New-school race-as-classes part the third: Tieflings

I mean, I guess Tieflings aren't really that new school given they were in 2e, but 4e took them in a particular direction that I quite liked. I'm not 100% happy with it yet, so if you think there's something that needs changing I'm not above putting out a second draft. UPDATED 8/26: Make that a third draft, thanks to Anonymous Commenter #1.

Tiefling

Art by Zaebrael (you have no idea how hard it is to find a female tiefling in reasonable armor!)

Prime requisite: STR and INT
Requirements: INT 9
Hit Dice: 1d6
Attack as: Fighter
Save as: Elf
Advance as: Elf
Maximum level: 10

Tieflings are the descendants of nobles of a decadent human empire that entered into a series of alliances (both military and marital) with the forces of Chaos. They resemble devilish humanoids with an aristocratic bearing, and often have reddish, grey, or stark white skin, horns, and tails. Some have cloven hooves for feet. In the Wilderlands, Tieflings are also known as Viridians and tend towards green skin instead. Tieflings tend to be about the same height (not counting their horns) and weight as humans.

Restrictions: Tieflings use 6-sided dice (d6) to determine their hit points. They may advance to a maximum of the 10th level of experience. Tieflings may use any type of weapon or armor and may use shields. A Tiefling character must have a minimum Intelligence of 9.

Special Abilities: Tieflings have infravision and can see 60 feet in the dark. They cast spells as Magic-Users or Elves of two thirds their level, as detailed on the chart below. Tieflings are immune to fear effects. While wearing leather armor or less, a tiefling may hide in shadows, move silently, and backstab as a thief of the same level. Inherently Chaotic monsters still often remember the old pacts made between them and the first Tieflings and so apply a +2 bonus to their reaction rolls and a -2 penalty to saving throws against any Charm spells the Tiefling uses against them.

Table: Tiefling spells by level

Character Level	1st level spells	2nd level spells	3rd level spells	4th level spells
1	1	-	-	-
2	1	-	-	-
3	2	-	-	-
4	2	1	-	-
5	2	1	-	-
6	2	2	-	-
7	2	2	1	-
8	2	2	1	-
9	2	2	2	-
10	3	2	2	1

Tieflings:

AC: 5 (14)
HD: 1+1 
Move: 120' (40')
Attacks: 1 weapon Damage: 1d8 or by weapon 
# Appearing: 1d4 (2d12)
Save as: E1
Morale: 8
Treasure Type: E
Alignment: Neutral or Chaotic

Tieflings are handsome, devilish-looking humanoids. Each tiefling will have one first level spell (chosen at random) If a group of 15 or more Tieflings appear, one will be a leader of level 2-7 (1d6+1). To check for magic items the leader may own, multiply the leader's level by 5. The result is the percentage chance for that leader to have a magic item from any subtable. Roll separately for every subtable. So long as the leader is alive morale is 10 rather than 8.

B/X class: I tell you, I tell you the Dragonborn comes (50th post wooo!)

Okay so I haven't thought this out 100%-- I was going to start by building this using the ACKS custom class guidelines, but I got impatient. As usual, honest criticism is the only way I'll learn. (For those of you playing at home, the ACKS Zaharan Ruinguard is the corresponding Tiefling class)

UPDATE: Here it is as a one-page, easy-to-print PDF if you want one.


Dragonborn

Art by Gabe

Prime requisite: STR
Requirements: STR 9, CHA 7
Hit Dice: 1d8
Attack as: Fighter
Save as: Fighter
Advance as: Magic-Users
Maximum level: 11

Dragonborn are scaly, quasi-reptilian humanoids that claim descent from dragons-- a claim corroborated by the fact that they are found in the same colors (though usually more muted, earthy shades) as the various known species of dragon, and by the fact that many of them share a breath weapon with the dragons they closely resemble. Dragonborn tend to be about six feet tall and weigh over 200 lbs. Dragonborn are often very proud, serious and humorless, but exude a predatory confidence.

Restrictions:  Dragonborn use 8-sided dice (d8) to determine their hit points. They may advance to a maximum of the 11th level of experience. Dragonborn may use any type of weapon or armor and may use shields. A Dragonborn character must have a minimum Strength of 9 and a minimum Charisma of 7.

Special Abilities: Dragonborn are covered in thick but flexible scales that give them a -2(+2) bonus to their AC. All dragonborn have a breath weapon similar to that of a dragon, usable three times per day but no more than once per hour, which deals 1d4 points of damage per level, to a maximum of 5d4 damage, along either a cone 40 feet long and 20 feet wide at its far end (if fire or cold), a 20-foot diameter cloud (if toxic gas), or a 60-foot line (if lightning or acid). A successful saving throw against Dragon Breath reduces the damage by half. A dragonborn gains a +2 bonus to any saving throws against damage of the same type as their breath weapon. Dragonborn speak the languages of dragons, kobolds, orcs, and goblins.

And as a monster...

