Races - Part 7 - Beastial Races I
Duncehack Edition
Part 7
Skipping the preamble because this is Part 7 of the Race redesigns.
See Part 1 if any of the introductory stuff matters to you.
Obligatory Natural Crit Plug
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?
Aaracockra, Grung, Kenku, Khenra, Loxodon
Aarakocra
- Ability Scores: Dex +2; Wis +1
- Size: Medium
- Speed: 25 ft., fly 50 ft.
- Language. Common, Aarakocra, and Auran.
- Flight. You have a flying speed of 50 feet. To use this speed, you can't be wearing medium or heavy armor.
- Talons. You are proficient with your unarmed strikes, which deal 1d4 slashing damage on a hit.
Source: EEPC, page 5
Build Point Weight: 19
9 for ability scores, 6 for flight speed, 2 for extra language, 1 for natural weapons, -1 for 25 move speed.
Ribbons: 3
Auran Language, Natural Weapons.
Final Weight: 14
So, what's wrong with Aaracockra?
Honestly, nothing really. The flight is pretty much all they get, and depending on who you ask, all you need.
So, what to do?
Well, eagle people should be sharp eyed, right?
So, rolling Aven rules (who are basically Aaracockra with slower flight speed who can fly in medium armour) into the Aaracockra rules to emphasise this.
What if I think Flight is OP/Undercosted here?
Most people ban flight anyway, but if you think it's OP but you're not willing to ban it outright, there's a houserule for you:
"Creatures with a flight speed may only glide until they reach 5th level."
It's in the first 5 levels it's most powerful anyway.
But Aven had +2 Dex, +2 Wisdom
Yeah, Hawk headed had +2 Wis, Ibis, +1 Int.
Why? beats me.
Aaracockra - Changed Rules
- Ability Score Increase: +1 Wisdom is removed. (It's been moved to the subclass options below).
- Flight: You have a flying speed of 50 feet. To use this speed, you can't be wearing medium or heavy armor. If you are wearing medium armour, you instead have a flight speed of 30.
Select a subrace option below
Hawk
- Ability Score Increase: Wis +1
- Keen Eyed. You have proficiency in the Perception skill. In addition, attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls.
Build Point Weight: 3
With Base Race: 17
2 for skill + 1 for situational benefit
Ribbons: None
Final Weight: 17
Ibis
- Ability Score Increase: Int +1
- Sharp Minded. You can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any Intelligence check you make that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus.
Build Point Weight: 3
Limited Jack of all Trades
Ribbons: None
Final Weight: 18
You just stole this off Plane Shift!
Yes. Yes I did. Aven specifically (PS Dominaria, page 6/PS Ahmonkhet, page 15).
Doing this means I don't need to try and fix Aven, because they were already sort of Aarakocra anyway and it opens it up for homebrew subraces.
Grung
- Ability Scores: Dex +2; Con +1
- Size: Small
- Speed: 25 ft., climb 25 ft.
- Arboreal Alertness. You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
- Amphibious. You can breathe air and water.
- Poison Immunity. You're immune to poison damage and the poisoned condition.
- Poisonous Skin. Any creature that grapples you or otherwise comes into direct contact with your skin must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 minute. A poisoned creature no longer in direct contact with you can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. You can also apply this poison to any piercing weapon as part of an attack with that weapon, though when you hit the poison reacts differently. The target must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or take 2d4 poison damage.
- Standing Leap. Your long jump is up to 25 feet and your high jump is up to 15 feet, with or without a running start.
- Water Dependency. If you fail to immerse yourself in water for at least 1 hour during a day, you suffer one level of exhaustion at the end of that day. You can only recover from this exhaustion through magic or by immersing yourself in water for at least 1 hour.
- Languages. Grung (And Common if the DM permits)
Source: OGA, page 4
Build Point Weight: 16
9 for Ability Scores, -1 for 25 speed, 2 for skill proficiency, 1 for climb speed, 4 for poison immunity, 4 for Poisonous Skin?, 1 for Standing Leap, -3 for Water Dependency?
Ribbons: Amphibious
Final Weight: 17?
So, what's wrong with Grung?
I feel bad touching these guys, because it was one dude's personal passion project, but he missed a couple things.
Which is annoying because they're already on the powerful side. I feel like Poisonous skin should be worth a full feat (which I'm pretty sure it would be if was any other damage type), but at the same time it's Poison damage and over 90 entries in the Monster Manual have poison immunity.
By the same token, I may be undervaluing water dependency's drawback.
So, what to do?
Frogs are amazing swimmers, and their poison being restricted to piercing weapons is arbitrary (I mean, if they can find a creature they can mount it's open to lance use, otherwise you're still looking at d10 weapons).
