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Ahiru 04-14-08, 10:29 AM

So I made this new race. The race section seems to be all about race choice and balancing, rather than stuff relevant to the setting. I am not looking for advice on balancing and such anymore. I'd actually like some opinions of the race, not just the stats. So I'm posting here. What do you people think of this race? Any ideas on how I could use it well in a homebrew setting or make it more interesting to play/interact with? Some areas I need to flesh out? Please telll me what you think. It differs from most player races in a few ways. It's uncivilized and kind of weak minded, but without being big, ugly and slow - instead it is small, quick and nimble. Its lifespan is also very short compared to most other races. Also, I haven't seen any other player races being as naturally acrobatic as this. Apecat (Humanoid) http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/1130/nykatpelssscd7.jpg Racial Traits • -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence: Apecats are agile and quick, but they are rather weak and slow to learn new skills. • Small: As a small creature, an Apecat gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack roles, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but she uses smaller weapons than humans use, and her lifting and carrying limits are three quarters of those of a Medium character. • Apecat base land speed is 30 feet. • +4 racial bonus on Balance and Climb checks • +2 racial bonus on Listen checks • Low-Light Vision: An apecat can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish colors under these conditions. • Agile Athlete: Apecats gain Agile Athlete as a free racial feat, allowing them to add their dexterity bonus, instead of their strength bonus, for Climb and Jump checks. • Natural Claw Attacks: Apecats are able to use their retractable claws as natural weapons dealing 1d3 points of piercing and slashing damage. • Favored Class: Rogue. A multiclass apecat’s rogue class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing. • Alignment: (almost) Always Chaotic Adulthood---Middle Age---Old--------Venerable---Maximum Age 8 years-----20 years-----30 years---40 years----+2d6 years Gender---Base Height---Height Modifier---Base Weight---Weight Modifier Male-----2’ 10”----------+2d4-----------25 lb.----------x 1 lb. Female---2’ 8”-----------+2d4-----------20 lb.----------x 1 lb. Description Apecats, as they are popularly called, are small, lightly built humanoids, with feline characteristics, including cat-like facial features and ears, claws, a long tail and a body covered by fine, usually brown fur. Though different fur patterns and colors do exist. They stand about three feet tall and usually weigh between 20 and 25 pounds. Apecats are rather weak, but very quick, agile and have a keen sense of hearing. Apecats are relatively short lived. They reach adulthood at the age of eight and most live to be around 45 years old. They are nocturnal and eat nothing but meat and fish, preferably raw. Apecats are a wild and uncivilized race. Their natural environments are warm forests and jungles, where they live in small disorganized tribes, surviving by hunting. They are not very intelligent or good with tools, but they are instinctively able hunters, trackers and stalkers. Apecats languages vary between tribes but they are usually very simple and have no systems of writing. Apecats are curious, impulsive and unhesitating. They are very energetic and quite emotional, quick to get angry, but just as quick to forgive. They are very expressive and rarely hide their emotions. Males tend to be slightly more agressive than females. When active, Apecats may seem inexhaustable, but they require more rest than humans do. Most sleep for about 10 hours each day. Apecats' curiosity and confidence in their ability to escape dangerous situations often result in boldness. Apecats are very chaotic in nature and personal freedom is extremely important to them. Above anything, they hate feeling confined, and can be slightly claustrophobic at times. They dislike wearing attire and armor that restricts their freedom of movement, especially on their hands, feet and heads. When commanded, rather than requested, to do something, they tend to get upset and can act quite antagonistic at times. Decisions in an Apecat tribe are reached collectively. There are rarely any leaders. Apecat tribes usually number about 30-60 individuals. Fur colors and patterns can vary a lot between tribes, but there is usually also some variation within a tribe. Apecats are naturally nomadic and a tribe rarely settles in one place for good. They hunt in groups, at night, using simple short bows, slings or javelins. They spend most of the day relaxing, playing and sleeping safely in the treetops. Apecats get bored rather easily and spend a lot of time playing different games, usually physical, rather than mental in nature. They also enjoy playing pranks on eachother. When moving between places, Apecats often encounter other Apecat tribes. They enjoy meeting others of their kind. When tribes meet they enjoy exchanging and competing in games. It is normal that adult Apecats, mostly males, who have not found a partner within its own tribe, chooses to drift between different tribes untill it finds one. Conflicts between tribes are rare. They often work together to drive enimies away. Tribes who become particularly fond of eachother usually arrange to meet at specific places on certian dates. This may also be a way for individuals who have settled in another tribe to get to see old family members. Apecats' curiosity sometimes makes them end up in dangerous situations, but Apecat tribes try to avoid obviously dangerous conflicts with outsiders. Strangers approaching a tribe would usually be either greeted or avoided, rarely attacked. As the feeling of freedom is extremely importent to Apecats, those in captivity loose their wild spirit and start appearing soulless rather quickly. Apecats in imprisonment or slavery rarely live to be older than 25 years of age. Nonetheless, Apecats are a fairly popular commodity on the slave markets of civilized races. They are even traded in a number of countries that formally ban slavery, where it's argued that owning Apecats is not slavery, since they are closer to animals than people. Indeed they mostly end up as pets, for display or pleasure, most buyers being rich collectors or brothel owners. Some people find their exotic apperance appealing and unusually attractive ones, especially those with colorful or light fur, can fetch high prices. Apecats who escape slavery are usually severely psychologically scarred and unable to regain their natural spirit.