Post/Author/DateTime	Post
queenfange 05-10-07, 02:07 PM	I've created three new races, with stats and cultural information, designed for a slightly darker than usual setting (lots of undead and fiends). I plan on using humans as well, and possibly halflings, dwarves, or both. I'd appreciate comments on things that could be added (specifically more about their culture), possible game balance issues that could arise, or anything else, really. Below is the first of my new races; I'll add the others later. Weinig Appearance: Weinig (WHEH-nig) (singular weini [WHEH-nee]) appear in most ways to be a smaller version of humans. Personality: They lean towards good alignments, and place a strong emphasis on family and defense. Culture: Family is central to weinig life, and only the church is more respected. Weinig are interested in fashion, particularly new fabrics, but for everyday use prefer clothing that is comfortable and practical. Most weinig arcane spellcasters are wizards, particularly those specializing in abjuration. They distrust excessive wealth and traveling merchants; excessive greed and material fortune is seen as a serious vice. Scholars are usually employed by the town government to study & forward knowledge in relevant areas, such as protection magic, medicine, strengths & weaknesses of enemy races, religious doctrine, architecture, and agriculture. Thanks to their spirit of extended community, they freely share knowledge between cities and settlements in their province. Weinig live with their extended families. Marriage between second cousins is common and not considered strange in the least. Unlike humans, nearly all weinig are literate due to the cultural importance of basic education. Most own a copy of the major holy text of their culture, though it is usually shared among family members. Communities: A typical settlement of weinig is ruled by a Council of Elders, with the highest titled noble traditionally the council’s leader. Nearly all settlements are between hamlets and small towns in size, though a capital of a weinig province may be a large town. While they generally employ weaker defenses than humans or mesai, their walls are still built high enough to discourage larger attackers. Most weinig live meagerly, though relatively few suffer from unemployment. A small and not particularly well-regarded middle class is present as well as a few well-off, usually admired nobles. Religion: While weinig are very devout, they are usually private about religion. Their societies have a high percentage of priests, most of which are experts but many of which are clerics or druids. Occasionally, weinig set up benevolent theocracies. While weinig are devout and their lives center around religion, they allow some debate over religious dogma. The cut-off for heresy and the punishment for it depends largely on the setting and how enlightened the particular group of weinig is. Weinig temples are generally modest though well-built, lacking the lavish excesses of many human religious centers. Formalized services are reserved for holy days, and priests are highly respected but rarely flaunt or abuse this status. Environment: Weinig prefer safe locations whenever possible, even if it means being far away from deposits of natural resources or other civilized races. Often this leads them to inhabit hilly or forested areas. Interactions with Other Races: While cautious towards all, they tend to be particularly distrustful of mesai. Humans usually call them “smallfolk”, a name of which they are not particularly fond, but rarely protest. Racial Traits: -2 Str, +2 Int, +2 Wis: Weinig are weaker than larger humanoids due to their size, but are quick to learn and generally sage. Small humanoid Base land speed is 20 ft. Low-light vision +1 to DC for abjuration spells they cast +2 racial bonus to Spot and Sense Motive checks +1 racial bonus to Will saves Base Languages: Common, Weinish. Bonus Languages: Celestial, Darkling, Goblin, Sylvan Favored Class: Cleric
Kadasbrass 05-10-07, 02:16 PM	Bonus to both Wisdom and Int with a penalty to a ability score most classes using Int or Wis won't be using, very unbalanced. Bonus to DCs for school of magic and a mental score bonus for most classes using said school... This needs a LA 1.
queenfange 05-10-07, 02:26 PM	So, the bonuses are too concentrated? In other words, they would make an overpowered cleric? That's probably true. I'd rather not do level adjustments, but I think removal of the abjuration spell bonus would even it out. After all, halflings have +1 Reflex, bonuses to Move Silently, and +2 Dex which makes them killer rogues, so I don't think the Will and Int/Wis bonuses combined would be any more unreasonable. Does that sound about right?
sbattisti 05-10-07, 04:41 PM	As a non-rules lawyer, my only semi-constructive feedback is that the name of your race is bound to cause endless childish jokes. Player 1: "You're playing a weenie? HAR!" Player 2 (archly): "It's WHEH-nig." Player 1: "Suuure it is." Other Players: *snicker*
queenfange 05-10-07, 05:57 PM	:) Yeah, that's an excellent point. Perhaps I should change the spelling slightly? I'm thinking another option would be to pronounce it several times before they ever see it in print, so they don't start off saying "I wanna play a weenie-gg cleric."
