The Changeling (Another take, using the ARG rules)

[Lord Fyre]

This young woman has a slender frame and a beautiful face, yet there’s something vaguely unnerving about her appearance. Her skin is unnaturally pale, her hair is dark, and each of her eyes is a different color.

This is a stab at rewriting the Changeling Race from pages 84-85 of Pathfinder #43: The Haunting of the Harrowstone. In the interest of Brevity, I am not going to repeat the entire description of the race provided there.

Changeling Characters
Changelings are defined by their class levels—they do not possess racial Hit Dice. All changelings have the following racial traits.
+2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom: Changelings often appear frail, but are uncommonly tough and possess a sharp wit. They are strangely distracted at times, as if listeng to something …
Gender: All Changelings are always female. It is not known if male changeling are ever born, or if they are immediately eaten by their mothers.
Unnatural Beauty: All changeling are very beautiful, and their odd appearance quirks only give them an exotic allure. She rapidly learns to exploit her good looks to get what she wants. A changeling receives a +2 racial bonus with Bluff and Diplomacy checks against anyone who might find her sexually attractive.
Monstrous Humanoid: Despite Appearances, Changelings are, like their Hag mothers, monstrous humanoids. This changes how some spells will affect her.
Darkvision: As Monstrous Humanoids, Changelings can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
The Monster Within: Once per day, whenever a Changeling takes damage, she flies into a frenzy for 1 minute, gaining a +2 racial bonus to Constitution and Strength, but a –2 penalty to AC. There are unconfirmed reports that when in this rage, the color of her skin actually changes (to the color of her Hag Mother’s).
Languages: A Changeling begin play speaking the primary language of her host society and Common. Changelings with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages she wants (except secret languages, such as Druidic).
Secondary Traits: Changelings figure their starting height, weight, and age as half-elves. If she somehow manages to avoid the “chrysalis,” she also ages as a half-elf.

Spoiler:

Changeling (PathfinderRPG)
Type
Monstrous Humanoid (2 RP)
Size
Medium (0 RP)
Base Speed
Normal (0 RP)
Ability Score Modifiers
Standard (+2 Con, +2 Int, –2 Wis) (0 RP)
Languages
Linguist (2 RP)
Racial Abilities
Darkvision 60 ft. (from Monstrous Humanoid) (– RP)
Frenzy (2 RP)
Skill bonus (Bluff) (2 RP)
Skill bonus (Diplomacy) (2 RP)
Total RP: 10

Comments
I feel that this write-up better reflects the flavor text for the Changeling Race, then the abilities provided on p. 85 of Pathfinder #43.

The racial abilities given in the official write-up were too overt. This should be a case of slowly realized “otherness,” rather then being so obviously inhuman. In this write-up most of her abilities now reflect a strange and predatory “nature” rather then a grab bag of monstrous racial powers.

The text implies that Changelings are natural Witches, but their Attribute bonuses don’t really reflect that: they were much better Bard, Clerics, or Sorcerers. Moving to a more “standard” attribute bonus array also resolves some rules confusion, and also opens up some of the more martial classes (which better fit daughters of Anis Hags).

And, as a nod to the optimizers out there, the abilities in the official write-up synergized poorly. The abilities I have provided, while actually less powerful, should be a bit more useful.

Finally, the “Hag Traits” racial ability creates some confusion. Since the concept was introduced in Pathfinder Companion #1, “trait” is a “reserved word” with a very specific meaning. So does her “Hag Trait” count for her normal starting PC trait?

[SwnyNerdgasm]

Aaaaaaand stolen for my homebrew, thanks Lord Fyre

[Lord Fyre]

SwnyNerdgasm wrote:

Aaaaaaand stolen for my homebrew, thanks Lord Fyre

Ah! But how does it compare to the "official" version?

[SwnyNerdgasm]

Lord Fyre wrote:

SwnyNerdgasm wrote:

Aaaaaaand stolen for my homebrew, thanks Lord Fyre

Ah! But how does it compare to the "official" version?

Well as a fan of "Historical" Changelings, I think it adds to their mythological roots a bit better than the official, especially since you moved the stat bonuses around to make them more of a "natural" witch, Only thing I'd houserule to this class, and to the frenzy ability as a whole is maybe a will save to avoid it, maybe something like 10+the amount of damage done, to avoid the frenzy, perhaps with each additional frenzy's DC going up by maybe a point each time.

[Lord Fyre]

SwnyNerdgasm wrote:

Lord Fyre wrote:

SwnyNerdgasm wrote:

Aaaaaaand stolen for my homebrew, thanks Lord Fyre

Ah! But how does it compare to the "official" version?

Well as a fan of "Historical" Changelings, I think it adds to their mythological roots a bit better than the official, especially since you moved the stat bonuses around to make them more of a "natural" witch, Only thing I'd houserule to this class, and to the frenzy ability as a whole is maybe a will save to avoid it, maybe something like 10+the amount of damage done, to avoid the frenzy, perhaps with each additional frenzy's DC going up by maybe a point each time.

Well, as written it is a "power" not a "weakness." Technically, the player choses when her changeling is actually going to Frenzy despite the "flavor" of the ability.

[SwnyNerdgasm]

Never thought of it like that, guess I just like the idea for the RP reasons where the Changeling tries to suppress her hag heritage

[Lord Fyre]

SwnyNerdgasm wrote:

Never thought of it like that, guess I just like the idea for the RP reasons where the Changeling tries to suppress her hag heritage

But then, if she has to fail a "save," you should remove the "once per day" limitation. In this case, I was actually using "off she shelf" abilities from the PDF.

Also, keep in mind that as she gains levels, she would rage less and less often [since her save would improve].

[SwnyNerdgasm]

That's why I had the save equal 10+the amount of damage taken, but you're right about the once a day thing, to the drawing board I go!!!

[Lord Fyre]

SwnyNerdgasm wrote:

That's why I had the save equal 10+the amount of damage taken, but you're right about the once a day thing, to the drawing board I go!!!

Actually, if you are doing this for "Role-Playing" reasons, you should leave the ability "as is".

If she is trying to "resist" her hag blood, the player would only use this power in emergencies.
... but ...

If she is starting to revel in her monstrous nature, she might choose to use the ability as soon (and as often) as possible.
So, for "RP" reasons, this should not be a die roll.