Need a good newbie race. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Need a good newbie race. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Serge_P
04-11-07, 03:55 PM Hi. I need to find a good newbie race to play, since I'm new.

I have looked thru some books, but can't find any funny.

I would like chaotic neutral/good.

I don't like the PH races, they feel lame, except human who feels boring and halflings who seems fun if made into a pathetic humorus char. (I.E. a pathetic half Halfling/Dragon megalomaniac).

The only playable race I like in the Monster Manuals is Pixie.

I like trolls, but I hate DnD trolls, LotR trolls and WoW trolls. If the trolls would look and act as Warhammer stone-trolls, I would play them.

I like lillends, but sylph is my favurite monster, and I would love to play a sylph. (Why can't I play the sylph:weep: Why don't they have playable characther rules?:weep: )

I would like to play a half titan/human, but there seems not to be rules for them. And bloodlines are to complicated for me.

My favourite group is fairies, but there are wery few fun monsters and even fewer playable (Only Pixie).:(

The're 3 things I would love to play, but they aren't playable:
*Sylph.
*Own race: Half human/titan (Medium sized) with things like some few rages, Oversized greatsword (Hopefuly gargantuan or colosal and having the ability to shoot lightning bolts from it (I.E. Chain lightning)), +9-10 to st and such.
*Own Race: A tiny or smaller fairy with wings, Hover and Wingover as racial feats, some few special abilities/attacks/qualities/whatchamaycallits. and low St/Con, but high mental and sky high Dex.

Is there any good races for me to play? I would like to play Gestalt sorcerer/warmage or Gestalt wizard/warmage (Does the wizard add the wamages spells to his own book?:confused: ). Or just warmage. Unless i play a thing like half titan/human, then I want to play Fighter.

What should I play?
Thomar_of_Uointer
04-11-07, 04:04 PM Faeries, huh? Well, I'd recommend human for anything (no, seriously, you'd be surprised what you can do with the bonus feat), but...

See if your DM will let you use my 20-level Fey progression:
http://www.kobolds-keep.net/Progressions.pdf
Peregrine_Wolf
04-11-07, 04:10 PM Races of the Wild.

5 new races to pick from, the Killoren are kinda like fairies. Catfolk are tribal people(no offense, but much like African tribes or native American tribes). Raptoran are like elves with wings =p. Also.....centaur and gnolls, they're ok but not very "fairy-like"
The_Shaman
04-11-07, 04:42 PM I'm not quite sure a race with a hefty LA is a good idea for a new player. If you want fey flavor, however, and would dare to be a level or two behind, the half-fey from Fiend Folio has some decent abilities and a LA of +2.
revaar
04-11-07, 04:43 PM to be completely frank, if you a new player, stick with simplicity. Humans are actually fairly widely considered a powerful race, and are only ad boring as tyhe player makes them. i've seen people play generic human mages that were 100 times as interesting as a half dragon/ half fiend feral anthropomorphic ect. ect.
AMGriffin
04-11-07, 05:28 PM Yeah, You're best off with a basic PHB Race, avoid using half-elves and half-orcs though, they're both broken.

If you're looking to play a fighter, you can take a human and apply the draconic template to him (which means that your character has draconic ancestry most likely about 1/4 or 1/8 dragon). You get Strength, Constitution, charisma, natural armor, and some other goodies for only LA+1.
KurenaiYami
04-11-07, 05:34 PM Duskling from Magic of Incarnum. Fey with LA +0.
Erato
04-11-07, 05:49 PM I like lillends, but sylph is my favurite monster, and I would love to play a sylph. (Why can't I play the sylph:weep: Why don't they have playable characther rules?:weep: )

Why don’t you just play a sylph :confused: There’s an update of MM II on the site, and despite the LA +5 they’re among the most playable monstrous races.
The_Shaman
04-11-07, 06:33 PM +5? Strange, I thought it was +4 for some reason. Oh well, no reason why you can't play it as character if your DM lets you. Savage species already stated that there are a lot more options than just the creatures that have a "X as characters" block.
Serge_P
04-12-07, 04:20 AM Why don’t you just play a sylph :confused: There’s an update of MM II on the site, and despite the LA +5 they’re among the most playable monstrous races.

