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dwennon
2009-07-05, 09:36 PM
Okay my first attempt at homebrewing something. This is mostly in case me and any of my friends felt like doing the whole Jaffa thing or for sheer scholarly curiosity of what they would have, and i was the only other person who new enough about Stargate that could do it...and would be willing to do it.

So if any of you have any suggestions on how to improve this please do say so since I'm not totally sure on balance issues of things. Enough of that though and on with the main stuff.
current version
Jaffa Racial Traits

* +2 Strength, +4 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma
* Medium: As Medium creatures, Jaffa have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
* Immunity to Poison
* Faster Healing: Jaffa heal at twice the normal rate. When receiving bed rest, they heal naturally at three times the normal rate.
* Naquadah blood (su): Jaffa gain a +2 bonus to use magic device and use psionic device checks. Furthermore, a Jaffa may make a DC 20 concentration check as a full-round action to detect any other creatures with this ability within 50 feet.
* Kel'nor'reem (Ex): Instead of sleeping, Jaffa enter a meditative state. In this state, all forms of magical healing heal twice as much health. A Jaffa may enter this state at any time, even moving and performing like activity while doing so. In this state, they are treated as being flat-footed and prone. If attacked, the Jaffa must succeed on a DC 15 listen check to notice the attack and emerge from their meditation.
* Dependency (Ex): A Jaffa is reliant upon either internal symbionts or a substance called tritonin to maintain their immune system. They choose which they will depend on during character creation. Tritonin must be ingested every 5 days while symbionts only need replacement every 10 years.
If they do not receive their proper supply of Tritonin or symbionts, the Jaffa must make a Fortitude save each hour (DC 15 + 1 per previous success) or take 1 Constitution damage that cannot be healed until they have obtained their dependant substance.
* Heightened Resilience (Ex): so long as the Jaffa receives their normal supply of symbionts or Tritonin, their body becomes highly resilient. The benefits depend of which substance they require
Symbionts: The Jaffa receives a +2 bonus to Will saves and gains fast healing 2 when their hit point total falls below 1/2 of their maximum hit points.
Tritonin: The Jaffa receives a +2 bonus to Fortitude saves and gains fast healing 1 at all times
* Favored Class: None
* Level Adjustment: +3

Symbiote variants: Jaffa are still aloud to take templates at character creation, only this replaces the special abilities the symbiote gives. Half-breed templates LA decrease by 1 to a min. of +1 ECL (HD not withstanding).

*Goa’uld symbiots: the standard symbiote type. Offers all the standard abilities, and while in kel'nor'reem a concentration 25 check can be made to contact the symbiote. If contact is made successfully then the Jaffa is aloud to talk to the symbiote or look through the symbiotes memories. If the attempt is unsuccessful then the Jaffa was unable to contact the symbiote and loses all advantages the symbiote would grant. The advantage of connecting to the symbiote can include a good relationship with the symbiote leading to an extra +1 to will saves against openly hostile attack on the mind, Learning how to make some of the goa’uld items (this adds a +1 to craft checks to make a goa'uld item if it was gained against the symbiotes will, while if it was gained because the symbiote wanted the Jaffa to have it the +1 becomes a +2).

*Illithid symbiote: possible if Illithids were the original or eventual creators of the Jaffa. This is the second most likely type of creators of Jaffa if goa'uld were to exist. Have all the standard limitations a symbiote gives with the difference being they can be replaced after 13 years, 1 power point, and the con modifier drops to +2. Illithid symbiotes will usually want to start getting ready for their eventual careers in evil while still in the Jaffa body and are thusly safe from physical harm, but they don’t usually care much about their host seeing them mostly like a ring of protection, very useful but replaced with some relative ease. Illithid symbiotes usually don’t care about their Jaffa servants and are almost always unwilling to share more power than is absolutely necessary, where absolutely necessary is their is no replacement Jaffa, outside the Jaffa is hostile, and the still young symbiote is not strong enough to survive on it's own. The Jaffa also gains the psionic abilities of a half-Illithid with the difference of the necessary wis is +12 and int +10 and HD 1-4 detect thoughts, 2/per day, Hd 5-7 suggestion, 2/day, HD 8-10 levitate, 3/day, and HD 12+ charm as a psionic power(if the Jaffa is a manifester class then at this level they are aloud to add this to their list of powers at power level 4 and does not count against the number of powers known). Jaffa who hold Illithid symbiotes are much stronger then many of the other symbiote bearing Jaffa and thusly in crease their LA to +4.

