Races - Part 4 - Planetouched Races

Duncehack Edition

Return to the Link Dump here

Part 4

Skipping the preamble because this is Part 4 of the Race redesigns.

See Part 1 if any of the introductory stuff matters to you.

Obligatory Natural Crit Plug

http://www.naturalcrit.com/

Someone else made a thing that lets me make homebrews without having to post them on pastebin or something. They deserve a lot of credit for that.

Obligatory /tg/ Plug

The feedback I got from various Anons on this helped me build it into something that wasn't bad and stupid.

I love you all in a way only abused spouse can possibly understand.

Balance Rationale

See Part 1, for full essay.

Main thing is: Races are worth approx. 3 feats + 2 lanaguage proficiencies.

For the purposes of this I'm working on a 'build point' system that assumes races are worth 18 build points.

What Races are in this document?

Aasimar, Genasi, Gith

RACES | DUNCEHACK

Aasimar

  • Ability Scores: Cha +2
  • Size: Medium
  • Speed: 30 ft.
  • Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
  • Celestial Resistance. You have resistance to necrotic damage and radiant damage.
  • Light Bearer. You know the light cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it.
  • Healing Hands. As an action, you can touch a creature and cause it to regain a number of hit points equal to your level. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
  • Languages. Common and Celestial.

VGM, page 104


Build Point Weight: 12.5

6 for ability scores, 2 for Darkvision, 2 for damage resistances, 1.5 for Cantrip, 1 for Healing Hands

Ribbons: None, but Cantrip rounds down.

Final Weight: 12


As you'll see in a second, Aasimar don't need work.

The weight of Healing Hands is so low in tier one play (where racial features matter most), it's a worse cure wounds.

I may be undervaluing it. More on that in a sidebar.

Fallen

  • Ability Scores: Str +1
  • Radiant Consumption. Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing a searing light to radiate from you, pour out of your eyes and mouth, and threaten to char you. Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. During it, you shed bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet, and at the end of each of your turns, you and each creature within 10 feet of you take radiant damage equal to half your level (rounded up). In addition, once on each of your turns, you can deal extra radiant damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell. The extra radiant damage equals your level. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Build Point Weight: 6

3 for ability scores, 3 for Radiant Consumption

With Base Race: 18

Ribbons: None

Final Weight: 18

Protector

  • Ability Scores: Wis +1
  • Radiant Soul. Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing your eyes to glimmer and two luminous, incorporeal wings to sprout from your back. Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. During it, you have a flying speed of 30 feet, and once on each of your turns, you can deal extra radiant damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell. The extra radiant damage equals your level. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Build Point Weight: 18

3 for ability scores, 3 for Radiant Soul

Ribbons: None

Final Weight: 18

Scourge

  • Ability Scores: Con +1
  • Necrotic Shroud. Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing your eyes to turn into pools of darkness and two skeletal, ghostly, flightless wings to sprout from your back. The instant you transform, other creatures within 10 feet of you that can see you must succeed on a Charisma saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn. Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. During it, once on each of your turns, you can deal extra necrotic damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell. The extra necrotic damage equals your level. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Build Point Weight: 18 (3 for ability scores, 3 for Radiant Soul).

Ribbons: None

Final Weight: 18


Conclusion

Largely fine is the takeaway here. They're baby paladins: the race.

If you want a legally distinct name for these guys (Aasimar is part of the Planescape property), Nephil (plural, Nephilim) works.


Flight from multiple source

Optional rule but if it's an issue for your table: "If you would get the same flight speed from multiple sources (such as from your class) you instead gain an extra 10 feet of flight speed."

Wording here matters, 30ft and 50ft are different flight speeds.

RACES | DUNCEHACK


Social Stigma (Aasimar)

If you disagree with my weights and think Aasimar is more powerful than I let on:

"Social Stigma. In your travels, you find some people are cold, aloof, or even outright hostile towards you. Once per game session, the DM may force you to reroll a social skill roll that you make."

This might be necessary if you use DMG Aasimar.


