Homebrew DesignRoll up your sleeves and get working: there's lots of homebrewin' to be done! Post your custom creation for critiques or review those of your peers.
The Stramm are the result of a union between Orcs and Dwarves, resulting in an immensely sturdy offspring who are often mistaken for animate and angry city fortifications instead of living creatures.
Stramm
Personality: Stramm are withdrawn people, showing little emotion, although they present an outwardly good personality, their eyes contain a barely contained inferno of rage.
Physical Description: Only barely taller than their dwarven parentage, the Stramm have skincolors ranging from olive to dark black. Their hair is always black, and their eyes range from rusty brown to bright red. Male Stramm always have Magnificent flowing beards. All Stramm have builds that most city dwellers would compare favorably to a Brick ****house.
Relations: Stramm get along well with orcs, dwarves, and humans, while Halflings and gnomes distrust them. Elves on the other hand, carry immense hatred of Stramm, and have been known to declare wars because of the mere presence of a Stramm diplomat.
Alignment: Stramm hold no particular alignment, although most are chaotic.
Stramm Lands: Stramm typically live in Dwarven or Orcish settlements, as there are not enough at any one time to ever form a nation.
Religion: Stramm do not worship any deities, instead, they worship War itself.
Language: Stramm know Common, Dwarven, and Orc. They may pick up any other languages as relevant.
Adventurers: Stramm are almost always adventurers, as their nature compels them to fight..
Stramm Racial Traits: +2 Strength, +2 Constitution,-2 Wisdom, -4 Charisma
Humanoid (Dwarf, Orc) Medium: As Medium creatures, Stramm have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Stramm base land speed is 20 feet, however, Stramm can move at this speed even in Medium and Heavy armor or when carrying a Medium or Heavy load. Darkvision out to 60 feet Weapon Proficiency: Stramm are Proficient with all Axes (Axes are Throwing Axe, Hand Axe, Battle Axe, Great Axe, Dwarven War-Axe, Dwarven Urgrosh, and the Orcish Double Axe). Powerful Build: The physical stature of Stramm lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger. Whenever a Stramm 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 Stramm is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. A Stramm 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 Stramm 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.
+2 racial bonus on Saving throws against Poison Stability: Stramm gain 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). Automatic Languages: Common, Dwarf, Orc. Bonus Languages: Any. Favored Class: Barbarian
LA +0
I definitely like this. A lot Just a few suggestions...
Weapon Proficiencies is worded badly. Be specific. Does axe include dwarven ugrosh? What about halberds? And so on and so forth. Just say great axe, hand axe, and throwing axe if that's what you mean.
The charisma penalty seems harsh, but makes sense I guess.
Maybe +2/4 on checks to avoid being bull rushed, or dwarf's stability?
Favored class barbarian doesn't feel right to me. These guys are definitely tanks, and barbarians are more strikers then tanks (yeah, I know, using 4e terms here I think). I'd say knight or crusader, which are the two "toughest/hardiest" classes in the game, but neither is right flavor wise. If anything, I'd see these guys as fighters over barbarians. That's just my humble opinion though
I definitely like this. A lot Just a few suggestions...
Weapon Proficiencies is worded badly. Be specific. Does axe include dwarven ugrosh? What about halberds? And so on and so forth. Just say great axe, hand axe, and throwing axe if that's what you mean.
The charisma penalty seems harsh, but makes sense I guess.
Maybe +2/4 on checks to avoid being bull rushed, or dwarf's stability?
Favored class barbarian doesn't feel right to me. These guys are definitely tanks, and barbarians are more strikers then tanks (yeah, I know, using 4e terms here I think). I'd say knight or crusader, which are the two "toughest/hardiest" classes in the game, but neither is right flavor wise. If anything, I'd see these guys as fighters over barbarians. That's just my humble opinion though
Oh, and an image...
Spoiler
Axes are Throwing Axe, Hand Axe, Battle Axe, Great Axe, and Dwarven War-Axe, as defined by Unearthed Arcana.
i thought powerful build had the same function as dwarven stability there.
All Stramm have builds that most city dwellers would compare favorably to a Brick ****house.
Uhhh... what?
Quote:
Originally Posted by toapat
Relations: Stramm get along well with orcs, dwarves, and humans, while Halflings and gnomes distrust them. Elves on the other hand, carry immense hatred of Stramm, and have been known to have declared wars because of the mere presence of a Stramm diplomat.
Suggest changing underlined portion to something like this: "have been known to declare war".
Quote:
Originally Posted by toapat
Religion: Stramm do not worship any deities, instead, they worship War itself.
Quote:
Originally Posted by toapat
Adventurers: Stramm are almost always adventurers, as their nature compels them to fight.
Both of these are a little overbroad, and I would suggest toning them down; a race of mongrels with such a strong shared identity that none of them worship deities, but always the same cause, requires a truly extraordinary explanation for this in my opinion.
Quote:
Originally Posted by toapat
As Medium creatures, high elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Should say "Stramm", not "high elves".
Quote:
Originally Posted by toapat
Weapon Familiarity: Stramm are Proficient with all Axes (Axes are Throwing Axe, Hand Axe, Battle Axe, Great Axe, and Dwarven War-Axe).
I suggest a minor rewording to be more consistent with other races: "Weapon Proficiency: Stramm are automatically proficient with the throwing axe, handaxe, battleaxe, greataxe, and dwarven waraxe."
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Water_Bear
That's RAW for you; 100% Rules-Legal, 110% silly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hamishspence
"Common sense" and "RAW" are not exactly on speaking terms
Anyone knows blue is for sarcas'ing in · Use of gray may indicate nitpicking · Green is sincerity · "Take 10 SAN damage from Dark Orchid"
I often hop into threads for just one thing
Both of these are a little overbroad, and I would suggest toning them down; a race of mongrels with such a strong shared identity that none of them worship deities, but always the same cause, requires a truly extraordinary explanation for this in my opinion.
Wording suggestions removed from quote, they were used.
Describe Kratos from God of War 1.
Dwarves worship Moradin, Orcs worship Grummash, these guys take the middle route and just worship Warfare. I consider it more reasonable because i can actually see an Orc and a Dwarf getting along well enough to have a kid, while their religious differences would mean that they dont actually teach the kid religion