Talk:Half-Lucerna (3.5e Template)

Ratings

Ganteka Future is neutral on this article and rated it 2 of 4.

I read this and… I don't understand the point of it. CR+0… really, no appreciable increase in CR with this template, but somehow adds LA+1? Is it supposed to make you tougher or is it supposed to provide a few benefits at the cost of a few weaknesses/counters? Right now it's gonna make PC characters weaker since that 1/day low-level spell isn't exactly scaling up with that level loss. There's no incentive for a PC to have this. You could put it on NPCs, sure, why not, at low level for their CR they get an extra HP, +1 Fort and a single spell usage for the one encounter they'd be in. For a non-combat NPC, it's not enough to meaningfully affect PCs, so you could just have a town of them, and I guess that's probably the point… maybe? As a note, link to that Positive Subtype in the article, so readers don't forget the benefits/tradeoffs associated there. Update: While still a bit weak for losing a level for a player, the healing and Constitution boost at least remain relevant throughout a career, and it works for NPCs as well.

The LA is actually me rounding up from what it actually deserves (my opinion is like +1/4 LA or something). I felt I couldn't have the template be LA +0; it gave benefits with no penalties. A previous version of this template gave -2 Str and no LA, but... well, the blocked rating below this tells you everything you need on that front. --Qwertyu63 (talk) 15:42, 16 February 2015 (UTC)

If you felt like you were rounding up, just give it a little more to make up for that difference. Aim for both an LA and CR boost of about equal value. After looking it over again, here's a couple recommendations for you to muddle around:

• The lucerna base race is pretty standard and when cross-breeding, weird things can happen. Since this is adding abilities and bonuses, you're allowed to break out from abilities just gained by the source race.
• Drop the 1/day cure light wounds. It doesn't scale well and certainly isn't enticing as an ability for players. Useful for NPCs, yeah, but we can do cooler. Try for something similar to a paladin's lay on hands. Something like a total of HP healable per day equal to twice (or more, leave that up to you) their ECL (as to work around the LA) or something. Could base it on Charisma like the paladin if you wanted, since the lucerna is based the same way. Provide a minimum though since some creatures might not have a bonus to that ability at all. Standard action on others or as a swift action as personal use. Makes it combat-viable to add to the CR side of things. Makes it a bit more interesting than something you do once out of combat per day.
• Perhaps something about empowering healing spells cast by them or on them for free.
• Perhaps a resistance to negative energy.
• Perhaps changing the name to Lucerna-Blooded if you wanted it to be creatures of lesser/partial relation but still have lucerna in their bloodline. That way players can be like "yeah, lucerna blood runs in the family, kept strong over generations because we're awesome like that" or whatever.
• Probably add some other thing to round everything out. I don't know what that is though.

Really, right now this is fine for non-combat NPCs but is lackluster for combat NPCs and player characters. That's all I've got for now. --Ganteka Future (talk) 19:13, 16 February 2015 (UTC)

Alright, I'll take these ideas on board and return soon-ish (lay-on-hands-like is a really good idea). --Qwertyu63 (talk) 01:32, 17 February 2015 (UTC)

Alright, I have a new version written up in my files (with a lay-on-hands style ability) and I don't like it. I hate the idea of half-breeds drawing more power from their bloodline than purebloods; I hate that idea with a vengeance (I'm looking at you, half-celestial template). That said, I had an idea. I have now given the lucerna the lay on hands like power as well. I'll be making the change on this article in a moment.

Blocked Rating	Ghostwheel opposes this article and rated it 0 of 4.
	This rating refers to a substantially different version of the article, or concerns mentioned in it have already been addressed."Do you not give two craps about Str? Then take this template!"