I really like the thri-kreen from 3.5, but I don't like psionics. I also wanted to get rid of the racial hit dice and other things that would raise it above other PC races, but just enough so that it would still maintain its flavor. This is what I came up with... (Changed the name, too, just cause. Points for recognizing the reference.)
+2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, –4 Charisma: Cho'gar are strong and quick, but they are thin and think differently from most humanoids and have a hard time relating to folk of other races.
• Monstrous Humanoid type, but do not receive darkvision
• Medium: As Medium creatures, cho'gar have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Cho'gar base land speed is 30 feet.
• Multiple Limbs: Cho'gar have four arms, and thus can choose to take the Multiweapon Fighting feat (page 315 of the Bestiary) instead of the Two-Weapon Fighting feat. Only one of these hands is considered their main hand; the other three are all off-hand.
• Natural Attacks: Cho'gar can attack with two claws that deal 1d4 points of damage. A cho'gar can attack with a weapon (or multiple weapons) at its normal attack bonus, and make a claw attack as a secondary attack. For example, a cho'gar fighter with the Multiweapon Fighting feat who is armed with three short swords could attack with all three swords at a –2 penalty (the normal penalty for fighting with multiple weapons while using light weapons in its off hands) and with a claw attack at a -5.
• Leap (Ex): Cho'gar are natural jumpers. They have a +30 racial bonus on acrobatics checks made to jump.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Choga. Bonus Languages: Elven, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, Halfling
I don't think it's perfectly balanced, but I think it's playable, close enough to the aasimar and tiefling. The mult. limbs and natural attacks were toned down a bit, and I figure most players would focus on one or the other. The jumping is a big deal for me, and I can't think of a way to abuse it outright. Looking for opinions on it.
Please control the knee-jerk reactions to the +30 and weigh it against more than OMGWTFBIGNUMBER. Jump rules are here.
+2 Strength, +4 Dexterity, –2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, –4
Charisma: Thri-kreen are strong and quick, but they think
differently from most humanoids and have a hard time
relating to folk of other races.
• Monstrous Humanoid: Thri-kreen are not subject to spells
or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person
or dominate person.
• Medium: As Medium creatures, thri-kreen have no special
bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Thri-kreen base land speed is 40 feet.
• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Immunity to magic sleep effects.
• +3 Natural Armor: A thri-kreen’s exoskeleton is tough and
resistant to blows.
• Multiple Limbs: Thri-kreen have four arms, and thus can
take the Multiweapon Fighting feat (page 304 of the Monster
Manual) instead of the Two-Weapon Fighting feat. Thri-kreen
can also take the Multiattack feat. (These are not bonus feats.)
• Natural Attacks: Thri-kreen can attack with four claws and
a bite. The claws deal 1d4 points of damage, and the bite is
a secondary attack that also deals 1d4 points of damage. A
thri-kreen can attack with a weapon (or multiple weapons)
at its normal attack bonus, and make either a bite or claw
attack as a secondary attack. For example, a thri-kreen
ranger with the Multiweapon Fighting feat who is armed
with three short swords could attack with all three swords
at a –2 penalty (the normal penalty for fi ghting with multiple
weapons while using light weapons in its off hands)
and also make a bite attack at a –5 penalty.
• Poison (Ex): Bite, initial damage 1d6 Dex, secondary damage
paralysis, DC 11 + Con modifi er. A thri-kreen produces
suffi cient poison for only one poisonous bite per day.
• Leap (Ex): Thri-kreen are natural jumpers. They have a +30
racial bonus on Jump checks.
• Weapon Familiarity: Thri-kreen can treat gythkas and
chatkchas (see the sidebar) as martial weapons rather than
exotic weapons.
• Naturally Psionic: Thri-kreen gain 1 bonus power point
at 1st level. This benefi t does not grant them the ability
to manifest powers unless they gain that ability through
another source, such as levels in a psionic class.
• Psi-Like Abilities: 3/day—chameleon, know direction; 1/day—
psionic displacement, metaphysical claw. Manifester level is
equal to 1/2 Hit Dice (minimum 1st). The save DCs are
Charisma-based.
• Racial Hit Dice: A thri-kreen character begins with two
levels of monstrous humanoid, which provide 2d8 Hit
Dice, a base attack bonus of +2, and base saving throw
bonuses of Fort +0, Ref +3, and Will +3.
