Humans and their little cousins redone(PEACH, races)

[SmileyX]

I was feeling kinda sick of the weakness of the Half-Elfs, and the Half-Orcs, so i decided to do a quick rebuild, and while i was at it i added some very small things to human, just to help round them out a bit

Humans, just a bit more flexibility

* Medium: As Medium creatures, humans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
* Human base land speed is 30 feet.
* 1 extra feat at 1st level.
* 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level.
* Adaptive Learning: a Human chooses 3 skills at lvl 1, these skills are always considered class skills regardless of their class, the Human also gets a +1 bonus to these skills.
* Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic). See the Speak Language skill.
* Favored Class: All, a humans amazing adaptability allows them to maintain their skills in different classes without a problem.


Half-Elves- i tried to make the half-elves more unique with this variant, so i gave them ability modifiers, and gave them their own flavor, their still tied to their 'parent' races however they are unique as well, they are a magic heavy race, with the strange union of elf and human blood combining to make these half-elves physically frail, but strong in personality and spirit

* -2 Strength, -2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, +4 Charisma
* Medium: As Medium creatures, half-elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
* Half-elf base land speed is 30 feet.
* Immunity to sleep spells and similar magical effects,
and a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells or effects.
* Low-Light Vision: A half-elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
* +1 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks.
* +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks.
* +2 on Spellcraft and Use Magic Device checks
*Frailitie: Half-Elves have a -2 to the following checks and saves: Swim checks made to resist nonlethal damage, Constitution checks made to continue running, Constitution checks made to avoid nonlethal damage from a forced march, Constitution checks made to hold your breath, Constitution checks made to avoid nonlethal damage from starvation or thirst, Fortitude saves made to avoid nonlethal damage from hot or cold environments, and Fortitude saves made to resist damage from suffocation.
* Dual Blood: For all effects related to race, a half-elf is considered both an elf and a human.
* Automatic Languages: Common and Elven. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic).
* Favored Class: Sorcerer, magic comes naturally for a Half-Elf


Half-Orc- This Half-Orc variant actually gives them abilities and qualities, it gives them bonuses tied to their savage warlike nature, and relationship with nature itself, well it assumes they have SOME connection to nature,

* +2 Strength, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma.
* Medium size.
* A half-orc’s base land speed is 30 feet.
* Darkvision: Half-orcs can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
* Weapon Familiarity: a Half-Orc may treat Handaxes, Battleaxes, and Greataxes as simple weapons, and Orc Double Axes as a marital weapon.
* ________: Half-Orcs are exceptionally skilled at powerful Charges and Bull Rushes, as such they gain a +2 bonus on opposed strength checks while performing a Bull Rush, they also gain an additional +1 bonus on attack rolls while Charging.
* +1 racial bonus on all saves vs. poisons and diseases
* +2 on Intimidation checks, they can also apply their strength modifier to any Intimidation checks
* +1 on Handle Animal, Ride, and Survival Checks
* -2 Racial penalty to all will saves
* Half-Orcs gain toughness as a bonus feat
* Dual Blood: For all effects related to race, a half-orc is considered both an orc and a human.
* Automatic Languages: Common and Orcish. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic).
* Favored Class: Barbarian.


Orc- this Orc has some more special abilities, this change is just meant to give the Half-Orcs some place to get some of their abilities from

* +4 Strength, -2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma.
* An orc’s base land speed is 30 feet.
* Darkvision out to 60 feet.
* Weapon Familiarity: Half-Orcs can treat Orc Double Axes as martial weapons rather than a exotic weapon.
* Light Sensitivity: Orcs are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
* ________: Orcs are exceptionally skilled at powerful Charges and Bull Rushes, as such they gain a +2 bonus on opposed strength checks while performing a Bull Rush, they also gain an additional +1 bonus on attack rolls while Charging, both these bonuses only apply when they are on foot.
* Automatic Languages: Common, Orc. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, Undercommon.
* Favored Class: Barbarian.

Any feedback is welcome, i also need some help deciding a name for the Half-Orc's charging ability.

[Joltz]

Well, they do have more flavor than the original half races.

The half orc looks ok, The free weapon familiarity with all exotic axes is a bit much. That's a lot of weapons. Just pick one or two. I'm not good with names so I don't think I can help you with the charging ability.

My only half elf character says ouch to your rewrite. It makes half elves extremely powerful sorcerers and clerics, but they'd never want to go into melee. The ability score adjustments also have little to to with either base race. If you want a form of half elf that displays a huge difference from both parents and is only good at magic, you got it. What I find unusual is that they aren't even particularly good wizards.

I think they work pretty well overall, as long as that's what you want in your campaigns.

[brian c]

What Joltz said; Half-Elves are pigeon-holed as sorcerers and clerics. They're great as those two classes, okay as wizards, and terrible at anything melee.

As for the half-orcs, it's okay but I have a question. For the "+2 bonus to bull rush and charge", what's the charge bonus? Attack roll, or damage? It's a nice variant if that's what you want Half-Orcs to be like.


One more thing- with these changes, you'd have to make corresponding changes to Elves and Orcs. Elves would need to have the same or greater penalty to strength and the frailty quality, and they would need to have bonuses to wisdom and charisma. Orcs would need the +saves vs. poison and to survival checks, etc.


Edit: upong a little more thought, maybe you should jsut give Half-Orcs Improved Bull Rush as a racial bonus feat?

[SmileyX]

Alright so the weapon Familiarity is narrowed down a bit
And ya, i like the Half-Elves with their current flavor, makes them in my eyes unique, and alot of their new adjustments come from my idea that the Half-Elves are a 'mutation', however they are a 'bit' weak in melee lol, thank you for the feedback :smallbiggrin:

[SmileyX]

To Brian C, ill need to specify more for the Half-Orcs charginess i guess, the way i have it now it could be a bunch of things. However i dont want to go and change the Elves and Orcs that much, part of this variant is that i want to make both of these crossbreeds unique, so that the fusion of the two races creates a race that isnt just a bunch of abilities from the 'parent' species rammed together, however i may need to do a small amount of Elf and Orc tweaking, maybe give the Orc some special abilities, and expand the Elf a small amount.

[Psionic Dog]

You gave half-elves bonus skill points!?
The half-elf is now better than humans at everything except meatshielding.
The wisdom and charisma bonuses themselves are enough to encourage people to use the half-elf. As the only race without a LA with a charisma bonus, they now have new life. Don't overpower them by adding the only human incentive to the mix. I think this revised version balances without it.

[SmileyX]

Ok ive added a modified Orc so that theirs some evidence of where a Half-Orcs abilities come from, and the bonus skill points for Half-Elves have been replaced with a bonus to Use Magic Device. Thanks for all the feedback so far, and im still looking for a name for the charging/bul rush ability :smallbiggrin: