Demi-human balance

I suppose it isn't politically correct to refer to them this way, but there is a reason why most players prefer humans.

I'm wondering what could be done to balance the races that have low-light vision and darkvision. Dwarves, Half-orcs, half-elves, gnomes, and (imo, to a lesser extent) elves are underpowered.

Humans and halflings should have a 20% miss chance if they are attacking someone between 20 - 40 feet away from a wall torch. Low-light vision doubles that to 40 - 80 feet. Moonlight allows for no penalties for low-light vision, but darkvision remains limited to 60 feet. Humans and halflings would suffer 20% miss chance in moonlight (let's assume Oerth has more than one moon).

Magic weapons could generate light and, of course, there is the light spell and dancing lights spell.

I'm sure this has all been considered before over the years, but I am curious.

P.S. I just noticed that my halfling does not have the +1 racial to hit bonus for equipped sling.

 

IMHO, I think this would be too hard to mod as lighting is simply graphical, unless theres something I haven't realised....

 

Enh. The same is (mostly) true in the PnP game. Most people play Humans because they're about the best race around. There are exceptions, of course ... except among the Powergame Lunatics who somehow manage to get their DMs to allow them to play Anthropomorphic Bat Druids ... but mostly if you're gonna play a non-human it's either for roleplay or for a very specific purpose.

For example ... I decided in my current game I didn't want a Fighter or a Cleric with the War domain, so my cleric (of Pelor) is an elf, who is now using the Holy Longsword Filliken gives as a dowry for his daughter Meleny.

That's the kind of thing you've got to think about when thinking non-human, though. If you're not playing a Fighter, the elven proficiencies with Longsword and Longbow can come in REALLY handy. If you're playing a Rogue, that +2 to Search is useful ... so, for that matter, is their immunity to Sleep spells, especially in the early game when your Wizard is likely throwing them left, right and center. If you ARE playing a Fighter or (especially) Barbarian, the Dwarven +2 bonus to Constitution is really useful, as is the fact that Dwarven War Axe is a martial weapon for Dwarves ... and, for a Barbarian or Monk, the fact that a Dwarf never slows down until he's reduced to a 5-foot move is awesome.

That's what you've got to do with a demi-human, though; look for a niche that that race's special abilities can fill.

But I do LOOOOOOOOVE my STR20 (at level 1) Half-Orc Druid/Barbarian ... :evil_laug

 

Grinner, I respect what you are saying although I'm not so sure about your statement about Dwarf movement. It seems their specialty is with heavy armor.

Shiningted, thanks for the heads up! I never paid attention to that thread since "Atari" and the date made me think it didn't apply anymore. My fault for sure, but perhaps renaming the thread to "Known Bug List" might attract more attention.

 

I prefer Dwarves over all races. A lot because of role-playing. I like their style.
Also, having a Constitution score of 20 is quite good. As well as the bonus against poison. But especially having the dwarven axe as a martial weapon is great. Makes them really good for any fighting class.

 

No race it's underpowered, except maybe, the half-orc (since darkvision and orc blood doesn't work)

While the human has an extra feat, each race has a good amount of extras...If you could use a feat to buy immunity to sleep, skill bonuses n saves resistances like a h-elf, would you do it?

 

Low-light vision is even better than darkvision! Perhaps balance is more of an issue with the point-buy system. Or maybe some of you think that ToEE is balanced and PnP is not? Just curious.

 

Sleep spells seems to be a nonissue in ToEE, so it sort of devalues one of the (half) elf's advantages. Aside from that, I can only see a face character benefitting from being a half-elf.

 

Basil -

Nope, dead wrong. HUMANS move at 20' in heavy armor until they're reduced to a 5' move. So do elves, half-elves and half-orcs. That used to be the case back when (in PnP) most races were slowed by BOTH encumbrance and armor, but no longer. Nowadays it's the ability to retain a higher movement rate when ENCUMBERED that kicks ass ...

 

Sleep spells are only a non-issue in ToEE if your party doesn't cast them!! Having a character (or two, or three) who are melee fighters IMMUNE TO THE SLEEP SPELL can come in very, very handy at those lower levels where having your melee character put to sleep accidentally by your wizard can screw the whole party over.

 

Oh YEAH! I know what you mean! Got a pnp one like that, awesome roleplaying that stinky litlle fellah

 

*grins evilly* Natural Spell + Bull's Strength + Bear's Endurance + Wild Shape (Grizzly or Polar Bear shape) + Rage = Str 35, Con 23 FRICKIN' DEATH MACHINE. mg:

But even in human form he ends up a Str 28 frickin' death machine ... WITH magic weapons ... the rage just doesn't last as long.

 

To address the halfling racial to hit bonus with thrown weapons, would the modders have interest to add feats to protos.tab (race) that halflings get Weapon focus (javelins, slings)?