Author Topic: Racial emulation and planar bubble  (Read 3028 times)

Offline Brains

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Racial emulation and planar bubble
« on: March 25, 2014, 03:31:31 PM »
The changeling racial feat Racial Emulation states that when assuming the appearance of a race, you can emulate that race's subtypes and are considered a member of that race for all purposes besides directly receiving traits.  Does this mean that a changeling who has the Planar Bubble spell cast on her while emulating a humanoid (extraplanar) emulates that creatures native plane's characteristics?

For example, a changeling emulates a githzerai, emulating their extraplanar subtype and considered a githzerai for all purposes. When Planar Bubble is cast on that changeling, she receives the benefits a githzerai would for being native to limbo. Is this correct?
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Offline SorO_Lost

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Re: Racial emulation and planar bubble
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2014, 04:03:29 PM »
The Extraplanar Subtype is added to any creature that's not on it's native plane. A Githzerai doesn't Racially actually have the Subtype anymore than an Elf does.

Offline Brains

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Re: Racial emulation and planar bubble
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2014, 04:33:01 PM »
The Extraplanar Subtype is added to any creature that's not on it's native plane. A Githzerai doesn't Racially actually have the Subtype anymore than an Elf does.

Ah OK. But a changeling with Racial Emulation is still considered a native to limbo when emulating a githzerai, right?
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Offline Leviathan

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Re: Racial emulation and planar bubble
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2014, 04:48:32 PM »
The changeling is native to wherever he was born (by definition). This is probably the material plane, unless something in your character's backstory says otherwise.

When planar bubble is cast on a githzerai, the bubble mimics Limbo because that's where the githzerai in question, like all other githzerai, was born.

Offline Brains

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Re: Racial emulation and planar bubble
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2014, 04:55:16 PM »
The changeling is native to wherever he was born (by definition). This is probably the material plane, unless something in your character's backstory says otherwise.

When planar bubble is cast on a githzerai, the bubble mimics Limbo because that's where the githzerai in question, like all other githzerai, was born.

Racial Emulation allows the changeling to count as another race for all purposes. Are you saying this shouldn't include where they are native to?
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Offline Leviathan

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Re: Racial emulation and planar bubble
« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2014, 05:15:43 PM »
The changeling is native to wherever he was born (by definition). This is probably the material plane, unless something in your character's backstory says otherwise.

When planar bubble is cast on a githzerai, the bubble mimics Limbo because that's where the githzerai in question, like all other githzerai, was born.

Racial Emulation allows the changeling to count as another race for all purposes. Are you saying this shouldn't include where they are native to?

Where a person was born is a property of the individual person, not of that person's race or genetics. What if you use racial emulation to emulate a race with multiple homelands (such as humans, who typically live everywhere)?

From another direction: Why does planar bubble make a bubble of Limbo when cast on a githzerai? If githzerai had a racial trait to make them count as native to Limbo, the changeling wouldn't get that trait (also, githzerai don't have such a trait). If planar bubble said "When planar bubble is cast on a githzerai, it creates a bubble of Limbo", then racial emulation would work - but it doesn't have specific language like that. Instead, the spell looks at the creature in question, asks "on what plane was this creature born?", and makes a bubble of that plane. If a particular githzerai happened to be born on the material plane, then casting planar bubble on that githzerai would create a bubble of the material plane.

Offline Brains

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Re: Racial emulation and planar bubble
« Reply #6 on: March 25, 2014, 05:52:48 PM »
Where a person was born is a property of the individual person, not of that person's race or genetics. What if you use racial emulation to emulate a race with multiple homelands (such as humans, who typically live everywhere)?
From another direction: Why does planar bubble make a bubble of Limbo when cast on a githzerai? If githzerai had a racial trait to make them count as native to Limbo, the changeling wouldn't get that trait (also, githzerai don't have such a trait). If planar bubble said "When planar bubble is cast on a githzerai, it creates a bubble of Limbo", then racial emulation would work - but it doesn't have specific language like that. Instead, the spell looks at the creature in question, asks "on what plane was this creature born?", and makes a bubble of that plane. If a particular githzerai happened to be born on the material plane, then casting planar bubble on that githzerai would create a bubble of the material plane.

I disagree with this. In D&D, a race has a native plane, not individuals. Humans are native to the material plane. Githzerai are native to limbo. The Planar Bubble spell works off of this rule.


Quote from: Monster Manual, pg. 130
Githzerai characters possess the following racial traits.
— +6 Dexterity, –2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom.
—Medium size.
—A githzerai’s base land speed is 30 feet.
—Darkvision out to 60 feet.
—Racial Feats: A githzerai gains feats according to its character
class.
—Special Qualities (see above): Psionics, inertial armor, spell
resistance equal to class levels + 5.
—Automatic Languages: Githzerai. Bonus Languages: Common,
Slaad, Undercommon.
—Favored Class: Monk.
—Level adjustment +2.

We know that these are the racial traits for githzerai. We know that githzerai, as a race, are native to limbo. We also know that Racial Emulation makes a changeling considered another race for all purposes except racial traits. This specifically includes "spells keyed to race". Planar Bubble is keyed on where a race is native too, therefore a changeling emulating a githzerai would be considered a githzerai when subject to this spell. I think this is pretty clear.
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Offline Meiliken

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Re: Racial emulation and planar bubble
« Reply #7 on: March 26, 2014, 07:28:10 PM »
Where a person was born is a property of the individual person, not of that person's race or genetics. What if you use racial emulation to emulate a race with multiple homelands (such as humans, who typically live everywhere)?
From another direction: Why does planar bubble make a bubble of Limbo when cast on a githzerai? If githzerai had a racial trait to make them count as native to Limbo, the changeling wouldn't get that trait (also, githzerai don't have such a trait). If planar bubble said "When planar bubble is cast on a githzerai, it creates a bubble of Limbo", then racial emulation would work - but it doesn't have specific language like that. Instead, the spell looks at the creature in question, asks "on what plane was this creature born?", and makes a bubble of that plane. If a particular githzerai happened to be born on the material plane, then casting planar bubble on that githzerai would create a bubble of the material plane.

I disagree with this. In D&D, a race has a native plane, not individuals. Humans are native to the material plane. Githzerai are native to limbo. The Planar Bubble spell works off of this rule.


Quote from: Monster Manual, pg. 130
Githzerai characters possess the following racial traits.
— +6 Dexterity, –2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom.
—Medium size.
—A githzerai’s base land speed is 30 feet.
—Darkvision out to 60 feet.
—Racial Feats: A githzerai gains feats according to its character
class.
—Special Qualities (see above): Psionics, inertial armor, spell
resistance equal to class levels + 5.
—Automatic Languages: Githzerai. Bonus Languages: Common,
Slaad, Undercommon.
—Favored Class: Monk.
—Level adjustment +2.

We know that these are the racial traits for githzerai. We know that githzerai, as a race, are native to limbo. We also know that Racial Emulation makes a changeling considered another race for all purposes except racial traits. This specifically includes "spells keyed to race". Planar Bubble is keyed on where a race is native too, therefore a changeling emulating a githzerai would be considered a githzerai when subject to this spell. I think this is pretty clear.

I agree.  After all, there is also precedence for Outsider(native) being born on the material plane, so yes, I agree completely since it even works as RAW.   Giths are quite specifically native denizens of limbo.  Which means if you emulate them, you emulate the native limbo.  Your place of birth is immaterial.  Think of a demon.  They're powered by the essence of hell.  Even if they're born on the material plane, they're still powered by hell.
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