UPDATE: I've added feats and a paragon path in post #2. PLEASE CRITIQUE THEM AS HARSHLY AS YOU PLEASE.
In a 4e game, a flying race is very tricky business, so I set out to create a pixie race that was both satisfying to the player while remaining balanced in the 4e ruleset.
Please tear the bejesus out of my design, so that I can make it better. The primary ability of the class is being able to fly/psuedo-fly. This can be improved with feats. The secondary ability is arcane archery. The race starts with what is almost a pure-flavor ability, being able to conjure glowing arrows. If the player is a range/seeker/etc. who has use for more potent magic arrows, they can use feats to pursue this:
Diminutive winged guardians of the Crossroads, blessed with the fey power of an immortal huntress.
RACIAL TRAITS Average Height: 2'8"-3'2" Average Weight: 25-45 lbs.
Ability Scores: +2 dexterity, +2 charisma or +2 wisdom Size: Small Speed: 6 squares Vision: Low-Light
Languages: Common, Elven Skill Bonuses: +2 Athletics, +2 Nature Fey Origin: You or your ancestors were native to the Feywild, so you are considered a fey creature for the purpose of effects that relate to creature origin. Sylvan Wings: You have a pair of insect-like wings. Though they cannot support sustained flight, they can be used regularly for short bursts and to allow you to glide from high heights. You take no damage from falling and always land on your feet (unless you are petrified, unconscious, stunned or immobilized). You are always considered to have a running start when you jump, you add 1 square to distance covered by long jumps, and you may add up to 5 feet to the vertical distance cleared in long jumps and high jumps (in addition to what your athletics check would normally grant you). Conjure Arrows of Eledhwen: You have the Conjure Arrow of Eledhwen power. Jaunty Flight: You have the Jaunty Flight power.
Conjure Arrow of Eledhwen
Wood Sprite Racial Power
You conjure a glowing arrow of Eledhwen, the magical symbol of the patroness of your race.
At-WillConjuration
Free Action - Personal
Effect: You conjure an Arrow of Eledhwen in your square, which you can either let fall to the ground or retrieve immediately as a free action if you have a free hand. The arrow functions as a normal arrow except that, when you conjure it using this power, you can choose for it to emit light (of a color of your choosing) as a candle, torch, or sunrod. If you make an attack with this arrow, it is destroyed immediately after the attack is resolved. It is also destroyed immediately if it is not in your square at the start of your turn. Otherwise, each conjuration lasts until you die or until you dismiss it as a free action. Special: You cannot create more than twenty Arrows of Eledhwen at a time. If you already have twenty Arrows of Eledhwen, you cannot create more until you destroy at least one.
Jaunty Flight
Wood Sprite Racial Power
You take to the air briefly on sylvan wings.
Encounter
Free Action - Personal
Effect: You choose to either gain a fly speed of 6 (hover) that lasts until the end of your turn, or to gain a +2 racial bonus to your current fly speed. Special: You can only use this power during your turn.
Millenia ago, one of the FeyWild's most verdant realms, the Land of Eternal Dawn, was ruled by Eledhwen the Immortal Huntress. Her land was host to a variety of fairies and sprites: pixies, nixies and grigs who lived carefree lives filled with music and laughter. They felt safe in Eledhwen's domain, where Fomorians and Dark Fey feared to tread lest they be hunted by the immortal huntress. This age was ended by a time of darkness, when a powerful warlock from the mortal world came to conquer the Land of Eternal Dawn for his own selfish goals, aided by dark fey allies who had grown to hate Eledhwen with an unfathomable passion. Eledhwen and her loyal sprites vanquished this army, but not without a terrible cost: countless fairies were slain, many more were driven to incurable madness, the Land of Eternal Dawn was ravaged, and Eledhwen herself was destroyed, leaving behind only a weakened spirit. The few sane sprites that did survive scattered, and many made their way to the mortal World. There they founded communities around Fey Crossroads, self-appointed guardians of these gateways to the Feywild, who hoped to prevent a painful repetition of history. Over the centuries, these fey became the Wood Sprites. Their inherent magical abilities became dormant, their lifespans shortened, and even their wings became stunted, so that many Wood Sprites are only capable of short bursts of flight. The one power the Wood Sprites have made sure to hold onto was the last gift that the Huntress gave them, the ability to conjure Eledhwen's symbol, the Arrow of Dawn, to use against their enemies, which they have no shortage of so many years later.
