converting OA races to fit standard setting assumptions

So I was reading through OA and I really like nezumi and vanara, but they don't as written fit any D&D setting that I run. Vanara only really needs a small bit of refluff, but nezumi's biggest racial feature is immunity to taint, and I am not using any taint rules (I have atleast one character. Comparing that ability to HoH, I see that immunity to taint is available as a feat. Going back to nezumi, I see that they can get the scent ability for the cost of a feat. Would it be reasonable to eschew the useless immunity and give all nezumi scent? Or should it remain optional and the nezumi can select an extra feat at first like humans? And how do I refluff them as more mideaval europe-y? Ditto vanara, it shouldn't be hard, but I have world builder's block at the moment.

Also is there any good mechanic to represent a nezumi's near inability to remember anything that happened more than a weak ago (non-d20 L5R nezumi have such a weakness, except for remembers, which is a full school/base class in that game as opposed to being an advanced school/prc like they are in OA).

I'd just give them Scent.

As for the memory loss, I can't think of any way to represent that in d20 that would be fun. Only system I can think of in which that would work well would be a FATE derivative.

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Originally Posted by Darth Stabber

...but nezumi's biggest racial feature is immunity to taint, and I am not using any taint rules...

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Negative energy effects fit a similar theme. I suspect they're more common, though, so it should only be a bonus to saves instead: +4, maybe?

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Also is there any good mechanic to represent a nezumi's near inability to remember anything that happened more than a weak ago...

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Have them played as PCs.

The simplest way for the memory loss would be a -4 on all knowledge checks, or that all knowledge skills are removed from the players class skills. That and some good RP from the player

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Originally Posted by Cog

Negative energy effects fit a similar theme. I suspect they're more common, though, so it should only be a bonus to saves instead: +4, maybe?

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It says that they are affected normally by other effects of maho, tainted creature, and other shadowlands hazards. Given I am a big L5R buff, I think this solution is elegant, but not fitting (just ask the players that have played nezumi in my L5R games, see how resistant to maho they are. Mwa ha ha ha ha).

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Originally Posted by Cog

Have them played as PCs.

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That is a valid point, I could just have them step out of the room for the beginning of the session recap, enforced RP.

I guess the other question is balance. Vanara's stat mods of -2str, +2int, +2wis are fairly strong and they have a climb speed and some decent skill bonuses (spot, listen, balance, and one more I can't remember), making them good at most caster classes (low level caster survivablity goes up with a climb speed). Nezumi's +2con, -2cha is more reasonable, but they have 40ft move, natural bite, some minor skill bonuses(don't have book handy), and either scent some feat equivilent ability with the later availability of scent, making them great Rangers, scouts, rogues, totemists.

Adding them to my list of currently available PC races: Human(to include Azurin and Karsite), Tibbit (replacing halfling), Dwarf (hill and duergar), Elf (PHB and Drow), Orcs, half-orcs, orcs(removed light sensitivity), elan, gnomes (phb and svirfneblin), Diopsid, and Lupin.

Vanara are okay as-is among other strong races, but are 'too good' compared to the weaker ones. Humans, dwarves, elans, diopsids and such are okay alongside them (you might also consider goliaths or half-giants, which support particular melee archetypes rather well). That said, even though they are not amazingly powerful they will cause a problem with your race list: you just don't have any other races besides humans that compete in the role they would take as a caster race. There are a couple things you could do about it:

Use grey elves (monster manual) to present some semblance of options for +Int races so that all Wizards are not just humans and vanara. The elf substitution levels on wizards (RotW) are enough to make them competitive despite the Con penalty. Vanilla elves are one of the weaker races, therefore it wouldn't cause any problems to provide them with a Wisdom bonus, and it fits their fluff (no further adjustment: Con penalties are big enough that they are probably worth any other 2 stats). With these tweaks Vanara and Human would not have a monopoly on spellcasting.

Drow, half-orcs and I think lupins (I just remember looking them over yesterday, but I'm pretty sure their only notable racial feature was a Scent-like ability, meaning your new nezumi might outclass them wholly) will be the bottom of the barrel, and gnomes won't be amazing either. Drow are balanced at LA 1, IMO. You can eliminate half-orcs entirely and just give them orc stats, or give orcs +2 Con (like water orcs) and improve half-orc stats by +2 Str (you should know by now that WotC's advice on the value of specific stats is worth less than a punt in the groin). Whisper gnomes are an amazing Small race (RoS) that keeps up with the traditional strong races, so you might replace gnomes with them. Another Small race wouldn't hurt, either, like goblins or kobolds.

One could just drop half-orc's mental stat penalties. Bam, they're a decent melee race, smarter but weaker than orcs, stronger but less able learners than humans.

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Originally Posted by Greenish

One could just drop half-orc's mental stat penalties. Bam, they're a decent melee race, smarter but weaker than orcs, stronger but less able learners than humans.

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Just drop the intelligence penalty. The charisma penalty is fine.

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Originally Posted by Swiftmongoose

Just drop the intelligence penalty. The charisma penalty is fine.

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Eh, I don't see the point for that, either. Just limits horcs' options.

I forgot to mention changes to gnomes and lupins.

Gnomes have the stat mods of -2str, +2con, +2int, -2wis, and may use int for will saves. It makes gnomes into comfortably competative as casters.

Lupins gain full scent, treat survival as always class (in addition to ride), and may gain a d6 bite attack as a feat.

I'm looking at adding goblins to the player race list, but I want to redo the statmods at least (or giving them blues, and ignoring the LA).