Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 MechaPilot Jun 07, 2009 22:19:31	I just finished working up the the latest version of the Toon PC race for my d20 Toontown homebrew project and I was hoping I could get some feedback about whether the race was balanced enough or if I should keep fine-tuning it. Toon PC Race Toons A toon is an artificial creature brought to life by the passionate creativity & imagination of the artist that drew them. Nearly all toons are humanoid animals capable of human speech. They have one iconic outfit that they wear; which may be an entire outfit, or may consist solely of one article of clothing. Female toons are distinguished either by pink coloration, bows, or skirts; and they all have red lips (as if they were wearing lipstick). Toons frequently have a first name & a last name that both begin with the same letter. The last name of a toon is often the type of animal they're drawn from. The animals most commonly made into toons have been rabbits, mice, pigs, tasmanian devils, chipmunks, skunks, ducks, dogs, & songbirds. The majority of toons that depart from the above mold are those who are created specifically for feature films. A movie toon usually does not have an alliterative name; is more likely to be human (or mythical creatures like genies, mermaids, and pixies) than a humanoid animal; and shows (at least on film) far less of the slapstick reactions found in animated shorts. Much of toon culture revolves around the animated entertainment industry, with toontowns quickly sprouting up around animation studios. Unfortunately, not every toon makes it big in the business, and some of them wash out of show-business altogether. Toons who can't make it in the business, or who make limited appearances in the pictures, usually take up regular jobs in or around toontown. Species Traits Size: Most toons are either medium or small in size, especially when they have to interact with humans; but they can be of any size the GM allows. Ability Modifiers: Toons have no racial modifiers to their ability scores, unless their size dictates otherwise. Base Speed: 30 feet. Reduce/increase a toon's speed by 10 feet per level of reduced/increased size. Special Abilities: All toon characters posses the following special qualities. Ageing: Toons never age past adulthood. As a result, they are subject to neither the attribute increases/decreases that living beings suffer as they age. The best measure of a toon’s general age is its appearance (black-and-white toons are from before 1932). Fame: All toons are famous to some degree; having either starred or appeared in at least one cartoon short or animated movie. Immunities: Toons suffer non-lethal damage from, and can be incapacitated by, starvation, thirst, suffocation, drowning, or poison; but they cannot be killed by these things. Toons are generally immune to disease; the only exception seems to be allergies and the common cold. Prankster: Toons are jokers and entertainers that have no skill at inflicting real, lasting harm. Toons do not suffer the -4 penalty to attack rolls when trying to deal non-lethal damage with any attack/weapon that normally deals lethal damage. They do however suffer a -4 racial penalty when trying to deal lethal damage, even if the weapon being used normally inflicts lethal damage. If a toon attempts to deal lethal damage with a toon weapon, they suffer a -8 penalty to their roll (the -4 equipment penalty plus the -4 racial penalty). Regeneration (Ex): Toons possess Regeneration 1. Any damage a toon takes will become non-lethal damage unless it's of a type the toon is vulnerable to. Depending upon the campaign being run, there may be no known way to deal lethal damage to a toon; or there may be a known substance that acts as a lethal-damage acid to them. Skills: All toon characters will automatically have Perform: Slapstick as a class skill. Because toons are not human, they get 4 less skill points than humans do at first level, and one less skill point than humans at each additional level. Feats: Because toons are not human, they only get one feat at first level; instead of the two feats that humans get. Free Language Skills: Toons automatically know the language of the audience they were drawn for. LA: +0. In spite of the fact that toons are almost immune to physical destruction, they can be incapacitated as easily as humans can be killed.
#2 TheRealOrion Jun 07, 2009 22:48:37	Could you expand on Toon vulnerabilities? You hint at them in the Immunities and Regeneration entries, but I don't see any more specific explanation of them.
#3 Master_Vega Jun 07, 2009 22:59:43	I'm not sure how you'd implement it as a mechanic, but shouldn't a tune die if his reputation is somehow reduced to 0? This would get him "canceled". To revive him, you'd have to somehow get his popularity up to at least a cult favorite level. Just a fun thought. Again, I'm not sure how you'd implement it... It'd be a neat way to get rid of a tune BBEG or right hand man.
#4 MechaPilot Jun 07, 2009 23:57:02	Could you expand on Toon vulnerabilities? You hint at them in the Immunities and Regeneration entries, but I don't see any more specific explanation of them. I didn't expand too much because I feel that should be campaign dependent. The general idea I was going for was something along the lines of Dip from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Something that had to be specifically designed to actually do lasting harm to a toon. I don't imagine such a thing would be commonplace, but it could theoretically be made by anyone with a chemical craft skill check & the will to make it (materials would be industrial grade, I haven't come up with a purchase DC for that yet). And I'm fairly sure the government would have it too, just in case a toon does go bad in a big way. Also, if a GM is putting toons & supernatural creatures in the same campaign, magic, psionics, and any number of other fx stuff could work as a vulnerability too. Master_Vega: I had considered a mechanic that would allow toons to be forgotten and fade into nothingness over time, I just wasn't sure how to implement it since I don't know of any existing mechanic for reducing reputation (aside from the Low Profile feat). I could alter the ageing mechanic so that the penalties are applied as reductions to a toon's reputation. When a toon's reputation reaches zero, it is forgotten and simply vanishes. As for a toon being "cancelled" when its reputation reaches zero; it's certainly a fun idea, but not entirely the way I was going with things. My notion is that the toon was actually a living being that interacted with the real world in an everyday fashion. That toons could exist as long as people still remembered them, even if they were no longer in pictures.
