Green Players With Elaborate Backgrounds

[EjoThims]

@ Prime32 -- Fair enough. Still, when you compare it to a human, it does still seem powerful considering they're the "control" for what all +0 races are based around for power.

What?

Humans are one of the most powerful non-templated races. And they have the single most useful paragon class.

If you want to multi-class, humans get even better, especially if you follow the stupidly stupid multi-classing restrictions.

Yes, I know my setting does, but that doesn't change that in a normal game it's stupid.

[kevin_video]

Human is still better much of the time due to many builds being very feat hungry, especially at lower level where the human bonus feat gives the biggest benefit.

Fair enough, I guess. It's just that when you look at other systems where they have humans (even WOtC's WOW books), the human's more powerful. They have +2 to Will against fear saves, and they have the same bonuses to Gather Information and Diplomacy as half-elves do. In some cases, they even have the same bonuses to attack and damage that dwarves do against orcs. It just seems weird that those versions of the human are so powerful, and the base one isn't. Even Pathfinder's version just gave them +2 to any one stat, while all the other races were completely revamped and made more powerful to better equal the human. It just throws me off is all.

But I did figure it out. A human basically gets 3 feats at first level (if you account the skill point bonuses). They get the bonus feat, they get an additional 3 skill points (much like skill focus), and they get an additional 1 skill point per level (which is a half human only feat that you take at 1st level). I think what's supposed to make it more balanced is the "any" favored class that most people don't use anyways.

[Caffeinemage]

Let her eat the LA. Just don't target her with anything too powerful.

I completely disagree with this.

Here's the thing: 3.5 is filled with quite a few pit traps for new players.  Some of them are deliberate (fuck you, 3.5 toughness) and some of them sound good until you use them, like the mystic theurge.  One of your roles as DM is to help new players avoid pit traps so they, ya know, want to continue playing.

Frankly, it sounds like her character in that last campaign was stupid, and its stupidity may leak into your campaign if you let her play its offspring.  Do the other players have ridiculous, wacky back stories like this?   If not, will she fit into the group, let alone campaign world?  And, even if she will, do remember how difficult it is to indoctrinate new players.  There's a lot to learn if her DM didn't teach her the game properly.  She's already going to have her hands full if she chooses to go cleric, so adding UA rules or planetouched races will probably be too much at once.

I'd just sit her down and be direct.  Tell her that you like her back story, but it's just going to be a little bit much for your campaign (assuming this is true) and that maybe she'll be able to use it in a future game.  If she likes making up characters, coming up with a new one shouldn't be a big deal.   But tell her that, for learning curve's sake, you'd like her to play something a bit simpler while she's picking up the game.

If she can't handle the disappointment of not being able to play a half fiendish /half dragon/ half unicorn /hentai fairy princess, do remember that this is a player who you'll have to tell when she takes a critical hit, or her beloved pet dies, or she fails to pierce SR.  Her reaction to this disappointment might tell you a lot about the kind of player she is.  

[kevin_video]

I'm totally okay with what she's doing, and she likes the revamping that ended up happening (no pun intended). The others are:
- a human samurai (Oriental Adventures) who I'm giving the Fighter dead levels to.
- a changeling druid with nature bond (gain a cleric domain instead of an animal companion).
- an ogre (the reason the druid took the nature bond due to the possibility he might eat said animal companion).
- a centaur.
- an elven rogue.

I'm perfectly alright with these characters if only because they so obviously look like they're going to have fun with them. The player who's taking the ogre seems to be having the most fun of everyone so far, and we haven't even really played yet. He just likes his character.

[Hijax]

@ Prime32 -- Fair enough. Still, when you compare it to a human, it does still seem powerful considering they're the "control" for what all +0 races are based around for power.

What?

Humans are one of the most powerful non-templated races. And they have the single most useful paragon class.

truth.

I'll play a human ANY DAY over a lesser planetouched. in fact, unless there's a specific reason that i should go something else, i always play a human.

bonus feat is GOOD.

my second favorite race is Neraphim. la +0 outsider. Alter self FtW.
and you can make a charge attack that denies the target their dex bonus to AC. Thats awesome for rogues/assasins.

[kevin_video]

For me it really depends on the game we're playing, if I get the choice, and what we're supposed to accomplish. Then there's the books we're allowed to use, and classes we can get. I have to admit that sometimes it's really, REALLY hard to be a human because you get too many choices. Like a human cleric where only the PHB is allowed, and you roll your stats? I'll take any race other than human any day of the week if that's the case. One feat is plenty when it comes to that sort of thing.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

@ Prime32 -- Fair enough. Still, when you compare it to a human, it does still seem powerful considering they're the "control" for what all +0 races are based around for power.

What?

Humans are one of the most powerful non-templated races. And they have the single most useful paragon class.

truth.

I'll play a human ANY DAY over a lesser planetouched. in fact, unless there's a specific reason that i should go something else, i always play a human.

bonus feat is GOOD.

my second favorite race is Neraphim. la +0 outsider. Alter self FtW.
and you can make a charge attack that denies the target their dex bonus to AC. Thats awesome for rogues/assasins.

Prestidigitation at will is pretty cool, though.

[Hijax]

@ Prime32 -- Fair enough. Still, when you compare it to a human, it does still seem powerful considering they're the "control" for what all +0 races are based around for power.

What?

Humans are one of the most powerful non-templated races. And they have the single most useful paragon class.

truth.

I'll play a human ANY DAY over a lesser planetouched. in fact, unless there's a specific reason that i should go something else, i always play a human.

bonus feat is GOOD.

my second favorite race is Neraphim. la +0 outsider. Alter self FtW.
and you can make a charge attack that denies the target their dex bonus to AC. Thats awesome for rogues/assasins.

Prestidigitation at will is pretty cool, though.

who gets that?

[kevin_video]

Prestidigitation at will is pretty cool, though.

who gets that?

The new hexblades, but not until like lvl 18. Kind of ridiculous.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

d'hin'ni, a lesser planetouched race.

They also get some wind thing too.

[kevin_video]

d'hin'ni, a lesser planetouched race.

They also get some wind thing too.

Nice. What book? ECS?

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Dragon mag.  Check my handbook.

[kevin_video]

Just got two new players in one group, and another in my second. One's a duskblade (still hasn't decided his race yet but he's considering a drow variant), another a half-orc barbarian, and the third one hasn't decided yet due to there being too many choices.