Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Squaba 02-10-08, 03:20 PM	Ursai The ursai are dedicates of an ancient monastic order. Once famous for their ferocity the ursai learned long ago to channel their anger and fury into more constructive energies. They are still known for their savage strength but they are as equally known for their peaceable ways, and their quiet wisdom. Personality: Ursai quiet and reserved, and always willing to bring strangers into their fold and share their wisdom with any who are willing to listen. Long lived, the ursai care little for the trappings of the material world but have a weakness for scholarly or spiritual pursuits such as writing and music. Slow to anger an ursai who gives into his fury is a frightening thing, striding through a field of battle a flurry of kicks, claws, and bone crunching blows. Physical Description: When asked to describe an ursai in one word most people would choose “imposing.” Resembling bipedal polar bears that stand between 7 ½ and 8 ½ feet tall, ursai typically weigh about four-hundred and fifty pounds. Their bodies are covered with thick white fur and they all have sparkling crystal blue eyes, older ursai loose their white coats and gain a dazzling silver one in its place. Ursai like to wear simple clothing that is loose fitting and allows for maximum movement. Ursai reach adulthood at the age of 20 a usually live well into their third century. Relations: Ursai rarely make judgments about a person based on race, and make friends and enemies based off of personal interactions, not racial preconceptions. They enjoy the company of opened minded individuals who are willing to discuss philosophy and are particularly fond of neutral and lawful aligned dragons, whose ways they try to emulate. Alignment: Ursai are typically a race dedicated to order and law. They believe in the balance between good and evil and favor neither over the other. Ursai Lands: Ursai, even non-monk ursai, live in huge monasteries scattered around the world. In addition to the seven monasteries of the Paths of Life, smaller monasteries can be found in particularly cold or secluded locations. The ursai claim the north and south poles of Halcia as their own, and rarely interact with outsiders. Ursai found wandering the lands are usually on personal journeys seeking to improve themselves, or on missions to help their order. Religion: The ursai are dedicated to one of the Seven Paths of Life, each path is embodied by an elemental lord as well as a virtue and sin that the lord represents. Seven grand monasteries can be found on Halcia, one at the North Pole and one at the South. Four more are located on the equator, each equidistant to one another and each equidistant to the North and South Pole. The location of the seventh monastery is a secret known only to those who walk the Seventh Path and to each of the grandmasters of the other six monasteries. Language: Ursai speak their own language which consists of deep growls and has a low rumbling intonation. Ursai script is fluid form of calligraphy and contains nearly three hundred characters. Names: Most ursai names derive from words in their language that have some complex meaning or hidden significance to their families. Typically, this is the name of a favorite thing or relative. The last name of an ursai is usually a family name, handed down through the generations. If the ursai has performed some act that has made an impression on the elders of his monastery, however, he may be granted a new name, significant to the deed, to commemorate the act. Male Names: Chong Lin, Daishi, Jain Yu, Kong, Long Wei, Ren Shu, Shen, Teng Fei, Xian, Yuan Jun Female Name: Dai Yu, Ehuang, Hui Ging, Li Fen, Mei Li, Nu Ying, Qiu Yue, Wen Li, Xiao Li, Zhi Lan Adventurers: Ursai are drawn towards adventuring for a many reasons. Most commonly the young ursai is looking to discover him or herself, and uses adventures as a means of self exploration and discovery. Sometimes it is necessary for a monastery to send out several young warriors to complete a mission for the good of the community. Such warriors are proud to be selected and can often become rather single minded, focusing almost exclusively on the task at hand. Ursai Racial Traits • +2 Strength, -2 Dexterity: Ursai are powerful, but more cumbersome then other races. • Medium: As Medium creatures, ursai have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. • Low Light Vision: An ursai can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions. • Natural Weapons (ex): An ursai’s claws and bite are natural weapons and all adult ursai are considered to be proficient in their use. An ursai’s claws deal 1d4 points of damage plus strength, a bite does 1d6 plus strength and a half. • +2 Natural Armor Class: Ursai have thick skin and fur. • Weapon Familiarity: Ursai may treat wind and fire wheels, the horned knife, and the meteor hammer as martial weapons instead of exotic. These weapons can be found here. • Resistance to cold 5: Ursai are naturally resistant to cold damage • Racial