:cheer: :ayyyy!: :w00t: :cloud9:

iiiiiiiii-yay!

Thank you, I'll play sylph.

and here::cookie:
YabaTheWhat
04-12-07, 08:06 AM Before you run off to join the ranks, can we assume that, even though you are new, your group has been playing for a while? It sounds like you're looking at some pretty high-level characters. That's fine if the group you're joining are already up to level 10+ and have a decent grasp of the game, but if you're part of a new group starting at 1st level, then the creatures you want to play aren't an option. The sylph, for example, has 3 hitdice and LA+5. That means its effective character level (ECL) is equal to its class levels plus 8. In other words, a level 2 sylph sorcerer, who casts spells as a 9th-level sorcerer (3 hd + 4 + 2 class), counts as a level 10 character.
geekmasterflash
04-12-07, 08:09 AM Newbie race? Human.

Duh.
Sigst
04-12-07, 09:45 AM As said above, humans are pretty decent.

Dwarves are also a good race for newbie players, because they are mechanically fairly simple, and their advantages are direct and you don't need to think about them that much.

*Boost to Constitution will give you some extra hit points, always good in battle, and will probably be helpful to anyone new. Penalty to Charisma does not matter all that much since you will probably not be using much diplomacy as a new player.
*Ability to carry medium armor or medium loads without any penalty to your movement means you don't need to worry so much about what you can pick up.

I would recommend you don't do anything fancy with Monster Manual races or other stuff in the beginning.

Sig
Serge_P
04-12-07, 03:45 PM What about an absent-minded agressive vulnerable inattentive Human gestalt Warlock/Warmage with battle caster, Spell hand, iron will, armour proficiency medium and some skills I.E craft/knowledge?
The_Shaman
04-12-07, 07:31 PM Er, what about it? I'm not a fan of the warlock, and if you're playing gestalt there are way better things to be, but human is, as people have already said, quite solid.
Erato
04-12-07, 07:52 PM Thank you, I'll play sylph.

and here::cookie:

You’re welcome :)
Erato
04-12-07, 07:53 PM What about an absent-minded agressive vulnerable inattentive Human gestalt Warlock/Warmage with battle caster, Spell hand, iron will, armour proficiency medium and some skills I.E craft/knowledge?

That’s a possibility ;)
Too bad the rules for gestalt recommend avoiding combo-classes, or the Eldritch Theurge would be perfect :weep:

Btw, how does your group handle gestalt and LA?
Aetheryn
04-13-07, 12:33 AM Personally, I'd stick with a human--or give the person some sort of fey-esque bloodline or something.

Like throw a few pixie or fairy abilities in at the expense some human specialty, like the bonus feats or skills or something...

I dunno... *whips out half-dragon/fiend lich with paladin and bard levels...and blackguard, just for giggles*
Serge_P
04-13-07, 07:49 AM What about exchanging armor proficiency and battle caster with handle animal and the ability to get a familiar? I was thinking of makeing him a char who is quite calm and often surounded by animals (Thinking of buying him a donkey with cart, somekind of horse and a dog or 3 and possibly a goat and maybe some chickens and a a raven familiar. How much starting gold did he have for being warlock/warmage?) but when truble comes, he gets quite agressive and blasts away monsters.

If my group won't allow him to be gestalt, then I'll make him warlock only. (which is one of the few class that I like (The others are warmage, archmage, alienist and sorcerer.)

Actualy, I don't know what my group will consist of, since after the summer, my friend will be my puppet and start a non-electric gaming group in my school. (I.E. Chess, Poker, Magic, Warhammer, 40k, Inq, DnD and other non electric games. And the one who wants and has most experience will be DnD DM, while I'll be the Inq. GM.)

