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Been working on a Turtlefolk race and had a lot more ideas for it than i originally thought i would. Wanted some outside advice before i implemented anything into my game. Thought, critiques, suggestions, etc would be much appreciated. Please be kind, I'm fairly new at GMing and this is the first Homebrew idea I've ever posted publicly, haha.
Kamenoai (Turtlefolk) ( RP 9)
Weakness (-1) +2 Con, +2 Wis, -4 Dex. Turtlefolk are physically and mentally resilient, but very slow to react.
Slow Speed (-1) 20 ft. move speed, but speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
Low-light Vision (1) Can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light
Natural Armor (3): A sturdy shell gives the turtlefolk a +2 natural armor bonus
Shell Damage Reduction (2): Arrows and blades bounce off your thick shell, hammers tell a different story. DR 5/Bludgeoning
Spell Resistance (2): A turtlefolk’s meditation gives them greater insight to protect themselves from magic, giving them SR equal to 6 + your character level
One With the World (3): Turtlefolk are well read and reasonable. +2 Knowledge(History), +2 Knowledge(Nature), +2 Diplomacy
Languages: Begin play speaking Common and Sylvan. With high Intelligence, may choose Aquan, Terran, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Draconic as a bonus language.
Alternate:
Biter: Not all turtlefolk are sensible and kind. Some show strong signs of their prehistoric ancestry, both physically and in personality. Turtlefolk with this racial trait have a 1d6 bite attack and have a +4 bonus to Intimidate. This replaces One With the World.
Light Shell: The shell of some turtlefolk is thinner than others. Turtlefolk with this racial trait have a move speed of 30 ft. and only take a -2 racial penalty to Dex, but lose their racial Shell DR and only have a +1 natural armor bonus.
Seaborne: Not all turtlefolk meditate in the mountains and forests. Many find their home in the water. Turtlefolk with this racial trait have a Swim speed of 30 ft. and always treat Swim as a class skill. In addition, Seaborne turtlefolk have Aquan as a beginning language instead of Sylvan, but may still choose Sylvan as a bonus language for having a high Intelligence score. This replaces Spell Resistance.
Spiked Shell: Your shell has long sharp spines or short barbs across the top. A creature that is grappling you takes 1d6 piercing damage each round and must make a Fortitude save (DC 10+1/2 your level + Con modifier) or be forced to let go of you, before its CMB versus CMD check to maintain the grapple. If a creature is using Swallow Whole or a similar ability on you, it instead takes 2d6 damage each round until you’re freed. This replaces Spell Resistance.
Feats:
Gifted Student
Prerequisite: Turtlefolk, Int 13
Years of studying and spending time in libraries has earned you a higher respect for the varied knowledge of the world. You now treat two Knowledge skills that you were not trained in before as class skills. In addition, you gain a +1 bonus on all Knowledge skills that you are trained in. This feat may be taken several times, each time choosing two new Knowledge skills as new class skills. The +1 to all Knowledge skills stacks each time you take this feat.
Logical Thinker
Prerequisite: Turtlefolk, Wis 13
Personal insight and a sensible approach come more naturally to you than studying a skill. Instead of adding your Intelligence modifier to the number of skill ranks you earn each level, you may add your Wisdom modifier.
Spell Resistance
Prerequisite: Turtlefolk, Do not already possess Spell Resistance
Though you lacked the focus in your youth, you have grown to appreciate the meditation rituals of your kind. You gain SR equal to 6+character level.
Improved Spell Resistance
Prerequisite: Turtlefolk, Int 13, Wis 13, Spell Resistance, Character Level 13th
Daily concentration and meditation has given you a greater ability to repel magic. Your SR is now equal to 11+character level.
Mystic Spellbender
Prerequisite: Turtlefolk, Int 13, Wis 13, Spell Resistance, Improved Spell Resistance, Combat Expertise, Character Level 17th
You have become a master at manipulating the magical energies directed at you. When fighting defensively, using the Combat Expertise feat, or taking a Total Defense action, as a swift action you may activate the ability to perform Spell Turning, as per the spell. When fighting defensively or using Combat Expertise, you may turn up to 1d4 levels of spells. If you take a Total Defense action, you may turn up to 1d4+ half your character level . This ability only lasts for as long as you maintain the defensive position. Once you end that action, your spell turning ends and any spell levels leftover are wasted, even if you activate the ability again. You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to your Intelligence, Charisma or Wisdom modifier, whichever is higher.
