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This is a race I created over 20 years ago for my homebrew world. They were once a servitor race of a race of psionic humans and were bred for heavy labor and as shock troops in warfare. I don't have access to my Advanced Race Guide at the moment and am too sick to do the math anyway at the moment. So could someone take a look at it and tell me what it's "worth" in race building points? Thanks in advance.
Buil Game Mechanics
+4 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma: Buil are immensely strong and hardy, but react just a bit slower than other races. Their large size and sometimes gruff demeanor sometimes keep others from feeling comfortable around them.
Medium: Buil are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Strong Arms: Buil can wield bastard swords and other heavy weapons that normally require two hands one handed without taking the Exotic Weapon proficiency, though do not get the extra damage bonus for two handed wielding if doing so.
Normal Speed: Buil have a base speed of 30 feet.
Low-Light Vision: Buil can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
Imposing Figure: Most Buil are intimidating without trying. They get a +2 racial bonus to Intimidate checks.
Born to Serve: Buil suffer a –2 to saves vs mind-affecting magic and psionics. This was bred into them to make them easier to control.
Human Blood: Buil count as Humans for any effect related to race, though they do not gain the bonus feat at first level like that of “normal” Humans.
Language: Buil speak the common tongue of the other races they live around.
Bonus Languages: Those with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic).
Ok. Sounds sorta what I had thought. I was hoping to tweak them a bit and make them a little less over the top. Thanks for the advice. When I'm not down with the sickness I'll work it over again. Thanks again!
Ability scores fall somewhere between these two options, so we'll call this a 4 RP selection. Note that Advanced is not a typical PC race option for ability scores, but your selection is clearly worse than Advanced.
Advanced (4 RP): Prerequisites: Advanced or monstrous power level; Modifiers: Pick either mental or physical ability scores. Members of this race gain a +2 bonus to all of those scores, a +4 bonus to one score of the other type, and a –2 penalty to one other ability score of the other type.
Greater Paragon (2 RP): Members of this race gain a +4 bonus to one ability score, a –2 penalty to one physical ability score, and a –2 penalty to one mental ability score.
Normal Speed (0 RP): The race has a base speed of 30 feet.
Medium (0 RP): Medium races have no bonuses or penalties due to their size. A Medium creature has a space of 5 feet by 5 feet and a reach of 5 feet.
Strong Arms = Weapon Familiarity. 1 RP
Low-Light Vision (1 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race can see twice as far as a race with normal vision in conditions of dim light.
Skill bonus (Intimidate) 2 RP
Human Blood = 0 RP - you can check this vs Half-Elves (Humanoid (elf, human) 0 rp) and Half-Orcs (Humanoid (human, orc)0 rp)
Linguist (1 RP): Members of this race start with Common plus their racial language (if any). Furthermore, members of this race with high Intelligence scores can learn any languages they want (except Druidic and other secret languages).
There is no comparison for the weakness. Looking at other items, it falls roughly between -1 and -2 RP. We'll call that -1 RP, assuming the worst case.
Total = 8 RP. All of the races in the CRB are 8-11 RP.
No need to apologize, Loremaster. You have a better handle on race building than I do. And thank you too, Serisan, for the clarifications. Like I said, I created the Buil (pronounced bwill) 20+ years ago, and only one or two of my players in all those years has played one. I was just curious to see where they fell in the power spectrum. They usually ended up being NPCs as thugs for hire or the occasional priest, though I had a player create a Buil Sorcerer once. That was pretty interesting.
Anyway, I'm rambling. Thanks again, guys!
Ability Scores
Greater Paragon + Advanced Constitution
6 RP
Strong Arms
If this is an ability already, I can't find it. I decided to make it the equivalent of Exotic Weapon Proficiency weapons that are normally two-handed but can wielded one-handed with a feat. Its a free feat. It can theoretically be applied to multiple weapons, but I decided to call it 1.5 feats if you include caveat that the creature must have at least Strength 13 (just like the feat).
