Lepidopterans, Psychic Lotus Eater Butterfly People [Archive] - Wizards Community

Lepidopterans, Psychic Lotus Eater Butterfly People [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
InkBlot
10-08-07, 01:08 PM I pulled this out of my but for another thread (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=935647) to demonstrate how I would make an LA +0 flying race. Apparently my muse was hiding in the coffee I drank this morning, since the race came out well enough for me not to hate it and original enough for me not to crumple it up saying "nah, someone else must have done this already."

Lepidopterans
A lepidopteran appears to be a a dark skinned human, except for it's two pairs of stiff blade-like wings hang from it's back, purple hair, and oddly long limbs. Lepidopteran's stand at about as tall as a human, but only because their short bodies are held high by their disproportionately long legs. The wings on their backs shimmer in many hues and patterns like a butterfly's.

Lepidopterans live nomadic lives following the seasons and the flowering of plants. They don't have any permanent settlements. They don't keep written records. Occasionally the work of a lepidopteran artist or sculptor will be found left behind.

They can often be found lounging on sun-warmed rocks. Lepidopterans are often described as lazy, but they would say they are "patient, peace loving, and enjoy a good nap." Lepidopterans eat flowering plants exculsively, and lotus blossoms especially.

Lepidopteran culture is based around sharing vivid experiences. Their ability to directly tap into each other's sensory perception allows them to make an art form out of otherwise mundane events, such as bathing or eating. Although they can share this art with beings outside their own race, they rarely do; they believe that members of other races may become addicted to living lepidopteran lives vicariously.

Rajiv and Yuri are common lepidopteran names. Lepidopterans don't typically have surnames, due to their lack of record keeping.

• -2 Constitution, -2 Wisdom. Lepidopterans are thin, light, and frail. They have mercurial personalities and are easily distracted.

• Medium: As Medium creatures, lepidopterans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

• Lepidopteran base land speed is 30 feet, and their fly speed is 30 (clumsy) (but see below).

• Flutter: A lepidopteran can flit and fly for short periods of time by fluttering it's wings. A lepidopteran must begin and end it's turn with solid footing in order to fly. If she has not landed by the end of her turn, a lepidopteran will fall.

• Naturally Psionic: Lepidopterans start with 2 bonus power points at 1st level.

• Psionics: Lepidopterans have the uncanny ability to always know where they are, and to share their senses with others. Lepidopterans with a Charisma of at least 11 can use their power points to manifest know location and direction and sense link. A lepidopteran can experience any sense via sense link, instead of only sight, hearing, taste, or smell.

Lepidopterans have a manifester level equal to 1/2 their class levels. Their powers are Charisma based, but they do not receive bonus power points for a high Charisma score.

• Low-Light Vision: A lepidopteran can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.

• Automatic Languages: Common and Sylvan. Bonus Languages: Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Elven.

• Favored Class: Ranger. A multiclass lepidopteran’s ranger class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
Soel Griffin
10-09-07, 02:50 AM Cool race! Totally diggin the shared experience culture, an actual built-in justification for them being psionic.

Well done!
JoshuaZ
10-09-07, 04:33 PM Looks good. One minor thing: "elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size" should say "Lepidopterans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size". I'm also slightly worried about giving them a manifester level rather than just psi-like abilities since naturally psionic races normally just get power points and that's it. That may be abusable, although I haven't precisely hit on a way to abuse it just yet. The most obvious issue is that someone could conceivably use psychic surgery to get additional powers which doesn't work for most naturally psionic races (since they don't have a manifester level). Still this seems like a minor enough issue. I might even go as far as to suggest that in addition to Sense Link and Know Direction and Location they should get Catfall as well, but that may be too much for LA +0.
InkBlot
10-09-07, 04:55 PM Great Scott! I could have sworn I fixed that copy pasta before.

Having a manifester level allows them to take Psicrystal Affinity and Overchannel without levels in a manifesting class. It lets them apply metapsionics to their racial powers. I thought about giving them a 2nd level power (mass missive) so that they could learn new 1st level powers with Expanded Knowledge, but ultimately decided against it.

A lepidopteran can get 32 bonus power points at 20th level with an 24 Charisma. This doesn't seem too bad, since Wilders are the only Charisma manifesting class. I could cut out the bonus power points for a high charisma, and change their naturaly psionic nature to give +1 power point per hitdie (like Kalashtar). Or I could do something unique, and give them +2 power points per psionic feat they take.

What do you think? Lose bonus power points from Cha, and gain mass missive and +2 power points per psionic feat?
AtsuiShoto
10-09-07, 09:14 PM I think upping their psionic abilities pushes them outside the usual +0 LA realm. I like just 2 PP and some psi-like abilities. Remember, psi-likes are augmented by default, as though using as many power points as the psi-like's manifester level (see here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/overview.htm#psiLikeAbilities)), so they already do scale. If you'd like your race to be able to expend effort to improve their innate abilities, they can apply psionic feats or take levels in a manifesting class.
InkBlot
10-09-07, 09:25 PM I just removed the bonus power points from a high Cha.