Play a wood sprite if you want... * to have a strong connection to the mystical aspects of nature * to be able to fly about in short bursts and summon mystical arrows of light * to be a member of a race that favors the arcane archer, druid, ranger, rogue, seeker, and sorcerer classes
PHYSICAL QUALITIES . . Wood sprites are a diminutive race, smaller than halfling, goblins, and even gnomes. They are usually slender and athletic, though it is not unusual for some males to develop a potbelly after their first 100 years. They have the same range of complexions as humans, though wood sprite hair and eye colors can be of any shade or hue seen in the early morning sky, including the midnight blue of pre-dawn, the pinks and oranges of a sunrise, or the bright sky-blue color of late morning. Their ears are always pointed, but vary in size and length from small and unobtrusive, to being twice as long as their face, and can also be either perky or floppy like a rabbit's. . . Wood sprites mature at about two thirds the rate of humans, so that a 30 year-old sprite looks similiar to a 20 year-old human, and a 90 year-old sprite looks similiar to a 60 year-old human. They show the lines of age, but their hair does not grey, and male sprites often grow full, fluffy beards resembling clouds after middle age. They remain vigorous and immune to senility their entire lives, which often last up to 150 years.
PLAYING A WOOD SPRITE . . Wood Sprite settlements keep themselves somewhat isolated from the towns and cities of the other races, preferring that as few people know about their hidden villages as possible. They often build their modest homes high above the ground in the tree tops - small huts hidden in every tree that surrounds a Fey Crossroad at the center of the village. They will plant fruit trees to expand and feed their forest villages, and use druidic magic to make the trees grow very fast, even where the soil is normally inhospitable. They avoid trade, and if curious people wander too close to their homes, the sprites will try to turn them around with trickery and, if neccesary, scare them off with arrows. If trade is absolutely neccessary, they Wood Sprite communities will try to contact fey-blooded races such as elves or gnomes. . . Because of all this, Wood Sprite PC's are often caught off guard by things that seem common place to others. Some sprites may act a bit frightened and shy away from all these unfamiliar experiences, while others are likely to take in each new experience with excitement, eagerly marveling at even simple things like wheels and hourglasses. Upon returning to their home, wood sprite PCs may receive a cool reception from village elders, if they are even allowed back at all (indeed, many wood sprites begin their adventuring career by being exiled for endangering wood sprite secrets). . . When wood sprites do get used to the mortal world, others will find they are quite sociable by nature. Wood sprites enjoy music, story-telling, and jokes. Their skill at pranks is surpassed only by gnomes, and their curiosity combined with their naivety can often get them in over their heads. The most troubling aspect of a wood sprite's nature is how flighty they are. It is not uncommon for sprites to lose track of what they are supposed to be doing if something more interesting pops up, and many an adventuring party has spent several hours search a town for their missing companion who flitted off after some shiny bauble. However, wood sprites paradoxically can show a single-minded fanaticism when they feel something is truly important, and in these cases it can be almost impossible to get a wood sprite's attention away from what it is focused on. . . It is worth noting that the arrow has an intense symbolic significance to almost all wood sprites. Eledhwen's own symbol was the Arrow of Dawn, and when she was destroyed, she left a bit of her power with each wood sprite, granting them the inherent magical ability to conjure glowing replicas of that arrow. Even those who are untrained in archery find these glowing conjurations comforting as they bring light in the darkest places, and many wood sprites claim to feel calm contentment wrap around them like a blanket when they look into the light of the symbol. Spriten spellcasters often find that the arrow manifests itself in their spells: magic missiles and eldritch blasts may appear as glowing arrows of magical energy, fireball spells may appear as a flaming arrow that explodes on impact, and so on. Wood sprites tend to treat even mundane arrows with a sort of reverence, and many cultural gestures revolve around the arrow: an arrow snapped in two can be a declaration of war, and two arrows wrapped with ribbon is a traditional wedding proposal in many wood sprite tribes. The non-spriten friends of an adventuring wood sprite quickly learn to be careful when handling their own arrows around the sprite, lest any miscommunications occur.
