Okay so I've been working on a race for a while now and I've kind of hit the limit as to what one person can do on his own. What I'm asking is for help balancing, tips on what makes sense for in universe back story, etc.
Grimmlings 13 rp
Fey 2 rp
Medium 0 rp
Slow speed -1 rp
Standard 0 rp - +2 dexterity, +2 charisma, -2 strength. Grimmlings are nimble due to the intense physical and mental training they all go through, this training leaves them with a lithe and graceful body and well as a sound mind. During this training they are taught to forgo brute force in favor of pinpointing an enemies weakness.
Fey damage resistance 3 rp- Dr 5\cold iron
Frightful gaze 6 rp- supernatural ability, 30 ft, will save DC= 10 + charisma mod.+ 1\2 player level or else be paralyzed in fear for 1 round. Upon success one cannot be paralyzed for 24 hours.
Slapping tail 3 rp- d8 damage
Grimmlings are a tall race of near ageless fey, upon arrival in Golarion they attempted to return to the first world only to be ejected from it immediately. Since then they have accepted this and now seek to keep Golarion from coming to harm. Among other fey they represent the natural flow of time and act as the worlds record keepers.
When a Grimmling dies there soul returns to what called "The Pool". This pool is the portal that the Grimmling originally came from. This portal is a direct connection the first world, although a Grimmling may not travel through it they are reborn using it; having the memories of their previous life sealed away. Most Grimmlings tend to worship this pool as they once did the first world long ago, as such very few are religious.
Grimmlings are a tall, naturally lithe race, ranging in heights around 7 feet for females with males being a shorter 6 feet. There long whip like tails have a light layer of fur that gets thinner as it gets further from the tail. This fur comes in a variety of exotic colors ranging from pink, to jet black; their fur colors is often match by their hair color.
Another odd feature Grimmlings possess are their entire eyes having color instead of just the iris, their eye colors are as exotic as there fur.
Grimmlings view on other races...
They view gnomes as something akin to an annoying cousin.
Elves are seen as prideful, they tend to avoid coming into contact with them .
Orcs and half-orcs are respected for how much they get done with their brutal tactics.
Halflings are welcomed company for them, often helping Grimmlings to relax.
Dwarves are respected for their endurance and crafting skills
Half-elves are taken away from society and trained to be symbols of hope, using their dual minded nature to help them relate to all.
Humans are often brushed aside for their racial commonness. However if they prove themselves individually then they are given a degree of respect.
Grimmlings often associate with less common races in order to help them acclaimate into civilized society. In general however elves and drow are the only truly disliked race, even kobolds and goblins are given more of a chance.
Anyway this is kind of what I have, any tips or advice.
Slow Speed seems counter intuitive to a race described as "graceful and quick" And 1 more point won't put them on par with the Wheels of Cheese that are aasimar.
If you'd like to keep them on par with the core races as far as RP goes, I'd recommend removing the DR, DR is a powerful thing on a PC, especially for the first 1-4 levels, and with a normal speed, they would end up at 11 RP, perfectly average, at least as far as the ARG would be concerned.
I gave them the Dr cause fey... kinda assumed all fey had the cold iron Dr it seemed appropriate
As for the slow speed thing switching it to normal was just me trying to lower its rp but yea if its not op then yeah I will switch it.
If anything, its better to have the slow speed trait on a medium race, cause it means no more encumberence penalties.
Frankly its not really at the point where it makes them at all overpowered
Either could work themeatically , with slow meaning its them being careful.
About the Dr thing I'm considering keeping it if only because its a fey thing that a majority if not all of them possess.
Yes, but most fey aren't being presented as PC options, how many races can you name that start out with DR?
the first thing that always comes to mind when I see a "NEW RACE" thread is... is this a thread by a GM wanting input on a new race for a campaign, or a player 's new race idea that they want to play.
and a 5/coldiron DR on starting character is pretty rough, unless the gm passes out cold iron arrow heads and such to all the baddies.
That is true that Dr insnt really a thing that PC races have , I was considering weapon finesse as. A starting bonus feat to replace it. It fits thematically and works well mechanically and drops them to 12, 11 if I change to slow speed.
Yeah from a Gming stand point I kind of understand mechanically the Dr is a pretty powerful thing to have, k then consider it switched.
Weapon Finesse is a much more reasonable addition to the race, more fitting too IMO.
Well I figured because the penalty to strength makes that kind of build a bad idea so weapon finesse just seemed a good idea
Frightful gaze is a feature I'm definetly not switching, it is the essential to the my original image for the race, however yeah it is intended to be powerful its 6 race points without it mechanically their pretty weak.
Also if that's all mechanically that's wrong, how about flavor wise? Do they fit well enough?
But yeah the cold iron thing is basically canned, but as a racial feat that's a good idea.
I think I could use a little more description of these dudes. Are they furry all over or just at their tail? Is this some sort of satyr-like race?
I think that works fine.
