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This is version V.1.2 of the Fey Touched race. I really like how this race is turning out and I'm open to suggestions on how to make them better. As stated I want the new races I'm coming up with to be balanced and be something people might want to play and find really interesting. Take a look and feedback is greatly appreciated.
NEW RACE: FEY TOUCHED (Humanoid, Human, Fey): When one of the Fey takes a human infant and leaves a Changeling or Fetch in its place the baby is taken away to Avalon, the mystic realm of the Fey and raised in either Arcadia, the lands of the Seelie Court, or Calliope, the lands of the Unseelie Court. The fate of the child can vary greatly depending on the Fey who abducted the child and what her intentions in the swap were.
For the Seelie Court sometimes the Fey woman will want to save a child from particularly wicked parents, protect beauty in some fashion only they comprehend (as that is their way), or perhaps raise up a hero for the mortal world to be ready when the time was right. The reasons have varied over the many centuries and Queen Gloriana has intervened only three known times in all of Fey history. In all cases the child was sensed to harbor a great darkness and was returned to the mortal world where they would be watched carefully. Mostly the child is welcomed into the Court and raised with care. In many cases the Fey woman takes the child as a favored servant, in even more a lover.
With the Unseelie Court things are decidedly less happy usually. Malefestra rarely cares for the lives of mortals, except to see them suffer and to see what chaos may be caused by her people's interference in their lives. So she has never been known to intervene when one of her people steals a child, except when such children become a threat to the Court, and then woe to that Fey. In many cases the child that is stolen is raised as a pet, educated harshly so as not to embarrass its owner and beaten when not improving in the desired manner. In extremely rare cases it has been know for the Unseelie Fey to actually develop feelings for the child and take it as a lover, raising it as the perfect companion and servant. Sometimes creating an assassin of great skill, or a dark knight of the Court able to withstand more punishment and endure more pain than others, and thus be a better lover than some.
Over the years of living in Avalon and eating of its foods the child begins to change, and somewhere along the way is no longer quite human any more. They begin to adopt certain traits of the lands they grow up in, and in most cases never even think to ask about how they came to be in Avalon. There are some, however, who have a faint memory of the Prime Material plane and begin to ask questions, or to plot their escape. Within the Seelie Court the Fey who initially took the child is generally prepared for this day and will give her assent if the Fey Touched wished to leave and find their own way or destiny among the mortals. If asked about their past she will explain, and almost always the parting is on good terms.
Within the Unseelie lands the parting is never on good terms and is always an escape. This tends to cause problems for the Fey who took the child because they are then responsible for finding the child and killing it so it doesn't bring harm to the Court.
Once back on the Prime Material the Fey Touched find themselves in a new world unlike any they had experienced before and most are excited to start a new life and to see where their wanderings will take them. Some may return to their loved ones in Avalon, some may become bitter enemies of the Unseelie Court until the day they die; but all desire to see the world and prepare for the new days ahead.
Appearance: The Fey Touched appear to be human-like in most ways. Their skin color runs the human range, though in bright sunlight there is a slight golden hue to it (DC 20 Perception to notice). Their hair color runs many different ranges from the normal human to reds, blues, and greens. Eye color runs the same as the magic of Avalon has infused their bodies over the many years and altered them in many ways.
Racial Qualities:
Fey Traits:
Low Light Vision
Fey eat, breathe and sleep
Medium Sized
Normal Speed
Human Heritage: +2 to one ability score of your choice at character creation
Linguist: Begin play with Common and either Soel: Language of the Seelie Court, Gesoelig: Language of the Unseelie Court (characters with high Intelligence modifiers may select any language except secret ones like Runic and Druidic)
Racial Traits:
Illusion Resistance: +2 racial bonus on saving throws vs illusion spells or effects
Fey Damage Resistance: Damage Reduction 5/Cold Iron
Disguise Self 1/day
Magical Aptitude as bonus feat
Special: Due to their time in Avalon a Fey Touched may not begin play with a lawful alignment.
Special: At character creation the player may choose one of the following:
Seelie Bound: Your years with the Seelie were mostly very good. You were trained in the arts, diplomacy and in your chosen craft (class). You gain a +2 bonus to Perform: Singing, Dancing, or some musical instrument; +2 Diplomacy. You know the location of certain “safe houses” for agents of the Seelie Court should you find yourself in desperate need.