WOOD SPRITE ADVENTURERS Three wood sprite adventurers are described below: . . Pella is a wood sprite arcane archer who has been sent on a quest by her village elders, who believe that her recurring dreams of twelve dragons circling a lone tree to be some sort of vision from Eledhwen. Though she is not really sure what she is supposed to be looking for, she has had many exciting new experiences in her journey; she has travelled to sprawling human kingdoms and seen stone buildings as tall as the tallest trees in her forest, she has tasted delicious dwarven ales and halfling-made sausages, and most importantly she has made several new friends along the way. She fights alongside her new friends in adventure after adventure, using her conjured magic arrows to put down monsters and her ability to fly to act as a superb party scout. . . Cobweb is a rogue who was exiled from his village for repeated thefts, and he has not looked back since. He has since made his way from city to city, "collecting" a great number of shiny trinkets and using trickery and his wings to stay just out of reach of the law. Eventually, an adventuring party hired him for his special talents, though they always have to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't take more than his cut. Though a bit of a coward, he is still a valuable asset in combat who can place a well-aimed arrow in the back of an off-guard enemy. . . Clarion is an avenger of Melora whose village was burned to the ground by orcs. After slaying the orc leader, she took his waraxe and now uses it to cut down others who would seek to despoil the wilds. Now that a goblin army threatens her forest as well as the nearby kingdom of Treeshield, she has joined an adventuring party to put an end to this threat as well, an she makes an intimidating figure on the battlefield, flying about, covered in warpaint and blood, divebombing hobgoblins with an axe that is bigger that she is.
The racial feats are very important to fleshing out this race. Most of these feats are designed to enhance Wood Sprite's flying ability and their ability to conjure magical arrows, BUT I also felt it was important to create feats for Wood Sprites who choose to be something other than an archer. Please review these as carefully as you have reviewed the race itself, feel free to harshly critique if neccesary, and if you can think of better names for any of these, I'm open to suggestions!
Arrows of Shadow Heroic Prerequisite: Wood Sprite, Rogue You gain proficiency with the shortbow. If a rogue power or paragon path power requires you to wield a crossbow, you can use that power with a shortbow and can also deal your sneak attack damage while using a shortbow.
Eledhwen's Retribution Heroic Prerequisite: Wood Sprite, Conjure Arrows of Eledhwen If a target that is within 20 squares and is marked by you targets any of your allies with an attack power that doesn't include you as a target, you can strike it with an unerring arrow of Eledhwen as an immediate interrupt for 1d8 force damage. There is no attack roll. This damage increases to 2d8 at level 21. If you chose to use this feat, you cannot use any other ability or power that triggers off of a marked target's attack until a marked target fulfills a triggering condition again.
Elemental Arrows Heroic Prerequisite: Wood Sprite Once per day, when you use your Conjure Arrows of Eledhwen ability, you can choose to give the conjured arrow the properties of a Firestorm Arrow, a Freezing Arrow, or a Lightning Arrow (see Adventurer's Vault 2). The arrow retains these properties until it is used or until you take an extended rest. You cannot grant the properties of magical ammunition with a higher level than your own level.
