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Hi everyone! Hopefully you're doing well.
So I'm going to be running Hell's Rebels within the next couple of months, and a couple of my players showed interest in playing Tiefling or Aasimar characters. Considering that Tiefling are already 3 RP higher than generally all base races on average, and Aasimar are an astounding 5 RP higher, I figured I didn't want to let them.
But instead, I opted to just make slightly balanced Tiefling and Aasimar variants to let players use :) Just wanted to see what people thought.
Certain Aasimar's divine bloodline presences are comparatively weaker in comparison to full-blooded aasimar. These ones are PC-playable, and go by the name "Aluen". Below are the traits associated with Aluen, including alternative ancestry options. Their bloodlines are faint, so they aren't as physically noticeable as true aasimar. They may still have minor physical traits, such as minorly glowing eyes, unnaturally light hair, or a serene warmth.
Standard Racial Traits
+2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma, -2 Constitution: Aluen are personable and insightful, yet less hardy than their more celestial cousins.
Type: Humanoid (Aluen) The aluen's celestial blood is quite diluted, and they are no longer considered outsiders with the native subtype.
Medium: Aluen are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Aluen have a base speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision: Aluen retain the enhanced vision of their celestial cousins and can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Minor Celestial Resistance: Aluen begin play with resistance 5 acid, cold, or electricty (you choose). Once chosen, the type cannot be changed.
Skilled: Aluen have a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Perception checks.
Spell-Like Ability: Aluen can use daylight once per day as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to the aluen's class level.
Languages: Aluen begin play speaking Common and Celestial. Aluen with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following languages. Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Halfling, and Sylvan.
Certain Tiefling's infernal bloodline presences are comparatively weaker in comparison to full-blooded tieflings. These ones are PC-playable, and go by the name "Alakine". Below are the traits associated with Alakine, including alternative ancestry options. Their bloodlines are faint, so they aren't as physically noticeable as true tieflings. They may still have minor physical traits, such as minorly shadowed eyes, unnaturally pointed fingers, or an unnerving aura.
Standard Racial Traits
+2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma: Alakine are quick in body and mind, but are inherently strange and unnerving.
Type: Humanoid (Alakine) The Alakine's infernal blood is quite diluted, and they are no longer considered outsiders with the native subtype.
Medium: Alakine are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Alakine have a base speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision: Alakine retain the enhanced vision of their fiendish cousins and can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Minor Fiendish Resistance: Alakine begin play with resistance 5 cold, electricity, or fire (you choose). Once chosen, the type cannot be changed.
Skilled: Alakine have a +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Stealth checks.
Spell-Like Ability: Alakine can use darkness once per day as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to the Alakine's class level.
Fiendish Sorcery: Alakine still have magical ties to their fiendish blood, even though it is not as pure as the blood of their dark cousins. Alakine sorcerers with the Abyssal or Infernal bloodlines treat their Charisma score as 2 points higher for all sorcerer class abilities.
Languages: Alakine begin play speaking Common and either Abyssal or Infernal. Alakine with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Abyssal, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling, Infernal, and Orc.
Checking what I actually changed, my Aasimar variant has:
- -2 Constitution attached to racial changes.
- Humanoid typing instead of outsider with native subtype
- Minor resistance in which one type is chosen instead of 3 types being given, balancing the type resistances
And my Tiefling variant has:
- Humanoid typing instead of outsider with native subtype
- Minor resistance in which one type is chosen instead of 3 types being given, balancing the type resistances
Seems about it, but it, from what I recall, lowers the RP value from 13 and 15 to 10 each. Just wanted to see what people thought :)
I'm just kind of hesitant to let one of my players play a Tiefling or Aasimar when they're generally good at being overpowered in general. Thank you all for your time and attention :)
I honestly don't see them being an issue at their base power, and I even thoroughly encourage the Variant Heritage options, as well as the Variant Abilities.
That said, your alterations do seem fine to me, but I do hope you're at least going to allow your players the use of the variant heritages and abilities so they can further fine-tune their characters.
With regards to Variant Abilities obviously I'd advise preventing your PCs from taking any of the stat increases.
Yeah, I actually had alternate Aasimar bloodlines made up too :)
Variant Aluen Heritages
Name/Typical Alignment | Ability Mod | Alt. Sk Bonuses -
Alternate SL Ability
Agathion/NG | +2 Con, +2 Cha, -2 Int | Handle Animal, Survival Summon Nature's Ally II
Angel/CG, NG, LG | +2 Str, +2 Cha, -2 Int | Heal, Knw (Planes) Alter Self
Archon/LG | +2 Con, +2 Wis, -2 Int | Intimidate, Sense Motive Continual Flame
Azata/CG | +2 Dex, +2 Cha, -2 Con | Diplomacy, Perform Glitterdust
Garuda/CG | +2 Dex, +2 Wis, -2 Con | Acrobatics, Fly
See Invisibility
Peri/NG | +2 Int, +2 Cha, -2 Con | Knw (Planes), Spellcraft Pyrotechnics
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RP is a terrible way to judge a race's power, generally. That's the worst thing to come out of the APG, since it's very misleading, It lead people to think Race A is better than Race B because one race has an extra RP or two, and even worse led people to believe that letting players build a race themselves as long as it was 10 RP or less or some such was balanced (you can build a race that is basically Human+ on 10 RP, and they're already the best race in most cases).
Unless they're some ridiculous 25+ RP race, leave them be.
Aasimar and Tiefling start strong, but most of their benefits are pretty useless past about 2nd level. Fr example, Resist 5 on an element is nice when a single d6 of damage can really hurt, but not when 10d6 Fireballs are being flung.
As compared to quite a few of the Core races, Aasimar and Tiefling are actually kinda weaksauce. Sure, they get the +2 to two stats, but they don't get a Bonus Feat, or +1 to all saves, or +2 to most saves, or extra AC, or Ferocity, etc. which are generally worth more than most of what those get.
The usual response is "But why would so many people want to play them, then?", and the answer is because they're well rounded and the stat boost is nice for a lot of MAD classes. Aasimar/Tiefling Paladins and Monks get a nice leg up on the major stats they need to have, for instance.
Personally I'm usually inclined to hack off the -2 stat penalty from Tiefling to put them on par with Aasimar and call it a day, as far as rebalancing.
The only thing potentially troublesome is letting your players trade in their spell-like for a pick or roll on the variant abilities table, since a couple of those an be pretty hefty. But that's an optional thing anyway.
Huh. Wasn't really expecting this much resounding thoughts on them actually being underpowered or generally weaker than humans and others in general.
I might be basing my opinions purely on very specific combos people can make with these stat bonuses. At least on the part of the Aasimar. Generally when it comes to making Paladins or Clerics. I also had a slight feeling that the 5 resistance to 3 types felt kind of broken earlier on.
Then again, I'm not completely sure. I have a feeling a majority of it was based on RP alone.
Like they said upthread, never trust RP to determine power level. The planetouched races aren't particularly powerful, but they are flexible in that they have stat arrays that enable lots of classes/builds. Your Dwarven Cleric will almost always be tougher and fightier, but the Aasimar Cleric can actually afford the point buy to Channel Energy well.
They have trade-offs like any other races.