[Race] Russiti

[Fax Celestis]

Russiti are willowy, plant-based creatures. Unlike a great number of intelligent or sentient plants, russiti have developed complex neural networks and are capable of not just higher thought, but psionic powers.

Personality: Being plant-based, russiti tend to think differently from other creatures. They tend to look more towards the larger picture and show more concern for the environment than most other races.

Physical Description: Russiti appear, in most respects, as a small willow tree. Their physical bodies are shaped much like trees.

A russiti walks using a series of short, rootlike legs that merge into the trunk of the russiti seven to ten inches off the ground. The trunk itself is about eight to twelve inches in diameter and is covered in a thin layer of bark. Two opposable and jointed branches extend from the trunk, one on each side, about four feet from the ground, and just atop their extension point rests a series of knots and gnowls that form something of a face. Extending from the top of this mass of knots are several leafy branches.

The face itself contains two amber-colored eyes and a mouth: there is no nose, since scent input comes from the leafy branches over the head.

Alignment: Russiti tend towards good and neutrality, though there are russiti of all alignments.

Religion: Due to their plantlike nature, most russiti worship nature gods or goddesses like Ehlonna.

Language: Russiti speak Sylvan and Common. Some learn Terran or Auran.

==Player Character Russiti==

• +2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, -2 Dexterity. Russiti are tough, but do not move as quickly as other creatures.
• Monstrous Humanoid: As monstrous humanoids, Russiti are not affected by spells that affect only humanoids.
• Russiti base land speed is 30 feet.
• Low-light vision.
• Bark: Russiti's natural barklike skin grants a +2 natural bonus to armor class.
• Plantlike: A russiti is affected by spells that affect plants. However, a russiti receives a +2 bonus agaisnt mind-affecting spells.
• Vulnerability to fire: Due to their treelike nature, russiti take an additional point of damage from each die whenever they suffer a fire attack.
• Arboreal Empathy: A russiti is considered to be constantly under the arboreal empathy power (see below).
• Inborn Psionics: A russiti has a small pool of psionic charges they may tap into daily. A russiti has one charge per three class levels, minimum one. A charge may be spent to activate one of the following psi-like abilities or to power a feat with the [Russiti] descriptor: detect psionics, know direction and location. Manifester level is equal to the russiti's class level.
• Naturally Psionic: A russiti gets 1 bonus power point at 1st level. This benefit does not grant them the ability to manifest powers unless they gain that ability through another source, such as levels in a psionic class.
• Automatic languages: Sylvan, Common.
• Bonus Languages: Any.
• Favored Class: Psion. A multiclass Russiti's psion class does not count when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty for multiclassing.
• Level Adjustment: +1

[The Demented One]

Bit powerful for LA +0. Constant speak with plants, +2 natural armor, and bonuses against mind-affecting effects balanced out only by fire vulnerability? Definantly a bit on the borderline. Give it a +2 to Int and call it LA +1 is what I'd do.

[Fax Celestis]

Bit powerful for LA +0. Constant speak with plants, +2 natural armor, and bonuses against mind-affecting effects balanced out only by fire vulnerability? Definantly a bit on the borderline. Give it a +2 to Int and call it LA +1 is what I'd do.

Yeah, I was hoping I'd be able to scootch it by on a +0, but you're probably right. I'll do that, and that'll synergize with its Favored Class too.

[The Demented One]

One more thing. What if you replaced the speak with plants ability with something slightly more "psionicy?" Say, plants-and-Russiti-only telepathy?

[Fax Celestis]

One more thing. What if you replaced the speak with plants ability with something slightly more "psionicy?" Say, plants-and-Russiti-only telepathy?

I was saddened when I couldn't find a Psionic Speak With Plants.

And Tongues didn't quite cut it.

I was thinking a PLA of Missive or Mindlink, but it's already got two others.

Iono. Suggestions?

[ghost_warlock]

Homebrew race, homebrew power! ;D

Speak with Plants, Psionic
Clairsentience
Level: Natural World 4
Display: Auditory; see description
Manifesting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 min./level
Power Points: 7

When you manifest this power, the sound of softly russling leaves briefly fills the area. As speak with plants (PHB 282), except as noted here.

Come to think of it...

Speak with Animals, Psionic
Clairsentience
Level: Natural World 2
Display: Olfactory; see description
Manifesting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 min./level
Power Points: 3

When you manifest this power, creatues in the area are briefly carressed by the scent of their favorite food. As speak with animals (PHB 281), except as noted here.

[The Demented One]

Or perhaps...

Arboreal Empathy
Telepathy
Level: Natural World 1, Psion/Wilder 1
Display: Mental
Manifesting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 min./level
Power Points: 1

You gain telepathy out to 10 ft. However, you can only communicate with plants with this telepathy.

Augment:
For every additional power point you spin, the range of the telepathy increases by 5 ft.

[RoboticSheeple]

Ummm type and size? Are they humanoid? Mon. Human? Plant?
Medium?

[ghost_warlock]

Or perhaps...

Arboreal Empathy
Telepathy
Level: Natural World 1, Psion/Wilder 1
Display: Mental
Manifesting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 min./level
Power Points: 1

You gain telepathy out to 10 ft. However, you can only communicate with plants with this telepathy.

