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TheGeckoKing
2010-09-30, 12:10 PM
Cactyr

A picture of a Cactyr with the Ingrain and Needle Arm feats
(Just under here, and well done to the artist for a wicked pic.)
http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/201/0/f/Cacturne_The_Scarecrow_Pokemon_by_Silver_Noctis.jp g

Origin
Made by a Druid's blunder, these easygoing Cacti people are quite friendly and have a penchant for carring around a potted cacti. Their birth comes from the blunder of a now-Master Druid Leafwind.
Leafwind, only a beginner at the time, and an avid traveller was travelling (well duh) when he saw a withered cacti. He thought he'd spruce it up with a bit of magikal powahz, and so he touched the plant to heal it.
But cacti are spiky. Spikes hurt. So Leafwind flinched and poured in too much natural energy, and the cacti mutated into the first Cartyr in seconds.
The God of nature, known as (Insert nature god you wanna use here), kinda liked the look of this, so rather than a beginner Druid get killed by a mindless cacti monster, they gave the monster sentience, and basic skills needed to survive the world.
So, without so much as a thanks, the 1st Cactyr waved to Leafwind, and ran off. Through releasing seeds and divine meddling, more Cactyr were born, and a small culture evolved, based around travelling, taking after the race's "Granddaddy" Leafwind.

Culture and personality
Taking after their accidental creator, the Cactyr are born travellers, roaming the land in search of fun and giggles. They originally travelled in a stoic manner, but they found this boring, so they developed into fun-loving people with a love of nature (as can be expected).
They normally travel to find new ways of having fun, and to see new things. They normally travel in groups of about 5 or 6, BUT not with the other Cactyr, if it can be helped. They reason that they don't want to share the fun that could be, and they don't need to see another them to get used to..them. Or something.
Cactyr are like that. They're not one for complicated words, or complex thoughts. They're quite to-the-point, and don't bother with white lies, thinking the truth is best (Although they're not silly, like Paladins. Plus, Lying can be FUN!).
Their lifespan that rivals Elves is considerd a blessing to the Cactyr, mainly allowing them to have MORE fun. Cactyr like fun. As such they're alignment is strictly Chaotic in nature (Although mellow Neutal Cactyr, and freaky Lawful Cactyr occur once in a blue moon.)

Biological Stuff
The Cactyr don't count birthdays, thinking your age to be an abstract thing.
They do however, live as long as most elves, an idea cribbed by the God who gave them their minds. They mature and leave home about the same ages as elves (you can tell The Gods are Lazy).
However, they reproduce by creating a seed in thier mouth (takes a day, and while your body is creating a seed, you take a -1 to all rolls), spitting it out (as a free action), and planting it, and leaving the poor bugger to grow for another day, before sprouting up, and running off to have fun, with the knowledge written into their brain by the God who bore them their minds.

The Cactyr are like Warforged in that, they are not born with a gender, but normally choose one or the other gradually (Now, this is a natural thing. The god didn't even BOTHER to implant genders! BAD GOD!)

One quirk is that they have an odd penchant to carrying around potted cacti.
They care for the cacti's needs, and treat it as a parent would treat it's child.
Many a poor soul has been skewered though the face with needles by a twitchy Cactyr after breaking a potted plant. Crazy. I know.

Realations with other Races/Classes
The Cactyr get along with most races and classes, seeing life as one big game, and everyone else as people to play with. The ONE people(s) Cactyr cannot stand are people who are too serious. Dwarfs, Elves, Paladins, Uptight Clerics and the like have all been the target of a Cactyr's pranks after telling the poor guy to "Stop messing about!" once too many.
At which point the Cactyr goes "WHY SO SERIOUS?!" and facespikes the nasty sod. Oh well. He had it coming.
A special mention goes to Druids who, to the Cactyr's amusment, treat them like you would treat the Mayor of where you live. Politely, and with great respect.
Must be a Druid thing.


Crunchy Stats:

+4 CON, -4 CHA, -2 DEX
(To survive the endless travelling, you gotta be tough, but your not a looker,
and have you ever seen a Cactus bend? I think not)
Plantlike Humanoid * Type(s)
Base Land Speed is 20ft
Natural Attacks: Has a natural attack, dealing 1d4 damage.
Stubby Hands: Cactyr can do fine manipulation, but badly. They take a -2 on all rolls that involve fine manipulation.
Immunities: Exhaustion (but not Fatigue)
Connecting with Nature: A Cactyr with at least 15 levels in Druid, or
a nature themed class (DM's call, but must be at least 15 levels), gains
a massive link with nature, and as such, gains the Plant subtype instead of it's Plantlike Humanoid typing.
Vulnerable to Fire (+50% damage)
Auto Languages: Common, Spiketounge (Cactyr Language)
Starting Age, Aging Effects, and Height + Weight : As (High) Elf.
Favoured Class(es): Barbarian and Druid
LA: 0


