[3.5]Races of Adem: A few tweaks (PEACH)

[Jeff the Green]

I'm working on a setting (tentatively called Adem, though that will likely change) where most of the common races have very different fluff and at least slightly different crunch. (Exceptions are Kobolds, Shifters, and Raptorans) For example, dwarves are scholarly builders of elegant above-ground metropolises with something of a tendency toward OCD, while gnomes are (or at least are reputed to be) avaricious merchants and slave owners. There are also five "templates" that can be applied to any humanoid. They lose most of the traits of their base race, like dragonborn, and gain new ones.

But... I'm very new to homebrew, so I wanted to get some feedback on the tweaked crunch to make sure I didn't break anything without realizing it. Any comments would be much appreciated!

Dwarves

Spoiler

• Humanoid (Dwarf): Dwarves are subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person.
• +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma.
• Medium size: As Medium creatures, dwarves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Dwarf base land speed is 20 feet. However, dwarves can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load (unlike other creatures, whose speed is reduced in such situations).
• Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and dwarves can function just fine with no light at all.
• Ordered Mind: Dwarves have a tendency towards order and reason, and have a +2 racial bonus on Concentration and Profession checks.
• Magic Heritage: Most dwarves have some training in at least the theory of magic, giving them a +2 racial bonus on Craft (Alchemy) and Spellcraft checks.
• Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves may treat dwarven waraxes and dwarven urgroshes as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
• Stability: A dwarf gains a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground).
• +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison.
• +2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like effects.
• Automatic Languages: Common and Dwarven. Common Bonus Languages: Gnome, Orc, Terran, Old Dwarven, Old Common, Runic.
• Favored Classes: Wu Jen, Incarnate

Elves

Spoiler

• Humanoid (Elf): Elves are subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person.
• +2 Wisdom, -2 Strength.
• Medium: As Medium creatures, elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Elf base land speed is 40 feet.
• Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +4 racial saving throw bonus against compulsion spells or effects.
• Low-Light Vision: An 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.
• Weapon Proficiency: Elves receive a Martial Weapon Proficiency feat for either kukri, throwing axe, longbow (including composite longbow), or shortbow (including composite shortbow) as a bonus feat.
• +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. An elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.
• Automatic Languages: Common and Elven. Common Bonus Languages: Old Common, Old Elven, Celestial, Orc.
• Favored Class: Favored Soul, Crusader

Gnomes

Spoiler

• Humanoid (Gnome): Gnomes are subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person.
• +2 Constitution, -2 Strength.
• Small: As a Small creature, a gnome gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but he uses smaller weapons than humans use, and his lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
• Gnome base land speed is 20 feet.
• Low-Light Vision: A gnome can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
• Weapon Familiarity: Gnomes may treat gnome hooked hammers as martial weapons rather than exotic weapons.
• +2 racial bonus on saving throws against illusions.
• Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against illusion spells cast by gnomes. This adjustment stacks with those from similar effects.
• +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against monsters of the giant type. Any time a creature loses its Dexterity bonus (if any) to Armor Class, such as when it’s caught flat-footed, it loses its dodge bonus, too.
• Natural Merchant Gnomes receive a +2 racial bonus on Appraise, Profession, and Bluff checks.
• Well-Traveled: Gnomes receive a +2 racial bonus on Sense Motive and Gather Information checks. They always know when their welcome is wearing out.
• Automatic Languages: Common and Gnome. Common Bonus Languages: Aquan, Dwarven, Elven, and Orc. In addition, a gnome can speak with an aquatic or marine animal (a porpoise, fish, gull, or the like, see below). This ability is innate to gnomes. See the speak with animals spell description.
• Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day—speak with animals (aquatic or marine animal only, duration 1 minute). A gnome with a Charisma score of at least 10 also has the following spell-like abilities: 1/day—dancing lights, ghost sound, prestidigitation. Caster level 1st; save DC 10 + gnome’s Cha modifier + spell level.
• Favored Class: Beguiler, Shadowcaster

Half-Elves

Spoiler

• Humanoid (Elf): Half-elves are subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person.
• +2 to any one ability score.
• 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 compulsion 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 Intimidate and Sense Motive checks.
• Elven Blood: For all effects related to race, a half-elf is considered an elf.
• Automatic Languages: Common and Elven. Common Bonus Languages: Any. Half elves gain an extra bonus language at 1st level(in addition to lose gained by high Intelligence).
• Favored Class: Any.