DMG Aasimar

  • Ability Scores: Cha +2; Wis +1
  • Size: Medium
  • Speed: 30 ft.
  • Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
  • Celestial Resistance. You have resistance to necrotic damage and radiant damage.
  • Languages. Common and Celestial.
  • Celestial Legacy. You know the light cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the lesser restoration spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Once you reach 5th level, you can cast the daylight spell once with this trait as a 3rd-level spell, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Source: DMG, page 286


Build Point Weight: 19 (9 for ability scores, 2 for Darkvision, 2 for damage resistances, 6 for Racial Spells).

Final Weight: 19
DMG Aasimar Optional Rule:

If you don't think wings are too much.

"Wings. When selecting this version of the Aasimar, you may give up your Celestial Legacy feature. If you do so, you gain a pair of angel wings instead and a flight speed of 30 ft in Medium or less armor."

Variant Aasimar

Given that DMG Aasimar are like Tiefling, you can replace the Celestial legacy spells with different ones dependant on their lineage (an Aasimar related distantly to St. Cuthbert might get searing smite).

So for DMs considering making these, the Rule is as follows:

  • One Cantrip at will.

  • 1st level spell at 3rd level

  • 2nd level spell (or 1st level spell at a 2nd level slot) at 5th level.

I'm aware daylight is a 3rd level spell. I don't know why Aasimar get away with it either, I think it's the fact that it has no utility outside of bright light (doesn't actually hurt vampires Rules as Written by the ).


Conclusion

They're refluffed Tieflings.

What more is there to say?

RACES | DUNCEHACK

Genasi

  • Ability Scores: Con +2
  • Size: Medium
  • Speed: 30 ft.
  • Languages. Common and Primordial.

Source: EEPC, page 9


Build Point Weight: 6

6 for ability scores

Ribbons: None

Final Weight: 6

Air

  • Ability Scores: Dex +1
  • Unending Breath. You can hold your breath indefinitely while you're not incapacitated.
  • Mingle with the Wind. You can cast the levitate spell once with this trait, requiring no material components, and you regain the ability to cast it this way when you finish a long rest. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

Build Point Weight: 8

With Base Race: 14

3 for ability scores, 1 for Unending Breath, 4 for Racial Magic - it's a 2nd level spell available right from character generation, bumping up the price, but at the same time the lack of a cantrip brings it down slightly

Ribbons: None

Final Weight: 14

Earth

  • Ability Scores: Str +1
  • Earth Walk. You can move across difficult terrain made of earth or stone without expending extra movement.
  • Merge with Stone. You can cast the pass without trace spell once with this trait, requiring no material components, and you regain the ability to cast it this way when you finish a long rest. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

Build Point Weight: 8

3 for ability scores, 1 for Earth Walk, 4 for Racial Magic - it's a 2nd level spell available right from character generation, bumping up the price, but at the same time the lack of a cantrip brings it down slightly

With Base Race: 14

Ribbons: None

Final Weight: 14

Fire

  • Ability Scores: Int +1
  • Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. Your ties to the Elemental Plane of Fire make your darkvision unusual: everything you see in darkness is in a shade of red.
  • Fire Resistance. You have resistance to fire damage.
  • Reach to the Blaze. You know the produce flame cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the burning hands spell once with this trait as a 1st-level spell, and you regain the ability to cast it this way when you finish a long rest. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Build Point Weight: 11

3 for ability scores, 2 for Darkvision, 4 for Racial Magic - it lacks a 2nd level spell at 5th level, 2 for fire resistance.

With Base Race: 17

Ribbons: None

Final Weight: 17

Water

  • Ability Scores: Wis +1
  • Acid Resistance. You have resistance to acid damage.
  • Amphibious. You can breathe air and water.
  • Swim. You have a swimming speed of 30 feet.
  • Call to the Wave. You know the shape water cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the create or destroy water spell as a 2nd-level spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to cast it this way when you finish a long rest. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Build Point Weight: 12

3 for ability scores, 1 for Swim Speed, 2 for acid resistance, 6 for Racial Magic - it gets a 2nd level spell early to bump up the price.

With Base Race: 18

Ribbons: None

Final Weight: 18

So, what's wrong with Genasi?

