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Hi,
At the behest of my friend Ella, who needed another new race for her Pathfinder campaign world, I've come up with the Tilni. They're intended to have minor angelic themes, and are supposed to be the product of two humans whose relationship was influenced by magic.
I've come up with some stats, and would like to know if they seem alright. Essentially, is this race balanced?
Tilni – Small Humanoids (Tilni)
The Tilni are innocent and kind looking creatures, though they natures are as varied as those of the human from which they are born. A Tilni is born from the union between two humans when one or both individuals were under the effect of a love spell at the time of conception. This makes Tilni rare in poorer communities, as typically only well-off merchants or those of noble standing can afford such magical frivolities. Seen as symbols of fortune by those who do not know the truth if their creation, these sociable creatures often rise to social status or popularity. Still, their childlike forms mean that they are never treated with genuine seriousness. As magically enhanced anomalies, Tilni cannot reproduce or bear children. Therefore, there is no such thing as a second-generation Tilni.
Tilni Racial Traits –
Tilni are defined by their class levels – they do not possess racial Hit Dice. All Tilni possess the following racial traits.
+2 Charisma, +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution: Tilni are naturally sociable and endearing, and their small size renders them quite nimble; however, they are frail despite their plumpness, and therefore quite susceptible to illness.
Humanoid: Tilni are humanoids with the Tilni subtype.
Human Blood: Tilni count as humans for any effect related to race.
Small: Tilni are Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a -1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +4 on Stealth checks.
Slow Speed: Tilni have a base speed of 20 feet. This is due to the limitations of their small bodies and proportionately short legs.
Gliding Wings: Thanks to their delicate wings, Tilni take no damage from falling (as if subject to a constant nonmagical feather fall spell). While in midair, a Tilni can move up to 5 feet in any horizontal direction for every 1 foot that they fall, at a speed of 60 feet per round. Tilni cannot gain height with these wings alone; they merely coast in other directions as they fall.
Eternal Hope: Tilni gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against fear and despair effects. Also, once per fay after a natural roll of 1 on a d20 roll, a Tilni may reroll and use the second result.
Spell Resistance, Lesser: Tilni gain spell resistance equal to 6 + their character level.
Sociable: When a Tilni attempts to change a creature’s attitude with a Diplomacy check and fails by 5 or more, they can try to influence the creature a second time, even if 24 hours have not passed. Tilni also gain a +2 racial bonus to the Diplomacy skill.
Languages: Tilni begin play speaking Common. Tilni with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages that they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic).
This is only my second try at creating a race, so any advice or feedback would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Dreamer
The Orc in me wants to hit them with something heavy. While listening to GWAR.
But mechanically, I see nothing wrong with them.
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^Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad they seem fairly balanced.
Yes, they're ridiculously fluffy and sugary, and nothing that would appeal to the average Orc, but that's what Ella wanted.
They're what happen when girly and gamer collide at high velocity.
So, I figured that I'd take the opportunity to post the general flavor-text information that I've written up for the race.
Appearance:
Tilni are perhaps best summarized by the word “cherubic”. They stand usually no taller than three feet, and have childlike proportions. Their bodies tend towards plumpness and generous curves, and their faces are equally soft and endearing. They have wide, innocent eyes which are often of an unnatural color. Their hair and skin colors, however, are usually clearly derived from their birth parents. The most notable feature of a Tilni, however, is the pair of small feathered wings on his or her back. These wings are soft, downy, and usually white or off-white in color. These wings are largely decorative, and not capable of achieving flight.
Adaptations:
The Tilni have not adapted so much as they have been shaped, shaped by the magical influences of their birth. Their visually appealing forms and social aptitude, for instance, comes from the manner in which a love potion enhances the perception of such traits. Their wings, though less explicable, appear to be an outward manifestation of the hope that comes with the use of the aforementioned potions – the same is true of their enduringly faithful natures. Their childlike appearances are the result of their inborn magic permanently inhibiting the growth of their bodies. Also, perhaps most importantly, the spells that influenced their birth make them naturally resistant to the damaging effects of offensively cast magical energy.