queenfange 05-10-07, 06:46 PM	Below is my second race, but please feel free to still give feedback on weinig (whose name may soon be changed- post any suggestions). Darklings Darklings are a reclusive race, rarely seen by outsiders. Compared to other humanoid races, they are usually thought to be uncivilized, but they consider themselves to simply be more in harmony with nature. Appearance: Darklings are black-furred humanoids with long tails. Personality: Darklings are usually neutral or chaotic neutral. Somatization disorder, physical maladies for which no medical explanation can be found, tends to affect darklings more often than it does other races. Depression and antisocial personality disorder, as well as bibiophobia and agoraphobia, are also found in many darkling populations. Environment: Whenever possible, darklings live in forests, benefiting from the dulled lighting and surroundings innately known to them but unfamiliar to both other humanoids and undead. Most of their dwellings are quite literally in trees, and almost never have paths leading up to them. Buildings are generally kept small but cozy and well-maintained. While primarily hunter-gatherers, darklings have discovered many ingenious ways to grow some plant crops in the forest, especially vines that grow up the trees they reside in. The idea of living in large cities or even towns built on ground level is foreign, even repulsive, to darklings. Culture: Unlike mesai and humans, darklings have no concept of owning land. Whoever resides on it at the time owns it, and if someone leaves their dwelling unattended for more than a few days, it reverts to public property. The idea of some individuals “owning” land but not living there or even farming on it, instead leaving it empty or renting it out to others, is ludicrous to darklings. Darklings rarely fall prey to the fearful excesses in prevention and protection that affect other races. While they keep their communities hidden and well-defended, darklings generally prefer to quickly retreat and find a new home than to risk heavy causalities when faced with a massive assault. The darkling language is subtly melodic and uses a wide variety of pitches, as well as soft growls and bird-like chirps. Communities: A typical darkling community, often called a tribe, has between one hundred and three hundred individuals. The chief or speaker of the tribe is its leader, and makes decisions about when to move, settles disputes, and commands any military action the tribe may take. A wise man (most often an adept) is the healer and serves the darklings’ spiritual needs. While most darklings do not know any special trades or crafts, certain specialists can reliably be found in a darkling community. Basketweavers and potters make important contains for storage, and woodworkers carve wood into bowls, door latches, and other practical items. Darklings take pride in basic cleanliness, and so every community has a broom maker. Both nets, used to trap small birds and mammals for food, and ropes, used in connections between treehouses, are made by specialists. Finally, bowyers and fletchers make necessary weapons and ammunition for hunting. Within darkling communities, individuals are nearly self-sufficient. Most gather their own food, sew furs into clothing, and repair their own dwellings. Those with other skills or talents do many of the same tasks, but trade crafted products they make for additional food or raw materials. Barter is the norm, and coins are neither particularly common nor particularly valuable. Due to darklings’ chaotic nature, their settlements have no predesigned layout, and are just built and added on to as is convenient. They rarely stay in the same area for more than a few years. Occasionally, in very safe and fertile areas, darklings build towns, partially on the ground and partially in the trees above. Some nearby land is cleared for crops, like in human lands. Still, edible vines cover all the town’s trees, and abandoned lots are quickly turned to gardens. Their building style remains somewhat shoddy and short-lasting even in these more permanent settlements. Religion: As a race, darklings have few organized religious practices, and most of their priests are adepts who are sought out when needed but do not offer unsolicited advice or preaching. Lacking much organized religious practice, darklings may cultivate more individualized concepts of faith and religion, perhaps worshiping a personal deity or even focusing on a broader approach in which they regard a general life-force which exists in all things. This force could, in some campaigns, potentially be corrupted by the darker magics that are prevalent in Gothvania. In cases where darklings have organized religion, their places of worship are likely to be practical structures that are merely meant as gathering-spots, rather than ornate temples designed to glorify a deity or pantheon. Organized services simply do not exist. Interactions with Other Races: The only race that really respects darkling culture are the weinig. Humans tend to be nearly unaware of their existence, and regard them with a superstitious outlook, while mesai view them as pests who make expansion more difficult. Racial Traits: +2 Con, -2 Int: Darklings are hardy but not intellectual. Medium humanoids Base land speed of 40 ft. Climb speed of 20 ft. 60 ft. darkvision (black & white) +2 racial bonus on saving throws against disease: Darklings have particularly good immune systems. +4 racial bonus on Hide checks when in low-light conditions: Darklings are adept at hiding in the dark. This stacks with the usual modifiers to Hide checks in poorly lit conditions. Base languages: Common, Darkling. Bonus Languages: Gnoll, Sylvan, Weinish. Favored Class: Barbarian
Evil DM Mk3 05-12-07, 06:54 AM	Well they are both a little powerful, Darkling less so. The Wening are, at the moment, head and sholders above all other races as wizards. You may need to tone them down. Darklings are also powerful but not to the poitn where they NEED weakening, although dropping either their 40ft to 30ft or removing their climb is somthign that you MAY want to consider.