Dragonborn
AC: 4 (15)
HD: 1+1 
Move: 120' (40')
Attacks: 1 weapon plus breath weapon
Damage: 1d8 or by weapon 
# Appearing: 1d4 (2d10)
Save as: F1
Morale: 9
Treasure Type: E
Alignment: Neutral

Dragonborn are reptilian humanoids that bear a resemblance to dragons. Like dragons, they have a breath attack (See above for details). All closely-related dragonborn will have the same type of breath attack. If a group of 15 or more Dragonborn appear, one will be a leader of level 2-9 (1d8+1). To check for magic items the leader may own, multiply the leader's level by 5. The result is the percentage chance for that leader to have a magic item from any subtable. Roll separately for every subtable. So long as the leader is alive morale is 11 rather than 9.

New Monster: Vermin Queen

Inspired, of course, by the 4e Lamia. ACKS used for the rule set:

Vermin Queen
% in Lair: 30%
Dungeon Enc: Solitary (1)/Nest (1d3)
Wilderness Enc: Nest (1d3)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 120'(40')
>Fly: 60' (20')
Armor Class: 2
Hit Dice: 6***
Attacks: 2 or 1 (2 Claws or weapon)
Damage: 1d6/1d6 or weapon
Save: M6
Morale: +2
Treasure Type: H
Exp: 1070
A Vermin Queen is a swarm of horrid, intelligent black beetles with the ability to assume the guise of a beautiful human or demihuman. They use their talent for disguise to waylay travelers in order to devour their flesh and steal their skins and their memories. When a Vermin Queen eats a living human, demihuman, or humanoid creature, another beetle is born to the swarm. When the swarm gets too big to comfortably fit into a human skin, half of it splits off and becomes a new vermin queen. The mother swarm typically deposits the daughter swarm in the body of its next victim in order to provide it with its first disguise.

A Vermin Queen can freely change between a humanoid form and swarm form once per round. The touch of a Vermin Queen in either form paralyzes, much like a ghoul. Attacking a Vermin Queen with a torch or weapon will inflict 1d4 points of damage to the swarm. Fire-based and cold-based attacks will also damage a Vermin Queen, and a sleep spell will cause the entire swarm to go dormant. While in swarm form, a Vermin Queen fights just like an insect swarm apart from its HD, morale, saves, and paralysis ability.

Differentiating humanoids

Okay, so, as those of you who know me are aware once upon a time your Auntie Rachel was a 4e player with the best of them. There are plenty of fine reasons I left it behind, but there were definitely elements of it that I like. One of the things I liked best from 4e (Heresy!) is that different humanoid monsters had traits or powers that helped to mechanically differentiate the tactics they used in a fight. I've never been the most tactical of minds so having these was useful to me because it gave me a clearly understandable reason to change up how I had groups of humanoids fight. To that end, I've tried to do something similar for each of them. They aren't strict conversions, but they mostly take inspiration from the ones in 4e 'cause I was satisfied with those. These are, of course, completely unplaytested. Bugbear Bugbears love nothing more than isolating their enemies to increase their fear. A bugbear gets a +4 bonus to attack rolls against an opponent that cannot see any allies or is separated from them by more than 10 feet. Giant A giant can grab a horse-sized or smaller opponent and squeeze or throw it. Squeezing works identically to a python's constriction. The giant can throw an opponent as far as he could a rock, dealing damage equal to the rock throw if he hits a hard surface, or half damage if he hits a soft surface. The giant can even throw an opponent at another opponent, dealing half damage to both. If you use a save for reducing falling damage, it applies to being thrown as well. Gnoll Gnolls are vicious pack fighters. Should a gnoll hit with a melee attack, it deals extra damage equal to the number of other gnolls within melee range of its target, to a maximum of +5. Goblin Goblins are cowards with only the barest concept of loyalty. A goblin can make a fighting withdrawal at full speed as long as its opponent is within melee range of at least one other hostile creature. Hobgoblins Hobgoblins are as disciplined as Goblins are cowardly. A hobgoblin gains a +1 bonus to AC for every hobgoblin that stands within 5 feet of it, to a maximum of +4. Kobold Kobolds always know when they're outmatched. If a melee attack misses a kobold, it can safely retreat at full speed. Lizardfolk and Troglodyte At least in BFRPG (I'd have to check others to be sure), there's already mechanical support for Lizardfolk and Troglodytes as ambush predators, because they surprise on 1-4 in 1d6 if they can hide in water or underground, respectively. I might expand that to sand as well in the case of lizardfolk, because I've had desert lizardfolk from time to time. Ogre An ogre's strength is such that it can sacrifice its +3 damage bonus in order to push a man-sized or smaller opponent 10 feet away or knock it prone. If the force of the blow results in an opponent being dashed against a hard surface (but not the floor), it deals 1d2 additional damage and the opponent must save vs. paralysis or be dazed and unable to act for one round. Orc Orcs are ferocious to the last. Upon being reduced to 0 HP, an orc can make one last attack before falling. These are just sort of me rolling ideas around in my head, I don't know if they're quite perfect yet.