Talk:Dweomerling (3.5e Creature)
Design Notes[edit]
The druid's CR was increased by 2 because he's a freaking druid, and thus rocks your face off. He's also quite optimized with multiple cheesy abilities, which is just adding murder to injury.
Dweomerlings may seem to have an excessive number of traits, but compare them to all the "fiddly bits" of a warforged, or even a dwarf (15 vs. 19).
The scaling abilities are there to try and keep them relevant at higher levels, instead of eventually becoming useless like so many other high LA races -- thus making you wonder why you're still "paying" for LA when a PC's basic equipment makes its abilities irrelevant.
The fact that it even has energy resistance AND damage reduction seems powerful at first glance. But really, you choose to be a dweomerling and see how often your DM sends black and white dragons and monsters with tentacles or tail slaps with Superior Magic Fang as an at-will SLA after you. Y'know, if your spells don't end them first... Really the DR is mostly irrelevant if you're a caster because, if you know what you're doing, you shouldn't even BE within hitting range anyway.
Dweomerlings are meant to be casters, so the no verbal or somatic components when shapechanged is supposed to be a significant drawback. Then again, choosing this race does delay the acquisition of higher spell levels anyway. But spellcasters are powerful enough, methinks. Dweomerlings probably make great meatshields, especially when shapechanged... if roleplaying-wise they weren't so against handicuffs or staying muddy for long periods.
It's LA may seem very low, but really, if you're running around with two fewer actual levels (and spellcasting levels to boot!) than your companions, you need seriously kickin' stuff to compensate. I hope what I gave them makes it about as worthwhile than just being a third-level human with no baggage and that juicy bonus feat.
I threw in Magically Adept that scales with a casting class once I realized that they'd, despite all the flavor text, probably suck as magicians without (mostly due to the LA). I hope this serves to equalize them to PH race spellcasters, and not make them significantly more powerful. I don't mind if they're a little better (or even quite a bit!), though, since if you play one you're made of STINKING MUD*; that will make things difficult for you no matter where you go. You think YOUR half-orc has problems? At least HE doesn't look like the Thing's little brother!
* They don't actually smell bad, but let's face it, they ain't fresh-smellin either. Ever stuck your nose into a handful of Play-Doh? That's what they smell like. Okay, maybe not QUITE so bad. They're more... earthy. Something druids would like, appropriately enough. --ScryersEve 02:36, 7 September 2011 (MDT)