Dwarf Subraces: Three Proposals

[satantrik]

Arctic Dwarf (Monsters of Faerun)

Squat, hardy, and eccentric, the arctic dwarves (who refer to themselves as Innugaakalikurit) are the only dwarven subrace native to the Great Glacier region in Faerun. With blocky bodies, pinched faces, and stubby legs, arctic dwarves resemble normal dwarves who have been squashed. They seldom exceed three feet in heigh and are nearly as broad as they are tall. Their eyes are bright blue, their cheeks as ruddy as apples. Normally, their skin is white, almost bluish, but because of their fondness for basking under the bright sun, many of them are sunburned red from head to toe, a condition that causes them no discomfort or other ill effects. Their fingers and toes are thick and blunt, their feet flat and wide, enabling them to walk on snow without sinking. Curly white hair covers their heads and tumbles down their backs nearly to their waists. Males sport short beards and twisting moustaches. Both sexes favor simple tunics of polar bear fur. Innugaakalikurit are always barefoot.

Ability score adjustments: +2 Str, +2 Con, -2 Dex, -2 Cha
Special Qualities: Cold Resist 10/-; +2 Search; +4 Hide; +2 save against Poison; +2 save against spells; +1 Dodge AC
Alignment: Any
Favored Class: Ranger
ECL: +1
Note: Arctic Dwarves do not receive Stonecunning (+2 Search indoors), Lore skill affinity (+2 Lore), Battle training versus Orcs/Goblinoids (+1 AB versus orcs/goblinoids), or Battle training versus Giants (+4 Dodge AC versus Giants) racial feats.

Urdunnir (Monsters of Faerun)

This long-forgotten dwarven race is specially blessed by the dwarven deity Dumathoin, the Keeper of Secrets Under the Mountain. Urdunnirs look much like shield dwarves, with light gray skin, long gray beards, and silver eyes. They usually wear a tight-fitting, one-piece garment composed of stone and metal and made flexible by their innate magical powers.

Ability score adjustments: +4 Con, -2 Dex, -4 Cha
Special Qualities: +2 Search indoors; +2 Lore; +4 save against Poison; +2 save against spells; Slashing Resist 2/-; Piercing Resist 2/-
Special Abilities: <i>Stoneskin</i>, <i>Camouflage</i> all cast 1/day as a Sorceror equal to their character level
Alignment: Must be Neutral
Favored Class: Cleric
ECL: +3
Note: Urdunnir do not receive Hardiness versus Poison (+2 save against Poison), Battle training versus Orcs/Goblinoids (+1 AB versus orcs/goblinoids), or Battle training versus Giants (+4 Dodge AC versus Giants) racial feats.

Wild Dwarf (Monsters of Faerun)

Also known as jungle dwarves, these folks are found in the jungles of Mhair and Chult in Faerun. They are dark-skinned, short, and stout. Their heavily tattooed bodies are covered with grease that serves to keep off insects and also makes them hard to hold. They wear nothing except their long, woven hair, which serves as adequate clothing. They plaster their hair with mud to form a crude armor when going to war. Sturdy and muscular, they distrust intruders and avoid confrontations unless attacked or provoked.

Ability score adjustments: +2 Con, -2 Int
Special Qualities: Fire Resist 5/-; +2 save against Poison; +4 save against Disease; Immunity: Sleep spells/effects; Poison Handling (as per Black Guard and Assassin prestige classes)
Alignment: Any
Favored Class: Barbarian
ECL: +0
Note: Wild Dwarves do not receive Stonecunning (+2 Search indoors), Lore skill affinity (+2 Lore), Hardiness versus spells (+2 save against spells), Battle training versus Orcs/Goblinoids (+1 AB versus orcs/goblinoids), or Battle training versus Giants (+4 Dodge AC versus Giants) racial feats.

[HealingBreeze]

Nice ideas, but since you must choose a basic race before a subrace, is it even possible to remove character feats like Battle Training and Stonecunning?

[sep caldessian]

Nice ideas, but since you must choose a basic race before a subrace, is it even possible to remove character feats like Battle Training and Stonecunning?

you can just add in penalties to the subrace to offset the inherent bonus.

[satantrik]

I know a stock NWN server can't edit certain portions of the character files without forcing the character to relog, but with the type of server NS4 is running they can pass information to and from the server on the fly. This may include character file information. I have been on servers that can edit on the fly (adding/removing wings/tails/etc.), but I don't have enough working knowledge of NWScript to know how to go about doing this. I know Aantioch edits, but forces to you to relog, which I don't think is an acceptable solution. Adding stats that reverse the bonuses might work (removing stonecunning could be tricky), but this is almost as inelegant as Aantioch's solution.