6 RP (not real confidant in that though)
Low-light Vision
1 WP
Imposing Figure
Skill Bonus
2 RP
Born to Serve
Can't quite find this one, but based on other abilities I will call it a...
-2 RP
Languages
Linguist
1 RP
Human Blood
There is no need to say that they don't get a human's free feat. If anything, it confuses things.
TOTAL 14 RP
***
I think a simpler way of doing this would be
+2 Str, +2 Con, -2 Cha
1 RP
Languages
Common only. Choose up to 7 languages that can be selected by those with a high enough intelligence.
0 RP
In lieu of a +4 Str, I propose the following ability:
Members of this race receive a +2 racial bonus on Constitution checks and Fortitude saves to avoid fatigue and exhaustion, as well as any other ill effects from running, forced marches, starvation, thirst, and hot or cold environments. They also receive a +2 bonus on Strength checks, and treat their Strength score as 2 points higher for the purpose of determining carrying capacity.
3 RP
Low-Light Vision
1 RP
Skill Bonus
Lets say they are scary, but as a servitor race are also able to read body language well. +2 on Intimidate and Sense Motive checks.
4 RP
A buil with a Strength of at least 13 not proficient with the bastard sword, dwarven waraxe, and similar weapons can treat them as one-handed martial weapons. The buil suffers a -2 to attack when using the weapon in this way.
1 RP
TOTAL
10 RP
Born to Serve and Strong Arms are creations of my own. I think that's one of the reasons I was having trouble figuring things out on my own.
And very interesting suggestions! I'll certainly take those into consideration!
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A buil with a Strength of at least 13 not proficient with the bastard sword, dwarven waraxe, and similar weapons can treat them as one-handed martial weapons. The buil suffers a -2 to attack when using the weapon in this way.
1 RP
I'd just give them Weapon Familiarity with all weapons like the bastard sword and dwarven waraxe outright.
And I definitely like the idea of these guys having Human Blood still. Let them be another half-race; that's neat.
If you want them to be a high STR race, stick with the +4 STR, but give them...
Greater Paragon (2 RP)
Modifiers: Members of this race gain a +4 bonus to one ability score, a –2 penalty to one physical ability score, and a –2 penalty to one mental ability score.
So they have +4 STR, -2 DEX, and -2 CHA for 2 RP. Okay.
And then you don't need to give them the...
Members of this race receive a +2 racial bonus on Constitution checks and Fortitude saves to avoid fatigue and exhaustion, as well as any other ill effects from running, forced marches, starvation, thirst, and hot or cold environments. They also receive a +2 bonus on Strength checks, and treat their Strength score as 2 points higher for the purpose of determining carrying capacity.
3 RP
So let's look at these numbers and tinker a little:
2 RP
Languages
Common only. Choose up to 7 languages that can be selected by those with a high enough intelligence.
0 RP
Low-Light Vision
1 RP
Skill Bonus
+2 on Intimidate.
2 RP
Static Bonus Feat (Toughness)
2 RP
Weapon Familiarity (Dwarven Waraxe, Bastard Sword, Katana, and all exotic weapons that normally require two hands but can be wielded with 1 hand if you have Exotic Proficiency).
1 RP
Total RP: 8 RP
This makes your Buli very good at what they do: being big, tough, and scary.
Also, you can probably keep your Strong Arms text and just handwave it as being 2 RP instead of 1 (replacing Weapon Familiarity). So, make them a 9 RP race. MAAAAYBE a 10 RP race.
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Actually, here's a thought:
If you decide to remove Born to Serve, why not make their penalties be to DEX and WIS?
If you decide to KEEP Born to Serve, I'd consider it comparable to a negative version of Dwarves' Hardy trait (a 3 RP trait that gives them +2 to saves vs. poisons, spells, and spell-like abilities). So, consider it worth... at least -2 RP.
Given that, let me bring them back to a 9-10 RP race really quickly:
2 RP
Languages
Common only. Choose up to 7 languages that can be selected by those with a high enough intelligence.
0 RP
Low-Light Vision
1 RP
Skill Bonus
+2 on Intimidate.