Ensorcelled Bow Heroic Prerequisite: Wood Sprite You gain proficiency with the shortbow, plus you can use a shortbow as an implement for any power with the implement keyword. In addition, once per day, when you attack a target's reflex with the shortbow and miss, you may add 1d6 to the attack roll as a free action.
Fey Mischief Arrows Heroic Prerequisite: Wood Sprite Once per day, when you use your Conjure Arrows of Eledhwen ability, you can choose to give the conjured arrow the properties of a Bending Arrow, a Phasing Arrow, a Spider Arrow, or a Summoning Arrow (see Adventurer's Vault 2). The arrow retains these properties until it is used or until you take an extended rest. You cannot grant the properties of magical ammunition with a higher level than your own level.
Sustained Flight Heroic Requirement: Wood Sprite Jaunty Flight now lasts until the end of your next turn.
Spriten Divebomb Heroic Prerequisite: Wood Sprite Once per encounter, when you fly as part of a charge, you may choose to deal an additional 1d10 damage on a hit. This damage increases to 2d10 at level 21.
Spriten Fletchery Heroic Prerequisite: Wood Sprite, Conjure Arrows of Eledhwen power You can perform the Enchant Magic Item ritual as if you had the ritual mastered, but only to create magical ammunition. For this purpose, you do not need a ritual book or scroll, and perform the ritual as if you were four levels higher. Furthermore, you may treat all uncommon magic ammunition as if it were common for the purposes of crafting and any other rarity-based limitations. If the ammunition created is a type you have learned to conjure as an Arrow of Eledhwen (such as via the Elemental Arrows feat), the component cost of the ritual is halved.
Veteran Trickster Heroic Prerequisite: Wood Sprite Once per encounter, you may choose to either reroll the attack roll of a power with the charm or illusion keyword, or to reroll a saving throw against an effect with either of those keywords.
Wild Hunt Arrows Heroic Prerequisite: Wood Sprite Once per day, when you use your Conjure Arrows of Eledhwen ability, you can choose to give the conjured arrow the properties of a Dual Arrow, an Onslaught Arrow, or a Surprise Arrow (see Adventurer's Vault 2). The arrow retains these properties until it is used or until you take an extended rest. You cannot grant the properties of magical ammunition with a higher level than your own level.
Wood Sprite Archery Heroic Prerequisite: Wood Sprite You gain proficiency with the shortbow. When wielding a shortbow, you use a d10 for its weapon damage, and you ignore cover (but not superior cover).
PARAGON FEATS: Eledhwen's Quiver Paragon Prerequisite: Elemental Arrows, Fey Mischief Arrows, or Wild Hunt Arrows feat Whenever you reach a milestone, you gain one extra use of the Elemental Arrows, Fey Mischief Arrows, and Wild Hunt Arrows feats (if you have them).
Practiced Flyer Paragon Requirement: Wood Sprite, Jaunty Flight power You may use the Jaunty Flight racial power twice per encounter.
Paragon Path:
Descendant of Eledhwen
"Spirit of Eledhwen, I beg of thee, give the power of Eternal Dawn back to me..."
Prerequisite: Wood Sprite . . Millennia ago, the immortal huntress Eledhwen was destroyed trying to protect the Wood Sprites and the Realm of Eternal Dawn from an army of Dark Fey. It said that though her body was destroyed, her spirit lives on, and continues to protect the Wood Sprites, who have long since migrated to the mortal world where they guard the Fey Crossroads. The wood sprites are no longer as magical as they once were, having spent so much time out of the Feywild, but their latent magical abilities can be awakened in those who truly devote themselves to the spirit of Eledhwen. . . You are one of those devoted souls who seeks to regain the power of your ancestors. You have made the pilgrimage to the ancient ruins of Eledhwen's palace in the scarred lands that was once the Realm of Eternal Dawn. You have sworn your loyalty to her spirit and have sworn to protect the Feywild, and in return your fey powers have been awakened and you can fly above the treetops once more.
