New Race: Saurian (PEACH) [Archive] - Wizards Community

New Race: Saurian (PEACH) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Rondulin
04-01-07, 01:10 PM SAURIAN RACIAL TRAITS

• +2 Constituion, –2 Intelligence, –2 Charisma: Saurians are tough and hardy but are hampered by a savage nature that detracts from both their reasoning ability and their social interaction.

• Reptilian Subtype: Saurians are humanoids with the reptilian subtype.

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

• Saurian base land speed is 30 feet.

• Natural Weapon: A saurian has a natural bite attack that deals 1d6 points of damage.

• Natural Armor: A saurian’s scaly hide offers him a considerable amount of protection in the form of a +1 bonus to natural armor.

• +2 racial bonus on Jump, Swim and Balance checks: Saurians are very athletic and their tails help them to keep balance.

• +4 racial bonus on saving throws against sonic effects: A saurian’s ear holes are well protected.

• Chameleon Skin: Saurians are able to change the color of their scales. Changing color does not only help a saurian to blend in with his surroundings, but is also an expression of the pysical and emotional condition and plays an importatn role in communication. A saurian reveives a +8 racial bonus on Hide checks (when wearing clothes or armor this bonus is halved), but suffers a –4 penalty on Bluff checks.

• Cold Torpor: Saurians are warm-blooded creatures, but they retain heat poorly in cold environments. A saurian suffers a –5 penalty to Fortitude saving throws made to avoid nonlethal damage from cold environments and takes double the normal amount of nonlethal damage for failing those saving throws. Furthermore saurians suffer a –2 penalty on saving throws against other cold effects, such as cold spells. In cooler climates, saurians bundle up to keep warm, for they can easily die form exposure in an environment that a human would find merely uncomfortable.

• Illiteracy: Saurians do not automatically know how to read and write. A saurian must spend 2 skill points to gain the ability to read and write all languages he is able to speak. He does not automatically gain this skill when taking a nonbarbarian class.

• Automatic Languages: Draconic. Bonus Languages: Common, Giant, Goblin, Gnoll, and Orc. Saurians are familiar with the languages of their allies and rivals.

• Favored Class: Fighter. A multiclass saurian’s fighter class does not count when determining whether he can take an experience point penalty for mutliclassing. Saurians love combat over all and war has a long tradition amongst them.

Edit: Added saves vs sonic attacks, chameleon skin and cold torpor, changed ability modifiers, changed natural armor bonus.
Phantom Lord
04-02-07, 07:02 AM It seems to be fairly well balanced upon first glance; perhaps a little underpowered, but definitely playable.

I prefer mine (http://boards1.wizards.com/wotc_archive/index.php/t-702255), though. Feel free to steal from it if there are any parts you might like.

Sincerely,
The Phantom Lord
Phalse_One
04-02-07, 07:40 PM Sorry, but I have to say its overpowered.

Compare it with a half-orc. (I admit the half-orc is slightly underpowered, but nothing that a couple of +2 skill bonuses can't fix).

+2 Str, -2 Int/Cha roughly equal to +2 Str -2 Dex

Darkvision roughly equal to natural bite

racial skill bonuses: there is no reason the half-orc should not have a few racial bonuses, so we will let this go for now

So the saurian has a -2 Int and Illiteracy for +2 natural armour.

And what classes is this saurian going to take? Not anything that's going to need high Int anyway. Wizards have no need of high Str, and skill classes (such as rogue, ninja, scout, or bard) are unlikely to want a -2 Dex.

So what you end up with is a half-orc with -2 Dex, +2 natural armour, no darkvision, a nasty bite (better than nothing), and a few skills. Oh, and he's got a better Con so he makes an AWESOME paladin (Dex of 10 or 11, full plate, heavy shield, high Str and Con and natural armour to boot).

Remember that even barbarians wear armour, so the Dex penalty can be dealt with by almost any martial character.

That said, it is a good start to a race, and you have somewhere to start. Maybe you could give then one or two racial HD, and have them set up as a mandatory racial class (you have to take your first two level in saurian racial class before you take levels in any other class), that way they can be more powerful than PHB races while still being available at 1st level
Rondulin
04-02-07, 09:16 PM Sorry, but I have to say its overpowered.

