So in a new campaign setting I'm designing for when I want to run a campaign in the future I wanted to replace the drow with some sort of subterranean elf variant more akin to morlocks than elves. I also want to balance them to be played (which will be funny when none of my players go with them and I assume this topic will become moot and I can make them whatever).
I also got the idea to sort of mimic the Falmer from Skyrim(I haven't played but all my friends have)since they already work as a great morlock/elf race.
My problem is this: Blindsight is ridiculously good and is pretty necessary for something that can operate in the world.
Is it balanced out by the lack of non-vision outside of the range? Would blindsense with a closer radius of blindsight make up for the lack of long range vision or just make them more powerful?
CUrrently I have this from the ADvanced Race Guide:
Elven Immunities (2 RP)
Illusion Resistance (1 RP)
Plagueborn (1 RP)
Cave Dweller (1 RP)
Silent Hunter (2 RP)
Skill Training (1 RP) Survival and Perception
Underground Sneak (5 RP)
Elven Magic (3 RP)
Svirfneblin Magic(2RP)
Hatred (1 RP) Fey and Elves
Vulnerable to Sunlight (-2 RP)
This comes to 17 RP without addressing the fact that the race would be immune to gaze attacks, non-mental illusions (figments?), and the whole blindsight/blindness issues.
Note that a lot of those traits can be removed depending on what you think. What do you guys think?
Also forgot the stat block
I'm currently debating
+2 Dex +2 Wis -2 Con
or
+2 Con +2 Wis -2 Cha
Also type is Humanoid(Elf)
make the eyeless racial trait give a gradual increasing blindsense, like start out at 15 feet and increase it by five feet for every four character levels you possess. you should also throw out one of the magic traits as that is a lot of spell-like abilities. underground sneak seems excessive just to get a stealth bonus, you should just go for static bonus feat (skill focus stealth) and being eyeless should grant immunity to illusions based on sight so illusion resistance is unnecessary. that's all i got for now.
Also forgot the stat block
I'm currently debating
+2 Dex +2 Wis -2 Con
or
+2 Con +2 Wis -2 ChaAlso type is Humanoid(Elf)
i would go with the bold, if they are like falmer/morlocks than they are going to be quite hardy but savage and unpleasant.
Instead of blind-sense,you could give them the "half-undead" treatment.
Basically the place where eyes would be, is magically sensitive to light. Give them dark-vision and a bonus to saves against sight based effects and call it a day.
You can make a set of feats that give them slowly increasing blindsense, blindsight and immunity to sight-based effects. About 2-3 feats should be the right place.
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Ok taking advice and changing it here we go
Falmer
Humanoid(Elf) (0 RP)
Size: Medium (0 RP)
Base Speed: Normal (0 RP)
Ability Scores: Weakness +2 Con, +2 Wis -4 Cha (-1 RP)
Language: Standard (0 RP)
Defensive Traits
Elven Immunities (2 RP)
Feat and Skill Traits
Cave Dweller (1 RP)
Stalker (1 RP)
Magic Traits
Deep Magic (3 RP)
Movement Traits
-
Offense Traits
Hatred: Elves & Fey (1 RP)
Sense Traits
Eyeless (Not sure how much RP since losing vision is big but the gains are also big. 30 foot blindsense in ARG is 4 RP but it also assumes you can see as well)
A Falmer starts off with blindsense 30 feet and Blind sight 5 feet. Every 2 Hit Dice gained by a falmer increases the blindsight by 5 and the Blindsense by 10. A Falmer is immune to Gaze Attacks and Illusions based off of sight
So that's 7 RP not including eyeless which is a hell of a problem to figure out. But I think it might be equivalent to the 10 RP elf
well i helped design something similar for somebody else
i believe it was called pnubiez link