2 RP
Static Bonus Feat (Toughness)
2 RP
Craftsman
Buli gain a +2 racial bonus on all Craft or Profession checks to create objects from metal or stone.
1 RP
Strong Arms
Buil can wield bastard swords and other heavy weapons that normally require two hands one handed without taking the Exotic Weapon proficiency, though do not get the extra damage bonus for two handed wielding if doing so.
2 RP
Sprinter
Buli are tall and have rather long legs. They gain a +10 foot racial bonus to their speed when using the charge, run, or withdraw actions.
1 RP
Human Blood
Buil count as Humans for any effect related to race.
0 RP
Born to Serve
Buil suffer a –2 to saves vs mind-affecting spells, spell-like abilities, and psionics. This was bred into them to make them easier to control.
-2 RP
Total RP: 9 RP
I think this seems fair and balanced. It's DEFINITELY slanted toward a martial character, but Born to Serve is a hefty weakness. They also get -1 AC from their low DEX, and they don't get natural armor or anything to make up for that. But in return they have +4 STR and toughness as a bonus feat.
Thanks, Inlaa! All of you have given me really valuable input on the Buil. I've been really proud of them since I created them, and all the information you've given me just makes me happy and warm inside (or maybe that's the fever I'm running at the moment..lol). But it'll help assuage the worries that a couple of my players have about running them because they think they're too powerful.
If you want them scary but weak willed, then put the penalty on Wis instead of Cha.
That makes sense. Good sense.
-2 DEX and WIS and -2 to all mind-affecting spells seems REALLY harsh, actually.
I'd stick with CHA. They're weak to psionics and mind-affecting stuff, but you can let their CHA be weak because their masters don't want the Buli to develop leadership abilities, either. The less they rally to a hero of their kind, the better.
Again: you've already got them with -1 AC and -2 to mind affecting spells and effects and psionics. That means Enchantments and emotion-based spells and a TON of save-or-suck spells in general will all work on them.
...Not to mention draconic auras of fear and stuff like that. And woe betide them if one of them with a middling Wisdom faces an Anti-paladin with a fear-focused Necromancer buddy.
-2 Cha hurts the "scary" aspect. If you keep -2 Wis, then you don't neccessarily need the -2 will saves.
Its like the tielfing who has -2 Cha and +2 Bluff. Flavor wise they should be good at bluff, but mechanically they net a +1.
-2 Cha hurts the "scary" aspect. If you keep -2 Wis, then you don't neccessarily need the -2 will saves.
That's true. In which case you can probably nix a special ability to keep them around 8-10 RP.
EDIT: Actually, why not give them STR-replaces-CHA as a racial trait replacing +10 movement speed on a charge/run/etc? You can replace the Intimidate bonus, even.
If you land at 8 RP then give them another bonus that contributes to flavor, but doesn't neccessarily help a huge guy with a hige weapon. (Thats why I tossed in +2 Sense Motive)
Yeah, if I were to build a version of these guys a third time, I'd probably do...
*Nix +Intimidate. Add Sense Motive instead.
*Nix +Craft and +Movement speed on charge. Make STR your ability score modifier for Intimidate, not CHA.
And I think that'd be balanced still. Due to +4 STR they'd effectively have a +2 on their Intimidate that way (assuming you built around STR, which most players would).
The ability to use a greatsword one-handed and carry a shield would be pretty powerful at low levels. Imagine...
21 STR character (starting STR of 17 before point buy) has a +5 to attack/damage. Your greatsword, when used one-handed, deals 2d6+5 damage and can be worn with a heavy shield for +2 AC. Use Power Attack and it goes up to 2d6+7. That's not a bad level 1 character.
But the will save penalties from -2 mind affecting saves would hurt, and -2 DEX too... Hm.
Intimidating Prowess as a bonus feat would be 4 RP. Now the question is, is using Str instead of Cha worth more RP than that or less?
It is a nice creation Cal. I just get a little twitchy whenever I see a race with "+4" to any given stat. It just screams "Power game around me."
