Talk:Blastoise (5e Race)

Race Review

I will mainly be looking at this race's traits and offering my feedback on them, but I will quickly go over the race's background info as well to offer suggestions on what can be added or improved upon.

• The physical description is pretty decent, the only thing I believe needs to be added is that the turtle is bipedal. (Done.)
• The history of the creature is a bit lacking in that it doesn't mention how the creature transforms from a small turtle (squirtle) into a blastoise. Besides that, since the history isn't too clear, you can include general knowledge known about blastoise. For example, look at some of the other races on the wiki. (I looked everywhere I could, there is no more history I can give you)
• The society of the race, although a bit short, goes in depth about the race's relations and society. It looks great. (Ah, thank you!)
• The names of the race could be expanded. Turtle names or other common nicknames for blastoise could be put here. (I couldn't think of any more, and it's not like they just list these.)
• Spin. This feature is a bit weird in how it is worded/how it actually works. Besides that, rapid spin could serve as a better name than just spin. Anyway, here is an example of a how the trait could be more clearly worded "An action, you can recoil into your shell and start spinning rapidly until the end of your turn. All creatures within 5 feet of you when you are spinning must make a Dexterity saving throw with a DC of 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failed save, a target takes 2d6 bludgeoning damage. On a success, they take half as much. A creature can only be effected by Rapid Spin once each time you use it. The damage increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level. Once you use this trait, you can not use it again until you finish a short or long rest." With those changes, it is very clear what effect the trait has and you can still move around for a turn affecting creatures around you. (That's not my attack.)
• Hydro Cannon. This trait needs to say whether the target has to make a saving throw to not be affected or whether you make some sort of attack roll to hit the target with Hydro Cannon(look at cantrips that deal damage for an example). Besides that, the damage of the trait should scale and besides just doing damage, how does adding a 10ft push back sound? (Why? I mean, it sounds good, but why?)
• Tough Skin. This trait or something along the lines of giving them a flat AC like the tortle works. (Yeah.)
• Beast. In general, a creature is a beast type if it is a ordinary creature that isn't intelligent while monstrosities have strange or magical powers and can be intelligent. As such, the blastoise should be monstrosity type instead of beast type. (Ok!)

After looking at what the race has to offer, I do like the direction taken with the race. It just needs a bit more work in cleaning up its traits and possibly adding a bit to the race's description. Good job so far.--Blobby383b (talk) 14:32, 1 December 2019 (MST)

(Flamestarter (talk) 19:45, 1 December 2019 (MST)Flamestarter)

Re:Race Review

• The history of a race doesn't have to be exactly like what it is like in pokemon since you are adapting it to better fit in D&D, so a bunch of stuff can be made up to help fill the race's backstory as long as the info would reasonably fit blastoiise.
• Names. I did manage to find a few examples of common water type/turtle nicknames which could work: Crest, Hydro, Poseidon, Shelldon, Shelby
• Spin. I do have to say that this trait is weird. It doesn't scale as well as a typically unarmed strike damage increase since it doesn't work with extra attack and it is worse since it uses your movement. Because of that, the trait becomes useless after you reach 5th level and even before then it is worse than just an unarmed strike damage increase. Typically, race's have traits which just straightforwardly increase their unarmed strikes damage, for example for this race could have their claw could deal 1d6 slashing damage. Because of those issues, reworking the trait to either just be a claw attack or be an aoe attack like the Rapid Spin idea I mentioned above would make the trait be far more usable by pcs of all levels.
• Hydro Cannon. The thought of having this push someone back is too provide the trait with some utility since the trait would be bland if it just dealt damage.--Blobby383b (talk) 20:29, 1 December 2019 (MST)

All done! It didn't change the race as much as I thought, so, yay! Thanks, Blobby383b! I really value your opinion. Flamestarter (talk) 13:02, 2 December 2019 (MST)Flamestarter

Yeah, not too much needed to be changed. The race should be pretty much done, and at most could be looked through a few times to make small touch ups here and there, and possibly to add more background info.--Blobby383b (talk) 14:28, 2 December 2019 (MST)

