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Playable race of angels designed with eberron in mind, but easily adapted to any campaign setting.
Description
Spoiler
Virtues
The continent of Khorvaire has known nothing but war for the last 100 years. In Sarlona, the Inspired work their fiendish machinations. Indeed the whole of Eberron teeters on the edge of destruction. Though peace has at last come to the land, and the Inspired have yet to make any world-altering movements, the peace is tenuous, and the evils of men are ever present. The good aligned outsiders of the world, namely the angels and couatls of Syrania, not wishing to see the world that the couatls fought so valiantly to protect in ages past once again plunged into the darkness of war, formed from their own essences and wills a race of angels to steer mortal kind down the path of righteousness and fight the forces of darkness wherever they may lurk. These are the Virtues. Within the last year, they have been sent to the material world for the sole purpose of bringing light to it. Messengers of the angelic realm and the embodiment of the couatls’ will to do good, the virtues strive to bring peace and happiness to the lives of the people of Eberron. Personality: True to their namesake, a virtue’s personality usually conforms to the seven heavenly virtues: Chastity, Temperance, Charity, Diligence, Patience, Kindness, and Humility, often favoring and magnifying one over the others. They are generally calm and well-mannered, but there are some exceptions. They prefer to solve problems diplomatically rather than with violence wherever possible. They have little need for material wealth, except for the sake of using it to further their righteous cause. In whatever vocation they undertake, they strive to use their powers for good; helping others and bringing hope to the downtrodden. Physical description: Virtues resemble tall, well proportioned humans. Their features are near perfect by human standards and they are quite comely. Their skin is fair and unblemished. Their eyes range from deep blue or green to a brilliant pearl or a lustrous gold or silver. Their hair is typically blonde, silver, or white, with brown, red, and black being somewhat rarer. Regardless of color, a virtue’s hair has a pearlescent sheen in bright sunlight. A handful of virtues possess small ram-like horns on the sides of their heads. A virtue’s most prominent feature, however, is the pair of feathered wings spanning over 10 feet from its back. These wings typically range in color from glimmering silver to pearlescent white, though darker colors, even black, are possible. These wings, along with their other more unearthly traits may be supernaturally withdrawn and hidden in order to better blend in with the humans they associate with. Relations: Virtues see the good in virtually all races, even those with evil tendencies, and try to find common ground with anyone they encounter. Furthermore, they try to encourage good relations between others. Those races with whom they cannot find common ground are more often pitied as being brutish or misguided than they are outright reviled. Alignment: As innately good beings, most if not all virtues are good aligned. Very rarely, a virtue will adopt cruel or even evil means in the name of good, falling to a dark neutral at worst. Truly evil virtues are virtually non-existent. On the law/chaos axis, virtues tend slightly toward neutrality, but those who crusade for order or freedom aren’t uncommon. Lands: A virtue’s native homeland is the plane of Syrania. On the material plane, however, they can be found wherever there is evil to combat. The largest concentration of virtues in Khorvaire is the city of Sharn, as many virtues make their way to the material plane by way of the manifest zone to Syrania there. Religion: Most virtues champion causes rather than deities. The majority of those who do worship deities, worship the silver flame, seeing it as an embodiment of all that they stand for, or perhaps they see themselves as the embodiment of that which the flame stands for. Of the sovereign host, some follow the ideologies of Boldrei, Dol Arrah, Dol Dorn, Olladra, or Onatar. Some virtues seek to help the humans live in harmony with the natural world. These virtues sometimes worship Arawai. Languages: Thanks to their innate Tongues ability, virtues can speak with any creature that has a language. Their native language is Syranian, which has an almost songlike quality to it, but they also speak the common tongue so as to better interact unnoticed. Names: Virtues have both a Syranian name and a human name for traveling in the material world. Adventurers: Virtues were practically made for adventuring as it gives them ample opportunities to do good in the world. They favor the cleric, druid, paladin, sorcerer, beguiler, and healer classes.
Stats:
Spoiler
Virtue Racial Traits
Outsider: Virtues are Outsiders with the Good subtype. When not on Syrania, they also gain the extraplanar subtype. For effects related to subtype, they are also considered to have the Angel subtype, but gain no other benefits of that subtype outside their listed racial traits.
Base land speed: 30ft
Abilities: +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma. A Virtue exists to guide mortals along the path of righteousness, and so are innately wise and personable.
Darkvision 60ft.
Resistance to acid 5, cold 5, electricity 5, and fire 5.
+4 Racial bonus on saves against poison and petrification.
+4 Racial bonus on Diplomacy and Sense Motive Checks. Virtues would much rather solve problems with words than with violence.
Minor protective aura (Su): Against attacks made or effects created by evil creatures, this ability provides a +2 deflection bonus to AC and a +2 resistance bonus on saving throws. Otherwise, it functions as a magic circle against evil, hedging out creatures that would try to possess the virtue and gaurding her from mind control as mentioned in the spell's description, except that it only effects the virtue, is always active, and does nothing to hedge out summoned creatures. This effect has a caster level equal to the virtue’s hit dice.
Tongues (Su): Virtues can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using a tongues spell (caster level equal to angel’s Hit Dice). This ability is always active.
