Because the first thread went down so well, I, I figured, "hey, why not give it another shot?"
Same deal as the last time: bring me any race - within reason, I can't make a balanced PC race out of Timat and you know it - and I'll give it an honest shot at making a 5th edition D&D PC race out of it.
For reference; here's the current biggest list of every damn D&D and PF race across every edition that I'm aware of:
1d4chan.org
Previous Thread:
Anonimi.
Actually... although I still intend to grant reasonable requests, I was hoping I could take advantage of the inevitable balance critics going to show up here.
Long story short, I want to make some Oriental Fantasy races, and I could seriously use ideas on balancing them up or even just making them unique.
For example... I want to try something different for the traditional hengeyokai, using a shared racial trait rather than the clumsy and never really fitting methodology of just making them "one race with animal form as window dressing difference". Which means I gotta start with that one shred racial trait...
Hengeyokai: You belong to a race of magical beasts that can assume partially or wholly humanoid form, as well as revert to your true bestial shape when it suits you. As an action, you can shift into any one of your three forms.
Hybrid Form is your default form. It functions as normal for a character.
In your Human Form, you gain Advantage on all Charisma (Deception) checks made to pass yourself off as human. It otherwise functions as Hybrid Form.
In your Beast Form, which is determined by your race, your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the beast, but retaining your alignment, personality, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma scores. You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the beast; if you and the beast have the same proficiency and the beast’s bonus is higher than yours, you use the beast’s bonus.
Changing shapes does not alter your current hit points, maximum hit points, or hit dice.
You can remain in any of these three forms as long as you wish, but must consciously choose to change shapes.
You can change shapes once at 1st level, twice at 5th level, and thrice at 11th level. You regain all expended uses of this trait when you complete a long rest.
If you have exhausted your uses of shapeshifting, you can revert back to hybrid form, but you cannot then change again into beast or human form.
At the risk of cramping your style, I actually have some 5e Oriental races for you already...they're meant to be used in my own setting but there's no reasn they couldn't be adapted to others.
Bonus: they're not all Japan-inspired.
And the map of the world they're set in.
Bunny people.
As an aside, anons, I just added some more Basic D&D races to the article on 1d4chan; if you want those converted, though, I'll need research material: my access to Basic D&D material is pretty much non-existent. I couldn't even tell you what a Kubbit or a Hsiao is!
So, basically, you converted the traditional Oriental Adventures races, plus the Vanara (Oriental Adventures 3e), and added the Babi Ngepet and a "Half-Ogre" that is a PC Oni in everything but name? Not how I'd do it, but thanks for giving me an alternative perspective - still, I'd rather make each hengeyokai its own direct species, rather than treating the differences so cosmetically, and rather a full-blood Oni than a half-breed.
Any particular style? Lots of different ways to do a bunny-folk race - hell, I've got one version inspired by the Shin'hare, so they're all about being traumatized into stoicism.
>So, basically
More or less. Full-blooded oni (and yes, in the mythological sense, not in the 5e sense) are probably too powerful as a PC race, I think. Plus ogres exist outside of Japanese mythology - nearly every culture has giant myths.
On a different note and again at the risk of cramping your style, I also have a bunch of races for Ravenloft. Rather than themed around fantasy races, they're themed around classic horror movie monsters. The Revenant is actually stolen from official
Caliban (hulk): quasimodo
Caliban (runt): Igor
Dhampir: vampires
Fiendblood: demons
Half-Vistani: witches
Humans: the real monsters
Shifters: werewolves
Wrought (flesh): Frankenstein's monster
Wrought (wood): creepy dolls
Wrought (metal): the Tin Man
Revanants: mummies
I chose to do my Calibans as a conversion of the Brutes & Banshees subraces from Quoth the Raven #8, personally. Much more variety and much more enjoyable.
Anyway, since there's nobody made a request yet - and that one user hasn't clarified what they want yet - I figure I might as well share my own hengeyokai races. If anons are just going to beat the shit out of the very idea of a 5e kitsune, at least let 'em generate posts in the process.
Kitsune
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Charisma, +1 Intelligence
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Darkvision 60 feet
Foxfire: You know the Produce Flame and Dancing Light cantrips, which you can cast with Charisma. At 3rd level, you can cast Faerie Fire with this trait as a 1st level spell once per long rest, again using Charisma as your casting ability score.
Trickster’s Guile: You have Proficiency in Charisma (Deception).
Hengeyokai: Fox
Yo, did you play Endless Legend?
