Homebrew Race powers [Archive] - Wizards Community

Homebrew Race powers [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Templar3378
03-25-08, 08:51 PM Okay, so the general premise is that before all the other races in my world, there was a race of magically enhanced beings that rules the world, were immortal ect.

Insert calamity, god's dying, new gods arising, and several thousand years, and we have where we are now.

What I am working on is this: each of the main ancient families had specific powers that they had, of differing degrees. For example, some could see the future, some naturally could use Telekiniesis, some were super fast, or strong or whatever. What I am struggling with, after doing a few of these, is getting some of them to balance out nicely.

For example:

Ethereal Shift
Can shift as a swift action.

Rank 1 – Can shift part of the way into the ethereal plane for 1d4+1 rounds. 20% miss chance.
Rank 2 – Shift partly into the ethereal plane for 2d4+2 rounds. 40% miss chance.
Rank 3 – Shift partly into the ethereal plane 3d4+3 rounds. 60% miss chance, and can shift 10ft per round while shifted.
Rank 4 – as rank 4, but 4d4+4 rounds, 80% miss chance, and 15ft shift.
Rank 5 – can shift into the ethereal plane for 5d4+5 rounds per day. May take one willing person with you. Fatigued after full use.
Rank 6 – as rank 5, but can shift location 10ft per round
Rank 7 – As Rank 6, but can shift location 15 per round
Rank 8 – As rank 7, but can attack as if weapon was ghost-touched.
Rank 9 – And Rank 8, but spells can cast are treated as having the the Transdimensional Spell Feat for free.
Rank 10 – As rank 9, but can shift as a free action, and only for 5d4 rounds.

That is one that I have finished and used (rank 5) in game. But I'm having trouble scaling some of them...for example Great Strength. I don't want to just give them a Strength Enhancement. Ideas?

Edit:
How these are supposed to work: Family lines have access to a power of a certain rank. Characters start by getting access to the first power when they first learn of their unusual heritage and their character turns 21, and can work up to whatever rank I roll when they create the character, assuming that is within the limits of what that family can do. And yes, Rank 10 powers are pretty rediculous, and most won't be accessible to till 18-20 or higher.
james_gaines
03-26-08, 12:14 AM I'd just come up with a theme, sit down, and brainstorm.

Ok, just going off strength, you could have : straight str bonus, burst of str, the overcoming of DR or hardness, able to use weapons that are normally too large (greatsword as a 1 handed weapon, increased carrying capacity, stuff like that. So:

Ungodly Strength

1. +2 Str
2. +25% more carrying capacity
3. +3 Str, burst of strength (add 1d4x2 str for one round) 1/day
4. +25% carrying capacity, burst of strength 3/day
5. +4 Str, Ignore 5 DR/Hardness
6. Greater Burst of Strength (+1d8x2 str for one round) 1/day (in addition to lesser burst), +25% carrying capacity
7. +6 Str, Strong grip (can use 2 handed weapon as 1 handed)
8. Ignore 10 DR/Hardness, +25% carrying capacity
9. +8 Str, Greater Burst 3/day, lesser burst 7/day
10. +10 Str, +50% carrying capacity*, Ignore 20 DR/Hardness, Ultimate Burst (Double Str score for 1 round) 1/3days.

At rank 10, they'd get +150% carrying capacity, so they'd be able to haul 2.5x as much as a normal person with that score (which will naturally be high)

I'll think more about it, this is kind of fun. Any other ideas on possible themes for the powers?
Templar3378
03-26-08, 02:41 AM I honestly have a rather lengthy list of powers compiled from different things...everything from watching Heroes and adapting them to x-men, to some random thing that I thought would be cool (that i might or might not have seen at some point in something else).

