APPROVED: [Race] Plainsrunners

Summary:

I think that my homebrew race is ready to be formally submitted for approval. Here goes!

Plainsrunners

Durathuril 03 May 2016 15:32

Plainsrunner
Medium humanoid (plainsrunner)
Speed 40 ft
Flexible ability scores (+2 dex, +2 con)

- Reactive: Plainsrunners have a +2 racial bonus on Initiative checks and Perception skill checks.
- Desert Runner: Plainsrunners have a +10 racial bonus to land speed and receive the feats Run and Endurance as bonus feats.
- Blazing Heart (Su): A plainsrunner goes into a spiritual frenzy when they are burned. When a plainsrunner is dealt fire damage (even if it is fully resisted) from a spell, spell-like ability, or supernatural ability, they act as if under the effects of a haste spell for 1 round. If the plainsrunner has at least 7 hit dice, it also acts as though under the effects of a freedom of movement for the duration.
- Wildfire Adept (Su): A plainsrunner who casts spells adds a number of fire spells to their class spell list; these spells are spark (0), burning hands (1st), flame blade (2nd), fireshield (3rd), wall of fire (4th), flamestrike (5th), fire seeds (6th), fire storm (7th), incendiary cloud (8th), elemental swarm (fire creatures only) (9th).
- Starting languages: common; can learn any language as a bonus language except secret languages (such as druidic).

Plainsrunners dance in fire. They live in the Scorched Plains, notorious both for its volcanic activity and for the wildfires that occasionally ravage the grasslands. The plainsrunners have lived apart from the rest of humanity for so long that the unique stresses of their environment have changed their physiology - they are quicker and hardier than their human counterparts, and as a result of their culture they have developed a unique relationship with fire bordering on obsessive. The raging flames of their home fill them with courage and determination; their hearts are strongest when touched by their element. Plainsrunner food is typically hot and spicy, featuring the peppers that seem to thrive in the volcanic soil of the Scorched Plains but which are difficult to grow elsewhere.
The plainsrunners have a tribal society divided into various clans which frequently end up competing for the scarce resources of the grasslands. Most clans are named for features of the grasslands, such as the Firepelt clan (named for the wild cats which roam the land), the Eagle clan, or the Yellow-grass clan.

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I've been working on this for a little while now, and after some suggestions from Ashiel I think it looks pretty good. Main strengths of this race include their quickness and hardiness, as reflected in their ability modifiers. While they don't have any inherent weaknesses, they are hardly the only race that doesn't. Overall, I think the flavor matches up nicely with the stats, and that there is the potential to add a lot to the game world. The main thing that the plainsrunners would add are a race with a strong affinity for fire, along with their homeland (very similar to the Cinderlands of Golarion's Varisia) which burns as much as they do. The flavor I've written up so far is limited, mostly to allow GMs to expand on it in whatever direction they like, but I'm willing to fill in the blanks if necessary as well.

I look forward to getting feedback on this potential race and making any necessary changes.
- Ram/Durathuril

Last edited on 05 May 2016 22:05 by Durathuril Show more

Re: Race: Plainsrunners

Nalei 04 May 2016 00:34

I think the race is on the strong side of things, but I think it is still within an acceptable range. +1 from me. :)

Re: Race: Plainsrunners

Markybear 04 May 2016 07:06

It is definitely an upper end race in terms of power, but nothing absolutely overwhelming. Making it a fire based character keeps it along the line of the most common element in the game. It'll have its strengths in some situations and its weakness in others. I approve, +1.

Re: Race: Plainsrunners

Austin Chittenden 05 May 2016 06:22

Ditto what everyone else has said. It does seem like it's very much on the stronger end of races. Wildfire Adept almost seems like it should be more of a custom feat option than a class skill. I'm going to abstain from this vote.

Re: Race: Plainsrunners

Axebird 05 May 2016 07:09

I think it's a touch over the line compared to existing PC races. They get bonuses to Initiative- which is extremely valuable- and Perception- arguably the most important skill in the game, bonuses to two ability scores that are useful for everyone and concern saving throws, and have an above-standard speed. Run and Endurance are ribbon abilities, but the conditional extra speed isn't.

Blazing Heart needs to be better defined. If all you need is for fire damage to be directed at you, you can get fire resist 10 and set yourself on fire for ongoing haste (and eventually freedom of movement) as long as you want, whenever you want. If you need to actually take fire damage it's more dangerous, but still a really powerful option, especially later on when 1d6 damage/round doesn't hurt much or if you can acquire Fast Healing.

Wildfire Adept effectively gives spontaneous casters a bunch of bonus spells known (potentially outside their list), and adds some versatility to prepared casters. Not a huge deal on its own, but some of these spells are tightly restricted (flame blade, fire seeds).

If you pulled it back a little bit, say by removing the extra speed if a class already grants Run or Endurance (they're ribbons, after all, they don't really factor into effectiveness much if at all and the race is already much faster than normal), defining Blazing Heart more strictly, and having Wildfire Adept instead add the spells to all of your class spell lists (so you could pick the ones you want as spells known, or prepare them), it would be fine. As is, I can't support it mostly due to the potential abuse of Blazing Heart.

EDIT: In response to changes made, I'm on board. +1

Last edited on 05 May 2016 22:16 by Axebird Show more

Re: APPROVED: [Race] Plainsrunners

Axebird 08 May 2016 05:29

Approved 3-0. Send me a link to your page when you're done setting them up and I'll add them to approved content.