And I didn't find anything of sylphs being playable other then LA, and didn't find any Sylph as characters thingies.
The_Shaman
04-13-07, 08:14 AM Well, getting a familiar is worth a feat, and it will use your spellcasting level, not your class level. Hence I think that will be a good idea. As for handle animal, I suppose you could just put a rank or two every now and then.
Serge_P
04-13-07, 08:24 AM Opps, Sorry, I ment animal affinity.

But yes, I'll take handle animal sometimes. (And ride and train, to get a warbeast one day.)
Erato
04-13-07, 04:10 PM And I didn't find anything of sylphs being playable other then LA, and didn't find any Sylph as characters thingies.

You don’t need a ‘Sylph as characters’ paragraph to play one. I answered a post about the same subject a while ago.
http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=730563
But if your party is lower level than the sylph’s ECL (8), you’ll have to create a racial progression, which can be tricky.

I’ll have to second everyone’s suggestion to settle for a PHB race for now.

And speaking of familiarity, are you sure you have gestalt figured out? The “If my group won't allow him to be gestalt”-part makes me wonder.

My advice is to stick to Core, or at least avoid things like LA, gestalt, and alternative rules, until you become more familiar with the system :)
YabaTheWhat
04-13-07, 04:14 PM Either the entire group uses gestaldt characters, or nobody does. Gestaldt characters drastically change game balance. It even says this in the Unearthed Arcana entry.
Serge_P
04-13-07, 05:04 PM The “If my group won't allow him to be gestalt”-part makes me wonder.

Either the entire group uses gestaldt characters, or nobody does. Gestaldt characters drastically change game balance. It even says this in the Unearthed Arcana entry.

I don't know if my group will or will not use gestalt characters.
FreAkOuTRG
04-13-07, 07:37 PM For the human/titan mix, try goliath.

For the small or smaller fey, go petals.

The other abilities should be able to be duplicated by feats/spells/class abilities/magic items.
Kadasbrass
04-13-07, 10:19 PM If your new to the game you will not want to play any race that mentions "Level adjustment" or "racial hid dice"