Though for a few examples:

Earth Travel – tremorsense, burrow speed, dimension door/teleport (if touching earth) - the very initial bit was somewhat based off the aliens in Earth 2, which the only thing i remember was them appearing and disappearing into the ground)
Holy Affinity - good aligned attacks, holy damage, turn undead. (friends suggestion that I ran with)
Teleportation – dimension door, blink, teleport (personal), mass teleport (If you have heard of the movie jumper, that is a good example of kind of what I want)
Arcane Aegis – spell resistance, spell deflection, spell reflection, spell immunity - Natural adaptation to too much magic in my book :)

I do like what you did with the strength bit, becasue I was honestly just at a loss as to what kinds of abilities to give someone who is basically just really really strong. Some of the others it was easy, but that one had me strapped for concepts.

Though another one I finished today

Earth Travel

Rank 1 - Gain Tremorsense to 15ft and earth glide as the ability of a earth elemental of the same name. May only earth glide for 10ft at a time.
Rank 2 – As rank 1, but tremorsense increases to 30ft and earthglide to 15ft
Rank 3 – As rank 2, but tremorsense increases to 45 ft and earth glide to 20ft
Rank 4 – as rank 3, but tremorsense increases to 60 ft, and earth glide to 25ft
Rank 5 – as Rank 4, but earth glide increases to 30ft and gain blindsight to 5ft
Rank 6 – as rank 5, but earth glide increases to 35ft and blindsight increases to 10ft
Rank 7 –As rank 6, but earth glide to 40ft, blindsight increases to 15ft and can create an earthbolt effect, as the spell, 1/day by moving in a straight
Rank 8 – as Rank 7, but earthglide 45ft, blindsight 20ft, Earthbolt effect 2/day and Teleport 1/day.
Rank 9 – as rank 8, but earthglide 50ft, blindsight 25ft, Earthbolt 3/day, and teleport 2/day
Rank 10 – as rank 9, but earthglide 60ft, blindsight 30ft, teleport 3/day, and Stoneskin 1/day.

