Hobgoblin & Lizardfolk PCs

[IanEHewitt]

Here is my same treatment given to the Hobgoblin, again I would really appreciate any and all feedback.
Many thanks,

Shivir (Hobgoblin)
The Shivir inhabit one of the most inclement regions in the World of Llowellen. Their land is mostly tundra - low, flat, treeless plains where the ground remains permanently frozen except for a few inches of the surface during the brief summer season. Although some groups are settled on rivers and depend on fishing, and others follow inland caribou herds, most Shivir traditionally have lived primarily as hunters of seals, walrus, and whales, and the structure and ethos of their culture have always been fundamentally oriented to the sea.

Personality: The Shivir have managed to eke a living and carve a society within an exceptionally inhospitable environment and this has engendered them with a great respect for physical constitution and simple practicality. They are brutally honest and upfront with little patience for meekness or deception within themselves or others. Survival is paramount in the reality of the Shivir's daily life, but they still find the time to appreciate food, drink, dance and romance. They know that death may be upon them at any moment and intend to experience the moment in which they find themselves. They fear little, except the hostility of their environment, raiding minotaurs and the mystical fey.

Physical Description: Shivir are a tough people hardened by a lifetime of crossing the tundra. Their shoulders and hips are wide, their chests broad and muscular. Their skin is permanently blushed from the frigid winds and takes on a dark orange or red-orange tone with prominently large blue or red tinted noses. Hobgoblins' eyes are yellowish or dark brown, while their teeth are yellow. Both Shivir men and women let their dark reddish-brown and dark-grey hair grow long and unkempt, men studiously braid their long moustaches and beards.

Relations: The Shivir have mixed relations with the goblins and orcs with whom they compete for hunting and living rights. It is not uncommon for one Shivir village to enslave goblins and be allied with orcs, just as another wars with all of its neighbours and yet another seeks a quieter life avoiding trouble from all comers. Without exception, the Shivir hate and fear the minotaurs who often raid them to take slaves or food themselves. The Shivir are largely unaware of the fey – except in fearful rumour and legend.

Homeland: For the Shivir peoples merely surviving their daily life is often adventure enough. They frequently must move camp, uprooting entire villages and trekking across the tundra in order to find the next safe cave or sheltered cove to make their home – and often with goblins, orcs or minotaurs dogging their every step. During the First Age, Shivir will not be encountered outside of the frozen environs of the Sunless South.

Religion: Shivir religion has its basis in Anwen s teachings but it otherwise animistic with the Shivir worshipping the spirits of most of the native animals and even important features of the landscape. Shivir religion however teaches of a supreme ruler of the spirit animals and in a vague deification of the forces of nature – Anwen.

Language: Prior to 40'000 PL the Shivir had no real spoken or written language, rather they would communicate with a bestial sub-language of grunts, gestures and body language that could be understood only by themselves. Since 40'000 PL that primitive language has evolved into Shivor. Shivor is the local tongue spoken by all of the Shivir peoples but with sometimes extreme local dialect variation. Only the tribal leader or shaman might be learned enough to speak a second or third language and this would vary depending on the minor race any particular tribe has the most direct contact with.

Male Names: Kavik, Malik, Quroq, Sermeq.
Female Names: Acadia, Igdlo, Kirima, Nuna.

Racial Traits:
+2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma. Shivir are a physically tough people long accustomed to running across the tundra, yet they are a simple and uncomplicated people who often seem rude or abrupt to others.

Shivir base speed is 30 feet.

Medium: As Medium creatures, Shivir have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Darkvision 60': Shivir can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and Shivir can function just fine with no light at all.

Automatic Languages: Shivir (sub), Shivir (verbal).

+4 racial bonus on Wilderness Survival checks.

Racial Levels: A Shivir can take up to three levels in 'hobgoblin' as a class to develop their racial qualities more fully.

Hobgoblin Levels
Shivir can take up to three levels in 'hobgoblin' at any time. Not all Shivir, however, take racial levels (or all three of them).
Hit Die: 1d8
Skill Points at 1st Character Level: (2+ Intelligence) x 4
Skill Points at Higher Level: 2+ Intellignce bonus
"Class" Skills : Climb (Str), Heal (Wis), Intimidate ((Cha), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Sneak (Dex), Spot (Wis), and Wilderness Survival (Wis).
Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Shivir with levels only in hobgoblin (no actual class levels) are proficient in the use of all simple weapons and light armours and shields.
Level 1: +1 BAB, +0 Fort, +0 Ref, +0 Will, +1 Str, +1 Dex
Level 2: +2 BAB, +1 Fort, +1 Ref, +0 Will, +2 Con
Level 3: +3 BAB, +2 Fort, +2 Ref, +1 Will, +2 Con

[John Uckele]

Two things: I notticed you killed some of the AC bonus that wild lizard folk get. I thought it was kinda a nice feature (considering how much the rest of their package (at least in the MM) sucks).

The flavor text was looking nice though. I have a strong love for Lizardfolk. That and Kobolds. Poor kobolds, being beaten up for trying to stay dry *sniff sniff, wipes eyes*.

Second: (Not to the author of this thread but more so about D&D stats) There are multiple ways to create stats (the best being the point buy system listed in the DMG (3.5 page 169)). If you use the point buy you can determine how odd/even your stats are. And as I tell people, you always want either 6 even numbers or 5 even and a single odd number. That's because in going to level 20 you get +5 total stat points. If you start with two odd numbers then after you turn your odds into evens you will have +3 left over, and still a single 'wasted' stat increase. If you start with a single odd (or actually any odd number of odds), you'll get a full increase of stats (the last stat bonus will change a modifier).

