Author Topic: An Ortolan Charlatan  (Read 160 times)

MERC_1

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An Ortolan Charlatan
« on: April 17, 2019, 04:52:59 pm »
I would love to play an Ortolan Charlatan sometime. But there are no stats for Ortolan that I like...

This is my take on the Ortolan species:
Ability Score Modifiers: Dex -2, Con +2
Small Size: As Small creatures, Ortolan gain a +1 size bonus to their Reflex Defense and a +5 size bonus on Stealth checks. However, their lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of Medium characters.
Speed: 4 squares.
Scent: Ortolan have a keen sense of smell. At close range (Within 10 squares), Ortolan ignore Concealment and Cover for purposes of Perception checks, and take no penalty from poor visibility while Tracking.
Intestinal Fortitude: Members of this species gain a +2 bonus to their Fortitude defense vs ingested poisons.
Conditional Bonus Feat: You gain Skill Focus (Survival) as a bonus feat if you are trained in the Survival skill.

This makes them look like clumsy but tough Ewoks, but at least they are not primitive. I suspect that Scout would be the best class for these, or at least worth a dip to get the Bonus Feat. Also who would not love to dye themselves blue, pink or green?

I resisted the urge to give them a +5 vs. poisons. The weaker +2 that some Near-Humans has was more on par with the UAA from RCR.

What do you think?
Weak or strong?

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StevenO

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Re: An Ortolan Charlatan
« Reply #1 on: April 17, 2019, 05:35:41 pm »
Pretty baseline.

Some could think "weak" as they may have no real advantages and a DEX penalty generally is a pretty big drawback and all but unknown on a small species.
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MERC_1

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Re: An Ortolan Charlatan
« Reply #2 on: April 18, 2019, 07:09:45 pm »
Yes, the Dex-penalty is pretty bad. But I translated the RCR species as best I could. The bonus to resist poison will rarely come into effect as poison tend to be rare in SAGA. I could probably see a bonus to Wis with the keen sense of smell and hearing, but that was not part of the original write-up.

Being great at Stealth and Survival can be great, but won't help in a fight in the open.

StevenO

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Re: An Ortolan Charlatan
« Reply #3 on: April 18, 2019, 10:00:42 pm »
....

Being great at Stealth and Survival can be great, but won't help in a fight in the open.
Not all species need to be built to "fight in the open" as for some the best thing is just to hide and persist.

I guess I might consider making the Survival bonus a reroll ability instead of a conditional Skill Focus.  As most of Survival is perfectly usable untrained this would help all members of the species instead of setting up that HUGE divide between those who are untrained in it and those who are trained and automatically gain Focus in it.  I'll admit that in some ways that is a thing I don't like about conditional Skill Focus feats in that it creates such a huge divide within a species between haves and have-nots.
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MERC_1

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Re: An Ortolan Charlatan
« Reply #4 on: April 19, 2019, 05:33:01 am »
Not all species need to be built to "fight in the open" as for some the best thing is just to hide and persist.

I guess I might consider making the Survival bonus a reroll ability instead of a conditional Skill Focus.  As most of Survival is perfectly usable untrained this would help all members of the species instead of setting up that HUGE divide between those who are untrained in it and those who are trained and automatically gain Focus in it.  I'll admit that in some ways that is a thing I don't like about conditional Skill Focus feats in that it creates such a huge divide within a species between haves and have-nots.
Yes, I considered to give it a re-roll keep better ability instead. But those are few and far between. I also considered a +5 to defence against ingested poison.

StevenO

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Re: An Ortolan Charlatan
« Reply #5 on: April 21, 2019, 01:12:07 pm »
I don't know that I'd say they are so far between although I'll admit you find them more for physical skills.  I mean Heightened Awareness isn't exactly rare although Perception is something any one can take and there are those who don't like it because of how it matches up with the Acute Senses talent.  Just looking through the SECR the Skill REROLL traits are MORE COMMON than Conditional bonus feats.

Now maybe you mean Reroll take better is rare as a species trait and I'll agree but that isn't the reroll ability I'd give them.  In many cases just getting to attempt a reroll even if you must take the second is as good as reroll and take better provided you have some idea if the first roll is a success or not.  If the first roll is good enough you keep it and don't bother otherwise you reroll and then either you make it the second time or you were going to miss it anyway.  The only time I see it as being truly different is where the degree of failure/success has a measurable outcome towards the final result.  In any event I believe the RRtS should know what the first roll was to know if it should take the RR and often I'd just use the RR at "take 10" to make sure I hit that if I didn't get it the first time but have no idea what number I need to hit.
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