DESCENDANT OF ELEDHWEN PATH FEATURES: Sky Dancer (11th level): You gain a fly speed of 4 (hover), and your Jaunty Flight racial power now grants a fly speed of 10(hover). Flying Leap (11th level): When you spend an action point to take an extra action, you can also fly 8 squares as a free action. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks. Arrow of Dawn (11th level): You have your choice of either the Arrow of Dawn or Glamor Ambush attack power. You have the option to change this choice whenever you gain a level. Diminutive Form (12th level): You gain the Diminutive Form utility power. Defensive Glamor (16th level): When you use your second wind or take the total defense action, you become invisible until the end of your next turn. Feywild Entanglement(20th level): You gain the Feywild Entanglement attack power.
Arrow of Dawn
Descendant of Eledhwen Attack 11
You call to the spirit of Eledhwen and conjure an arrow that glows with a warm, brilliant light. It flares in intensity as your fire it from your bow, brighter than the morning sun.
EncounterArcane, Fire, Radiant, Weapon
Standard Action Ranged Weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding a bow nocked with a conjured Arrow of Eledhwen
Target:One Creature
Attack:Dexterity vs. AC
Hit: 3[W]+Dexterity modifier fire and radiant damage, and the target is dazed until the end of your next turn.
Glamor Ambush
Descendant of Eledhwen Attack 11
You call upon the mystical powers of the Feywild to inflict a vivid hallucination on an enemy, then take deadly advantage of the temporary stupor.
EncounterArcane, Illusion, Psychic
Standard Action Ranged 5
Target:One Creature
Attack:Wisdom+6 or Charisma +6 vs. Will Level 21: Wisdom+9 or Charisma +9 vs. Will
Hit: The target is blinded and dazed until the end of your next turn. You may fly or shift 4 squares and then make a basic attack against the target.
Diminutive Form
Descendant of Eledhwen Utility 12
You chant an arcane word and shrink to the size of a small woodland creature.
EncounterArcane, Polymorph
Minor Action Personal
Effect: You are reduced to less than half your normal size and a quarter of your normal weight, and your size category is now Tiny. While you are in this form, you have a speed of 2 and a fly speed of 8 (hover). You have a +10 to stealth checks, you can make stealth checks to become hidden if you have any cover or concealment, and you can use cover granted by your allies both to become hidden and to remain hidden. If you attack, you immediately resume your normal form, or you can resume your normal form as a minor action.
Feywild Entanglement
Descendant of Eledhwen Attack 20
You call to the powerful energies of the Feywild that are within you and around you, and thick vines and roots appear to entangle and crush your enemies.
DailyArcane, Primal
Standard Action - Area Burst 3 within 10
Target:One, two, or three Creatures in the burst
Attack:Your highest ability modifier +9 vs. Reflex
Hit: 6d6 damage, and the target is restrained (save ends). Aftereffect: The target is slowed. Miss: Half damage, and the target is restrained until the end of your next turn.[/quote]
A simpler rule than +5 feet upwards might be +1 Reach upwards only for melee attacks, to model the ability of the creatures to flit up, attack and back down - that also has the advantage you don't need to make skill rolls when the sprites engage flying enemies, and gives melee-based Heroic tier PCs something simple to use versus those foes (obviously the ranged PCs have their magic arrows).
You know, I honestly like this race. And while I have no personal issue with flying races, it's understandable we'll probably never see one because there's no way to do it satisfactorily to please everyone. But this I think works pretty well. Not really flying, but more like hovering with style. It may be a tad strong, what with the no falling damage and all. Mostly since I can't remember when you can get items that do the equivalent, I think there may be one in heroic, but not sure...but eh doesn't matter much since the Sprites can't really naturally fly except with their racial power.