Strength seems to be the most eyebrow raising because it makes that stupid strong Barbarian even more stupid strong.
Either way, nice job bud. :)
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Intimidating Prowess as a bonus feat would be 4 RP. Now the question is, is using Str instead of Cha worth more RP than that or less?
Actually, 2 RP.
Static Bonus Feat (2 RP)
Prerequisites: None.
Benefit: Choose one feat with no prerequisites. All members of this race gain this feat as a bonus feat at 1st level.
Intimidating Prowess has no prerequisites. What I'd do is this:
Brawn Over Brain
Buil are a menacing people that use their great stature and their aggressive posture to intimidate their foes. Buil use Strength in place of their Charisma score when making Intimidate checks. This prevents Buil from taking the Intimidating Prowess feat. Buli with this racial trait are considered to have the Intimidating Prowess feat for any feat, ability, or class feature that requires Intimidating Prowess as a prerequisite.
This prevents Buli from getting STR to Intimidate TWICE.
The ability to use a greatsword one-handed and carry a shield would be pretty powerful at low levels. Imagine...
21 STR character (starting STR of 17 before point buy) has a +5 to attack/damage. Your greatsword, when used one-handed, deals 2d6+5 damage and can be worn with a heavy shield for +2 AC. Use Power Attack and it goes up to 2d6+7. That's not a bad level 1 character.
This was a purposely built in ability because they served as frontline shock troops for their former overlords. An opposing army facing a phalanx of Buil would often waiver and flee, which helped their masters conquer half of the known world at one point in my homebrew's history.
It is a nice creation Cal. I just get a little twitchy whenever I see a race with "+4" to any given stat. It just screams "Power game around me."
Strength seems to be the most eyebrow raising because it makes that stupid strong Barbarian even more stupid strong.
Either way, nice job bud. :)
Thank you very much!!! And with the ideas floating around I can tweak them a bit and make them a little more balanced without making them weaker in the important areas they were bred for (warfare and servitude).
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This was a purposely built in ability because they served as frontline shock troops for their former overlords. An opposing army facing a phalanx of Buil would often waiver and flee, which helped their masters conquer half of the known world at one point in my homebrew's history.The ability to use a greatsword one-handed and carry a shield would be pretty powerful at low levels. Imagine...
21 STR character (starting STR of 17 before point buy) has a +5 to attack/damage. Your greatsword, when used one-handed, deals 2d6+5 damage and can be worn with a heavy shield for +2 AC. Use Power Attack and it goes up to 2d6+7. That's not a bad level 1 character.
Yeah, that makes sense. I can see them using two-handed reach weapons with shields to great effect.
Also, here's my official third take on the Buli:
2 RP
Languages
Common only. Choose up to 7 languages that can be selected by those with a high enough intelligence.
0 RP
Low-Light Vision
1 RP
Skill Bonus
+2 on Sense Motive.
2 RP
Static Bonus Feat (Toughness)
2 RP
Strong Arms
Buil can wield bastard swords and other heavy weapons that normally require two hands one handed without taking the Exotic Weapon proficiency, though do not get the extra damage bonus for two handed wielding if doing so.
2 RP
Brawn Over Brain
Buil are a menacing people that use their great stature and their aggressive posture to intimidate their foes. Buil use Strength in place of their Charisma score when making Intimidate checks. This prevents Buil from taking the Intimidating Prowess feat. Buli with this racial trait are considered to have the Intimidating Prowess feat for any feat, ability, or class feature that requires Intimidating Prowess as a prerequisite.
2 RP
Human Blood
Buil count as Humans for any effect related to race.
0 RP
Born to Serve
Buil suffer a –2 to saves vs mind-affecting spells, spell-like abilities, and psionics. This was bred into them to make them easier to control.
-2 RP
Total RP: 9 RP
This has been a lot of help. I'm taking my sick butt to bed now. Feel free to keep brainstorming and I'll check things out tomorrow. Communal efforts like this (helping out other players with ideas) is one of the things that keeps me coming back to the boards day after day.
Good night, all.