I actually have a PC who's going to be aiming for an uneven Dex in the long run because of how certain feat requirements work out. Anywhoo, I have to vote for +1 and -1 stat bonuses being a bad idea, because it generates a 'difference' between classes that has not been seen before, effectively casting certain stat sets to better as one race or another.

The Half-Orc isn't really getting shafted on stats though, it's just casting a race into one class or another (a typical thing in D&D since it first came about). Fighters and Barbarians don't feel much of a penalty for low Intelligence or for low Charisma. Bards and Wizards, well, it just hurts to play one of them as a Half-orc. If I were playing a wizard character, I wouldn't hesitate to pick a race with a -6 strength bonus, -6 charisma bonus and a +4 intelligence bonus (at least if I played characters based on stats).

[Jack Aidley]

It seems to me that both of your proposed races are overpowered for a no level adjustment races:

Your lizardmen are strictly better than a half-orc, an extra +2 con and natural weapons.

I don't have the DMG guide to stat mods handy, but I'm pretty certain +2 Dex, +2 Con, -2 Wis, -2 Cha is not considered balanced either.

The Hobgoblin levels also seem a bit good - essentially a Hobgoblin fighter is swapping a feat or two for +1 str, +1 dex, +4 con. Although they have a lower hit die, the con bonus will more than make up for it.

Nice flavour though on both races.

[IanEHewitt]

John - I am not sure what you mean by my 'killing some of the AC bonus' for the lizardfolk'. This is not something I have adjusted thus far on this forum. My intention to put Natural AC in the racial levels, however was deliberate as this could of course be a quickly unbalancing factor.

I thank everyone for the continued feedback I have recieved it has been very valuable. I have a few revisions based on this feedback - and that recieved on other lists - and this is my updated version. The flavour text remains the same, but I will not reproduce it here for length.

I continue to welcome feedback and criticism.

Hobgoblin Racial Traits:
+2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence,  -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma. Shivir are a physically tough people long accustomed to running across the tundra, yet they are a simple and uncomplicated people who often seem rude or abrupt to others.

Shivir base speed is 30 feet.

Medium: As Medium creatures, Shivir have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Darkvision 60': Shivir can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and Shivir can function just fine with no light at all.

Automatic Languages: Shivir (sub), Shivir (verbal).

+4 racial bonus on Wilderness Survival checks.

Racial Levels: A Shivir can take up to three levels in 'hobgoblin' as a class to develop their racial qualities more fully.

Hobgoblin Levels
Shivir can take up to three levels in 'hobgoblin' at any time. Not all Shivir, however, take racial levels (or all three of them).
Hit Die: 1d8
Skill Points at 1st Character Level: (2+ Intelligence) x 4
Skill Points at Higher Level: 2+ Intellignce bonus
"Class" Skills : Climb (Str), Heal (Wis), Intimidate ((Cha), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Sneak (Dex), Spot (Wis), and Wilderness Survival (Wis).
Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Shivir with levels only in hobgoblin (no actual class levels) are proficient in the use of all simple weapons and light armours and shields.

Level 1: +1 BAB, +0 Fort, +0 Ref, +0 Will, +1 Str, +1 Dex
Level 2: +2 BAB, +1 Fort, +1 Ref, +0 Will, +1 Con
Level 3: +3 BAB, +2 Fort, +2 Ref, +1 Will, +1 Con

Lizardfolk Racial Traits:
+2 Constitution, -2 Charisma. Rajiinians are a physically resilient people although somewhat aloof to strangers.

Rajiinian base speed is 20 feet. As a cold-blooded race they can often be sluggish and reluctant to exert energy in rapid movement. As an amphibious people they also enjoy a base Swim speed of 30 feet.

Medium: As Medium creatures, Rajiinians have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Dash: Once per day, per 3 levels (beginning at third level), a Rajiinian can increase its base movement to 50 feet for number of rounds equal to half its Constitution modifier (minimum 1 round).

Hold Breath: A Rajiinian can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to four times its Constitution score before it risks drowning.

Natural Weapons: 2 claws (1d4) and bite (1d4).

Automatic Languages: National Language.

Because of their tails, Rajiinians have a +4 racial bonus on Jump, Swim, and Balance checks.

Racial Levels: A Rajiinian can take up to three levels in 'Lizardfolk' as a class to develop their racial qualities more fully.

Lizardfolk Levels
Rajiinians can take up to three levels in 'lizardfolk' at any time. Not all Rajiinians, however, take racial levels (or all three of them).
Hit Die: 1d8
Skill Points at 1st Character Level: (2+ Intelligence) x 4
Skill Points at Higher Level: 2+ Intelligence bonus
"Class" Skills : Balance (Dex), Craft (Int), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str) and Wilderness Survival (Wis).
Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Rajiinians with levels only in lizardfolk (no actual class levels) are proficient in the use of all simple weapons and light armours and shields.

Level 1 : +0 BAB, +0 Fort, +2 Reflex, +0 Will, +1 Natural AC, +1 Str
Level 2: +1 BAB, +0 Fort, +3 Reflex, +0 Will, +2 Natural AC, +1 Con
Level 3: +2 BAB, +1 Fort, +3 Reflex, +1 Will, +2 Natural AC, Multiattack Feat