Post/Author/DateTime	Post
unstable_ian 07-12-07, 11:24 PM	Greetings once more, this is the Dendran. I had posted them a little while ago and got some positive feedback. BUT, they've gone through quite a few changes (for story and rules purposes) since they were posted originally. I believe that they are finally at a playable/balanced stage. I would really like to get some additional feedback on them. I realize there's quite a bit here, but I ask that you please read through it and let me know if there are any areas of concern for you. Yes, it boosts my ego when someone skims it and says "Looks great!" but it doesn't really help all that much in the long run. Thankyou in advance for your time, and now, after much editing and revisions, without further ado, I present: The Dendran. Dendran Medium Size Humanoid (Plant) ·Ability Score Adjustments: -2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma. Dendrens' bodies emulate the trees they originate from. Slow to move, but sturdy. While most are quite beautiful, Dendrans have a difficult time interacting with members of other races. · Plant Subtype: Dendrans are Humanoids with the Plant subtype. - Dendrans do not eat, breathe or sleep in the same manner as other humanoids, but they can still benefit from the effects of consumable spells and magic items such as heroes’ feast and potions. Instead of sleeping and eating, a Dendran must Root themselves in soil for atleast 4 hours a day, and be exposed to sunlight for at least 6 hours a day. Sunlight exposure only requires the Dendran to be outside, it does not matter if it is cloudy. If a Dendran spends more than 24+Con Mod hours deprived of the sun (i.e. underground), they begin to wilt. Wilting causes 1 point of Strength damage per hour until the Dendran is exposed to sunlight. They may attempt a Con Check: DC 15+the number of hours past 24, to prevent the damage. As an aside, the spells Sunbeam and Sunburst have no beneficial effect on Dendrans. Rooting oneself is a standard action, as is un-Rooting oneself. The soil in which a Dendran Roots themselves may be the ground, or soil contained in a vessel in which the Dendran is able to submerge their lower half. While Rooted, a Dendran enjoys a +8 bonus to resist bullrush attempts (so long as the Dendran is Rooted in the ground, not a moveable container with dirt in it). The soil must be moist, and nutrient rich. This means daily watering, and once a year(at least) a Dendran must replace the soil he Roots in. A Dendran who spends 4 hours Rooted gains the same benefit as a Human does from 8 hours of sleep. While Rooted for the purpose of resting, they enter a state similar to Elves’ “trance”. Since a Dendran does not breathe in the typical sense, they can spend up to 24+Con Mod hours completely submerged in water. After this period of time, they begin to absorb too much water and take 1 point of Con damage every hour. They may attempt a Con Check: DC 15+the number of hours past 24, to prevent the damage. - Immune to sleep spells and effects. Unlike creatures of the Plant Type, Dendrans are not immune to poison, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning. - Unlike creatures of the Plant Type, Dendrans are not immune to mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects). - Unlike creatures of the Plant Type, Dendrans are subject to critical hits. · Low-Light Vision. · Wooden Body: Due to the toughness of a Dendran's skin, they gain a +2 armor bonus. This armor bonus is not Natural Armor and does not stack with other effects that grant an armor bonus. Dendran do not wear standard armor (nor can they). A Dendran's body may be enchanted just as armor can be. Their Wooden Bodies impose a 5% Arcane Spell Failure Chance. Their Wooden Body also grants them Damage Reduction 1/Slashing. · Wood-bond: +1 bonus to all attack rolls made with any weapon that is made predominantly out of wood (quarterstaff, handaxe, bow, spear, etc.) · Forest-home: +4 Hide and Move Silently when in forested areas. This bonus decreases to +2 when in high grass and similar settings. · Dendran base land speed is 30 feet (they cannot move while rooted) · Automatic Language: Sylvan. Bonus Languages: Common, Elven, Halfling, Gnome and Terran · Favored Class: Druid. Dendrans are a part of nature, the path of the Druid brings them closer to their own true nature, and therefore is the favored class of the race. Physical Description Dendrans typically stand between 5 to 8 feet tall, dependant mostly on their age as they continue to grow a small amount as they age (For rules purposes, their base height is 5'. For every 100 years past the age of 10, roll 1d4 and add it to their height as inches). A young Dendran would stand closer to 5 feet, while an Elder would stand closer to 8. They weigh slightly less than humans of the same size. Dendrans' skin ranges in color, from light green to dark brown and occasionally white (as seen in the bark of a Birch tree). Some Dendrans have patches of "bark" around their chest and shoulders, this is more common in the male. Aside from this bark-like skin, a Dendran's skin feels similar to a human's, although slightly tougher and firmer. Dendrans' eyes are usually a shade of green or brown, but occasionally red or yellow. Dendrans have no noses or teeth; the latter being replaced with hard wooden plates in their mouths to facilitate speech. Their mouths are small with bark-like lips. Their voices are said to sound akin to rustling leaves or wind blowing through a field. A Dendran's hair changes with the seasons. In the spring and summer, it resembles soft pine needles, long soft grass, thin vines or the thin branches of a weeping willow; with flowers sprouting in the females' hair around the ears. During the fall, a Dendran's hair changes colors like the foliage. By the time winter comes, their heads are covered in thick wood plates forming a