My Gm said we were playing a monstrous creature campaign so I asked, "Can I make my own race?" but after thinking of these ideas I couldn't find a race idea I liked. So I decided to make a template I could put over a race. A Soulscarred is a person who has died and resurrected, but the resurrection went wrong so he lost all his/her levels and cannot remember most things about his/her past life. They replace racial benefits with knowlege of their old life and they add bonuses and minuses to their ability scores from the resurrection. Please tell me what you think. :)
Soulscarred
Those who are Soulscarred were once people, but through old age, disease, accidents, or battle they have passed to the plane of their deity. This death was not their undoing, however. The Soulscarred were brought to be resurrected, but through a mishap by an untrained cleric, or a willing by the gods that person is resurrected with very little knowledge of their past life. Little things such as magical cantrips, knowledge of weapons or armor, or knowing languages, and others are remembered at the cost of natural racial abilities being forgotten. The Soulscarred are also naturally intelligent and charismatic because of a lifetime of learning and being social, but they are left frail and weak because of their resurrection. Soulscarred also have a distinguishing feature brought on by the resurrection that marks them as a Soulscarred. May it be a black mark or cloudy eyes, the Soulscarred live with this mark the rest of their life.
Soulscarred Template
All Soulscarred add these features on top of their racial bonuses.
Ability Scores: +2 Int, +2 Cha, -2 Str, -2 Con: Soulscarred have had a lifetime worth of experiences so learning and socializing comes naturally to them, but their resurrection has left them frail and weak.
Soulscarring: All Soulscarred have a mark created by their resurrection, they cannot be resurrected again.
All Soulscarred must replace two racial benefits with two new benefits. They may replace more than two benefits though. They cannot replace base land speed, size, vision, or what race you can be regarded as.
Spell resistance: You gain spell resistance equal to 8 + your character level
Minor Cantrips: You may cast the 0-level spells: Ghost Sound, Prestidigitation, and Mage hand once per day
Minor Orisons: You may cast the 0-level spells: Light, Mending, and Guidance once per day
Skilled: Gain +2 on any two skills you have put ranks in
Weapon Proficiency: Gain proficiency with either two martial weapons, or one exotic weapon
Armor Proficiency: Gain proficiency with one type of armor
Shield Proficiency: Gain proficiency with one type of shield
Bonus Feat: Gain one extra feat at first level, which you qualify for.
Thanks the Svirfneblin get spell resistance 11+ level and the drow commoner get 6+ level so I went in the middle to 8 but I'll change it to 4+ level. The skill thing I'll change to the human 1 extra skill rank per level and I'll add that all changes must be okayed by the GM.
A soul scarred elven wizard gets +4 to int? Too much. Way too much.
Beyond that granting a race "two bonus feats" is too much as well. As is "you get heavy armor for free" "pick any weapon in the game, you can use it."
I'd add a +1 level adjustment to it (I know, I know, bad 3.5 mechanic) and call it a day.
I thought the OP said you replace their racial benefits with what's listed above...? That would mean that an elf wizard gets +2 Int, +2 Cha, -2 Str, -2 Con, by my reckoning.
I do agree that the list of options isn't really balanced in that some options will always be selected over others, but it doesn't seem bad at any rate.
Spell Resistance is good, but it's going to apply to ANYTHING that requires SR checks (including anything that heals or buffs). It's a standard action to suppress it. I think 5+HD is not a bad thing. A caster with equal levels to you character level will have to roll a 5. [shrug] Big whoop.