4e Taranuhls - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

4e Taranuhls

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
ekio
Dec 19, 2008 10:02:30 Hey everyone.

During the old 3.5 days, my group bought a few of those "one-word" books from AEG games and in the "Mercenaries" book, it contained a race called Taranuhls which one of my players fell in love with.

Now that we're playing 4e, I tried my hand at setting them up. It's my first homebrew. :D PEACH, please.

Page 1 and page 2.
#2
ceiling90
Dec 19, 2008 17:05:45 Wow, they're... really strong? I think some of the special qualities need to be broken up into racial feats.

Natural Born Killer (Heroic)
Prerequisite: Taranuhl
Benefit: You can utilize your inborn claws as weapons. They have a +3 proficiency, and deal 1d6 damage. They are considered light blades for feat and weapon group purposes. They cannot be enchanted.

The part about the claws being not enchantable... that's optional to me. I figure you could put in a feat for that.

Then you should also make Spellsinged a racial power, into the either or type...
As in it, Either you can use Spellsinged or Thornskin once per encounter, and build feats to allow for both in one encounter like the Drow me thinks.

Doing all of that, I think you could leave in Bloodlust, but get it augmented via racial feat.

Otherwise this race is pretty awesome.
#3
ekio
Dec 23, 2008 8:37:17 Hey, ceiling90. Thanks for the response.

I decided to keep the claws as a natural weapon off the bat. I might add the light weapon/unarmed category and +3 prof. bonus as a feat or something.

The idea behind the Spellsinged ability is that it wasn't a racial encounter per se. I wanted to give them a some sort of resistance to arcane magic and initially, I wrote it down as being a constant and passive resistance against any power with the arcane keyword. Decided against that early on.

But yeah. Feats. I need to sit down and brainstorm one evening.

If this particular draft starts to go southward in regards to balance, I'll axe it (plus the player) myself. ;)
#4
supermaus
Dec 26, 2008 21:21:10 This race isn't overpowered, most of its powers are highly situational. Spell resistance is only useful once per encounter, and only if the enemy is fielding an Arcane caster. Thornskin is even less likely to be used in a given encounter, and the majority of melee characters are going to want to use a real weapon, resorting to their claws only when unarmed. Bloodlust is the only ability that can come into play every combat, and Dragonborn have the same power.

I think the unarmed weapons power can be reworded as something like "Your unarmed attacks count as though you were armed with a Sickle" or something to that effect. This does several things: First, they always count as being armed even when they aren't (for the purposes of powers with the Melee Weapon descriptor), The Sickle would give your player the same Basic Attack you describe with the Off-Hand Property as well as the light blade property for purposes of enchanting (It would be cool for a Warlock to get their claws enchanted as Pact Blades, but I could be crazy).
#5
vebrandsson
Dec 28, 2008 18:26:14
I think the unarmed weapons power can be reworded as something like "Your unarmed attacks count as though you were armed with a Sickle" or something to that effect. This does several things: First, they always count as being armed even when they aren't (for the purposes of powers with the Melee Weapon descriptor)

If you read through the PHB you will find on page 56 in the information for the weapon keyword that unarmed attacks count as weapons for powers with this keyword, so yes this race can use the claws with weapon keyworded powers as it is written.
@the orignial poster, I like the concept of this race. It sounds really cool and I like the way you wrote it up with the picture and all, looks like you put a lot of work into it. I'd love to know what 3.5 book these came from, I've honestly never heard of them before but I like them. I'm making a note of this race, I think I may use it. Spellsinged I will admit should probably be an encounter power. Perhaps list both as racial encounter powers (spellsinged and thorn skin) and then like the drow lolth touched ability, limit the use to only one of the two powers per encounter.
#6
ceiling90
Dec 29, 2008 15:48:48 It's not overpowered, it's just strong; maybe more front loaded really. The Spellsinged, should be the either or racial power along with thornskin. Makes it easier to read; since it's already more or less an encounter power.

Feat idea: like the grow, give the ability to use both powers once in an encounter.
#7
ekio
Jan 02, 2009 11:42:46 First off, thanks again, everyone. The first adventure (with TWO taranuhls, one rogue, one warlock) worked out pretty well. The rogue was grabbed by a kraken and promptly thornskinned his way out, giving the player a big grin. He used it again in another encounter, but I can't remember how.

Spellsinged was only used once. Not overly spectacular but handy.

@the orignial poster, I like the concept of this race. It sounds really cool and I like the way you wrote it up with the picture and all, looks like you put a lot of work into it. I'd love to know what 3.5 book these came from, I've honestly never heard of them before but I like them. I'm making a note of this race, I think I may use it. Spellsinged I will admit should probably be an encounter power. Perhaps list both as racial encounter powers (spellsinged and thorn skin) and then like the drow lolth touched ability, limit the use to only one of the two powers per encounter.

This came from AEG's "one-word" series Mercenaries. Its down on the page a little. Doesn't preview the taranuhl, but they're in the book.

Happy gaming.

EDIT: By the way, the taranuhl layout is kind of a template now. If you want a snazzy race layout, just PM me and I'll make a racial page of whatever you want. PDF-ized too. ;)
#8
ekio
Jan 21, 2009 21:39:14 In a fit of boredom, I made the rest.

