Looking at my next project, I'd like some advice on my attempt at what are essentially, Cyclops-kin. They have a few non-standard mechanical quirks I'd like to focus on.
Available evidence suggests the Phemus as a species first came into our world sometime after the Cyclopean empire transitioned into the Human kingdoms, yet somehow before the human rule of central Terra-Summa was solidified. The exact details may have been lost to the ages. The Phemus we questioned, a single individual named Grecus, stated:
‘We Phemus take pains to educate ourselves in history, to learn from the past, understand it. Even we do not know exactly why our people came about. Only when. We’ve come to understand at least, that we were bred in one way or another, to serve the Cyclops. Now we are few and rare. As are they.’
Grecus later elaborated on the idea that the insight of the Phemus is not a physical phenomenon. Their eyesight is poor, depth perception being the obvious culprit. An educated individual would know the Cyclops's themselves have acute eyesight. This leads me to believe the Phemus are a genetic degeneration of the Cyclops. A similar phenomenon occurred with the serpentfolk of the east. Also splitting them into a vastly different form that yet has ties with the original species as servitor.”
-Matthew Quill, Official Scholar
Size Category: Phemus are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Base Speed: Phemus have a base speed of 30 feet.
Ability Scores: The Phemus are physically powerful like their forebearers, and possess a mental acuity that at times resembles the insight of the Cyclops. They gain +2 Strength, and +2 to either Wisdom, or Intelligence.
Languages: Phemus begin play speaking Common, and Cyclops. Phemus with high intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aklo, Celestial, Draconic, Dwarven, Infernal, Giant, and Undercommon.
Feat and Skill Racial Traits:
Fated Hand: Some call it luck, to the Phemus, it’s momentary inspiration. Once per day, the Phemus can reroll any d20 roll they’ve made as an immediate action, adding a +2 insight bonus to the second result, and choose the higher of the two rolls.
Scholar: Phemus take pride in their knowledge of the past. They gain a +1 to Knowledge (Nobility) rolls, plus one other Knowledge skill of their choice, They receive both of these as class skills.
Magic Racial Traits:
Soothsayer: Phemus who cast a spell from the Divination school of magic treat their caster level as five higher when determining the success rate of spells such as augury, or divination. The Perception DC to locate a Phemus’ scrying sensor is increased by five as well.
Senses Racial Traits:
Low-light Vision: Phemus have low-light vision, allowing them to see twice as far as humans in locations of dim lighting.
Weakness Racial Traits:
Single-eye: Whenever a Phemus makes a sight-based Perception check or ranged attack roll, distance penalties are increased by one per range increment.
Alternate Racial Traits:
Deeprunner: Some Phemus are born and raised in underground reaches well away from the light of day. Phemus with this trait gain Darkvision to a range of 60 ft. along with Light Sensitivity. This replaces the low-light vision racial trait.
Arcane Acuity: Some Phemus reap greater benefit from discerning powers, whether supernatural, or otherwise. Whenever the individual is under the effect of an Insight bonus, that bonus is increased by one. If they are receiving insight bonuses to multiple statistics, they may only apply this effect to one such stat (I.E. A single save, to one skill, to damage, etc…). This replaces the fated hand racial trait.
I'm specifically wondering about how I can make the Arcane Acuity ability easy to parse, or if it seems straight-forward enough as is. The idea currently is that it increases an insight bonus by one, but if the character is getting multiple bonuses of that kind, they can only increase one ability with it. Mostly to avoid making the trait as powerful as Fates Favored, which is somewhat similar, but more powerful than some feats.
Other thoughts and ideas are welcome too, of course. If anyone thinks this race is roughly in line with the core races, or not, lemme know how you might change it.
Let me first say that I love the notion of the race, great job! I have to agree with Sideromancer, Soothsayer is a HUGE bonus, even if it is just Divination spells. I love Arcane Acuity. I think that ability should be a main ability and the Divination bonus ability should be an alternate. I don't love the name though. Something extra-sensory themed or insight-themed would be better for a name.
