Goal: After playing through many campaigns I've grown tired of Human being the default race. I want all of the other races to be an equally attractive option.
How? The main reason that humans are so popular in my group seems to be the free bonus feat they receive. I started out by removing the feat and attempting to balance the other races down to match the newly nerfed Human. After doing this I noticed that many of the core races lost their uniqueness, or at least the semblance of uniqueness (did you know that more than half of the races have Keen Senses? boring...). So to re-add the uniqueness I started adding what I felt were thematic (and hopefully balanced) traits to the races.
>>Revised Races<<
DISCLAIMER: I will be using Spheres of Power in place of standard Vancian casting, so some races traits are specific to SoP.
Brief Explanation of Changes
Slow Speed: increased 20ft -> 25ft. I love the idea of small characters being on the front lines fighting with the rest of their larger companions, but often times having a 20ft move speed meant that they arrived to combat a round or more after everyone else. I wanted to remove Slow Speed entirely but figured this would be an easier compromise.
Magical Aptitude: I wanted something to convey that Elves have an aptitude for magic based on study and research.
Fey Heritage: Something to convey that Gnomes are long descended from Fey. I might reduce this to DR 1/Cold Iron, but no one ever seems to play Gnomes in my group so this is probably inconsequential.
Gnome Magic: Gnomes are naturally magically talented. I'm considering limiting the effects granted by the Cantrips feat, but once again this may be inconsequential.
Tough Hide: Like Gnomes, Half-Orcs are very underplayed in my group, so maybe this will attract some players
Skill Training: Something to further illustrate Humans' varied nature.
What are your thoughts on these changes? Do they seem balanced? Is there a race that is way too strong? Is there a race that is too weak?
If anything, half-orcs and dwarves are over represented in my groups. Dark vision is so important.
Not bad changes, always ready to try something new.
I had an idea for this awhile back. I feel many races need a bit of updating as some races are definately more powerful than others.
I like the idea of balancing the races so that none are obviously weak or superior. I find it odd that your experience points to a need to nerf humans though.
My experience has been exactly the opposite, with human being the LEAST selected race. I can see why too. Many players would be willing to trade a single bonus feat for the substantial list of racial abilities some of the races have.
I have even decided recently, to actually beef up humans in my own game, to make playing them more attractive. My own campaign world is human dominant, and it's been difficult to get players to select them.
Table variation is a crazy, wonderful thing. : )
I like the idea of balancing the races so that none are obviously weak or superior. I find it odd that your experience points to a need to nerf humans though.
My experience has been exactly the opposite, with human being the LEAST selected race. I can see why too. Many players would be willing to trade a single bonus feat for the substantial list of racial abilities some of the races have.
I have even decided recently, to actually beef up humans in my own game, to make playing them more attractive. My own campaign world is human dominant, and it's been difficult to get players to select them.
Interesting, my group also has a tendency to play non-humans. However, it is driven almost entirely by the style and exoticism of the race chosen. In fact, the only thing that would keep my people from otherwise playing all humans, is their lack of low-light or darkvision. That is certainly the case for me, as I think the only race with a "substantial list of racial abilities" that are a net plus, is the Dwarf. But YMMV, I have heard commentary swinging both directions on Races in Pathfinder. Obviously, this is highly subjective.
As far as this thread though, I think your work-ups are pretty good. I especially like the Human, with the feat traded for the class skills. It takes away a major temptation.
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Half elf-- Despise the idea of naturally social half elves as a default for the race (something that started in 3.5 out of nowhere when they gimped them in 3.0). Thankfully, it is not included in Pathfinder as a default option.
I would use options that reflects what it is like to be someone who will always be a bit of an outsider who has to find idiosyncratic ways to prosper.
Options like Duel Minded, Multi talented and Reflexive Improvisation fit the half elf better and avoids the pigeonholing of the "social" half elf. Perhaps let each half elf choose one of those.
Half Orc--Can understand you wanting to avoid another +2 race but feel +2 strength or wisdom pigeonholes them a bit too much (some of my favorite characters have defied the dumb half orc stereotype). Go with +2 to either wis, str, con or int?
Dwarf, Halfling, Gnome--Like the 25 ft speed.
Ideas I have been toying with (note: NOT complete):
Race Templates: Some races are modified versions of others, and are built by applying the appropriate Racial Heritage feat (or in some cases even more than one). Normally, this feat must be taken at first level, although if multiple feats must be applied and are not available, then they instead must be applied as soon as possible, with those that are delayed not taking effect until they are applied; optionally, for story purposes, one of these may be acquired later (usually a Planetouched Racial Heritage resulting from a curse or the fantasy equivalent of a "lab accident").
