This idea was inspired by multiple sources. The first was this thread, which I both agreed and disagreed with. I've never liked the idea that Dwarven clerics were inherently better (on average) at casting their divine powers than, say, Elven clerics. That idea was always a little jarring to me. However, I like the concept behind racial stat modifiers (one of them, anyway): to add a little more character customization, and I think taking that away would be a shame. While reading a thread where someone wanted to make 36 different races based on all the different [+Physical Stat, +Mental Stat, -Physical/Mental Stat] combinations, one response was to make one of the races based off of a caste system and give them different bonuses according to their societal class.
And thus this idea was born. I wouldn't be surprised if something similar has been done before, but I think it will work pretty well in the game I am planning to run, so I am happy with it. Essentially, players choose a background concept at character creation. They can fluff this in any way they like. Perhaps their mother/father was a certain profession, maybe they were trained this way, maybe they just have a natural affinity for the role, what have you. Any race can choose any background, and as it stands now these backgrounds only give you stat modifiers.
Here is the list I have come up with so far:
Artisan - +Dex, +Int, -Con
Bandit - +Dex, +Cha, -Wis
Captain - +Con, +Cha, -Str
Hunter - +Dex, +Wis, -Int
Merchant - +Dex, +Cha, -Str
Noble - +Dex, +Int, -Wis
Official - +Con, +Int, -Wis
Peasant - +Con, +Wis, -Int
Priest - +Con, +Wis, -Str
Scholar - +Dex, +Int, -Str
Soldier - +Str, +Wis, -Int
Right now the only thing I'm a little wary about is the +Str that the soldier gets, because Pathfinder has seemed to shy away from that in the past (changing the half-orc racial modifiers from the beta). Is +Str a little overpowered? Additionally, I'm debating on having a background that gives a +2 to any stat (like humans). With so many different stat modifier combinations, is such a choice as useful/desirable as it was before? What could I call such a background?
Suggestions? Comments? Criticisms?
Thanks for your help!
|
This idea was inspired by multiple sources. The first was this thread, which I both agreed and disagreed with. I've never liked the idea that Dwarven clerics were inherently better (on average) at casting their divine powers than, say, Elven clerics. That idea was always a little jarring to me. However, I like the concept behind racial stat modifiers (one of them, anyway): to add a little more character customization, and I think taking that away would be a shame. While reading a thread where someone wanted to make 36 different races based on all the different [+Physical Stat, +Mental Stat, -Physical/Mental Stat] combinations, one response was to make one of the races based off of a caste system and give them different bonuses according to their societal class.
And thus this idea was born. I wouldn't be surprised if something similar has been done before, but I think it will work pretty well in the game I am planning to run, so I am happy with it. Essentially, players choose a background concept at character creation. They can fluff this in any way they like. Perhaps their mother/father was a certain profession, maybe they were trained this way, maybe they just have a natural affinity for the role, what have you. Any race can choose any background, and as it stands now these backgrounds only give you stat modifiers.
Here is the list I have come up with so far:
Artisan - +Dex, +Int, -Con
Bandit - +Dex, +Cha, -Wis
Captain - +Con, +Cha, -Str
Hunter - +Dex, +Wis, -Int
Merchant - +Dex, +Cha, -Str
Noble - +Dex, +Int, -Wis
Official - +Con, +Int, -Wis
Peasant - +Con, +Wis, -Int
Priest - +Con, +Wis, -Str
Scholar - +Dex, +Int, -Str
Soldier - +Str, +Wis, -IntRight now the only thing I'm a little wary about is the +Str that the soldier gets, because Pathfinder has seemed to shy away from that in the past (changing the half-orc racial...
Well, how about if you give a +/- set up as a template?
For example: An artisan would have a +Int, -Con and you slap that on the Dwarf template giving the Dwarf a total of +2 Int, +2 Wis, -2 Cha? A human with the Artisan template would have +2 Int, -2 Con, and still have the variable +2 to a statistic. However, it should not stack. The +2 would still have to be something other than Int (which he already has the +2.)
I have been thinking about this for a while, ever since getting the Relics and Rituals: Olympus.
My initial reaction is to be a little wary of combinations like a Dwarven Soldier, with a +2 Str, +2 Con, +2 Wis, -2 Int, -2 Cha, though maybe that's more a problem with giving the +2 Str as a soldier.
I think you could make it work, and I think it could be really interesting, but it seems like a little more work than I'd like to do in order to make sure everything is balanced.
I had not heard of Relics and Rituals before you mentioned it. Does it have different options for stat modifiers?
It is a nice add on! so work with it.
Strength is not overpowered! Look at the half elf, human and half orc. They can choose a stat!
Succes with it.