Unseelie Bound: Your years of training and abuse at the hands of the Unseelie Court has given you deep insight into their methods and insight into the meaning of terror. Gain +2 insight bonus on Intimidation checks and Sense Motive; and +2 Perception to break the disguises of Unseelie Agents.
Favored Class: Any (save those requiring a lawful alignment)
Height & Weight: Same as human male & female
Age: Fey Touched age as humans until they reach adulthood (16) afterwhich they begin to age at a much slower rate due to their connection to the Fey realm. The maximum age for a Fey Touched is 250 + 3d% years. (Note this applies to those Fey Touched who choose to return to the mortal world when they become adults. The Fey are closed lipped about the fates of those who choose to live on their realm or who choose to return permanently.
If you're going for balanced, the /5 reduction at level one is too good. Make it /2 or so at most I would say. Rest I would say isn't too bad.
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If you're going for balanced, the /5 reduction at level one is too good. Make it /2 or so at most I would say. Rest I would say isn't too bad.
I thought it was a bit much myself, but it was the only option in the ARG for Fey Damage Resistance. I didn't know how to scale it (as previously stated I'm trying to learn how to balance mechanics. Very new to this)
The 2/Cold Iron does seem better since they're not full Fey. I'll take that under advisement and make the necessary changes as more people take a look. Many thanks.
Look over the aasimar/tiefling. There are charts where they can trade out abilities. One of the options if damage reduction /2. That is why I mentioned it. It's good early on but can't just negate entire attacks as easily.
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Look over the aasimar/tiefling. There are charts where they can trade out abilities. One of the options if damage reduction /2. That is why I mentioned it. It's good early on but can't just negate entire attacks as easily.
I'll have to do that. Looking back the 5/cold iron was a little too powerful as the Fey Touched aren't fully Fey. I do think there might be a tweak or two needed somewhere but I do like where they are for the most part.
I thank you for the advice and you were totally right about the DR. I'll post the next version of the Fey Touched later, probably tomorrow. I want to see if anyone else has advice as well. :)
I'm glad you like them though.
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Okay so I took Aleron's advice and after looking over the Fey Touched myself I made a couple of alterations that I thought made sense. So I present V.2 of the Fey Touched. Enjoy :) and as always feedback is welcome and appreciated.
NEW RACE: FEY TOUCHED (Humanoid, Fey): When one of the Fey takes a human infant and leaves a Changeling or Fetch in its place the baby is taken away to Avalon, the mystic realm of the Fey and raised in either Arcadia, the lands of the Seelie Court, or Calliope, the lands of the Unseelie Court. The fate of the child can vary greatly depending on the Fey who abducted the child and what her intentions in the swap were.
For the Seelie Court sometimes the Fey woman will want to save a child from particularly wicked parents, protect beauty in some fashion only they comprehend (as that is their way), or perhaps raise up a hero for the mortal world to be ready when the time was right. The reasons have varied over the many centuries and Queen Gloriana has intervened only a handful of times in all of Fey history. In all cases the child was sensed to harbor a great darkness and was returned to the mortal world where they would be watched carefully. Mostly the child is welcomed into the Court and raised with care. In many cases the Fey woman takes the child as a favored servant, in even more a lover once they become of age.
With the Unseelie Court things are decidedly less happy usually. Malefestra rarely cares for the lives of mortals, except to see them suffer and to see what chaos may be caused by her people's interference in their lives. So she has never been known to intervene when one of her people steals a child, except when such children become a threat to the Court, and then woe to that Fey. In many cases the child that is stolen is raised as a pet, educated harshly so as not to embarrass its owner and beaten when not improving in the desired manner. In extremely rare cases it has been know for the Unseelie Fey to actually develop feelings for the child and take it as a lover, raising it as the perfect companion and servant. Sometimes creating an assassin of great skill, or a dark knight of the Court able to withstand more punishment and endure more pain than others, and thus be a better lover than some.
Over the years of living in Avalon and eating of its foods the child begins to change, and somewhere along the way is no longer quite human any more. They begin to adopt certain traits of the lands they grow up in, and in most cases never even think to ask about how they came to be in Avalon. There are some, however, who have a faint memory of the Prime Material plane and begin to ask questions, or to plot their escape. Within the Seelie Court the Fey who initially took the child is generally prepared for this day and will give her assent if the Fey Touched wished to leave and find their own way or destiny among the mortals. If asked about their past she will explain, and almost always the parting is on good terms.
