How Should I Design New AEC Races?

[samwise7]

I didn't mess with humans too much. I gave them a new toy and then I took away 2 class options for each of them. I didn't put them through the same process that I did with the demi-humans.


Black Human
Appearance:  6’6″ tall, 240 lbs, brown or purple eyes, black hair, and black skin.
Ability Mix/Max: Str 6/18, Dex 3/18, Con 8/18, Int 5/18, Wis3/16, Cha 4/18

Special Abilities:
Damage Reduction1: The character takes 1 less damage from everything that hurts him or her.
Can't be Druids or Illusionists.


Brown Human
Appearance:  5’0″ tall, 150 lbs, green eyes, black hair, and brown skin.

Special Abilities:
Advanced Martial Arts Training: If they are a Monk, treat them as having 1 more level than they actually have (Monk Level + 1). In addition to this, you can ignore all prerequisites to become a Monk.
*All Brown Humans are born mute, but they get the sign language OmDu (Deadly Silence) for free.
Can't be a Magic-User or Ranger.


Gray Human
Appearance: 6’0″ tall, 180 lbs, gray eyes, silver gray hair, and pale gray skin.

Special Abilities:
Natural Riders: They learn to ride at an early age, and it is said they are the best riders in the world. They can fight from horseback without any penalties. If any riding maneuver is performed they get a bonus to the roll equal to their level.
Can't be an Assassin or Thief.


White Human
Appearance: 5’6″ tall, 160 lbs, blue eyes, blond or white hair, and white skin.
Same as LL AEC Human

Special Abilities:
Frenzy 1/Day: While in the throes of a rage the character gains a +2 bonus to hit and damage. A rage lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution Stat. The character can preemptively end a rage. While in a rage the character is immune to fear effects and spells.
Can't be Monks or Magic-Users.

[samwise7]

Wolfen

Appearance: 5’0″ tall, 140 lbs, yellow-brown eyes, gray-white fur, and white skin.

Demeanor: Wolfen are a wild race that love nature as deeply as the Elves, if not more. They are good friends with the Blood Elves and consider them brothers and sisters. They are cautious in urban areas and prefer the wilderness to the city. They complain constantly about smells that others can’t smell, and hate to be locked in confined spaces. They love the sky overhead and the smell of fresh snow especially when they are hunting. Wolfen tend to have very long names (roughly 5-10 words combined into a name) that describe some scent or time or place. Their names tell a story but they only tell it to very good friends. Most people just call all Wolfen “Wolf” or by their first word in their name. An example of a Wolfen name would be “Karpok Abban Savid Alt Dal Baga Zur Bae” [Across Isolation Adrift White Ice Between Dark Shadow].

Stat Modifiers: +1 Dex / -1 Int

Stat Minimum Requirements / Stat Maximums: Str 7/18, Dex 10/19, Con 8/18, Int 3/14, Wis 8/18, Cha 3/16

Available Classes & Level Limits: Assassin 12, Cleric 7, Druid 7, Fighter 10, Thieves 12, Ranger 12

Special Abilities:
Bite Attack: 1D6 + Str

Infravision 60'

Move Silently as the Thief (if not a Thief)

Quicker movement (150% of normal human movement).

Saving throws vs. paralyze & petrify +4 (saving throw vs. cold) and breath attacks get a +4 bonus.

Surprised 1 on a 1D6, can surprise others 1-3 on a 1D6

Thief Skill Bonuses: Move Silently +15%, Hide In Shadows +10%, Pick Pockets -5%

Track Prey by Scent: 50% of the time



Yeti

Appearance: 7’0″ tall, 300 lbs, red eyes, white fur, and white skin.

