Timothy Harper 18's page

So I'm trying to Pathfinderize some races I made up for a D20 setting (Marth Ice World), but I'm also trying to make sure that they are "balanced" with about the same power level as the races in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook.

Here are the original races I came up with for an Ice World:
http://marth.bravehost.com/race.html

Here is the main website:
http://marth.bravehost.com

And here are some YouTube videos I've made on the setting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0q9sPhX67A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE-guiN6nDg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st7j6g2Lo0o

When I originally made the races, I wasn't as concerned as making them balanced as I am now.

I found a thread on this forum talking about Pathfinder race building, and it's very good. It could be fleshed out a little more, but it is enough to get you started. Thanks VoodooMike! :)

These are the revised versions of my Pathfinder races. They have a few more negatives to balance out the positive things in each race. I tried to make them all worth 10 points, but I'm sure there are a few things I under or over priced. They are made for an ice world, so they might not work out all that well in other settings, but feel free to swipe them, and put a new layer of paint on them to make them yours. :)

Here they be!

Dark Dwarf
Stats: +2 Con, +2 Str, -2 Int, -2 Wis
* Stats: Two physical stats with a +2 Bonus (4 points)
* Stats: Extra -2 Stat (-2 points)
* Darkvision 120 Feet (3 points)
* Defensive Training (1 point)
* Greed (0 points)
* Hardy II: +2 Save vs Disease, Fear, & Poison (2 points)
* Hatred (1 point)
* Slow & Steady (-2 points)
* Stability (2 points)
* Stonecunning (2 points)
* Vulnerability to Electricity (-2 points)
* Weapon Familiarity (1 point)
[10 points total]

Fire Dwarf
+2 Cha, +2 Con, -2 Wis
* Darkvision 30 Feet (1 point)
* Fire Hands: +1D4 Fire Damage to all unarmed combat & melee attacks with metal weapons. This can also be used with wooden weapons, but the weapon will burn at a rate determined by the GM. (6 points)
* Greed (0 points)
* Hardy (3 points)
* Hatred: Cold & Water Creatures (1 point)
* Slow & Steady (-2 points)
* Weapon Familiarity (1 point)
[10 points total]

Gray Dwarf
Stats: +2 Con, -2 Cha
* Stats: Negate one of the racial stat bonuses (-2 points)
* Darkvision 60 feet (2 points)
* Greed (0 points)
* Passwall: Can cast the spell Passwall 2 times per day (10 points)
* Stonecunning (2 points)
* Vulnerability to Sonic (-2 points)
[10 points]

Ice Dwarf
Stats: +2 Con, +2 Dex, -2 Cha, -2 Int
* Stats: Two physical stats with +2 bonus (4 points)
* Stats: Extra -2 Stat (-2 points)
* Defensive Training (1 point)
* Dwarven Outcast: -2 Penalty on all social skills when dealing with other races of Dwarves (-2 points)
* Greed (0 points)
* Immune to Cold (8 points)
* Stealthy (same as the feat) (4 points)
* Low-Light Vision (1 point)
* Vulnerability to Fire (-4 points)
[10 points]

Blood Elf
Stats: +2 Dex, +2 Wis, -2 Int
* Damage Reduction 1 vs Cold (4 points)
* Fort Save vs Cold +4 (2 points)
* Icewalker: No movement penalties over ice and snow. (2 points)
* Keen Senses (1 point)
* Low-Light Vision (1 point)
* Social Stigma: -2 Penalty on all social rolls with all other races (except Wolfen) because of their strange blood-only diet. (-2 points)
* Survival skill is considered a class skill (2 points)
[10 points]

Shadow Elf
Stats: +2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Str, -2 Cha
* Stats: Extra -2 Stat (-2 points)
* Damage Reduction 2 vs Cold (6 points)
* Fort Save +6 vs Cold (4 points)
* Fort Save -4 vs Diseases (-4 points)
* Immune to all Poisons (8 points)
* Low-Light Vision (1 point)
* Social Stigma: -2 to all social skills with other races due to their reputations as poisoners and assassins. (-2 points)
* Vulnerability vs Cold Iron (-1 points)
[10 points]

Twilight Elf
Stats: +2 Cha, +2 Int, -2 Str
* Stats: Two mental stats with a +2 (4 points)
* Frail: When rolling for Hit Points at every level, you instead get one less than you rolled. When you start out as a new character, you also have 1 less than normal. (-2 points)
* Improved Arcane Bond: They can bond humanoids as well as familiars, like the Wizard ability. They use this so that they can see through their eyes, because they are blind. (6 points)
* Semi-Blind: They can see through the eyes of bonded familiars and bonded humanoids. (-2 points)
* 1 Metamagic Feat (4 points)
[10 points]

