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I'm wondering if the "Powerful Build" ability is ever acceptable from a +0 level adjustment race.
Specifically, I'm referring to the "Half-Giant", from Dreamscarred Press's "Psionics Unleashed", which I've quoted below.
Half-giant Racial Traits
+2 Wisdom, +2 Strength, –2 Dexterity: Half-giants are tough and intuitive, but not too nimble.
Giant Blood: Half-giants count as both human and humanoid (giant) for any effect related to race.
Medium: Half-giants are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Half-giants have a base speed of 30 feet.
Low-Light Vision: Half-giants can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
Fire Acclimated: Half-giants receive a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against all fire spells and effects.
Powerful Build: The physical stature of half-giants lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger.
Whenever a half-giant is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the half-giant is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him.
A half-giant is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as grab or swallow whole) can affect him.
A half-giant can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size.
The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size category.
Naturally Psionic: Half-giants receive Wild Talent as a bonus feat at 1st level. If a half-giant takes levels in a psionic class, he instead gains the Psionic Talent feat.
Half-giant Psionics: Half-giants gain the following spell-like ability: 1/day—stomp. The manifester level for this effect is equal to 1/2 the half-giant’s level (minimum 1st). The DC for this power is equal to 10 + the power’s level + the half-giant’s Charisma modifier.
Psionic Aptitude: When a half-giant takes a level in a favored class, he can choose to gain an additional power point instead of a hit point or skill point.
Survivor: Half-giants gain a +4 racial bonus to Survival checks.
Languages: Half-giants begin play speaking Common. Half-giants with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Draconic, Giant, Gnoll, and Ignan.
I'm familiar with the Race Building Guide on these forums, and I agree with most of its points. Here's how I see the Half-Giant race breaking down:
Ability Scores - standard, zero points. They lost the +2 con they had in the XPH, which helps here, and the -2 dex is a solid penalty, much more reasonable than the -2 int or -2 cha I'd expect to see in a home-brew race.
Giant Blood - 1 point. Like Half-Orcs and Half-Elves, here.
Medium Size - 0.
Speed 30 feet - 0.
Low-Light Vision - 1 point.
Fire-Acclimated - 2 points. Decent defense against a fairly common type of attack.
Powerful Build - Skipping This for now.
Naturally Psionic - 1 point. Yes, it's a "bonus feat", but it gives 1 power point (wild talent) or 2 power points (psionic talent). It's the racial equivalent of "you can cast a 0th level spell once per day; if you enter into a class that has this spell on its list of spells know, you may cast it at will". Honestly, I feel bad even charging one point for this.
Half-Giant Psionics - 1 point. First level spell, usable once per day. I looked up the spell, and it's basically an instant-duration Grease in a 15 foot cone, limited to area effect only. I could see a Warrior-type using this consistently through the levels, so I'm comfortable charging for it, but it's not a huge benefit.
Psionic Aptitude - 0 points. Races don't get charged for alternate favored class options.
Survivor - 2 points, +2 to Survival and +2 to Survival. Not quite the intent, but not worth more than this.
Languages - 0 points. Standard stuff here.
Without Powerful Build, they're at 8/10 points.
But what does Powerful Build - this particular version of it, anyway - get them?
+1 to most/all CMD checks: 1 point, maybe 2.
+1 to CMB most/all of the time: 2 points, maybe 1. Combine this with the previous one, it's a solid 3.
Resistance to Swallow Whole and similar size-based abilities: 1 point.
Ability to use weapons one size category larger: 4 points. It's basically Weapon Specialization; 2d8 averages 2 points higher than 2d6. While Weapon Spec isn't all that good, this applies to all weapons, and stacks with Weapon Spec.
So Powerful Build, all by itself, is worth 8. Which puts Half-Giants at 16 points altogether.
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Thing is, I like the Half-Giant. Besides the whole "size huge Bastard Sword OMG" nonsense they can get up to, the race doesn't seem typecast, which is says a great deal. Two questions:
1) Is the race as presented balanced at +0 level adjustment?
2) Would removing just the "A half-giant can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty" aspect of Powerful Build make them mostly balanced at +0 level adjustment?
I say "mostly" because some of the "NPC monsters" from Bestiary 1 and 2 don't quite match up to 10/10 either, and they are generally still okay; some just need a "trait tax".
1) Is the race as presented balanced at +0 level adjustment?
No.
2) Would removing just the "A half-giant can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty" aspect of Powerful Build make them mostly balanced at +0 level adjustment?
I say "mostly" because some of the "NPC monsters" from Bestiary 1 and 2 don't quite match up to 10/10 either, and they are generally still okay; some just need a "trait tax".
Using a larger weapon isn't the most powerful thing about "Powerful Build". Counting as a large creature changes what combat maneuvers and special abilities will work against you, and what will work against your enemies. I'm not going to say that Powerful Build is super-broken and I would never ever let a player have it, but I would certainly look closely at the character build and judge how much the character would be taking advantage of size.
Don't forget that Powerful Build will put you one first-level spell away from being huge.
1) Is the race as presented balanced at +0 level adjustment?
Wait, by "as presented" I thought you meant the quoted verson. If you meant rewritten version before adding Powerful Build, then yes, without Powerful Build It seems fine. A little weak, if anything.
In general I have no problem with it as a racial ability as long as it is viewed from the proper power level. I generally view Powerful Build on par with the Human Bonus Feat or the Warforged Living Construct. As such, it should take up most of the bonuses of the race to stay at +0 ECL.
The Half Giant, IMO, is far more powerful then other races of ECL. Most of the races in Dreamscarred Presses update seemed like they just updated the races where they had to to bring it into Pathfinder and got rid of the ECL adjustment. They didn't seem to take into account that some of the races would still be overpowered for ECL 0.
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2) Would removing just the "A half-giant can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty" aspect of Powerful Build make them mostly balanced at +0 level adjustment?
I say "mostly" because some of the "NPC monsters" from Bestiary 1 and 2 don't quite match up to 10/10 either, and they are generally still okay; some just need a "trait tax".Using a larger weapon isn't the most powerful thing about "Powerful Build". Counting as a large creature changes what combat maneuvers and special abilities will work against you, and what will work against your enemies.
Don't forget that Powerful Build will put you one first-level spell away from being huge.
I don't understand. Comparing a Half-Giant to a Human (or other strictly medium size creature), it doesn't do that much.
It does allow a Half-Giant to bull-rush, drag, overrun, reposition, and trip size huge creatures, but as you've pointed out, a human just needs a single level one spell to do the same.
I will admit that stacking Enlarge Person and Powerful Build is silly. I'm for changing
The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size categoryto
The benefits of this racial trait do not stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size category
So, third question:
3)Would removing the "A half-giant can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty" and making Powerful Build not stack with effects that increase size bring the Race down to a reasonable +0 level adjustment?