Races in my campaign [Archive] - Wizards Community

Races in my campaign [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
zvbxrpl
09-16-07, 06:40 PM First off, let me warn you: there will be no new races in this thread. This is where I post my campaign's take on the various races. I intend to update it each weekend until all the races that exist in my campaign are included.

Wherever there are mountains, there are dwarves. They build within the earth itself, and only venture to the surface when interacting with other races. A dwarven city-state is accessible via various gates in the mountainside, framed by elaborate facades carved directly into the rock. A dwarven city is often mistaken by outsiders to be a single unit, with corridors leading to various and sundry shops and homes. The individual buildings are not structures per se, but rather facades leading to still more corridors and rooms.
Dwarven society values nothing so much as creation. Dwarven artisans treat all of their products the same: as masterpieces. A dwarf has one project at a time, and for him or her, it is placed above all else. When it is finally made, the fininshed product not only performs its task admirably, but is a thing of beauty. Almost every dwarven spellcaster produces magic items, and such items often have customized properties. Dwarven artists strive to produce art displaying an idealized form of reality, and have a level of detail unequaled among the humanoid races. Poetry is also a common dwarven pursuit. Dwarven poets use a system of rhyme and meter so complex that many non-dwarves joke that you need a dwarf's lifespan just to understand it. Dwarves are just as devoted, and just as perfectionistic with regard to their personal appearances, and wear fashions that accentuate their good qualites.
Dwarven government is a meritocracy, with prospective politicians studying law from adolesence for rigorous civil service exams. Rulers are themselves governed by an extensive system of constitutional law, and rulership is never about personal gain. Social engineering is common within dwarven law, and dwarves are expected to sublimate individual desires for the good of the community. This is, in part, why dwarves love craftsmanship so much: it is one of the few areas in which they can be themselves. Close-together dwarven city-states are usually in close cooperation with each other, but are far more insular regarding contact with other races. This is not to say dwarves are xenophobic, but rather that there is a mutual disinterest between dwarves and other races.
Dwarven families are primarily the units in which the next generation is forged, and husband and wife consider themselves to be equals working as one in this process. True to dwarven attitudes toward crafting, a dwarf couple has one child at a time, not giving birth again until the last child is grown. More emotionally important than the spousal relationship is the relationship between mentor and apprentice. When dwarves leave their homes and their parents' generic education upon reaching adulthood, each lives with a mentor who teaches him or her a chosen craft. While platonic devotion is inherent in this relation, romantic love is not uncommon as well.
Dwarves have one name given to them by their parents upon birth, but when reaching adulthood, they replace it with a new name that they craft themselves, and should they fail society, they revert to their 'child's name.'

Rules changes:
--Dwarven alignment is usually LN or LG
--Replace the bonuses on attack rolls against orcs and goblinoids and on AC against giants a +1 attack bonus against abberations, a +1 dodge bonus to AC against abberations, and a +2 bonus to saves against the spell like abilities of abberations.
--Dwarves have +2 Int, -2 Cha
--Dwarves gain Light Sensitivity (as the Orc trait(not the Drow trait of light blindness)
--Favored Class: Artificer (ECS 29), if you are not using the Eberron setting dwarves get Favored class: Wizard.

More to come next week!
zvbxrpl
09-30-07, 04:25 PM Sorry about the missed update. I had family obligations. Anyway, here's the next installment. PEACH the rules changes, as always.