I'm leaving their powers as actual powers instead of psi-likes for reasons previously stated.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
InkBlot 10-08-07, 01:08 PM	I pulled this out of my but for another thread (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=935647) to demonstrate how I would make an LA +0 flying race. Apparently my muse was hiding in the coffee I drank this morning, since the race came out well enough for me not to hate it and original enough for me not to crumple it up saying "nah, someone else must have done this already." Lepidopterans A lepidopteran appears to be a a dark skinned human, except for it's two pairs of stiff blade-like wings hang from it's back, purple hair, and oddly long limbs. Lepidopteran's stand at about as tall as a human, but only because their short bodies are held high by their disproportionately long legs. The wings on their backs shimmer in many hues and patterns like a butterfly's. Lepidopterans live nomadic lives following the seasons and the flowering of plants. They don't have any permanent settlements. They don't keep written records. Occasionally the work of a lepidopteran artist or sculptor will be found left behind. They can often be found lounging on sun-warmed rocks. Lepidopterans are often described as lazy, but they would say they are "patient, peace loving, and enjoy a good nap." Lepidopterans eat flowering plants exculsively, and lotus blossoms especially. Lepidopteran culture is based around sharing vivid experiences. Their ability to directly tap into each other's sensory perception allows them to make an art form out of otherwise mundane events, such as bathing or eating. Although they can share this art with beings outside their own race, they rarely do; they believe that members of other races may become addicted to living lepidopteran lives vicariously. Rajiv and Yuri are common lepidopteran names. Lepidopterans don't typically have surnames, due to their lack of record keeping. • -2 Constitution, -2 Wisdom. Lepidopterans are thin, light, and frail. They have mercurial personalities and are easily distracted. • Medium: As Medium creatures, lepidopterans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. • Lepidopteran base land speed is 30 feet, and their fly speed is 30 (clumsy) (but see below). • Flutter: A lepidopteran can flit and fly for short periods of time by fluttering it's wings. A lepidopteran must begin and end it's turn with solid footing in order to fly. If she has not landed by the end of her turn, a lepidopteran will fall. • Naturally Psionic: Lepidopterans start with 2 bonus power points at 1st level. • Psionics: Lepidopterans have the uncanny ability to always know where they are, and to share their senses with others. Lepidopterans with a Charisma of at least 11 can use their power points to manifest know location and direction and sense link. A lepidopteran can experience any sense via sense link, instead of only sight, hearing, taste, or smell. Lepidopterans have a manifester level equal to 1/2 their class levels. Their powers are Charisma based, but they do not receive bonus power points for a high Charisma score. • Low-Light Vision: A lepidopteran can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions. • Automatic Languages: Common and Sylvan. Bonus Languages: Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Elven. • Favored Class: Ranger. A multiclass lepidopteran’s ranger class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
Soel Griffin 10-09-07, 02:50 AM	Cool race! Totally diggin the shared experience culture, an actual built-in justification for them being psionic. Well done!
JoshuaZ 10-09-07, 04:33 PM	Looks good. One minor thing: "elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size" should say "Lepidopterans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size". I'm also slightly worried about giving them a manifester level rather than just psi-like abilities since naturally psionic races normally just get power points and that's it. That may be abusable, although I haven't precisely hit on a way to abuse it just yet. The most obvious issue is that someone could conceivably use psychic surgery to get additional powers which doesn't work for most naturally psionic races (since they don't have a manifester level). Still this seems like a minor enough issue. I might even go as far as to suggest that in addition to Sense Link and Know Direction and Location they should get Catfall as well, but that may be too much for LA +0.
InkBlot 10-09-07, 04:55 PM	Great Scott! I could have sworn I fixed that copy pasta before. Having a manifester level allows them to take Psicrystal Affinity and Overchannel without levels in a manifesting class. It lets them apply metapsionics to their racial powers. I thought about giving them a 2nd level power (mass missive) so that they could learn new 1st level powers with Expanded Knowledge, but ultimately decided against it. A lepidopteran can get 32 bonus power points at 20th level with an 24 Charisma. This doesn't seem too bad, since Wilders are the only Charisma manifesting class. I could cut out the bonus power points for a high charisma, and change their naturaly psionic nature to give +1 power point per hitdie (like Kalashtar). Or I could do something unique, and give them +2 power points per psionic feat they take. What do you think? Lose bonus power points from Cha, and gain mass missive and +2 power points per psionic feat?
AtsuiShoto 10-09-07, 09:14 PM	I think upping their psionic abilities pushes them outside the usual +0 LA realm. I like just 2 PP and some psi-like abilities. Remember, psi-likes are augmented by default, as though using as many power points as the psi-like's manifester level (see here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/overview.htm#psiLikeAbilities)), so they already do scale. If you'd like your race to be able to expend effort to improve their innate abilities, they can apply psionic feats or take levels in a manifesting class.
InkBlot 10-09-07, 09:25 PM	I just removed the bonus power points from a high Cha. I'm leaving their powers as actual powers instead of psi-likes for reasons previously stated.