Artemis_Dreamer's page

I know this is rather against the usual mindset of organized play, but why not make most races available with no boon?

Completely agree. If a "cantina" atmosphere is the goal, this seems like the most logical and straightforward way to accomplish it.

Convention boons, while nice, can be inaccessible to those in some countries. And while the player boon is clearly designed to incentivise play, it offers only three options - which, judging by the boon expiry date, will be the only ones available through this method until next June.

Players in Organized Play scenarios are required to bring source rulebooks for every option used by their characters - including race. As such, Society GMs would be able to request to see the material at any time should issues of racial abilities arise.

This suggestion is very much against the usual mindset of organized play - Pathfinder organized play. I see no reason why Starfinder should follow that same restrictive structure.

Thank you all for explaining the situation more clearly! I think I'm starting to understand.

It seems there are still quite a few benefits to melee combat - seems I was overlooking cover penalties and such, and embarrassingly hadn't thought about the discrepancies in damage numbers.

I went over the rules for unconsciousness and death a few more times. I feel that @pauljathome has a good point - one that I may not have taken to heart from the OP.

Death works very differently in Starfinder, and being knocked out isn't nearly as hazardous. I guess that melee combat will just require a bit of a mindset change on my part - and my frontline fighters being KO-ed semi-regularly. From what I'm reading, the trade off is more than worth it!

A new system needs a different approach - after all, that's the point of the thread. I guess I hadn't considered exactly HOW different. Also, it seems I should probably hold off on theorycrafting until I've completely internalized the rules!

Sorry about all that.

Again, I appreciate the explanations!

Artemis_Dreamer wrote:

I may be missing something obvious - if so, please tell me! - but it seems like ranged combat and ranged weapons are a far better investment of character resources and feats in Starfinder than they were in Pathfinder. Perhaps disproportionally so?

Dedicated archers are pretty effective in Pathfinder too.

Of course! Not trying to imply otherwise.

The difference (problem?) as I see it, is this:

In Pathfinder, melee and ranged combatants can BOTH be highly effective in combat, occupying different niches VS different enemies. Dedicated archers are great, and so are dedicated swordsmen.

Whereas in Starfinder, ONLY ranged combatants seem to be effective. It seems to me that the prevalence of enemy ranged weapons, and lack of penalty for ranged-into-melee targeting, places melee oriented combatants at a disadvantage.

I'm certain that I've misunderstood something, but it seems that investing character resources in melee is now significantly less valuable? It feels like the options are "ranged" or "pincushion".

Focus fire is always the smart ranged combat tactic if individuals cannot be reliably disabled with one shot, and target prioritization is the smart way to apply focus fire. A dude doing extra damage through melee, standing out of cover, within 1-2 range increments, and getting attacks of opportunity against one of your buddies suddenly climbs the target prioritization list.

This is very true.

This is also why I worry that the removal of ranged ATK penalties VS opponents engaged in melee may have tipped the balance of combat just a bit. Melee is now significantly more dangerous and significantly less appealing than ranged combat.

I know that laser pistols are a staple of Space Fantasy, but it seems odd that these new rules, when combined with sensible tactics, place melee combatants at such a serious disadvantage. A high tech gun shouldn't eliminate the risk of shooting your ally (expressed here as an ATK penalty) when he's up close and personal with the enemy you're targeting!

I may be missing something obvious - if so, please tell me! - but it seems like ranged combat and ranged weapons are a far better investment of character resources and feats in Starfinder than they were in Pathfinder. Perhaps disproportionally so?

Glad you took the time to read it! Your feedback means a lot.

My version of Torch is best envisioned as an anime character? Sweet, my work here is done.

I didn't think anyone would actually read this monstrosity, never mind answer the quiz. Thrilled isn't even the word right now. So, your results:

Corruption: Correct!
Exhaustion: Correct - it's Kaava Quarry, the second part of Scions of the Sky Key.
Fraternizing: The scenario in question is The Disappeared - I'm pretty sure I ran that one for you, actually.
Vacation: The song is "Couple of Days". Don't worry, I've never actually met anyone who's heard of BFS.
Idiot: As much as I wish she was, Magda isn't actually a Society NPC - none of the scenario writers are THAT crazy. Just me.
Substitute: Correct and Correct! Yeah, Torch is totally overleveled for it, but he's technically restricted to using Orion's abilities, and at that time, they weren't exactly great.
Hair: Correct! Also, yep, I'm pretty sure Brian ran that one for us.
Useless: Actually, that one was Storming the Diamond Gate - it's super lethal when the GM ignores the tactics.

Who's the crazy one? Pretty sure it's still me.

tinyurl is your friend. :)

http://tinyurl.com/znhaupw

Thank you very much!

I learned something new today.

Pardon me - there was an error in the link I posted, and I'm now unable to edit my earlier post.

The correct link can be found here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/10N-ZhQX6S0vhdLiC80I_CbjBXGTEkr9rfKAuG3E Nj-g/edit?usp=sharing

EDIT: The forum seems to take issue with the length of the link, so please remove the space between the E and the N when copying the link into your browser.