The hobgoblin military is unrivaled among the humanoids. This is no doubt because it is the only hobgoblin institution. Every hobgoblin serves some position in the military, even if they are not in fact soldiers. The generals hold absolute power over the populace, and governing of conquered territories is done by taskmasters who use the conquered peoples to harvest their nations' natural resources to further the hobgoblin war machine. For hobgoblins, there will be no peace until the world is divided into two groups: hobgoblins and slaves.
Hobgoblins live in a world of superiors and inferiors. Deference to authority is taught from a very young age. Children are separated from their parents and put in military academies at a very young age. Bullying is monitored, and allowed to continue if academy officers deem it to truly be inflicted by the strong on the weak. Similarly, good students at the academy are allowed to exercise authority poor students. Any hobgoblin that shows artistic ability is sent to special classes for budding propagandists. The propaganda they make always is the same: loyalty to any and all forms of authority over all else.
While loyalty is commonly invoked, love is a concept which, officially, is discredited among hobgoblin society. While male and female hobgoblins are allowed to 'recreate' together, any true emotional attachment, when noticed by authorities, is punished by separation and demotion. The idea of familial love is also unknown. The fittest males and females are randomly assigned to 'breeding pairs,' and when the children are born, they are only in contact with their mothers when they have been assigned to their own mother for the moment on the feeding rotation. All child-rearing is done by a special division of the military academy.
Naturally, such an environment breeds rebellion. Unfortunately, hobgoblins are raised with such an impersonal view of one another that such rebellions are usually revolts of one, and are quickly put down with lethal force. Escape is a more likely route for disaffected hobgoblins. Escaped hobgoblins, once in foreign lands, will seek out other such rebels. Isolated bands of covert resistance fighters do exist, as a result, and those that are not picked off by the main hobgoblin forces may recieve aid from broad-minded humanoids.

Rules Changes:
Hobgoblins get +2 con, +2 dex, -2 cha
Hobgoblins only have +2 on Move Silently checks
Hobgoblins have LA +0
Arscura
10-01-07, 07:23 AM In my opinion, your hobgoblin are now quite weak.
+0 on stats and +2 to one skill
That is quite below the human with +0 stats +1 skillpoint per level, 4 for the first and a feat.
I would give the Hobgoblins their +2 Dex bonus back and than they are nice. The Hobgoblin is already considered sometimes a +0 by people. Just look around the boards.
Your take on the races is your own for your world so it is hard to give comments on such a thing.
Hope this was constructive for you.
zvbxrpl
10-02-07, 06:51 PM Thanks. I'm a little shaky on balancing racial traits still.
Dog_O_War
10-03-07, 05:00 PM Yer dwarves are unbalanced. Abberations are the second broadest category (next to magical beasts) and dwarves are getting +1 attack and damage, and +4 AC versus them? Also, your ability modifier of +2 intelligence does not equal light blindness. Something more akin to Darkvision 120 feet (instead of 60 feet) is more appropriate.

