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Hi,
I'm back again with another new race, and thought I'd just make this my 'standing' thread, where I post new ones as I make them (rather than having a new thread for each).
These are still for Ella's campaign world, hence why they're so specialized - she wants them to fill ecological and/or societal niches.
So, this is the latest:
Leavians – Chaotic Humanoids
Dwelling in the far north, the Leavians live as a united, close-knit nation. A fiercely competitive and yet amicable race, they are not prone to warlike tendencies. They have a great fondness for playing cheerfully fast-paced and often rough games on the slick glaciers that surround them, raising their young to appreciate this pastime. Despite these games, they are a decidedly polite people – they are the sort who will playfully shove one of their own into a snowbank, then help that individual up, apologize guiltily and proceed to share an amicable chat. Many Leavians have a verbal tic which causes them to apologize excessively – this litany of “sorry” is often considered amusing by non-Leavians. A rare few, usually females, have this tic to a greater extent, casually belittling themselves at every opportunity. Nearly all Leavians have well-developed senses of humor, laugh easily, and are quick to forgive – sarcasm is uncommon.
Leavian Racial Traits –
Leavians are defined by their class levels – they do not possess racial Hit Dice. All Leavians possess the following racial traits.
+2 Constitution, +2 Strength, -2 Wisdom: Leavians are hardy and healthy, and possess considerable strength, but are lacking in the common sense that would otherwise dissuade them from their rough games.
Humanoid: Leavians are humanoids with the Chaotic subtype.
Medium: Leavians are Medium creatures, and receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Leavians have a base speed of 30 feet.
Chaotic Nature: Any effect that depends on alignment affects a Leavian as if it has a chaotic alignment, regardless of its actual alignment. A Leavian also suffers effects according to its actual alignment. Leavians overcome damage reduction as if their natural weapons and any weapons that they wield are chaotically aligned.
Fearless: A Leavian gains a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws against fear effects.
Frigid Blood: Leavians have cold resistance 5. They also do not need to make Fortitude saves against harm from being in cold environments (as if under a constant nonmagical Endure Elements spell, though hot environments still cause harm as normal).
Terrain Stride (Cold): Leavians can move through natural difficult terrain at their normal speed while within Cold terrain (including ice, glaciers, snow and tundra). Magically altered terrain affects them normally.
Static Bonus Feat: A Leavian receives Endurance as a bonus feat at first level.
Languages: Leavians begin play speaking Common and Giant. Leavians with high intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aquan, Draconic, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Terran.
Alternate Racial Trait –
Relentless: A Leavian gains a +2 bonus on combat maneuver checks made to bull rush or overrun an opponent. This bonus only applies while both the Leavian and its opponent are standing on the ground. This trait replaces the Fearless racial trait.
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So, I'm essentially looking for any kind of critique or feedback. Particularly about balance, though.
I'll post the flavor text for them some time later on.
Cheers,
Dreamer
PS: I have a cookie for anyone who can guess what these are based on!
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...did you just make a whole race of rugby players?
balance wise, this race looks good to me, though removing 2 classes (paladins and monks, not including martial artist) outright as options kinda pulls me away a bit. power wise though not very, some may have a problem with strength and con bonus', but a wisdom penalty is usually not a good thing in martial classes...except magus, who can take a slight hit.
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^^ No, but you're close. Think Canada, eh?
^ Ah, I didn't realize until right now about the paladin and monk thing... oops. I'm going to have to see what I can do about re-jigging things to accommodate that.
In terms of power, I'm trying for bonuses and penalties that reflect the characteristics of the race, as opposed to being optimized towards one particular class.
Thank you both for your feedback!
It's still a work in progress.
Dreamer
Eskimos?
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A rare few, usually females, have this tic to a greater extent, casually belittling themselves at every opportunity.
Forget rugby and hockey, you just made Meg Ryan.
A rare few, usually females, have this tic to a greater extent, casually belittling themselves at every opportunity.Forget rugby and hockey, you just made Meg Ryan.
If I could favorite this more than once I would.
Leavians overcome damage reduction as if their natural weapons and any weapons that they wield are chaotically aligned.
Do they have a natural weapon?
By the way, I work with some Canadian hockey players, and I thought of them right away when I read this.
I really like the vocal tic idea. I can hear them using 'sorry' as a vocal crutch when nervous like some people use 'like' or 'Umm.'
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^^ Oops. They do not have a natural weapon - I must have left that bit in by accident from an earlier draft of the race. Thanks for pointing that out so that I can get it fixed up!
^ I'm glad that you can see the connection between the race and the base inspiration. I tried my best to convey it without being overly blatant.
Thank you for your feedback on the vocal tic - this is exactly how I imagined it being used in their speech (that and them just being incredibly apologetic in general).
Again, I appreciate your feedback.
