New PC race: The Mistanis

Asmor

First Post
The Mistanis

The Mistanis are a race of peaceful, vaguely humanoid creatures normally dwelling deep in the forests or tropical regions, though they can survive anywhere that isn't too dry or cold.
They look like a cross between a frog and a gorilla, with short legs but long, powerful arms. Each hand has four fingers and a thumb, arranged like a human, but they are much longer, about a foot for each finger and nine inches for the thumb. Each finger has four articulations, one every three inches, and the thumb has three. Their palms are roughly circular pads, a foot in diameter, and they can raise the center of the palms a slight amount to create a make-shift suction cup. Even when they stand up, the Mistani's fingers can touch the ground.
The Mistanis skin can take either of two ranges of colors... Either dark red/crimson to a rust color or dark green to bright emerald green. They are completely hairless and have black, symmetrical markings along their back in a patter which is unique to every individual mistani.
The most disconcerting thing about them, and the first thing other races tend to notice, are their heads. Their heads look like a frog's, with big wide mouths and large eyes on either side, giving them rough 360 degree vision but poor depth perception. What others don't usually SEE, but would probably (and correctly) assume to be there is the mistanis' tongue, which acts much like a frog's.
The Mistani society is based on tribal family groups. The eldest is in charge, though in charge doesn't mean a whole lot. Primarily all the leader does is helped to arbitrate the [rare] disputes among his tribe, act as a diplomat and messenger to other nearby mistani tribes, and is often sought for advice by younger mistani. Because the leader is away fairly often, the tribe is very much self sufficient and capable of acting without their leader's attention.

Racial stats:
+2 strength, -2 intelligence, -2 charisma: The mistanis are strong, especially their arms, but they are simple and easily cowed.
-1 to all charisma checks against other races: Others find the mistanis extremely ugly and alien.
Height: Their height ranges between five to six feet for males and another six inches taller for females.
Weight: I dunno, I suck at estimating weights. :D
Age: As humans
+2 racial bonus to spot checks: The mistani can see in all directions at once
+2 racial bonus to spot checks in forests and other 'natural' places: The mistanis are well attuned with all things natural. This stacks with the previous +2 bonus.
+2 racial bonus to climb checks: They are naturally adapted to climbing. In addition, they may climb anything that is more or less smooth (i.e. stone walls, metal, glass, etc) even if there are no hand holds due to their suction cup-like palms.
+2 racial bonus to swim checks: They are well equipped for the water and take long strides with their powerful arms, using their palms as flippers.
+2 racial bonus to all checks with animals, beasts and magical beasts: They interact well with animals
+2 racial bonus to Profession (Herbalist) and it is considered a class skill: The mistani are trained from an early age on how to utilize plants and other natural materials to create various concoctions.
-1 to all melee attacks with non-specially modified weapons: Their large hands have a hard time wielding weapons made for other races with the same accuracy as their intended user. Any weapon may be modified for a Mistani by making the handle wider, such as by wrapping a large amount of cloth around it.
-1 to all ranged attacks: The mistani have poor depth perception
A mistani's unarmed attack does not provoke an attack of opportunity and does 1d8 damage.
A mistani druid/ranger may have 3 HD worth of animal companions per class level, instead of the normal 2.
May cast animal friendship 1/month
May have 3 hd worth of animal companions even if the mistani does not have a class which normally has animal companions. If they do, they may have 3 hd more. Example: a 1st level fighter mistani can have 3 hd of animal companions, a 1st level druid mistani can have 6 (because they get 3 hd per level)
Lowlight vision
Favored class: druid
 

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graydoom

First Post
The simplest thing I can say here is that those guys are very overpowered if they are supposed to be an ECL +0 race. To balance all the stuff these guys get, you would have to make them at least ECL +1, if not ECL + 2.

I was going to type a big long post about how to get them down to ECL +0, but that would just destroy the concept behind this race. Making them ECL +1 or +2 solves that.
 

Terraism

Explorer
graydoom said:
The simplest thing I can say here is that those guys are very overpowered if they are supposed to be an ECL +0 race. To balance all the stuff these guys get, you would have to make them at least ECL +1, if not ECL + 2.