scaly wooden cap. This skull-cap can be used to make a Natural Attack (Slam 1d6 Bludgeoning). This ability originated as the Dendran's means of defense against herbivores attempting to nibble at them during the winter when food is scarce. Reproduction and Aging Although they have been around for a long time, Dendrans are still relatively rare. This is because they do not mate as other sentient races do. Their method of reproduction is reliant on a Dendran becoming an Ancient (described in more detail in a few sentences). Once a Dendran becomes an Ancient, they begin to reproduce. Dendran Ancients are able to pollinate other trees, or be pollinated by other trees in the case of the females, in order to create offspring. Essentially, a Dendran will have a mother or father that is an Ancient, and the rest of their genes will be provided by the trees surrounding their parent giving rise to the great diversity in appearance among Dendrans. On average, a Dendran Ancient will produce one self-burrowing spiral-shaped seed around every one hundred years for one to five centuries. This seed sprouts into a sapling which remains rooted for the first five years of the Dendran's life. After 5 years, the Dendran undergoes its first metamorphosis and starts looking more like a Dendran and less like a small tree. Within ten years of being born, a Dendran is fully mature and ready to begin adventuring, or protecting their parent’s grove. Every 100 years after that, the Dendran is affected by age (modified aging penalties/bonuses: +1 str, +1 con, +1 wis, -1 dex, -1 int, -1 cha) When any of a Dendran's Ability Scores hit 2, he Roots himself permanently and begins the next cycle in his life. After Rooting himself for the last time, the Dendran becomes an Ancient and begins to grow into a tree. They retain all class levels and skills and gain the Unspoken Speech ability, but are, in all other respects, a tree. They cannot move from this point on, nor do much of anything else aside from reproduce. Dendrans maintain a moderate level of coherence for the next few centuries, or as long as their Intelligence score will let them, but are unlikely to talk to anyone aside from a Dendran. When a Dendran Ancient’s Intelligence score decreases to 0, they are no longer able to reproduce. ·Unspoken Speech: When a Dendran becomes an Ancient, their bodies change into a tree. One of the first things to go is the mouth. Since they must teach their offspring how the world works, they have been blessed with an ability to “speak” quasi-telepathically. They can project their thoughts to everyone within "earshot". To those "hearing" the thoughts, it sounds as if the Ancient is speaking. Ancients can be selective about who can hear these thoughts. To attempt this, the Ancient must make a concentration check, DC 10+the number of omitted targets. Those omitted targets may make a Will Save, DC equal to the result of the Ancient’s Concentration check. If they succeed, the successfully hear the Ancient’s thoughts. If they fail, they don’t. On a natural 1, however, they cannot attempt to hear that Shielding Ancient’s thoughts for the remainder of the day. Death and Dying Dendrans have a slightly different perspective on death than most other races. Their natural life span is typically around a millennium. Once their “walking-life” is over they undergo a metamorphosis, becoming an Ancient Dendran. As previously mentioned, Ancient Dendrans are nearly indistinguishable from standard trees. Effectively, a Dendran who reaches this age without being killed will live forever as long as there is ample supply of everything a standard tree needs to survive (and no one cuts them down and uses them to build a house). If a Dendran meets their end earlier than becoming an Ancient, their bodies lose their suppleness and become rather similar to firewood. Many Dendrans, if they are part of an adventuring party and know they may meet their end in battle, will in fact instruct their friends to burn them should they fall if there is no available magic to return them to life. Culture and Beliefs To a Dendran, nature is to be respected; this also includes the destructive aspects of nature, hence there are evil Dendrans who take pleasure in destroying anything they deem to be an affront to nature. Most Dendrans will refuse to wear anything made from the hides of animals; since they do not eat, they believe it wasteful for them to kill an animal for just one part of it. For many Dendrans, maintaining the cycle of life is their ultimate purpose. Killing without need to do so is frowned upon by all but the most evil of the Dendrans, but even they will find a "need" first rather than simply kill indiscriminately. The Dendrans share no common religion amongst themselves. Those who become Clerics are most often found in the service of Obad-Hai or Ehlonna and occasionally Pelor. Dendrans who “bloomed” near Elf or Halfling settlements have been known to worship Corellon Larethian or Yondalla, respectively, but this is rare. For most non-Cleric Dendrans, revering nature and honoring the life cycle is enough religion. Naming Conventions Dendrans are raised alone in the forest by their father or mother. The typical Dendran parent (with their intelligence score of 2) is rather unoriginal when it comes to naming their child. They tend to pick names derived from the trees or plants that surround them in their chosen grove, sometimes adding an adjective to the front of it to make it unique. Sample Male Names: Tall-Oak, Dogwood, Stout-Pine, Sequoia, Mahogany Sample Female Names: Sweet-Maple, Lily, Rose, Juniper, Tender-Oak, Fern They see no use for a family name since those who have actually met fellow Dendrans just consider eachother part of one big family. The Dendran Paragon Hit Die: d8 BAB: as Cleric Saves: as Cleric Class Skills: Concentration, Craft, Handle Animal, Hide, Knowledge (Nature), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Spot, and Survival Skill Points at 1st level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4 Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier. 1st Level: +1 Armor 2nd Level: Lifetap 1/day, +2 Armor 3rd Level: +2 Constitution, Lifetap 2/day, +1 Druid Caster Level The Armor bonus granted by the Dendran Paragon class stacks with the armor bonus granted by their "Wooden Body" and the armor bonus granted by the feat, Barkskinned (explained in the next section). Each level taken in the Dendran Paragon and Exalted classes adds 3d4 inches to the Dendran's height. ·Lifetap: Your touch can drain energy from any living target and transfer it to you. In order to use this ability, you must make a touch attack; you may use a completely wooden weapon instead of your hand to deliver this attack if you wish. If this attack succeeds, the target must make a Fortitude save, DC equal to 10 + 1/2 your levels in the Dendran Paragon/Exalted Class + your Constitution modifier. If they fail this save, they become fatigued for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier, and you gain Temporary Hit Points equal to the target's Constitution Modifier (minimum of 1). You do not gain the HP if they succeed on the fortitude save, but it still counts as a use/day. These Temporary Hit Points last for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution Modifier. The Dendran Exalted An extension of the paragon class 4th Level: Mutable Growth, +2 Strength 5th Level: Increased Size, -2 Dexterity, +3 Armor 6th Level: +2 Constitution, Lifetap 3/day ·Mutable Growth: As a full round action that provokes attacks of opportunity, a Dendran Exalted can grow a "weapon". They gain a Natural Attack (Slam) that deals 1d6 of Bludgeoning damage. Such a weapon could be them turning their fist into a mallet or club, or simply growing their Winter Skullcap. Returning to normal appearance is a move action. Some Dendran Exalted choose never to return to their normal appearance. This abilty cannot be used twice or more to gain more than one Natural Attack, although it can be used during the Winter (giving the Dendran the standard Winter Skullcap and an additional Natural Attack) ·Increased Size: A Dendran Exalted of 5th level or higher counts as a Large creature for all purposes excluding Weapon Size. They grow similar to trees, their "trunk" may be larger, but their "branches" remain the same size. Racial Feats Barkskinnned Prerequisite: Dendran Race Benefits: Your skin is tougher and harder than other Dendrans. Your skin tends more to the brown side of the scale and is a bit woodier in appearance. Your armor bonus is increased by 1. Hardwood Body Prerequisite: Dendran Race, 1st level only Your non-Dendran genes come from a heartier tree than others; such as ash, birch, walnut, dogwood, oak, or sycamore. Benefits: Your armor bonus is increased to +3, and you are now considered to be wearing Light Armor. In addition, your Damage Reduction improves to 2/Slashing. You now have a +4 maximum Dexterity bonus to AC, a -3 penalty on all skills that armor check penalties apply to, and an arcane spell failure chance of 20%. Normal: Without this feat, a Dendran has an armor bonus of +2. Special: Unlike most feats, this feat must be taken at first level, during character creation. Dendran characters with this feat do not gain the benefit of any class feature prohibited to a character wearing light armor. Voice of the Forest Prerequisite: Dendran Race, Character Level 7th Benefits: You are permanently under the effects of the Speak with Plants spell. Quick Root Prerequisite: Dendran Race Benefit: Rooting and Unrooting are move actions for you. Standard: Rooting and Unrooting are standard actions. Burrowing Roots Prerequisite: Quick Root, Dendran Race Benefit: As a full-round action (Quick Root does not reduce this time) that provokes attacks of opportunity; you can Root yourself entirely within the ground, granting you total cover. While Rooted in this manner, you cannot attack or do anything besides move. Moving while Rooted in this way is at a speed of 5 feet per round maximum. (Essentially, a full-round action to take a 5 foot step). Emerging from the ground is a move action. When you emerge, if you have moved five feet or more, anyone that you threaten is denied their dexterity bonus if you beat them on an opposed check; your survival check versus their sense motive, using the rules for using bluff to create a distraction. Flaws(need more, any ideas welcome) Tinder-bound You were born in an area prone to forest fires, your non-Dendran genes are from a type of tree more susceptible to fire damage than others. Because of this, you are more susceptible to fire. You take double damage from any fire, magical or natural.
Thomar_of_Uointer 07-13-07, 10:15 PM	Ugh. They're way too complicated. They have too many "difficult" abilities to be seriously considered LA +0. Also, the standard for gimped creature types is to give them a "living" subtype, such as the warforged living construct subtype (which I see you based them off of). Otherwise, they look weaker than warforged, so I guess they're LA +0.
unstable_ian 07-14-07, 03:53 AM	Well, they weren't originally based off of the Warforged at all, but then after some modifications were made to them, the best way to do their Armor was in a similar manner to the Warforged. As such, yes, they appear similar in that regard but that's about it. I'm somewhat confused by what you mean by "'difficult' abilities". Are you referring to their Rooting and "feeding"? I suppose the "starvation" rules can be a bit confusing, but not much moreso than standard starvation rules; having those rules in their main stat block does make it look a bit daunting. And about the type; yes, I suppose I could have called it "Living Plant" but that seemed rather redundant.