for being humans or half-orcs. I suggest (by shooting wildly from the hip and probably missing the target) that humans get a +2 to a second stat and half-orcs get the scent ability.
Everyone else gets quite a bit with their race packages. Elves and halflings in particular compare very favorably to humans.
I don't think so, the ability to be proficient in any skill that's no related to your class is huge. Suddenly every non-rogue human can sneak around and if you don't want to take Stealth, then Perception is a great choice. There are a ton of fighters out there that'll use this on Acrobatic.
Oh, I agree that it's a cool ability, I just think that it is kind of rinky-dinky compared to all the stuff elfs and halflings get. And that's just humans. Half-orcs are really screwed. That zero hit point thing sounds cool, but he has to be dying to get to use it.
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Oh, I agree that it's a cool ability, I just think that it is kind of rinky-dinky compared to all the stuff elfs and halflings get. And that's just humans. Half-orcs are really screwed. That zero hit point thing sounds cool, but he has to be dying to get to use it.
Rinky-dinky? Really? Take a look at the level curve.
Elven fighter 2 + 1/2 level.
Human fighter 2 + level.
Both are level 5.
Elf +5 (if rounding up)
Human +7
Oh, I agree that it's a cool ability, I just think that it is kind of rinky-dinky compared to all the stuff elfs and halflings get. And that's just humans. Half-orcs are really screwed. That zero hit point thing sounds cool, but he has to be dying to get to use it.Rinky-dinky? Really? Take a look at the level curve.
Elven fighter 2 + 1/2 level.
Human fighter 2 + level.
Both are level 5.
Elf +5 (if rounding up)
Human +7
It's just one skill. I don't see it as a big deal. Compare the one skill and a feat to all the stuff an elf gets and the elf is just clearly better. I know that the character can be developed along lines that minimize the elf traits, but they are worth more than one feat and one class skill. Especially since the hit dice are higher now--the -2 Con penalty is lessened when the hit dice are larger.
Everyone else gets quite a bit with their race packages. Elves and halflings in particular compare very favorably to humans.
The moment I read the race rules I thinked the same ... humans may have an additional skill (i don't remember if its class) but half-elves had a class skill to, and they get an additional weapon proficience ... (say Exotic Weapon)
And the +2 STR stat of the half-orc doesn't justify it having less inmunities/bonus, a +2 DEX stat gives a +1 to CA, to Skills, to Reflex Saves and Ranged Attacks, and elves don't get less inmunities/bonus for this ...
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I believe the Orc fighting past 0 hp is neat, but a little weak still. You could do this same thing more elegantly (and slightly more powerfully) by either
a) Allow the racial trait for the half-orc to allow him to rage 1/day, as a barbarian. That gives him a temporary boost in hit points.
or
b) Give him a bonus feat (the Diehard feat) without having to meet the prerequisites.
I truly think that Humans and Half-orcs are on the *over* powered end of the spectrum. Being able to Choose any stat to put their +2 on makes Humans extremely versatile (vs. Half-Elves they actually *get* the bonus class skill, instead of merely considering it a class skill). Half-orcs, as noted above, get the mighty +2 to Str, with +Wis countering -Int, and no more -Cha.
I do see that the other races picked up some weapon familiarities, etc. Many considered them slightly weaker than Humans before, for the feat difference, and I think this brings them more in line.
About the only thing that really bugs me is a 20 Str Human (or Half-elf) at 1st level.
One suggestion I thought of was this: Instead of humans having a solid +2 bonus, make that bonus two +1's that can, if chosen be stacked, but can also be used in two separate abilities.
I don't like it, since they can use it to get two bonuses without a penalty, by increasing two odd stats.
I prefer them to stick to even numbers.
Rinky-dinky? Really? Take a look at the level curve.
Elven fighter 2 + 1/2 level.
Human fighter 2 + level.
Both are level 5.
Elf +5 (if rounding up)
Human +7
Yes Rinky-Dinky. Let's say you took that bonus skill in Perception, a decent choice right? Well the Elf happens to get a +2 bonus to that same skill. So at level 5, our Elf and our Human are at the same bonus. The Human will gradually pull ahead in that one skill (assuming that the Elf at no time multiclasses into a class with Perception as a class skill), but recall that at first level the Elf was actually better at the bonus skill that the human was supposedly personally and surprisingly good at. And of course, with enough multiclassing under the bridge, the bonus vanishes entirely.
So yes, those bonuses are Rinky-Dinky.
-Frank