North Gnome
Stats: +2 Con, +2 Dex, -2 Str
* Damage Reduction 2 vs Cold (6 points)
* Defensive Training (1 point)
* Fort Save vs Cold +4 (2 points)
* Hatred: Giants and their kindred get the +1 bonus instead of goblinoids and reptiles. (1 point)
* Keen Senses (1 point)
* Low-Light Vision (1 point)
* Luck 1/Day Re-roll (4 points)
* Slow Movement (-4 points)
* Small (0 points)
* Vulnerability vs Acid (-2 points)
[10 points]

South Gnome
Stats: +2 Dex, -2 Str
* Stats: Negate one of the racial stat bonuses (-2 points)
* Darkvision 30 feet (1 point)
* Fearless (same as Halfling) (1 point)
* Hatred (1 point)
* Illiterate: The south gnomes care not for the written word. (-1 point)
* Keen Senses (1 point)
* Luck 1/Day Re-roll (4 points)
* Obsessive (1 point)
* Reflex Save +2 (4 points)
* Slow Movement (-4 points)
* Small (0 points)
* South Gnomish Luck (same as Halfling Luck) (4 points)
[10 points]

West Gnome
Stats: +2 Cha, +2 Int, -2 Str
* Stats: Two mental stats with a +2 (4 points)
* Darkvision 30 feet (1 point)
* Frail: When rolling for Hit Points at every level, you instead get one less than you rolled. When you start out as a new character, you also have 1 less than normal. (-2 points)
* Gnome Magic (8 points)
* Illusion Resistance (1 point)
* Slow Movement (-4 points)
* Small (0 points)
* Will Save +2 (4 points)
* Vulnerability to Sonic (-2 points)
[10 points]

Wolfen
Stats: +2 Dex, +2 Wis, -2 Cha, -2 Int, -2 Str
* Stats: Penalty to mental stat category that already has a negative (-2 points)
* Stats: New penalty to physical stat category that had no stat penalty (-4 points)
* Damage Reduction 1 vs Cold (4 points)
* Fast Movement: 40 feet (8 points)
* Fear of Large Towns & Cities: Large Towns and Cities smell awful, and Wolfen don't like them. (-1 point)
* Fort Save vs Cold +4 (2 points)
* Illiterate: Wolfen don't understand the need for the written word (-1 point)
* Keen Senses (1 point)
* Low-Light Vision (1 point)
* Scent: Page 304 in the Bestiary (6 points)
* Survival skill as Class skill (2 points)
* Vulnerability vs Fire (-4 points)
* Vulnerability vs Silver (-2 points)
[10 points]

Yetti (I spelled it incorrectly on purpose)
Stats: +4 Str, -2 Dex, -2 Int, -2 Cha
* Stats: Improve +2 Str to +4 Str (10 points)
* Stats: Negate mental bonus (-2 points)
* Stats: Penalty to physical stat category that doesn't have a penalty (-4 points)
* Stats: Penalty to mental stat category that already has a negative (-2 points)
* Stats: Penalty to new mental stat (-1 point)
* Illiterate: Yetti don't understand the need for the written word (-1 point)
* Immune to Cold (8 points)
* Large Size (7 points)
* Slow Movement: 20 feet (-4 points)
* Snow Vision: Immune to Snow Blindness, and can see even in blizzards. (1 point)
* Survival as a Class skill (2 points)
* Vulnerability vs Fire (-4 points)
[10 points]

I debated about eliminating humans, but I figured it would be too much work. So here is my attempt to translate humans to this setting. I'm not a racist, and the following races are not meant to say anything about real world races.

Black Humans
Stats: +2 to any Stat
* Damage Reduction 1 that stacks with all other Damage Reduction. (8 points)
* Skilled (2 points)
[10 points]

Brown Humans
Stats: +2 to any Stat
* Combat Expertise (the feat) (4 points)
* Improved Unarmed Strike (the feat) (4 points)
* Skilled (2 points)
[10 points]

Gray Humans
Stats: +2 to any Stat
* Alertness (the feat) (4 points)
* Animal Affinity (the feat) (4 points)
* Knowledgeable: +2 to Knowledge History and Knowledge Nobility (2 points)
[10 points]

White Humans
Stats: +2 to any Stat
* Damage Reduction vs Cold 1 (4 points)
* Rage Ability (same as Barbarian, and stacks with Barbarian Rage) (6 points)
[10 points]

Any criticisms or thoughts are welcome.

"Dark Dwarf: I'd say Darkvision 120 is 3 points not 4.. I don't know that 120 feet of darkvision is twice as useful to a player as 60 feet of it. Its a bit more useful but won't come into play super-often."

I think that sounds reasonable, since you did make up the GUide, lol. I'll have to add a +1 worth of benefit to them.

"Fire Dwarf: Fire Hands might be more of an 8-point thing, or 1d4 for 6 points."

I like +1D4 of fire damage, swipe! :) Thanks. Having a vulnerability towards cold in a cold setting would get them killed quickly.

