So, many on these boards have discussed children with humanoid pairings other than human-elf. Most say "No kids" but I think that's "no fun." So, I designed a new feat for my campaign.
The way it works "genetically" is there's a 90% chance of a miscarriage before the mother even knows she's pregnant. However, if that 1 in 10 chance happens, there is a 50/50 chance of the baby being for all intents and purposes either of two races involved. This could present a problem for some mothers, for example a halfling being pregnant with a human baby. The baby may or may not have this feat.
Now, as for the feat, it allows your otherwise human character to pick a single trait from the other humanoid race to switch out. So, for example, a human with a halfling mother (or grandfather, or so on... GM discretion how far down a line the feat can manifest) could switch out skilled for the Halfling Luck. Non-standard "Alternate Racial Traits" are GM permission only, but any standard racial trait included with the base race should be allowed as long as the feat is.
So, as for who can take the feat, pretty much any humanoid. Like for example when coming up with the feat I actually was thinking of a changeling who's father was a halfling. So, being a changeling she's smaller than the "tall" suggestion (she's 5' 3'') still medium height though. However, to reflect her father being a halfling I wanted to switch out her claws for Halfling Jinx and then I thought why not let her do it with a feat, and extend it to any humanoid race to be inter-compatible in RARE cases.
I could be wrong, but I don't think you'll get a lot of support for this in terms of feedback. There's a bit of an over-proliferation of "half-races" for starters. I'm one of those who doesn't care for the idea. With that said, however:
You'll want to make a list of what traits are acceptable for the mixed-heritage character to select from other races. Why? Each item in the races has a different point value. What traits are humans allowed to give up for this? Two out of their traits are 4 point values (skilled and the bonus feat) and many of the traits belonging to other races are valued at less. Without this list or "mixed-heritage package" to choose from, the human will either get ripped off in terms of race design (using the ARG as a guage) or could potentially get multiple traits (which you would need to keep an eye on).
Rules of this are out there it in the 3.5 Book of Erotic Fantasy.
www.bookoferoticefantasy.com
Glad to see insults. I was afraid that wouldn't happen.
As for those being constructive,that's kinda why I said GM permission for non-standard stuff and maybe even standard stuff now that you mention it.. Also, yeah I'm not big on "half-races" either, however some races like Changelings are worded like they can have a human father, an elf father, a dwarf father... etc. I just don't 100% think that a changeling born from a human father and a sea hag should be exactly the same as a changeling born from a halfling father and a sea hag.
And then, as for the Book of Erotic Fantasy, yes I'm aware of the book, I just didn't want to make it that complicated.
My intent is for story and concept, not minmaxing abilities, which is why I said GM permission for traits so that you don't trade a 1pt ability for a 4pt one.
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You are handling this the wrong way. It's not a matter of writing a rule requiring DM permission for some specific uses ; it's entirely a DM permission issue.
Just ask your DM to trade one trait for another (including alternate racial traits). Or tell him which traits correspond to your character from both races, and basically modify one of the parent's traits with these, using a lower point-buy to counterbalance the customizing power you are receiving from the deal.
Keep it balanced (blatant, conveniant bonuses to specific minimax abilities will probably not pass), provide at least one roleplaying/situational trait as per any other existing race, stick to one parentage more than the other, then submit it to the DM.
There is no rule required for what you want to achieve outside the social contract that you sign with the DM to create a flavorful, but balanced character.
You are handling this the wrong way. It's not a matter of writing a rule requiring DM permission for some specific uses ; it's entirely a DM permission issue.
Just ask your DM to trade one trait for another (including alternate racial traits). Or tell him which traits correspond to your character from both races, and basically modify one of the parent's traits with these, using a lower point-buy to counterbalance the customizing power you are receiving from the deal.
Keep it balanced (blatant, conveniant bonuses to specific minimax abilities will probably not pass), provide at least one roleplaying/situational trait as per any other existing race, stick to one parentage more than the other, then submit it to the DM.There is no rule required for what you want to achieve outside the social contract that you sign with the DM to create a flavorful, but balanced character.