Teleport- target location must be touching the earth or stone. (for example, can target a tower cellar, but not its top. May only bring one willing person with you.
Earthbolt – Caster level is by characters hit dice. DC is con based. Line of effect is the distance moved.
Stoneskin – caster level is ½ hit dice + con modifier
Activations for special ablities (earthbolt, stoneskin) are standard actions and can not be quickened. Activation for teleport is a full round action.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Templar3378 03-25-08, 08:51 PM	Okay, so the general premise is that before all the other races in my world, there was a race of magically enhanced beings that rules the world, were immortal ect. Insert calamity, god's dying, new gods arising, and several thousand years, and we have where we are now. What I am working on is this: each of the main ancient families had specific powers that they had, of differing degrees. For example, some could see the future, some naturally could use Telekiniesis, some were super fast, or strong or whatever. What I am struggling with, after doing a few of these, is getting some of them to balance out nicely. For example: Ethereal Shift Can shift as a swift action. Rank 1 – Can shift part of the way into the ethereal plane for 1d4+1 rounds. 20% miss chance. Rank 2 – Shift partly into the ethereal plane for 2d4+2 rounds. 40% miss chance. Rank 3 – Shift partly into the ethereal plane 3d4+3 rounds. 60% miss chance, and can shift 10ft per round while shifted. Rank 4 – as rank 4, but 4d4+4 rounds, 80% miss chance, and 15ft shift. Rank 5 – can shift into the ethereal plane for 5d4+5 rounds per day. May take one willing person with you. Fatigued after full use. Rank 6 – as rank 5, but can shift location 10ft per round Rank 7 – As Rank 6, but can shift location 15 per round Rank 8 – As rank 7, but can attack as if weapon was ghost-touched. Rank 9 – And Rank 8, but spells can cast are treated as having the the Transdimensional Spell Feat for free. Rank 10 – As rank 9, but can shift as a free action, and only for 5d4 rounds. That is one that I have finished and used (rank 5) in game. But I'm having trouble scaling some of them...for example Great Strength. I don't want to just give them a Strength Enhancement. Ideas? Edit: How these are supposed to work: Family lines have access to a power of a certain rank. Characters start by getting access to the first power when they first learn of their unusual heritage and their character turns 21, and can work up to whatever rank I roll when they create the character, assuming that is within the limits of what that family can do. And yes, Rank 10 powers are pretty rediculous, and most won't be accessible to till 18-20 or higher.
james_gaines 03-26-08, 12:14 AM	I'd just come up with a theme, sit down, and brainstorm. Ok, just going off strength, you could have : straight str bonus, burst of str, the overcoming of DR or hardness, able to use weapons that are normally too large (greatsword as a 1 handed weapon, increased carrying capacity, stuff like that. So: Ungodly Strength 1. +2 Str 2. +25% more carrying capacity 3. +3 Str, burst of strength (add 1d4x2 str for one round) 1/day 4. +25% carrying capacity, burst of strength 3/day 5. +4 Str, Ignore 5 DR/Hardness 6. Greater Burst of Strength (+1d8x2 str for one round) 1/day (in addition to lesser burst), +25% carrying capacity 7. +6 Str, Strong grip (can use 2 handed weapon as 1 handed) 8. Ignore 10 DR/Hardness, +25% carrying capacity 9. +8 Str, Greater Burst 3/day, lesser burst 7/day 10. +10 Str, +50% carrying capacity*, Ignore 20 DR/Hardness, Ultimate Burst (Double Str score for 1 round) 1/3days. At rank 10, they'd get +150% carrying capacity, so they'd be able to haul 2.5x as much as a normal person with that score (which will naturally be high) I'll think more about it, this is kind of fun. Any other ideas on possible themes for the powers?
Templar3378 03-26-08, 02:41 AM	I honestly have a rather lengthy list of powers compiled from different things...everything from watching Heroes and adapting them to x-men, to some random thing that I thought would be cool (that i might or might not have seen at some point in something else). Though for a few examples: Earth Travel – tremorsense, burrow speed, dimension door/teleport (if touching earth) - the very initial bit was somewhat based off the aliens in Earth 2, which the only thing i remember was them appearing and disappearing into the ground) Holy Affinity - good aligned attacks, holy damage, turn undead. (friends suggestion that I ran with) Teleportation – dimension door, blink, teleport (personal), mass teleport (If you have heard of the movie jumper, that is a good example of kind of what I want) Arcane Aegis – spell resistance, spell deflection, spell reflection, spell immunity - Natural adaptation to too much magic in my book :) I do like what you did with the strength bit, becasue I was honestly just at a loss as to what kinds of abilities to give someone who is basically just really really strong. Some of the others it was easy, but that one had me strapped for concepts. Though another one I finished today Earth Travel Rank 1 - Gain Tremorsense to 15ft and earth glide as the ability of a earth elemental of the same name. May only earth glide for 10ft at a time. Rank 2 – As rank 1, but tremorsense increases to 30ft and earthglide to 15ft Rank 3 – As rank 2, but tremorsense increases to 45 ft and earth glide to 20ft Rank 4 – as rank 3, but tremorsense increases to 60 ft, and earth glide to 25ft Rank 5 – as Rank 4, but earth glide increases to 30ft and gain blindsight to 5ft Rank 6 – as rank 5, but earth glide increases to 35ft and blindsight increases to 10ft Rank 7 –As rank 6, but earth glide to 40ft, blindsight increases to 15ft and can create an earthbolt effect, as the spell, 1/day by moving in a straight Rank 8 – as Rank 7, but earthglide 45ft, blindsight 20ft, Earthbolt effect 2/day and Teleport 1/day. Rank 9 – as rank 8, but earthglide 50ft, blindsight 25ft, Earthbolt 3/day, and teleport 2/day Rank 10 – as rank 9, but earthglide 60ft, blindsight 30ft, teleport 3/day, and Stoneskin 1/day. Teleport- target location must be touching the earth or stone. (for example, can target a tower cellar, but not its top. May only bring one willing person with you. Earthbolt – Caster level is by characters hit dice. DC is con based. Line of effect is the distance moved. Stoneskin – caster level is ½ hit dice + con modifier Activations for special ablities (earthbolt, stoneskin) are standard actions and can not be quickened. Activation for teleport is a full round action.