Within the Unseelie lands the parting is never on good terms and is always an escape. This tends to cause problems for the Fey who took the child because they are then responsible for finding the child and killing it so it doesn't bring harm to the Court.
Once back on the Prime Material the Fey Touched find themselves in a new world unlike any they had experienced before and most are excited to start a new life and to see where their wanderings will take them. Some may return to their loved ones in Avalon, some may become bitter enemies of the Unseelie Court until the day they die; but all desire to see the world and prepare for the new days ahead.
Appearance: The Fey Touched appear to be human-like in most ways. Their skin color runs the human range, though in bright sunlight there is a slight golden hue to it (DC 20 Perception to notice). Their hair color runs many different ranges from the normal human to reds, blues, and greens. Eye color runs the same as the magic of Avalon has infused their bodies over the many years and altered them in many ways.
Racial Qualities:
Fey Traits:
Low Light Vision
Fey eat, breathe and sleep
Medium Sized
Normal Speed
Human Heritage: +2 to one ability score of your choice at character creation
Linguist: Begin play with Common and either Soel: Language of the Seelie Court, Gesoelig: Language of the Unseelie Court (characters with high Intelligence modifiers may select any language except secret ones like Runic and Druidic)
Racial Traits:
Illusion Resistance: +2 racial bonus on saving throws vs illusion spells or effects
Fey Damage Resistance: Damage Reduction 2/Cold Iron
+2 to Knowledge Nature to recognize Fey Circles & Mounds, other Fey creatures
Disguise Self 1/day
Magical Aptitude as bonus feat
Special: Due to their time in Avalon a Fey Touched may not begin play with a lawful alignment.
Special: At character creation the player may choose one of the following:
Seelie Bound: Your years with the Seelie were mostly very good. You were trained in the arts, diplomacy and in your chosen craft (class). You gain a +2 bonus to Perform: Singing, Dancing, or some musical instrument; +2 Diplomacy. You know the location of certain “safe houses” for agents of the Seelie Court should you find yourself in desperate need.
Unseelie Bound: Your years of training and abuse at the hands of the Unseelie Court has given you deep insight into their methods and insight into the meaning of terror. Gain +2 insight bonus on Intimidation checks and Sense Motive; and +2 Perception to break the disguises of Unseelie Agents.
Favored Class: Any (save those requiring a lawful alignment)
Height & Weight: Same as human male & female
Age: Fey Touched age as humans until they reach adulthood (16) afterwhich they begin to age at a much slower rate due to their connection to the Fey realm. The maximum age for a Fey Touched is 250 + 3d% years. (Note this applies to those Fey Touched who choose to return to the mortal world when they become adults. The Fey are closed lipped about the fates of those who choose to live on their realm or who choose to return permanently.)
Much better. This is something I would allow in my own campaigns. Well done.
I like it! Fits nicely with your Fetch race!
Just my remarks:
I'm a bit wary of the 'safe houses' trait for Seelie Fey Touched. It's a bit non-quantifiable and might be prone to abuse. Also, it might be a bit difficult to balance the plausibility of knowing the exact locations of a huge number of safehouses against the uselessness of knowing the locations of a small number of widely spread-out safehouses that the PCs might never get nearby to.
At the moment I see little reason to play an Unseelie Fey Touched, except to play a Drizzt-esque rebel on the run. They've got the disadvantage of a whole race and a goddess basically hunting them (while the Seelie might assist their own Fey Touched) and they trade in safehouses trait for a highly circumstantial ability that provides only a modicum of compensation for being hunted (+2 to Perception to penetrate Unseelie disguises).
[edit]: It might be a cool idea to replace the safe houses and +2 Perception to recognize Unseelie with an innate 'homing sense' to the nearest access point to the realm of the Fey (places where the worlds are closer together, such as forest groves or deep swamps).
Personally, I think the Fey Touched are kinda superior to humans. They get a lot of racial bonuses in addition to a bonus feat (albeit a sucky one) and a lot of their racial bonuses are quite good.
I might be wrong in this though, how many RP do they total now?
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I like it! Fits nicely with your Fetch race!
