Talk:Brachyura (3.5e Race)

Ratings

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

This is a good quality race. Well developed flavor and good mechanics. Conceptually well designed and executed. Why am I not rating it Excellent higher? Well, a few quibbles that keep it coming up just short. Description of Lands is rather sparse, with no mention of community structure, settlements, organization, and the like which would really help with such an alien creature. Granted, without that information, I assume the default is "like humans", but I'd prefer it, being alien, if that were not the case. I am also left wondering if they leave their shells when underwater. All in all, very nice work (and I bet they taste good boiled with butter). Update: It would garner greater approval if LA was replaced with Racial HD and those previous omissions updated.

Comments

Are the “two powerful claws and four smaller pincer arms” in addition to a pair of legs?

Says pincher arms are “weaker than a normal human hand”; but then later says “can only hold weapons designed for a medium sized character.” Do you mean as weak as a human hand?

Mayahuel seems too cheap for its benefit. --Franken Kesey (talk) 14:57, 12 November 2012 (UTC)

Yes.

It is as weak as a human hand. The point here is that, in spite of being large, it can only use medium weapons.

Hmm, I see what you mean. I'll figure something out. -- Eiji-kun (talk) 15:06, 12 November 2012 (UTC)

Can you express both in the article: the legs and “weak as” (meaning medium), instead of “weaker” (meaning small)?

Also says that eyes are shielded with a mask, does it reduce spot checks? Would imagine that the gills give water breathing, a statement of this would be nice racial traits. Do the tentacles do anything (other than look cool), increase grapple, shock creatures (as a jellyfish), deal bludgeoning damage. Tentacles do not naturally occur on creatures with exoskeletons, thus I am looking forward to how you incorporate them.

Mention them being “bull-headed” in relation fluff. Perhaps a minor bluff or trait would help carry this along.--Franken Kesey (talk) 15:24, 12 November 2012 (UTC)

I'll wait til I get in the right mind to make fluff changes, but noted. Time to answer what we have here, and so I remember when I get to it.

The mask probably should deal spot penalties, but I find it unnecessary. We'll assume they can turn their bodies in time to spot things, or they have good peripheral or something. The gills are for water breathing since they are of the Aquatic Subtype. Notably, I need to put "Amphibious" so they can breath air too, my bad. The tentacles have no effect; beyond being behind the mask, it's just their tongue-things and have the same purpose of a tongue. Imagine them as illithids inside a giant lobster shells; that's more or less what I'm going for here. -- Eiji-kun (talk) 15:31, 12 November 2012 (UTC)

With eight limbs, +8Str and all the other awesome stuff, keep the LA! (Do not switch to HD.) And I used to think the Wastecrawler was powerful, but now I am inclined to the idea that this should have its ECL raised by at least one more.

Which are the Brachyuras more like: crabs or lobsters?--Franken Kesey (talk) 15:50, 12 November 2012 (UTC)

I'll eventually re-find the original image, but I'm gonna say crabs. Lack of tail, face feelers, spiny body, and all. -- Eiji-kun (talk) 15:55, 12 November 2012 (UTC)

If one applies the Pincers or Secondary Arms feats to the weaker arms, do they become like the primary arms?--Franken Kesey (talk) 18:55, 12 November 2012 (UTC)