*Celestial symbiotes: Used if Jaffa are the zealous servants of celestials or the deities of light. LA increases by one, and if the Jaffa’s Wis is +12 and int +10 they can then gain the spell like abilities and smite evil of a half celestial at the cost of the naquadah blood ability. The kel'nor'reem ability can also be switched for the ability to cast cure * wounds 3/day with the Jaffa gaining them like so HD 1-4 light, HD 5-7 moderate. HD 8-10 serious, HD 11+ critical. Jaffa can also use that ability in any combination but only gains a full amount of 3 uses of any number of them per day, so a Jaffa could use cure light wounds twice a day then use cure moderate wounds once.

*Fiendish symbiotes: used if the Jaffa are servants of either fiends or dark deities. Same as the celestial symbiote bearers, except replace smite evil and the spell like abilities with the half-fiends spell like abilities. Fiendish symbiote bearers cannot trade out the kel'nor'reem ability but can instead gain either 2 1d4 claw attacks or a 1d6 bite attack in trade of their charisma modifier changing to -4.

*draconic symbiotes: The Jaffa who bear a draconic "symbiote" are usually more powerful or versatile then many of the other Jaffa, the only known dragons to do this are the chromatic, metallic, gem, and in exceedingly rare cases incarnum dragons. Those Jaffa who were made by and/or for the chromatic and/or metallic dragons are usually like their soldiers or followers against their brothers of the opposing types of dragons. There are different varieties of strength in the connection between Jaffa and "symbiote". An average connection Jaffa gains the dragon blood subtype, 2 1d4 claws/1d6 bite, +1 NA, +1d6 HD, and +4 skill points at character creation. Draconic symbiote Jaffa also have a higher LA of +5.

*Incarnum symbiotes: Those Jaffa who are in concert with the incarnum and hold symbiotes drawn from the incarnum. Jaffa gain an essentia pool of 1 and are aloud to pick one soul meld from any meldshaper list, this meld cannot be bound to a chakra unless the Jaffa takes actual levels in a meldshaper class. No special chakras are opened because of having an odd soul meld, for e.x. a Jaffa soulborn who has the ability to shape the rage claws thanks to having an incarnum symbiote does not gain the totem chakra unless he takes levels in totemist. This soul meld still follows all other rules soul melds abide by. The incarnum symbiotes are usually the very souls that inhabit the incarnum, usually relatives or new souls who don't have a body to live in yet. Incarnum symbiotes also never need to be replaced but don't gain the fast healing 2 most other symbiotes grant.

*Arcane symbiotes: The Jaffa that were created/serve arcane casters. Jaffa of this variety gain 3 cantrips that can be cast as many times per day as their bonus spells (for Jaffa who don’t take a casting class this stat is Wis.). however if the Jaffa takes levels in an arcane casting class they add these spells to their spell lists and are allowed to cast them for free once per day and increase the amount of cantrips they can cast per day by one. These cantrips must either be randomly chosen or picked by the DM.

*Divine symbiotes (non celestial or fiend): These Jaffa are the vassals of the deities who are not tempered by fiendish or celestial powers. They have the same spell bonus as the arcane version except one of those free spells is cure light wounds.

*Psionic symbiotes (non mindflayer): These are the Jaffa who are the servants (or slaves) of manifesters who aren't Illithid. These Jaffa gain 2 power points and one 1-level power(not soul knife or mantle powers) with bonus power points based on their manifester stat (for Jaffa who do not take levels of a manifester class this stat is Wis.).

*Elemental symbiotes: The servants, born and breed allies or worshippers of elementals. There are a number of elemental symbiote Jaffa, primarily air, water, fire, and earth. Although more types of Elemental Jaffa are possible the only ones provided here are the four primary types. By increasing the LA by 1 an elemental Jaffa can gain the spell like abilities of half-elementals with the difference being the prereqs for them are Wis is +12 and int +10.

*Fey symbiotes: Those rare Jaffa who were made by the forest lords as their more direct and forceful protectors. Low light vision and charm person 5/day. If the Jaffa and fey symbiote have a good relationship the LA becomes +4, gains the butterfly wings, and gains the half-fey spell like abilities if Wis is +12 and cha +10.[/LIST]

Symbiote personalities: Symbiote connection is hate, unfriendly, dislike, unsure, apathetic, neutral, acquaintance, speaking terms, amicable, benevolent, okay, mildly friendly, friendly, good, great, true trust. Apathetic to acquaintance are average relationship.

*Artiste: These symbiotes are those who care more for culture and the arts. Usually are neutral or apathetic to hosts, but fro every 2 ranks in perform their relationship increases one level

*Bully: Always at unfriendly or dislike. These are the mean symbiotes who are just mean to their carriers and hosts. These symbiotes usually are removed the fastest even if they aren’t fully developed.

*Coward: These symbiotes care most about not dying or facing harm and usually encourage “tactical retreats”(running away). Always at unsure relationship.

*Friendly: The symbiotes that are usually liked by their hosts for an attitude that fosters friendship and loyalty. Worst level of relationship possibility is mildly friendly.

*Hero:TBD
*Liar: TBD
*Meticulous: TBD
*Observant: TBD
*Nimble: TBD
*Poised: TBD
*Resolved: TBD
*Sage: TBD
*Single-minded: TBD
*Sneaky: TBD
*Sympathetic: TBD
*Arrogant: TBD
*Agent: TBD
*Crusader: TBD
*Daredevil: TBD
*Explorer: TBD
*Innocent: TBD
*Leader: TBD
*Martyr: TBD
*Rebel: TBD
*Royalty: TBD
*Savage: TBD
*Strategist: TBD
*Theorist: TBD
*Trickster: TBD
*Wanderer: TBD
*Mad: TBD
*Greedy: TBD
(if anyone wants to or can come up with more to the symbiotes like what they can do or more towards the personalities and relationship rating then please do and post it)

the old version
Jaffa:humanoid
+2 str
+4 con
-2 cha
-2 int

-immunity to non magic poisons
- 1d6 racial hit die
- faster healing as a bonus feat
- naquadah blood(su): Jaffa are born or modified by arcane/psionic means to have a natural compatability to magic/psionic weapons made by their masters, this gives them a +2 magical/psionic devices checks(dependent on how goa'uld devices work), alongside this ability jaffa can sense others who have the naquadah blood trait: this takes a full round dc20 concentration check, the area of detection is 50 ft.

at character creation a Jaffa can choose between either using tritonin or containing "symbiotes". having the symbiote protects against any mentally based status ailments for example a psionic disease or if the Jaffa might become a lost. while tritonin will protect against any physical diseases bestowed by arcane/divine/etc magics.
- sympiote:if symbiote is chosen Jaffa gain a +2 to will saves not originating from their masters
-jaffa also gain better healing thanks to the symbiote working to heal their host so they can live longer(their fast healing improves to fast healing 2 but can only be activated when a "poison" enters the Jaffa body or their health is at 1/4th ),
-jaffa must also replace their symbiotes after they reach maturity or they die from a lack of immune system,
- tritonin:if a at some point a Jaffa chooses to use tritonin they gain non of the benefits of having a symbiote or if they already had a symbiote they lose all the benefits of having a symbiote with some exceptions
-Jaffa who use tritonin gain a +2 to fort. saves
-since the tritonin replaces the Jaffa immune system yet lacks the control and focus the symbiote gives instead of having the amount of fast healing increased to 2 it is instead always on no mater the condition with the exception the Jaffa hasn't taken his allotted dose of tritonin or it is turned off


-Jaffa do not need to sleep and instead enter a medatative state known as kel'nor'reem. While in the kel'nor'reem state a Jaffa's healing and any other healing is doubled in effectiveness, since in this state a Jaffa is focusing on either healing their wounds, contemplation, focusing them selves, or some such thing. A Jaffa can enter a kel'nor'reem state at almost any time(the exception to this is in direct combat with an enemy in which case they fully focus on defeating/subduing their enemy), yet while in this state they are counted as both flat footed and prone, but if an enemy who aims to attack the Jaffa the Jaffa can make a listen dc15 check to sense an enemy(if the listen check is failed then the Jaffa doesnt realize there is an enemy is there and stays in the kel'nor'reem).

