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What was most frustrating is that no one offered a solution to their complaining. They said ignore it, or change it, without getting down to the core of the problem. The problem being that the classes are all warped fey from folk tales anyway, with the exception of the drasticly changed elves, who have been tinted heavily by Tolkien influnces.
Now don't get me wrong. I like the game. The races in my opinion are fine, and really don't need that much adjustment in the long run, except maybe in the case of a half orc. However, in my frustration at people who simply liked to argue, I went ahead and offered a solution. Ditch the elf.
In fact, ditch them all. Get rid of the elves, gnomes, dwarves, and make them into a Fey, along with Kobolds, Goblins, and Hobgoblins. To me, this made a lot of sense, since they all were pretty much fey to begin with.
I decided we could keep the halfling, because by this point, the new D&D setting made them unique. We could keep half elves, renaming them Fey Touched. This allowed for a wider variety of apperances among them. We could also rename half Orcs, The Tainted, and have them be crossbreeds for all other Savage Humanoids, like the Ogre, Orcs, and so on.
This left us with a large vacum to fill in about four races, in my honest opinion. So, I went ahead and created a new race, and the world which they lived in. A Flat World, where the edges of the world are touching the sides of the Etheral, letting in the Primal Elements. The center of the world pretty much was safe and fine, and normal people inhabited it. However, the humans who lived on the far sides of the world, at each of the cardnal points, slowly over years became tainted with the powers of elements. While they are still technically human, the spirituality and forces of those Vortexes have warped them into something new.
I really haven't developed the world past this point. It opens up the point, though, that with a little work (and I am talking about a hour of work here) you can create a rather effect new setting without using the classic races. These races seem balanced among themselves (Based on the theory that all races get two feat equivlents and a +6 skill bonus equivlent), but as with a lot of thing that I work with, they have yet to be tested. If you do use them, let me know how they turn out in your game.
6/15/00 - As a side note, about a week after I released this, the Forgotten Realms book came out with the rules for the Aeshir (sp?), so yeah, they've been done. The difference becomes that I think that these races are more balanced, and don't need another CR to play them. However, I'll rant about monster PC's another day.
All of the Following are designed with standard human height, weight, and age standards in mind.
Relationships : The Fire touch tend to get along okay with most other races, although they have a strong dislike against the Water-Born. Other races find it hard to get close to the Fire Touched, as they tend to be a little sensitive, and quick to start a fight.
Alignment : Like most Elemental influenced races, the tend towards the chaotic, although all types can be found inside the Fire Touched borders.
Fire Touched Lands : The strongest Fire Touched holding are in the North, where the jungles and deserts give away to the scorching Tempest of Fire.
Language: Besides the Common tongue, the Fire Touched tend to talk the language of fire, Ignam
- Medium Sized
- The Fire Touched have a base speed of 30
- Darkvision : The Flame Touched eyes tend to glow with a inner fire at night, giving them a red tinged vision of the world for 60 feet. Outside of being red and black, it works exactly like Darkvision.
- Fire Resistance 5 - The Flame touched, having lived so close to the raw element for generations, have grown somewhat resistant with the element.
- -2 to Saves vs. Cold Damage. The Flame touched are not used to lower temperatures, and resist them less.
- Thirstless - The Fire Touched never thirst, and never need water.
- +2 to Social Skill Checks that involve igniting passions. The Flame Born find it easy to inspire people to follow their heat.
Languages : Common and Ignam. Has access to any languages they desire to learn.
Favored Class : Wizard. The Fire Touched revere the ability to manipulate the elements that make up the world, as it is only right that they should be consumed in their cause.
Relationships : The Water Born tend to get along okay with most other races, although they have a strong dislike against the Fire Touched. Other races find the Water Born a enigma, as they tend to keep to themselves, and change their attitudes like the tides.
Alignment : Like most Elemental influnced races, they tend towards the chaotic, although all types can be found inside the Water Born's borders.
