Talk:Callisto (5e Race)

Musicus Meter Score: 6

This race has a score of 6 according to the Musicus Meter race guidelines. With this metric, first-party races' scores range from 4.5 to 8. This is a guideline, not a rule, and it's important to use your own judgment alongside this scoring.

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I think it scores a 4? I'm not sure it's late and I really should get to bed.

You should only really add this template once the race is completed but as it stands it's definitely greater than a 4. Make sure to read/ double check your forecasts against the Musicus Meter (5e Guideline). --ConcealedLight (talk) 00:04, 21 May 2018 (MDT)

Page thoughts

I know CL will take a look sometime, but for a preliminary review I suppose I can chime in.
I think the race has too much going on: +3 ASI, damage resist and disease immunity, conditional always know North, Darkvision and limited light-like cantrip, half-orc don't die trait, and two cantrips. If you compare this 1-for-1 with the half-orc I think this is easily better, and trimming one aspect of anything listed would balance this. I recommend Glowing Nature get the chop. It's the meatiest trait in my opinion without much flavor or lore tied to it.
I also think the lore does a lot speaking about the callisto genetics. I don't think I know what these gals like to do, their interests, or interactions with others. I got a decent grasp on their physical look, biology and functions but that seems like it. ~ BigShotFancyMan ^{talk contributions} 09:06, 19 March 2019 (MDT)

Sorry, I re-read more carefully and notice they like to explore, and value wisdom. ~ BigShotFancyMan ^{talk contributions} 09:08, 19 March 2019 (MDT)

I've tweaked it a bit. Removed the innate torch ability since they have darkvision and know produce flame anyways and then upped the significance of their detrimental trait. —ConcealedLight (talk) 10:20, 19 March 2019 (MDT)

Aw, that's too bad. I thought it had more tie to the race than resistance or trait to cast cantrips. They produce heat and glow in the lore. I'm not attached though. :) ~ BigShotFancyMan ^{talk contributions} 11:44, 19 March 2019 (MDT)

They're meant to glow so i figured they could help bridge the gap as a sort of torch in the dark for those non-darkvision races. But i can see where you're coming from. As it stands i think the claustrophobia is a bit too detrimental. If they get grappled in any capacity it would become far too difficult for them to do anything in combat. Let alone break the grapple. If the traits are too strong and need to be cut, i'd rather get rid of the fire resistance, and in turn make claustrophobia less detrimental. As it stands their claustrophobia is even more detrimental than the Aarakocra's version of it. And they were never meant to be so horribly debilitated by the fear of being trapped. The traits Attuned with stars, Bioluminescence and curious spirit are flavor text that for me, make sense for the race. If they're too strong then i can cut them down so that mechanically the race wont be overlooked due to how knee jerking the thought of their claustrophobia is. Also, i've worked on more art for them, if the pictures are too large, could i make them smaller to fit two rather than one large picture? - --Astromore (talk) 20:20, 20 March 2019 (MDT)

I'd like to find a way to work in their claustrophobia trait that will see play in dungeons while also not completely detrimenting them in any sort of combat. As it stood every time i ran them in combat even while standing in an open field being grappled by a bandit or being stunned would trigger their claustrophobia. It didnt make much sense to me for the trait to work in that specific way. I'd also like to remove their attuned with stars trait as it isn't really seeing play given that in most games the players will always have something to help them in those few and far between stranded moments. Save for whole survival campaigns; in which they'd be a bad pick for the spirit of the survival campaign due to that trait. I'd like to bring back their glowing trait since they're meant to be able to emit light.--Astromore (talk) 07:33, 26 March 2019 (MDT)

If we're adding Bioluminescence back in I think it would be good to have the light ranges be on par with a torch and last an hour. Afterall it would be a little silly to imagine of these guys holding a torch while glowing themselves or when another player says not to bother using their cool thing because they have torches in their pack that do the job better. Also, means that someone doesn't have to hold a torch while fighting in dark places.

I really liked the Attuned with the stars trait as it was a good little benefit that they got. Akin to the dwarfs stonecunning. I think it should be added back in.

As for Claustrophobia dopping stunned and paralysis while decreasing the size to 5 feet or less to cover squeezing would reduce the detriment but it makes sense that being grappled or restrained would cause them to freak out and have disadvantage.

—ConcealedLight (talk) 09:17, 26 March 2019 (MDT)

My only issue with adding the trait back at this point is that i don't want to mess with their score on the meter. If I add .5 for their attuned with stars trait, then i have to add claustrophobia or something detrimental to take .5 away. For a trait that i haven't so far in any of my runs, seen at play. On the flip side claustrophobia, ive seen tons of play for it. so while the score may make them even, the detriment of it is far too prevalent. Atleast compared to the minute bonus that Attuned with stars gave. So i gave it a chop given that if the callisto ever even ended up in that situation one of the parties ranger,druid or anyone with any nature traits could discern north without telling the sun, and if none of those could. Then the warlock,cleric or paladin could just ask their deity's.

And thats not adding to the fact that if i did add attuned back and had to level it off with claustrophobia or some other trait like it, they'd have a bit too many traits going on for them at once. As it stands i like where they are right now, if i were to change anything from here it'd be making them seem less elemental and more celestial. Also i'm musing on the thought of chopping their cantrips. Seeing as biolumincence does the job, and honestly guidance is only good for the first 5 levels of the game.--Astromore (talk) 12:36, 26 March 2019 (MDT)

I'd probs chop the cantrips, keep guidance and add in attuned. Then play them off the idea that they are constantly guiding or being guided. Which I feel is a better compromise. —ConcealedLight (talk) 10:27, 27 March 2019 (MDT)

It's been a while and Ive had some playtesting time. Ive decided to come back here and do some reworks to have them better fit what i wanted them to be in the first place. I added a few subraces and readded their claustrophobia since I liked that about them. I'd like to give the Nova subrace disadvantage on stealth but im not sure what i'd give them in return.--Astromore (talk) 05:32, 4 April 2020 (MDT)

Article Spotlight

I really like the art here. If you have an artist handle, you should link it to the image, Astromore. The race is also reasonably balanced with an interesting concept. Nice brewing!--Yanied (talk) 14:03, 25 November 2021 (MST)