-if a Jaffa is without either symbiote or tritonin after 1 hour or a day(dependent on how tritonin works in the campaign) they instantly lose their fast healing and their healing factor instead becomes 1/2 making it so any non true deities healing only works half as well as it would normally, and simultaneously they must make a dc20 fort. save every 5 rounds or lose 10 hp, a successful fort. save dependent on how well the success is will either deal 5 hp instead of 10(if exactly the save number to 5 higher) or negate the damage and make it so for the next 3 checks are not necessary(10 or higher then the save, if it's 5-10 then the Jaffa only takes no damage). After this has started to happen a Jaffa will in the case of the symbiote have at most 3 days to live before instantly dying, while in the case of tritonin they will have at most between 5-7 days maximum before instantly dying.

-Jaffa can be of varying subtypes depending on the symbiote the carry if they so choose. for ex. a Jaffa carrying an infant Illithid symbiote would pick up the same subtype as the infant Illithid, while a Jaffa carrying a symbiote granted by a deity would pick up the same subtype as the symbiote like good, evil, celestial, or fiendish. a Jaffa must actively seek to gain the template associated with their subtype from their symbiote if there is one or else they do not gain the template itself. this sub type comes from them containing a symbiote so even if they are humanoids if the contain a symbiote of any type a ranger with a favored enemy that's the same as the symbiote gains the favored enemy bonus, any other abilities of similar nature also work on the Jaffa.
-symbiotes:sometimes symbiotes will bestow a small gift to their "host" this will usually be something small or usefull depending on the symbioye. examples include an infant mind flayer bestowing a power point to a Jaffa they actually like and can get along with, or if it just wants to make sure it's harder to get to a +1 to search/spot/sense motive. This all depends on the symbiote though so they might actually weaken their host or give mildly stronger abilities to their host depending on their disposition towards their host.

+4 level adjustment: Jaffa are a very powerful race, and starting off they are much stronger then most other races.

- the Jaffa's master:dependent the campaign a Jaffa could be the followers of the false gods(not necessarily the goa'uld). while in many other setting where the Jaffa exist they could've been an experiment by a powerful wizard/psion/other such character who would do such twisted experiments that became free and then followers of the true deities who then would supply them with either symbiotes, tritonin, or both so they could then faithfully serve their new deities making them similar to born, raised, and breed paladins. Or Jaffa could have been both made by a pantheon and some mad scientist/enemy pantheon and then fight each other similar to to the goa'uld in the respect of many factions warring and allying with one another based on their god. unless Jaffa have achieved their freedom they are always in the service of their "master"( which previously discussed could be a deity, some mad alchemist/scientist, goa'uld, or something else along those lines). Although when in the service of deities a Jaffa can at some points earn their freedom thanks to either a very long amount of service, a "great act", or something else along those lines, and when one of these cases of Jaffa has earned their freedom they might still work for their deity in a lesser fashion, adventure, or settle down for a peaceful life.

favored class:none. Jaffa have no favored class and will always train in the class their master tells them to train in, usually fighter, knight, paladin(in the case of their master as a true god), and in some rare cases barbarian. although they do gain a favored class if their master tells them to do so in which case a Jaffa barbarian6/rogue2 is not unheard of, the same with a Jaffa fighter 10/cleric 2can also be found as front line supporters, knight 4/scout 2 are also not unheard of, and in some very odd cases psychic warrior, hexblade, duskblade, and spellblade Jaffa can be found dependent on their master. although free Jaffa favored class is anything martial(unless their int is above 15 and strength below 14 in which case it's any casting class like wizard, archivist and psion is also included in this) like a fighter, barbarian, or paladin. although Jaffa will almost never actually multiclass unless it is a strange situation, or their master commands it since they view it as weak, having little discipline, insolence, and other views along the same lines.