Real talk. I've been writing this series of short fan works for a while now, but I only now worked up the courage to post them.

My mom passed on last month, and it made me realize how damn short life really is. Short enough not to regret silly things like this. I shouldn't be embarrassed about being creative.

So, my PFS Character #86016-8 is Orion of Siam, an Undine Alchemist made with a boon I received as a present from a former GM. On his first adventure for the Society, Orion met Grandmaster Torch...

And this series of abominations was spawned. Part adventure log, part fan fiction, I've spent far too long writing these. At this point, it would be a shame NOT to share them.

The Google Doc link is here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10N-ZhQX6S0vhdLiC80I_CbjBXGTEkr9rfKAuG3E Nj-g/edit?usp=sharing

The document is properly bookmarked, the stories are in roughly chronological order, and I left out my all my AU and NSFW work.

Any and all comments and feedback are welcome, even if it is just you telling me that I'm disgusting scum with a perverted mind.

---

Reader Quiz Time:

Corruption: In which PFS scenario is this set?
Exhaustion: Which PFS scenario had Orion just adventured in?
Fraternizing: Which PFS scenario hints at a relationship between Ambris Valsin and Zarta Dranleen?
Vacation: Which Bowling for Soup song inspired this work?
Idiot: Is Magda an actual PFS NPC?
Substitute: Which PFS scenario is Orion running late for? In which scenario did he first meet Lady Julia?
Hair: In which PFS scenario did Orion have his little mishap?
Useless: Which PFS scenario nearly killed Orion?

Bonus Question: Is the author insane?

You ninja'd my edit, which has the info you're looking for.

Oh, wow. Now I feel really silly.

Thanks for the helpful info!

Artemis_Dreamer wrote:

Oy. So much wasted gold.

Err... why wasted gold? Shouldn't you have sold the buckler back at 100% of what you paid for it?

Hmm?

PFS rules state that items can only be sold for 1/2 their initial cost... unless I'm missing something obvious?

Artemis_Dreamer wrote:

Wait, Fencing Grace still allows for the use of bucklers even after the nerf?

Excuse me while I buy back my Swashbuckler's +2 buckler and go slap my local Venture-Agent.

Yep, the updated Fencing Grace uses the same wording as Slashing Grace, and the FAQ entry for that states that bucklers don't count as "occupying" the hand.

Oy. So much wasted gold.

A good reminder to look these things up for myself, though, rather than taking others (even Venture-others) at face value.

Wait, Fencing Grace still allows for the use of bucklers even after the nerf?

Excuse me while I buy back my Swashbuckler's +2 buckler and go slap my local Venture-Agent.

It's interesting how everyone has a different perspective on Grandmaster Torch depending on when they (as players) first met him, as well as when their characters first met him.

I first ran into Torch in Destiny of the Sands Part I, with a character who was on his first-ever mission. None of the players or characters in the party (3 plus a pre-gen) had ever encountered him before.

We fell for his 'legitimate' act... and my alchemist character fell a little harder than I did.

Let me put it this way - as a player, having now played most of Season 2, I feel like Torch's Shadow Lodge got a really rough retirement scenario - he deserved better than that. As a character, my alchemist is still (quite literally) head-over-heels in love with Torch - and it's fun to write about when I'm bored.

Paizo's writers should be congratulated on creating such a complex, nuanced, and divisive character, regardless of how we personally feel about him.

To the OP, I would leave him in the scenarios unchanged, and just take a minute to explain that the events of the scenario are set in the past, when the circumstances of his relationship with the Society were considerably different than they presently are.

Everyone will form their own opinions about the Grandmaster, and that's a good thing.

I sincerely hope that the Lust phantom is not being banned for purely thematic reasons.

It sets a dangerous precedent for eliminating a lot of other creative and flavourful content from Society play (sexual deities, ect.)

If the Lust phantom is too racy for young audiences, then so is Zarta Dranleen. (And I'm not just saying this based on her manerisms. There is a scenario where the players actually stumble upon her sex/play-torture equipment - it is described in scenario flavour text.)

Any reasonable GM will know to tone down or avoid such content, or scenarios involving that content, for younger players. Banning content based on adult themes is detrimental to the considerable adult majority of the Society player base.

Thank you again to everyone - I didn't expect such a helpful response!

Things should be pretty straightforward from here, now that I know what to do.

In future I think I'll start keeping photocopied records of my characters and chronicles in a safe place, so this doesn't happen again.

Much appreciated.

Pauljathome,

Thank you for the quick reply!

When I last checked, my area was "between" Venture Captains so to speak, but I will check to see if/who has been appointed. Once I find out who to talk to, I definitely will.

I'm glad that there's a chance of recreating them - best news I've heard since I moved.

Thanks again.

Hi,

In my recent move across my city for family purposes, one of my boxes got lost, and was never found - assorted textbooks, my Skulls and Shackles AP, and two of my characters (my -1 and -3).

