Diminutive Rodent Heros (3.5)

[starwoof]

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l121/starwoof2/matthias.jpg

Intelligent Rodent
Diminutive Monstrous Humanoid
HD 1/2d8 (2 hp)
Speed 10 ft; climb 10 ft
Init: +1
AC 15 (+4 size, +1 dex)
BAB +0; Grp -17
Attack Dagger +5 (1d1-8)
Space 1 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Qualities Speak with Animals, Low Light Vision
Saves Fort +0 Ref +4 Will +3
Abilities Str 2, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills Hide +18, Perform (Sing and Dance) +6, Listen +5
Feats Weapon Finesse
Environment Any Urban, Plains, Forest, or Monastery
Organization Solitary, Duo, Party (2-4 with larger support animal, usually a badger or a bird voiced by Dom DeLuise), or Clan (10+ with noncombatants)
Challenge Rating 1/4
Treasure Standard
Alignment Usually Neutral Good
Advancement By class
Level Adjustment +0

There are many kinds of intelligent rodents, but mice and rats are the most common. The statistics above are for a large mouse, but they could easily represent a chipmunk, squirrel, or shrew. Intelligent Rodents usually live in the same places as their less gifted relatives, but their lairs are considerably more comfortable. They steal odd bits of detritus to make tables, chairs, and beds for their homes. The majority of Intelligent Rodents live in the countryside in simple communities that resemble those of humans. Intelligent Rodents make friends with other animals and fae easily, and they employ creatures such as awakened badgers as guards. They tend to live in large families. They have a strong emphasis on tradition; a mouse born to a farmer will probably be a farmer himself.

Intelligent Rodents are peaceful people, and more often than not they are being menaced by some other creature, like an awakened rat commanding a small army or a cat that leads the mafia.

Speak with Animals: Intelligent Rodents can speak with any animal, like the spell of the same name (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/speakWithAnimals.htm) at will.



Playing an Intelligent Rodent
Intelligent Rodents become adventurers more commonly than one might imagine. They take the adventurers that are too small for anyone else. The stories of their adventures are the favorites of children everywhere. Intelligent Rodent adventurers are usually the ones that don't fit the mold of rodent society, or have been forced into it by some calamity.

-8 str, +2 dex, +2 int, +2 wis. Intelligent Rodents are very small, but quick in both mind and body.
Diminutive Size. Intelligent Rodents gain +4 size bonus to hit and to AC, and a +12 bonus to hide checks.
10 ft move, 10 ft climb
Low Light Vision.
Speak with Animals: Intelligent Rodents can speak with any animal, like the spell of the same name at will.
+2 racial bonus to perform checks that involve singing or intense choreography.
Automatic Languages: Common.
Bonus Languages: Any.
Favored Class: Paladin
LA: +0


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No explanation necessary. :smallwink: C+C appreciated.

[RMS Oceanic]

A bonus to intelligence AND wisdom? For +0 LA?

I think I've found a good race for Archivist, or Gestalt Cleric/Beguiler...

[starwoof]

I almost dropped the int bonus, but then I didn't. Should I?

[DracoDei]

Squirrels should have very high climb, jump, and myabe balance abilities compared to mice. Maybe higher Dexterity and Speed. Mice should not have a listed climb speed in my experience. Ability to use Dex instead of STR for climb checks should apply to them, and perhaps the mice too... but perhaps not.

[Heliomance]

Clearly the BBEG of any campaign with these in would have to be Silus, who I can't be bothered to search for right now.
Also, stat up the Hares, and the artifact sword :P

[Risek]

Oh god, not Redwall again....
I've got hare, wild cat, rabbit, mouse and sparrow stats somewhere, I just have to find them. Also, I used to just have the sword as a +5 Keen vorpal speed bastard sword.

[Fiery Diamond]

And what, precisely, is wrong with Redwall? Loved it as a kid. I still think fondly of it. Martin the Warrior and Mariel of Redwall FTW!

However, I have to say that having a flat "intelligent rodent" does a disservice to the variability that different rodents should have.

[JackMage666]

Let's see...

