Im developing a race I plan to include as a permanent addition to my allowable list of races for my pathfinder games I run. Wanted to know how the community felt about it, if it needed more or less or something different to really capture the feel.

Dogfolk (for lack of a better name) Essentially the same as catfolk but dogs.

Medium human

+2 str and cha -2 wisdom

sprinter

skill bonus: +2 sense motive and perception

scent

low light vision

comes to 10rp, This is the base. How do you guys feel? I only allow upto 12 rp.
This message was last updated by a moderator, as it was the wrong forum, at 09:25, Sun 14 Sept 2014.

If I were in the mood to allow race customization to players, I'd allow up to 14 myself. I'd want to do it strictly for the purposes of trying to put ARG through its paces though. That said, I can't see a problem with actually using that race as a GM.

It looks ok.  But;
1- I assume you meant Medium Humanoid, not medium Human.
(they don't get the extra feat/skill point humans get)
2- what does Sprinter do?

yeah I meant humanoid lol.

Sprinter adds 10ft to max movement. It was more meant for being a race thats usable within the game since there really are no official Dogfolk race that really represents what it is to be "Doggy" lol

Hmm its a neat race to be sure, but I don't think all dogs have sprinter, so you might want so optional stuff pending on the type of dog you have. Over all I think its pretty doable as a character race.

I could drop sprinter, but what could I really add? Maybe some sort of thick fur?

But then your getting synergy with the strength bonus.

Trying not to make an overpowered race, just a playable one that any reasonable DM would look at and say "I really dont see why not"

What is RP and how does this work in terms of balancing the races?

RP = Race points/power

Everything that makes a race a race is given a point value that determines how powerful it is, everything from how many languages it knows and its size to if it has any natural armor or resistances. On the pathfinder srd there is a massive page for determining RP.

You could prolly go DR 1/ for thick fur. I do like the sprinter options for dogs like greyhounds, and the like. So maybe have side options like the srd has, instead of this they may take -this-. I think its a good race.

If you're looking for a good example of a canine society, check out the science fiction game Traveller for their race the Vargr.

WEll, catfolk probably shouldn't all be the same either.

I don't see any issues with this as a race. If I allowed the racebuilding rules, I'd allow that.

I'm not sure how I feel about the -2 Wisdom.  You're giving bonuses to Sense Motive and Perception, but penalizing the Ability those skills rely on.  Personally, I might put the penalty on Charisma.  Granted, we tend to think of dogs as being more friendly than cats.  They are pack animals, who function in groups.  But they are also highly perceptive (as you seem to be aware of with the bonuses to Sense Motive and Perception, and the Scent ability).  Maybe penalize intelligence?  Again, dogs can be pretty clever, but there's a bit of that imagery of blind loyalty/pack mentality that also plays into the image of the "dumb drooling mutt."

Just some thoughts.

Also, I may nix the Sprinter ability. Many dogs, and their wild counterparts, aren't known for their bursts of speed so much as for their endurance. Wolves and African wild dogs can keep a steady pace tracking prey for hours. They will often let faster prey run themselves tired while loping along behind. When the animal is too exhausted to put up another burst of speed to escape, they close in for the kill.  So Endurance perhaps?

I realized that, It was part of a self nerf so to speak that the -2 wisdom is taken away. The setting information I have wrote up for the race is that they are noble and savage yet easily trusting. So its a soft bonus to the skills but not a complete loss.

I was thinking of adding improved trip and d3 bite, but thats more racial options.

The classes I was thinking that Dogfolk would fall into best would be Cavalier, Bard, fighter, Slayer.

Also thinking of giving them an ancestral enemy. Might share the setting information I have written up. But as far as physiology goes, There not like the animus, There more like a non feral werewolf but smaller, tribal Dogfolk would be built much like an Orc would.

And wow, how did I not think of dropping sprinter for endurance before. I love the suggestion :D

You can call them 'Canids'. A real word, but weird sounding enough to work I think.

I think -2 int or cha would make more sense.

-int fits more than -wis

Or just have the + and - depend on breed like pooka and mermadies in WoD have there racial bonuses dependent to the animals they are bound too. (My fave for fish-folks is sharks, three rows of teeth and bonus to bite damage akin to welding a broadsword yikes! lol )

In reply to Azraile (msg # 16):

I agree with Azraile.  Dog-folk would definitely be high wisdom rather than low.

I'd select Intelligence as the penalty stat, perhaps representing dogs' tendency to be easily distracted...Squirrel!

Well, there's already the Gnoll (hyena-man)
[*] Ability Score Racial Traits: Flexible (+2 Str, +2 Con) (2 RP)
[*] Type: Humanoid (gnoll) (0 RP)
[*] Size: Medium (0 RP)
[*] Base Speed: Normal (0 RP)
[*] Languages: Xenophobic (0 RP) Gnolls start knowing their racial language only.
[*] Natural Armor: Gnoll hides are remarkably tough, granting them a +2 natural armor bonus. (2 RP)
[*] Darkvision: Gnolls have darkvision and so can see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet. (2 RP)

some other options to consider are:
Hound Archon Aasimar (maybe with the Wolfscarred face oracle curSe)
Witchwolf (Werewolf-Kin) Skinwalker

both already have a lot of options available

there's also some 3rd party races found on d20pfsrd

Canine Animus
Dog (Inu) Hengeyokai

And then you could allow "breed specific" bonuses...

Border Collie  +2 intelligence, +5 to all concentration checks. Must be Lawful.
Borzoi:   +20' Speed, -2 Intelligence
Chihuahua:  Tiny size, -2 to Charisma, -2 to Charisma to all allies within 10'
Doberman:  +2 to Intimidation checks
Husky:  +2 to Constitution, Cold Resistance

etc, etc.

For added amusement insist your players generate the breed randomly.

"What... what?  I'm a BICHON FRISE??  I want to try again!"

http://www.generatorland.com/u...nerator.aspx?id=3578

There is a Dog Brother race written up for D&D3 in Caverns of Thracia that would look like this in Pathfinder (IMO)

Medium Humanoid [Dog Brother] (http://i.imgur.com/fWj1jE0.png)
+2 Dex
Base Speed: 30 feet
Languages: Dog Brother speak Common and Gnoll
+1 AC tough skin
+2 racial bonus on Perception, and Survival checks.
Favorite classes: Fighter and Sorcerer

Dog brothers are hound-headed humanoids standing up to 6 feet tall with gray skin covered in matted hair. These canine humanoids are nocturnal carnivores that enjoy hunting and barking under a full moon. More organized than their taller, weaker cousins, the gnolls, dog brothers readily make alliances with bugbears, hobgoblins, minotaurs and even wily kobolds. Dog brothers are the sworn enemies of halflings, a hatred grown due to the halfling society’s use of canines for hard labor.

Some possible character faults:

"My Tail Has a Mind Of It's Own":  Anyone who can see the character's tail gets +4 to Sense Motive checks towards that character.

"SQUIRREL!"  Must make a concentration check in the presence of a squirrel or lose one action.

In reply to Eur512 (msg # 19):

That is a good point. Dog breed is far more varied and significant than cat breed. As a GM it is really up to you to decide how complicated you want to make it, but the dog breed could certainly impact upon stats and traits.