At any rate, I finally got back from a string of appointments, and thought I'd post all of the fluff and flavor text that I've written for the Leavians.
Here goes:
Appearance: The Leavians are tall and muscular humanoids, sturdy without being truly stocky. Their skin tones range from pure white to ice blue, mimicking the frigid shades that paint their frigid landscape. Adults have vivid, deep blue markings, bold and simple designs, as permanent fixtures on their skin. These markings are decided at birth, growing brighter and more vivid with each passing year until they are fully realized at the conclusion of puberty. Their ears are hung low on the head, as flaps that connect from the sides of the head to the rear; their eyes are broad and trusting, usually in some shade of green. Leavians are usually somewhat unremarkable in proportions, most being neither particularly tall nor short, and neither thin nor heavy.
Adaptations: Leavians have adapted to their environment primarily through the paleness of their skin – said skin is thick and leathery, granting both camouflage from predators and protection from the cold. The strength and size of their bodies is the result of centuries of rough survival, and is now sustained by the lifelong passion for their physically intensive game. Their markings appear to be largely purposeless, having once been used by the primitive incarnation of their race as a mating display. The shape and position of their ears is precisely adapted, designed to prevent the accumulation of snow and the bite of the wind from damaging the sensitive inner membrane.
Society: The Leavians live in cities composed largely of cut and carved ice, built into and above the glaciers. They are a civilized race, with a rich oral and cultural history, and yet they tend to focus more so on living for the sheer enjoyment of life. They are governed by an elected leader, whose decisions are all subject to the approval of an elected council as well as an unelected committee of elders (though the council members are usually chosen by the people for their prowess at game organization and strategy). The men of Leavian society appear at first glance to outnumber the women, but this is not so – most Leavian women are deeply maternal and considerably more reserved, and thus spend the majority of their time raising children and maintaining the stability of their communities. The women who do choose to play on the glaciers, however, are granted equal opportunity and a fair measure of respect.
Relations: Welcome and acceptance are the defining traits of the interactions of the Leavians with others; they welcome other races with open arms, accepting them with easy hospitality and camaraderie. Others may view them as strange, seeing their games as barbaric, but nearly all can agree that their open and welcoming attitudes are unparalleled. As mentioned, their apologetic tic causes others great amusement, and the rare few, usually females, who have this tic to a greater extent - casually belittling themselves at every opportunity – are seen in turn as amusing and pathetic.
Humans, Half-Elves, and Halflings who adventure afar often come into contact with the Leavians in the north, and get along quite well. Gnomes and Dwarves are occasionally in contact as well, and see them as too organized and too chaotic respectively. Half Orcs rarely see Leavians, but neither side is intimidated by the other. Only Elves have any real dislike of the Leavians, seeing them as northern barbarians who do not revere nature so much as they use it as a source of entertainment.
Alignment and Religion: Innately chaotic at heart, enjoying a good rough-and-tumble game, Leavians are rarely truly violent or hateful. Tending towards good alignments due to their love of helping and supporting their peers, they value community and togetherness. Some individuals, particularly the scholarly and intellectual types, are perhaps more neutral, but they too are cheerfully accepted. Those who choose to worship deities tend towards Erastil, Gozreh, and to a lesser extent Gorum – deities that value nature, strength and community. However, most choose not to worship any god at all, thanking one-another for their good fortune rather than some faceless and detached deity.
History: They evolved, they settled, and now they live out their lives with determination and the spirit of good-natured competition; they don’t recall many of the particulars of their history, nor do they keep extensive records of it, as the present is what matters the most. However, they do keep exhaustive and detailed records of the outcomes of their games, which are consulted regularly and frequently updated.
Adventurers: Leavians may leave on adventures in the years preceding their adulthood, eager to prove themselves. Others may simply be driven to see the world out of curiosity, adventuring in later life. It is primarily males who choose this lifestyle, though bolder females may also derive some pleasure from it. Best suited to adventuring within their native frigid terrain, some tend towards the path of martial combatants; others show a great affinity for their home environments and for nature in general, becoming Druids or Rangers; however, the gentler among them may tend towards supporting roles, studying magic to air their partners in combat. It should be noted that Leavians, as innately chaotic beings, lack the discipline to pursue the path of the Paladin or the Monk. They also tend to be none too stealthy, their honesty and boisterousness deterring them from the path of the Rogue.
Favored Classes:
Barbarian: Add +1 to the barbarian’s total number of rage rounds per day.
Druid: Add +1/3 to the druid’s natural armor bonus when using wild shape.
Fighter: Add +1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting a bull rush or trip.
Ranger: Add +1 hit point to the ranger’s animal companion. If the ranger ever replaces his animal companion, the new companion gains this bonus hit point.
Sorcerer: Add + 1/2 to the enhancement bonus granted by the wizard’s transmutation spells.
