Fauns as a PC race.

Still playing around with Satyrs... in an entire SFW way mind you. Here is what I have so far, still haven't worked up the actual classes but at least I have a framework for them. I based the XP costs on the gnome, subtracting the cost of the equiv level of arcane from each value, then working out the cost of 4 racial powers by putting it ruffly in the middle. Its probably horribly unbalanced, but it is a first draft. At Satyr 0 you have some basic nature powers and a little music talent, at Satyr 1 you are basically a D&D MM Satyr. I left their appearance incredibly variable as I like the idea that players can be anything from Krampus to a red skinned Mr Tumnus. If anybody makes their own classes using this let me know.

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Still working on the actual custom classes, but here are satyrs presented as a racial value for Adventurer Conqueror King as per the Players Companion custom class rules.

SATYR CUSTOM CLASSES
Satyrs are a race of humanoids born of born of the sorcerous or divine mingling of Man and Goat, Sheep, or Deer. Although humans consider them just another tribe of beast-men, the Satyrs believe themselves to be the many and varied offspring of a wild collection of ungulate gods. All satyrs have hooved ungulate like legs, and the torsos of men, wether they have the faces of beasts or men they all have horns of one style or another.

Two strange features separate Satyrs from most other beast-men.

First: A satyrs offspring of the same gender will always be a satyr of the same type as its parent. Meaning that if a doe-like Satyress mates with a human male her sons will be human and her daughters will be doe-like satyrs, similarly very human looking Satyr who has a child with an ogress will have a very human looking Satyr for a son, or an ogress for a daughter.

Second: All Satyrs have an inherent drive to produce the wild, strange, and sorcerous music of their kind. From the day they are born strange notes, born on eldritch starlight, burrow their way into the satyrs mind and demand expression.

Satyrs form single-gendered matrilineal or patrilineal clans headed by their eldest same-gendered ancestor. These clans are the basis of satyr identity and culture as, no matter how varied the race as a whole may be, members of the same clan tend to appear very similar, with only very slight differences due to non-satyr parentages.

REQUIREMENTS
All Satyr classes require a minimum 9 or better in Dexterity and Charisma, despite their bestial natures they have an eerie animal magnetism.

CLASS CATEGORY VALUES

Arcane: Satyrs can never have an Arcane value Higher than two due to their natural lack of discipline. A satyr who dedicates himself to the arcane will find his natural desires to be at odds with his studies.

Divine: Satyrs can never have a Divine value Higher than two, due to their relationships with elder beings. The satyrs own pantheon of lusty ungulate demon gods neither respect nor recognize absolute devotion to anything but their bestial natures, and those who follow human gods find themselves trapped in a celestial framework which only nominally includes them.

SATYRKIND VALUE

Value  Satyr                      XP Cost
4      Satyr + 6 Racial Powers    750
3      Satyr + 5 Racial Powers    650
2      Satyr + 4 Racial Powers    550
1      Satyr + 3 Racial Powers    450
0      Satyr                      250

When building a Satyr custom class, assign between 0 and 4 build points to the class’s Satyr Value. At Satyr 0, all Satyr gain the following Satyr custom powers:

Rural Folk: A Satyr can seemingly disappear in woodland settings on a proficiency throw of 3+, and when in a dungeon they can disappear on a throw of 14+.

Friend of Birds and Beasts: The character is well-schooled in the natural world. He can identify plants and fauna with a proficiency throw of 11+, and understands the subtle body language and moods of birds and beasts (though they may not understand the character). He gains +2 to all reaction rolls when encountering normal animals, and can take animals as henchmen. This is effectively the Beast Friendship proficiency, selected as a custom power.

Horns: A Satyr may make a heat-butting attack for 1d6 damage.

Performance: Satyr culture is saturated in the strange alien music of their lustful gods. Every satyr gains one rank in the Performance proficiency specific to the musical style of their clan. At higher Satyr values the satyr learns to create spell-like effects with their music.

Adding points into the Satyr value grants the following powers to Satyr racial classes. 

Satyr 1: The satyr can use the traditional instruments of his people, and their strange alien tones, to seduce, pacify, or terrify those who listen, as per the spells Charm Person, Create Fear, and Sleep, this works like the Magical Music Proficiency.

Satyr 2: As above, plus the satyr can Speak with Animals at will

Satyr 3: All of the above, plus the Satyr can now use his music to Charm Animals as per the spell, this works like the Magical Music Proficiency.

Satyr 4: All of the above, plus the satyr can Enthrall as per the spell, this works like the Magical Music Proficiency.

