what the bonus should be replaced with, perhaps charisma to make them more manipulative and commanding to things they deem lesser than themselves (basically everyone)?


Yeah... demon inbreeding. Disgusting, more or less pending on how you view it, but its a concept that can make for a PC race and so here it is.


The bonuses stemmed from the quasit's stats being used as a baseline. You make a great deal of sense, however, in why their bonuses are perhaps better placed differently.



As for possible racial traits:
Stealth and disguise as automatic class skills, as creatures of narcissism and self loathing they are usually trying to make themselves look appealing, but at other times they have fits of melancholia and depression, wanting to remain unseen by all.
Lowlight vision? When the moon hits your eye...
Perhaps a +2 to stealth and disguise for the above reasons.
+2 to knowledge (astronomy) and profession (cook). When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie
Disguise self as a spell like ability?
Hypnotism and light as spell like abilities? When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine
+1 to effective sorcerer level for either abyssal or arcane bloodlines, as these things are born of strange circumstances. It's very birth is something of a both a fiendish and arcane nature.
+1 to effective bard level when playing bells? Bells will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling
+1 on attack rolls against demons and whatever kind of humanoid it's non-demon parent was because it believes itself to be extremely superior to it's forebears.
+1 on attack rolls against fey because they're too beautiful! ...And you'll sing "vita bella"
That's all I've got for those, I think that the alternate racial traits could replace those with traits that are really weird, showing off the whole "I'm the result of freaky inbreeding with the same soul" thing, resulting in crazy mutations like gliding wings, toxic saliva, or maybe even the ability to change shape to look exactly like it's humanoid parent.
Seriously, I like this. But it's kinda disgusting haha! And I'm not sorry for all of the dumb Dean Martin puns.

I think those suggestions are sound (heh), and I'll be putting some of those in. I vastly appreciate the framework. I didn't want to make something that looked a bit too much like the tiefling, but still have a clear fiendish origin.

Xuldarinar
2016-02-18, 07:43 PM
Update:


Amorians do not gain a spell-like ability, but rather change shape (alter self). This puts them to be more consistent with their heritage, and the description of Lesser Change Shape in the race builder suits the aim of this.

Generally speaking, amorians will appear in this form as members of their ancestor's race. Some, however, may instead appear as their ancestor in this form. Unless one comes up with some additions to make this so specific, this is a matter of fluff rather than crunch.


Additionally, given the nature of change shape, they do not gain a bonus independently to disguise checks. Instead, Stealthy applies both a bonus to stealth, and grants the skill as a class skill. One alternative racial trait, however, replaces this with intimidate. Not every one of these inbred self loving/hating creatures is going to be as inherently sneaking or relatively pretty to look at.


Twisted Sorcerery applies its bonuses to the bloodlines and bloodline spells, but not explicitly to those of the sorcerer class. This opens the way for anyone wanting to try an amorian bloodrager.


Maw or Claw is ripped basically from the tiefling, replacing its equivalent. Their fiendish ancestors had claws and had sharp teeth, so the option is one i feel should be there. I may later make a feat that gives the poison of a quasit, or something similar to it, as something that can be inflicted via claw attacks (be them granted from the racial trait, or from an ability elsewhere.)


I will be adding more traits and altering things as I see fit and to the advisement of others. Feats shall appear similarly. Favored class bonuses will also be worked out in due time. I may eventually generate a Racial Archetype or two, but I think that may be something I leave to later on or simply place in the hands of other brewers here.