For example, changing the height and weight of an average blastoise to be close to what their height and weight is in pokemon, 5' 3 and weight 188.5lb (change made makes the average height 5' 2.5 and weight 187.5).--Blobby383b (talk) 14:38, 2 December 2019 (MST)

Looks fine, with some picks at the trait level:

• The saving throw for hydro cannon should be changed to that of the usual base 8 rather than 10. The wording of how you destroy walls should be changed to say objects instead, since it sounds like the tarrasque siege monster trait. Otherwise, it really sounds weird why it only hurts walls twice as much. I'd also contend this is a bit powerful at lower levels, and makes this a wall-smashing barbarian instantly (and they don't even deal extra damage to doors from the onset).
• Spin should be changed to rapid spin, I agree on that. But I don't think it should scale. If anything, hydro cannon should scale, imo, like a dragon's breath. Spin should also include the wording bit from entangle where it mentions "A creature in the area when you do X" is affected. That way, only those immediately in the melee range when you start spinning take damage. I'd also word it so it clearly states you spin while staying in place, in case anyone thinks they can still move, or say that your movement speed is reduced to 0 for the duration. Additionally, I would extend the duration until the beginning of your next turn. During this duration, maybe have an effect about how their AC increases (like how the tortle's withdraw works)
• Since I suggested that spin be the one giving a flat AC bonus, I also suggest that Tough Skin work more akin to how unarmored defense is worded. It'd make sense flavorwise as well, since the shell is a base (the + to the base 10) but it still does depend on your own body (the modifier, either Dexterity or Constitution) usually.
  

Other than that, the race looks good. Just the saving throw is really iffy. I'd say hydro cannon should scale, but not with force damage really. The points on spin and tough skin are mainly my preference--Yanied (talk) 07:53, 3 December 2019 (MST)

Yanied, Spin will scale. Hydro Cannon doesn't have to, but Spin will. If you don't like that, tough. And if Hydro Cannon doesn't scale in damage, it won't scale. Thank you for your input. Flamestarter (talk) 19:46, 3 December 2019 (MST)Flamestarter

Care to explain your reasoning? Given how hydro cannon is the high-level move of the water starter, I just figured it would be given more emphasis than rapid spin, which is more of a trap-evader move than actual damage in real pokemon, hence why I suggested a more utility rather than damage-based approach.--Yanied (talk) 19:51, 3 December 2019 (MST)

Ok, I'd love to explain. I'm not thinking of Spin like in the actual game. Same with Hydro Cannon. I took a physical attribute of a Blastoise (Yes, they are supposed to be capitalized) and turned it into a weapon (Hydro Cannon). This weapon is already pretty powerful, so I might have a scaling theme of something like at 10th 3, 15th 4, 20th 5. Something like that. Spin is actually something I'd observed in a Squirtle in Super Smash Bros. Wii where he spin across the ground and deals damage. It's an unarmed attack that I want to keep it that way, and any unarmed attack has to scale up every so often or it becomes moot. So Spin scales, Hydro Cannon might not. Flamestarter (talk) 19:58, 3 December 2019 (MST)Flamestarter

Unarmed strikes don't allow you shoot so far, and they scale mainly via the modifiers added, like a tabaxi's claws or a lizardfolk's bite. But with the Wii game I see the design. And it's your call so *shrug*. I would rather hydro cannon not scale in that case, so it doesn't just have two scaling traits.--Yanied (talk) 20:56, 3 December 2019 (MST)

Thank you, Yanied. I will not have Hydro Cannon scale then, and keep with my scaling for the Spin attack. Love, Flamestarter (talk) 01:24, 4 December 2019 (MST)Flamestarter

Neat. Nice race.--Yanied (talk) 11:41, 4 December 2019 (MST)

Thank you! I worked pretty hard on it. I'm thinking of making more Pokémon races. Flamestarter (talk) 13:15, 4 December 2019 (MST)Flamestarter