Looks fun! I'd use it for an ASSH-themed game; there's some sort of satyr-equiv on the Plains of Leng if I recall correctly. A satyr-skinned Elven Enchanter would be a neat thing.

If you haven't seen it yet, there's a start of a breakdown on how to do custom races here:

http://www.autarch.co/forum/gnomish-infravision-0

At Satyr 0, I'd say you've got 4 powers at an equivalent of 4 powers (each one worth a single power); you gain powers not available to humans at Satyr 2,3,4; so you're at a value of (4-1+1*40)=160 XP, which should round up to 175.

You may be a little high in your XP amounts. To finish it off, you'd need to calculate how many powers Satyr 1,2,3,4 are giving the character and apply that same formula.

Ok, so since they mostly gain spellcasting abilities this line from your post on the Gnomish Infravision thread seems the most relevant for values 1-4

"Gnome 1: 3 spellcasting powers end up costing 5 total, 12-1==11*40=440=>450."

Maybe I'm missing something (don't have the PC handy) but where do you get 5 from three spells? 

[quote="capheind"]

"Gnome 1: 3 spellcasting powers end up costing 5 total, 12-1==11*40=440=>450."

[/quote]

I can't find my spreadsheet for the life of me, but, I think this is because the last power, Speak With Animals, is a 2nd level at will. 

2nd level spells by default are every 8 hours. Reducing to 1 hour adds a power cost, reducing to at-will adds a power cost. 1+1+3=5.

To explain Gnome 3, I'm pretty sure I assumed that the "use thief magic devices" was 3 powers, having nothing else better to go on.

I can't guarantee that's actually correct, but the math worked out.

Found my sheet:

    Racial -1 Add 1 Hum by40 Rounded
Potion Nose, 4 lang, Infra90, Resistant to Illusion 7 6.00 6 240 250
3 racial powers == 5 12 11.00 11 440 450
1/3 level mage == 16 powers 28 27.00 27 1080 1075
2 more pracial powers == 5 33 32.00 32 1280 1275
1/2 level mage, 1 power == 17 50 49.00 49 1960 1975

Been a few years, so...

Ok so then would their Magical Music abilities be considered 2 powers (since its at will) or 1 power since it has limitations imposed by music (targets have to hear it, they have to have their instrument, etc)? 

also considering the damage I think their horns should probably count as 2 powers, at least in line with the fangs/claws power in the PC. That sound right? 

[quote="capheind"] Ok so then would their Magical Music abilities be considered 2 powers (since its at will) or 1 power since it has limitations imposed by music (targets have to hear it, they have to have their instrument, etc)?  [/quote]

It looks like your Magical Music does more than the default... From the PC, Magical Music will do:

  • Serenade creatures with a potental prurient interest, as Charm Person (takes 1 minute of performance)
  • Quiet savage beasts, ordinary and giant animals of 4 HD or less, as Sleep, takes one minute

It looks like yours changes this to:

  • Charm Person, takes 1 minute to cast
  • Sleep, takes 1 minute to cast
  • Create Fear, takes 1 minute to cast

Given that's true, I think that's at least 1.5 powers, probably 2 powers - rough eyeballing makes me think these are worth about 2/3rds of a power a piece. All 1st level spells with a longer casting time (but less than the 1 turn casting time step from pg 98)

Horns...the better comparison is probably Unarmed Fighting from the monk - allows him to do lethal damage with fist or feet. The damage is a lot less, however - punches average 2 points, kicks average 2.5 points with a -2 to-hit. 

If you treated it like a kick (headbutts feel like a clumsy attack outside of grappling, but I'm a lover, not a fighter) I'd say 1.5 powers maximum, or tied it in with the "-1 to reactions" inhumanity power/weakness, I'd call it even probably.

 

 

Ao at Satyr 1 we have two racial powers, then at Satyr 2 with the Speak with animals ability we would have 5 powers, then at Satyr 3 it would be an aditional 2 powers, and again at Satyr 4. So that gives

Satyr 0 175

Satyr 1 250 (6-1+1)*40=240 rounded up

Satyr 2 450 (11-1+1)*40=440 rounded up

Satyr 3 525 (13-1+1)*40=520 Rounded up

Satyr 4 600 (15-1+1)*40=600

That seem right? A bit of a jump at Satyr 2, but talking freely to any animal you meet should be a big deal. Also Enthrall might be 3 instead of two...

My thinking is I'd have a few Satyr 0 classes, a few more satyr 1 classes, and probably a Satyr 4 and a Satyr 2 class. Although to start I'd probably just have two or three classes. The satyr 4 class would be a wacked out otherworldly bard type.