When I lost the characters, they were in personalized folders with all of their respective chronicles.

All of their scenarios are reported here online - all seven for my -1 and all three for my -3. I'm pretty sure that I can rebuild them exactly as they were, but here's my question. Is this allowed? Can I continue to use them, even now that I don't have any of their original chronicles, but given that there is an online record of those chronicles being granted?

I hope to be able to, because otherwise I have 10 permanently wasted scenario chronicles and two forcibly retired characters - characters that I'm pretty fond of.

If anyone has any idea what to do in this situation, please let me know.

Thanks.

Thank you both very much for your input.

Your advice has given me a new perspective - I think I'm going to be going the archer ranger route instead. Similar flavour, more viable concept.

That, at least, I think I can figure out myself. XD

Thanks again for putting everything into perspective.

Hi,

I'm interested in making a core rulebook Druid for the new Pathfinder Society Core Campaign. Maybe I'm a little slow, though, because I can't seem to find information on making my particular concept viable.

I have fairly low system mastery - I mainly need guides to build characters. However, guides seem to state that Halflings do not make ideal Druids.

Is there a way to make a Halfling with animal companion core build viable? Particularly one which is focused on combat rather than spellcasting?

I know I haven't posted any build details, and I'm sorry. It's just that I'm really lost here. I have the concept of a Halfling fighting alongside her "beloved puppy" (likely a wolf), but I really don't know where to take it, or if I should just scrap the idea.

Any and all advice would be welcome here.

To me, the whole "glowing rune" thing seems like a huge liability - an idea that is reinforced by how many summoners go out of their way to conceal it.

After all, it's essentially broadcasting to all enemies in the area that in order to stop the monstrous eidolon, all they need to do is kill the weak-looking guy with the same symbol on his head.

I've never played a summoner (too confusing), but still. It's sort of like if clerics had glowing holy symbols on their foreheads - that is to say, ridiculous and seemingly intended to provoke confrontation.

Just wanted to contribute a character build that I think is pretty darn powerful:

Any blaster wizard built using the "Guide to the Blockbuster Wizard".

Holy wow, do they ever do a lot of damage! Sure, blasting is inefficient, but it can also be pretty darn impressive.

(I may or may not have a blockbuster wizard of my own.)

Hi,

Just going to throw in another vote for the imp - there's one in a particular PFS sanctioned AP, and there's something horrifying about none of the six members of an in-tier party being able to land a single hit.

Luckily, it fled - though I don't know if that was tactics or if the GM wanted to spare us further embarrassment.

Still, yikes.

(I'm kind of looking forward to my Wizard getting one as an improved familiar, though).

5) Not Good at Anything: Not sure why, but lately I've been seeing a lot of characters that try to do a little bit of everything so they really end up not contributing much of anything. Have a bow, but rarely hit or do much damage. Have a melee weapon, but can't really do much in melee combat. Have a few attack spells, but the DC's are so low they usually fail. Have a single die of sneak attack damage, but not enough to really bother working to set them up for it. Have a single channel or low level heal spell, but not enough to make a difference. Not as problematic as 4), but it still really doesn't help much.

---

Sorry, I couldn't get the above to quote properly.

I just wanted to comment on this: it's bad form, yes, but it can also mean that the person who made the character is a newer player / a player with low rules mastery. Maybe it could be helpful to players of these kind of characters if you were to give them advice? They're not actively trying to ruin your PFS experience and are playing as best they can.

I personally built a terrible first character, but with the helpful advice of local players, I now have two reasonably effective ones (the first has since been retired from play on account of being unviable).

It's bad form to have a useless character, but may I politely suggest helping those kind of people rather than complaining about them online?

Sorry.

The fact that Paizo thinks it is getting the play testing it needs surprises me.

Finally, it's been said.

This test needs a revised document, more time, and significant improvements to all of the classes presented.

Off topic, are you going to be at DG tonight, Paul?

I'm likewise hoping for an updated document.

I'm happy to do more play testing, and would love to see the intended direction of the changes that the staff will be making to the classes.

I've been looking over the playtest, and the concept of the aether Kenetiscist seems like something that would really suit my Brawler. I was thinking of dipping at least two levels, to get the blast and defence powers, but here's the problem.

My brawler is a PFS character, and is strength-based. She's still first level, so I've got rebuild freedom on her stats, but I really want to maintain at least some effectiveness for her unarmed strikes (primary attacking method).

Her array is currently STR 18, DEX 14, CON 13, INT 10, WIS 12, CHA 10 (I placed the +2 from being human into her STR).

I was thinking that changing this to STR 16, DEX 14, CON 16, INT 10, WIS 10, CHA 10 might be viable for a multiclass Brawler/Kineticist (the +2 again going to STR).

Honestly though, I'm not sure.

I've never multiclassed a character, have only played Pathfinder for a few months, and don't want to make a really useless character. I've already played and dropped FIVE PFS characters for being completely ineffective or built irreparably wrong.

