Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Orayn, Elvish Blademaster 09-09-05, 05:10 PM	I was thinking one day, and came up with a series of traits that serve as mini-races, and give players a good option to use if they roll up an odd score. Only one of this group of trait may be taken per character. Feel free to contribute, or criticize constructively. ("I believe trait X is overpowered and should be changed." Is constructive. "Your traits are stupid and so are you!" Is not.) Some of these traits' names may already be used so new names would also be appreciated. Muscle-Bound: +1 STR, -1 DEX Brutish: +1 STR, -2 INT Skinny: +1 DEX, -1 CON Fidgety: +1 DEX, -2 CHA Stout: +1 CON, -1 DEX Rigid: +1 CON, -1 DEX Poindexter: +2 INT, -1 STR Know-It-All: +1 INT, -1 CHA Stubborn: +1 WIS, -1 CHA Hesitant: +2 WIS, -1 DEX Ditzy: +1 CHA, -1 INT Non-Confrontational: +2 CHA, -1 STR Articles having recieved errata in blue.
Bardicstorm 09-09-05, 05:32 PM	I was thinking one day, and came up with a series of traits that serve as mini-races, and give players a good option to use if they roll up an odd score. Only one of this group of trait may be taken per character. Feel free to contribute, or criticize constructively. ("I believe trait X is overpowered and should be changed." Is constructive. "Your traits are stupid and so are you!" Is not.) Some of these traits' names may already be used so new names would also be appreciated. Well, if you want it balanced, which you should, it should really be no different then adjucating bonuses and negatives for new races. DMG pg 173: Ability Score Equivalencies Basically, some abilities are more important than others, so a bonus in 1 should equal penalties in 1 or more abilities. For instance a +1 to Str should have a -1 to Dex, or -1 to Con, or -2 to Int, or -2 to Wis, or -2 to Cha. To redo your examples would look like: (and mind you, this is but one possible permutation) Muscle-Bound: +1 STR, -1 DEX Brutish: +1 STR, -2 INT Skinny: +1 DEX, -1 CON Fidgety: +1 DEX, -2 CHA Stout: +1 CON, -1 DEX Rigid: +1 CON, -1 DEX Poindexter: +2 INT, -1 STR Know-It-All: +1 INT, -1 CHA Stubborn: +1 WIS, -1 CHA Hesitant: +2 WIS, -1 DEX Wishy-Washy: +1 CHA, -1 INT Non-Confrontational: +2 CHA, -1 STR The one's I modified are in red. And I don't think the "Wishy-Washy" one works in terms of flavor. How is someone who's undecisive more amiable?
Orayn, Elvish Blademaster 09-10-05, 10:30 AM	Well, if you want it balanced, which you should, it should really be no different then adjucating bonuses and negatives for new races. DMG pg 173: Ability Score Equivalencies Basically, some abilities are more important than others, so a bonus in 1 should equal penalties in 1 or more abilities. For instance a +1 to Str should have a -1 to Dex, or -1 to Con, or -2 to Int, or -2 to Wis, or -2 to Cha. To redo your examples would look like: (and mind you, this is but one possible permutation) Muscle-Bound: +1 STR, -1 DEX Brutish: +1 STR, -2 INT Skinny: +1 DEX, -1 CON Fidgety: +1 DEX, -2 CHA Stout: +1 CON, -1 DEX Rigid: +1 CON, -1 DEX Poindexter: +2 INT, -1 STR Know-It-All: +1 INT, -1 CHA Stubborn: +1 WIS, -1 CHA Hesitant: +2 WIS, -1 DEX Wishy-Washy: +1 CHA, -1 INT Non-Confrontational: +2 CHA, -1 STR The one's I modified are in red. And I don't think the "Wishy-Washy" one works in terms of flavor. How is someone who's undecisive more amiable? Your modifications look great. For "Wishy-Washy," I was kind of going for a "Good looks, but an empty head" deal, though I couldn't think of a good word to use at the time. :embarrass
Seeker95 09-10-05, 10:48 AM	I was kind of going for a "Good looks, but an empty head" deal, though I couldn't think of a good word to use at the time. :embarrassWell, there's: blonde, ditzy, all-face, trophy.
Orayn, Elvish Blademaster 09-10-05, 12:08 PM	ditzy BINGO! That's it.
Bardicstorm 09-10-05, 02:22 PM	I was thinking about this, and while I have no problem with using traits in this manner per se, I think some will have issues... Here's an example: Someone rolls up a standard human sorcerer. Fair enough. Then they pick the "non-confrontational (pacifist)" trait to get that slight extra edge on Cha. This is balanced by the lower strength, but what happens when the player actually plays the character as very confrontational. Shouldn't they lose their bonus? I mean, while their str may not improve, they certainly wouldn't be perceived as such a nice person anymore and the Cha bonus would go away. Yet, this type of situation doesn't exist for all the traits.
Orayn, Elvish Blademaster 09-10-05, 05:34 PM	Ah. I see your point. Well, maybe these could only be allowed on an agreement with the DM to Roleplay according to these traits. *Shrugs*
General_Ridley 09-10-05, 09:18 PM	picking the trait should be the agreement anyway, as the traits are personality. I like it, and would love to play an Old Poindexter Gray Elf Wizard 5/Mindbender 1/Geometer 2/Loremaster 2/Archmage 5/Lich /Loremaster for the rest.
BlaineTog 09-10-05, 09:22 PM	The only way that these could come anywhere close to being balanced would be for the penalties to all be -2 or -4 and the bonuses to all equal +1.