Varient Varag - OG Myth-Weavers

Notices


Gaming Discussion

For all things gaming related.


Varient Varag

   
Varient Varag

Well, i liked the favor of the varag, I just thought ECL 5 of racial hit dice and level adjustments was to much for "any" medium sized goblinoid. Im working on running a goblin/orc/giant, etc game (simular to the "Goblins" comic) at level 3: So i needed to make some changes to a few goblinoids for players to choose from. Any help would be peachy .


The Varag

This primal, clan-based race of goblins are strong, quick and relentless in their tasks. Their single minded natures make them more cultured and civilized then their other cousins, and small nomadic groups of Varag can be encounted peacefully, unless of course their single minded in raiding...


Varag Racial Traits;

+2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -4 Intelligence, -2 Charisma. Varag are feirce, agile and tough, but do not enjoy social activities and dislike change. They are not "stupid", they simply dont care about things that dont concern their survival.

Medium Sized: Varag have no bonuses or penalties for being medium sized.

Humanoid (Goblinkin): Varag are considered goblinoids.

Base Land Speed: 40 ft.

Varags gain a +4 racial bonus to move silently checks, and a +4 racial bonus to Survival checks when tracking by scent.

Varags gain a +1 natural armor bonus to armor class due to their tough hides.

Scent (Ex): Varags have an exceptional sense of smell, and gain it to a range of 30 ft.

Darkvision (Ex): Varags gain darkvision out to a range of 60 ft.

Varags gain Run as a bonus feat at 1st level.

Automatic Langauges: Goblin.
Additional Langauges: Common, Orcish, Giant.

Favored Class: Scout.

Level Adjustment: +1


My own 2 cents;

Abilities: +6 total to abilities, -6 to abilities. As many of you "will" say I have no doubt, that some abilities are not balanced to each other and the like when its physical vs. mental stats. Ill agree with you, but the penalties "do" balance and smooth it out some. Compaired to Tiefling, Asimar, and Drow, these are weaker then drow, and simular in strength to planetouched. At the most, id rate it as a +1.1 LA.

The best way to check for balance is to consider a thing and ask if there is a reason to not take it for a general type of build. In this case, for fighters and other "I hit you and you fall over" types, no, there's not. Mechanically, the Int and Cha penalties do nothing to this type of character.

Worse, the abilities that the "more powerful" varag don't get until levels 2 through 5, you grant at level 1.

At level 1 through... 2 or 3, mebbe 4, I'd say that this is actually more powerful than the one in the book.

Take
You've removed some of the bonus feats, some skills stuff, and lessened the bonus to Dex. You've also given -2 to Cha - Bad news for bards or sorcerers, but else, it does bugger-all.

Give
All the other stuff a varag normally must wait until levels 2 through 5 to get, you grant at level 1. You've also reduced the LA by 1, and removed the racial hit die complete.

You say to compare it to other LA+1's. 'k.

Aasimar
Aasimar gets +2 to two mental abilities. Your varag gets +2 to all physical abilities, and -4/-2. They still make fine clerics or druids, and excellent warriors of all stripes. I'd call it a win for all non-wizard, non-sorcerer varags, though a battle sorcerer or bard might take it in exchange for the increased combat ability.

The aasimar gets +2 to Spot/Listen, your guy gets +4 to move silently and tracking. One of your skill uses is limited, but I'd still call it a net win for the varag.

Speed. Varag's 10 foot faster. Win.

Both have darkvision, both tied.

Aasimar can cast daylight, which is useful, but rarely in a combat situation, and can only be used for 10 mins/level - by the time it's useful, you can afford an everburning torch or something. Aasimar also gets energy resistance, which is handy, but doesn't cover all elements - fireball? - and doesn't affect swords and axes.

Varag, on the other hand, gets +1 to AC, Run and Scent. I'd call that a win for the varag, if only a small one.

Tiefling
+2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Cha. The Cha's wipe each other out, so we've got +2/+2/+2/-4 vs. +0/+2/+0/+2. Tieflings make better wizards and skillmonkeys, but otherwise, varags win.

Speed is won by the varag, and darkvision's equal.

Skills are similar to the aasimar. Slight win for the varag.

Darkness is possibly even less useful in combat purposes, since any penalties the enemy gets, you get as well. Same number of energy resistances, vs. the same varag bonuses.

I'd say the varag wins again.


Please, explain to me how they're in line with the planetouched? I'd rate these as stronger than drow, too, actually. No SR, and less Int, but as pretty much anything not a wizard or magehunter...