I was going to type a big long post about how to get them down to ECL +0, but that would just destroy the concept behind this race. Making them ECL +1 or +2 solves that.
I'd say ECL +1... if it weren't for the whole animal companion thing. That's a bit powerful - you're giving them perhaps 1/4 of a 1st level class' abilities as a racial trait. Also, there's a stacking problem... how does that work if the character takes a level of druid - after the first level it isn't a problem, but that first level seems a bit unfair... look at it this way...

1st Level Mistani Fighter
  • d10 Hit Points
  • 2 Feats
  • Weapon Proficiency: Simple & Martial
  • Armor Proficiency: All
  • +1 BAB
  • 3 HD worth of Animal Companions

1st Level Mistani Druid
  • d8 Hit Points
  • 1 Feat
  • Weapon Proficiency: Druidic
  • Armor Proficiency: Light & Medium, minus metals
  • Nature Sense
  • 3 HD worth of Animal Companions
  • 3 0th level spells, 1 1st level

Notice anything? The fighter's extra feat nicely cancels out the druid's 'Nature Sense', and the extra 'balance' remaining on the fighter side overpower the few spells as well. Not much chance for the Druid, honestly. I'd say to ditch the free animal companions - the idea is a nice one, but giving them Druid as favored class should be good enough...
 
Last edited:

Asmor

First Post
Ok, thanks for the criticisms. I was afraid they might be a bit over powered... So get rid of the 3 free hd of animal companions, and consequently the free casting of animal friendship since for nondruids it wouldn't really do anything...

What about the 3 HD per druid level? Does that seem balanced? I'm going for an ECL+1, btw.
 

graydoom

First Post
The problem with the 3 HD of companions per Druid level is that a significant benefit like that that only applies to a specific class really weights things in favor of that class. Usually, it is better to just give a general bonus that just better works with some classes than other (the 3 HD of animal companions might be an example of this, but that was a good deal too powerful).
My suggestion would be to remove the extra HD of companions for druid/ranger levels, and add in 1 HD of animal companions, no matter the class, stacks with the normal amount of druid animal companion HD. Do that and I think you've got a good ECL +1 race. Just 1 HD of animal companions doesn't make the race too powerful for a +1 ECL, and also doesn't force the race into becoming druids or rangers as much.
So here's the new version I would suggest:

Racial stats:
+2 strength, -2 intelligence, -2 charisma: The mistanis are strong, especially their arms, but they are simple and easily cowed.
Height: Their height ranges between five to six feet for males and another six inches taller for females.
-1 to all charisma checks against other races: Others find the mistanis extremely ugly and alien.
Weight: I dunno, I suck at estimating weights.
Age: As humans
+2 racial bonus to spot checks: The mistani can see in all directions at once
+2 racial bonus to spot checks in forests and other 'natural' places: The mistanis are well attuned with all things natural. This stacks with the previous +2 bonus.
+2 racial bonus to climb checks: They are naturally adapted to climbing. In addition, they may climb anything that is more or less smooth (i.e. stone walls, metal, glass, etc) even if there are no hand holds due to their suction cup-like palms.
+2 racial bonus to swim checks: They are well equipped for the water and take long strides with their powerful arms, using their palms as flippers.
+2 racial bonus to all checks with animals, beasts and magical beasts: They interact well with animals
+2 racial bonus to Profession (Herbalist) and it is considered a class skill: The mistani are trained from an early age on how to utilize plants and other natural materials to create various concoctions.
-1 to all melee attacks with non-specially modified weapons: Their large hands have a hard time wielding weapons made for other races with the same accuracy as their intended user. Any weapon may be modified for a Mistani by making the handle wider, such as by wrapping a large amount of cloth around it.
-1 to all ranged attacks: The mistani have poor depth perception
A mistani's unarmed attack does not provoke an attack of opportunity and does 1d8 damage.
All mistani PCs start with 1 more HD of animal companions than normal. For example, a Barbarian normally has 0 HD of animal compansions, but a Mistani Barbarian would have 1 HD of animal companions. A Druid normally has 2 HD of animal companions, but a Mistani Druid would have 3 HD of animal companions.
Lowlight vision
Favored class: Druid
 

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