Augment:
For every additional power point you spin, the range of the telepathy increases by 5 ft.

Hmmm...I really like this and I think it fits the race well, but this would mean that psions can technically communicate with plants before druids can.

Although, I'm not sure how I feel about that and my inner monologue is arguing about it:

:D He-Yay! Psionics are the bomb-diggity!
:-/ Uh, yeeeaaaah...Though kinda stepping on toes here, don'chathink?
;D Eh, druids are overpowered to begin with.
>:( Mebbe, but they're supposed to be the uber-nature type with all the weird plant/animal abilities! What's a psion doing getting an iconic druid ability before the druid does?
:P Stickin' it to Da Man, that's what!
::) Ugh, you know, there's a group of people who complain that psionics are overpowered. How's it gonna look if psionics gain CoDzilla abilities before the CoDzilla?
8) Like sweet, sweet victory because I am an egoist! Viva la Resistance!

[Fax Celestis]

Ummm type and size? Are they humanoid? Mon. Human? Plant?
Medium?

Usually when something isn't qualified, it means that it is "as normal". Howver, I qualified them as "Plantlike", which would make them "Monstrous Humanoid (Plant)". I'll clarify that though.

[Fax Celestis]

Hmmm...I really like this and I think it fits the race well, but this would mean that psions can technically communicate with plants before druids can.

Well, considering they are plants, one would think it fits.

[ghost_warlock]

Well, considering they are plants, one would think it fits.

True, but all the more reason for a specific racial ability rather than a standard power accessible by a psion/wilder. I think I liked the original, exclusive ability better than a referene to a power.

But, hey, who am I to judge, just another random poster! ;D

[Fax Celestis]

But, hey, who am I to judge, just another random poster! ;D

You did ask for it. :D

[Gralamin]

Also a very very weird race. Balance wise, looks fine. I also notice you don't have feats for them.

On to Cartomancy then.

[DracoDei]

Seven oto 10 inch legs? I am seeing a much lower land-speed, or some REALLY twinkle-toes stride frequency when moving...

[Zeta Kai]

Seven oto 10 inch legs? I am seeing a much lower land-speed, or some REALLY twinkle-toes stride frequency when moving...

Didn't you get the memo? Size does affect speed in 3E.

[Fax Celestis]

Seven oto 10 inch legs? I am seeing a much lower land-speed, or some REALLY twinkle-toes stride frequency when moving...

Who said they had two legs? They're trees who walk with their root structures.

[Fax Celestis]

Changed the Inborn Psionics feature.

[DracoDei]

Who said they had two legs?

Certainly not me.

[DrakebloodIV]

Two things really irk me about this class. One, as mentioned by others before, the movement speed seems obscenely fast. I think the speed should be along the style of the dwarf, 20 feet but even in medium or heavy armor. Two, NG seems like an inaccurate alignment. You said they 'see the bigger picture in things' so LN seems like a more believable alignment for most of them to have

[Lappy9000]

Two things really irk me about this class. One, as mentioned by others before, the movement speed seems obscenely fast. I think the speed should be along the style of the dwarf, 20 feet but even in medium or heavy armor. Two, NG seems like an inaccurate alignment. You said they 'see the bigger picture in things' so LN seems like a more believable alignment for most of them to have

I was gonna mention something like that especially since the reasoning behind the Dexterity Penalty is that the russiti "do not move as quickly as other creatures."

I'd suggest either lowering that base speed down a little, or perhaps changing the flavor text to something like that the russiti "are slower to react than other creatures."

[MammonAzrael]

Its a very cool race, but I thought you were trying to remove level adjustment from d20R?

Hmm...if you do want to balance it for 0 LA:

• You could add a penalty to WIS or CHA (since their plant-based, they have the same reasons for the penalty as Warforged)
• Why monstrous human instead of plant?
• Their speed could easily be lowered.
• The natural armor could be reduced to +1, possibly scale with levels, or be modified with a feat.
• Are you changing Vulnerability to Fire in general, or is this unique to the Russiti?
• Couldn't Arboreal Empathy just be another power for their Inborn Psionics?

I'm not sure if that's enough to justify a LA reduction, but they're a couple ideas.

That's assuming you want to get rid of the +1 LA, of course.

[Fax Celestis]

Yeah, these guys need some reworking. I'll probably toss on a Wis or Cha penalty and reduce their speed to 20' to strip the LA. The other option would be to make a lite version and then have a level of a Racial Class. That's pretty much what I've decided: no LA, just racial progressions.

I didn't go with Plant because plant carries a very bizarre host of immunities that are really difficult to balance for ECL 1 (that is, "all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects), poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, stunning, critical hits.). I figured it'd just be easier to make them Monstrous Humanoid with the Plantlike ability.

[Adumbration]

So these are a bit like what Fauns are to Satyrs, except Russiti to Treants? (Fauns are statted in Deities and Demigods, by the way. Just found them myself.)

[Fax Celestis]

So these are a bit like what Fauns are to Satyrs, except Russiti to Treants? (Fauns are statted in Deities and Demigods, by the way. Just found them myself.)

Pretty much, yeah.

[MammonAzrael]

Huh. So they do. Plants a friggin' weird.

Perhaps, if you decide to make a racial level progression for them, the capstone can be gaining the plant type, and gaining that long list of immunities.