#5 TheRealOrion Jun 08, 2009 0:06:18	I'd say you should put notes like that into the description, otherwise you're leaving GMs without much of an idea what these "vulnerabilities" are, and no GM likes to make it all up themselves.
#6 MechaPilot Jun 08, 2009 0:13:29	I'd say you should put notes like that into the description, otherwise you're leaving GMs without much of an idea what these "vulnerabilities" are, and no GM likes to make it all up themselves. Good idea, I will do just that. I have to confess I was assuming that someone interested in a mixed (toons and humans) campaign would have seen and been influenced by the Roger Rabbit film; but that movie is getting old enough now that I really shouldn't make that assumption.
#7 TheRealOrion Jun 08, 2009 2:49:55	True, and even if they have seen it, everyone likes a little guidance. I'm a fan of letting GMs and players define their own games, but it's nice to have a place to start. Edit: Sweet jebus, it was a long time ago. Dude, I'm old.
#8 MechaPilot Jun 08, 2009 14:19:38	Edit: Sweet jebus, it was a long time ago. Dude, I'm old. :heehee I know what you mean. I just found out I'm gonna be 30 this year, and I'm still in college and living with my father.
#9 MechaPilot Jun 09, 2009 15:24:34	So, given the nature of vulnerabilities we've discussed, is the above toon race promlematic with a +0 ECL?
#10 backstabbist Jun 09, 2009 15:37:48	what about implementing the 50% chance anything attempted schtick from TOON rpg?
#11 MechaPilot Jun 09, 2009 15:57:17	what about implementing the 50% chance anything attempted schtick from TOON rpg? I have never seen the TOON rpg, and I don't know where to get a look at it without having to pay for it. What is the 50% chance thing you're talking about?
#12 backstabbist Jun 09, 2009 16:07:24	Anything you attempt has a 50% chance of succeding, cause its a cartoon
#13 MechaPilot Jun 09, 2009 16:27:24	50% chance of success on anything you try? That could definitely be excessive and imbalancing. Imagine that in combat. You miss the guy with your attack, but because you rolled an even number on your d20 roll you still hit him. Now if that were only applied to silly kinds of actions... that I could see. Like a 50% chance to not fall because you didn't look down when you realized the ground was gone. As the race currently is however, is the toon overpowered or underpowered for a +0 ECL?
#14 atanakar Jun 09, 2009 16:43:36	I have never seen the TOON rpg, and I don't know where to get a look at it without having to pay for it. What is the 50% chance thing you're talking about? Its a very old RPG. Played once. Very broken....which it as to be since you play a Toon. http://www.sjgames.com/toon/
#15 backstabbist Jun 09, 2009 17:12:11	Now if that were only applied to silly kinds of actions... that I could see. Like a 50% chance to not fall because you didn't look down when you realized the ground was gone. now you're thinkin like a toon You dont roll a ToHit, you roll 50% chance to be able to hit him with a big whammer, flattening him to a pancake, fold him, stuff him in an envelope, and mail him to Peoria ..... postage due Bam! Hows that for some 'essence', you apron wearin, fat, weird named punk
#16 MechaPilot Jun 09, 2009 19:53:53	now you're thinkin like a toon You dont roll a ToHit, you roll 50% chance to be able to hit him with a big whammer, flattening him to a pancake, fold him, stuff him in an envelope, and mail him to Peoria ..... postage due Bam! Hows that for some 'essence', you apron wearin, fat, weird named punk Granted, if the homebrew I was working on was all toons or all silly; I'd say that's a great idea. Unfortunately, I'd like to be able to have toons exist alongside people in any genre, even suspense and film noir. That's why I wanna know if the race is balanced.
#17 nobodez_here Jun 11, 2009 3:03:13	I think the best idea would be to just stat up "The Dip" alongside the race, so that GMs can have a default vulnerability for Toons. Otherwise, it seems fine.
#18 MechaPilot Jun 11, 2009 15:12:50	Thank you for the reply. As for the Dip, I was thinking of just using any basic acid. Since immersion can do 10d6 damage per round, that's gonna be more than enough to kill the most experienced toons (level 20) in about 3 or 4 rounds. I figure a single vial would do 1d6, a blast from a pressurized cannon/fire hose would do 4d6, and immersion would do different amounts (up to 10d6) based on how immersed the toon is in the dip.
#19 marcoasalazarm Sep 23, 2011 14:53:09	Well.... I will admit I may make a few adjustments here and there for the sake of the setting, but I really like the race and what's been done so far. ...can I borrow it for my setting?   Made a few Toon Feats, too (although some may be a mite generic or too specific, dunno).