It Takes More Than a Rib - Creating Races In Your Game

[Apupunchau]

In my last two 3pp projects I've had to delve into creating new races. In doing so I had to look at more than just the mechanical benefits differing races abilities give you, and why I would pick certain traits. Here are some notes on what I take into account when creating a new race. What are some of the things you think about when making a new playable race for your game?

[Claxon]

When I consider making a new race thoughts I have:

Is it designed to be used by players? If so I need to worry about its mechanical balance more than if its a NPC only race
What is this races role/position within the lore? Why does it need to exist? Is there another race that could feel the role in the story I want to tell just as well? There's no need to introduce a new race if its not really "new", unique, and useful to the story line.
New races shouldn't be more powerful than already existing races. You should try to be in the same range of power, but not more powerful. I've seen an awful lot of minmaxed races that were completely overpowered and had only minimal lore because someone wanted the mechanics of it, to optimize their character. This should be avoided in my opinion.

Also, don't use the race builder guide from Paizo. As a GM's tool who wants to make interesting races it can be an okay tool, but if you're trying to optimize/break a race its very easy to do so by giving it penalties that wont affect many types of characters. The Race Builder is terribly imbalanced and should only be used as a lose suggestion.

[Apupunchau]

Where as I agree with most of the first group of ideas and I do the same. The second about not using the race builder not so much. Especially about it being used to optimized/break a race. The fact of the matter any of the rules in Pathfinder can be optimized/broken, that's just the nature of rules. Some one, some where will find a way to make a rule do something it wasn't intended to, or stack rules so they do something overpowered. So saying not to use something just becasue some one could break it seems off to me.

When I write 3pp stuff the goal is to stay in line with what already exists as to - as you suggest and I agree - not to over power already existing races. Working within the confines of the race builder allows me to do that easily. Obviously I may have an idea for a race with an ability not listed and have to come up with my own and its corresponding race points. But I use the race builder as a guideline to making these things up as well.

[Claxon]

The problem is that not everyone is trying to maintain a balance with existing material. Some view the creation of a new race as an opportunity to go wild.

This wasn't necessarily advice directed specifically to you, but general advice for anyone (player or GM) who might wish to try to create a new race. The race builder is okay tool for a GM who isn't going to purposefully make a too powerful race (hopefully). But a new GM could still blunder into it by using the race builder. And players are often wanting to build overpowered races by using the race builder.

I agree its a good set of guidelines, but never take it as an authority. A place to start off, not necessarily a place to finish with.