queenfange 05-15-07, 01:39 PM	Mesai Appearance: Mesai have black hair, pale skin, and red or orange irises. They have large, cat-like ears located further up on their heads than human ears are. On each hand, they have four fingers, and four toes on each foot. Instead of fingernails and toenails they have small claws, which deal 1d3 normal damage on an unarmed strike. Tattoos commemorating important life events, major battles, or personal accomplishments are favored by many mesai, especially warriors. The back and shoulders are the most popular locations for such designs, which tend towards orange, red, and violet-black inks. Personality: Rarely chaotic, and usually lawful neutral, they tend to be fanatical, paranoid, and uncompromising. The two most common phobias that mesai suffer from are homophobia and xenophobia. Though most mesai dislike homosexuals and outsiders, a few have an extreme fear or irrational loathing of those groups, which can lead to vigilante or open warfare against anyone in the community who falls into one of those groups. Other common psychological disorders found in individuals in mesai populations include intermittent explosive disorder, anorexia, bulimia, and obsessive compulsive disorder. Unlike in humans, eating disorders are not any more likely to occur in female mesai than in male mesai. Culture: Of all the humanoid races, mesai are generally acknowledged to be the most technologically advanced. Some of the best engineers, architects, masons, and builders can be found amongst the mesai. Despite their militarism, mesai are also cultured and appreciate fine work, detail, and elegance. Mesai cities have professionals such as apothecaries, architects, advocates, scribes, cartographers, specialized weapon & armor smiths. Compared with other civilized cultures, masseurs, spellcasters, luxury goods dealers, and calligraphers are hard to find in mesai settlements. Due to the two years they each spend in the militia, many average mesai have at least one level of warrior. Within mesai culture, mixing with other races, either through marriage or procreation, is looked upon gravely, as is homosexuality. Divorce exists, but is unusual. In divorce proceedings, held in a court, one partner is always found guilty, and they must endure disgrace by the community for decades. The guilty partner is just as often the female as the male, and children are left with whichever set of grandparents they were being raised by. Sheathed weapons are normally carried, though unsheathed or particularly large weapons are a sign of aggression and callous disrespect in all but the most dangerous parts of the city. Formalized dueling is a common way of dealing with anger and quarrels, both of which are more commonly exhibited in public than is normal for other races. Only duels over severe insults are to the death, for while honor is important to the mesai, so is maintaining a healthy-sized population of young soldiers for the community’s safety. Many older mesai will commit suicide after losing a duel, however, having lost their dignity and having no further opportunities to gain it back through excellence in the military. Communities: In most mesai communities, all are required to fulfill between one and four years of military or militia service upon reaching adulthood. Males and females are held in equal regard by society, and since both tend to work outside the home, in the fields or as craftspeople, grandparents do most of the child-rearing. All but the richest children are educated by their grandparents, so tutors are rare. During times of trouble, a mesai community is a dangerous place to live despite great physical defenses. Searches akin to witch-hunts are frequently held, intended to root out anyone connected with the forces of undeath or unworldly evil. Those accused usually are found guilty and are swiftly executed. Religion: Mesai are likely to have cold, even unwelcoming places of worship decorated with stone statues and carvings more than bright color. In monotheistic or ditheistic worlds with a powerful good or neutral god, mesai are likely to blur the line between church and state or even have an outright theocracy. Mesai religious practices are likely to be very strictly mandated, with clear expectations for tithes, attending of worship services, and treatment of religious leaders. Harsh punishments may exist for mesai who diverge from the religious norm, both social and legal. Religious rites coinciding with important events in life vary by setting, but are prevalent to some extent in all established communities. Mesai religious practices and values serve to reinforce the strict cultural norms of their society, never encourage rebellion or threats to the government. The glory of both militarism and martyrdom are heavily emphasized by organized religion. Environment: Due to their determination and physical strength, mesai are able to live in most climates and ecosystems. Generally, they inhabit temperate areas, hills, former forests, or plains, but communities in mountains, artic environments, deserts, and marshes are not implausible. Racial Traits +2 Str, -2 Con, -2 Wis: Mesai are strong but have a poor tolerance to poison and injury, and are often rash. Medium-sized humanoids. Base land speed is 30 ft. 60 ft. darkvision (black & white) Proficient with the shortsword, longsword, and the bastard sword. +2 racial bonus on Reflex saves: Mesai have an uncanny ability to avoid traps and other harmful surprises. +2 bonus on Listen checks: Mesai have excellent hearing. Immune to all charm spells and effects. Base Languages: Common, Mesain. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Giant, Infernal.  Favored class: Fighter.