Post/Author/DateTime	Post
DeciusNero 06-13-07, 11:54 AM	A concept that has been kicking around with me for about a year, but never truly got around to making it. Here goes... Sphinxet Once in the waste, sphinxes held sway over vast territories and were more organized than they are now; such sphinxes had what could have been considered small, local empires in and of themselves. Some of their human stewards were awarded special powers in return for faithful service rendered. The sphinxes recreated their servants in forms more to their liking. Now the sphinx empires are no more, only vague ruins a testament to power – most sphinxes have generated into glorified beasts, some that cling to their old “civilization” more than others – but the sphinxets have bred into a small race of themselves. Sphinxets can be just as varied as the sphinxes themselves, thought they have the conform to the following physical traits; Their lower body and torso are feline in shape (though they are bipedal), covered in light fur (cat-like, lion-like, leopard-like variants exist equally), padded paw-like hands and feet, feline tails, and glorious wings – about 2 to 4 feet in length – sprouting from their backs. Their heads tend to be perfectly human (similar to an androsphinx or gynosphinx), but some may be shaped canine-like (similar to a canisphynx), ram/sheep-shaped (like a criosphinx), or the like. Sphinxeti are, like humans, very varied in their beliefs and outlooks. Some, such as those that still cling to the old ways of the sphinx as more lawful; others believe in creating their own destiny, as they see fit and are more chaotic. At large, most tend toward neutrality in respect to good and evil, but exceptions exist as well. • +2 Dexterity, –2 Constitution; Agile and lithe, sphinxeti are less stout than human ancestors. • Humanoid: sphinxeti are humanoids with the sphinxet subtype. While similar in many ways to their ancestors, sphinxeti are still removed from human form. • Sphinxet base land speed is 30 feet. • Medium: as Medium creatures, sphinxets have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. • Gliding (Ex): a sphinxet can use her wings to glide, negating damage from a fall of any height and allowing 20 feet of forward travel for every 5 feet of descent. Sphinxeti glide at a speed of 40 feet (average maneuverability). Even if a sphinxet’s maneuverability improves, she can’t hover while gliding. A sphinxet can’t glide while carrying a medium or heavy load. If a sphinxet becomes unconscious or helpless while in midair, her wings naturally unfurl and powerful ligaments stiffen the wings. The sphinxet descends in a tight corkscrew and takes only 1d6 points of falling damage, no matter the actual distance of the fall. • Flight (Ex): when a sphinxet reaches 5 Hit Dice, she becomes able to fly at a speed of 40 feet (average maneuverability). A sphinxet can’t glide while carrying a medium or heavy load or when fatigued or exhausted. Sphinxeti can safely fly for a number of rounds equal to their Constitution modifier (minimum one round). They can exert themselves to fly up to twice as long, but then they’re fatigued at the end of the flight. Sphinxeti are likewise fatigued after spending a total of more than 10 minutes per day flying. Because sphinxeti can glide before, after, and between rounds of actual flight, they can remain aloft for extended periods (even if they can only use flight for 1 round at a time without becoming fatigued). When they reach 10 Hit Dice, sphinxeti have enough stamina and prowess to fly for longer periods. They can fly at a speed of 40 feet (average maneuverability), and flying requires no exertion than walking or running. A sphinxet with flight can make a dive attack. A dive attack works like a charge, but the sphinxet must move a minimum of 30 feet and descend at least 10 feet. A sphinxet can make a dive attack only when wielding a piercing weapon; if the attack hits, it deals double damage. A sphinxet with flight can use the run action while flying, provided she flies in a straight line. • +2 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks. Sphinxeti have keen eyes and ears. • Low-light vision: a sphinxet can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. A sphinxet retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions. • Sphinxeti treat the kopesh (Sandstorm) as a martial weapon. • Automatic Languages: Common, Sphinx*. Bonus Languages: Auran, Draconic, Giant, Orc. • Favored Class: Druid. A multiclass sphinxet does not count its druid levels for the purposes of multiclass penalties. Sphinxets revere the waste and the natural environment in general, as was taught by the Sphinxes. *Sphinx uses Draconic for its alphabet. As you can see, I havn't fleshed out everything, and I am open to suggestions. I am aiming, if you can't tell by the bastardized raptoran glide/flight, for a LA +0 creature.