Levels: Unlike humans and some other races, ursai can take a few levels in “ursai” as a class to develop their racial qualities more fully. • Favored Class: Monk Table: Starting Age Adulthood Simple Average Complex 20 years +2d6 +4d6 +6d6 Table: Aging Effects Middle Aged Old Venerable Maximum age 100 years 200 years 300 years +4d10 years Table: Random Height and Weight Base Height Base Weight Height Modifier Weight Modifier 7'3" 2d12 375 lb. X(2d8) lb. Ursai Levels Ursai can take up to three levels in “ursai” at anytime. The path that an ursai follows when taking racial levels is a spiritual and physical journey. It is as much a rite of passage as it is a revelation into the workings of the world around the ursai. Because of this, most ursai embark on the journey slowly, taking a level in order to gain a better understanding of the challenges ahead of them. Hit Die: At first and third level an ursai gains 1d8 hit points. Skill Points at 1st Character Level: (2 + Int modifier) x4. Skill Points at Level 3: 2 + Int modifier. “Class” Skills: Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Listen (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis) and Survival (Wis), Swim (Str). Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Ursai with levels only in ursai (no actual class levels) are proficient in the use of simple weapons, excluding crossbows, and are able to use light armor. They retain their standard Martial Weapon Proficiency feats. Ursai Class Levels Ursai Base Fort Ref Will Special Attack Save Save Save Bonus 1st +0 +2 +0 +2 Natural Armor: 3, Powerful Build, Resistance to cold: 10 2nd +1 +2 +0 +2 +2 Constitution, Scent, Bonus Weapon Proficiency Natural Armor: 4 3rd +1 +2 +1 +2 +2 Strength, Resistance to cold: 15, Natural Armor: 5 Powerful Build: The physical stature of an ursai lets him function in many ways as if he were one size category larger. Whenever an ursai is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), he is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. An ursai is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature's special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. An ursai can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefit of this racial trait applies to the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change or are affected by the subject's size category. Scent: This extraordinary ability allows an ursai to detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell. An ursai with the scent ability can detect opponents by sense of smell, generally within 30 feet. If the opponent is upwind, the range is 60 feet. If it is downwind, the range is 15 feet. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at three times these ranges. An ursai detects another creature’s presence but not its specific location. Noting the direction of the scent is a move action. If he moves within 5 feet of the scent’s source, the ursai can pinpoint that source. An ursai with the Track feat and the scent ability can follow tracks by smell, making a Wisdom check to find or follow a track. The typical DC for a fresh trail is 10. The DC increases or decreases depending on how strong the quarry’s odor is, the number of creatures, and the age of the trail. For each hour that the trail is cold, the DC increases by 2. The ability otherwise follows the rules for the Track feat. Ursai tracking by scent ignore the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility. Ursai with the scent ability can identify familiar odors just as humans do familiar sights. Water, particularly running water, ruins a trail. False, powerful odors can easily mask other scents. The presence of such an odor completely spoils the ability to properly detect or identify creatures, and the base Survival DC to track becomes 20 rather than 10. Bonus Weapon Proficiency: At 2nd level, the ursai chooses one weapon from the following list: wind and fire wheel, horned knife, or the meteor hammer. He is proficient with the weapon. These weapons can be found here.
Gardag 02-10-08, 03:49 PM	instead of Ursai class level (wich I think are too powerful if you want to keep the lvl adj below +3) you should make a prestige class only for Ursai based on the abilities you listed in the Ursai class level, maybe a "Ursai Ascetic" or "Ursai Enlightened"; a powelful prestige class with only five levels of progess but with special benefits only avilable for Ursai. And I have a question why aren't Ursai large? (they have most of the large characters benefits)
Squaba 02-10-08, 04:07 PM	Their size is still small enough to qualify them as medium, and Larger characters is an automatic +1 ECL. Since the only way for them to get some of the benifets of being a large creature is to take the ursai levels, they can easily be treated as bigger than average medium character much like the goliath. The Ursai racial levels allow a character to choose to go with the ECL 0 version of the race, or "level" it up to gain better abilities. Maybe increasing it to a three level progression might be better.
