SJ races --> 3e (Part I)

(Too long had to break it in two)
The purpose of this post is to get things rolling. Feel free to post about anything and everything here.

Original by Richard Gant incorporated comments by Sebastian Lucier.
Threw the Neogi in by Marizhavashti Kali. I may have missed
other's comments. The omission was not deliberate and had no ill intent
(this was just what I had stashed away in my outlook box).

I've really tried to focus on balance, in a Living Sphere setting it
would be unfair to have one race be significantly more powerful
than another (and I think we understand how irritated people would get
about "nerfing" so we should try to get it right on the first
shot).

I have neither the Spacefarer's guild, nor the 3e PH (on order) so this
may turn out to be silly but I've gone over Richard's work
with the Monster Manuel and tried to see if I could sort through the
published creatures and come up with a way to balance all these
fellows out. (i've also included the origonal PH races to keep things
organized). Basically if I see a race as being significantly
more attractive than humans, with more special abilities than elves or
better rogues than Halflings then I'm figuring it needs a
Creature Level.

General point system: I've worked out a general point system to try to
get a handle on how things are balanced. I'm aware that this
is a pretty lame system. I think one of the basic issues is that there
are simply some races (elves, humans, halfings) who are much
better than other races (Half-Orcs). I do think that the basic questions
like "Is this just sick and wrong?" and "Should we add a
level requirement to these guys?" get a bit clearer when someone has
twice as many points as another potent race. I'm open to
suggestions/ advice (seeing as how I just made this all up I'm not very attached to it :)

Some basic features about mysystem I've noticed -- attributes are a bit
cheaper than they probably should be power wise. With the
core races this balanced out reasonably well because there are few
racial stat changes and they are all balanced "into" each other
generally a +2 physical attribute with a -2 physical (etc.). As more
stats change there are some significant discrepancies which
develop.
Some of the weirder powers just got randomly assigned point values.

*****COST BREAK DOWNS*****

Size - sizes come with bonuses and penalties so I left those alone (at
least from small to large). While the large creatures get
some pretty hefty penalties their weapons do significantly more damage.

STATS
Stat  Cost per +2 points
Str    4
Dex    4
Con    3
Int    2
Wis    2
Cha    2
(I just basically worked this off the table 2-7 pg 24 in the DMG - its
not completly accurate, because it can't be modeled using
simple math but its in the "spirit" of the table)

SKILLS
The "human" skill bonus (+4 skills at first and +1 skill thereafter)
2 pts
Extra feat (character choice)-- 3 pts.
Extra Feat (set) -- 2pts
Proficiency with good set of non-exotic weapons - 1/2 pts
+1 with a type of useful (but not very) weapon (ex halfling thrown weapons) 1/2 pts

Skill bonus
1/2 pt per +1
Partial skill bonus (Dwarven ability to appraise rocks)
1/4pt per +1
Penalty to a class specific skill
1/2 per -1


SAVES
4 pt per +1 to all saves
2 pts per +1 to ref, will or fort save
1/2 pt per +1 to specific type of save (illusion, enchantment, poision etc.)
Immunity to something limited (but useful) ex: magical sleep 1 pts

Vision
Low Light -- 1/2 pt
Darkvision 60 ft -- 1 pt
Darkvision 120 ft -- 2 pt (NPC races)
Special search for secret doors 1/2 pt.

MISC
Favored Class not limited -- 2 pts
Slow (base speed 20 instead of 30) -- -1 pt
Valuable combat bonuses vs. limited creatures (dwarves and gnomes)-- 1pt
Cast a cantrip 1/day -- 1 pt
Age of race - not really all that important, and it just makes elves more expensive

*****PH RACES*****
(I've gone over this about 4 times re-writing the system so I may have made a math mistake)

DWARVES - Small 5 pts
Abilities -- +2 Con, -2 Cha,
1
Defenses -- +2 vs. Spells, Poison
2
Combat bonuses -- +1 to hit orcs and goblins; +4 dodge vs. Giants
1
Misc Stonecutting +2 to identify strange stonework, and know depth underground; +2 appraise and craft: stone
1 + 1= 2
Favored class: limited (fighter)
Slow
-1

ELVES medium 7.5 pts
+2 dex -2 con
1
Immune to Magical Sleep, +2 vs. Enchantment/charm
2
Low Light vision; +2 Spot, Search, Listen
3.5
Proficiency with Long/Short Swords and Long/Short/composite Bows
1
Special search
1/2

HALF-ELVES medium 5.5
Immune to Magical Sleep, +2 vs. Enchantment/charm
2
Low Light vision; +1 Spot, Search, Listen
1.5
Favored class - any
2

GNOMES small 6 pts
+2 con, -2 str
0
Low light, +2 listen
1.5
+2 vs. illusions
1
+1 kobolds, goblins, +4 ac vs. Giants
1
3 cantrips 1/day
3
speak with burrowing animals
1/2
Slow
-1


HALF-ORCS medium 1 pts
+2str, -2 int, cha
0
Darkvision
1
**************************************************************************
I'm torn about even including half-orcs. Scro are more powerful. There
are at least 4 races who are better warriors, the usually
niche role of Half-orcs. Obviously they can be put in but they're woefully underpowered.
**************************************************************************


HALFLINGS small 7.5
+2 dex, -2 str
0
+2 climb, ms, jump
3
+1 to hit with thrown weapons
1/2
+1 vs. all saves, +2 vs. fear
5
Slow
-1

Humans medium 7
+1 feat
3
Extra skills +4 first level; +1/level after
2
Favored class any
2

*****SPECIAL RACIAL BONUSES AND PENALTIES FROM SJ*****
Enhanced movement
1 pts per +10 speed of movement
1/2 pt for a limited use style of movement - brachiating, swimming
1 pt for a frequently useful type of movement - gliding

Improved Armor class
1 pt per +1 ac

10' reach
2 pts This is actually really nasty. In practice an opponent approaching
you gives an attack of opportunity before even getting
within range to hit. At least according to the diagrams on Eric Noah's page.

Built in weapons
Weak (like daggers) 1/2 pt
Strong (viable weapons like short/long swords) 1 pt
Super strong (damage or special attacks like those available only to exotic weapons) 2 pts