Tectorman 06-13-07, 12:43 PM	Looks good. If I were going to do the same thing, I'd have started by applying the Winged template (Savage Species) to the Catfolk race and gone from there, but no matter. As to the stats... The ability scores are balanced with no more deviation than +/- 2. Medium. Normal base land speed. Gliding and Flying identical to the Raptoran. Low-light vision and a +2 bonus to 2 Wis skills. All of this doable with LA +0. Then you added the claws. I think it might be high powered for an LA +0 race just for that, maybe even pushing into low powered LA +1. Personally, I'd bump up both the Dex and the Con by +2 and just go for balanced LA +1, taking into account the LA buyoff variant from Unearthed Arcana. As to the favored class, I'd go with Druid, Ranger, Rogue, or something similar.
Mai_ariti 06-13-07, 01:13 PM	Look at Raptorians from Races of the Wild, it's basically this race (stat wise) and can be used for comparison.
sword_war444 06-13-07, 01:26 PM	I think you need a la for this race
okaynowa 06-13-07, 02:54 PM	Just an idea, but-- I'd find the claws more permissible and more interesting if they were replaced with some sort of "Rake" mechanic. Something along the lines of: Rake (Ex): If a sphinxet successfully hits a target with a full attack in melee, it may make an additional rake attack with its clawed feet for 1d6 + Str bonus damage. This rake attack is at -5 to the primary attack bonus.Phrased this way, it keeps the attack conditional so there's fewer natural weapon/Sneak Attack exploits, and highlights the fact that sphinxeti are half great cat. But, just an idea. Aside from that, my other advice would be to make them Humanoid (sphinxet), as opposed to Humanoid (human). There really are some significant differences there-- some of the feats and prestige classes from Races of Destiny leap to mind. Overall, pretty neat.
Thomar_of_Uointer 06-13-07, 08:56 PM	• +2 Dexterity, –2 Constitution; Agile and lithe, sphinxeti are less stout than human ancestors. • Humanoid: sphinxeti are humanoids with the human subtype. While distant in many ways to their ancestors, sphinxeti are still biologically and even psychologically, human. • Sphinxet base land speed is 30 feet. • Medium: as Medium creatures, sphinxets have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. • Gliding (Ex): a sphinxet can use her wings to glide, negating damage from a fall of any height and allowing 20 feet of forward travel for every 5 feet of descent. Sphinxeti glide at a speed of 40 feet (average maneuverability). Even if a sphinxet’s maneuverability improves, she can’t hover while gliding. A sphinxet can’t glide while carrying a medium or heavy load. If a sphinxet becomes unconscious or helpless while in midair, her wings naturally unfurl and powerful ligaments stiffen the wings. The sphinxet descends in a tight corkscrew and takes only 1d6 points of falling damage, no matter the actual distance of the fall. • Flight (Ex): when a sphinxet reaches 5 Hit Dice, she becomes able to fly at a speed of 40 feet (average maneuverability). A sphinxet can’t glide while carrying a medium or heavy load or when fatigued or exhausted. Sphinxeti can safely fly for a number of rounds equal to their Constitution modifier (minimum one round). They can exert themselves to fly up to twice as long, but then they’re fatigued at the end of the flight. Sphinxeti are likewise fatigued after spending a total of more than 10 minutes per day flying. Because sphinxeti can glide before, after, and between rounds of actual flight, they can remain aloft for extended periods (even if they can only use flight for 1 round at a time without becoming fatigued). When they reach 10 Hit Dice, sphinxeti have enough stamina and prowess to fly for longer periods. They can fly at a speed of 40 feet (average maneuverability), and flying requires no exertion than walking or running. A sphinxet with flight can make a dive attack. A dive attack works like a charge, but the sphinxet must move a minimum of 30 feet and descend at least 10 feet. A sphinxet can make a dive attack only when wielding a piercing weapon; if the attack hits, it deals double damage. A sphinxet with flight can use the run action while flying, provided she flies in a straight line. • +2 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks. Sphinxeti have keen eyes and ears. • Low-light vision: a sphinxet can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. A sphinxet retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions. • Natural Weapons: 2 claws (1d3) • Automatic Languages: Common, Sphinx*. Bonus Languages: Auran, Draconic, Giant, Orc. • Favored Class: ? *Sphinx uses Draconic for its alphabet. As you can see, I havn't fleshed out everything, and I am open to suggestions. I am aiming, if you can't tell by the bastardized raptoran glide/flight, for a LA +0 creature. Hmm... Compared to raptorans, these are actually too powerful. Raptorans don't get much besides their flight, and these do. You could probably give them +1 natural armor, a decent claw attack, and call it an LA +1 race. To keep it LA +0, you should make them Small sized.