Never heard of it. What you ask for? Want a race from it converted?
Yes. I did homebrew some races and species from it, but I would be curious how someone else would do it. Explaining shticks of those now would be too long, I think...
I highly recommend you to play Endless series games, they are good 4x games.
In the mean while... 40k space marines.
Why can't I just port the Vistani race over 1:1 for players? The punishment for using the curses is a huge amount of damage until lategame.
Traditionally, Vistani haven't been allowed to be playable because they were, in a nutshell, plot devices. They're basically an entire race devoted to serving the same role Elminster is ostensibly supposed to serve; popping up to give you quests, info and just lead you by the nose to wherever the DM wants you.
The 5e rendition of Vistani is actually the least "railroading tool" depiction of them since 4e. Back in old D&D, you couldn't play a pureblood Vistani because it'd make you immune to all the railroady shit built into Ravenloft.
Ok so the 5e version in Curse of Strahd is fine then?
Well, I'd consider them to work just fine, especially if you're comfortable with chucking out the old lore's more troublesome plot device aspects, but then, I'm no lore purist.
I'd personally go for a statblock something like this...
Vistani
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Charisma, +1 to two other ability scores
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Normal
Manipulate the Giorgios: You have Proficiency in two Charisma skills of your choice.
Evil Eye: As an action, you can inflict a magical malady upon one creature within 10 feet that you can see. The saving throw for a victim of the Evil Eye is DC 8 + your Charisma modifier + your Proficiency bonus. Once you have used the Evil Eye, you cannot use it again until you complete a short rest or a long rest. A target that saves against the Evil Eye is immune to the Evil Eye of all Vistani for 24 hours. You can use your Evil Eye to mimic the effects of either Animal Friendship or Charm Person (choose at character creation) as a 1st level spell. At 3rd level, the spell you didn't choose initially becomes available to you, again as a 1st level spell. At 5th level, you can use Evil Eye to emulate Hold Person as a 2nd level spell.
I'd leave out the Curse trait because, in Ravenloft, everybody can curse someone by calling out for vengeance. At most, they'd have Advantage on Charisma checks made to inflict curses.
And the Vistani Curses are ok as-is since they do player damage if they fail?
If that's how you want to adapt it. All depends on if the DM thinks it's fair. I'm just some random somebody on the internet.
But, like I said, in a proper Ravenloft game, anybody can invoke a curse. I'd adapt the 3e Cursing mechanics and give Vistani Advantage on doing so, personally.
Definitely feel "de-mystified" Vistani make more sense, because Half-Vistani are literally Exhibit A for "gypsies aren't any more human than orcs, elves and dwarves".
Skaven?
Would they really be that different from Chaotic Evil Ratfolk? Because I can cover you either way, I just need to know if there's anything you consider especially iconic about the Skaven that makes them differ from Chaotic Evil Ratfolk.
What about Ettercaps?
Sure. I may have gone overboard on the features here, even if many of them are Ribbons* - what do you guys think?
*Actually, can someone give me the definition of "ribbon"? I always thought it was a racial trait that was flavorful, but unlikely to actually pop up very often, like, say, Powerful Build (because, seriously, how often does carrying capacity actually matter?).
Ettercap
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, +1 Strength
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet, Climb 30 feet
Vision: Darkvision 60 feet
Spider Climb: You can climb on difficult surfaces, even upside down, without needing to make an ability check.
Web Sense: When you are in contact with a web, you can sense the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web.
Web Walker: You ignore movement restrictions caused by webbing.
Toxic Bite: When you use your action to make an Attack, you can make a bite attack. This is a melee attack you have Proficiency in, keying off of Dexterity. On a hit, the target takes 1d6 Piercing damage and must make a DC 8 + your Proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier Constitution saving throw. If they fail this save, they are Poisoned until the end of your next turn. You only have enough venom to poison one victim, then must complete a short rest to replenish it.
Web Snare: When you use your action to make an Attack, you can attempt to launch webbing. This is a Ranged Weapon with a Range of 30ft/60ft that you have Proficiency in, keying off of Dexterity. A creature hit by your webbing is Restrained until it either breaks the webbing (which requires succeeding at a DC 8 + your Proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier Strength check) or the webbing is destroyed (AC10, 5 hit points, Resist Bludgeoning, Immune to Poison & Psychic, Vulnerable to Fire). Once you have used your webbing attack, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.
Bumping this thread if I can... if not, I'll guess I'll leave it until my internet resets in a month before trying again.