I just like the thought of my Brawler's unstable emotions manifesting as her being able to fling objects with her mind. Also, this way I don't need a ranged weapon, and could maybe pick up Kinetic Fist for additional unarmed damage.

So, does anyone have advice on this particular multiclass? Is it even viable, or a good idea?

Any help is much appreciated.

It's not just ratfolk. A human character of 5'4 weights 150 pounds.

Hey!

Being 5'3", 150 pounds and female, I'd say that that's a decent weight-height ratio for a human.

As for ratfolk, I'd say that we shouldn't worry that much - I'm sure that they as a race are very happy with the way that they look. XD

Hey, in my opinion, there's nothing wrong with pressing the issue and explaining things to the GM.

After all, it'll be a learning experience for them, and the game will proceed fairly.

Besides; there are 1000s of rules. When I GMed at PFS, I was happy to have things explained to and corrected for me.

It's only embarrassing for the GM if he makes it embarrassing for himself.

As someone who has no idea how to optimize, I honestly hope that if people in my local group find my PFS character to be a liability, they will tell me.

So, communication. I think that that's the first step.

Some people don't know that their characters are underpowered, and depending on their experience with Pathfinder, might think that the level of difficulty they are experiencing is normal.

Try just talking to them, discussing their characters and how to improve them. Maybe even try offering to look over their character sheets and give advice. It may seem unsolicited to you, but many people appreciate new ideas.

I mean, I personally feel awkward asking others to look over my characters, but the few times that people have offered to do so (without being asked) were very helpful.
(I mean, without them, I still wouldn't know what feat progression to use on my rogue.)

Giving friendly advice is always a good idea.

When it comes to PFS, can I be honest?

I go by guides, and make sure that I have a character that's powerful and sturdy. If that's making a soldier, than so be it. I'd rather have a soldier that lives past third level than a character that dies during scenario #2.

Besides, the personality of the character, and their appearance or quirks, can go far beyond a cookie-cutter build. You don't need to give a character 58 disadvantages just to have a unique character.

Seriously. I have a standard switch-hitting ranger, built straight out of a guide, and I'm not seeing how that's a bad thing. I enjoy playing her.

Competent characters are more fun, IMHO.

You know, it figures.

Three new race options, and they're all ugly as Heck.

I'm sorry, but this is a step backwards in addressing the "Pathfinders are a menagerie of freaks" issue. I'm pretty sure that any civilian in Absalom would call the guards and grab their pitchfork if they saw even one of these races. Now, within the year, there are going to be whole parties of them wandering around.

I'm sorry. I know that removing Aasimar and Teifling from the list of legal-without-boons races was important, and a change that many people wanted. I'm not complaining about that.

My complaint is about what those races were replaced with.

When your party's a mix of 4 rogues and 2 bards, and all are either Aasimars or Tieflings. Especially when no-one has a BAB over 0, or an AC over 16.

The one that raises eyebrows is my Aasimar rogue.

Mainly because she's walking around radiating holy light, swearing in Celestial, and prefers crossbow sniping to stealing.

I "want" to be treated as a woman, a gender that is fundamentally different from a man, and if that means that I'm seen as inferior, than that's a side-effect I'm willing to risk.

Too often on the internet, and even IRL, gender equality becomes a bland desire for uniformity.

---

And @nosig, thank you. Sarcastic or not, your comment makes me happy.

... well, reading through these last few posts, I think I know why I'm so comfortable being a girl in PFS.

I'm comfortable because I neither expect nor want equal treatment, not just regarding gender, but also regarding age. I'm younger, I'm female, and so long as no-one actually spits in my face, I'm staying no matter how many people talk over me.

NB that a good solution when people talk over you is to just to raise your voice and repeat yourself. (Though other times, being a doormat can be advantageous.)

This is quickly turning into a feminism thing, and I'm essentially opposed to feminism, so I'm just going to sit the rest of this out.

... and half of the players are using 7th level pregens in a subtier 8-9 adventure.

Hi, just wanted to chime in a girl's two cp.

I don't know what kind of groups that you play in, but really, I've had a pretty optimal experience in the three PFS meeting groups that I attend weekly.

What makes it that way is that they don't treat me differently for being female, but at the same time, they don't try to "empower" me by assuming that I never need help or advice.

Sorry, but I personally don't mind a hand with character creation or just plain combat strategy; I say this having only three months Pathfinder experience, but having played D&D 3.5 since age eleven.

Hygiene might be some issue for some groups, and I'll admit that we've had a few whiffy players, but to me it's not a be all and end all; suffering from a bit of anxiety myself, I understand that some people just don't know how to prepare for social situations when they usually aren't in them.

Anyway, I think that girls are more likely to be interested in playing if they have a gaming background or a love of fantasy in general; some girls just can't be recruited, because they don't have the set of interests to enjoy the game.

---

PS on the flirting issue; I don't have any firsthand with it, and am not sure how prevalent it really is. After all, I'm a lot younger than the guys in my local groups, as well as being kinda hideous.

Hi all,

I just wanted to post an apology and a retraction of my earlier offer.