Tectorman 06-14-07, 08:47 AM	Aside from that, my other advice would be to make them Humanoid (sphinxet), as opposed to Humanoid (human). There really are some significant differences there-- some of the feats and prestige classes from Races of Destiny leap to mind. Overall, pretty neat. I second the notion of changing their subtype from "human" to "sphinxet."
DeciusNero 06-14-07, 11:30 AM	Just an idea, but-- I'd find the claws more permissible and more interesting if they were replaced with some sort of "Rake" mechanic. Something along the lines of: Phrased this way, it keeps the attack conditional so there's fewer natural weapon/Sneak Attack exploits, and highlights the fact that sphinxeti are half great cat. But, just an idea. hmm; instead of giving the race that automatic, I'll make one or two racial feats (similar to the shifter of Monster Manuel III), that can allow a rake attempt.
DeciusNero 06-14-07, 11:41 AM	I have removed the claw attacks, and have changed humanoid (human) to humanoid (sphinxet). The favored class is druid. Hmm... Compared to raptorans, these are actually too powerful. Raptorans don't get much besides their flight, and these do. You could probably give them +1 natural armor, a decent claw attack, and call it an LA +1 race. To keep it LA +0, you should make them Small sized. Raptorans also gain weapon proficiency with footbows as well (not sure if they become martial weapons, or available to any raptoran). I was thinking of giving kopesh (as a martial weapon) instead of the footbow. They also have a jump feature in addition to their glide/flight, and bonus on Jump and Spot.
Tectorman 06-14-07, 12:42 PM	Removed the claw attacks? Okay, but check out my revision of the Catfolk race that I have in my sig. One of the things I did was make their unarmed attacks virtual claw attacks because they were supposed to be the humanoid type, but I wanted them to have natural weapons (I don't remember the full details, hence the shameless soliciting).
DeciusNero 06-14-07, 09:57 PM	Removed the claw attacks? Okay, but check out my revision of the Catfolk race that I have in my sig. One of the things I did was make their unarmed attacks virtual claw attacks because they were supposed to be the humanoid type, but I wanted them to have natural weapons (I don't remember the full details, hence the shameless soliciting). You're catfolk are pretty cool, though I dont see the LA +1; the claw attacks are negotionable for me, they're not a big deal. I've proposed treating the kopesh (Sandstorm) as a martial weapon for Sphinxets - statwise, they are scimitars that can be used for a trip attempt. Hmm, do you think monk should be their favored class? They were servants/guardians of sphinxes.
Knute 06-15-07, 12:27 AM	I really like them. Just a typo - You need to decide if you are using Sphinxets or Sphinxeti as a plural and use it consistently. (I'd go with Sphinxeti :) ) Considering their background you might give them some sort of bonus with languages. ie Sphinxeti speak common, sphinx, and one other language of their choice. K