I like the varag. I really do. But it's already playable, and roughly as balanced as WotC normally pumps out. This is... egads. I can't recommend putting this in a game. Why not leave the varag as it is? Hell, if you really want, let them space it out, and go varag, class, varag, class, all the way up to level 10. But this is silly.

WotC balancing doesn't usually equal game balancing, sadly. Even with counting as Outsiders, Aasimar and Tiefling really should have been L.A. 0. Varag, as Sky here has it, is a strong +1, but still a +1. However, if you want to balance it to a solid +2, there are a few things you could add.

- Add a racial hit dice and up the nat armor by one

- OR, you could also give them a +4 to Hide and make their bonus to Survival apply to ALL survival checks.

Both of those would make a solid +2. As-is, however, it's still +1 - just strong +1.

As to why not use the original - obviously she doesn't like the original. Why not use original soulknife? Or fighter? Or monk? Because you don't like them. People change classes and races because they don't like them. Asking why not use the original is just going to offend folk.

No, she seems to be changing it to make it "playable". I'm saying it's playable as is. If it were a matter of taste, that's one thing. This is quite another.

I'll disagree on your planetouched as LA+0. Even without the outsider type, they're marginally more powerful than the PHB races. With it... no. In any case, that's not what's being asked.

Quote:
WotC balancing doesn't usually equal game balancing, sadly
I acknowledged this. I said it's about as balanced as WotC puts out. It may not be perfectly aligned with other things, but it's neither a goblin nor a blue.

Rather than compare to the Planetouched, let's compare to a race that's a bit closer in ability - Catfolk.

Snipped by tic, copyright. I know it's not malicious, but... yeah.

Darkvision vs low-light vision is a wash.

STR and CON have far more practical utility in combat than DEX. STR impacts both attack bonus and damage (which multiplies on critical hits) without the need for special class features or feat expenditure. CON increases HP, making one more durable. DEX is good for boosting AC, though that bonus is limited by the armor one wears, and initiative. DEX has the greatest impact out of combat, however, in relation to various skills. +2 to STR and CON wins over +4 DEX. +2 to ALL physical ability scores is even more win.

Mental ability penalties are mechanically weaker than physical ability penalties. Warrior types can (and usually do) dump INT and CHA without major impact to their primary function. Couple this with the Varag's favored class of Scout (8 skill points per level) and a Varag character can dump INT and STILL have more skill points per level than a human fighter. -2 CHA has a minor impact on social skills - which aren't on the skill lists for martial classes anyway - and only truly harms CHA-based spontaneous casters (sorcerers, bards, and favored souls).

The +2 to all physical scores is NOT balanced by -4 INT and -2 CHA.

The two feats skew the Varag further toward +2LA. Scent alone should be enough for this, as it allows tracking where other humanoids have very little chance to track at pre-epic levels. Again, couple this with the Scout favored class and you have a powerful combination beyond a simple +1LA.

I'll also argue that -4 INT does mean the Varag are stupid. INT is a measure of one's ability to learn and reason. It is not a measure of how concerned one is with things relating to survival. An average Varag is substantially less able to learn and reason than the average human (or goblin for that matter).

If you want a +1LA, drop the bonus feats. Move your CHA penalty to WIS, lose one of the physical ability score bonuses, and drop the +4 tracking bonus.

Also, I've not seen any race with a favored class outside of the Player's Handbook. Replacing Scout with Ranger would keep the race in line with other materials and help make the reduction in skill points for low INT hurt a bit more.



Much appreciated, DrMorganes. One point I'll disagree on is that Dex < Str/Con. I find Dex to be the most useful of abilities - AC helps everyone, as does Initiative, as does Reflex saves... with a feat and certain weapons, it helps melee to hit, and always ranged to hit. +2 Con gives you the equivalent of Improved Toughness and +1 Fort, really, and +2 Str's about as good as Weapon Spec., roughly.

Quote:
Also, I've not seen any race with a favored class outside of the Player's Handbook. Replacing Scout with Ranger would keep the race in line with other materials and help make the reduction in skill points for low INT hurt a bit more.
This is because they don't reference noncore books in other books. New classes are in the Completes, HoH... and... the PHB2. None of these have new races, or not PC ones anyway. So, no noncore favoured classes.





Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging (Lite) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
Last Database Backup 2024-03-19 07:25:59am local time
Myth-Weavers Status