Society:
Tilni do not have what could be described as a society of their own, and live within the social norms, customs, and traditions of their human parents. As a result, they are equally as varied as humans, though there is a tendency for Tilni to be born into wealthier elements of society. As they are well-regarded by their peers, and possess great natural charisma, they often become central elements of their communities. This can be manifested as societal prominence, popularity and respect, or simply the friendship and trust of those around them. Tilni share the ambition and ingenuity of their human parents, if not their inherent flexibility.
Relations:
The Tilni view the outside world much as humans do, having been raised as a part of human culture. However, they are less prone to stereotype others, and are generally not known for arrogance and insensitivity. In general, they are more tolerant than their parents, seeking to learn about the cultures of others as opposed to shunning them or viewing them as inferior.
Though most humans view them as boons and symbols of good fortune, caring for them as members of their own race, there are groups that do not. These are usually those versed in the magical arts – they are aware that Tilni are actually the product of relationships built around magical influence. Other races see them as similar in nature to their human counterparts, though Gnomes and Halflings tend to identify with them more closely, and as such are often on good terms. Only Half-Elves truly dislike Tilni, resentful that these creatures, also not purely human, are treated far better and with more kindness than Half-Elves themselves.
Alignment and Religion:
One would expect Tilni to have the same proclivity for good and evil as their human parents, and for the most part, this holds true. It can be noted, however, that there are very few truly evil Tilni. They are influenced by their heritage, but still have an innate tendency towards empathy and compassion. As for religion, they observe the traditions of their home communities, and those who choose a path of faith are remarkable in their devotion.
Adventurers:
Tilni are driven to adventure largely out of the desire to help others, though they may have personal or vested interests in addition to this overt selflessness. They will only rarely adventure merely for the sake of adventuring, as their sociable tendencies mean that the relatively solitary life of an adventurer is not terribly appealing. Tilni have less flexibility than humans in terms of their roles within an adventuring party, limited by their size and frailty. Those who are devout are exceptional in the roles of Paladins or Clerics, and many have the potential for arcane magic or even stealth. All are quite well-suited to the role of the Bard, and this is a frequent choice.
Names:
The names of their human parents and peers are varied, and as such, so are the names of Tilni. Named according to the convention of their society and the preferences of their families, there are no typical or atypical names for a Tilni. There is a slight tendency, however, for their names to be derived from words with positive connotations, such as their culture’s term for “hope” or “love”.
Favored Classes:
Bard: Add +1 to the bard’s total number of bardic performance rounds per day.
Cleric: Select one domain power granted at 1st level that is normally usable a number of times per day equal to 3+ the cleric’s Wisdom modifier. The cleric adds +1/2 to the number of uses per day of that domain power.
Oracle: Add one spell known from the oracle spell list. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level that the oracle can cast.
Paladin: Add +1/6 to the morale bonus on saving throws provided by the paladin’s auras.
Rogue: Add a +1/2 bonus on Bluff checks to feint and Diplomacy checks to gather information.
Sorcerer: Add +1/4 to the sorcerer’s caster level when casting spells from the Enchantment school.
Wizard: Add one spell from the wizard spell list to the wizard’s spellbook. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level that the wizard can cast.
... and that's a wrap.
So, any and all feedback is still most appreciated.
Thanks,
Dreamer
What about,
Magic Affinity (Ex) Tilni sorcerers with the Arcane bloodline treat their Charisma score as 2 points higher for all sorcerer spells and class abilities. Tilni clerics with the Magic domain cast their domain powers and spells at +1 caster level.
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Umm, I would replace the Spell Resistance. It seems overpowered.
It is definitely a Racial Trait. I parodied it off of the part-elemental characters like the Oread. They all have an affinity towards their elemental bloodline.
I figured since your race was born from magic, it should equally have an affinity towards the Arcane bloodline.
Glad to help,
Don
...and for someone who's new to this, your race is interesting and professional looking. Good job.