Prometheus
2006-07-14, 06:58 PM
Hello, I'm new to this forum, but I've been DMing for D&D for years. This is a race that I made for one of my campaigns, and I thought I'd share it, so that it can be critiqued, and reused. Please feel free to comment.
(The setup: ) A series of explosions in Dwarven Mines triggers a rock slide (which the players use to stop an oncoming army of giants) and uncovers a series of tunnels which house an ancient ancestor of Dwarves and Gnomes (evolved from burrowing rodents, not monkeys). As might be expected, they are small size and are roughly humanoid, with the addition of fur, digging claws, a strong nose, and beady eyes. They use four legged and two legged travel interchangibley, and when they do stand, they stand with a hunch.
(In my campaign at the very least: ) The mountains had served as a time capsle of their way of life and they have not progressed in technology much further then the Bronze Age. However their culture and traditions have been set in stone. They believe that children owe absolute loyalty to their parents for their life, and obey them to their capabilities. A young age of maturing combined with a maximum lifespan aproaching 400 years, means that a colony is often made of a few very large families, each of which is ruled my the oldest member. The result is a complicated varient of monarchy, with rivaling families vying for control as they exert an aggressive influence on each other to gain more power.
Often their primitive lifestlye lends to being a Barbarians. Those who are not Barbarians are usually Rangers or Druids, who focus on their close connection to animals.
[hr]
MOLEFOLK RACIAL TRAITS
-2 Str +2 Dex +4 Con, -2 Cha, -2 Int,
Monstrous Humanoid: Molefolk are not subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person.
Small: As a Small creature, a moleman gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but he uses smaller weapons than humans use, and his lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
Molefolk base land speed is 20 feet, and a burrow speed of 10 feet in dirt or sand, but not stone.
Greater Darkvision: Molefolk can see in the dark up to 120 feet, even in magic darkness. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and Molefolk can function just fine with no light at all.
Light Sensitivity: Molefolk are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
Scent: This special quality allows a creature to detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell. Creatures with the scent ability can identify familiar odors just as humans do familiar sights.
The creature can detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of smell. If the opponent is upwind, the range increases to 60 feet; if downwind, it drops to 15 feet. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at triple normal range.
When a creature detects a scent, the exact location of the source is not revealed—only its presence somewhere within range. The creature can take a move action to note the direction of the scent.
Whenever the creature comes within 5 feet of the source, the creature pinpoints the source’s location.
A creature with the Track feat and the scent ability can follow tracks by smell, making a Wisdom (or Survival) check to find or follow a track. The typical DC for a fresh trail is 10 (no matter what kind of surface holds the scent). This DC increases or decreases depending on how strong the quarry’s odor is, the number of creatures, and the age of the trail. For each hour that the trail is cold, the DC increases by 2. The ability otherwise follows the rules for the Track feat. Creatures tracking by scent ignore the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility.
Stonecunning: This ability grants a dwarf a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn’t stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. A dwarf who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as if he were actively searching, and a dwarf can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can. A dwarf can also intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up.
Although Molefolk have no natural armor, they can take the Improved Natural Armor feat due to their fur.
+3 racial bonus on saving throws against poison.
+2 racial bonus on Craft (alchemy) and Hide checks.
-2 racial penalty on Diplomacy, Jump, and Sense Motive.
Speak with animals (burrowing mammal only): As the spell, but continuous.
Automatic Languages: Molefolk (a combination of Dwarven, Gnome and Undercommon. Molefolk can be roughly understood with one of those three languages and an Int check of 20, two langauges and an Int check 15, or all three languages and Int check 10). Bonus Lanuages: Common, Dwarven, Goblin, Giant, Gnome, Halfling, Orc, Terran, Undercommon
Favored Class: Barbarian. A multiclass Molefolk’s Barbarian class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty.
(The setup: ) A series of explosions in Dwarven Mines triggers a rock slide (which the players use to stop an oncoming army of giants) and uncovers a series of tunnels which house an ancient ancestor of Dwarves and Gnomes (evolved from burrowing rodents, not monkeys). As might be expected, they are small size and are roughly humanoid, with the addition of fur, digging claws, a strong nose, and beady eyes. They use four legged and two legged travel interchangibley, and when they do stand, they stand with a hunch.
(In my campaign at the very least: ) The mountains had served as a time capsle of their way of life and they have not progressed in technology much further then the Bronze Age. However their culture and traditions have been set in stone. They believe that children owe absolute loyalty to their parents for their life, and obey them to their capabilities. A young age of maturing combined with a maximum lifespan aproaching 400 years, means that a colony is often made of a few very large families, each of which is ruled my the oldest member. The result is a complicated varient of monarchy, with rivaling families vying for control as they exert an aggressive influence on each other to gain more power.
Often their primitive lifestlye lends to being a Barbarians. Those who are not Barbarians are usually Rangers or Druids, who focus on their close connection to animals.
[hr]
MOLEFOLK RACIAL TRAITS
-2 Str +2 Dex +4 Con, -2 Cha, -2 Int,
Monstrous Humanoid: Molefolk are not subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person.
Small: As a Small creature, a moleman gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but he uses smaller weapons than humans use, and his lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
Molefolk base land speed is 20 feet, and a burrow speed of 10 feet in dirt or sand, but not stone.
Greater Darkvision: Molefolk can see in the dark up to 120 feet, even in magic darkness. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and Molefolk can function just fine with no light at all.
Light Sensitivity: Molefolk are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
Scent: This special quality allows a creature to detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell. Creatures with the scent ability can identify familiar odors just as humans do familiar sights.
The creature can detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of smell. If the opponent is upwind, the range increases to 60 feet; if downwind, it drops to 15 feet. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at triple normal range.
When a creature detects a scent, the exact location of the source is not revealed—only its presence somewhere within range. The creature can take a move action to note the direction of the scent.
Whenever the creature comes within 5 feet of the source, the creature pinpoints the source’s location.
A creature with the Track feat and the scent ability can follow tracks by smell, making a Wisdom (or Survival) check to find or follow a track. The typical DC for a fresh trail is 10 (no matter what kind of surface holds the scent). This DC increases or decreases depending on how strong the quarry’s odor is, the number of creatures, and the age of the trail. For each hour that the trail is cold, the DC increases by 2. The ability otherwise follows the rules for the Track feat. Creatures tracking by scent ignore the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility.
Stonecunning: This ability grants a dwarf a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn’t stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. A dwarf who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as if he were actively searching, and a dwarf can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can. A dwarf can also intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up.
Although Molefolk have no natural armor, they can take the Improved Natural Armor feat due to their fur.
+3 racial bonus on saving throws against poison.
+2 racial bonus on Craft (alchemy) and Hide checks.
-2 racial penalty on Diplomacy, Jump, and Sense Motive.
Speak with animals (burrowing mammal only): As the spell, but continuous.
Automatic Languages: Molefolk (a combination of Dwarven, Gnome and Undercommon. Molefolk can be roughly understood with one of those three languages and an Int check of 20, two langauges and an Int check 15, or all three languages and Int check 10). Bonus Lanuages: Common, Dwarven, Goblin, Giant, Gnome, Halfling, Orc, Terran, Undercommon
Favored Class: Barbarian. A multiclass Molefolk’s Barbarian class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty.