Racial abilities for special races [Archive] - Wizards Community

Racial abilities for special races [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
ragoftag
06-28-07, 06:50 PM I am trying to create genasi-like people who are not merely 'elemental' humans, or templates. I want to have gritty earth types, explosive fire-kin, high minded airy souls, etc. It was once posited somewhere that dwarves are best treated as real Earth Genasi. How about taking it a step or so further and give them an Earth subtype? Azer could be a similar race with the Fire subtype. Set all top a base of +0. Not powerful enough? Make some racial levels available that develop them further. We don't have to limit this to the big four, and can add some of the others as well.
Or do I need to up my medication?
Thomar_of_Uointer
06-28-07, 09:27 PM I am trying to create genasi-like people who are not merely 'elemental' humans, or templates. I want to have gritty earth types, explosive fire-kin, high minded airy souls, etc. It was once posited somewhere that dwarves are best treated as real Earth Genasi. How about taking it a step or so further and give them an Earth subtype? Azer could be a similar race with the Fire subtype. Set all top a base of +0. Not powerful enough? Make some racial levels available that develop them further. We don't have to limit this to the big four, and can add some of the others as well.
Or do I need to up my medication?

That's cool, but I'm not crazy enough to do it all for you just because you mentioned it. :P
ragoftag
06-29-07, 07:00 PM Thomar_of_Uointer
That's cool, but I'm not crazy enough to do it all for you just because you mentioned it.Lol, didn't want you to! just wondering if a real stab at it had been made. No point in reinventing the wheel. EX:

Cut and pasted from Hypertextd20 (one of my fave sites), modified:Dwarves
* Native outsider: A dwarf has both the Native and Earth subtypes. They have mortal ancestors or a strong connection to the Material Plane and can be raised, reincarnated, or resurrected just as other living creatures can be. Unlike true outsiders, native outsiders need to eat and sleep.
* +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma.
* Medium: As Medium creatures, dwarves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
* Dwarf base land speed is 20 feet. However, dwarves can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load (unlike other creatures, whose speed is reduced in such situations).
* Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and dwarves can function just fine with no light at all.
* Stonecunning: This ability grants a dwarf a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn’t stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. A dwarf who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as if he were actively searching, and a dwarf can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can. A dwarf can also intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up.
* Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves may treat dwarven waraxes and dwarven urgroshes as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
* Stability: A dwarf gains a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on solid earth (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on solid earth).
* +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison.
* +2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like effects.
* +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against orcs and goblinoids.
* +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against monsters of the giant type. Any time a creature loses its Dexterity bonus (if any) to Armor Class, such as when it’s caught flat-footed, it loses its dodge bonus, too.
* +2 racial bonus on Appraise checks that are related to stone or metal items.
* +2 racial bonus on Craft checks that are related to stone or metal.
* Automatic Languages: Common and Dwarven. Bonus Languages: Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Terran, and Undercommon.Minor adustment, but is
zae
06-29-07, 07:59 PM Well in that case, it looks okay.

What it translates to:
Immunity to a handful of spells (Hold Person etc. - and Enlarge Person too!)
Martial Weapon Proficiency (but are you telling me they're not taking a combat class anyway?)
Ability to be Turned/Desroyed by clerics with the Air domain, and Rebuked/Commanded by clerics with the Earth domain.
Vulnerability to a small handful of other oddball spells.

I think that might be it.

On the other hand, the problem will arise with the Fire one. The Fire subtype grants you immunity to the most commonly occurring element (although you do get vulnerability to the second most common). It'll be a tricky one. Perhaps add a special clause that states that unlike the others, they only take half damage, but at level X it improves to immunity?

Air, give them flight the same way that dragonborn and raptorans get it - slow falling an gliding, then limited flight at 6th, then unlimited flight at 12th.

Water is unlikely to be a problem either.

I don't recall seeing this already done, though I do recall seeing decent paragon levels made for the existing genasi.
Thomar_of_Uointer
06-29-07, 10:02 PM Oh, I see what you mean.

A standard air ability would be the ability to lessen or negate the effects of falling, like taking only 1d6 damage from any fall and being able to negate it by jumping down, a Jump check, or a Tumble check. A good fire ability is plain old fire resistance 5 (enough to handle fire with your bare hands). A good earth ability is the standard stuff dwarves get. A good water ability is a swim speed. All of these traits are decent abilities for a LA +0 race, assuming the race doesn't get much else.
ragoftag
06-30-07, 07:15 PM Well, dwarves are a tad over powered to start with, but they are an easy start. And, quite honestly, my brain pulled a wildcat strike on me.

Stealing shamelessly from Raptorians would be a nice way to simulate Air. Just excise the 'bird' stuff, maybe limit Featherfall to their level in rounds per day?

Offhand, Fire would either be dexterous or charismatic, maybe both. I had a boisterous, gregarious Fire race long ago that believed themselves to be immature Efreeti. Redone, they'd have -2 wisdom (they're delusional), some DR/fire, and minor ignition abilities. Back then, they were incapable of move silently, disguise, etc.