Slow and Steady
Prerequisite: Turtlefolk, Wis 15
Your careful approach to life pays off in the end. For each full round that you spend focusing on the success of one objective, you gain a cumulative +3 bonus on your attack roll, skill check, ability check, or saving throw (d20 rolls). You must designate which action you are concentrating on beforehand to benefit from this feat. If you are attempting a skill check that will take considerable time, such as a Craft check, you must take an hour instead of a full round action to gain the bonus from this feat. At 4th level and every 4 levels beyond that, this feat gives an additional cumulative +1 per full round/hour spent on the action.
Tough Skin
Prerequisite: Turtlefolk, Con 13
In addition to the protection from your shell, your skin has grown rough and thick. You gain a +1 natural armor bonus.
Fortified Shell
Prerequisite: Turtlefolk, Shell Damage Reduction, Con 15
When targeted by a sneak attack or a critical hit, you have a 25% chance of negating the extra damage and damage is instead rolled normally.
Self-Armored
Prerequisite: Turtlefolk, Tough Skin, Fortified Shell, Con 15
Your body serves as a greater armor to you than any crafted by hand. You may enchant your shell and skin as though it were manufactured armor. The price for this is steeper because of the complications in magically altering living material, +50% of original price. Even though the shell is enchanted like armor, it is still natural armor and does not incur arcane spell failure chance or affect classes such as Monk that take penalties for wearing armor. You may still wear other armor, but if you wear armor over your shell, you lose all the benefits of your enchantments and only have the base natural armor added to your AC.
Nigh Impenetrable
Prerequisites: Turtlefolk, Tough Skin, Fortified Shell, Self-Armored, Con 17, Character level 9th
Shaped like efficient armor plating, your shell offers even greater protection than before. This feat may be taken up to 3 times. Each time, choose one effect to apply: DR increases to 10, DR is surpassed by Adamantine instead of Bludgeoning, or the chance to negate a critical hit or sneak attack offered by the Fortified Shell feat increases to 50%.
Shell Shield
Prerequisite: Turtlefolk, Tough Skin, Fortified Shell, Self-Armored, Shield Focus, Con 15, Dex 15
Your maneuvers allow you greater ability to defend with your shell. You may apply any feat normally usable with a shield through your shell. If attempting a shield bash, your shell deals damage as though it were a heavy shield. For feats such as Shield Specialization, shell is a category separate from buckler, light, heavy or tower. This does not allow you to enchant your shell as though it were a shield via the Self-Armored feat, only that it is usable like a shield at times. If you are wielding a shield, all shield abilities work through the actual shield and you cannot apply them to your shell at the same time (such as applying Shield Focus twice or similar stacking shield bonuses).
Favored Class Rewards:
Alchemist: +1/2 on Craft(Alchemy) checks and +1/3 to the DC of poisons or other alchemical items you create
Bard: +1/2 to bardic knowledge
Barbarian: +1/4 on Will saves while in Rage
Cavalier/Samurai: +1/2 to melee damage rolls against the target of your Challenge
Cleric: +1/2 on Heal checks and +1/3 on Fortitude saves to stabilize
Druid: +1/3 to your animal companion’s natural armor
Fighter: +1 to CMD to resist bull rush, trip, or disarm
Gunslinger: +1/2 bonus to AC against firearm attacks
Inquisitor: +1/3 inquisitor level when using Discern Lies
Magus: +1/4 to arcane pool
Monk: +1/4 to ki pool
Oracle: +1/2 to oracle level for the purposes of one revelation
Paladin: +1 resistance to one kind of energy (maximum +10)
Ranger: +1/2 on Handle Animal and Survival checks
Rogue/Ninja: +1/3 on attack rolls when performing a sneak attack
Sorcerer: Add one spell known from the sorcerer spell list. This spell must be at least one level lower than the highest that you can cast
Summoner: +1/3 to the eidolon’s natural armor
Witch: +1/2 to Knowledge(Arcana) and +1/3 to Will saves to avoid mind affecting effects
Wizard: Choose a school of magic. The DC of spells that you cast from that school increases by +1/2 (maximum +5)
Looking nice. Good work. For a D&D precedent (to pillage fluff or inspiration from) google tortles.
Can they be ninjas?
Thanks Thanael! And thanks also for the tortle idea, gave that a quick google and it looks pretty good. Not quite what i want to do with my turtle race, but it gives me ideas. Like an alternate racial thing or feats to support swimming/holding breath longer underwater.
Yes, Vod Canockers, i was expecting someone to make ninja turtles with this. You most certainly can.