| #1Th3DuxJun 30, 2014 5:31:19 | Intro: Greeting you wonderful people. I come to you at this wee hour in need of advice and criticism. I have started working on a home brew setting, something the scale of a Forgotten Realms or Ebberon. This has always been a goal of mine and I am finally running with an idea I have been mentally developing for some time. While I am not ready to share details of this setting quite yet, I am asking for a great boon. It has been some time since I have dabbled in this particular edition and I feel I am having a bit of trouble with a new race, the Boisei.
The Boisei: Boisei swing from the trees as their great great great grandfathers did since before they gained the spark of human like intelligence. The growth of human nations have caused some tribes to abandon their homes for cities, but most move deeper into the jungles and forests. These Ape-men come in many shapes and forms, resembling our favorite hominidae; gorillas, chimps, and orangutans, but with a slightly more uniformed physiology than we find with their animal counterparts. In addition to drawing inspiration from these marvelous creatures, I have also drawn inspiration from paranthropus boisei, a hominid that became extinct sometime between the dawn of technology and the control of fire. So without further ado, I give you the crunch of the Boisei, the more fluff yet to come. It is possibly important to note that my setting is possibly best described as scientific romance, a sort of precursor to steampunk. Real world science and rationalism, even evolution, mingles with the arcane and spiritual.
Boisei: The intimidating presence of these ape men betray their natural grace and wisdom.
Average Height: 5'7" - 6'3"
Average Weight: 270 - 370
Ability Score: +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity or Wisdom
Size: Medium
Speed: 5 squares, climb 6
Vision: Normal
Languages: Common, choice of 1 other
Skill Bonuses: +2 Athletics, +2 Intimidate
Strong Back: When calculating load use Strength x 15 for normal, Strength x 30 for Heavy, and Strength x 70 for Maximum. Armor does not effect movement speeds, but a heavy load and other effects that limit speed affect you normally.
Jungle Combat: Boisei are proficient with the Long Spear and gain a +2 bonus to improvised throwing weapons and can use both hands to throw larger objects such as large rocks and barrels as Improvised Ranged Weapons with the Heavy Throw property.
Brachiation: Boisei can make an Athletics check to swing from one hand hold to another, be it stone, rope, or vine, like an ape would swing through the trees. This is treated as a Long Jump with a running start for determining horizontal distance moved.
Treeborn: Boisei treat falls if they were 10 feet shorter. They may also use an intentional fall of at least 10 feet as a charge.
Primal Chomp: Boisei can use the Primal Chomp power once per encounter as an immediate interrupter.
Primal Chomp
As an enemy tries to nock an arrow or swing their blade, you strike quicker with your powerful jaws, locking their meat and bones between massive teeth ideal for grinding.
Encounter
Immediate Interrupt
Melee 1
Targets: Attacking enemy within range
Attack: Strength or Dexterity vs Reflex
Hit: 1d6 + Strength Damage
Effect: Target get -2 to attacks rolls until the end of their next turn.
Level 11: 2d6 + Strength
Level 21: 3d6 + Strength
Reasoning and Theory:
Ability Scores: While Boisei are all strong, they come in three different flavors: The brutal gorilla, the wiry chimpanzee, and the sage like orangutang. Of course these corilations are not strictly the law, but simply my inspiration.
Speed: Boisei are only recently bipedal and as such no not get aroudn as well on two legs as other races. This puts them into an awkward position on the ground, but naturals in the trees and places where their mighty upper body strength gets them around a lot better than their legs.
Skills: Strong and fearsom. I would have like to have had either Acrobatics as a third skill bonus, or an alternate to Intimidate, but I could not think of much presedence for this.
Strong Back: This is a way to make up for the Boisei's slower movement speed without completely emulating the dwarf. It also represents their ability to use their impressive mass and uncommon strength aside from typical Strength checks.
Jungle Combat: Spears feel like a natural weapon for them in dense jaungles and forests and throwing rocks and logs seems right at home with ape combat. Who else is using improvised weapons? Also felt Donkey Kong should be represented somewhere.
Brachiation: Just didn't feel right without this. I feel like this might be naturallty in the rules for athletics but not specifically mentioned. I want to see this in here, but I am not 100% on it yet.
Treeborn: That image of an ape man dropping from the trees with a mighty thud, feet on the ground as he towers over you and snorts with contempt. I would think that falling from the trees would be easier on them, they probably know how to land to soften their blow, and would even use height to ambush their enemies.
Primal Chomp: I feel like parts of the above are lackluster and underwhelming or even too nichy . This was somewhat intentional since I feel that the racial power is quite powerful, being an encounter interrupt with an attack penalty that can be used against an attack targeting you or an ally. Great for a tank or or melee squishy or range squishy. Unless this turns out to be more powerful than I realize, it is perhaps my favorite part of the Boisei...crunch (get it?). I have feats in line for it, ideas for making it a minor action OR interrupt, the start of a grapple, the penalty requring a saving throw instead, ongoing damage, additional uses, arcane bites, additional effects (even ravenous), and more.
Closing: And so you have it friends, the Boisei. I would like to extend my gratitude in advance and hope you all find some enjoyment in my creation, be it in amusment, admiration, or critism.
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