Water Born Lands : The strongest Water Born holdings are in the South, where Swamps, Deltas and Islands give away to the awe inspiring Tempest of Water.
Language: Besides the Common tongue, the Water Born tend to talk the language of water, Aquan
- Medium Sized
- The Water Born have a base speed of 30
- Water Breathing : They Water Born have grown a natural affinity with water, and can breath water as easily as others breath air.
- -2 to Saves vs. Fire Damage. The Water Born's skin is less resistant to fires.
- Find Water - The Water Born's Infinity with water gives them a innate ability to find water, no matter where in the world they are. They always succeed in Wilderness Lore Checks to find water, if any can be found.
- +2 to Bluff Checks. The Water Born are infamous liars, promising one thing, and then doing another.
- +2 to Swimming Checks. The Water Born, not being afraid of the water, learn at a early age how to swim.
Languages : Common and Aquan. Has access to any languages they desire to learn.
Favored Class : Bard. The Water Born love to tell stories, and their singing emulates the ability of the Sirens.
Relationships : The Wind Born tend to get along okay with all races equally. They like to experience new cultures, and readily seek them out.
Alignment : Like most Elemental influenced races, the tend towards the chaotic, although all types can be found inside the Wind Born borders.
Wind Born Lands : The strongest Wind Born holding are in the West, where the Plains and Mesas give away to the crumbling lands at the edge of the Tempest of Wind.
Language: Besides the Common tongue, the Wind Born tend to talk the language of Air, Auran.
- Medium Sized
- The Wind Born have a base speed of 30
- No jumping Maximum. The Wind Born, having a affinity with the Air, tend to move farther in it.
- Once per day, the Wind Born may cast Jump. This spell lasts for one minute.
- +4 to Jump, Tumble, and Balance.
- +2 to Escape Artist. The Wind Born are a quick to find a way to escape bonds that hold them down.
- No Attention Span - The Wind Born are a fickle race, and tend to have a lot of interests. It is hard for them to stay at one thing too long. If a Wind Born has a class more then three levels higher then his lowest class, he starts to take a 10% Penalty to experience. A Wind Born must have a second class by fourth Level. This penalty supercedes the normal multiclassing penalties, replacing them in the case of even levels.
Languages : Common and Auran. Has access to any languages they desire to learn.
Favored Class : None. The Wind Born would never restrict themselves in what they could learn.
Relationships : The Earth Born tend to be more isolationist then other races, although they don't have any particular hatred to anyone.
Alignment : Unlike the other Elemental influenced races, the tend towards Lawful, although still, all types can be found inside the Stone Bound borders.
Stone Bound Lands : The strongest Stone Bound holdings are in the East, where majestic mountains merge into the frightening Tempest of Stone.
Language: Besides the Common tongue, the Stone Touch tend to talk the language of Earth, Terran
- Medium Sized
- The Stone Bound have a base speed of 30
- Strength of Stone - The Stone Bound reduce all damage taken by one point. The Stone Bound are more resilient then other races, and tend to take more damage then others. This ability is stackable with other Damage Reduction abilities.
- The Stone Bound have the Endurance Feat.
- Earth Sense - Having a strong connection to Stone, the Stone bound can tell the following for 30' feet. 1) If there is anything moving inside the earth in that area. 2) If any Large creatures are moving inside that area. 3) If you are on Hallowed or Unhallowed ground. 4) If there are any open areas inside that space.
This is by no way a accurate power. It's more of a hunch. The Stone bound can not see what is inside the area, just know that it is there.
- +4 to Climb Skill when climbing rocky surfaces.
- Set in Stone. - The Stone Bound are taught to stick with their ways, and can not easily take on any other classes besides the one they start in, with the exception of a prestige class. The Stone Bound takes a 10% Exp Penalty when they multiclass. This supercedes the rules for Multiclassing.
Languages : Common and Terran. Has access to any languages they desire to learn.
Favored Class : None. The Stone Bound are molded into the position that they need to be in.