Captain_Kobold 02-10-08, 04:54 PM	Since the only way for them to get a 10 foot reach is to take the ursai levels they can easily be treated as bigger than average medium character, much like the goliath. I didn't see anything in the Ursai levels that would improve their reach. Did you remove it? While powerful build gives you many of the benefits of Large size, it does not improve Natural Attacks, Unarmed Strikes, or Reach. Out of the Claws and Bite Natural Attacks, which are primary, and which are secondary? The Ursai racial levels allow a character to choose to go with the ECL 0 version of the race, or "level" it up to gain better abilities. Maybe increasing it to a three level progression might be better. You are definitely going to have to spread out or otherwise dilute the bonuses somehow. An LA would probably be the best way to go about it. The base Ursai has Natural armour and a powerful Natural Attack combination, particularly since they will be able to use the Bite in combination with weapon or Monk unarmed strikes. That puts you into LA+1 territory, although you could probably add a couple of skill bonuses without pushing into LA+2. Two Racial Hit Dice gives them powerful build, +2 Str, +2 Con, Full monk Unarmed strike and AC progression, even more natural armour, Scent, a bonus weapon Prof, and D10 Hit dice. Those Racial Hit dice are better than most melee classes' so you might want to mitigate them a bit. Perhaps spread it over two more levels, but the even numbered levels do not give Hit Dice. Its more consistent to give ability increases in multiples of two. So one level gives +2 strength, another gives +2 Constitution, as opposed to splitting them up as +1, +1. I think that what might be a better approach would be to give the base Ursai Powerful build and Scent, since these seem more tied into base physiology. Make them LA +1 or 2 with a couple of levels of Monstrous Humanoid. The rest of the Ursai Racial class could be turned into Monk Racial Substitution levels. You could swap out Flurry of Blows for a natural armour progression and Still Mind for improved Cold resistance for example. Gardag's suggestion of making a Prestige class out of the additional Ursai levels is perehaps an even better one.
Gardag 02-10-08, 07:56 PM	Their size is still small enough to qualify them as medium, and Larger characters is an automatic +1 ECL. Yes you are right I forgot about the reach, but if you give them reach by taking Ursai levels, why don't you instead give them the choices of character levels or monster advancement (like the Ixitachitl) that way monster Ursai could get advancemant and reach, and character Ursai could use the monk levels and ki abilities. It would be a little unbalancing to have both and the ECL would depend in how many Ursai levels do you have: ECL 0 for normal Ursai; +1 for 1st lv Ursai and +2 for 2nd lv Ursai
Squaba 02-10-08, 11:30 PM	I used the ECL calculator while I was desiging this race/class. According to it, all of the Abilities Modifiers (+4 Str, -2 Dex, +2 Con), bonus feats (Scent), Moderate Powers (Powerful Build) and (15: Cold Resistence) and Minor Powers (a Medium sized creatures claw/bite) and Natural Armor (of 5 at the end) only qualifies them as an ECL of 2.6, which I rounded down. I suppose I could Round it up to 3, give them the three racial classes, and spread the bonuses out a bit to even them up. The general Idea is somewhat similar to waht they did with the Trolls/Undead/Tauren/Dwarves/Night Elves in the WoW RPG, which allows a character to choose a "Weak" version of the race and then go straight into levels, a "moderate" version of it, or a "full" version of it, based on their perogative. So if I extend the class elvels to 3 and move the power about a bit do you think it will even it out a bit more?
Captain_Kobold 02-11-08, 04:44 AM	What ECL Calculator is this? How does it distinguish between LA and Racial Hit Dice? The WoW RPG, although it uses the base d20 system, is geared at a somewhat different power level than D&D is. This can cause some confusion. Part of the difficulty that you have with the Ursai class levels is that you gave them class-based progression as well as the assorted other abilities. This combination means that they actually increase your LA, not mitigate it. From the flavour of the Ursai, they are sounding like a Prestige class. Its looking like a +3 LA race overall, but you could use Racial Hit dice to mitigate that a bit. Two levels of Monstous humanoid would probably drop the LA by one.
Squaba 02-11-08, 11:55 AM	I see what you're saying. No the calculator didn't take account of the racial hit die because I didn't add the hit die because I was using the WoW method, which I erroneously assumed was canon. I need a bit of explanation about how Racial hit die will mitigate the LA. I was under the impression that LA+RHD+Class=ECL. So if I gave them 2 HD and they had an LA of 2 and a class of 1then their ECL is 5? How is this better than an LA of 3 plus 1class and an ECL of 4?