Maybe a change against abberations could be +1 to attack, +1 dodge to AC, and a +2 bonus to saves versus their spell-like abilities would be (slightly) more appropriate.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
zvbxrpl 09-16-07, 06:40 PM	First off, let me warn you: there will be no new races in this thread. This is where I post my campaign's take on the various races. I intend to update it each weekend until all the races that exist in my campaign are included. Wherever there are mountains, there are dwarves. They build within the earth itself, and only venture to the surface when interacting with other races. A dwarven city-state is accessible via various gates in the mountainside, framed by elaborate facades carved directly into the rock. A dwarven city is often mistaken by outsiders to be a single unit, with corridors leading to various and sundry shops and homes. The individual buildings are not structures per se, but rather facades leading to still more corridors and rooms. Dwarven society values nothing so much as creation. Dwarven artisans treat all of their products the same: as masterpieces. A dwarf has one project at a time, and for him or her, it is placed above all else. When it is finally made, the fininshed product not only performs its task admirably, but is a thing of beauty. Almost every dwarven spellcaster produces magic items, and such items often have customized properties. Dwarven artists strive to produce art displaying an idealized form of reality, and have a level of detail unequaled among the humanoid races. Poetry is also a common dwarven pursuit. Dwarven poets use a system of rhyme and meter so complex that many non-dwarves joke that you need a dwarf's lifespan just to understand it. Dwarves are just as devoted, and just as perfectionistic with regard to their personal appearances, and wear fashions that accentuate their good qualites. Dwarven government is a meritocracy, with prospective politicians studying law from adolesence for rigorous civil service exams. Rulers are themselves governed by an extensive system of constitutional law, and rulership is never about personal gain. Social engineering is common within dwarven law, and dwarves are expected to sublimate individual desires for the good of the community. This is, in part, why dwarves love craftsmanship so much: it is one of the few areas in which they can be themselves. Close-together dwarven city-states are usually in close cooperation with each other, but are far more insular regarding contact with other races. This is not to say dwarves are xenophobic, but rather that there is a mutual disinterest between dwarves and other races. Dwarven families are primarily the units in which the next generation is forged, and husband and wife consider themselves to be equals working as one in this process. True to dwarven attitudes toward crafting, a dwarf couple has one child at a time, not giving birth again until the last child is grown. More emotionally important than the spousal relationship is the relationship between mentor and apprentice. When dwarves leave their homes and their parents' generic education upon reaching adulthood, each lives with a mentor who teaches him or her a chosen craft. While platonic devotion is inherent in this relation, romantic love is not uncommon as well. Dwarves have one name given to them by their parents upon birth, but when reaching adulthood, they replace it with a new name that they craft themselves, and should they fail society, they revert to their 'child's name.' Rules changes: --Dwarven alignment is usually LN or LG --Replace the bonuses on attack rolls against orcs and goblinoids and on AC against giants a +1 attack bonus against abberations, a +1 dodge bonus to AC against abberations, and a +2 bonus to saves against the spell like abilities of abberations. --Dwarves have +2 Int, -2 Cha --Dwarves gain Light Sensitivity (as the Orc trait(not the Drow trait of light blindness) --Favored Class: Artificer (ECS 29), if you are not using the Eberron setting dwarves get Favored class: Wizard. More to come next week!
zvbxrpl 09-30-07, 04:25 PM	Sorry about the missed update. I had family obligations. Anyway, here's the next installment. PEACH the rules changes, as always. The hobgoblin military is unrivaled among the humanoids. This is no doubt because it is the only hobgoblin institution. Every hobgoblin serves some position in the military, even if they are not in fact soldiers. The generals hold absolute power over the populace, and governing of conquered territories is done by taskmasters who use the conquered peoples to harvest their nations' natural resources to further the hobgoblin war machine. For hobgoblins, there will be no peace until the world is divided into two groups: hobgoblins and slaves. Hobgoblins live in a world of superiors and inferiors. Deference to authority is taught from a very young age. Children are separated from their parents and put in military academies at a very young age. Bullying is monitored, and allowed to continue if academy officers deem it to truly be inflicted by the strong on the weak. Similarly, good students at the academy are allowed to exercise authority poor students. Any hobgoblin that shows artistic ability is sent to special classes for budding propagandists. The propaganda they make always is the same: loyalty to any and all forms of authority over all else. While loyalty is commonly invoked, love is a concept which, officially, is discredited among hobgoblin society. While male and female hobgoblins are allowed to 'recreate' together, any true emotional attachment, when noticed by authorities, is punished by separation and demotion. The idea of familial love is also unknown. The fittest males and females are randomly assigned to 'breeding pairs,' and when the children are born, they are only in contact with their mothers when they have been assigned to their own mother for the moment on the feeding rotation. All child-rearing is done by a special division of the military academy. Naturally, such an environment breeds rebellion. Unfortunately, hobgoblins are raised with such an impersonal view of one another that such rebellions are usually revolts of one, and are quickly put down with lethal force. Escape is a more likely route for disaffected hobgoblins. Escaped hobgoblins, once in foreign lands, will seek out other such rebels. Isolated bands of covert resistance fighters do exist, as a result, and those that are not picked off by the main hobgoblin forces may recieve aid from broad-minded humanoids. Rules Changes: Hobgoblins get +2 con, +2 dex, -2 cha Hobgoblins only have +2 on Move Silently checks Hobgoblins have LA +0
Arscura 10-01-07, 07:23 AM	In my opinion, your hobgoblin are now quite weak. +0 on stats and +2 to one skill That is quite below the human with +0 stats +1 skillpoint per level, 4 for the first and a feat. I would give the Hobgoblins their +2 Dex bonus back and than they are nice. The Hobgoblin is already considered sometimes a +0 by people. Just look around the boards. Your take on the races is your own for your world so it is hard to give comments on such a thing. Hope this was constructive for you.
zvbxrpl 10-02-07, 06:51 PM	Thanks. I'm a little shaky on balancing racial traits still.
Dog_O_War 10-03-07, 05:00 PM	Yer dwarves are unbalanced. Abberations are the second broadest category (next to magical beasts) and dwarves are getting +1 attack and damage, and +4 AC versus them? Also, your ability modifier of +2 intelligence does not equal light blindness. Something more akin to Darkvision 120 feet (instead of 60 feet) is more appropriate. Maybe a change against abberations could be +1 to attack, +1 dodge to AC, and a +2 bonus to saves versus their spell-like abilities would be (slightly) more appropriate.