Though I would possibly change the racial power to be like the Wind Genasi, and have it last till the end of your turn, and not till the end of your next turn. For fairness, then the feat Practiced Flyer might instead be used to increase the length of Jaunty Flight till the end of your next turn, and then have a feat at paragon that'll give two uses. Because having two uses of your racial power at heroic is kinda strong and doesn't happen too often. Or at least it's circumstantial at best. I'm just thinking of the drow, and their paragon feat to use both their racial powers per encounter instead of just one. But eh, still might work out fine.
Sylvan Wings: If you are conscious, you take no damage from falling, and always land on your feet.
I think that negating falling damage is perfectly fine, but I might change the requirements from "if you are conscious" to "if you are able to take actions". I see no reason, for example, that a stunned characters should be able to make use of this feature.
You add your dexterity bonus to athletic checks made to jump, and are always considered to have a running start.
I always recommend against racial features that rely on specific ability scores to function because they excessively channel a race towards classes that rely on that score. Yes, race-class synergy does happen, but at least some effort should be made to avoid it to such a significant degree. If you really want to give them a bonus to jump, then I'm sure that you can find an interesting way to do it that's more universally useful. Heck, it looks like you already have:
Finally, you may add up to 5 feet to the vertical distance cleared in long jumps and high jumps (in addition to what your athletics check would normally grant you).
Wood Sprite Proficiency: You gain proficiency with the short bow.
I'd get rid of this. Racial weapon proficiencies are a little pet peeve of mine, but I promise that I have a good reason, and that reason is that they're useless both mechanically and thematically. Mechanically, they're useless because any character that would use a shortbow is already granted proficiency with them from their class, and any class that isn't already granted proficiency with them from their class wouldn't use them anyway. Thematically, they're useless because they don't actually do anything to reinforce any thematic ideas about the race, and they also commit the sin of injecting culture into racial mechanics, which is bad because (A) it implies that weapon use is something biological or innate to the race, which it's not, and (B) it implies that the race only has one single unified possible culture, which make breaking the racial mold unnecessarily mechanically annoying.
Conjure Arrows of Eledhwen: You can conjure special arrows at will as a free action. The arrows of Eledhwen act exactly as normal arrows, except when you create them, you can choose for them to emit light as a candle, torch, or sunrod in a color of your choosing. Arrows conjured in this fashion disintegrate 1 round after they leave your possession (at the end of your next turn).
I expected this feature to be awful and to pigeon-hole the character into ranged weapon classes and roles, but I was pleasently surprised. The arrows are totally useless by default, and so the feature actually only functions at all as a light source, which is totally class and role neutral. However, the feature does have a couple of questions that need clearing up: 1) What's the limit? How many arrows can be conjured at a time? This is important because, as the feature currently functions, the character could make an infinite number of arrow, and I shouldn't have to explain why that's not good. My recommendation would be to limit it to two or three at a time. This way, the character can fire one or two but still have one in its possession. 2) Normally, if an effect expires 1 round after it's used on your turn, then it last until the beginning of your next turn. I see no reason that this feature should deviate from that convention. 3) Where is the arrow conjured? At your feet in your square? In the air 10 squares away? My recommendation is that they only be allowed to be conjured into your own square, where they can either be grabbed as part of the action that it took to create them or allowed to fall to the ground. 4) If the arrows hit a creature, do they still continue to glow? This seems like an obvious application of the feature, but I'm going to have to recommend against it because of how deceptively useful it makes the feature. It would be fine for some sort of effect like this to be done via feats or something, though. To this end, I'm going to recommend that the arrow immediately disappear as soon as any attack done with it is resolved. 5) Finally, why is this feature not a power? It just seems so obviously like something that should be a power as opposed to just a feature. So, if you were to take all of this advice, here's how this power might look:
Conjure Arrow of Eledhwen At-Will * Conjuration Free Action, Personal Effect: You conjure an Arrow of Eledhwen in your square, which you can either let fall to the ground or retrieve immediately as a free action if you have a free hand. The arrow functions as a normal arrow except that, when you conjure it using this power, you can choose for it to emit light (of a color of your choosing) as a candle, torch, or sunrod. If you make an attack with this arrow, it is destroyed immediately after the attack is resolved. It is also destroyed immediately if it is not in your square at the start of your turn. Otherwise, the effect lasts until you die. However, you can only have up to three of these conjurations active at one time. If you use this power while you already have three of these conjurations active, then you must select one of these active conurations to be destroyed immediately.
