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Zellic Solis
2010-05-23, 05:46 PM
Children of creatures from beyond the realms.

Racial Traits
Height: 5'5"-6'
Weight: 150-200 lbs
Ability Scores: +2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Normal

Languages: Common, Supernal
Skill Bonuses: +2 Arcana, +2 endurance

Locked Subconscious: Far Kin gain a resistance to psychic damage equal to 5+1/2 their level.
Dread certainty: The Far Kin gain a +1 to hit and damage with abilities targeting Will.
Aberrant Origin: Your ancestor were native to the far planes so you are considered an aberrant creature for the purpose of effects that relate to creature origin.
Jaunt: You can use Jaunt as a daily power.

Jaunt (Far Kin Racial Power)
"You call upon your unnatural blood to slip away from the bonds of the normal universe into the beyond."
Daily, Minor Action, Personal

Effect: You turn insubstantial (PHB 277) until the end of your next turn. You can end this effect at the beginning of your turn.

The specifics of the origins of Far Kin are shrouded in mystery. Some hypothesize that the far kin were humans abducted by otherworldly powers. Others hint at grotesque or perverse experiments and transformations that altered existing races into the Far Kin. Regardless of the truth, Far Kin are an deviation from all that is natural.

Play a Far Kin...
...to be an exotic and unusual individual.
...to strike fear of the unknown into the hearts of your enemy.
...to excel at the Warlock, Wizard, and Psionist classes.

Physical Qualities
At first glance Far Kin appear as humans. It is only under closer examination that their otherworldly qualities become apparent. Far Kin do not have an uniform appearance but rather are distinct by their incomplete appearance. Hairlessness, an eye or eyes that are solid black, silver, white, or gold, albino skin, vestigial limbs, strange sub-dermal bumps that move of their own accord, or small tentacles are some of the more common phenomenons. More extreme versions have mouths or eyes located in strange locations. Internal structures are even more bizarre.

Far Kin have lifespans analogous to humans. However, their life experiences are far less pleasant. Many are born appearing completely normal humans, elves, or dwarves however in childhood they begin to alter to show their aberrant nature by their early teens. Others have no recollection of their childhood, finding themselves deposited fully grown and forced to rapidly adapt to a world they have no connection to. Many Far Kin, however, possess strange memories or dreams of world and places best described as nightmares.

Playing a Far Kin
Far kin are not human. They are something else belonging outside the natural order and it is this outsider nature that shapes their being. Either they embrace their aberrant nature or strive to live in spite of it. Others do their best to carve whatever life they can manage for themselves.

Far Kin who are born may outwardly resemble normal members, but these appearances quickly fall away as the Far Kin matures and mutates away from their parent species. The process involved in their progeneration is unknown. As the Far Kin approaches adulthood only the most understanding and accepting of communities will keep ties with the otherworldly being.

Other Far Kin who appear fully grown are often subject to strange memories and lack of any backgrounds. They are frequently plagued by impulses, images, and dreams that drive them towards unknown and bizarre goals. Many become victims of organized crime and cults, which use the far kin's naivete and confusion to treat them as cats-paws and tools. Tragically, many of these people are killed or even vivisected by those who study the inhabitants of the far plane.

Far kin who embrace their aberrant origins typically become star pact warlocks, seeing to understand the powers beyond to understand themselves and their impulses. Far kin who strive to be accepted by others often pursue wizardry where a little oddity is excusable. Others try to tap and unlock the secrets in the depths of their disturbing subconsciousness and become psionic classes.

Far kin are rarely easy friends. Those that crave friendships are dogged by impulses and nightmares they can't understand. They never fit in. Worse are those who remember childhoods where they were cared for and who are now pariahs from their parents. Many far kin are driven by fear of persecution, rejection, exploitation and most of all of the unknown powers that direct with invisible strings.

Far Kin characteristics: paranoid, fearful, loyal, testing, inquisitive, probing, longing, sullen.

Far Kin take their names from the parents or from nicknames they assume for themselves.

Far Kin Adventurers
Qzorr is a star warlock whose life began in an open field. He has found in his fragmented and disjointed memories images of strange tentacled beings, fractal landscapes, and endlessly turning spirals. He has strange memories of people and places that he suspects are not his own. Qzorr has radically altered his appearance even more than initially; scaring his body with esoteric spirals and lines that feel right. Saved from vivisection by a 'brotherhood' interested in contacting the far powers by an adventuring group, he continues association simply out of convenience while striving to understand the meaning of the clockwise spiral.