Water's the only one that's actually decent.

Air and Earth has extremely limited utility.

Fire can create fire, but can't control it for... some... reason.

So, what to do?

Give them spells and cantrips they should have had in the first place.

RACES | DUNCEHACK

Genasi - Changed Rules

Quick note on Racial magic. It's balanced around 6 build points being: cantrip out the gate, 1st level spell at 3rd level, 2nd level spell at 5th, each spell usable once/long rest. So messing with when you get what bumps the price around.

Air

  • Windburst. You gain the gust cantrips. In addition, you gain the jump spell. This version only has a range of Self but you can cast it freely.

Build Point Weight: 4.5

1.5 for Cantrip. 3 for Jump spell.

Ribbons: none but cantrip cost rounds down.

Final Weight: 18


So you pick up air genasi and... you can't even do anything interesting with air. Yeah...

Earth

  • Earthen Touch: You gain the magic stone and mold earth cantrips
  • Sturdy Footing: You have advantage to resist being moved or knocked prone unwillingly (i.e. being victim of the shove action).

Build Point Weight: 4 (1 for sturdy footing, 3 for cantrips).

Ribbons: None

Final Weight: 18


I... don't know why they didn't get those cantrips either.

Fire

  • Cantrip. You gain the control flame cantrip.

Build Point Weight: 1

1.5 for for cantrips

Ribbons: None, but cantrip rounds down.

Final Weight: 18


I mean... you can make flame. Makes sense that you'd be able to control it too.

Gith

  • Ability Scores: Int +1
  • Size: Medium
  • Speed: 30 ft.
  • Languages. Common and Gith.

Source: MTF, page 96


Build Point Weight: 3

3 for ability score

Ribbons: None

Final Weight: 3

Githyanki

  • Ability Score: Str +2
  • Decadent Mastery. You learn one language of your choice, and you are proficient with one skill or tool of your choice.
  • Martial Prodigy. You are proficient with light and medium armor and with shortswords, longswords, and greatswords.
  • Githyanki Psionics. You know the mage hand cantrip, and the hand is invisible when you cast the cantrip with this trait. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast jump once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the misty step spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells. When you cast them with this trait, they don't require components.

Build Point Weight: 25.75 (6 for ability scores, 2 for language proficiency, +1 choice tax, 2 for skill/tool proficiency, +1 choice tax, 6 for armour proficiencies, 1.75 for weapon proficiencies, 6 for racial magic).

With Base Race: 28.75

Ribbons: language, armour and weapon proficiencies.

Final Weight: 18


Githzerai

  • Ability Scores: Wis +2
  • Mental Discipline. You have advantage on saving throws against the charmed and frightened conditions.
  • Githzerai Psionics. You know the mage hand cantrip, and the hand is invisible when you cast the cantrip with this trait. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast shield once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the detect thoughts spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells. When you cast them with this trait, they don't require components.

Build Point Weight: 14 (6 for ability scores, 2 for specialisations, 6 for racial magic).

Ribbons: None

Final Weight: 17


So, what's wrong with Gith?

Githyanki, nothing. In fact they're kind of overloaded with the ribbons.

Githzerai on the other hand get the shaft.

So, what to do?

Githzerai schtick is that they've mastered their minds so well that they're like a psionic fortress to crack.

So... why don't they get resistance to psychic damage?

General note: Gith are tied to the Planescape property. There isn't really a folklore name for something similar unfortunately.

RACES | DUNCEHACK

Gith - Changed Rules

Githzerai

  • Psionic Resistance: You have reisistance to Psychic damage.
  • Thought Unto Flesh: Your unarmed strikes deal 1d4 damage. In addition, when you are not wearing armour, you have an AC of 11 + Your Dexterity Modifier.
  • Disciplined Pursuits: You have a Tool or Language proficiency of your choice.

Build Point Weight: 6

1 for uncommon damage resistance, 2 for tool/language proficiency, +1 choice tax

Ribbons: 5

AC and Unarmed damage, tool/language proficiency.

Final Weight: 18