Its alive!! New race idea

[Laiodheach]

So i know there is a nice chunk of races but i felt like one of the most interesting characters were left out so i made it myself. There is a small part about where they are placed in the world. That is just the setting for the world that we play in you can put your very own Ornitier wherever you like!

Please let me know what you think!!!

Laiodheach

P.S. This race is based off the Final Fantasy 9 character VIVI if you couldnt tell

The Ornitier

The Ornitier hail from the southernmost island of the Aht Urghan Empire. Surrounded by mostly steep bluffs and cliffs, the only easy access to the island is a small port town (Hikarume Village) in a cove on the northern end of the island. The inland of the island is covered in dense never ending forest choked by a heavy ever present fog. Little is known about the origin of The Ornitier aside from their affinity to the magic arts and their comparatively short life spans (20 years), but very few know where they actually come from or how they are born. The Ornitier have admitted that there is an inner city (Zhizn Lesa) in the forest but few who have entered the forest surrounding it have returned and an even smaller number have ever seen a glimpse of the fabled city. All that is known of their origin is that they come from the forest adults and seldom ever return to the city within. The truth is that the Ornitier are a race of constructs invented long ago for the purpose of war. Eventually the Ornitier were set free with the knowledge of their spawning ritual, though now only The Makers know the true secret. The Makers vow to never leave the inner village so that their race may continue.

They are differentiated from humans by having a black aura surrounding his visible outer skin and glowing yellow eyes. (Males being a notably darker yellow) Never has one been seen without some sort of head adornment be it a hat or helm the top and back of the head are always covered. Male and female typically place a ribbon or colored marker to denote sex to bystanders as features are unseeable. (Although females have a slightly more effeminate body build.)
+2 INT +2CHA
Medium: Medium creatures, However due to their physique they are unable to wield great weapons or plate armor.
Base speed 30
Limited Low-Light Vision: The Ornitier can see twice as far as a hume in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. However they do not retain the ability to distinguish color and detail past the base line of sight.
+2 to all Knowledge (arcane) and Spellcraft checks
Made of Magic: Due to the magical nature of their birth the Ornitier start with one of the following feats. Enlarge Spell [Metamagic], Overchannel [Metamagic], Widen Spell [Metamagic]

[Nihilarian]

There is a kobold variant somewhere out there with a reverse Powerful Build ability.

Also, there is no specific reason to play your orni-whatsits as a black mage over, say, a blue mage, or red mage, besides the black cloud about their head making it thematically appropriate.

I'd grant them something more specific to a black mage instead of a feat. Perhaps a bonus Black Magery, or the ability to cast a certain cantrip 1 to 3 times a day. Or else just a straight up bonus to elemental spells DC's, which would be vague enough for use by other classes that use elemental spells but still promotes black mages. I think +1 to the DC of elemental spells is good.

Alternatively, summoners in that game are also their own race. As such, it would be feasible to make a less specific mage race that is flexible to fit both. For example, they could have been created through a magical mishap, and now every orni-whosit has some kind of distinguishing feature; the black aura for black mages, horn for summoners, maybe fur or a tail for blue mages, etc. Eventually they split off, and are now recognized as separate races despite having the same stats.

Is Charisma required for the black mage?

EDIT
Here, although it seems mostly beneficial: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060420a

[Laiodheach]

I made them with the intention that they shouldn't have to be just mages. If they want to be monks they can be monks or what have you. I like the option of mass verity. Obviously they are better as mages but i like to have players able to do whatever they want race/class wise just like there isnt a class restriction on the Nu Mou. Also Charisma is a good summoner stat.
That is all. thanks for the comment



P.S. I prefer to play this game like a Final Fantasy Tactics/FF11 sort of game rather than a DnD feel

[Laiodheach]

Any thoughts Viladin?

[Viladin]

Don't ask me. I hate FF9 even though I finished it.

[Gizmo]

Don't ask me. I hate FF9 even though I finished it.

Vivi and the Chocobo mini games were the only thing worth playing in FF9. I do love the race idea. I have been thinking about a way to implement the Chocobo mini game and having it work, but I haven't thought of a way that wouldn't just be dreadfully boring, or really lame.