The Devs have whispered of having a real solution to this, which I imagine is related to their custom server (being able to edit the databases while running).

[Lokey]

Don't think there can be a no-boot solution unless Bio makes a change. There's no way to refresh the character file in game, needs to be reloaded and login is the only way to do it currently (unless Dragonsong has something really sneaky going on I haven't heard about).

[Mad_Bovine]

Not sure on this Loki.... but wouldn't simply swapping the char to the other server then immediately back accomplish the same thing as a relog? Of course it would be as big a hassle too..... lol

[Serac]

satantrik wrote:

...Slashing Resist 2/-; Piercing Resist 2/- ...

These are impossible unless you can script a +/-X resistance effect, as the lowest damage resist is 5/-.

[DrakhanValane]

Indeed, Serac. Best that could be done (with a hak and it'd still have some issues, I think) would be using the barb damage reduction 2. That would give an extra blunt resist, but it's the best I think you can do with the bio engine.

[HealingBreeze]

Indeed, Serac. Best that could be done (with a hak and it'd still have some issues, I think) would be using the barb damage reduction 2. That would give an extra blunt resist, but it's the best I think you can do with the bio engine.

Couldn't you just force a character relog and give the feat? I've seen something similar to this done on Aantioch where a character gains the RDD 'Immunity to Fire' Feat once they relog.

[satantrik]

EDIT: Looked at local copy of Urdunnir, adjusted this posts revision with that revision. ;)

I had no idea that 5/- was the lowest resist...oops. I'm balancing out my proposals based mostly on what I know of PnP.

That said, Slashing and Piercing 5/- resist seems a little too strong and giving Barbarian Resistance seems too strong as well, and I don't like the idea of abilities on subraces that can become redundant (stock NWN does this in a few places, Gnomish spell focus: Illusion is NOT the equivalent feat in PnP...but this can programmed around).

With the way NS4 is set up, relogging after "configuring subrace" can happen quite seamlessly (relog to the same or different server after selecting "Enter Neversummer"). I think having to relog if you're already "in the game" (like Aantioch) at the start or having to relog repeatedly to gain effects at each level (again, like Aantioch, but other servers do use this) doesn't "feel" right.

Well...here's a rewritten Urdunnir. Raised resistances to minimum of its kind and lowered con bonus to +2. Still seems a bit overpowered, but compared to other +3's, about on par.

Ability score adjustments: +2 Con, -2 Dex, -4 Cha
Special Qualities: +2 Search indoors; +2 Lore; +4 save against Poison; +2 save against spells; Slashing Resist 5/-; Piercing Resist 5/-
Special Abilities: <i>Stoneskin</i>, <i>Camouflage</i> all cast 1/day as a Sorceror equal to their character level
Alignment: Must be Neutral
Favored Class: Cleric
ECL: +3
Note: Urdunnir do not receive Hardiness versus Poison (+2 save against Poison), Battle training versus Orcs/Goblinoids (+1 AB versus orcs/goblinoids), or Battle training versus Giants (+4 Dodge AC versus Giants) racial feats.

[HealingBreeze]

With the way NS4 is set up, relogging after "configuring subrace" can happen quite seamlessly (relog to the same or different server after selecting "Enter Neversummer"). I think having to relog if you're already "in the game" (like Aantioch) at the start or having to relog repeatedly to gain effects at each level (again, like Aantioch, but other servers do use this) doesn't "feel" right.

You don't have to relog in Aantioch to gain bonuses each level, just rest, which I believe most people would do after leveling anyway...

As far as character relogging, I agree this is an inconvenience. Perhaps when your character is created, you could port them to another server and them back once? Say, create an area called " Memory " before the Rift Shard cutscene.

At that point the process is as follows: Create, click play, Ported to another server for Memory (at which point your save file has been refreshed, giving you, say, wings for a half dragon), ported to the Rift Shard that is on each server, then ported to your usual faction.

Assuming Server 3 and 4 eventually return, excess traffic would be minimal. For the "Memory" Server 1 creations could port to Server 2 memory or vice versa. Server 3 creations could port to Server 4 memory or vice versa. The only inherent problem with this system is that it relies on both servers in a set being active.