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#1 ferratus Mar 07, 2004 12:44:39

Okay the stats for the ogre/elves. I have an examples, and I'd like some input on whether it is balanced. Model 1: Ability Score Adjustment: None. Medium: As Medium creatures, (ogre/elves) have no bonuses or penalties due to size. Low-Light Vision: An (ogre/elf) can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight or similar conditions of illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color under those conditions. +1 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. Natural Armour: (ogre/elves) have tough hides, which gives them a +1 natural armour bonus. Automatic Languages: Common plus either Elven or Ogre, depending on the culture in which they were raised. Favoured Class: Any. ------- I figured that since the Ogres were lumbering and strong, while the elves were graceful and weak that they could cancel each other out. This would bring them in line with the Half-elves of the PHB. However we could also do this: +2 Str, +2 Dex -2 Con, -2 Int, -2 Cha. The obvious benefit to this is that you have the full flavour of the grace of the elf and the strength of the Ogre. You can also see why this race would have become the parent species of the hobgoblin who bred out their weakness (the -2 con) and the goblins who succumbed to it (becoming 1/2 hit dice creatures). Now the obvious class choice for such a creature is the Ranger. After all the Strength is good for combat, the natural armour and Dexterity is good for the light armour that a ranger wears for two weapon fighting. The con penalty will ensure that half-elves and half-ogres are better choices for Fighter and Barbarian respectively, while an full blooded elf would be a better choice to play a wizard, sorcerer, or bard. As a Ranger, this would fit the whole "creature on the fringes of civilization motiff that I was alluding to in the post" without being as savage and barbaric as their half-ogre cousins. The only problem is whether they should be better rangers than the elves. The favoured class of the elves is Wizard, but they have always been described as rangers and archers in the novels. Of course, even without the stat adjustment the natural armour and spot bonuses make them excellent Rangers, Barbarians and Fighters already. I don't want them to be the best overall "warrior" class, and the con penalty does much to dissuade this race as a choice in those regards. I'm leaning towards the stat adjustment myself, but what do you all think? Do you have different abilities that you would give?