Aradan
Ashemi
Drallok
Magirn

Yay.
#9
vebrandsson
Jan 22, 2009 9:11:06 Hmm... the Magirn is powerful enough with out having low light vision. On the Ashemi, the Strong Will ability, what is that bonus applied to, saving throws or defenses or something else?
#10
ekio
Jan 22, 2009 10:09:00 Defenses, iirc.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 ekio Dec 19, 2008 10:02:30	Hey everyone. During the old 3.5 days, my group bought a few of those "one-word" books from AEG games and in the "Mercenaries" book, it contained a race called Taranuhls which one of my players fell in love with. Now that we're playing 4e, I tried my hand at setting them up. It's my first homebrew. :D PEACH, please. Page 1 and page 2.
#2 ceiling90 Dec 19, 2008 17:05:45	Wow, they're... really strong? I think some of the special qualities need to be broken up into racial feats. Natural Born Killer (Heroic) Prerequisite: Taranuhl Benefit: You can utilize your inborn claws as weapons. They have a +3 proficiency, and deal 1d6 damage. They are considered light blades for feat and weapon group purposes. They cannot be enchanted. The part about the claws being not enchantable... that's optional to me. I figure you could put in a feat for that. Then you should also make Spellsinged a racial power, into the either or type... As in it, Either you can use Spellsinged or Thornskin once per encounter, and build feats to allow for both in one encounter like the Drow me thinks. Doing all of that, I think you could leave in Bloodlust, but get it augmented via racial feat. Otherwise this race is pretty awesome.
#3 ekio Dec 23, 2008 8:37:17	Hey, ceiling90. Thanks for the response. I decided to keep the claws as a natural weapon off the bat. I might add the light weapon/unarmed category and +3 prof. bonus as a feat or something. The idea behind the Spellsinged ability is that it wasn't a racial encounter per se. I wanted to give them a some sort of resistance to arcane magic and initially, I wrote it down as being a constant and passive resistance against any power with the arcane keyword. Decided against that early on. But yeah. Feats. I need to sit down and brainstorm one evening. If this particular draft starts to go southward in regards to balance, I'll axe it (plus the player) myself. ;)
#4 supermaus Dec 26, 2008 21:21:10	This race isn't overpowered, most of its powers are highly situational. Spell resistance is only useful once per encounter, and only if the enemy is fielding an Arcane caster. Thornskin is even less likely to be used in a given encounter, and the majority of melee characters are going to want to use a real weapon, resorting to their claws only when unarmed. Bloodlust is the only ability that can come into play every combat, and Dragonborn have the same power. I think the unarmed weapons power can be reworded as something like "Your unarmed attacks count as though you were armed with a Sickle" or something to that effect. This does several things: First, they always count as being armed even when they aren't (for the purposes of powers with the Melee Weapon descriptor), The Sickle would give your player the same Basic Attack you describe with the Off-Hand Property as well as the light blade property for purposes of enchanting (It would be cool for a Warlock to get their claws enchanted as Pact Blades, but I could be crazy).
#5 vebrandsson Dec 28, 2008 18:26:14	I think the unarmed weapons power can be reworded as something like "Your unarmed attacks count as though you were armed with a Sickle" or something to that effect. This does several things: First, they always count as being armed even when they aren't (for the purposes of powers with the Melee Weapon descriptor) If you read through the PHB you will find on page 56 in the information for the weapon keyword that unarmed attacks count as weapons for powers with this keyword, so yes this race can use the claws with weapon keyworded powers as it is written. @the orignial poster, I like the concept of this race. It sounds really cool and I like the way you wrote it up with the picture and all, looks like you put a lot of work into it. I'd love to know what 3.5 book these came from, I've honestly never heard of them before but I like them. I'm making a note of this race, I think I may use it. Spellsinged I will admit should probably be an encounter power. Perhaps list both as racial encounter powers (spellsinged and thorn skin) and then like the drow lolth touched ability, limit the use to only one of the two powers per encounter.
#6 ceiling90 Dec 29, 2008 15:48:48	It's not overpowered, it's just strong; maybe more front loaded really. The Spellsinged, should be the either or racial power along with thornskin. Makes it easier to read; since it's already more or less an encounter power. Feat idea: like the grow, give the ability to use both powers once in an encounter.
#7 ekio Jan 02, 2009 11:42:46	First off, thanks again, everyone. The first adventure (with TWO taranuhls, one rogue, one warlock) worked out pretty well. The rogue was grabbed by a kraken and promptly thornskinned his way out, giving the player a big grin. He used it again in another encounter, but I can't remember how. Spellsinged was only used once. Not overly spectacular but handy. @the orignial poster, I like the concept of this race. It sounds really cool and I like the way you wrote it up with the picture and all, looks like you put a lot of work into it. I'd love to know what 3.5 book these came from, I've honestly never heard of them before but I like them. I'm making a note of this race, I think I may use it. Spellsinged I will admit should probably be an encounter power. Perhaps list both as racial encounter powers (spellsinged and thorn skin) and then like the drow lolth touched ability, limit the use to only one of the two powers per encounter. This came from AEG's "one-word" series Mercenaries. Its down on the page a little. Doesn't preview the taranuhl, but they're in the book. Happy gaming. EDIT: By the way, the taranuhl layout is kind of a template now. If you want a snazzy race layout, just PM me and I'll make a racial page of whatever you want. PDF-ized too. ;)
#8 ekio Jan 21, 2009 21:39:14	In a fit of boredom, I made the rest. Aradan Ashemi Drallok Magirn Yay.
#9 vebrandsson Jan 22, 2009 9:11:06	Hmm... the Magirn is powerful enough with out having low light vision. On the Ashemi, the Strong Will ability, what is that bonus applied to, saving throws or defenses or something else?
#10 ekio Jan 22, 2009 10:09:00	Defenses, iirc.