Witch: Add +1/4 to the damage cured by the witch’s conjuration (healing) spells and healing hexes.
And done.
So, any further advice or input is most welcome.
Thanks,
Dreamer
Hey Dreamer,
Your races are fun.
I have two ideas:
The first one depends how cute you want to get with the hockey thing. I noticed that most hockey players I know's nickname is just their name adding a -y or -er at the end. I don't know if this is a Canadian thing or a hockey thing. I think it would be cool if you said the names of this race always end in a -y or -er sound.
Also, I feel like this race should have some kind of brawling type ability. Like Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat, or if that is too overpowered, a +1 competence bonus on grapple checks and checks to break a grapple.
Wadaya think?
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^ Yay! More feedback!
Seriously, thank you for your continued help.
I've incorporated the brawling concept, going with the competence bonus since the race already has one bonus feat (Endurance).
I also adored the naming convention concept, so I've added a bit to my flavor text descriptions making note of it.
So, here are the updated traits:
Leavian Racial Traits –
Leavians are defined by their class levels – they do not possess racial Hit Dice. All Leavians possess the following racial traits.
+2 Constitution, +2 Strength, -2 Wisdom: Leavians are hardy and healthy, and possess considerable strength, but are lacking in the common sense that would otherwise dissuade them from their rough games.
Humanoid: Leavians are humanoids with the Chaotic subtype.
Medium: Leavians are Medium creatures, and receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Leavians have a base speed of 30 feet.
Chaotic Nature: Any effect that depends on alignment affects a Leavian as if it has a chaotic alignment, regardless of its actual alignment. A Leavian also suffers effects according to its actual alignment. Leavians overcome damage reduction as if any weapons that they wield are chaotically aligned.
Fearless: A Leavian gains a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws against fear effects.
Frigid Blood: Leavians have cold resistance 5. They also do not need to make Fortitude saves against harm from being in cold environments (as if under a constant nonmagical Endure Elements spell, though hot environments still cause harm as normal).
Terrain Stride (Cold): Leavians can move through natural difficult terrain at their normal speed while within cold terrain (including ice, glaciers, snow and tundra). Magically altered terrain affects them normally.
Brawler: A Leavian receives Endurance as a bonus feat at first level. Leavians also gain a +1 competence bonus on grapple checks and checks made to break a grapple.
Languages: Leavians begin play speaking Common and Giant. Leavians with high intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aquan, Draconic, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Terran.
Alternate Racial Trait –
Relentless: A Leavian gains a +2 bonus on combat maneuver checks made to bull rush or overrun an opponent. This bonus only applies while both the Leavian and its opponent are standing on the ground. This trait replaces the Fearless racial trait.
... and names.
Names: There is a unique naming convention which has been adopted by the Leavians – nearly all names end in either -y or -er sounds. The former ending is more predominant in female names, and the latter more so in male names. Some males, however, are named after historically great players from games of centuries past. Such names include Gretsky, Richarde, Pheneuf, Kessel and Rimer.
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Done and done.
Don, I just wanted to thank you again for all of your advice. As a newbie to all of this, I really appreciate it.
I'll post a link to the concept sketches that I've drawn when I get the chance.
Cheers,
Dreamer
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Hi all!
NEW RACE, FRONT AND CENTER!
Now that I've got your attention, I've done a fairly good draft of a new race, and I'd love some criticism on the traits I've derived.
Bear in mind that I've chosen the traits and score bonuses to fit the flavor of the race, more so than optimizing it for a particular class.
It's another for Ella's semi-serious, lighthearted and heavily magical campaign world.
These are the Sena (singular Sen).
Sena – Medium Humanoids (Sen)
The Sena are a race of dream-born creatures, not quite of the material plane as they brush the fringes of ethereality. Living through a haze of sleep which grants them abnormal perceptive abilities, they are never truly awake or aware. They drift through life on legs that fade into masses of a not-quite-solid misty substance, a theme echoed across the entireties of their bodies. The Sena could be seen as elven in a certain sense, as their race was created by a wish made of a djiini by an ancient elven magus. The average Sen is considerably detached from reality, and as such has difficulty relating to beings not of its own kind. They tend towards tranquil and relaxed attitudes, which often border on apathetic. Taking the grace of an elf to the extreme of physical frailty, they are the realization of one ancient’s perfect ideal – an ideal which often seems too deep in slumber and stupor to be truly alive.
Sen Racial Traits –
Sena are defined by their class levels – they do not possess racial Hit Dice. All Sena possess the following racial traits.
+2 Intelligence, +2 Dexterity, -4 Strength: Sena possesses great knowledge gleaned from their vivid dreams, and their swaying movements have an unnatural delicacy – however, their graceful forms are achingly feeble.
Humanoid: Sena are humanoids with the Sen subtype.