religion:their master

alignment: usually lawful any, but it depends on how they view what their master is ordering them to do so a Jaffa's alignment can be anything that's not chaotic

age:
adult:14 middle age:180 old:210 venerable:230: max age:+2d10 years

languages: common, Jaffa/goa'uld, anything their master commands, and bonus languages.
_______
After this is completed i do plan to try and do the a few of the other Stargate races. And if anyone is curious enough about it i looked in the d20 Stargate book, and i think this could work better for a non d20 modern system.

horus42
2009-07-05, 11:46 PM
I know quite a bit about Stargate, but unfortunately, I don't know enough about D&D to offer any useful advice. Now, if you plan on using a non d20 system, like you said at the end of your post, I can offer help with making them for WoD.

dwennon
2009-07-05, 11:52 PM
Well if i knew another system beyond d&d 3.5, OD&D, and the system for the game I'm making i would make it for another system...and the system i was talking about at the end was d20 modern, another version of D&D for closer to modern and possibly mildly futuristic. but if you want to make it for another system and place it here go for it.

Realms of Chaos
2009-07-06, 09:02 AM
Let's Try to Simplify this as is seen in the player's handbook

Jaffa Racial Traits

+2 Strength, +4 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma
Medium: As Medium creatures, Jaffa have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Immunity to Poison
Faster Healing: Jaffa heal at twice the normal rate. When recieving bedrest, they heal naturally at three times the normal rate.
naquadah blood(su): Jaffa gain a +2 bonus to use magic device and use psionic device checks. Furthermore, a Jaffa may make a DC 20 concentration check as a full-round action to detect any other creatures with this ability within 50 feet.
Kel'nor'reem (Ex): Instead of sleeping, Jaffa enter a meditative state. In this state, all forms of magical healing heal twice as much health. A Jaffa may enter this state at any time, even moving and performing like activity while doing so. In this state, they are treated as being flat-footed an prone. If attacked, the Jaffa must succeed on a DC 15 listen check to notice the attack and emerge from their meditation.
Dependency (Ex): A Jaffa is reliant upon either internal symbionts or a substance called tritonin to maintain their immune system. They choose which they will depend on during character creation. Tritonin must be ingested every week while symbionts only need replacement each month.
If they do not recieve their proper supply of tritonin or symbionts, the Jaffa must make a Fortitude save each hour (DC 15 + 1 per previous success) or take 1 Constitution damage that cannot be healed until they have obtained their dependant substance.
Heightened Resilience (Ex): so long as the Jaffa recieves their normal supply of symbionts or tritonin, their body becomes highly resilient. The benefits depend of which substance they require
Symbionts: The Jaffa recieves a +2 bonus to Will saves and gains fast healing 2 when their hit point total falls below 1/2 of their maximum hit points.
Tritonin: The Jaffa recieves a +2 bonus to Fortitude saves and gains fast healing 2
Favored Class: None
Level Adjustment: +3


I changed a few things that didn't look right and tried to clear up some language (but I don't know anything about the jaffa). I changes so that Symbionts heal health at under 1/2 health (under 1/4th and your basically dead already, especially due to level adjustment)
Also, I changed hit point damage to constitution damage, figuring it sounded a bit more fair and may permit some Jaffa to live the full three days.
Lastly, I reduced the level adjustment by 1. All that this guy really does is heal himself. That isn't too impressive
By the way, in DnD, psionic/magical poisons don't exist beyond Drow of the Underdark and the Book of Vile Darkness. Plain immunity to poison is just fine.

BRC
2009-07-06, 09:12 AM
From what I remember from Stargate, it sounds like Jaffa would be more of a Template than a race, because you arn't born a Jaffa, you become one.

vampire2948
2009-07-06, 09:17 AM
From what I remember from Stargate, it sounds like Jaffa would be more of a Template than a race, because you arn't born a Jaffa, you become one.

That's not how it works. Jaffa are born, T'ealc's son is born a jaffa, for example. But you can become them too, e.g. by using hathor's weird device thing that she uses on Jack.

BRC
2009-07-06, 09:20 AM
That's not how it works. Jaffa are born, T'ealc's son is born a jaffa, for example. But you can become them too, e.g. by using hathor's weird device thing that she uses on Jack.
He was born into the Jaffa class, but the physical benefits come from having the larval symbiote implanted into you. I think.

vampire2948
2009-07-06, 09:22 AM
He was born into the Jaffa class, but the physical benefits come from having the larval symbiote implanted into you. I think.