Compare it with a half-orc. (I admit the half-orc is slightly underpowered, but nothing that a couple of +2 skill bonuses can't fix).

+2 Str, -2 Int/Cha roughly equal to +2 Str -2 Dex

Darkvision roughly equal to natural bite

racial skill bonuses: there is no reason the half-orc should not have a few racial bonuses, so we will let this go for now

So the saurian has a -2 Int and Illiteracy for +2 natural armour.
In the campaign I play we rebalanced all races. Half-orcs have these racial traits in addition to the normal ones:

• Weapon Familiarity: Half-orcs may treat orc double axes as martial weapons, rather than exotic ones.
• +2 racial bonus on saving throws against natural diseases and ingested poisons
• +2 morale bonus on saving throws against fear
• +1 racial bonus to attack rolls against elves (including half-elves) and dwarves:
• +2 racial bonus on Survival checks:
• +2 racial bonus on Intimidate checks:

Thus it would be Ok if the saurian would be a bit more powerful than the standard half-orc.

So what you end up with is a half-orc with -2 Dex, +2 natural armour, no darkvision, a nasty bite (better than nothing), and a few skills. Oh, and he's got a better Con so he makes an AWESOME paladin (Dex of 10 or 11, full plate, heavy shield, high Str and Con and natural armour to boot).

Didn't get that with the high Con. :confused: Saurians have no bonus to Con.

Remember that even barbarians wear armour, so the Dex penalty can be dealt with by almost any martial character.

That's right. But -2 Dex means -1 AC and I think that always hurts.

That said, it is a good start to a race, and you have somewhere to start. Maybe you could give then one or two racial HD, and have them set up as a mandatory racial class (you have to take your first two level in saurian racial class before you take levels in any other class), that way they can be more powerful than PHB races while still being available at 1st level
Actually, I dislike the racial class rules. I want the Saurian to be a standard player race. Perhaps you have other ideas to balance the saurian?
Thanks for your thorough analysis, Phalse One
Phalse_One
04-03-07, 10:11 AM As to the high Con, I didn't mean that they would have a high Con because of race, I simply meant that they could be used to make a very powerful character in heavy armour with high Str and Con.

A -2 Dex doesn't ALWAYS hurt, there are many armours that have max Dex of +2 or lower, that means that you can't use a Dex bonus to AC from anything higher than a 14 (and if have enhancement bonus magic items a Dex of 14 is a joke to get even with a -2 racial adjustment), so all you get is a -1 Reflex, -1 initiative, and -1 to Dex skills, not that big a deal.

That being said, if you have changed all the other races, that there is no way for us to tell you if the saurian is balanced or not. It could be significantly underpowered if, for example, the dwarves in your campaign all have +5 natural armour and +4 Con.

Is it balanced? Not compared to PHB races, but I have no idea how it stacks against your other custom races.

Do the abilities make sense and are they easy to understand? Yes they are.
Rondulin
04-03-07, 12:04 PM That being said, if you have changed all the other races, that there is no way for us to tell you if the saurian is balanced or not. It could be significantly underpowered if, for example, the dwarves in your campaign all have +5 natural armour and +4 Con.

It's perfect if you compare the saurian with the standard races. I just mentioned the change of the other races to show that it would be OK for our campaign if the saurian would be slightly more powerful than the standard half-orc.

Is it balanced? Not compared to PHB races, but I have no idea how it stacks against your other custom races.