I did not know that the sale of boons was frowned upon, and I'm sorry to have attempted to do so. (Had late-night character inspiration for a Ratfolk wizard, and got a bit over-excited).

Again, sorry. I'll try to see what I can do about balancing cons with my anxiety, and come back some time when I've got actual boons to trade.

*flees*

Hi all, I'm new to boons, don't actually have any, and not completely sure on how all this works.

Still, here's my offer:

HAVE:
$40 that I can instantly transfer to your PayPal account.

WANT:
Ratfolk race boon.

Please PM if interested. Also, let me know if that's not enough money - I'm not at all sure how much these are worth. (I just REALLY want to run a Ratfolk wizard.)

Hi,

If you're still looking, I designed two races a while back that you may be interested in.

Note that these races are very region-specific. The first is a cold-climate race, the second is an aquatic race. So, if you're looking for something a bit more "universal", please disregard the following.

Also note that their appearances are... Unique and distinctive to say the least.

Leavians (Chaotic Humanoids):
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2prxd?More-New-Races-Critique-Wanted#14

Vodni (Aquatic Humanoids):
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2pr4t?Custom-Race-Critique-Wanted#1

The fluff for them is within the threads, but I've pointed to the posts with the Racial Traits. Of course, all the fluff can be easily disregarded if it doesn't fit your setting.

Sorry for the lack of hyperlinks - I'm typing from my phone.

Hope I could help a bit.

Hi all,

Sorry it too me so long to get back to you all!

I've been in and out of the endocrinology clinic all week, and this stuff was temporarily on the back burner.

So, addressing the issues.

^^^ and ^^: I appreciate both of you providing input on the appropriate type and subtype for this race.
I've decided to go with the following for now:

Sena - Medium Fey (Elf)

I'm not sure if this is quite right, though. Does anyone have any other ideas?

---

^: Hey Don, thank you for more helpful feedback!

I actually chose the stat bonuses and penalties before I wrote the description. Thank you though, for pointing out the inconsistencies between what I wrote and what I intended.

(English is my second language, so I don't always get the words quite right.)

Anyway, here is the updated basic description - I've bolded my changes for your consideration.

The Sena are a race of dream-born creatures, not quite of the material plane as they brush the fringes of ethereality. Living through a haze of sleep which grants them abnormal perceptive abilities, they are never truly awake or aware. They drift through life on legs that fade into masses of a not-quite-solid misty substance, a theme echoed across the entireties of their bodies. The Sena could be seen as elven in a certain sense, as their race was created by a wish made of a djiini by an ancient elven magus. The average Sen is considerably detached from reality, and as such may not always relate to beings not of its own kind. They tend towards tranquil and relaxed attitudes, which may appear to border on apathetic. Taking the grace of an elf to the extreme of physical fragility, they are the realization of one ancient’s perfect ideal – an ideal which often seems too deep in slumber and stupor to be truly alive.

I fixed up the strength of the statements about their typical personality traits, and fixed my vocabulary mix-up between the words "frailty" and "fragility" - I think the latter is closer to the word that I want.

I'd love to know what you think of these changes, and if you have any further suggestions.

---

In general, I'm still looking for balance feedback on the Sena, and any advice on changes is most welcome.

I'm going to post up the full flavor text for them soon, so you can look out for that.

Thank you all for your help.

Cheers,
Dreamer

*sigh*

I guess I'm the only one who stats all my NPCs by hand, then?
(yes, all)

I've never really bothered looking at the standard array for NPCs, since I've always done them from scratch like I would a player character.
(My rule of thumb is to use a point buy system one step lower than that which your players used for their characters).

At any rate, I guess the numbers y'all are debating are grounded in realism as compared to the numbers used for PC stats.

Still, I prefer my NPCs to have a good standing relative to the heroes - nothing too weak.
Sometimes I even go in the other direction - It's always a reason to smile when the players realize that the barman whose tavern they have burnt down is actually an Ancient Brass Dragon using alter self. (That or a level 25 Fighter/Ranger build).

Honestly though, I think it should be each to his or her own when it comes to NPC statting.

/tangent.

Back on topic, everyone should use what they feel to be the correct ability score array for their campaign, and what they consider to be fair.
If you feel that the scores as set are too low or too high to be realistic, alter them the other way.
And of course, if you get bored, you can always just try making all of your NPCs either 1hp mooks, or epic-level retired heroes.

I kid, I kid.
Well, sorry to be a pain - this is just my two cents.

Cheers,
Dreamer

Hi all!

NEW RACE, FRONT AND CENTER!

Now that I've got your attention, I've done a fairly good draft of a new race, and I'd love some criticism on the traits I've derived.

Bear in mind that I've chosen the traits and score bonuses to fit the flavor of the race, more so than optimizing it for a particular class.

It's another for Ella's semi-serious, lighthearted and heavily magical campaign world.

These are the Sena (singular Sen).