Demeanor: Yetis are always hungry and are known to think with their stomach. They are strong and hairy and love the outdoors.  They fear not the cold, but rather the heat.  Yetis are deathly afraid of fire in all its forms, and shun it whenever possible.  Yeti fur is very flammable. There is nothing more hideous and loud, than hearing the screams of a burning Yeti.  They can be violent at times, but not more so than any other race. They love revenge and savor it when it finally comes. Yetis and Fire Dwarves don’t get along.  If they are in the same party, they will most likely be at opposite ends of the marching order.  The Yeti character will also stay away from any campfires set up by any party members.

Stat Modifiers: +1 Str, -1 Int

Stat Minimum Requirements / Stat Maximums: Str 8/19, Dex 3/18, Con 8/18, Int 3/15, Wis 3/18, Cha 3/16

Available Classes & Level Limits: Cleric 8, Druid 10, Fighter 12, Ranger 10

Special Abilities:
Basic/simple weapons only (axes, clubs, daggers, hammers. quarterstaff, morning stars, spears, etc.)

Fists deal 1D6 + Str damage each.

Hide in Nature at 90% (like the Halfling).

Cold Resistance & Fire Susceptibility: Yetis take only 50% of the damage from cold, but they take 150% damage from fire.

Languages: Yeti & Common

Move Silently as a Thief of the same level.

Natural Armor: Yeti characters reduce their AC by 1.

Size: Large (Small creatures like Gnomes, Goblins, and Halflings, get +1 to hit you and they have +1 AC when you attack them). They can wield large weapons in one hand.

Track prey by scent 30% of the time.

[samwise7]

I don't know why but I was having a hell of a time with the Dwarves till I came up with that little point system.


Dark Dwarf
Appearance: 5’0″ tall, 200 lbs, solid black eyes, black hair, and brown skin.
Demeanor: They are a very serious and violent race. Humor is almost unknown to them. They do not understand any “jokes” that poke fun at them. They spend many hours beneath the surface and complain about the light of the suns. They also tend to not like the sky and feel uncomfortable in open areas because they feel open to attack. They pride themselves in war stories and feats of strength. Athletic games are a very big part of their society. The crafting of weapons and armor is a major focus for them.
Stat Modifiers: +1 Str / -1 Cha
Stat Minimum Requirements / Stat Maximums: Str 7/19, Dex 3/18, Con 5/18, Int 3/18, Wis 3/18, Cha 3/17
Available Classes & Level Limits: Assassin 8 , Fighter 12, Magic-User 8, Monk 12, Thief 10

Special Abilities:
From their experience underground, Dark Dwarves have a 2 in 6 (1-2 on 1d6) chance of detecting traps, false walls, hidden construction, or noticing if passages are sloped. Dwarves must be actively searching for these abilities to function.

Languages Common Tongue, Dwarvish, Gnome, Goblin, Orc

Greater Infravision (90′)

Languages: Common & Dwarf

Light Sensitivity: -2 to hit and damage in bright sunlight, -1 to hit and damage on cloudy days. Powerful light spells affect them in a similar fashion.

They can use any weapons and armor, including two-handed weapons.

They suffer a -1 penalty with all ranged and thrown weapons.

Saving Throws:
• +4 save versus poison
• +4 save versus petrify or paralyze


Fire Dwarf
Appearance: 4’6″ tall, 180 lbs, solid red eyes, red hair, and tan skin.
Demeanor: The Fire Dwarves love fire in all its forms. Since the “Death of the Gods” many worship fire in one form or another. Any home of the Fire Dwarves has many torches and fireplaces.  Fire Dwarves complain about the cold outside of their hot mountain homes. Fire Dwarves from birth have many fire cleansing traditions, which mainly involve burning small portions of themselves while saying a prayer for the flames to cleanse them. Cold creatures with any intelligence fear the burning wrath of these Dwarves.
Stat Modifiers: +1 Con, -1 Wis
Stat Minimum Requirements / Stat Maximums: Str 3/18, Dex 3/18, Con 8/19, Int 6/18, Wis 3/17, Cha 6/18
Available Classes & Level Limits: Druid 8, Fighter, Illusionist12, Magic-User 12, Ranger 8, Thief 10

Special Abilities:
Burning Hands: Fire Dwarves can control the temperature of their hands and can make them hot enough to light fires by touching flammable materials.  They can also use this ability to heat metal weapons that they use, and to also do additional heat damage when fighting with martial arts.  This extra damage is +1d6 fire damage.