I've come to agree with you that the saurian takes away from the half-orc and thus changed the ability score modifiers to +2 Con, -2 Int, -2 Cha. Thus it remains an incentive to take a half-orc for the extra strength. I think that makes it more balanced.
Phalse_One
04-03-07, 06:05 PM Changing the Str bonus to a Con bonus does reduce the chance for abuse. So long as if fits the flavour of how you want the race to be seen.
Rondulin
04-04-07, 07:42 PM Well, I see the race similar to the lizardfolk which get +2 Str and +2 Con. Thus a +2 Con is Ok flavourwise for me.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Rondulin 04-01-07, 01:10 PM	SAURIAN RACIAL TRAITS • +2 Constituion, –2 Intelligence, –2 Charisma: Saurians are tough and hardy but are hampered by a savage nature that detracts from both their reasoning ability and their social interaction. • Reptilian Subtype: Saurians are humanoids with the reptilian subtype. • Medium: As Medium creature, saurians have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. • Saurian base land speed is 30 feet. • Natural Weapon: A saurian has a natural bite attack that deals 1d6 points of damage. • Natural Armor: A saurian’s scaly hide offers him a considerable amount of protection in the form of a +1 bonus to natural armor. • +2 racial bonus on Jump, Swim and Balance checks: Saurians are very athletic and their tails help them to keep balance. • +4 racial bonus on saving throws against sonic effects: A saurian’s ear holes are well protected. • Chameleon Skin: Saurians are able to change the color of their scales. Changing color does not only help a saurian to blend in with his surroundings, but is also an expression of the pysical and emotional condition and plays an importatn role in communication. A saurian reveives a +8 racial bonus on Hide checks (when wearing clothes or armor this bonus is halved), but suffers a –4 penalty on Bluff checks. • Cold Torpor: Saurians are warm-blooded creatures, but they retain heat poorly in cold environments. A saurian suffers a –5 penalty to Fortitude saving throws made to avoid nonlethal damage from cold environments and takes double the normal amount of nonlethal damage for failing those saving throws. Furthermore saurians suffer a –2 penalty on saving throws against other cold effects, such as cold spells. In cooler climates, saurians bundle up to keep warm, for they can easily die form exposure in an environment that a human would find merely uncomfortable. • Illiteracy: Saurians do not automatically know how to read and write. A saurian must spend 2 skill points to gain the ability to read and write all languages he is able to speak. He does not automatically gain this skill when taking a nonbarbarian class. • Automatic Languages: Draconic. Bonus Languages: Common, Giant, Goblin, Gnoll, and Orc. Saurians are familiar with the languages of their allies and rivals. • Favored Class: Fighter. A multiclass saurian’s fighter class does not count when determining whether he can take an experience point penalty for mutliclassing. Saurians love combat over all and war has a long tradition amongst them. Edit: Added saves vs sonic attacks, chameleon skin and cold torpor, changed ability modifiers, changed natural armor bonus.
Phantom Lord 04-02-07, 07:02 AM	It seems to be fairly well balanced upon first glance; perhaps a little underpowered, but definitely playable. I prefer mine (http://boards1.wizards.com/wotc_archive/index.php/t-702255), though. Feel free to steal from it if there are any parts you might like. Sincerely, The Phantom Lord
Phalse_One 04-02-07, 07:40 PM	Sorry, but I have to say its overpowered. Compare it with a half-orc. (I admit the half-orc is slightly underpowered, but nothing that a couple of +2 skill bonuses can't fix). +2 Str, -2 Int/Cha roughly equal to +2 Str -2 Dex Darkvision roughly equal to natural bite racial skill bonuses: there is no reason the half-orc should not have a few racial bonuses, so we will let this go for now So the saurian has a -2 Int and Illiteracy for +2 natural armour. And what classes is this saurian going to take? Not anything that's going to need high Int anyway. Wizards have no need of high Str, and skill classes (such as rogue, ninja, scout, or bard) are unlikely to want a -2 Dex. So what you end up with is a half-orc with -2 Dex, +2 natural armour, no darkvision, a nasty bite (better than nothing), and a few skills. Oh, and he's got a better Con so he makes an AWESOME paladin (Dex of 10 or 11, full plate, heavy shield, high Str and Con and natural armour to boot). Remember that even barbarians wear armour, so the Dex penalty can be dealt with by almost any martial character. That said, it is a good start to a race, and you have somewhere to start. Maybe you could give then one or two racial HD, and have them set up as a mandatory racial class (you have to take your first two level in saurian racial class before you take levels in any other class), that way they can be more powerful than PHB races while still being available at 1st level