Just stick to the playerhand book to make things simple. You shouldn't be looking at other races will your familar with the basis anyhow. Human is a great starting race, most people start with human for that reason.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Serge_P 04-11-07, 03:55 PM	Hi. I need to find a good newbie race to play, since I'm new. I have looked thru some books, but can't find any funny. I would like chaotic neutral/good. I don't like the PH races, they feel lame, except human who feels boring and halflings who seems fun if made into a pathetic humorus char. (I.E. a pathetic half Halfling/Dragon megalomaniac). The only playable race I like in the Monster Manuals is Pixie. I like trolls, but I hate DnD trolls, LotR trolls and WoW trolls. If the trolls would look and act as Warhammer stone-trolls, I would play them. I like lillends, but sylph is my favurite monster, and I would love to play a sylph. (Why can't I play the sylph:weep: Why don't they have playable characther rules?:weep: ) I would like to play a half titan/human, but there seems not to be rules for them. And bloodlines are to complicated for me. My favourite group is fairies, but there are wery few fun monsters and even fewer playable (Only Pixie).:( The're 3 things I would love to play, but they aren't playable: Sylph. Own race: Half human/titan (Medium sized) with things like some few rages, Oversized greatsword (Hopefuly gargantuan or colosal and having the ability to shoot lightning bolts from it (I.E. Chain lightning)), +9-10 to st and such. *Own Race: A tiny or smaller fairy with wings, Hover and Wingover as racial feats, some few special abilities/attacks/qualities/whatchamaycallits. and low St/Con, but high mental and sky high Dex. Is there any good races for me to play? I would like to play Gestalt sorcerer/warmage or Gestalt wizard/warmage (Does the wizard add the wamages spells to his own book?:confused: ). Or just warmage. Unless i play a thing like half titan/human, then I want to play Fighter. What should I play?
Thomar_of_Uointer 04-11-07, 04:04 PM	Faeries, huh? Well, I'd recommend human for anything (no, seriously, you'd be surprised what you can do with the bonus feat), but... See if your DM will let you use my 20-level Fey progression: http://www.kobolds-keep.net/Progressions.pdf
Peregrine_Wolf 04-11-07, 04:10 PM	Races of the Wild. 5 new races to pick from, the Killoren are kinda like fairies. Catfolk are tribal people(no offense, but much like African tribes or native American tribes). Raptoran are like elves with wings =p. Also.....centaur and gnolls, they're ok but not very "fairy-like"
The_Shaman 04-11-07, 04:42 PM	I'm not quite sure a race with a hefty LA is a good idea for a new player. If you want fey flavor, however, and would dare to be a level or two behind, the half-fey from Fiend Folio has some decent abilities and a LA of +2.
revaar 04-11-07, 04:43 PM	to be completely frank, if you a new player, stick with simplicity. Humans are actually fairly widely considered a powerful race, and are only ad boring as tyhe player makes them. i've seen people play generic human mages that were 100 times as interesting as a half dragon/ half fiend feral anthropomorphic ect. ect.
AMGriffin 04-11-07, 05:28 PM	Yeah, You're best off with a basic PHB Race, avoid using half-elves and half-orcs though, they're both broken. If you're looking to play a fighter, you can take a human and apply the draconic template to him (which means that your character has draconic ancestry most likely about 1/4 or 1/8 dragon). You get Strength, Constitution, charisma, natural armor, and some other goodies for only LA+1.
KurenaiYami 04-11-07, 05:34 PM	Duskling from Magic of Incarnum. Fey with LA +0.
Erato 04-11-07, 05:49 PM	I like lillends, but sylph is my favurite monster, and I would love to play a sylph. (Why can't I play the sylph:weep: Why don't they have playable characther rules?:weep: ) Why don’t you just play a sylph :confused: There’s an update of MM II on the site, and despite the LA +5 they’re among the most playable monstrous races.
The_Shaman 04-11-07, 06:33 PM	+5? Strange, I thought it was +4 for some reason. Oh well, no reason why you can't play it as character if your DM lets you. Savage species already stated that there are a lot more options than just the creatures that have a "X as characters" block.
Serge_P 04-12-07, 04:20 AM	Why don’t you just play a sylph :confused: There’s an update of MM II on the site, and despite the LA +5 they’re among the most playable monstrous races. :cheer: :ayyyy!: :w00t: :cloud9: iiiiiiiii-yay! Thank you, I'll play sylph. and here::cookie:
YabaTheWhat 04-12-07, 08:06 AM	Before you run off to join the ranks, can we assume that, even though you are new, your group has been playing for a while? It sounds like you're looking at some pretty high-level characters. That's fine if the group you're joining are already up to level 10+ and have a decent grasp of the game, but if you're part of a new group starting at 1st level, then the creatures you want to play aren't an option. The sylph, for example, has 3 hitdice and LA+5. That means its effective character level (ECL) is equal to its class levels plus 8. In other words, a level 2 sylph sorcerer, who casts spells as a 9th-level sorcerer (3 hd + 4 + 2 class), counts as a level 10 character.
geekmasterflash 04-12-07, 08:09 AM	Newbie race? Human. Duh.