Since you posted a picture of it, I'd love to see the Aranea as a 5e race.
What a coincidence! I'd love to get a version that's workably playable. This is my current draft version; I need to make a "Spider-Shifter" racial trait keyed more off the stuff I established for Hengeyokai.
Aranea
Ability Score Increase: +2 Intelligence, +1 Charisma
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Darkvision
Arcane Birthright: You know the Prestidigitation cantrip and 1 other cantrip of your choice from the Wizard spell list. Intelligence is your casting ability score when using these cantrips
Spider Climb: You have a Climb speed of 30 feet and do not need to make an ability check to climb difficult surfaces, including upside down underneath ledges or along a ceiling.
Venomous Bite: As an action you may make a melee attack against an adjacent target. On a hit, you deal 1d8 poison damage. This damage increases by 1d8 at levels 5 (2d8), 11 (3d8), and 17 (4d8). You have Advantage when delivering a Venomous Bite to a target that is grappled or restrained.
Fling Webbing: As an action you may make a ranged attack with a range of 30/60ft. On a hit, the target is Restrained until it passes a Strength check (DC 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Constitution modifier). Your webbing can be attacked as an object by someone seeking to cut through it, in which case it has AC 10, HP 5 + your level, vulnerability to fire, and immunity to bludgeoning, poison and psychic. This ability can be used once per short or long rest.
>*Actually, can someone give me the definition of "ribbon"? I always thought it was a racial trait that was flavorful, but unlikely to actually pop up very often, like, say, Powerful Build (because, seriously, how often does carrying capacity actually matter?).
The concept of a ribbon was first described in the Waterborne Adventures article of Unearthed Arcana
"On the R&D team, any ability meant to convey flavor rather than a mechanical advantage is referred to as a ribbon—a thing that’s mostly for show. Thieves’ Cant is a great example of a ribbon ability, and Storm Guide also falls into this category."
It's not a question of how frequently the circumstance of the feature arises, but whether it carries mechanical weight. Features to increase your Lifting and Carrying capacity, or increase your standing jump height have mechanical consequences even if they aren't often beneficial.
I see. Still, like I said, I don't think all mechanical traits are weighted equally. How the hell does Powerful Build remotely stack up to Fire Resistance in terms of usefulness, or to Toughness?
For comparison, this is my current draft of a Jorogumo PC race - the Hengeyokai race is up-thread. And no, you don't turn into a Giant Spider, you turn into a normal little spider. Maybe a feat to become a Giant Spider at a higher level isn't too overpowered, though?
Jorogumo
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Charisma, +1 Intelligence
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet, Climb 30 feet
Vision: Darkvision 60 feet
Born Seductress: You have Proficiency in the Deception skill.
Expert Climber: You have Advantage on Acrobatics and Athletics checks made to climb.
Silk Spinner: Once you have reached third level, you can cast Web as a 2nd level spell with this trait. Once you have used this trait, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest. Charisma is your casting ability score for this trait.
Hengeyokai: Spider
>not making the animal form the true form
Bakeneko
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Intelligence, +1 Dexterity
Size: Normal
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Darkvision
Hengeyokai: Cat
Eater of Vile Things: You have Resistance to Poison damage and Advantage on Constitution saving throws against the Poisoned condition.
Cat's Lantern: You can cast the Produce Flame cantrip with this trait. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability score.
Jinx: As an action, you can place a curse on a single enemy that you can see within 30 feet. The targeted creature suffers Disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws until the end of its next turn. Once you have used this trait, you must complete a long rest before you can use it again.
Tanuki
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Constitution, +1 Charisma
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet, Fly 15
Vision: Darkvision
Tanuki Trickery: You can cast the Minor Illusion cantrip with this trait. At 3rd level, you can cast Disguise Self as a 1st level spell once per long rest with this trait. In both cases, Charisma is used as the casting ability score.
Tanuki Transformations: You are a shapeshifter who can freely assume the form of an inanimate object and then revert to your normal form. As an action, you can transform into tools or a weapon by using this ability; you can’t move in such a form, but can be used by another character. In weapon form, attacks made with you count as magical for piercing damage resistance. In tool form, characters may use the tools as if they had proficiency in the requisite skill.
Tail Slap: Your Unarmed Strikes have a base damage of d4.
Hengeyokai: Tanuki, use the stats for a Raccoon.
Shardmind
Bariaur
Hamadryad
Satyr
They can be bigger, Black-furred Stormvermin or albino, horned Grey Seers who snort crushed crystallized evil for magic.