Rondulin 04-02-07, 09:16 PM	Sorry, but I have to say its overpowered. Compare it with a half-orc. (I admit the half-orc is slightly underpowered, but nothing that a couple of +2 skill bonuses can't fix). +2 Str, -2 Int/Cha roughly equal to +2 Str -2 Dex Darkvision roughly equal to natural bite racial skill bonuses: there is no reason the half-orc should not have a few racial bonuses, so we will let this go for now So the saurian has a -2 Int and Illiteracy for +2 natural armour. In the campaign I play we rebalanced all races. Half-orcs have these racial traits in addition to the normal ones: • Weapon Familiarity: Half-orcs may treat orc double axes as martial weapons, rather than exotic ones. • +2 racial bonus on saving throws against natural diseases and ingested poisons • +2 morale bonus on saving throws against fear • +1 racial bonus to attack rolls against elves (including half-elves) and dwarves: • +2 racial bonus on Survival checks: • +2 racial bonus on Intimidate checks: Thus it would be Ok if the saurian would be a bit more powerful than the standard half-orc. So what you end up with is a half-orc with -2 Dex, +2 natural armour, no darkvision, a nasty bite (better than nothing), and a few skills. Oh, and he's got a better Con so he makes an AWESOME paladin (Dex of 10 or 11, full plate, heavy shield, high Str and Con and natural armour to boot). Didn't get that with the high Con. :confused: Saurians have no bonus to Con. Remember that even barbarians wear armour, so the Dex penalty can be dealt with by almost any martial character. That's right. But -2 Dex means -1 AC and I think that always hurts. That said, it is a good start to a race, and you have somewhere to start. Maybe you could give then one or two racial HD, and have them set up as a mandatory racial class (you have to take your first two level in saurian racial class before you take levels in any other class), that way they can be more powerful than PHB races while still being available at 1st level Actually, I dislike the racial class rules. I want the Saurian to be a standard player race. Perhaps you have other ideas to balance the saurian? Thanks for your thorough analysis, Phalse One
Phalse_One 04-03-07, 10:11 AM	As to the high Con, I didn't mean that they would have a high Con because of race, I simply meant that they could be used to make a very powerful character in heavy armour with high Str and Con. A -2 Dex doesn't ALWAYS hurt, there are many armours that have max Dex of +2 or lower, that means that you can't use a Dex bonus to AC from anything higher than a 14 (and if have enhancement bonus magic items a Dex of 14 is a joke to get even with a -2 racial adjustment), so all you get is a -1 Reflex, -1 initiative, and -1 to Dex skills, not that big a deal. That being said, if you have changed all the other races, that there is no way for us to tell you if the saurian is balanced or not. It could be significantly underpowered if, for example, the dwarves in your campaign all have +5 natural armour and +4 Con. Is it balanced? Not compared to PHB races, but I have no idea how it stacks against your other custom races. Do the abilities make sense and are they easy to understand? Yes they are.
Rondulin 04-03-07, 12:04 PM	That being said, if you have changed all the other races, that there is no way for us to tell you if the saurian is balanced or not. It could be significantly underpowered if, for example, the dwarves in your campaign all have +5 natural armour and +4 Con. It's perfect if you compare the saurian with the standard races. I just mentioned the change of the other races to show that it would be OK for our campaign if the saurian would be slightly more powerful than the standard half-orc. Is it balanced? Not compared to PHB races, but I have no idea how it stacks against your other custom races. I've come to agree with you that the saurian takes away from the half-orc and thus changed the ability score modifiers to +2 Con, -2 Int, -2 Cha. Thus it remains an incentive to take a half-orc for the extra strength. I think that makes it more balanced.
Phalse_One 04-03-07, 06:05 PM	Changing the Str bonus to a Con bonus does reduce the chance for abuse. So long as if fits the flavour of how you want the race to be seen.
Rondulin 04-04-07, 07:42 PM	Well, I see the race similar to the lizardfolk which get +2 Str and +2 Con. Thus a +2 Con is Ok flavourwise for me.