*Diminutive Size (only painful to melee characters, which this clearly gave up on awhile ago, net +4 to hit, +4 AC, +12 to hide for a -12 to intimidate and a number of special combat moves (grapple, trip, ect.)
*Penalty to only 1 ability score, which is only really useful for martial classes, but with bonuses to 3 more important abilities (Dex is usually considered king, Int nets you skill points and wizardy goodness, Wis for Will Saves and perceptions, as well as Druidy/Clericy goodness)
*Climb Speed (and thus, +8 on climb checks and auto-10)

Those are the benefits that typically make something warrant an LA. Just based on what I see, it's a weak +2 LA, but it's too strong even for a +1.

[Innis Cabal]

Its actually fairly balanced. Physical stats count more then mental stats when considering racial balance.

You don't look at class's when calculating L.A. A -8 Str is.....huge. It counts for alot more then damage. The +4 Dex could be knocked down though, a +2 is more then enough.

[starwoof]

I kinda copy-pasted the ability scores of a bat. Tra-la-la...


However, I have to say that having a flat "intelligent rodent" does a disservice to the variability that different rodents should have.

I did mention that those were just stats for a mouse and that its easy to change it into any other rodent.

[Risek]

And what, precisely, is wrong with Redwall? Loved it as a kid. I still think fondly of it. Martin the Warrior and Mariel of Redwall FTW!

However, I have to say that having a flat "intelligent rodent" does a disservice to the variability that different rodents should have.

Listen, I'm 17 and I still buy the books when they come out....

[starwoof]

Redwall is sweet, I'm thinking of reading some/all of them again.

Its not just Redwall though. This race can represent any of the heroes from The Rescuers, The Secret of Nimh, An American Tail... and so many more. I decided to just stat out mice because they are overwhelmingly the heroes in these types of stories.

[Ravens_cry]

I have never read Redwall, though the ideas intrigue me. I myself have a fondness for The Duncton Chronicles by William Horwood. Unlike from what I gather of Redwall, it isn't miniature anthro's, but much more wild. They don't wear clothes, and technology seems limited to writing for the most part. I find something magical about it however. A limited description would be a mole Watership Down, and like that classic, there is a feeling of history.
Just my 2/1000th of a platinum.

[Magnor Criol]

Its actually fairly balanced. Physical stats count more then mental stats when considering racial balance.

That's what WotC said when they first started putting out 3E. However, based on how much more the balance of power tips towards casters - ToB notwithstanding, even with that to an extent - mental bonuses are actually pretty huge. Especially bonuses to the two stats required for the two most powerful casters, clerics and wizards.

This race would be very appetizing, I think, for someone looking to play a caster. Strength won't matter all that much, and there's buffs for when it does; you've got mental bonuses, and even a Dex bonus to help with the ray spells. Size is almost never an issue for casters, either, since they don't deal damage through things affected by size.

Diminutive would only hurt meleers, and coupled with the Str penalty this class will likely never be taken by anyone hoping to be a melee fighter.

Simply put, this race will be very unattractive to exactly the class that you say they're suited for. It would be taken by casters, and almost exclusively casters, especially with +0 LA.



Redwall was pretty good stuff when I was reading it - haven't in quite a while, simply because I haven't had time to read much of anything sizable lately. The first book was amazing; all the ones after that began to get somewhat formulaic, though, and never lived up to their predecessor.

[Debihuman]

I've loved Redwall for years and I am considerably older than 17. That said, I think this is a well-written entry for the anthropomorphic mice. Normal animals aren't much used in D&D and this one way to make them interesting. You could create the mice from the Secret of N.I.M.H. by adding additional Intelligence.

Debby

[Innis Cabal]

That's what WotC said when they first started putting out 3E. However, based on how much more the balance of power tips towards casters - ToB notwithstanding, even with that to an extent - mental bonuses are actually pretty huge. Especially bonuses to the two stats required for the two most powerful casters, clerics and wizards.

This race would be very appetizing, I think, for someone looking to play a caster. Strength won't matter all that much, and there's buffs for when it does; you've got mental bonuses, and even a Dex bonus to help with the ray spells. Size is almost never an issue for casters, either, since they don't deal damage through things affected by size.

Diminutive would only hurt meleers, and coupled with the Str penalty this class will likely never be taken by anyone hoping to be a melee fighter.

Simply put, this race will be very unattractive to exactly the class that you say they're suited for. It would be taken by casters, and almost exclusively casters, especially with +0 LA.



Thats not how you balance races.