Just my remarks:
I'm a bit wary of the 'safe houses' trait for Seelie Fey Touched. It's a bit non-quantifiable and might be prone to abuse. Also, it might be a bit difficult to balance the plausibility of knowing the exact locations of a huge number of safehouses against the uselessness of knowing the locations of a small number of widely spread-out safehouses that the PCs might never get nearby to.
At the moment I see little reason to play an Unseelie Fey Touched, except to play a Drizzt-esque rebel on the run. They've got the disadvantage of a whole race and a goddess basically hunting them (while the Seelie might assist their own Fey Touched) and they trade in safehouses trait for a highly circumstantial ability that provides only a modicum of compensation for being hunted (+2 to Perception to penetrate Unseelie disguises).
[edit]: It might be a cool idea to replace the safe houses and +2 Perception to recognize Unseelie with an innate 'homing sense' to the nearest access point to the realm of the Fey (places where the worlds are closer together, such as forest groves or deep swamps).
Personally, I think the Fey Touched are kinda superior to humans. They get a lot of racial bonuses in addition to a bonus feat (albeit a sucky one) and a lot of their racial bonuses are quite good.
I might be wrong in this though, how many RP do they total now?
Well keep in mind that the Fey Touched don't get the human extra skill point or extra feat. Really the only human heritage thing they get is the +2 to any stat. Their time in the Fey realm alters them a lot, to the point where they really aren't human anymore, otherwise I just would have made a template. The safe house thing is really more of an awareness of who are Fey friends in the area where they're going to come out in. (It's not meant to cover the whole world) More of a localized thing, with a chance to find out more from other locations.
The Unseelie Bound doesn't have the whole race after them. That's the thing, or even Malefestra (Unless it's something so major that she HAS to step in, but the odds of that are very unlikely unless the PC does something mindboggling stupid at which point all bets are off). The only one coming for him, or her, is the Fey that initially took them and maybe a trusted servant or two. The Unseelie may not care about duty but they DO care about you cleaning up your own mess when you screw up majorly and are loathe to get involved when one of their own is on the outs with the higher ups (these things don't have to happen right away. Hunteds don't have to be every session, though they should come up at least once every two or three) Heck if the PC manages to evade long enough the Court may grant them freedom just for causing so much chaos to one of their own (one of their tenants is causing chaos)
The rp cost (not counting special things since I just come up with those off the top of my head) actually the Fey Touched hit about 10 maybe 11 points, if my math is right. (I could have added wrong but some of the things aren't covered, like the lower DR so I have to wing it on cost)
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Okay here's a small update. I added a section about Fey Forged weapons. (I don't think it's anything too major. Not any more powerful than adamantine to be sure)
Also clarified a couple of points.
Here's V.2.5
NEW RACE: FEY TOUCHED (Humanoid, Fey): When one of the Fey takes a human infant and leaves a Changeling or Fetch in its place the baby is taken away to Avalon, the mystic realm of the Fey and raised in either Arcadia, the lands of the Seelie Court, or Calliope, the lands of the Unseelie Court. The fate of the child can vary greatly depending on the Fey who abducted the child and what her intentions in the swap were.
For the Seelie Court sometimes the Fey woman will want to save a child from particularly wicked parents, protect beauty in some fashion only they comprehend (as that is their way), or perhaps raise up a hero for the mortal world to be ready when the time was right. The reasons have varied over the many centuries and Queen Gloriana has intervened only a handful of times in all of Fey history. In all cases the child was sensed to harbor a great darkness and was returned to the mortal world where they would be watched carefully. Mostly the child is welcomed into the Court and raised with care. In many cases the Fey woman takes the child as a favored servant, in even more a lover once they become of age.
With the Unseelie Court things are decidedly less happy usually. Malefestra rarely cares for the lives of mortals, except to see them suffer and to see what chaos may be caused by her people's interference in their lives. So she has never been known to intervene when one of her people steals a child, except when such children become a threat to the Court, and then woe to that Fey. In many cases the child that is stolen is raised as a pet, educated harshly so as not to embarrass its owner and beaten when not improving in the desired manner. In extremely rare cases it has been know for the Unseelie Fey to actually develop feelings for the child and take it as a lover, raising it as the perfect companion and servant. Sometimes creating an assassin of great skill, or a dark knight of the Court able to withstand more punishment and endure more pain than others, and thus be a better lover than some.