Jaunty Flight: You have the Jaunty Flight power.
Jaunty Flight: Wood Sprite Racial Power You take to the air briefly on sylvan wings. Encounter Move Action Personal Effect: You fly 6 squares, and gain a fly speed of 6 (hover) that lasts until the end of your next turn.
Honestly, I think that this is too powerful when compared to the Genasi Windwalker power. However, I could see it working just fine if the effect lasts until the end of your current turn instead of until the end of your next turn.
I'd lower the speed a bit, for balance. As well I'd do away with the additional height for the jumps.
I disagree with the additional jump height, but I can actually see why lowering their speed to 6 might not be a bad idea. This race is pretty feature heavy, with Sylvan Wings alone already granting a bunch of benefits.
A simpler rule than +5 feet upwards might be +1 Reach upwards only for melee attacks, to model the ability of the creatures to flit up, attack and back down - that also has the advantage you don't need to make skill rolls when the sprites engage flying enemies, and gives melee-based Heroic tier PCs something simple to use versus those foes (obviously the ranged PCs have their magic arrows).
This, however, I totally disagree with. This race currently actually has pretty much zero that exclusively benefits ranged characters except for maybe in a fluff-oriented way, so there definitely shouldn't be anything that exclusively benefits melee characters mechanically.
Speaking of things that were badly designed, please check out this thread for my Minotaur fix. What have the critics said, you ask? "If any of my players ask to play a Minotaur, I'm definitely offering this as an alternative to the official version." - EmpactWB "If I ever feel like playing a Minotaur I'll know where to look!" - Undrave "WoTC if you are reading this - please take this guy's advice." - Ferol_Debtor_of_Torm "Really full of win. A minotaur that is actually attractive for more than just melee classes." - Cpt_Micha
Also, check out my recent GENASI variant! If you've ever wished that your Fire Genasi could actually set stuff on fire, your Water Genasi could actually swim, or your Wind Genasi could at least glide, then look no further.
Finally, check out my OPTIONS FOR EVERYONE article, an effort to give unique support to the races that WotC keeps forgetting about. Includes new racial feature options for the Changeling, Deva, Githzerai, Gnoll, Gnome, Goliath, Half-Orc, Kalashtar, Minotaur, Shadar-Kai, Thri-Kreen, Warforged and more!
Thankyou so much for your input so far, everyone, especially Crimson_Concerto.
@Crimson_Concerto: I followed alot of your input. Two things I'd like to mention: Limiting the number of Eledhwen Arrows: I don't see the point to making the ability even more complicated. No one else can use the arrows, so what does it really matter if the PC can conjure hundreds arrows? Why would they? Is there some mechanical benefit I am overlooking here? Jaunty Flight: Yeah, I know its more powerful the the Genasi Windwalker power. It was supposed to be. Flying is this race's whole thing. However, I did alter the power. To gain the extended fly speed, the sprite now has to burn a surge (representing the physical strain of sustaining flight with weak wings), which I think is a fair trade. Otherwise, I think you were right on the money. I'd really value your opinion on the racial feats, as I feel that racial feats are really important to 4e races.
Added a whole bunch of heroic racial feats as well as two paragon tier ones. I still intend to come back and write a more thorough description of the race, a racial paragon path, and perhaps more feats, and I was thinking of maybe creating some Wood-Sprite-Only skill powers...