Wing-Aided Movement: Virtues can use their wings to help with movement even if they can’t fly yet. The extra lift from her wings gives a virtue a +10 racial bonus on Jump checks.
Gliding (Ex): A virtue can use her wings to glide, negating damage from a fall of any height and allowing 20 feet of forward travel for every 5 feet of descent. Virtues glide at a speed of 40 feet (average maneuverability). Even if a virtue’s maneuverability improves, she can’t hover while gliding. A virtue can’t glide while carrying a medium or heavy load. If a virtue becomes unconscious or helpless while in midair, her wings naturally unfurl and powerful ligaments stiffen the wings. The virtue descends in a tight corkscrew and takes only 1d6 points of falling damage, no matter what the actual distance of the fall.
Flight (Ex): When a virtue reaches 5 Hit Dice, she becomes able to fly at a speed of 40 feet (average maneuverability). A virtue can’t fly while carrying a medium or heavy load or while fatigued or exhausted. Virtues can safely fly for a number of rounds equal to their Constitution modifier (minimum 1 round). They can exert themselves to fly for up to twice as long, but then they’re fatigued at the end of the flight. Virtues are likewise fatigued after spending a total of more than 10 minutes per day flying. Because Virtues can glide before, after, and between rounds of actual flight, they can remain aloft for extended periods (even if they can only use flight for 1 round at a time without becoming fatigued). When they reach 10 Hit Dice, virtues have enough stamina and prowess to fly for longer periods. They can fly at a speed of 40 feet (average maneuverability), and flying requires no more exertion than walking or running. A virtue with flight can make a dive attack. A dive attack works like a charge, but the virtue must move a minimum of 30 feet and descend at least 10 feet. A virtue can make a dive attack only when wielding a piercing weapon; if the attack hits, it deals double damage. A virtue with flight can use the run action while flying, provided she flies in a straight line.
Mortal Form (Su): At will as a move action a virtue can conceal its angelic nature. When concealed, the virtue’s wings fold up unseen into her back and any other overtly unworldly features are hidden as well. This allows her to appear as a human indefinitely. A DC 35 Knowledge: The Planes check or a true seeing spell sees through the ruse. Virtues see through one-another’s disguises on sight. A Virtue may, as an immediate action, reveal its nature, thus enabling it to unfurl its wings in response to a fall so as to avoid falling damage. A virtue fully displaying its angelic nature gains a +4 racial bonus to intimidate checks.
Angelic purpose (Su): A virtue gains sacred vow as a bonus feat at first level and qualifies for exalted feats just as a humanoid character. If a virtue ever loses a feat(s) as a result of committing an evil act, she is always entitled to regain the feat(s) through an atonement effect.
Immortal: A virtue never ages, nor does she die of old age.
Automatic languages: Common, Syranian
Bonus languages: Any
Favored class: Healer
Level Adjustment: +1
Height, Weight
Spoiler
Random Height and Weight
Gender
Base Height
Height Modifier
Base Weight
Weight Modifier
Male
5' 10''
+2d6
130lb.
x(2d4)lb.
Female
5' 7''
+2d6
110lb.
x(2d4)lb.
This race is the companion race to the Kilzecru, a playable race of devils.
Comments and Critique are welcome.
__________________
Quote:
"To play a fighter is to play the game.
To play a wizard is to understand the rules.
To understand the rules, and play a fighter, is to understand the game."
-Lycar
The title in the Description section reads 'Kilzecru'.
Not as interesting as their fiendish counterparts, in my opinion, but they don't seem horrendously broken. However, with minor protective aura, you might wish to clarify whether it grants the benefits against mind-control/possession effects that the magic circle against alignment and protection from alignment spells do.
LA is probably good at +1, but some of the stuff there wants me to call it at low +2. I'd rather trim some of the fat, so to speak, rather than bumping up LA. That being said, enjoy your PEACHes.
Fluff is fluff, I breezed it and will therefore leave someone else to critique it.
Stats are as Assimar, so, yeah.
Outsider with Good subtype may cause some problems, but I'm not terribly sure, as I believe most classes or abilities that really benefit from having [alignment] subtypes require it to be evil. Not being native can hurt on the resurrection front, but it's not a unique feature. As for the Angel subtype, you should probably just give it to them and then call out that their resistances are just that instead of the usual full-blown immunities, as most everything else they have a race, the subtype gives. Alternatively, you could alter the language of it to say something like "Virtues are considered to have the Angel subtype for all negative effects targeting the virtue, but they gain none of the benefits of having the Angel subtype."
Resistances and save boosts seem in order. Minor protective order is a nice boost, a little broader than your standard dorf's bonuses against giants and the like.
I'm having difficulty judging the usefulness of tongues from the get-go. If anything, I feel that the race could afford to lose it, but, *shrug*.
For flight, I would just copy directly from the Raptoran or Dragonborn (wings aspet) for its progression from gliding and damage mitigation to limited flight to all day cloud soaring. Never mind. I read through it again and you did basically just that.
Mortal Form is useful. The slight boost to intimidate is also nice. Not much to add.