Perhaps stating simply "If they are receiving multiple insight bonuses" (or "receiving insight bonuses from multiple sources") would be easier to understand?
Otherwise, cool, cool, COOL!
Interesting to see soothsayer get this much attention. To be clear, it's meant to only affect spells like Divination, which gain a 5% increase out of 100%. Is the effect too powerful for that?
Smithing? Interesting way to branch out. I'll see what I can come up with.
Let me first say that I love the notion of the race, great job! I have to agree with Sideromancer, Soothsayer is a HUGE bonus, even if it is just Divination spells. I love Arcane Acuity. I think that ability should be a main ability and the Divination bonus ability should be an alternate. I don't love the name though. Something extra-sensory themed or insight-themed would be better for a name.
Perhaps stating simply "If they are receiving multiple insight bonuses" (or "receiving insight bonuses from multiple sources") would be easier to understand?
Appreciate the appreciation, and the advice. Actually, Extrasensory might be a good name itself.
Sidenote, Scholar was totally supposed to say Know (History) to begin with, dunno why I put nobility. Also, I think Fated Hand should be an alternate for Arcane Acuity. They're pretty similar in function.
Size Category: Phemus are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Base Speed: Phemus have a base speed of 30 feet.
Ability Scores: The Phemus are physically powerful like their forebearers, and possess a mental acuity that at times resembles the insight of the Cyclops. They gain +2 Strength, and +2 to either Wisdom, or Intelligence.
Languages: Phemus begin play speaking Common and Cyclops. Phemus with high intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aklo, Celestial, Draconic, Dwarven, Infernal, Giant, and Undercommon.
Feat and Skill Racial Traits:
Extrasensory: Some Phemus reap greater benefit from discerning powers, whether supernatural, or otherwise. Whenever the individual is under the effect of an Insight bonus, that bonus is increased by one. If they are receiving insight bonuses to multiple insight bonuses this increase only applies to one, which the character may choose as a free action at the start of their turn.
Scholar: Phemus take pride in their knowledge of the past. They gain a +1 to Knowledge (History) rolls, plus one other Knowledge skill of their choice, They receive both of these as class skills.
Magic Racial Traits:
Soothsayer: Phemus who cast a spell from the Divination school of magic treat their caster level as one higher when determining the success rate of spells such as augury, or divination. The Perception DC to locate a Phemus’ scrying sensor is increased by five as well.
Senses Racial Traits:
Low-light Vision: Phemus have low-light vision, allowing them to see twice as far as humans in locations of dim lighting.
Weakness Racial Traits:
Single-eye: Whenever a Phemus makes a sight-based Perception check or ranged attack roll, distance penalties are increased by one per range increment.
Alternate Racial Traits:
Deeprunner: Some Phemus are born and raised in underground reaches well away from the light of day. Phemus with this trait gain darkvision to a range of 60 ft. along with light sensitivity. This replaces the low-light vision racial trait.
Fated Hand: Some call it luck, to the Phemus, it’s momentary inspiration. Once per day, the Phemus can reroll any d20 roll they’ve made as an immediate action, adding a +2 insight bonus to the second result, and choose the higher of the two rolls. This replaces the extrasensory racial trait.
Edit: Would it be too much to open the mental stat bonus to any one of the three between Int, Wis, or Cha?
Are you attempting to cover spellcasting options with the Cha bonus in there? If so, I would say that seems a little much. I know Oracle is a Cha caster but Wisdom is the "intuition" stat. Int having a bonus (as an option) makes sense within the concept considering their interest in knowledge and scholarly pursuits.
Can you justify Cha as an option in any way? Are they remarkably strong of personality or very individualistic? Are they somehow very attractive despite their single eye?
Actually I forgot about the Oracle oddly enough. It isn't very good at representing it's namesake compared to other options actually. Although, I will say now now that I'm thinking about it, that I did have a Charisma focused NPC in mind. And the bonus to any stat was the original idea I had, which I dropped at the last minute. So, yeah. I should probably leave out the Cha option.