Actually... Hm. Quick note: Strong Arms specifically talks about Exotic Weapon Proficiency. So they still essentially are just getting EWP with Bastard Swords, Katanas, etc. Correct?
Should it be reworded to let them hold two-handed weapons in one hand? That in and of itself dodges EWP for Katanas and such, since they simply treat the two-handed martial weapon as a one-handed martial weapon.
Good point. I'll work on that tomorrow when the Nyquil isn't in control of my higher functions.
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Actually... Hm. Quick note: Strong Arms specifically talks about Exotic Weapon Proficiency. So they still essentially are just getting EWP with Bastard Swords, Katanas, etc. Correct?
Should it be reworded to let them hold two-handed weapons in one hand? That in and of itself dodges EWP for Katanas and such, since they simply treat the two-handed martial weapon as a one-handed martial weapon.
It should be restricted to the "2-hands martial, 1-hand exotic" weapons. This, plus bonuses to Str and Con will already make it a melee monster. A d10 weapons does 5.5 on average, 1-2 points better than other 1-handed weapons. This ability will mostly be used by those using shields. I feel that most of them will still choose to use a larger 2-handed weapon. As far as RP cost, I feel that this is somewhere between a static feat and a flexible feat and that it should cost 3 RP. I could justify lowering that if they suffered a small attack penalty for using the weapons in this way.
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This was a purposely built in ability because they served as frontline shock troops for their former overlords. An opposing army facing a phalanx of Buil would often waiver and flee, which helped their masters conquer half of the known world at one point in my homebrew's history.The ability to use a greatsword one-handed and carry a shield would be pretty powerful at low levels. Imagine...
21 STR character (starting STR of 17 before point buy) has a +5 to attack/damage. Your greatsword, when used one-handed, deals 2d6+5 damage and can be worn with a heavy shield for +2 AC. Use Power Attack and it goes up to 2d6+7. That's not a bad level 1 character.
Yeah, that makes sense. I can see them using two-handed reach weapons with shields to great effect.
Also, here's my official third take on the Buli:
** spoiler omitted **...
The RP costs are off. This is a fairly strong race, but I think it's fairly balanced overall.
Strong Arms: This is a really awkward racial trait and difficult to word. To quote Mike Selinker, "Don't write rules that cannot be written." Rewrite it as something like, "Bulis have proficiency in bastard swords and other similar exotic weapons that can be wielded in two hands as a martial weapon."
Brain Over Brawn: Just give them Intimidating Prowess as a bonus feat.
Human Blood: Change this to "Buli have a human heritage and are humanoids with the human subtype."
Born to Serve: Change this to "Buli are bred for being mentally controlled and have a -2 penalty on saving throws against mind-affecting effects."
And I definitely like the idea of these guys having Human Blood still. Let them be another half-race; that's neat.
They are descended from half ogres, the ogres being used to give them the imposing size and greater Str. So they're not quite a half race, though the blood of ogres does flow through their veins.
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Human Blood: Change this to "Buli have a human heritage and are humanoids with the human subtype."
I just copied the Half-Elf equivalent racial trait.
Elf Blood: Half-elves count as both elves and humans for any effect related to race.
But yeah, just giving them Intimidating Prowess as a bonus feat and making rewriting strong-arms to only work for exotic one-handed weapons that can be wielded with two hands martially is fine. Using a two-handed weapon in one hand WOULD be cool, but it might be overkill.
As far as RP cost, I feel that this is somewhere between a static feat and a flexible feat and that it should cost 3 RP. I could justify lowering that if they suffered a small attack penalty for using the weapons in this way.
Nah, 3 RP feels right the more I chew on it.
They are descended from half ogres, the ogres being used to give them the imposing size and greater Str. So they're not quite a half race, though the blood of ogres does flow through their veins.
Hm. Well, why not...
Ogre Blood: Buil count as both giants and humans for any effect related to race.
Ogre Blood actually makes them potentially SUPER weak to gnomes. Gnomes have +4 dodge AC vs. Giants.
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Gnomish rangers are their kryptonite.