Grung - Changed Rules
- Swim Speed: You have a swim speed of 25 ft.
- Powerful Legs: You have proficiency in unarmed attacks. Your unarmed strikes deal 1d4 + Strength Bludgeoning damage.
- Poisonous Skin: Any creature that grapples you or otherwise comes into direct contact with your skin must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC 10 + Your proficiency modifier) or become poisoned for 1 minute. A poisoned creature no longer in direct contact with you can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. You can also apply this poison to any weapon as part of an attack with that weapon (your unarmed attacks are always considered poisoned in this way), though when you hit the poison reacts differently. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC 10 + Your proficiency modifier) or take 2d4 poison damage.
Build Point Weight: 1
1 Swim Speed
Ribbons: None
Final Weight: 18?
Conclusions
They're probably closer to 20/21 weight in all honestly, but given that poison seems to be allowed more power in its budget (take the poison spray cantrip as an example, all other damage type cantrips that are without a rider stop at d10), I'm probably not wrong about it being bumped down on the weight.
Anyway, if you want a public domain name for these guys, there's literally nothing wrong with 'frogfolk' (Grung is part of Forgotten Realms copyright if I recall correctly).
If they're too strong for your liking
Add this line to Water Dependency:
"In addition, you risk dessication in dry conditions. While in an environment where you must make rolls to resist extreme heat or extreme cold, you have disadvantage to resist those temperature extremes if it has been more than 12 hours since you last immersed yourself in water."
Kenku
- Ability Scores: Dex +2; Wis +1
- Size: Medium
- Speed: 30 ft.
- Expert Forgery. You can duplicate other creatures' handwriting and craftwork. You have advantage on all checks made to produce forgeries or duplicates of existing objects.
- Kenku Training. You are proficient in your choice of two of the following skills: Acrobatics, Deception, Stealth, and Sleight of Hand.
- Mimicry. You can mimic sounds you have heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful Wisdom (Insight) check opposed by your Charisma (Deception) check.
- Languages. Common and Auran, but you can only speak using your Mimicry trait.
Source: VGM, page 109
Build Point Weight: 16
9 for Ability Scores, 3 for specialisation (price pumped up because it's any roll, not just one skill), 4 for skills, 1 for mimicry, -1 speech restriction
Ribbons: 1
Mimicry
Final Weight: 15
So, what's wrong with Kenku?
Something that gets me though, 3.X and 4e both firmly established Kenku as amazing team players and unendingly loyal to people they like. Where'd those rules go?
Also, they had claws in those editions.
So, what to do?
Bring back these rules, basically, so they're not just annoying mimic people, but awesome mimic people you like having around.
Kenku - Changed Rules
- Talons: You have claws. You are proficient in unarmed strikes and when you make an unarmed strike, you deal 1d4 slashing damage.
- Ventrilloquism: You can use your Mimicry as a means of distracting enemies. You can use the Help action as a bonus action. Additionally, when you use the Help action to aid an ally in attacking a creature, the target of that attack can be within 30 feet of you, rather than within 5 feet of you, if the target can see or hear you.
Build Point Weight: 4
1 for Talons, 3 for Ventrilloquism
Ribbons: 1
Natural Weapons.
Final Weight: 18
Conclusions
Well, they've got their teamwork back now.
Kenku is copyrighted, which is why Pathfinder calls them Tengu.
I'd rather a different name for them because if you look up Tengu from japanese mythology... well... they're less 'little sneaky bird man' and more 'terrifyingly powerful entity that keeps other supernatural beings in line'.
Khenra
- Ability Scores: Str +1; Dex +2
- Size: Medium
- Speed: 35 ft.
- Khenra Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the khopesh (longsword), spear, and javelin.
- Khenra Twins. If your twin is alive and you can see your twin, whenever you roll a 1 on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll. If your twin is dead (or if you were born without a twin), you can't be frightened.
- Languages. Common and Khenra.
Source: PSA, page 17
Build Point Weight: 13
9 for Ability Scores, 1 for +5 move speed, 2 for Khenra Twins
Ribbons: Weapon Proficiencies.
Final Weight: 12
So, what's wrong with Khenra?
Khenra have a cool shtick, but... I don't think they went far enough. Lets see if we can expand on this twin thing.
Also, if you want a name that isn't copyrighted, I've seen Anubite used for similar.
So, what to do?
The rules don't make it particularly clear about situations where the twin is an NPC.
Khenra - Changed Rules
Kenra Twins broken up into seperate rules
- Khenra Bond: When you pick Khenra, you may decide whether or not you have a Twin. If another player is Khenra, they can choose to be your twin, otherise the twin may be an NPC. If you do not have a twin, you may choose whether your twin is dead, or whether you were born without one. NPC twins are assumed to have a weaker bond than PC twins, and as such do not gain many of the same benefits.