I would drop the DR, though. You can give it to them later as a feat if you want (as Ascalaphus has suggested). That gaze is flavorful, but can't you just replace it with hold person as a spell-like ability once per day? If it doesn't scale forever then it is not quite as powerful. Also: do you intend to let this be used as many times per day as the grimling wants?
On afterlife:
Does this pool business interfere with resurrections?
Well the gaze is stated as working at will until succeed on, after the first succession it doesn't effect a target for 24 hours, I really just used the frightful gaze from the arg but the DC is set for 10 + 1\2 level + cha modifier.
as for description yeah there tails have noticeable fur the rest is all over them as well but more akin to peach fuzz. With the exception of the tail they are mostly human or elf shaped and have super long pointy ears like other fey. In all honesty I was playing pokemon at they time I thought of them and based them kind of around mew . Their tails are supposed to be incredibly long nearly as long as they are tall, and are sort of whip like or cat like.
Its also mind affecting fear, that's what frightful gaze is listed as.
As for ressurections yes it does mean ressurection spells don't work on them . When one dies they are reborn in said pool, as a new grimmling , with there previous life sealed away. Also worth noting they are reborn young and slowly grow to adult, where there age category halts. It also prevents spells such as soul trap. Basically there souls are tied to this pool so it would be near impossible to try and capture one soul.
It is worth noting that with appropriate spells those memories may be retrieved.
But overall the only noticeable fur is on the actual tail part, their skin appears bare but upon touch has peach fuzz like fur
Grimmlings
Fey
Grimmlings are a race of tall, ageless, humanoid looking fey that ventured from the First world. These fey, possess eerie eyes, long whip like tails, and are covered in a soft thick layer fur all over. Since venturing to Golarion they have taken it upon themselves to watch over the younger races of the world, very rarely interfering with Golarion until their help is truly needed.
The Grimmlings are a mysterious race that never shows fear, especially to enemies. They tend to have a “tough love” philosophy with members of outside races that they take under their wing, despite this they generally have others best interests at heart. Most tend to show little emotion when around member of their own kind with. However they are capable of relaxing and showing normal emotion, at appropriate times.
The Grimmlings tend to live in areas on the outskirts of current civilizations, watching from areas out of reach by normal people. For this reason Grimmlings have no set fashion or style, with the exception of the long hooded cloaks they wear when venturing outside of the colony to keep their unusual appearance hidden from the more common races. Grimmlings are trained until adulthood to have nimble, precise movements as well as being educated to know and understand the ways of the world.
Physical Description
Grimmlings fur tends to match their hair color which can range from white to all sorts of exotic colors, the most common of which is pink. All Grimmlings eyes are reverse colored, the sclera being the colored portion which can be virtually any color. They are 6 to 7 feet tall with their whip like tails being as long as they are tall. The females tend to be taller and slimmer, while males tend to be shorter but stockier; although they tend to weigh between 120 to 190 pounds. The fur covering their bodies is only noticeable on the tail; elsewhere it is light enough to only affect the skin by adding a slight hue.
Society
Grimmling society is run by a group of paragons, who have chosen to stay with their tribe. These paragons are typically the most notable members in the tribe who have proven themselves in some way. These paragons have many duties, these duties consist of: training the next generation of Grimmlings, maintaining trade with the less common races of Golarion, controlling when the tribe needs to move, controlling civil disputes, the cities militia, and marriage. Grimmlings never marry from others from the tribe, seeing them as family. However Grimmlings often marry other species this union can result in a half- Grimmling; they will however marry from other tribes.
Those who do not desire to leave the tribe often join the militia to protect the tribe from the evil creatures of Golarion. Meanwhile those who desire to leave the tribe may upon reaching adulthood, often never returning finding a more compatible life outside. Those who do not leave the tribe perform tasks such as gathering food, making tools and weapons, and other things.
Relations
Grimmlings have a healthy respect for the strength and organization of Dwarven civilization. They dislike elves seeing them as haughty, half-elves however they take under wing viewing their mixed heritage as interesting enough to warrant attention. Drow are another story entirely, all Grimmlings that uphold the side of good see Drow as irredeemably evil, evil Grimmlings however view them no differently than the other races; as prey. Gnomes are more like distant cousins to them; they enjoy their company or at the very least tolerate them. Halflings are viewed as irresponsible, but tolerated with how young they are and how short they lived. Orcs and half Orcs are respected for their sheer strength and ferocity. Humans are viewed as entertaining, often viewed as too diverse to become truly great; they will associate with them but generally try to maintain superiority over them. Grimmlings often make partnerships with the more primitive or uncommon races of Golarion generally trading with them, seeing them as useful to have around. On a final note Grimmlings remain loyal to those considered their comrades.