"Gray Dwarf: Eek, passwall is a level 5 arcane spell. I'd probably never allow that for a starting ability just because the ability to bypass walls makes life pretty hard on a DM. The reason Daylight was given such a low cost in the Aasimar assessment is that Daylight, despite being a 3rd level spell, has fairly small offensive and game-breaking potential. Fireball 1/day would not be treated the same just because it has the same spell level, and so on."

Yeah, I must admit that was low priced. Maybe I will rate it at a 10, and weaken the rest of the benefits of it. I just wanted a race that had some cool ability to meld into and move through stone (since Dwarves are known for their affinity with that substance). Thanks.

I must really thank you for this guide. It is a nice foundation for worldbuilding races. I've always tried to find balance, and in the back of my unconscious mind they never felt truly balanced. It bugged me. hehe.

Here is the setting, where theses are all from: http://marth.bravehost.com I'm working on trying to Pathfinderize it.

These are for an ice world setting, so that is why several of them have saves bonuses vs cold.

Blood Elf
Stats: +2 Dex, +2 Wis, -2 Int
* Damage Reduction 1 vs Cold (4 points)
* Fort Save vs Cold +4 (2 points)
* Icewalker: No movement penalties over ice and snow. (2 points)
* Keen Senses (1 point)
* Low-Light Vision (1 point)
* Social Stigma: -2 Penalty on all social rolls with all other races (except Wolfen) because of their strange blood-only diet. (-2 points)
* Survival skill is considered a class skill (2 points)
[10 points]

Shadow Elf
Stats: +2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Str, -2 Cha
* Stats: Extra -2 Stat (-2 points)
* Damage Reduction 2 vs Cold (6 points)
* Fort Save +6 vs Cold (4 points)
* Fort Save -4 vs Diseases (-4 points)
* Immune to all Poisons (8 points)
* Low-Light Vision (1 point)
* Social Stigma: -2 to all social skills with other races due to their reputations as poisoners and assassins. (-2 points)
* Vulnerability vs Cold Iron (-1 points)
[10 points]

Twilight Elf
Stats: +2 Cha, +2 Int, -2 Str
* Stats: Two mental stats with a +2 (4 points)
* Frail: When rolling for Hit Points at every level, you instead get one less than you rolled. When you start out as a new character, you also have 1 less than normal. (-2 points)
* Improved Arcane Bond: They can bond humanoids as well as familiars, like the Wizard ability. They use this so that they can see through their eyes, because they are blind. If they become a Wizard, they gain Arcane Bond again as per the Wizard class.(6 points)
* Semi-Blind: They can only see through the eyes of bonded familiars and bonded humanoids. If their bonded familiar or humanoid dies they are blind. (-2 points)
* 1 Metamagic Feat (4 points)
[10 points]

He had a link in one of his posts.

This is what I've made with your guideline. I'm just going to list what each sub-race has. They are all different from the Pathfinder Core Dwarf. Did I do this correctly?

Dark Dwarf
Stats: +2 Con, +2 Str, -2 Int, -2 Wis
* Stats: Two physical stats with a +2 Bonus (4 points)
* Stats: Extra -2 Stat (-2 points)
* Darkvision 120 Feet (4 points)
* Defensive Training (1 point)
* Greed (0 points)
* Hardy II: +2 Save vs Disease, Fear, & Poison (2 points)
* Slow & Steady (-2 points)
* Stability (2 points)
* Stonecunning (2 points)
* Vulnerability to Electricity (-2 points)
* Weapon Familiarity (1 point)
[10 points total]

Fire Dwarf
+2 Cha, +2 Con, -2 Wis
* Darkvision 30 Feet (1 point)
* Fire Hands: +1D6 Fire Damage to all unarmed combat & melee attacks with metal weapons. This can also be used with wooden weapons, but the weapon will burn at a rate determined by the GM. (6 points)
* Greed (0 points)
* Hardy (3 points)
* Hatred: Cold & Water Creatures (1 point)
* Slow & Steady (-2 points)
* Weapon Familiarity (1 point)
[10 points total]

Gray Dwarf
Stats: +2 Con, +2 Int, -2 Cha
* Darkvision 90 feet (3 points)
* Greed (0 points)
* Keen Senses (1 point)
* Passwall: Can cast the spell Passwall 2 times per day (6 points)
* Stonecunning (2 points)
* Vulnerability to Sonic (-2 points)
[10 points]

Ice Dwarf
Stats: +2 Con, +2 Dex, -2 Cha, -2 Int
* Stats: Two physical stats with +2 bonus (4 points)
* Stats: Extra -2 Stat (-2 points)
* Defensive Training (1 point)
* Dwarven Outcast: -2 Penalty on all social skills when dealing with other races of Dwarves (-2 points)
* Greed (0 points)
* Immune to Cold (8 points)
* Stealthy (same as the feat) (4 points)
* Low-Light Vision (1 point)
* Vulnerability to Fire (-4 points)
[10 points]

That was fun. :)

Thanks for this guideline. :)