Captain_Kobold 02-11-08, 07:30 PM	Adding Racial Hit dice to reduce the LA will increase the overall ECL, you are correct. The reason that it can mitigate LA is that Racial Hit dice are weaker than class levels. Racial hit dice can be a way of getting a more playable character sooner, even though they have a higher ECL. Taking the example of an Ursai with Monk levels: (Assuming Ursai cound as Monstrous humanoids.) The LA+3 version at ECL 4 has 1 Monk level, giving it 8+Con Hit points, a BaB of +0, and the abilities of a first level Monk. Its low hit points and BaB will cause problems when facing the same threats as its 4th level companions. The LA+2, 2RHD version at ECL 4 lacks the abilities of the first level Monk, and will always be one level behind when it comes to class abilities. However, it does have 8+d8 +2xcon hit points, and a BaB of +2. Even though it will not get the 1st level Monk abilities until it levels up to ECL 5, the extra hit points and BaB can be a worthwhile trade off in order to survive the lower levels.
Airos 02-12-08, 11:54 AM	Hmm, this is an interesting race. When I first read it over I thought, "this looks like about a LA +1". I don't know anything about the d20 WoW, or how it handles LA, but I feel that for core D&D natural armor, natural weapons and energy resistance tip it a little over what the core races offer. As for the racial levels, it feels a little... wonky to me. If this is designed like the racial levels in Savage Species, (which based on your posts it is; take class levels instead of LA to play at lower levels), the saves/b.a.b. shouldn't improve at 2nd level, nor should you gain any skill points. Those are based on HD, not "levels" like a normal base class. If it's being designed like a base class, then you should get a hit die each level and the saves should go +2/+0/+2 -> +3/+0/+3 -> +3/+1/+3. After the 3 racial levels I'd say they're around an ecl of 5. Again, while balance may be different in 20 WoW, I'd say they're a step above core D&D. I would give them 5 racial levels, and at each level they either got an ability or a HD. Just my :twocents:
Squaba 02-12-08, 04:57 PM	The LA+2, 2RHD version at ECL 4 lacks the abilities of the first level Monk, and will always be one level behind when it comes to class abilities. However, it does have 8+d8 +2xcon hit points, and a BaB of +2. Even though it will not get the 1st level Monk abilities until it levels up to ECL 5, the extra hit points and BaB can be a worthwhile trade off in order to survive the lower levels. So you're saying if I made a race that was n LA of +6, gave it 10 humanoid hitdie (which trade in at a rate of 2HD:1LA if the race guide is correct) then I can start play with a level 1 "person" with 10d8+con HP, all of it's abilities and it would gain a class level once it reached level 2 exp? As for the racial levels, it feels a little... wonky to me. If this is designed like the racial levels in Savage Species, (which based on your posts it is; take class levels instead of LA to play at lower levels), the saves/b.a.b. shouldn't improve at 2nd level, nor should you gain any skill points. Those are based on HD, not "levels" like a normal base class. If it's being designed like a base class, then you should get a hit die each level and the saves should go +2/+0/+2 -> +3/+0/+3 -> +3/+1/+3. I used the WoW version of "Racial Levels" which are different than monster levels. But I'm going to be getting rid of them. In WoW a player can choose to level his race up and gain Hit Die, Skills, and Bonuses. Much like a class. Essentially it's a bit like a pretiege class that can be taken any time you want if you're the right race.
Captain_Kobold 02-12-08, 06:38 PM	So you're saying if I made a race that was n LA of +6, gave it 10 humanoid hit die (which trade in at a rate of 2HD:1LA if the race guide is correct) then I can start play with a level 1 "person" with 10d8+con HP, all of it's abilities and it would gain a class level once it reached level 2 exp? No. I'm saying that if you made a race with an LA of +6 and 10 Humanoid Racial hit dice, you could start play when the rest of the party was level 16, the same ECL and experience total as you are. You would gain your first class level when you gained enough XP to go from 16 to 17. It is explained somewhat better in the SRD and the FAQ, but its the ECL that is your effective level when determining XP, items, and when you are a suitable level as the rest of the party.