Talk:Sneasler (5e Race)

Musicus Meter Score: 8.5

This race has a score of 8.5 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.

This scoring may be the groundwork for a focused {{needsbalance}} usage. A contributor to this page may request a detailed breakdown of this page's balance. Without this information, {{needsbalance}} may then be removed. This meter cannot be the sole basis for a needsbalance template, but may be included as an accessory to a wider discussion of a race's balance.

This template should only be placed on a race's talk page. If this template is not placed on the talk page, please move it.

Cost	Racial Trait
2	Strength score increases by 2.
1	Dexterity score increases by 1.
1.5	Climb 30 Feet
0.5	Natural Athlete
0.5	Powerful Build
0.5	Poison Touch
1	Dire Claw
1.5	Daunting Highlander
8.5	Total.

Well, this is interesting. I think this is my first race with a climbing speed. Anyway, while designing this I felt like I was combining elements of Bugbear and Goliath together. I mean, seriously, this thing is lanky like a Bugbear but has the resilience, strength habitat choice of a Goliath. Well, regardless, as usual here are all the fun facts of what went behind making this race:

I originally wanted to include the full effects of Sneaslers signature move, Dire Claw, into this, which in Pokemon Legends Arceus has a chance of inflicting poison, paralysis or drowsy (this game's version of sleep), but despite asking for help and getting some good suggestions I felt it might be a bit too complicated and even a bit too strong for a race especially at lower levels, so I left it as a normal natural weapon. However, Sneaslers having access to Poison Touch as a hidden ability sort of allows it to keep some of the poison aspects of Dire Hit, so I suppose it worked out in some way.

Daunting Highlander is basically just a combination of Mountain Born and Intimidate, but the reason I went with this was because I didn't want to just have Pressure (which Sneasler does have as its standard ability) and Mountain Born on as traits. It felt too boring. Plus I wanted to make a reference to how the creature is viewed as "daunting" and scary because of it's strength and poison and the fact it lives in the highlands of Hisui. In fact, it originally was going to be called "Coronet Highlander" because it is found specifically there, but then I remmebered that Hisuian Sneasel can be found in Alabaster Icefields as well, which lead me to trying "Hisuian Highlander". While that did sound nice, I felt "Daunting highlander" sounded cooler.

Powerful Build and Natural Athlete come from the fact that not only can this lanky, skinny creature climb walls really well, but it can do so while carrying a human in a wooden/metal backpack. It might not need Natural Athlete due to it already having a climbing speed and thus not needing to make Athletics checks to climb, but I'll let you guys decide on that.

--MetalShadowOverlord (talk) 04:56, 2 March 2022 (MST)