Ah, I see what you mean.

They are born with the right organs to have a symbiote within them. i.e. The pouch thingy on their stomach, shaped like an X. Which is what makes them a Jaffa rather than a human.

The physical healing benefits are indeed from the symbiote...but...

I think that problem doesn't exist. They can be born a jaffa, but they just start off without their dependent substance - well, they lose their immune system when they pass through puberty, don't they?

dwennon
2009-07-06, 01:55 PM
well from what i remember around 13 years old or so they under go a ceremony to receive the "gift" of bearing the goa'uld symbiote, although it's more than possible that after millenia of this they had become modified enough that around the time of ceremony their immune system starts to shut down any way. But there's no real proof of a jaffa not using something inplace of their immune system after around 13-15 years of age.

And i think realm of chaos made a much more workable version of what i made, i'd just change up the symbiote part, and possibly adding some things abuot other things different symbiotes can do. But the reason i say different symbiotes is incase you play a campaign without goa'uld and still want to be the jaffa...of course then you could probablly replace the goa'uld with mind flayers or soemthing...but whatever

dwennon
2009-07-20, 12:28 AM
well i've updated the Jaffa stats and hopefully this will work better than what i had before. This newer version is also thanks to realm of chaos' suggested Jaffa traits

Myiven
2009-07-24, 09:31 PM
Jaffa are born Jaffa, complete with pouch. They have a functioning immune system until their first implantation. The symbiote retards and then replaces their natural immunity. The pouch is also not exposed to air until the implantation ceremony.

(this information is gleaned from a memory built for trivia and watching every SG-1 and Atlantis episode 4 or 5 times)

Thrawn183
2009-07-24, 11:10 PM
So... why have faster healing when you already have fast healing?

dwennon
2009-07-25, 12:33 AM
well that's in case there are jaffa who never had symbiotes or tritonin introduced, besides both are/can be used as a way to keep them as slaves

DracoDei
2009-07-25, 05:54 AM
I just realized... you should strongly consider making this a template instead of a race... because in a universe with the species integration of a standard D&D campaign, unless there is a specific biological reason not to, it seems to me they are going to each want to use their favorite races as servants and thus Jaffa. So, these would be the human based ones, elf based, dwarf based, etc.

dwennon
2009-07-26, 12:57 AM
That was actually a thought i had sometime after making this, but i thought it would be good if there was something for them as a full race to. And i would like to make/see someone make a template for this since i can see a similar problem to these like with the azurin from MoI. Yet if any of you feel like making up the stuff for a jaffa template go for it. I'm probably going to make one to but if any of you more experienced homebrewers would like to I'm perfectly fine with it.

playswithfire
2009-07-26, 01:09 AM
Not to make everything too complicated, but there are two different parts of being a Jaffa. The first is the pouch, which you can either be born with or have given to you (by that device Hathor had, for instance) and, to a certain extent. devotion to the Goa'uld. The second is the implantation of the larval Goa'uld symbiote.

So, you'd need a Jaffa template that can be either inherited or acquired and then to stat out the Goa'uld for use with the Symbiotic Creature template from Savage Species. You could even have two different stages of Goa'uld; larval/prim'tah and mature, with the latter giving additional benefits like the genetic memory.

The other problem with that (apart from unnecessary complexity) is that using the symbiotic template, the guest organism does not affect the physical stats of the host, which the Goa'uld clearly do.

Just my 2 cents; feel free to ignore.

dwennon
2009-07-26, 01:25 AM
Well whatever, if that's how it'd work fine, but i've never actually homebrewed stuff for D&D before, and i also thought it would be nice if there was a race proper for jaffa not just a template so the need to calculate all the new additions to what a creature would already have, wouldn't need to get any more complex. Like what i said with azurins, okay as their own race but they should have been a template.

Strawman
2009-07-26, 07:12 AM
Why -2 intelligence? I get that you want to set up a sort of warrior's build, but jaffa in the show have never shown any indication that they are of below average intelligence.

dwennon
2009-07-26, 01:44 PM
well thats more for the whole matter of their "masters" keeping them ignorant and thusly mostly unquestioning in their loyalty...and they seemed to be more wise any way