Sigst 04-12-07, 09:45 AM	As said above, humans are pretty decent. Dwarves are also a good race for newbie players, because they are mechanically fairly simple, and their advantages are direct and you don't need to think about them that much. Boost to Constitution will give you some extra hit points, always good in battle, and will probably be helpful to anyone new. Penalty to Charisma does not matter all that much since you will probably not be using much diplomacy as a new player. Ability to carry medium armor or medium loads without any penalty to your movement means you don't need to worry so much about what you can pick up. I would recommend you don't do anything fancy with Monster Manual races or other stuff in the beginning. Sig
Serge_P 04-12-07, 03:45 PM	What about an absent-minded agressive vulnerable inattentive Human gestalt Warlock/Warmage with battle caster, Spell hand, iron will, armour proficiency medium and some skills I.E craft/knowledge?
The_Shaman 04-12-07, 07:31 PM	Er, what about it? I'm not a fan of the warlock, and if you're playing gestalt there are way better things to be, but human is, as people have already said, quite solid.
Erato 04-12-07, 07:52 PM	Thank you, I'll play sylph. and here::cookie: You’re welcome :)
Erato 04-12-07, 07:53 PM	What about an absent-minded agressive vulnerable inattentive Human gestalt Warlock/Warmage with battle caster, Spell hand, iron will, armour proficiency medium and some skills I.E craft/knowledge? That’s a possibility ;) Too bad the rules for gestalt recommend avoiding combo-classes, or the Eldritch Theurge would be perfect :weep: Btw, how does your group handle gestalt and LA?
Aetheryn 04-13-07, 12:33 AM	Personally, I'd stick with a human--or give the person some sort of fey-esque bloodline or something. Like throw a few pixie or fairy abilities in at the expense some human specialty, like the bonus feats or skills or something... I dunno... whips out half-dragon/fiend lich with paladin and bard levels...and blackguard, just for giggles
Serge_P 04-13-07, 07:49 AM	What about exchanging armor proficiency and battle caster with handle animal and the ability to get a familiar? I was thinking of makeing him a char who is quite calm and often surounded by animals (Thinking of buying him a donkey with cart, somekind of horse and a dog or 3 and possibly a goat and maybe some chickens and a a raven familiar. How much starting gold did he have for being warlock/warmage?) but when truble comes, he gets quite agressive and blasts away monsters. If my group won't allow him to be gestalt, then I'll make him warlock only. (which is one of the few class that I like (The others are warmage, archmage, alienist and sorcerer.) Actualy, I don't know what my group will consist of, since after the summer, my friend will be my puppet and start a non-electric gaming group in my school. (I.E. Chess, Poker, Magic, Warhammer, 40k, Inq, DnD and other non electric games. And the one who wants and has most experience will be DnD DM, while I'll be the Inq. GM.) And I didn't find anything of sylphs being playable other then LA, and didn't find any Sylph as characters thingies.
The_Shaman 04-13-07, 08:14 AM	Well, getting a familiar is worth a feat, and it will use your spellcasting level, not your class level. Hence I think that will be a good idea. As for handle animal, I suppose you could just put a rank or two every now and then.
Serge_P 04-13-07, 08:24 AM	Opps, Sorry, I ment animal affinity. But yes, I'll take handle animal sometimes. (And ride and train, to get a warbeast one day.)
Erato 04-13-07, 04:10 PM	And I didn't find anything of sylphs being playable other then LA, and didn't find any Sylph as characters thingies. You don’t need a ‘Sylph as characters’ paragraph to play one. I answered a post about the same subject a while ago. http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=730563 But if your party is lower level than the sylph’s ECL (8), you’ll have to create a racial progression, which can be tricky. I’ll have to second everyone’s suggestion to settle for a PHB race for now. And speaking of familiarity, are you sure you have gestalt figured out? The “If my group won't allow him to be gestalt”-part makes me wonder. My advice is to stick to Core, or at least avoid things like LA, gestalt, and alternative rules, until you become more familiar with the system :)
YabaTheWhat 04-13-07, 04:14 PM	Either the entire group uses gestaldt characters, or nobody does. Gestaldt characters drastically change game balance. It even says this in the Unearthed Arcana entry.
Serge_P 04-13-07, 05:04 PM	The “If my group won't allow him to be gestalt”-part makes me wonder. Either the entire group uses gestaldt characters, or nobody does. Gestaldt characters drastically change game balance. It even says this in the Unearthed Arcana entry. I don't know if my group will or will not use gestalt characters.
FreAkOuTRG 04-13-07, 07:37 PM	For the human/titan mix, try goliath. For the small or smaller fey, go petals. The other abilities should be able to be duplicated by feats/spells/class abilities/magic items.
Kadasbrass 04-13-07, 10:19 PM	If your new to the game you will not want to play any race that mentions "Level adjustment" or "racial hid dice" Just stick to the playerhand book to make things simple. You shouldn't be looking at other races will your familar with the basis anyhow. Human is a great starting race, most people start with human for that reason.