Water? The big goose egg.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ragoftag 06-28-07, 06:50 PM	I am trying to create genasi-like people who are not merely 'elemental' humans, or templates. I want to have gritty earth types, explosive fire-kin, high minded airy souls, etc. It was once posited somewhere that dwarves are best treated as real Earth Genasi. How about taking it a step or so further and give them an Earth subtype? Azer could be a similar race with the Fire subtype. Set all top a base of +0. Not powerful enough? Make some racial levels available that develop them further. We don't have to limit this to the big four, and can add some of the others as well. Or do I need to up my medication?
Thomar_of_Uointer 06-28-07, 09:27 PM	I am trying to create genasi-like people who are not merely 'elemental' humans, or templates. I want to have gritty earth types, explosive fire-kin, high minded airy souls, etc. It was once posited somewhere that dwarves are best treated as real Earth Genasi. How about taking it a step or so further and give them an Earth subtype? Azer could be a similar race with the Fire subtype. Set all top a base of +0. Not powerful enough? Make some racial levels available that develop them further. We don't have to limit this to the big four, and can add some of the others as well. Or do I need to up my medication? That's cool, but I'm not crazy enough to do it all for you just because you mentioned it. :P
ragoftag 06-29-07, 07:00 PM	Thomar_of_Uointer That's cool, but I'm not crazy enough to do it all for you just because you mentioned it.Lol, didn't want you to! just wondering if a real stab at it had been made. No point in reinventing the wheel. EX: Cut and pasted from Hypertextd20 (one of my fave sites), modified:Dwarves * Native outsider: A dwarf has both the Native and Earth subtypes. They have mortal ancestors or a strong connection to the Material Plane and can be raised, reincarnated, or resurrected just as other living creatures can be. Unlike true outsiders, native outsiders need to eat and sleep. * +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma. * Medium: As Medium creatures, dwarves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. * Dwarf base land speed is 20 feet. However, dwarves can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load (unlike other creatures, whose speed is reduced in such situations). * Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and dwarves can function just fine with no light at all. * Stonecunning: This ability grants a dwarf a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn’t stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. A dwarf who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as if he were actively searching, and a dwarf can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can. A dwarf can also intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up. * Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves may treat dwarven waraxes and dwarven urgroshes as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons. * Stability: A dwarf gains a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on solid earth (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on solid earth). * +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison. * +2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like effects. * +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against orcs and goblinoids. * +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against monsters of the giant type. Any time a creature loses its Dexterity bonus (if any) to Armor Class, such as when it’s caught flat-footed, it loses its dodge bonus, too. * +2 racial bonus on Appraise checks that are related to stone or metal items. * +2 racial bonus on Craft checks that are related to stone or metal. * Automatic Languages: Common and Dwarven. Bonus Languages: Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Terran, and Undercommon.Minor adustment, but is
zae 06-29-07, 07:59 PM	Well in that case, it looks okay. What it translates to: Immunity to a handful of spells (Hold Person etc. - and Enlarge Person too!) Martial Weapon Proficiency (but are you telling me they're not taking a combat class anyway?) Ability to be Turned/Desroyed by clerics with the Air domain, and Rebuked/Commanded by clerics with the Earth domain. Vulnerability to a small handful of other oddball spells. I think that might be it. On the other hand, the problem will arise with the Fire one. The Fire subtype grants you immunity to the most commonly occurring element (although you do get vulnerability to the second most common). It'll be a tricky one. Perhaps add a special clause that states that unlike the others, they only take half damage, but at level X it improves to immunity? Air, give them flight the same way that dragonborn and raptorans get it - slow falling an gliding, then limited flight at 6th, then unlimited flight at 12th. Water is unlikely to be a problem either. I don't recall seeing this already done, though I do recall seeing decent paragon levels made for the existing genasi.
Thomar_of_Uointer 06-29-07, 10:02 PM	Oh, I see what you mean. A standard air ability would be the ability to lessen or negate the effects of falling, like taking only 1d6 damage from any fall and being able to negate it by jumping down, a Jump check, or a Tumble check. A good fire ability is plain old fire resistance 5 (enough to handle fire with your bare hands). A good earth ability is the standard stuff dwarves get. A good water ability is a swim speed. All of these traits are decent abilities for a LA +0 race, assuming the race doesn't get much else.
ragoftag 06-30-07, 07:15 PM	Well, dwarves are a tad over powered to start with, but they are an easy start. And, quite honestly, my brain pulled a wildcat strike on me. Stealing shamelessly from Raptorians would be a nice way to simulate Air. Just excise the 'bird' stuff, maybe limit Featherfall to their level in rounds per day? Offhand, Fire would either be dexterous or charismatic, maybe both. I had a boisterous, gregarious Fire race long ago that believed themselves to be immature Efreeti. Redone, they'd have -2 wisdom (they're delusional), some DR/fire, and minor ignition abilities. Back then, they were incapable of move silently, disguise, etc. Water? The big goose egg.