Half-Orcs

Spoiler

• Humanoid (Orc): Half-Orcs are subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person.
• +2 Strength, -2 Intelligence.
  • A half-orc’s starting Intelligence score is always at least 3. If this adjustment would lower the character’s score to 1 or 2, his score is nevertheless 3.
• Medium: As Medium creatures, half-orcs have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Half-orc base land speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision: Half-orcs can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and half-orcs can function just fine with no light at all.
• Orc Blood: For all effects related to race, a half-orc is considered an orc.
• Fearsome Heritage: Half-orcs receive a +2 racial bonus to Intimidate.
• Horselord: Half-orcs receive a +2 racial bonus to Ride and Handle Animal checks with horses and horse-like creatures such as unicorns and pegasuses. They also receive the Mounted Combat feat as a bonus feat. Finally, if a half-orc has a horse or horse-like creature as a companion, cohort, special mount, or similar, his level is treated as one higher than his actual level for purposes of determining the horse's HD, special abilities, and other bonuses that it receives.
• Automatic Languages: Common and Orc. Common Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Draconic.
• Favored Class: Barbarian, Totemist.

Halflings

Spoiler

• Humanoid (Halfling): Halflings are subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person.
• +2 Dexterity, -2 Strength.
• Small: As a Small creature, a halfling gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but she uses smaller weapons than humans use, and her lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
• Halfling base land speed is 20 feet.
• +2 racial bonus on Climb, Jump, Listen, and Move Silently checks.
• +1 racial bonus on all saving throws.
• +2 morale bonus on saving throws against fear: This bonus stacks with the halfling’s +1 bonus on saving throws in general.
• +1 racial bonus on attack rolls with thrown weapons and slings.
• Automatic Languages: Common and Halfling. Common Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, and Orc.
• Favored Class: Swashbuckler, Paladin.

Humans

Spoiler

• Humanoid (Human): Humans are subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person.
• 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.
• Automatic Language: Common. Common Bonus Languages: Any. See the Speak Language skill.
• Favored Class: Any.

Wild-Seed Creatures
Creating an Wild-Seed Creature
Wild seed creatures are quite different from their parents. They lose many racial traits and gain new ones. As a rule, the elemental seed creatures loses any racial traits other than ability modifiers, languages, favored class, and speed. It retains any racial hit dice as well as level adjustment. It still qualifies as its base race, e.g. for feats or prestige classes.

Fire-Seed
Fire-Seed creatures were affected in some way by elemental fire prior to their birth.

Spoiler

Creating A Fire-Seed Creature

• -2 WIS, +2 CHA. A Fire-Seed creature is more passionate than most creatures of its type, but also more mercurial.
• Resistance (Ex): A Fire-Seed creature gains resistance 5 to Fire.
• Water weakness: A Fire-Seed creature suffers a -2 penalty to all saving throws against spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities with the water or cold subtype or used by creatures of the water or cold subtype.
• Darkvision (Ex): A Fire-Seed creature gains darkvision 60 ft.
• +2 racial bonus to Disguise to impersonate a creature of its base type.

Water-Seed
Water-Seed creatures were affected in some way by elemental water prior to their birth.

Spoiler

Creating A Water-Seed Creature

• +2 CON, -2 INT. Water-Seed creatures are tougher than other creatures of their type, but somewhat slow-witted.
• Resistance (Ex): A Water-Seed creature gains resistance 5 to cold.
• Fire weakness: A Water-Seed creature suffers a -2 penalty to all saving throws against spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities with the fire subtype or used by creatures of the fire subtype.
• Natural Swimmers (Ex): Water-Seed creatures have a swim speed equal to their base land speed. (If the creature already has a swim speed, it improves by 10 feet.) A Water-Seed creature can move through water at its swim speed without making Swim checks. It has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. A Water-Seed creature can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line. A Water-Seed creature can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to six times its Constitution score.
• Low Light Vision (Ex)
• +2 racial bonus to Disguise to impersonate a creature of its base type.
• +2 racial bonus to Listen and Spot.

Earth-Seed
Earth-Seed creatures were affected in some way by elemental water prior to their birth.

Spoiler

Creating An Earth-Seed Creature

• +2 STR, -2 DEX, -2 CHA. Earth-Seed creatures are stronger than normal creatures of their type, but less agile or sociable.
• Damage Reduction (Ex): An Earth-Seed creature gains DR 1/-. This stacks with any similar damage reduction, such as that granted by the Barbarian class.
• Air weakness (Ex): An Earth-Seed creature suffers a -2 penalty to all saving throws against spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities with the air subtype or used by creatures of the air subtype. It has vulnerability to electricity, which means it takes half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from electricity, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or failure.
• Powerful Build (Ex): The physical stature of Earth-Seed creatures lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger. Whenever an Earth-Seed creature is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the half-giant is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. An Earth-Seed creature is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A half-giant can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size category.
• Darkvision (Ex): An Earth-Seed creature gains darkvision 80 ft.
• Burrow (Ex): An Earth-Seed creature can burrow at a speed of 1/2 its land-speed for a number of rounds equal to its Constitution per day. It may split these rounds however it wishes. If it is tunneling when this time expires, it must immediately burrow at a speed of 5 ft directly toward the nearest surface. Once it reaches the surface, it takes 1d6 non-lethal damage for each round spent underground in excess of its alotted time.
• +2 bonus to Disguise to impersonate a creature of its base type.
• +2 bonus to Concentration.
• +4 bonus to Hide in rocky environments.

