FH Racial Balance question for the GM's

[TheTemplar]

Anyone have any players that have used any of the TTA Lesser races for one of their PC's? I'm particularly interested in the Leomachi and Trolls. Any balance issues result from their STR being so high? I've got a PC that wanted to try a hand at Trolldom, but I can't help but wince at the +25 STR and +15 CON in the package deal.

Obviously, the package deals aren't set in stone, and I can modify to my domineering little heart's content...just curious if anyone has experimented with these PC races as is and what they found. Thanks!

[Killer Shrike]

I like to give things their day in court before tweaking. Preemptive tweaking is often really just an exercise in nerfing.


If you run your game is such a way that having a high STR is a major thing, then it might be important. If you run your game so that x points spent on whatever are as equally important as possible then it doesnt really matter.

Also, like anything else, eventually more doesnt matter. You basically have not enough, enough, more than enough, and way more than enough.

Once you get to the way more than enough stage, still more of the same has little impact.

In FH, once they have enough STR to double the damage of available weapons, still more STR has diminishing impact.

[Cpt.Storm]

I hear you about the STR mod but try to counterbalance it with the reaction to the PC in towns. At least in my version of the Turakian Age most townsfolk will not want a troll in their midst. Because of their reputation as brutes the innkeeps will only think of broken furniture and lost customers if they allow a troll in. The guards will only see trouble when he/she comes through the gates.

So, depending on how much roleplaying you have in your campaign, you can limit the PC's effectiveness just by using his surroundings against him so to speak.

Just my two copper...

[paigeoliver]

Well, let the player have the +25 for a total of 35, and let him be an average troll. A really tough troll (STR 45) certainly wouldn't want to hang around with any wussy PCs, not when he can lift 12.5 tons.

Or perhaps a 30 STR troll would be even more explainable, He is with the PCs because he was too weak to make it in troll society, but he would still be the strongest PC.

[The Mad GM]

We had a character play a troll, before FH came out, and it was a hoot. As long as the player isn't simply being a munchkin, I say go with it.

[Vondy]

Well, let the player have the +25 for a total of 35, and let him be an average troll. A really tough troll (STR 45) certainly wouldn't want to hang around with any wussy PCs, not when he can lift 12.5 tons.

Or perhaps a 30 STR troll would be even more explainable, He is with the PCs because he was too weak to make it in troll society, but he would still be the strongest PC.
What if they're nice to him?

Or one of them can cook?

Or he's impressed by how smart one of them seems to be?

Or small people are useful?

[TheTemplar]

Hey, thanks for the feedback here, folks. Great stuff.

The player actually came to me after reading some about the setting and decided he didn't really want to be the cause of every door in town being shut and bolted as soon as the party arrived in a town. So, he's decided to go with the still monsteresque (though in a more socially acceptable way) Drakine.

[arcady]

As long as you charge double once it is over characteristic maxima (20) it will, if not balance, be a lesser issue.

[PhilFleischmann]

Are you giving your players some adventures where STR is not the most important thing? Or is it just, "Here's a monster. Kill it."? If a significant portion of the tasks placed before the characters require stealth, diplomacy, creativity, problem-solving, etc., then a very high STR character will not outshine all the rest.

[TheTemplar]

Actually, the first three adventures will be the 3 full scenarios given in FH Battlegrounds, which offer a good mixture of combat and problem solving, as well as allowing plenty of opportunity for non-combat skills to shine. Also gives me plenty of time to test the group dynamics and figure out what tone of campaign they are looking for once we've moved beyond the initial phases and really begin to explore the TA.

Even if he had 35 STR, it really probably WOULDN'T be that big a deal. I'm one of those worrying balance obsessed GM types. It's not like he'd be SPD 5 w/ 35 STR, afterall...and as Killer Shrike pointed out, all the STR in the world doesn't do him a bit of good in attacks as soon as he doubles the DC's in his weapon.

[PoorWandering 1]

... all the STR in the world doesn't do him a bit of good in attacks as soon as he doubles the DC's in his weapon.

A troll doesn't need weapons. A troll IS a weapon.

I played a half-giantin old fantasy hero for a good while. The only weapons I ever used were my hands, feet, forehead, the odd throwing goblin, 3 chairs, 1 bench, the gold inlaid lid of a sarcophagus and half a door. I love sweep attacks.

[The Mad GM]

A troll doesn't need weapons. A troll IS a weapon.

I played a half-giantin old fantasy hero for a good while. The only weapons I ever used were my hands, feet, forehead, the odd throwing goblin, 3 chairs, 1 bench, the gold inlaid lid of a sarcophagus and half a door. I love sweep attacks.

At 35 Str, that's 7DCs, which is respectable but not unbalancing, even throwing in a Deadly Blow or whatever. Now if he was a martial artist troll, That gets munchkin.

[Outsider]

Exactly what the troll's stats are is less important than how he compares to the rest of the PCs, and, if he is vastly superior to them in melee, if your group will be happy having adventures tailored around keeping the troll from being too dominant.

Yes, he may 'only' be able to double the DCs of weapons, but even if he is an 'everyman' troll (35 STR rather than up to 45) and he uses a Battle Axe (one handed) that will still be a 3d6+1 Killing attack standard, which will not be too difficult for him to get to 4d6 with levels, maneuvers, or push.

In addition, the troll will have very high defenses. 12 PD, 8 ED, 12 REC, and 53 STN standard. Plus 2 (or 6) natural armor. And possibly crafted armor on top of that. The troll [i]is able to get along, however poorly, in civilized society, or at least has friends who can. Eventually he will acquire armor. And given that a 35 STR allows 320 kg of encumbrance before incurring any penalties, he can wear a lot of armor.

[TheTemplar]

Or small people are useful?

Or, as the Gnome Priest/ Sorcerer found out last night while fighting a trio of Ogres, fun to throw at the very least. :D