Angelic Purpose ist nice. Sacred Vow by itself isn't much, but the ability to at least atone for Exalted feats is something I've always felt should be there.
Immortality is primarily a fluff ability, so not much to say on it.
To be honest, I was a little disappointed to not see all seven of the virtues as separate races, each with their own stat modifiers and similar but different racial features, not unlike the genasai.
__________________
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wings of Peace
"See these cookies? Note how while good they taste sort of bland. Now try these, they're the same cookies but with chocolate chips added. Notice how with the second batch we expended slightly more ingredients but dramatically enhanced the flavor? That's metamagic."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doc Roc
Seriously, can we kill this misconception now? A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He shops for precisely what he means to.
The title in the Description section reads 'Kilzecru'.
You've detected my copypasta...
Not as interesting as their fiendish counterparts, in my opinion, but they don't seem horrendously broken. However, with minor protective aura, you might wish to clarify whether it grants the benefits against mind-control/possession effects that the magic circle against alignment and protection from alignment spells do.
Clarified now.
__________________
Quote:
"To play a fighter is to play the game.
To play a wizard is to understand the rules.
To understand the rules, and play a fighter, is to understand the game."
-Lycar
LA is probably good at +1, but some of the stuff there wants me to call it at low +2. I'd rather trim some of the fat, so to speak, rather than bumping up LA.
Our group typically uses the lesser Aasimar variant, without the level adjustment, so by comparison, this isn't too much more powerful than that. These guys can fight demons all day, but a Bear would probably give them serious problems.
That being said, enjoy your PEACHes.
There's nothing like a good peach first thing in the morning.
Outsider with Good subtype may cause some problems, but I'm not terribly sure, as I believe most classes or abilities that really benefit from having [alignment] subtypes require it to be evil. Not being native can hurt on the resurrection front, but it's not a unique feature. As for the Angel subtype, you should probably just give it to them and then call out that their resistances are just that instead of the usual full-blown immunities, as most everything else they have a race, the subtype gives. Alternatively, you could alter the language of it to say something like "Virtues are considered to have the Angel subtype for all negative effects targeting the virtue, but they gain none of the benefits of having the Angel subtype."
Clarified now. I think..
I'm having difficulty judging the usefulness of tongues from the get-go. If anything, I feel that the race could afford to lose it, but, *shrug*.
Consider it more fluff. DMs who try to use language barriers as an obstacle are almost always thwarted by someone who thought that that language might come in handy anyways. At least in my experience.
Angelic Purpose ist nice. Sacred Vow by itself isn't much, but the ability to at least atone for Exalted feats is something I've always felt should be there.
As a prerequisite though, it's not bad.
Immortality is primarily a fluff ability, so not much to say on it.
The crunch of it is that they don't take aging penalties or bonuses. Most of my players, including myself, would rather play a char that has the potential to live forever than not. Dying of old age just seems inglorious somehow...
To be honest, I was a little disappointed to not see all seven of the virtues as separate races, each with their own stat modifiers and similar but different racial features, not unlike the genasai.
You trying to kill me?It's fairly easy to make these thematically different though. The right sacred vows and personality traits make all the difference. I think I said in their personality description that they tend to favor one of the 7 virtues over the others and act accodingly.
Thanks for the input, please check out the Kilzecru sometime too.
__________________
Quote:
"To play a fighter is to play the game.
To play a wizard is to understand the rules.
To understand the rules, and play a fighter, is to understand the game."
-Lycar
Yes, the friend who requested the race. Never seen it myself though. Might have to now...
Glad you liked it.
Im told that the kilzecru are more interesting though.
__________________
Quote:
"To play a fighter is to play the game.
To play a wizard is to understand the rules.
To understand the rules, and play a fighter, is to understand the game."
-Lycar
I take it you didn't much care for it? I wasn't even going to bother watching it but I happen to catch a glimpse of it when one of my friends were watching it and it got my attention.
My honest opinion of the movie was mixed but that was mostly because of the ending. The beginning was a tad slow to gain momentum but I sure as hell enjoyed the ride. It made me think and do a bit of soul-searching. I love forms of entertainment that I can actually relate to, instead of just passing the time. I ended up buying the movie. Sits nicely next to my copy of Constantine and the Matrix movies.
I had heard as much from the other two who watched it with him before I got to the game. I'm willing to give it a shot though.
__________________
Quote:
"To play a fighter is to play the game.
To play a wizard is to understand the rules.
To understand the rules, and play a fighter, is to understand the game."
-Lycar
@TVT^
Just to clarify, this race wasn't based on that movie, the original idea was sparked by a friend's suggestion for an angel race after watching that movie, but like I said, I've never seen the movie at all, so it was all original, based on the angel subtype more than anything. I couldn't even tell you the plot of that movie.
__________________
Quote:
"To play a fighter is to play the game.
To play a wizard is to understand the rules.
To understand the rules, and play a fighter, is to understand the game."
-Lycar
RSS Feeds: 
Virtues: Angels with a Purpose
I take it you didn't much care for it? I wasn't even going to bother watching it but I happen to catch a glimpse of it when one of my friends were watching it and it got my attention.