Air-Seed
Air-Seed creatures were affected in some way by elemental air prior to their birth.

Spoiler

Creating An Air-Seed creature

• STR -2, INT +2, WIS -2. Air-Seed creatures are quicker of thought than normal creatures of their type, but physically weaker and flighty.
• Resistance (Ex): An Air-Seed creature gains resistance 5 to electricity.
• Earth weakness (Ex): An Air-Seed creature suffers a -2 penalty to all saving throws against spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities with the earth subtype or used by creatures of the earth subtype.
• Air Affinity (Ex): For the purpose of using magic items, an Air-Seed creature is considered to have fly, overland flight, and all spells with the air subtype on its spell list, regardless of whether it can cast spells. In addition, an Air-Seed creature casts fly, overland flight, and all spells with the air subtype at +1 CL.
• Slight Build (Ex): The physical stature of Air-Seed creatures lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category smaller. Whenever an Air-Seed creature is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as Hide), the kobold is treated as one size smaller if doing so is advantageous to the character. An Air-Seed creature is also considered to be one size smaller when "squeezing" through a restrictive space. An Air-Seed creature can use weapons designed for a creature one size smaller without penalty. However, the space and reach of an Air-Seed creature remain those of a creature of their actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject's size category.
• Low-Light vision (Ex)
• +2 racial bonus to Disguise to impersonate a creature of its base type.
• +2 racial bonus to Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, and Move Silently, and is not considered flat-footed while balancing, regardless of the number of ranks it has.

Shadow-Seed
Shadow-Seed creatures were affected in some way by elemental shadow prior to their birth.

Spoiler

Creating A Shadow-Seed Creature

• -2 STR, -2 CON, +2 WIS. Shadow-Seed creatures are more spindly than normal creatures of their type, but also more intuitive.
• Darkvision (Ex): A Shadow-Seed creature gains darkvision 120 ft.
• Light Blindness: Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds Shadow-Seed creatures for 1 round. On subsequent rounds, they are dazzled as long as they remain in the affected area.
• Shadow Affinity (Ex): For the purpose of using magic items, a Shadow-Seed creature is considered to have all Illusion (Shadow) spells and all spells with the darkness subtype on its spell list, regardless of whether it can cast spells.
• Spell-like abilities: A Shadow-Seed creature with a Charisma score of at least 10 has the following Spell-like ability: 1/day—darkness. Caster level 1st.
• +4 to Hide in shadowy illumination, -4 to Hide in bright light.
• +2 to Move Silently
• -2 to Diplomacy

[Othesemo]

I really like this. Elves and half-elves have suddenly because meaningful, and there're hypothetical reasons to not be a human or dwarf. The skill bonuses are flavorful, and (apart from the elf's) probably won't come up much. Still, it's a nice touch.

I haven't looked at the templates yet (I'll try to look back here tomorrow), but I see no balance issues with the first races. They're definitely better than core. One question, though. What's up with the aquatic gnomes? I'm sure there's a good explanation, but it makes little sense to me for a non-aquatic subtype race to have Speak With (Marine) Animals or Aquan as a bonus language.

[Jeff the Green]

Originally Posted by Othesemo

What's up with the aquatic gnomes? I'm sure there's a good explanation, but it makes little sense to me for a non-aquatic subtype race to have Speak With (Marine) Animals or Aquan as a bonus language.

Oh, yeah, that. Gnomes are basically merchant marines. They're originally from an island about the size of California, and in between that and the main continent is a very dangerous strait. They were the first to map it well enough to navigate through and their navy has prevented anyone else from mapping it. They have very few natural resources other than timber, but they make a killing shipping goods from one side of the continent to the other.

'Course, if the halfling pirates ever get their hands on a chart of the strait...

[Cieyrin]

The base races look fine, if perhaps a bit skill-happy and a copypasta error in Human.

Now, where the it comes to the templates it gets...unbalanced. Fire seems like it'd be fine, Water seems to be a return of the Water Orcs, though you pay for it somewhat by losing darkvision.

Then we get to Earth. Dear gods, Earth is probably the most powerful, as you have Earth Orcs losing effectively nothing for better stats, powerful build and burrowing.

Air and Shadow are definitely on the weak side of things. They could use a definite balance of stats, among other things.

[Jeff the Green]

I was worried about the templates. So what if we...

1. Get rid of Earth-Seed's +2 STR, so they're just -2 DEX -2 CHA.
2. Get rid of Earth-Seed's DR.
3. Give Shadow-Seed +2 DEX.
4. Give Shadow-Seed a +1 CL on all [Shadow] spells.

I'm hesitant to improve Air-Seed too much because Slight Build is pretty good. Effectively +1 attack, +1 AC, +4 hide, without the penalties to bull rush etc.