LA 0 Planetouched

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

sildatorak

Jul 26, 2004 15:52:00
Here's my reworking of the Planetouched. I've got 3 reasons: to bring them closer to their 2e abilities, to clean up their mechanics, and to make them LA 0. Please tell me what you think.

Special thanks to the folk at planewalker.com who put everything in an easy to copy-and-paste format. Anything I've changed is in bold.

Type: Humanoid (Planetouched)

AASIMAR RACIAL TRAITS
-2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma. The aasimar’s heritage makes them wise and inspiring leaders, though they tend to be light-framed bordering on frail.
Medium-sized humanoid.
Aasimar base speed is 30 feet.
Choose any two energy resistance 5 other than sonic.
(removed daylight ability)
+2 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks.
Darkvision up to 60 feet.
Automatic Languages: Planar Trade, home region. Bonus Languages: Any (except secret languages, such as Druidic).
Plane of Origin: Any (often one of the Upper planes).
Favored Class: Paladin.
Level Adjustment 0


TIEFLING RACIAL TRAITS
-2 Strength, +2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma: Tieflings are canny spivs with silver tounges, though they tend to be physcially weak and lack drive.
Medium-size humanoid.
Tiefling base speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision up to 60 feet.
Cold, fire, and electricity resistance 5.
Darkness (Sp): Tieflings can use darkness once per day as cast by a sorcerer of their character level.
+2 racial bonus to Hide checks (the increase to charisma effectively covers the bluff bonus)
Automatic Languages: Planar Trade, home region. Bonus Languages: Any (except secret languages, such as Druidic).
Plane of Origin: Any (Often one of the Lower Planes).
Favored Class: Rogue.
Level Adjustment 0


AIR GENASI RACIAL TRAITS
+2 Dexterity, + 2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma. Air genasi are nimble in form and thought, but are flighty and arrogant.
Medium-size humanoid.
Air genasi base speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision up to 60 feet.
Levitate (Sp): Air genasi can use levitate once per day as cast by a sorcerer of their character level.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against all air spells and effects.
Breathless (Ex): Air genasi do not breathe, so they are immune to drowning, suffocation, and attacks that require inhalation (such as some types of poison).
Automatic Languages: Planar Trade, home region. Bonus Languages: Any (except secret languages, such as Druidic).
Plane of Origin: Any (often Plane of Air)
Favored Class: Rogue.
Level Adjustment 0


EARTH GENASI RACIAL TRAITS
+2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma. Earth genasi are physically impressive, but can be oblivious and stubborn.
Medium-size humanoid.
Earth genasi base speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision to 60 feet.
Pass Without Trace (Sp): Earth genasi can use pass without trace once per day as cast by a druid of their character level.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against earth spells and effects.
Stability: Earth genasi gain a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground).
Automatic Languages: Planar Trade, home region. Bonus Languages: Any (except secret languages, such as Druidic).
Plane of Origin: Any (often Plane of Earth).
Favored Class: Fighter.
Level Adjustment 0

FIRE GENASI RACIAL TRAITS
+2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma. Fire genasi have bright minds but are easily angered and poor in dealing with others.
Medium size humanoid.
Fire genasi base speed is 30 feet.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against fire spells and effects.
Darkvision up to 60 feet.
Immunity to normal fire: Fire genasi cannot be burned by normal flames, including alchemists fire and the elemental plane of fire. Any fire created by a spell, spell-like ability, or supernatural ability will harm them normally.
Control Flame (Sp): Fire genasi can cause a nonmagical fire within 10 feet in them to diminish to the level of coals or flare to the brightness of daylight and double the normal radius of its illumination. This ability does not change the heat output or fuel consumption of the fire source, lasts 1 minute/level, and may be done once per day. They use this ability as sorcerers of their character level.
Automatic Languages: Planar Trade, home region. Bonus Languages: Any (except secret languages, such as Druidic).
Plane of Origin: Any (often Plane of Fire).
Favored Class: Evoker.
Level Adjustment 0


WATER GENASI RACIAL TRAITS
+2 Constitution, -2 Charisma. Little can faze a water genasi, which makes them not only sturdy but also aloof.
Medium-size humanoid.
Water genasi base speed is 30 feet. They can swim at a speed of 15 feet. A water genasi has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
Darkvision up to 60 feet.
Create Water (Sp): Water genasi can use create water once per day as cast by a druid of their character level.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against water spells and effects.
Water genasi breathe water as an extraordinary ability.
Automatic Languages: Planar Trade, home region. Bonus Languages: Any (except secret languages, such as Druidic).
Plane of Origin: Any (often Plane of Water).
Favored class: Druid.
Level Adjustment 0

[edit] Can't believe I forgot immunity to normal fire for fire genasi and to change the racial save bonus for water genasi.
#2

zombiegleemax

Jul 28, 2004 12:11:33
Immunity to normal fire: Fire genasi cannot be burned by normal flames, including alchemists fire and the elemental plane of fire. Any fire created by a spell, spell-like ability, or supernatural ability will harm them normally.

Just give them fire resistance 5 or such, and then they'll never take damage from a run of the mill 1d6 damage campfire, but they won't suddenly loose their immunity when the fire came from a 0th level cantrip.

Immunity to normal fire (or cold, electricity, etc) is such an annoying mechanic because pretty much everything that hits you is magical fire. It's not as bad with fire as with cold or electricity, but it's still annoying.

I think you forgot to change the water genasi's save bonus?

I also think control flame is pretty unimpressive, and if it's what genasi's had back in 2e, it was unimpressive then, too, but maybe that's just me.

Edit: minor fire resistance wouldn't help a fire genasi survive on the elemental plane of fire, of course, which may have been your intention. Avoid Planar Effects, maybe, a la entropic creatures (?) or the jinni? Maybe give that to all the genasi, for the appropriate plane? I'm not sure what the ramifications of that would be, or if the others would even need it.
#3

primemover003

Jul 28, 2004 20:55:50
I don't know why anyone plays the standard planetouched races (aasimar, genasi, & tieflings) as anything other than LA 0 races.

Compare them to some of the powerful elven LA 0 subraces and you'll see they are NOT unbalancing to be played right next to a human (that Feat is a big thing for humans!)...
#4

sildatorak

Jul 29, 2004 0:31:21
Originally posted by primemover003
I don't know why anyone plays the standard planetouched races (aasimar, genasi, & tieflings) as anything other than LA 0 races.

I think that they are "outsider (native)" is what WotC is basing a lot of their level adjust off of. They forget that they are immune to some benefitial spells (enlarge person) as well as a few harmful ones (charm person).

Since I switched them to being Humanoid (planetouched), I actually made most of the genasi stronger to be on par with LA 0 races (added stability, imm. normal fire, and swim speed). That and changing their racial save bonus to a flat +2 and making their spell-like abilities scale with level were the only things.

I think that tiefling and aasimar are a bit too powerful with 3 energy resists AND unbalanced stat adjustments, but I think they should be LA +0.5 in the RAW. I think I've toned them down just enough to put them on par with dwarves and elves (and of course some changes to get them closer to 2e flavor).
#5

factol_rhys_dup

Jul 30, 2004 12:29:39
I agree. 3 energy resistances is huge at low levels.

And in the tiefling description, you want "silver tongues".