Sena – Medium Humanoids (Sen)

The Sena are a race of dream-born creatures, not quite of the material plane as they brush the fringes of ethereality. Living through a haze of sleep which grants them abnormal perceptive abilities, they are never truly awake or aware. They drift through life on legs that fade into masses of a not-quite-solid misty substance, a theme echoed across the entireties of their bodies. The Sena could be seen as elven in a certain sense, as their race was created by a wish made of a djiini by an ancient elven magus. The average Sen is considerably detached from reality, and as such has difficulty relating to beings not of its own kind. They tend towards tranquil and relaxed attitudes, which often border on apathetic. Taking the grace of an elf to the extreme of physical frailty, they are the realization of one ancient’s perfect ideal – an ideal which often seems too deep in slumber and stupor to be truly alive.

Sen Racial Traits –
Sena are defined by their class levels – they do not possess racial Hit Dice. All Sena possess the following racial traits.
+2 Intelligence, +2 Dexterity, -4 Strength: Sena possesses great knowledge gleaned from their vivid dreams, and their swaying movements have an unnatural delicacy – however, their graceful forms are achingly feeble.
Humanoid: Sena are humanoids with the Sen subtype.
Elven Blood: Sena count as elves for any effects related to race.
Medium: Sena are Medium creatures, and receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: A Sen has a base speed of 30 feet.
Change Shape, Lesser: A Sen can assume the appearance of a single form of a single humanoid race of its size. The form is static, and cannot be changed each time it takes this form. The Sen gains a +6 racial Disguise bonus to appear as a member of the race whose appearance it assumes. Changing its shape is a standard action. The trait otherwise functions as the alter self spell, save that the Sen does not adjust its ability scores. The appearance and race of this form is chosen at character creation.
Wispy Forms: The light, partially ethereal forms of the Sena provide a +4 racial bonus on Fly checks, though they do not possess a natural Fly speed.
Feet of Mist: A Sen leaves no trail in natural surroundings, and cannot be tracked – however, a Sen may choose to leave a trail if so desired. This functions as a druid’s Trackless Step ability.
Dreamspeaker: Sena gain a +1 bonus to the save DC of spells that they cast from the divination school, as well as spells that produce sleep effects. In addition, Sena with a Charisma score of 15 or higher may use dream once per day as a spell-like ability (the caster level of this effect is equal to the user’s character level).
Spell-Like Ability: A Sen can use the spell sleep once per day as a spell-like ability; however, the total HD of creatures affected by the spell is equal to the user’s character level. Otherwise, it functions as printed in the Core Rulebook. The caster level of this ability is also equal to the user’s character level.
Low-Light Vision: Sena can see twice as far as race with normal vision in conditions of dim light.
Languages: Sena begin play speaking Common and Elven. Sena with high intelligence scores can choose from the following: Auran, Celestial, Dwarven, Gnome, Halfling, Orc and Sylvan.

Alternate Racial Traits –
Mist Child: Whenever a Sen has concealment or partial concealment, the miss chance of attacks against him or her increases by 5%. This ability replaces the Sen’s spell-like ability.
Illusion Resistance: Sena gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against illusion spells and effects. This ability replaces a Sen’s spell-like ability.

---

And that about covers it.
Sorry it's so long.

Anyway, I'd love any feedback that you have to give, particularly about balance.

Thanks for taking a look!
Dreamer

^ Yay! More feedback!

Seriously, thank you for your continued help.

I've incorporated the brawling concept, going with the competence bonus since the race already has one bonus feat (Endurance).
I also adored the naming convention concept, so I've added a bit to my flavor text descriptions making note of it.

So, here are the updated traits:

Leavian Racial Traits –
Leavians are defined by their class levels – they do not possess racial Hit Dice. All Leavians possess the following racial traits.
+2 Constitution, +2 Strength, -2 Wisdom: Leavians are hardy and healthy, and possess considerable strength, but are lacking in the common sense that would otherwise dissuade them from their rough games.
Humanoid: Leavians are humanoids with the Chaotic subtype.
Medium: Leavians are Medium creatures, and receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Leavians have a base speed of 30 feet.
Chaotic Nature: Any effect that depends on alignment affects a Leavian as if it has a chaotic alignment, regardless of its actual alignment. A Leavian also suffers effects according to its actual alignment. Leavians overcome damage reduction as if any weapons that they wield are chaotically aligned.
Fearless: A Leavian gains a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws against fear effects.
Frigid Blood: Leavians have cold resistance 5. They also do not need to make Fortitude saves against harm from being in cold environments (as if under a constant nonmagical Endure Elements spell, though hot environments still cause harm as normal).
Terrain Stride (Cold): Leavians can move through natural difficult terrain at their normal speed while within cold terrain (including ice, glaciers, snow and tundra). Magically altered terrain affects them normally.
Brawler: A Leavian receives Endurance as a bonus feat at first level. Leavians also gain a +1 competence bonus on grapple checks and checks made to break a grapple.
Languages: Leavians begin play speaking Common and Giant. Leavians with high intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aquan, Draconic, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Terran.