Aelitha Farstar had a fine life as a scion of a respected elven wizardly family. However, as she grew older changes began that she strove desperately to conceal. As some of her hair fell out and what remained transformed into noxious green black spines she realized she was something other than what she'd always assumed. Fortunately, her family was acquainted with the oddities of the far planes and did not reject her even as friends and her community turned away. When her studies concluded Aelitha left her home to the wide world in search of not only happiness, but an explanation for why she was made as she was and perhaps find a way to return to normal.

demidracolich
2010-05-23, 06:21 PM
Very nice, an actual far realms related race. For a nitpick wizard is not spelled wisard.

Mando Knight
2010-05-23, 06:27 PM
Comments:

1. Aberrants don't speak Supernal (which is normally excluded for level 1s anyway). They speak Deep Speech.

2. Mental Feedback is a touch more powerful than most other racial abilities if in a psychic-heavy game, but worthless if not, as psychic is a rather rare type outside of its specialists. You might consider changing the name and giving 5+1/2 level Psychic Resistance (like the Tieflings' Fire Resist)...

demidracolich
2010-05-23, 06:41 PM
Yep, I'm pretty sure there are no 4e abilities or powers that reflect damage back at the enemy.

Ouranos
2010-05-23, 10:42 PM
Sorry. it has to be said. FARKIN FAR KIN! (Say out loud.) I'd suggest a slight name change of some sort, eh?

Chainsaw Hobbit
2010-05-23, 11:03 PM
I sort of like it, it should do more than just "I kick ass when attacks vs will are involved!".

Zellic Solis
2010-05-24, 09:02 AM
Paragon Paths

Illithari "You fear the unknown. I feel it swimming in my veins."

Prerequisite: Far Kin

Of all the aberrant intelligences in the world few inspire such terror as the mind flayers or illithids. Some races, such as the githyanki, dedicate entire castes of society to their extermination. For the more individualized far kin, sometimes the best way to fight such alien evil is to become it. Through meditation, focus, self experimentation, or an evolution guided by unknown outside forces, a far kin can eventually transform themselves into an Illithari.

Illithari operate on the periphery of society and on the edge of sanity. Normal humanoids may see no distinction between the Illithari and the mind flayers they emulate. Illithari are also one of the few humanoids that can associate with mind flayer communities with some ease. As such, some Illithari act as intermediaries with illithids.

Illithari Features

Mental empowerment (11th level): Whenever you spend an action point to take an extra action you inflict a bonus to damage equal to one half your level plus your intelligence modifier until the end of your next turn. This damage is psychic.

Telepathy (11th level): You gain the ability to mentally communicate with any intelligent being within 10 squares. You must share a common language to communicate effectively.

Mental feedback (16th level): Your mind instinctively strikes back at any enemy that attacks you in melee. If you are hit by a melee attack, it takes 5 psychic damage.

Illithari powers

Mind Blast, Illithari attack 11
Your touch your temple and your forehead undulates before sending out a rippling eruption of psychic energy that sends your foes reeling.
Encounter, psychic
Standard action, close blast 3
Target: Each enemy in burst
Attack: Intelligence +4, Wisdom +4, or Charisma +4 vrs will.
Increase the bonus on attack rolls to +6 at 21st level.
Hit: 2d6 + int, wis, or cha modifier and the target is stunned until the end of your next turn.

Mental shunt, Illithari utility 12
As your enemies assail your mind you return some of their own power to them.
Encounter, psychic
Immediate interrupt Personal
Trigger: You take psychic damage
Effect: You reduce the psychic damage an amount equal to 1/2 your level + intelligence modifier. Your attacker takes psychic damage equal to this amount.

Mind Crush, Illithari attack 20
Your will grows so powerful that it physically mangles any that cross you.
Daily: Psychic, Force, Fear
Standard action Range 5
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence +5, Wisdom +5, Charisma +5 vrs will (increase to +7 at 26th level)
Hit: 2d6+intelligence psychic damage. Make a secondary attack against the initial target.
Miss: Half damage, no secondary attack.
Secondary attack: Int +5, Wis +5, Cha +5 vrs fort. (increase to +7 at 26th level)
Hit: 2d6+intelligence Force damage. Make a tertiary attack against the initial target.
Miss: Half damage, no tertiary attack.
Tertiary attack: Int +5, Wis +5. Cha +5 vrs will. (increase to +7 at 26th level)
Hit: Target is immobilized. Save ends.
Miss: Target is slowed until the end of the Illithari's next turn.