The society and name sections will be filled at some point in time. The gaps bother me, but nothing i've written yet for them has satisfied me in the least.

upho
2016-02-20, 07:10 PM
...and Xuld continues on his quest to present us with the worst (best), most perversely unique and horribly creative ways in which to unleash the Chaotic Evil of the Abyss onto unsuspecting mortals and PF games, cutting like a proverbial +5 Holy Avenger through the 666 layers of boring old feces straight to "the new s**t". This time though, it seems he has bitten off more than he can chew, actually bringing IT to us... You know, that IT, aka "The Root of All Evil", "The Thing That Must Not Be", "The Ultimate Evil" etc. etc. Yes people, just like my learned friend inuyasha, I'm obviously talking about that certain song...
:smallbiggrin:

*clears throat*

Anywho, while I dig the inbred demonic narcissist concept, I doubt it's broad and different enough to warrant a new race, especially considering the many customization options tieflings already have. Unless I totally missed something vitally important, I think this "conceptual redundancy" is also clearly reflected in the mechanics, currently offering nothing which cannot be replicated, and maybe even improved, simply by using the options for tieflings already published by Paizo and a few very minor tweaks. To me it feels a bit as if you're trying to expand a (potentially great) character concept into a race, which I believe will easily make the race either bland or overly specific crunch-wise and feeling very limited fluff-wise.

My suggestion is to reduce the Amorian to a small pack of specific tiefling racial add-on/variant options instead, which may also have the advantage of allowing the Amorian easy access to other existing tiefling-related options.

Two big thumbs up on Twisted Sorcery btw, I've already pilfered it and plan to use it as an alternate for Fiendish Sorcery in my games. :smalltongue: Thanks!

Xuldarinar
2016-02-20, 08:03 PM
-Snip-

Well, that was a delightful to read. Now;



You make an excellent point, several in fact, and I have actually considered this and was apprehensive at times creating this. I wanted to make it, but nothing quite was satisfying.


As such, the options laid before me are as follows;


As you suggested, I take this down to being a type of tiefling. After all, they are in a fashion a -very- specific form of Pitborn tiefling, both in heritage and terms of existence.
I expand upon the concept or otherwise alter them to make them distinct from the tiefling, at the very least enough to justify their existance as a separate race. Making them full outsiders or aberrations has crossed my mind before. The former making them a type of Demon that could be played in a first level party, making them closer to cambion but with only 1 or 0 RHD.
I keep them as is, simply building upon what is there, and accepting that they are regretfully a bit redundant.
Be rid of this race, perhaps making something else from the idea. It is a concept that one can use with existing tools.



What do you think?

upho
2016-02-21, 05:29 AM
Well, that was a delightful to read.You're welcome!
:smallsmile:


As such, the options laid before me are as follows;


As you suggested, I take this down to being a type of tiefling. After all, they are in a fashion a -very- specific form of Pitborn tiefling, both in heritage and terms of existence.
I expand upon the concept or otherwise alter them to make them distinct from the tiefling, at the very least enough to justify their existance as a separate race. Making them full outsiders or aberrations has crossed my mind before. The former making them a type of Demon that could be played in a first level party, making them closer to cambion but with only 1 or 0 RHD.
I keep them as is, simply building upon what is there, and accepting that they are regretfully a bit redundant.
Be rid of this race, perhaps making something else from the idea. It is a concept that one can use with existing tools.



What do you think?Well, thankfully I don't think all of the above options are necessarily mutually exclusive, so in short:

Regardless of what else you do with the fluff concept, at least parts of the mechanics are already great additions to the tiefling. So this might deserve its own little thread, with or without additional fun options and similar or new fluff.
The problem isn't actually the mechanics per se, IMO, but rather that the race would be based on what is more or less a personality concept. This is fine for individual monsters (who cares if the personality of one dretch is very much like that of another if they're only cannon-fodder), but doesn't provide enough space to play around in as a PC race. So I think you'd need to seriously expand the concept. Personally, I feel the "cambion-ish" niche is already taken by the tiefling and the cambion, while I think there are still a lot of room left in the aberration department. But this would either require you to ditch the narcissist concept or make it a sub-option among several others, I think.
Feels redundant, not to mention a waste of your considerable creative talents and time which could be spent on making other atrocities instead!
Save the goodies and expand the concept!



And keep up the good (bad? evil?) work!