Over the years of living in Avalon and eating of its foods the child begins to change, and somewhere along the way is no longer quite human any more. They begin to adopt certain traits of the lands they grow up in, and in most cases never even think to ask about how they came to be in Avalon. There are some, however, who have a faint memory of the Prime Material plane and begin to ask questions, or to plot their escape. Within the Seelie Court the Fey who initially took the child is generally prepared for this day and will give her assent if the Fey Touched wished to leave and find their own way or destiny among the mortals. If asked about their past she will explain, and almost always the parting is on good terms.
Within the Unseelie lands the parting is never on good terms and is always an escape. This tends to cause problems for the Fey who took the child because they are then responsible for finding the child and killing it so it doesn't bring harm to the Court.
Once back on the Prime Material the Fey Touched find themselves in a new world unlike any they had experienced before and most are excited to start a new life and to see where their wanderings will take them. Some may return to their loved ones in Avalon, some may become bitter enemies of the Unseelie Court until the day they die; but all desire to see the world and prepare for the new days ahead.
Appearance: The Fey Touched appear to be human-like in most ways. Their skin color runs the human range, though in bright sunlight there is a slight golden hue to it (DC 20 Perception to notice). Their hair color runs many different ranges from the normal human to reds, blues, and greens. Eye color runs the same as the magic of Avalon has infused their bodies over the many years and altered them in many ways.
Racial Qualities:
Fey Traits:
Low Light Vision
Fey eat, breathe and sleep
Medium Sized
Normal Speed
Human Heritage: +2 to one ability score of your choice at character creation
Linguist: Begin play with Common and either Soel: Language of the Seelie Court, Gesoelig: Language of the Unseelie Court (characters with high Intelligence modifiers may select any language except secret ones like Runic and Druidic)
Racial Traits:
Illusion Resistance: +2 racial bonus on saving throws vs illusion spells or effects
Fey Damage Resistance: Damage Reduction 2/Cold Iron
+2 to Knowledge Nature to recognize Fey Circles & Mounds, other Fey creatures (Note: Fey Circles are points where it could be easier to cross into the Fey Realm, provided you know where the slide will take you)
Disguise Self 1/day
Magical Aptitude as bonus feat
Special: Due to their time in Avalon a Fey Touched may not begin play with a lawful alignment.
Special: At character creation the player may choose one of the following:
Seelie Bound: Your years with the Seelie were mostly very good. You were trained in the arts, diplomacy and in your chosen craft (class). You gain a +2 bonus to Perform: Singing, Dancing, or some musical instrument; +2 Diplomacy. You know the location of certain “safe houses” for agents of the Seelie Court should you find yourself in desperate need. (these safe houses are within a certain area, genreally where the Fey Touched will be leaving to, not every point in the world.)
Unseelie Bound: Your years of training and abuse at the hands of the Unseelie Court has given you deep insight into their methods and insight into the meaning of terror. Gain +2 insight bonus on Intimidation checks and Sense Motive; and +2 Perception to break the disguises of Unseelie Agents.
Favored Class: Any (save those requiring a lawful alignment)
Height & Weight: Same as human male & female
Age: Fey Touched age as humans until they reach adulthood (16) afterwhich they begin to age at a much slower rate due to their connection to the Fey realm. The maximum age for a Fey Touched is 250 + 3d% years. (Note this applies to those Fey Touched who choose to return to the mortal world when they become adults. The Fey are closed lipped about the fates of those who choose to live on their realm or who choose to return permanently.)
Fey Forged Weapons: Since the Fey cannot stand the touch of iron they've had to find other metals and materials to work with to create their weapons with. In most cases this metal has been bronze smelted deep in the bowels of the forges of the mysterious Athach (unaligned Fey that live deep underground tending to their mines and forges. They have a strict policy of neutrality and have never been known to intervene or interfere in the affairs of the Courts or the Wild Hunt)
Special Quality: a Fey Forged weapon, in the hands of a Fey typed or sub typed creature, overcomes the damage resistance of other Fey types.
Cost: Almost any weapon (save bows and crossbows themselves) can be Fey Forged. In order to acquire one a person must prove themselves worthy to a master craftsman by undergoing a lethally dangerous quest. If the potential client's worth is proven the cost is typically the full cost of a masterwork version of the weapon of choice x5 and must be made from scratch for that person and their bloodline.