Alternate Racial Trait –
Relentless: A Leavian gains a +2 bonus on combat maneuver checks made to bull rush or overrun an opponent. This bonus only applies while both the Leavian and its opponent are standing on the ground. This trait replaces the Fearless racial trait.

... and names.

Names: There is a unique naming convention which has been adopted by the Leavians – nearly all names end in either -y or -er sounds. The former ending is more predominant in female names, and the latter more so in male names. Some males, however, are named after historically great players from games of centuries past. Such names include Gretsky, Richarde, Pheneuf, Kessel and Rimer.

---

Done and done.

Don, I just wanted to thank you again for all of your advice. As a newbie to all of this, I really appreciate it.

I'll post a link to the concept sketches that I've drawn when I get the chance.

Cheers,
Dreamer

^^ Oops. They do not have a natural weapon - I must have left that bit in by accident from an earlier draft of the race. Thanks for pointing that out so that I can get it fixed up!

^ I'm glad that you can see the connection between the race and the base inspiration. I tried my best to convey it without being overly blatant.
Thank you for your feedback on the vocal tic - this is exactly how I imagined it being used in their speech (that and them just being incredibly apologetic in general).
Again, I appreciate your feedback.

At any rate, I finally got back from a string of appointments, and thought I'd post all of the fluff and flavor text that I've written for the Leavians.

Here goes:

Appearance: The Leavians are tall and muscular humanoids, sturdy without being truly stocky. Their skin tones range from pure white to ice blue, mimicking the frigid shades that paint their frigid landscape. Adults have vivid, deep blue markings, bold and simple designs, as permanent fixtures on their skin. These markings are decided at birth, growing brighter and more vivid with each passing year until they are fully realized at the conclusion of puberty. Their ears are hung low on the head, as flaps that connect from the sides of the head to the rear; their eyes are broad and trusting, usually in some shade of green. Leavians are usually somewhat unremarkable in proportions, most being neither particularly tall nor short, and neither thin nor heavy.

Adaptations: Leavians have adapted to their environment primarily through the paleness of their skin – said skin is thick and leathery, granting both camouflage from predators and protection from the cold. The strength and size of their bodies is the result of centuries of rough survival, and is now sustained by the lifelong passion for their physically intensive game. Their markings appear to be largely purposeless, having once been used by the primitive incarnation of their race as a mating display. The shape and position of their ears is precisely adapted, designed to prevent the accumulation of snow and the bite of the wind from damaging the sensitive inner membrane.

Society: The Leavians live in cities composed largely of cut and carved ice, built into and above the glaciers. They are a civilized race, with a rich oral and cultural history, and yet they tend to focus more so on living for the sheer enjoyment of life. They are governed by an elected leader, whose decisions are all subject to the approval of an elected council as well as an unelected committee of elders (though the council members are usually chosen by the people for their prowess at game organization and strategy). The men of Leavian society appear at first glance to outnumber the women, but this is not so – most Leavian women are deeply maternal and considerably more reserved, and thus spend the majority of their time raising children and maintaining the stability of their communities. The women who do choose to play on the glaciers, however, are granted equal opportunity and a fair measure of respect.

Relations: Welcome and acceptance are the defining traits of the interactions of the Leavians with others; they welcome other races with open arms, accepting them with easy hospitality and camaraderie. Others may view them as strange, seeing their games as barbaric, but nearly all can agree that their open and welcoming attitudes are unparalleled. As mentioned, their apologetic tic causes others great amusement, and the rare few, usually females, who have this tic to a greater extent - casually belittling themselves at every opportunity – are seen in turn as amusing and pathetic.
Humans, Half-Elves, and Halflings who adventure afar often come into contact with the Leavians in the north, and get along quite well. Gnomes and Dwarves are occasionally in contact as well, and see them as too organized and too chaotic respectively. Half Orcs rarely see Leavians, but neither side is intimidated by the other. Only Elves have any real dislike of the Leavians, seeing them as northern barbarians who do not revere nature so much as they use it as a source of entertainment.

Alignment and Religion: Innately chaotic at heart, enjoying a good rough-and-tumble game, Leavians are rarely truly violent or hateful. Tending towards good alignments due to their love of helping and supporting their peers, they value community and togetherness. Some individuals, particularly the scholarly and intellectual types, are perhaps more neutral, but they too are cheerfully accepted. Those who choose to worship deities tend towards Erastil, Gozreh, and to a lesser extent Gorum – deities that value nature, strength and community. However, most choose not to worship any god at all, thanking one-another for their good fortune rather than some faceless and detached deity.

History: They evolved, they settled, and now they live out their lives with determination and the spirit of good-natured competition; they don’t recall many of the particulars of their history, nor do they keep extensive records of it, as the present is what matters the most. However, they do keep exhaustive and detailed records of the outcomes of their games, which are consulted regularly and frequently updated.