Small Races in General: Effects on Strength and Dexterity are left rolled up into the size differences, and do not need to be called out in the race description, except for a mention in the Size line.
Languages and Weapon Familiarity in General: Languages and Weapon Familiarity go with your upbringing, not with your race.
Dwarves/Duergar: Insular: Instead of -2 to Charisma (or -4 to Charisma for Duergar), they take a -1 penalty to Charisma-dependent skills other than Intimidate, except when dealing with other Dwarves (with an actual -2 to Charisma for Duergar); it is possible to trade out this racial trait while trading out something else. Also, even though Dwarves consider themselves culturally more akin to Humans, they are biologically more closely related to Goblinoids -- just don't tell most of them that to their face. (Due to estrangement and a fair amount of evolutionary distance from other Goblinoids, their default Insular trait applies when dealing with Goblinoids.)
Elves/Drow/Wild Elves: Lightly built: Instead of a -2 to Constitution, they take a -1 hit point penalty per hit die (the same amount as imposed by -2 to Constitution, but leaving their Fortitude Saves hale and hearty -- being super-long-lived DOES NOT square with having a poor Constitution). Wild Elves get a bonus to Wisdom instead of to Intelligence or Charisma. Fey Heritage: Elves get the Luck or Jinx abilities currently put on Halflings, and thereby confer it upon Gnomes, who are their Small relatives.
Gnomes and Halfings: These are created by applying Racial Heritage (Smallfolk) to Elves and Humans, respectively.
Half-Elves and Half-Orcs: These are created by applying the appropriate Racial Heritage to Human.
Humans: Gain +2 to any physical ability score, +2 to any mental ability score, and -2 to any ability score (which has the option to be the same as one of those that got a bonus, thereby leaving effectively just +2 to any ability score). Dual Talent still exists and works as before, with the caveat that the extra +2 to an ability score cannot be applied to either of the ability scores that already got a +2. New Paragon, Greater Paragon and Specialized Paragon alternate racial traits exist: All replace the standard ability scores and the Human Bonus Feat, and Specialized Paragon additionally replaces Skilled; Paragon applies +4 to 1 physical ability score and -2 to each mental ability score, or vice versa; Greater Paragon and Specialized apply -2 to each of 2 ability scores (1 physical and 1 mental for Greater Paragon, or 2 physical or 2 mental for Specialized Paragon) and +4 to 1 different ability score (which for Specialized Paragon must be on the opposite side of the physical/mental divide from the ability scores that got the penalties).
Orcs: Upgraded from Paragon to Specialized Paragon (works like one possible choice of the alternate racial trait for Humans): By default, Orcs get +4 to Strength and -2 to each of Intelligence and Charisma; with the alternate racial trait Aspiring Chieftain, they get a -2 penalty to Wisdom instead of Charisma; with the alternate racial trait Touch of Civilization, they get a -2 penalty to Wisdom instead of Intelligence.
Animal-Folk (including Catfolk, Ratfolk, Vishkanya, etc.), Fey-Touched (including Witchbloods/Changelings, Satyrs, etc.), Plane-Touched (including Aasimar, Axiomites, Ganzi, the various Geniekin, Tieflings, etc.), and Undead-Touched (including but not limited to Dhampirs): These are created by applying the appropriate Racial Heritage (and in some cases Smallfolk) to another race (most commonly Human, but not necessarily so).
Re: Berselius
- Elves having immunity to sleep made sense in 3.5 when Elves didn't naturally sleep. In Pathfinder Elves DO sleep so having sleep immunity doesn't make sense and to me is just an unnecessary relic left over from 3.5.
- I want each of the races to be as unique as possible, thus I wouldn't give Halflings the Hardy trait. Maybe a 1/day reroll?
- While I agree Ferocity seems lackluster, Orc Ferocity in my opinion is too much. Maybe some sort of middle ground between the two?
- Once again I don't want to have duplicates, so Human Spirit is out. Maybe a +2 to one of their saves?
Re: Kerney
- Dual Minded doesn't feel right to me and I'm doing a way with the whole Favored Class nonsense, so Multi-talented is out. Reflexive Improvisation is an interesting option.
- Not sure how +2 Str or +2 Wis implies that Orcs aren't smart. I didn't give them a minus to Int.
Re: Lady-J
- I actually did decide to start everyone with two feats, but I'm putting that in the Character Creation section of my House Rules instead of further watering down the races. While you are correct that it would have been easier to simply replace the starting feat, I wanted to get rid of a lot of other boring race traits too. I agree with UnArcaneElection that things like Weapon Familiarity should be based on a character-by-character basis, not baked into the races. I also think Hatred should as well.
Re: UnArcaneElection
- Some very interesting ideas, but a bit too extreme of a change for me.