Before I go into some background into it here is: Link to Homebrew
(Think it should work).
TL:DR - Is this balanced/workable for a ratfolk race/Would you be a happy DM if a player brought it to the table?
Hello there my fellow people!
One of my campaigns I am in is coming to a close and the DM is already plotting a new adventure and has hinted at some heavy nautical themes. I have been toying with some ideas for characters thought I had settled on one however it was rather tropey and I was came up with another concept I liked.
Basically a rat swarmkeeper ranger (as boats and rats seem very well fitting thematically imo) who goes by the alias Vermin Lord. Rolled it all up other than race and pondered on that a lot. I initially settle on lizardfolk I could get the narrative to work in my head but it still seemed off, so I reskinned the thought process into a ratfolk with the lizardfolk traits. I have ran that by my DM and he's ok with that - I've passed off the armour increase as just being ratty fast reflexes. But still felt a bit weird with the whole breath holding.
I am also a huge fan of Skaven and I like the concept of the hungry bite as it kind feels ratty (black hunger anyone?).
I did a bit of digging as I felt there should be some form of ratfolk in the DnD universe and I came across the Nezumi (DND - Oriental Adventures (James WYATT). I have taken what I have found and tweaked a copy of lizardfolk, over all I feel it works.
So I have detuned the bite attack to a 1d4 slashing (and allowed slashing to melee)/by proxy the hungry bite.
Changed out natural armour to poison/disease resistant (adv on saving throws) and added some flavour text in regards to eating spoiled foods. Renamed to Pestilent homeland.
Replaced holding breath for 15 minutes with darkvision.
Adjusted the Natures intuition to be Perception and one of additional from a reduced list (to reflect the keen sense from the OA book). Renamed to Rat like instincts.
I have kept the swim speed because rats are good swimmers, and have added a climbing speed...Although I feel this could now have over tuned it, what with climbing speed AND hungry bite.
I couldn't seem to figure out how to limit the selection of skills within the character for the Rat like instincts.
So yeah that's the fluff.
If you're a DM and someone put this race in front of you and asked if they could use it would you be ok or would you want to adjust/detune it? Does it work in general?
Thanks in advance for any input and may your dice roll well!
It's fine, though I was confused why they have a swim and climb speed? Rats are not great swimmers, nor great climbers, sure they can do it but they aren't particularly better at it than other similarly sized animals.
I did question if I could/should keep the swimming in and pondersome about just swapping it with climbing but then I was curious...
...Turns out rats can run up vertical surfaces just look at this little guy go! Also they are crazy good little swimmers (big hindfeet, tails, and surprising stamina (can tread water for 3 days straight, hold their breath for 3 minutes and have been recorded swimming over a mile in open waters - which are now my fun fact to bring to parties (I don't go to many parties))). Hope that helps with the understanding on my logic with the movement speeds!
But fine works for me, thank you :)
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Before I go into some background into it here is: Link to Homebrew
(Think it should work).
TL:DR - Is this balanced/workable for a ratfolk race/Would you be a happy DM if a player brought it to the table?
Hello there my fellow people!
One of my campaigns I am in is coming to a close and the DM is already plotting a new adventure and has hinted at some heavy nautical themes. I have been toying with some ideas for characters thought I had settled on one however it was rather tropey and I was came up with another concept I liked.
Basically a rat swarmkeeper ranger (as boats and rats seem very well fitting thematically imo) who goes by the alias Vermin Lord. Rolled it all up other than race and pondered on that a lot. I initially settle on lizardfolk I could get the narrative to work in my head but it still seemed off, so I reskinned the thought process into a ratfolk with the lizardfolk traits. I have ran that by my DM and he's ok with that - I've passed off the armour increase as just being ratty fast reflexes. But still felt a bit weird with the whole breath holding.
I am also a huge fan of Skaven and I like the concept of the hungry bite as it kind feels ratty (black hunger anyone?).
I did a bit of digging as I felt there should be some form of ratfolk in the DnD universe and I came across the Nezumi (DND - Oriental Adventures (James WYATT). I have taken what I have found and tweaked a copy of lizardfolk, over all I feel it works.
I have kept the swim speed because rats are good swimmers, and have added a climbing speed...Although I feel this could now have over tuned it, what with climbing speed AND hungry bite.
I couldn't seem to figure out how to limit the selection of skills within the character for the Rat like instincts.
So yeah that's the fluff.
If you're a DM and someone put this race in front of you and asked if they could use it would you be ok or would you want to adjust/detune it? Does it work in general?
Thanks in advance for any input and may your dice roll well!
It's fine, though I was confused why they have a swim and climb speed? Rats are not great swimmers, nor great climbers, sure they can do it but they aren't particularly better at it than other similarly sized animals.
I did question if I could/should keep the swimming in and pondersome about just swapping it with climbing but then I was curious...
...Turns out rats can run up vertical surfaces just look at this little guy go! Also they are crazy good little swimmers (big hindfeet, tails, and surprising stamina (can tread water for 3 days straight, hold their breath for 3 minutes and have been recorded swimming over a mile in open waters - which are now my fun fact to bring to parties (I don't go to many parties))). Hope that helps with the understanding on my logic with the movement speeds!
But fine works for me, thank you :)