Well, yes that's true. Just (and I am the DM in this campaign) I was thinking that 'breaking the mold' would more fairly require a feat. Especially since like claws is 2 points as is "Luck, lesser". Although, Claws is on the advanced table and Luck, lesser is standard so from a race builder standpoint the feat wouldn't be 100% necessary.
Also, again my intent isn't to create a bunch of half-races nor encourage such (and I know, my first post I did start off with that sort of, which was part of my overall thought I had at fist but later decided not to go with it for the 'standard' races, but I'd already made the post so I had to leave it,) my true intent is for those races that ARE already half-races where one half is assumed human but never explicitly says it is. Like dhampir, changelings, etc to have some variety in saying that their non-monster parent was an elf or a halfling or whatever.
So, if I go with what you said and make sure it's balanced and not just a minmax thing, then the feat probably isn't necessary. Thanks for the input. :)
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If you really feel bad about it, keep the same point-buy value for your race from the least powerful parent, base your own character on said parent's race and spend one of your two 1st-level traits to take something like "Half-Breed", allowing you to take one trait (or alternate trait) from a second parent instead.
It will not be as crippling as spending your 1st level feat, but will at least have a cost for your character.
The way we did it for our game was as follows :
- With suggestion from my side, one player decided to play a half-orc, but he did not want to look like one. I remembered having seen the same situation in one of Paizo's products ; and I suggested him to take a Diluated Heritage trait at 1st-level, making him look perfectly like a (bulky) human. The player enjoyed playing his character in such a fashion so we'd never guess his origins, for example holding a torch in darkness despite his darkvision, or pretending contempt and mistrust toward half-breeds.
- While preparing our new 1st-level campaign, the DM expressed the will to play a half-drow DMPC. We simply took the half-elf basis and replaced some abilities, with the half-drow gaining darkvision instead of the drow's superior darkvision, replacing the half-elf's Adaptability and low-light vision (it was before the ARG).
If you really feel bad about it, keep the same point-buy value for your race from the least powerful parent, base your own character on said parent's race and spend one of your two 1st-level traits to take something like "Half-Breed", allowing you to take one trait (or alternate trait) from a second parent instead.
It will not be as crippling as spending your 1st level feat, but will at least have a cost for your character.
The way we did it for our game was as follows :- With suggestion from my side, one player decided to play a half-orc, but he did not want to look like one. I remembered having seen the same situation in one of Paizo's products ; and I suggested him to take a Diluated Heritage trait at 1st-level, making him look perfectly like a (bulky) human. The player enjoyed playing his character in such a fashion so we'd never guess his origins, for example holding a torch in darkness despite his darkvision, or pretending contempt and mistrust toward half-breeds.
- While preparing our new 1st-level campaign, the DM expressed the will to play a half-drow DMPC. We simply took the half-elf basis and replaced some abilities, with the half-drow gaining darkvision instead of the drow's superior darkvision, replacing the half-elf's Adaptability and low-light vision (it was before the ARG).
Well, there IS a feat that lets half-orcs pass as human. The original version (from the 3.5 campaign setting) was a bit over the top in that it just worked. The new version in Pathfinder APG gives you like a +10 to Disguise when you do something that would make them question you being human. Otherwise, it just works. You look human. There was even an NPC in the 3.5 book that had the feat and it talked about how she didn't even know she was a half-orc until she realized she had darkvision and humans shouldn't and their picture of her is a human with nothing to even suggest she's not totally human. LOL IN a game I ran a bit ago with a single player I had a Tiefling with the feat (I house rule any reasonable race can take the feat, like tieflings, aasimar, dhampir, changlings, etc. Ones that mostly look human (hell, more human than half-orcs some of them!)) She kept her small horns hidden in her hair and kept her tail wrapped around one of her legs (I gave her a prehensile tail from the ARG heh). I even gave her a normally human only trait from the Cheliax book that let her intimidate non-humans (IIRC, I used "Adopted" to allow her to qualify), just because conceptually only her father knew she was a tiefling and he made sure she kept it secret so she wouldn't be persecuted in Cheliax (not to mention him, for fathering a tiefling) There were a few others in town who knew, but they kept up the ruse too because they trusted her.
Here is the link to the feat on the Pathfinder PRD. I see now it's you get a +10 to disguise, no "other race" penalty, and can take 10 on your disguise check when in human areas.