Fey'ri - Shapechanging

[Ruzuke]

As I have had to provide this information OOCly several different times I thought I would post how the Fey'ri shapeshifting works. Not in my own words but a screen shot from the Races of Faerun. With the race being application only I hope my suggestion from a year or so ago moves to the approved category to be aligned with the class.

By the book a Fey'ri is apt to appear as a Drow, Half-elf, Human, Hin, Gnome, or whatever humanoid race they choose.

The screenshot is from Races of Faerun page 119 as shown in the picture. Page 120 would show that Fey'ri gain different powers due to their demonic blood. I would like that coded in as well same as paths... but that moves out references to suggestion. So I will leave just the facts until, if, and when the DM team say that Fey'ri lore is changed and implantation is not due to system and coding using the NWN toolkit but by design. The same reason why my fey'ri chooses not to grow wings fly in the air and range attack any melee he cannot reach. He simply chooses not to walk around as a Kleptomaniac half-elf.

[DM Herald]

This is a case of balancing special abilities in a persistent world environment. If Arelith were purely a PvE DnD campaign, making abilities like these stick one to one with lore would not be a problem. However, Arelith is not a purely PvE DnD setting, and Fey'ri do not need the keystone ability of Rakshasa along with their current stat line.

[Ruzuke]

Shape Changing is a keystone ability of the Fey'ri as listed in the races of Faerun

It is why I requested it be added. The entire reason why they are not wiped out into extension is that they can change their race. Ntlaseryn Floshin (From Forgotten Realms Cloak and Dagger) developed the power so well she is impersonating a Doppleganer which the race like Raskaksa and Succubus/Incubus can change their appearance to many different forms. They also have the Fey'ri skinchangers as changing forms is an integral part of the race.

Which moves to the Fey'ri powers as shown in back in the races of Faerun.

This is not implanted into the game either. All that combined shows them to be an ECL +2 race including the stat block as shown in Races of Faerun:

That total combined had WoTC consider them (along with their stat block) the equivalent to Drow Power level. Being able to hide well isn't something that is powerful or useful in combat. I'd much perfer to be able to fly in combat and attack from afar. As the suggestion for that has been noted that is not happening as meeles would need to switch from sword, axes, and melee weapons to a bow to shoot back.

I hope in the future my suggestion posted in suggestions is approved (though this makes me think it won't be any time soon) and while Fey'ri lore wise can do it they never will do so in game.

[DM Herald]

The ability of Fey'ri being able to switch between sun elf and Fey'ri form is to acknowledge the ability to shape change. However, giving Fey'ri the ability to completely transform into any humanoid form would basically invalidate any mechanical reason to take Rakshasa. Why take the devil flavored +3 ECL race that can be killed with a blessed bolt, when you can take the +0 ECL Fey'ri who has the same special ability? This is what I mean by balancing special abilities. Fey'ri is already considered one of the best major awards to take. There is no need to buff it any further.

[Ruzuke]

The ability of Fey'ri being able to switch between sun elf and Fey'ri form is to acknowledge the ability to shape change. However, giving Fey'ri the ability to completely transform into any humanoid form would basically invalidate any mechanical reason to take Rakshasa. Why take the devil flavored +3 ECL race that can be killed with a blessed bolt, when you can take the +0 ECL Fey'ri who has the same special ability? This is what I mean by balancing special abilities. Fey'ri is already considered one of the best major awards to take. There is no need to buff it any further.

Is this the official DM team opinion (I do notice my suggestion has not been denied) or this DM Hearld's opinion? The opinion you expressed seems to base on power building. Also it reflects opinion that Fey'ri is considered one of the best major award races.

Until recently Fey'ri were not placed behind an application while Rakshasa were. Fey'ri can be killed by any skilled PVPer. A Rakshasa can simply become something else. Is your suggestion that Druid's (ECL +0] shouldn't get their masks of 1000 faces because Rakshasa have the ability to change their form?

Neither classes nor races have unique powers. Other have them. Sorcerers and Wizards have the same spell list as do clerics and favored souls. Everyone can open locks, use UMD, gain spell craft with Lore master with a 3-4 level dip which makes them better at the iconic abilities of rogue as lock pickers and bard as being the scholars making them the most popular class of all time (1/5 players is one) yet they have not been reverted to a 10-level spread.

This is not my long buried post in suggestions which this topic should likely be part of. But part of tinkering with classes unbalances them. In the mention of Rakshasa being unique the race Fey'ri has been stripped of all its powers. Aside from darkness (which most fey'ri do not take they have 3 other powers. They can fly but flight isn't implemented as posted by the suggestion for flight as melee may miss out on hitting someone.

Even the argument that someone /could/ possibly fail their save to be killed by a blessed bolt. I would ask what is the impact? Is it an instant mark of death race? Or like all characters who die? I would say applying for a PRC or a Award Race shouldn't be about one mechanic but the story with it.

I put myself up to the same standards were I opened my ticket for DM coaching to ensure I was aligned with Arelith's staff on how I play my Fey'ri. There has been 0 responses in a year's time so I assume I don't suck to badly (as my old project manager used to say).

As mentioned in my first post. This was placed in references because several people thought the mechanics was lore. It seems the consensus for reasons the lore exists. The mechanical changes are for unrelated reasons. I do agree with in the current state they should be ECL +0 the reasons why they are an ECL + 2 as explained by Wizards of the Coast do not exist on this server.

[The GrumpyCat]

Respectfully, I believe DM Herald's opinion does more or less echo that of the DM team and, more to the point, the Admin team. I may be wrong of course, but I would personally be very suprised if the Admin/Dev team (who work on the mechanical abilities of such races) would give what's a signature ability of Rakshasa to Fey'ri, for the reasons Herald expresses. Especially as Fey'ri can hide their appearence easily enough without the use of such abilities.