• Racial Skills: A thri-kreen’s monstrous humanoid levels
give him skill points equal to 5 × (2 + Int modifi er). His class
skills are Balance, Climb, Hide, Jump, Listen, and Spot.
• Thri-kreen have a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks in sandy
or arid settings.
• Racial Feats: A thri-kreen character has Defl ect Arrows as
a bonus feat. In addition, his monstrous humanoid levels
give him one feat.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Thri-Kreen. Bonus Languages:
Elven, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, Halfl ing.
• Favored Class: Ranger.
• Level Adjustment: +2.
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For what it's worth, I've seen jump-centric barbarians and/or monks cause serious havoc to back-row NPCs. At a certain point it's like being able to fly for most of your movement.
Better than a OMGWTF number, how about "always considered to have a running start" for jump checks?
Also, in my experience, monstrous humanoid just doesn't work as a PC race. I'm sure others will disagree.
Is cho'gar what the orcs in World of Warcraft say?
I always liked the alien look and flavour of the Thri-kreen.
My thoughts on the stats:
Ability Scores: Standard races have +2/+2/-2. I'm not sure the -4 to Charisma is needed to balance the abilities.
Type, Size, Speed: I agree that switching the type to monstrous is not the greatest idea. If there can be Humanoid (gnolls), then there can be Humanoid (cho'ga). The main issue being that spells affect them completely differently (Hold Monster is 5th level, vs the 2nd level Hold Person, and clerics don't get it).
I'd consider letting them have Darkvision, and even 40' base speed, though.
Multiple Limbs, Natural Attacks: The problem here is that this allows two extra weapon attacks per round, a significant advantage over most other PC races. It can also potentially mean two longbows, or longbow + two melee, etc.
To keep this power level closer to normal PC races, I'd combine the two entries. They have four arms, but the two "smaller" arms do not have opposable thumbs, so they can *only* be used as claw attacks. I'd even let them make 4 claw attacks if they wanted. The main thing is that you are limiting the number of weapon attacks you can make to normal PC race standards.
Leap: One thing you can do without resorting to big numbers is to modify the way the jumping rules work for Cho'gar.
"Leap (Ex): Cho'gar are exceptional jumpers. They have a +5 bonus to acrobatics checks when jumping, and are always considered to have a running start. Also, the DC for the height of a jump is not multiplied by four."
Languages: I'd modify these to suit the race as it fits in your game world, instead of just porting directly over the specifics of the Thri-kreen.
And what about the gythka and chatkcha racial proficiency? Well, maybe not the chatkcha, since it's something of a magic item (returning dagger). The double-ended polearm would make a good racial exotic weapon proficiency.
I'd probably go with a double-ended Ranseur for stats (going by the look of the weapon in pictures): 2d4/2d4 x3 P, disarm, brace & reach (when using only one end, decide at beginning of turn)
.
Oh, and regarding the name. I'm betting it has something to do with this guy.
Oh, and regarding the name. I'm betting it has something to do with this guy.
You win! Chow gar kung fu, southern praying mantis style. :D
I didn't change the type to monstrous humanoid, that's what it always was, but I agree that Humanoid (Cho'gar) is better.
I disagree that 4 claw attacks is better at level one than two range attacks or multiple weapons, because four claws are made at full BAB, so there are no penalties, and the damage may be small, but there's little to no DR at those levels - save skeletons, and claws deal S/B damage overcoming that.
Perhaps two hands and two claws, and a racial feat that could be taken to allow the claws to hold weapons with certain prerequisites (Dex 13 maybe)?
I have never seen jumping used to perform pseudo-flight, but I don't play with munchkins. I like Kaisoku's example. I'd probably say the DC is merely doubled for high jumps rather than allowing them to cover the same distance either way. High jumping is harder.
The racial weapons are a moot thing, because the race is going to be isolated, mutated from humans by meteorite radiation. They'll have human-like customs and technology, colored by their new way of life.
One of the reasons I am converting is for an NPC I'm developing. The place where the meteorite crashed centuries ago is being mutated by the radiation and is spawning aberrations and things born of chaos, sort of like something you'd expect to find in a daelkyr's apartment in Eberron. :D The cho'gar would have been a tribal people in the surrounding jungles, and the NPC is a cho'gar ranger, prince and aberration slayer. Now, however, I'm seeing how stacked they are in that direction, and a cho'gar ninja even. Seems to counter race development logic, but it fits so well.