Adventurers: Leavians may leave on adventures in the years preceding their adulthood, eager to prove themselves. Others may simply be driven to see the world out of curiosity, adventuring in later life. It is primarily males who choose this lifestyle, though bolder females may also derive some pleasure from it. Best suited to adventuring within their native frigid terrain, some tend towards the path of martial combatants; others show a great affinity for their home environments and for nature in general, becoming Druids or Rangers; however, the gentler among them may tend towards supporting roles, studying magic to air their partners in combat. It should be noted that Leavians, as innately chaotic beings, lack the discipline to pursue the path of the Paladin or the Monk. They also tend to be none too stealthy, their honesty and boisterousness deterring them from the path of the Rogue.

Favored Classes:
Barbarian: Add +1 to the barbarian’s total number of rage rounds per day.
Druid: Add +1/3 to the druid’s natural armor bonus when using wild shape.
Fighter: Add +1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting a bull rush or trip.
Ranger: Add +1 hit point to the ranger’s animal companion. If the ranger ever replaces his animal companion, the new companion gains this bonus hit point.
Sorcerer: Add + 1/2 to the enhancement bonus granted by the wizard’s transmutation spells.
Witch: Add +1/4 to the damage cured by the witch’s conjuration (healing) spells and healing hexes.

And done.

So, any further advice or input is most welcome.

Thanks,
Dreamer

^ Actually... it's hockey players.

They're actually named after my favorite team, the Leafs.

(What can I say? Ella asked for an arctic race, I've been watching too much playoff hockey, and this ended up happening.)

Ah well... *hands out cookies anyway*.

Dreamer

^^ No, but you're close. Think Canada, eh?

^ Ah, I didn't realize until right now about the paladin and monk thing... oops. I'm going to have to see what I can do about re-jigging things to accommodate that.

In terms of power, I'm trying for bonuses and penalties that reflect the characteristics of the race, as opposed to being optimized towards one particular class.

Thank you both for your feedback!

It's still a work in progress.

Dreamer

Hi,

I'm back again with another new race, and thought I'd just make this my 'standing' thread, where I post new ones as I make them (rather than having a new thread for each).

These are still for Ella's campaign world, hence why they're so specialized - she wants them to fill ecological and/or societal niches.

So, this is the latest:

Leavians – Chaotic Humanoids

Dwelling in the far north, the Leavians live as a united, close-knit nation. A fiercely competitive and yet amicable race, they are not prone to warlike tendencies. They have a great fondness for playing cheerfully fast-paced and often rough games on the slick glaciers that surround them, raising their young to appreciate this pastime. Despite these games, they are a decidedly polite people – they are the sort who will playfully shove one of their own into a snowbank, then help that individual up, apologize guiltily and proceed to share an amicable chat. Many Leavians have a verbal tic which causes them to apologize excessively – this litany of “sorry” is often considered amusing by non-Leavians. A rare few, usually females, have this tic to a greater extent, casually belittling themselves at every opportunity. Nearly all Leavians have well-developed senses of humor, laugh easily, and are quick to forgive – sarcasm is uncommon.

Leavian Racial Traits –
Leavians are defined by their class levels – they do not possess racial Hit Dice. All Leavians possess the following racial traits.
+2 Constitution, +2 Strength, -2 Wisdom: Leavians are hardy and healthy, and possess considerable strength, but are lacking in the common sense that would otherwise dissuade them from their rough games.
Humanoid: Leavians are humanoids with the Chaotic subtype.
Medium: Leavians are Medium creatures, and receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Leavians have a base speed of 30 feet.
Chaotic Nature: Any effect that depends on alignment affects a Leavian as if it has a chaotic alignment, regardless of its actual alignment. A Leavian also suffers effects according to its actual alignment. Leavians overcome damage reduction as if their natural weapons and any weapons that they wield are chaotically aligned.
Fearless: A Leavian gains a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws against fear effects.
Frigid Blood: Leavians have cold resistance 5. They also do not need to make Fortitude saves against harm from being in cold environments (as if under a constant nonmagical Endure Elements spell, though hot environments still cause harm as normal).
Terrain Stride (Cold): Leavians can move through natural difficult terrain at their normal speed while within Cold terrain (including ice, glaciers, snow and tundra). Magically altered terrain affects them normally.
Static Bonus Feat: A Leavian receives Endurance as a bonus feat at first level.
Languages: Leavians begin play speaking Common and Giant. Leavians with high intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aquan, Draconic, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Terran.

Alternate Racial Trait –
Relentless: A Leavian gains a +2 bonus on combat maneuver checks made to bull rush or overrun an opponent. This bonus only applies while both the Leavian and its opponent are standing on the ground. This trait replaces the Fearless racial trait.

---

So, I'm essentially looking for any kind of critique or feedback. Particularly about balance, though.

I'll post the flavor text for them some time later on.

Cheers,
Dreamer

PS: I have a cookie for anyone who can guess what these are based on!

Thank you very much. I'm really trying my best, and am glad that my effort seems to be paying off.

Thanks again!

Ah, thanks for clearing that up!

Yes, that's actually much better now. I'm going to be modifying that in my notes.

I appreciate your honesty, and I feel that this is much more in-keeping with the flavor I was going for.

Thanks,
Dreamer