Ability Scores: Choose two of the following: +2 dexterity, +2 charisma, +2 wisdom
There was nothing wrong with what you had before (DEX//WIS/CHA), and I do not recommend this change. I don't see any thematic justification for this race being so much more flexible with its ability score than any other, and really, it's more trouble than it's worth because of how you'd then have to deal with racial defense bonuses with the WIS/CHA version.
Sylvan Wings: ...You take no damage from falling and always land on your feet (unless you are unconscious, stunned or immobilized).
Limiting the number of Eledhwen Arrows: I don't see the point to making the ability even more complicated. No one else can use the arrows, so what does it really matter if the PC can conjure hundreds arrows? Why would they? Is there some mechanical benefit I am overlooking here?
Honestly, it's just a safeguard against stupidity. Because I know quite a lot of players who would look at this power and immediately go, "Sweet! I conjure a trillion arrow! What happens?" And even is the answer is, "Nothing", it's something that a DM shouldn't have to deal with in the first place. Besides, what would be the point of allowing more than three arrows or so to begin with?
Jaunty Flight: Yeah, I know its more powerful the the Genasi Windwalker power. It was supposed to be. Flying is this race's whole thing. However, I did alter the power. To gain the extended fly speed, the sprite now has to burn a surge (representing the physical strain of sustaining flight with weak wings), which I think is a fair trade.
Trying to balance racial features like this is a tricky situation. I really don't like it at all personally, "fair trade" or not, but I might be overreacting, so give it a shot and tell me how it goes...
Speaking of things that were badly designed, please check out this thread for my Minotaur fix. What have the critics said, you ask? "If any of my players ask to play a Minotaur, I'm definitely offering this as an alternative to the official version." - EmpactWB "If I ever feel like playing a Minotaur I'll know where to look!" - Undrave "WoTC if you are reading this - please take this guy's advice." - Ferol_Debtor_of_Torm "Really full of win. A minotaur that is actually attractive for more than just melee classes." - Cpt_Micha
Also, check out my recent GENASI variant! If you've ever wished that your Fire Genasi could actually set stuff on fire, your Water Genasi could actually swim, or your Wind Genasi could at least glide, then look no further.
Finally, check out my OPTIONS FOR EVERYONE article, an effort to give unique support to the races that WotC keeps forgetting about. Includes new racial feature options for the Changeling, Deva, Githzerai, Gnoll, Gnome, Goliath, Half-Orc, Kalashtar, Minotaur, Shadar-Kai, Thri-Kreen, Warforged and more!
Ability Scores: Choose two of the following: +2 dexterity, +2 charisma, +2 wisdom
There was nothing wrong with what you had before (DEX//WIS/CHA), and I do not recommend this change. I don't see any thematic justification for this race being so much more flexible with its ability score than any other, and really, it's more trouble than it's worth because of how you'd then have to deal with racial defense bonuses with the WIS/CHA version.
Sylvan Wings: ...You take no damage from falling and always land on your feet (unless you are unconscious, stunned or immobilized).
Limiting the number of Eledhwen Arrows: I don't see the point to making the ability even more complicated. No one else can use the arrows, so what does it really matter if the PC can conjure hundreds arrows? Why would they? Is there some mechanical benefit I am overlooking here?
Honestly, it's just a safeguard against stupidity. Because I know quite a lot of players who would look at this power and immediately go, "Sweet! I conjure a trillion arrow! What happens?" And even is the answer is, "Nothing", it's something that a DM shouldn't have to deal with in the first place. Besides, what would be the point of allowing more than three arrows or so to begin with?
Jaunty Flight: Yeah, I know its more powerful the the Genasi Windwalker power. It was supposed to be. Flying is this race's whole thing. However, I did alter the power. To gain the extended fly speed, the sprite now has to burn a surge (representing the physical strain of sustaining flight with weak wings), which I think is a fair trade.
Trying to balance racial features like this is a tricky situation. I really don't like it at all personally, "fair trade" or not, but I might be overreacting, so give it a shot and tell me how it goes...
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