
Ambrus |

I'm working on a PC fey race called the Meliae; a type of dryad bonded to an ash tree in Greek myth. I started with a half-elf, kept some of its base traits, adopted some of the half-elf's alternate racial traits and swapped out others traits for those from the Race Builder chapter of the Advanced Race Guide to maintain balance.
It ends up being a low-calory PC-friendly version of the dryad which, by my count, maintains the ARG's 10 r.p. guideline for a standard PC race. I'm just looking to get some feedback on it.
• Type: Fey (2 RP)
• Low-light vision (– RP)
• Ability modifiers: +2 to any single ability score (0 RP)
• Size: Medium (0 RP)
• Base speed: Normal (30-ft.) (0 RP)
• Language: Standard (Comon & Sylvan + INT) (0 RP)
• Treespeech: Speak with plants (constant) (2 RP)
• Spell-like Ability, Lesser: charm person 1/ day (1 RP)
• Spell-like Ability, Lesser: entangle 1/ day (1 RP)
• Bonus feat (Skill Focus) (2 RP)
• Perennial (2 RP)
Perennial: Meliae are creatures of all seasons, and so are as accustomed to harsh winters as they are to easy summers. A melia can move through natural snow and ice at her normal speed and gains a +4 racial bonus on Fortitude saves to avoid nonlethal damage from cold environments.

Ambrus |

also there's a skill focus racial trait you don't need the bonus feat version unless it's there fora different reason.
Hm. There's the Skill Bonus (2 RP) trait, which gives a +2 bonus to a predetermined skill while the half-elf's example profile has something called "static bonus feat (skill focus)" as at trait for the same cost; though the latter would grant the player a +3 bonus to a skill of his own choice.the latter option is clearly better than the former; odd that they're given the same rp value.
Since I started with the half-elf as a template, I figured I'd keep the skill focus feat as it was. Perhaps that was misguided.

Ambrus |

Seems a bit bland to me. Though you've chosen powerful SLAs.
It's about as bland as any standard 10 RP race is likely to be without some monstrous racial traits thrown in. it's hard to shoehorn in a tree-fey's charm, way with animals, AC & DR defenses, and various plant-related magical abilities on a limited budget. If nothing else, her ability to speak with plants makes her stand out from other PC races.
If you've got suggestions to spice her up though, I'm all ears. :)

Bardarok |

you might want to consider using standard instead of the 2 to any ability score. also there's a skill focus racial trait you don't need the bonus feat version unless it's there fora different reason.
I agree with Archae the +2 to any score is bland. I'd think +2Cha, +2wis, -2Str could work, would encourage fey blood sorceress.
It's hard to make in interesting balanced race without throwing in some weakness to balance things out.

Ambrus |

Here's some flavor text to try and spice up this boring girl:
Meliae are the ash tree sisters of the common dryad and the benign guardians of their woodland groves. Named after the honey-like substance exuded by their bonded trees, these fey have a sweet and nurturing disposition as well as an intoxicatingly charming demeanor. Like common dryads, meliae are bonded to their trees, and are usually only found deep inside virgin forests, far away from the woodcutter's axe.
Physical Description: Meliae appear as graceful women of slender build, with pointed ears and flesh like polished fine-grained wood. Their features are exquisite; with high cheek bones and almond-shaped eyes that appear as pools of amber honey. A melia's hair is a cascade of small ash leaves that change color with the passing seasons; vibrant green with white blossoms in the spring and summer, turning to yellow or crimson-purple in the autumn before finally thinning to grey-black in the winter.
Relations: Living isolated and sedentary lives, it is unusual for meliae to ever cross paths with each other, so their shared culture remains minor. The same cannot be said of the meliae's relationships with friendly animals or other sylvan beings however, who are naturally drawn and welcomed into their groves. Indeed, many meliae are often attended and protected by an ever-changing entourage of visitors as if they were queens holding court. Amongst their friends, meliae may count various herbivors, mischievous grigs, playful sprites, or lustful satyrs as well as more unusual companions such as unicorns, treants and perhaps a few mortal druids or rangers who've earned the tree-fey's trust. Together they comprise the only means for meliae to learn of the world beyond their sheltered groves.
Alignment and Religion: Isolation and the goodwill of their sylvan friends strongly influences the meliae's character and philosophy. Neither cruelty nor deceit come naturally to them and so most are chaotic good. Usually, all they know of religion is what they've learnt from the visitors to their groves so most meliae, if they follow any religion at all, opt for female woodland deities commonly worshiped in their area.
Adventurers: Normally rooted in place, exceptional circumstances are required for a melia to leave her grove on an adventure, usually involving the destruction of her bonded tree; necessitating the search for a new tree with which she can join. Alternatively, some powerful magics may allow a melia's tree to be moved; possibly by a helpful treant or druid friend, though usually as a means to escape some great peril.

Bardarok |

They have free movement through snow but not through underbrush, that seems wrong. Maybe give them woodland stride instead of Perennial but let them take perennial instead of woodland stride if they become druids.
Some sort of restriction for being too far from their tree would enable you to balance with some more powers.
Here are some ideas just for flavor, they would need some balancing.
Give them favored terrain bonuses wherever wild ash trees grow (or could grow) and penalties to the same things whenever underground, underwater, or in civilized lands.
Give them tree meld as the dryad ability but they only heal naturally when they sleep inside the tree.

Ambrus |

They have free movement through snow but not through underbrush, that seems wrong.
You make a good point. My notion of giving the meliae some ability to deal with cold environments comes from my beef with those fey and plant creatures who are native to areas with winter seasons but who have no racial ability to endure frigid temperatures. How do they survive the winters? I can't imagine treants or dryads building fires to keep warm in their groves. My ¢2.
I prefer to add the ability to move through underbrush as you suggest. Perhaps I could add that in lieu of the entangle spell-like ability. Anyone hazard to guess what a move-through-overgrown-areas ability might cost in R.P.?
Some sort of restriction for being too far from their tree would enable you to balance with some more powers.
It'd be easy enough to give them the same weakness as dryads. No idea how many R.P. that might be worth though.
Give them favored terrain bonuses wherever wild ash trees grow (or could grow)
That'd be Forests
and penalties to the same things whenever underground, underwater, or in civilized lands.
That'd pretty much encompass every environment besides Forests. What kind of bonus/penalty do you have in mind? Stealth or AC bonus?
Give them tree meld as the dryad ability
Hm... That'd eat up a lot of R.P.

Ambrus |

Can't go too far overboard with a standard PC race; even true dryads don't receivve any particular bonuses in woodlands. How does the following sound as a revised version of perennial?
Perennial Forester Meliae are creatures of all seasons, and so are as accustomed to harsh winters as they are to easy summers in their woodland homes. A melia can move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) as well as natural snow and ice at her normal speed and without suffering any other impairment. Thorns, briars, overgrown areas or snow and ice barriers that have been magically manipulated to impede motion, however, still affect her. Melia also gain a +2 racial bonus to Survival skill checks while in woodland environments..
I'm thinking 3 R.P. might be sufficient for such an ability. Thoughts?