Elven Blood: Sena count as elves for any effects related to race.
Medium: Sena are Medium creatures, and receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: A Sen has a base speed of 30 feet.
Change Shape, Lesser: A Sen can assume the appearance of a single form of a single humanoid race of its size. The form is static, and cannot be changed each time it takes this form. The Sen gains a +6 racial Disguise bonus to appear as a member of the race whose appearance it assumes. Changing its shape is a standard action. The trait otherwise functions as the alter self spell, save that the Sen does not adjust its ability scores. The appearance and race of this form is chosen at character creation.
Wispy Forms: The light, partially ethereal forms of the Sena provide a +4 racial bonus on Fly checks, though they do not possess a natural Fly speed.
Feet of Mist: A Sen leaves no trail in natural surroundings, and cannot be tracked – however, a Sen may choose to leave a trail if so desired. This functions as a druid’s Trackless Step ability.
Dreamspeaker: Sena gain a +1 bonus to the save DC of spells that they cast from the divination school, as well as spells that produce sleep effects. In addition, Sena with a Charisma score of 15 or higher may use dream once per day as a spell-like ability (the caster level of this effect is equal to the user’s character level).
Spell-Like Ability: A Sen can use the spell sleep once per day as a spell-like ability; however, the total HD of creatures affected by the spell is equal to the user’s character level. Otherwise, it functions as printed in the Core Rulebook. The caster level of this ability is also equal to the user’s character level.
Low-Light Vision: Sena can see twice as far as race with normal vision in conditions of dim light.
Languages: Sena begin play speaking Common and Elven. Sena with high intelligence scores can choose from the following: Auran, Celestial, Dwarven, Gnome, Halfling, Orc and Sylvan.
Alternate Racial Traits –
Mist Child: Whenever a Sen has concealment or partial concealment, the miss chance of attacks against him or her increases by 5%. This ability replaces the Sen’s spell-like ability.
Illusion Resistance: Sena gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against illusion spells and effects. This ability replaces a Sen’s spell-like ability.
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And that about covers it.
Sorry it's so long.
Anyway, I'd love any feedback that you have to give, particularly about balance.
Thanks for taking a look!
Dreamer
leave in the leavians' natural weapons bit in case they get some as a class feature?
Hey Dreamer,
After reading the description, I'm not sure if this race should be.
Humanoid (sen)
Humanoid (sen, elf)
Outsider (native, sen)
or
Outsider (native, sen, elf)
What do other people think?
I think Fey, albeit artificial ones, fit the bill for them. they a little too immortal to be humanoid, and they lack the planar qualities of an outsider.
I had another idea.
Also..
The average Sen is considerably detached from reality, and as such has difficulty relating to beings not of its own kind. They tend towards tranquil and relaxed attitudes, which often border on apathetic.
...makes me think that they should have a minus towards charisma and if they are physical frail, they should have a minus towards constitution, not strength.
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Hi all,
Sorry it too me so long to get back to you all!
I've been in and out of the endocrinology clinic all week, and this stuff was temporarily on the back burner.
So, addressing the issues.
^^^ and ^^: I appreciate both of you providing input on the appropriate type and subtype for this race.
I've decided to go with the following for now:
Sena - Medium Fey (Elf)
I'm not sure if this is quite right, though. Does anyone have any other ideas?
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^: Hey Don, thank you for more helpful feedback!
I actually chose the stat bonuses and penalties before I wrote the description. Thank you though, for pointing out the inconsistencies between what I wrote and what I intended.
(English is my second language, so I don't always get the words quite right.)
Anyway, here is the updated basic description - I've bolded my changes for your consideration.
The Sena are a race of dream-born creatures, not quite of the material plane as they brush the fringes of ethereality. Living through a haze of sleep which grants them abnormal perceptive abilities, they are never truly awake or aware. They drift through life on legs that fade into masses of a not-quite-solid misty substance, a theme echoed across the entireties of their bodies. The Sena could be seen as elven in a certain sense, as their race was created by a wish made of a djiini by an ancient elven magus. The average Sen is considerably detached from reality, and as such may not always relate to beings not of its own kind. They tend towards tranquil and relaxed attitudes, which may appear to border on apathetic. Taking the grace of an elf to the extreme of physical fragility, they are the realization of one ancient’s perfect ideal – an ideal which often seems too deep in slumber and stupor to be truly alive.
I fixed up the strength of the statements about their typical personality traits, and fixed my vocabulary mix-up between the words "frailty" and "fragility" - I think the latter is closer to the word that I want.
I'd love to know what you think of these changes, and if you have any further suggestions.
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In general, I'm still looking for balance feedback on the Sena, and any advice on changes is most welcome.
I'm going to post up the full flavor text for them soon, so you can look out for that.
Thank you all for your help.
Cheers,
Dreamer