Due to their short height, Fire Dwarves cannot use two-handed weapons or longbows. However, they can use any other weapons or armor allowed by their class.

Hatred of Cold: Fire Dwarves hate the creatures of cold and train diligently in the ways of killing them.  When they deal damage to a cold creature (creatures with a percentage resistance to cold like the Yetis) they deal twice as much.

Languages: Common & Dwarf

Fire Dwarves receive the following saving throw bonuses:
• +4 save versus breath attacks
• +4 save versus poison



Gray Dwarf
Appearance: 4’0″ tall, 150 lbs, solid gray eyes, they are completely bald, and light gray skin.
Demeanor: Gray Dwarves are a very somber lot. They seem to hold grudges for a very long time, with forgiveness coming from them almost never. They lament for the dead long after they pass, and sing many sad tales of woe of past generations. To hear a Gray Dwarf laugh is rarer than Mithril. Gray Dwarves complain and grumble about their lot in life, but continue on anyway, even when it seems like there is no hope. Gray Dwarves can be very stubborn. They are also very proud of their beards.
Stat Modifiers: +1 Con, -1 Cha
Stat Minimum Requirements / Stat Maximums: Str 3/18, Dex 5/18, Con 6/19, Int 3/18, Wis 3/18, Cha 3/14
Available Classes & Level Limits: Assassin12, Fighter 8, Thief 10

Special Abilities:
Deathly scared of water: They need to make a save vs. Paralyzation to cross running water or to go into a boat.
From their experience underground, dwarves have a 2 in 6 (1-2
on 1d6) chance of detecting traps, false walls, hidden
construction, or noticing if passages are sloped. Dwarves must
be actively searching for these abilities to function.

Immune to illusionary magic and mind-altering spells.

Infravision 60'

Languages: Common & Dwarf

Pass Through Stone: Twice per day you can pass through a section of stone that is equal to 10 feet + your character level in feet.  They have a very close relationship to the stone that surrounds them in the dark and they use this to their advantage.

If they become a Thief:
Pick Locks +7%
Find and Remove Traps +10%
Climb Walls -10%



Ice Dwarf
Appearance: 4’0″ tall, 120 lbs, solid blue eyes, white hair, and white skin.
Demeanor: Ice Dwarves are the northernmost race of Dwarves. They survive in areas other Dwarves could not. Weaker, but quicker than the rest of the Dwarves, they tend to hide more and avoid trouble. Ice Dwarves spend more time outdoors than most of the other Dwarf sub-races. They also tend to trade more with other races and cultures and travel more in the cold wastelands.
Stat Modifiers: +1 Con, -1 Int
Stat Minimum Requirements / Stat Maximums: Str 5/18, Dex 6/18, Con 8/19, Int 3/17, Wis 3/18, Cha 3/18
Available Classes & Level Limits: Druid 12, Fighter 8, Ranger 12, Thief 8

Special Abilities:
Due to their short height, dwarves cannot use two-handed weapons or longbows. However, they can use any other weapons or armor allowed by their class.

Hide in Nature at 90%

Languages: Common, Draconic, Dwarf, Elf, Goblin, Gnome, Orc, Wolfen, Yeti

Racial Hatred of Goblins & Orcs: +1 to hit & damage.

Racial Hatred of Giants, Trolls & Yetis: +1 to hit & damage.

Ice Dwarves receive the following saving throw bonuses:
• +4 save versus poison
• +6 save versus petrify or paralyze (saving throw vs. cold)
• +3 save versus wands
• +4 save versus spells or spell-like devices