Alignment and Religion
Grimmling tend to hate the gods due to being unable to go back to their beloved first world. They put little to no emphasis on religion in their society and prefer to study history and solve problems without waiting on divine intervention. Grimmlings usually maintain neutrality, preferring the truth over the biased desires of law or chaos. However, not all Grimmlings stay truly neutral; those who side with the forces of good tend to take action as soon as they can leaving the village to pursue and vanquish evil. Evil Grimmlings also called are to be feared; they see all races as below them and as nothing more than prey; they ruthlessly abuse their powers finding someone of great potential instead of turning them into a hero, train them to obey their Grimmling master who turns them into a weapon of mass destruction.
However most Grimmlings do worship a pool like portal that originally brought them over from the first world, much to their dismay they cannot go back through it to their beloved home. This portal also has a connect to the soul of a Grimmling, when one dies they return to the pool that they originally came through as a young Grimmling, with little to no memories of their former life.
Adventurers
Those who leave the tribe often never return; they do so seeking a more compatible life. Occasionally they seek the outcasts of other societies to train them into heroes or leaders, affecting the world indirectly to keep balance of good and evil in check. Most become rangers due to their intimate connection with nature and the universe, some who leave the tribe become rogues using this training and their deadly tails along with eyes to surpass other rogues.
Male Names – Dante, Lucian, Nazaire
Female Names – Iliara, Valerie, Alura, Cecilia
Racial traits
• Ability scores- -2 strength, + 2 dexterity, +2 charismas. Grimmlings easily manipulate other races using their exotic beauty and mysterious nature. They prefer using nimble precise attacks over brute force.
• Size- Medium
• Base speed- 30 feet
• Languages- Grimmling begins speaking common and sylvan. Grimmlings with a high enough intelligence or points in linguistic can select from any language.
• Racial traits and feats- Nimble attacks- gain weapon finesse as a feat
• Offensive racial traits- Slapping tail- medium creature d8 plus dexterity due to weapon finesse.
• Sense racial traits- Frightful gaze- Range 30 ft. Dc 10 + half level + Charisma or suffers 1 round paralyzed mind affecting fear. Works until target succeeds at a will save.
• Immortality- When a Grimmling reaches adult hood at 150 years they stop aging and remain in the adult age group. When a Grimmling dies their soul is reborn at their tribe and life begins anew. As such when one dies they are unaffected by resurrection spells. When they pass on their previous life’s memories are sealed.
• Ageless mind- for every 200 years that passes a Grimmlings memories become cloudy, as such they receive no changes that are made due to the changing of an age category.
• Pool of life- Cannot be brought back using resurrection or other spells that bring them back to life (Except wish) due to their soul’s being connected with the pool that brought them to Golarion.
Racial feat- Fey damage resistance, at starting at level 5 a Grimmling make take this feat once to gain DR 5/ Cold iron.
this is the finally copy for all to read, i would have posted it via link but have no clue how to through microsoft word.
AGH, indents! Indents you fool!
But On a more serious note, just look at the "how to format your text" button and it shows you how to make a url link.
Are you implying that they add their dex to their tail damage? That is not what weapon finesse does if that is the case.
Frightful gaze take a standard action to use, right? Do these guys get any bonuses or penalties for aging?
No resurrection is a pretty rough drawback in most settings late game. That is fine but keep that in mind. Maybe you could allow for "resurrection" by finding the reincarnated grimmling and slapping him with a resurrection spell to give him his memories back.
no to the adding dex to damage, ive used weapon finesse on enough characters to understand it meaning i am sorry if it seemed like i said its supposed to add damage.
frightful gaze is listed as when creatures meet eyesight within 30 feet, its an automatic thing.
but yea no bonuses or penalties from aging, its more so players don't abuse the aging system to get maxed out mental stats.
Man. That gaze is too good. It is way way too good.
I noticed that most of your races are at least a little overpowered, though. Should people be considering how these races stack up to your other races? Are these going to be the only races in your game? (they can all be a tad OP in that case, then)
Even having said that: that gaze is way too good. It will straight-up shut down a lot of encounters. It will paralyze a guy and then a fighter will coup-de-gras that guy. Guy who you can't coup de gras for whatever reason will lose multiple turns possibly. This will come up in essentially every fight. The bad guys will make their saves or they will lose.
its good for the first few levels but the descriptors on it were vague enough to interpret it differently i assumed when it says succeed then it doesnt work for 24 hours it mean the players will save succeeds. but i could be interpretting it wrong it could mean it works once and then stops for 24 hours.
but yeah my races tend towards the powerful side, Its kind of why i post them to get opinions to fix them. i like using unique ideas and gimmicks like flying or larger size to separate things from everything else. as for using them ive only used the grimmlings once or twice in my campaigns as story telling devices but never as real pc races.
I'd like to point out that these races will be used in the same homebrew setting, since Archie and I are trying for a set of 6 or so to use as native races. I think I win the OP contest though, with the 4 armed Fire-Bugs I've made, if that answers your question, Excaliburproxy. I've thought the same about frightful gaze too.
but yeah id be willing to houserule it as a numbe rof times per day equal to cha modifier or something.
I would say # of times per day = to cha mod, is more balanced.
Isn't that what I said?