Base Weight is now: 10
Twin as NPC:
- Twin's Keeper: Your bond with your twin is not as strong as it should be, even if you are still close by the standards of other races. As you've grown stronger as a Khenra, they have shown divergent interests and purpose. Create your Khenra Twin as as if it is a seperate character - as per the Sidekick rules. You play both characters, but you do not gain any special bonuses for coordinating with them.
Build Point Weight: 18?
Ribbons: None
Final Weight: 18... I think?
Hard to weight this one.
At time of writing, the Sidekicks ruleset is an Unearthed Arcana you can find here.
Twin as PC
- Reassurance: If your twin is alive and you can see your twin, whenever you roll a 1 on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.
- Move as One: If your twin is within 5 ft of you and an attack roll is made against them, you may use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. In addition, you may use your Bonus action on each of your turns to move upto your move speed. You must end this Bonus action move closer to your twin than when you started.
- Overpower: If your twin successfully hits a target with an attack roll, you may use your reaction to make a single weapon attack against that same creature, provided it is in range. You must take a short or a long rest to use this feature again.
Build Point Weight: 8
2 for reassurance, 3 for Move as One, 3 for Overpower
Ribbons: None
Final Weight: 18
Dead Twin:
- Jaded: You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed
- Sorrow and Fury: You gain a single usage of the Barbarian Rage feature, as if you were a 1st level Barbarian. If you are a Barbarian, you simply gain an extra usage of your rage feature.
- Heavy Blows: When you hit with a weapon attack, you may add 1d4 of the weapon's damage type to the damage. You may use this a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier. You regain usage of this feature after a short or a long rest.
Build Point Weight: 8
2 for Jaded, 3 for Sorrow and Fury, 3 for Heavy Blows
Ribbons: None
Final Weight: 18
Only Child:
- No One at Your Side: Always without a twin, you've had to rely on yourself for protection. When you are hit by a weapon attack, you can use your reaction to make a Dodge action. You must take a short of long rest to use this feature again.
- One against Two: A lifetime alone has forced you to adapt, especially when fighting against multiple opponents... such as other Khenra Twins. When a creature misses an attack against you, you may spend a reaction to force it to repeat that attack to another creature within 5ft of it.
- Relentless Endurance. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Build Point Weight: 8
3 for No One at Your Side, 3 for One against Two, 2 for Relentless Endurance
Ribbons: None
Final Weight: 18
Loxodon
- Ability Scores: Con +2; Wis +1
- Size: Medium
- Speed: 30 ft.
- Powerful Build You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
- Loxodon Serenity. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.
- Natural Armor. You have thick, leathery skin. When you aren't wearing armor, your AC is 12 + your Constitution modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield's benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.
- Trunk. You can grasp things with your trunk, and you can use it as a snorkel. It has a reach of 5 feet, and it can lift a number of pounds equal to five times your Strength score. You can use it to do the following simple tasks: lift, drop, hold, push, or pull an object or a creature; open or close a door or a container; grapple someone; or make an unarmed strike. Your DM might allow other simple tasks to be added to that list of options. Your trunk can't wield weapons or shields or do anything that requires manual precision, such as using tools or magic items or performing the somatic components of a spell.
- Keen Smell. Thanks to your sensitive trunk, you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception), Wisdom (Survival), and Intelligence (Investigation) checks that involve smell.
- Languages. Common and Loxodon.
Source: GGR, page 17
Build Point Weight: 18
9 for Ability Scores, 1 for Powerful Build, 2 for Loxodon Serenity, 2 for Natural Armour, 1 for trunk, 3 for Keen Smell
Ribbons: 2
Trunk, 1 AC worth of Natural Armour
Final Weight: 16
So, what's wrong with Loxodon?
They're missing ribbons that they should have (i.e. about stonework, about their penchant for loyalty, etc.).
So, what to do?
Better ribbons basically.
Loxodon - Changed Rules
- Natural Weapons: Your tusks and trunk serve as powerful natural weapons. Your unarmed strikes deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage.
- Mason's Eye: You gain advantage on History (Intelligence) checks regarding masonry and stonework.
- Guardian's Sacrifice: When a creature within 5 feet of you suffers an attack roll, you can spend your reaction to suffer the attack instead.
Build Point Weight: 4
1 for Natural Weapons, 1 for Mason's Eye, 2 for Unending Loyalty.
Ribbons: 2
Natural Weapons, Mason's Eye
Final Weight: 18
Conclusions
This is kind of what they're flavoured to be, a big chill dude who'll take a bullet for his friends.
They just... didn't mechanically insentivise it.