*NEW TYPE
Plantlike Humanoid:
Like Plant Type, but without the immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
Still has immunity to poison and sleep effects, but not paralysis, polymorph, and stunning. Is subject to critical hits, and still needs to sleep

Feats:

Needle Arm

Prerequisite: Need to be a Cactyr
Benefit: Your arms swell and become even more spiky, making your
natural attack deal 2d4 damage, instead of the usual 1d4.
Special: Your arms become even more unwieldy, giving you a -2
penalty to rolls involving fine manipulation (for a total of -4)

Ingrain

Prerequisite: Need to be a Cactyr
Benefit: You gain a +5 bonus to Balance Checks. Also, by rooting yourself to the ground (You may not move while rooted, and you must spend a full round to rip your roots from the ground) for an hour, you do not need to eat or drink for 1 day, and you are healed of all non-lethal damage, all Dessication damage, and Hit Points equal to your HD. If you do any tiresome work while in your square (Swinging a sword, chopping wood, stuff like that), the process takes 2 hours instead, and if you are sleeping, your slowed metabolisim makes the process take the 8 hours you spend sleeping instead.
Special: Your roots make it harder to move, giving you a -2 to DEX.

Mellow Smellies!

Prerequisite: Need to be a Cactyr, 3 HD or more.
Benefit: You grow nice flowers of any colour (normally pink) all over your body, making you look cute. As such, you gain a +1 to CHA. Also, the flower allows you to release spores allowing you to cast Calm Emotions 3 times per day with a CL equal to your HD.
Special: Lets be honest, you don't look scary with flowers all over you. You take a -3 penalty to Intimidate rolls.

Needle Cannonade
Prerequisite: Needle Arm
Benefit: Your arms swell even more, turning into natural guns.
You gain a slam attack dealing 1d6 damage + your STR modifier, and as a full round action, you make make a ranged attack dealing twice your slam damage, with a range of 50ft.
Special: Your arms are hard to use for fiddly things. You take a -1 to all
DEX related skill rolls.

Needle Artillery
Prerequisite: Needle Cannonade, 12HD
Benefit: Your arms swell to almost rediculess levels, increasing your killing power. Your ranged attack that you aquired via Needle Cannonade now deals 3 times your slam attack, plus your STR modifier, with an increased range of 100ft.
Special: Your arms are now impossible to use for fiddly stuff. You now take a -10 to all DEX related rolls.

Ravin' Roots
Prerequisite: Ingrain
Benefit: Your roots become bigger, swelling to a greater rate. When you activate your Ingrain feat to heal yourself, all terrain in a 30ft radius becomes difficult terrain, and any enemies in this area are dealt 1d4 damage per turn as your roots stretch through the earth to protect you. Your roots have an instinctual nature, and so none of these affects anyone you percieve to be an ally (So, to get round this, Charm Monster would be good)
Special: You find it harder to walk. Your Base Land Speed it now reduced by 5ft.

Groovy Grove
Prerequisite: Ravin' Roots, 12 HD
Benefit: You gain master over your roots, making a mini grove with every rooting. When you use Ingrain, all terrain in 60ft becomes diffiult terrain, instead of 30ft, and you deal 2d4 damage to all enemies instead of
1d4. Also, all allies (or who you percieve to be allies) are healed 1d4 Hit Points per turn that they are within your root's range.
Special: Your reduced to a shuffle now. Your Base Land speed is reduced by another 5ft.

Well, this is my first homebrew, and I would like some feedback about it. If I get some good feedback, i'll add some fluff to the race, and maybe some more Cacti themed feats and maybe items (feel free to post your own!)

The-Mage-King
2010-09-30, 01:18 PM
...

...

...Is this supposed to be a Cactur?

TheGeckoKing
2010-09-30, 01:35 PM
I made it up on the spot. I don't have any idea what a Cactur IS. Soooooo......any other comments? Not even a "Looks ok?"

Morph Bark
2010-09-30, 01:50 PM
He meant Cactuars (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=cactuar&meta=) from Final Fantasy. The picture you linked though is of a Pokemon (Carnivine? I forget the newer names easily). Similar in basic idea - sapient, moving cactus - but different in execution.

I think it needs a greater penalty to either Dex or Wis to compensate for the huge Con, personally. Dex might befit it better since it is in essence a plant with sapience and plants aren't very mobile at all. That would give a pretty big penalty to fine manipulation though...

For the Ingrain feat, I'd say they couldn't move at all while rooted, otherwise the absorbing properties of their plant-ness would work less, I'd imagine. Plus, one hour in a day isn't that much, and if they can sleep while standing it can be done while sleeping.

I'm not sure how to rate immunity against dessication damage, as I haven't read through that part of Sandstorm thoroughly. It seems fitting, I suppose, but might be strong in select cases. Perhaps make them immune to exhaustion (but not fatigue) instead? Making them able to go without water for longer periods of time might also work, though their Con boost already factors in that...

There is no Plant subtype, so if you want to make it that way, please explain what it is and does.

The-Mage-King
2010-09-30, 01:52 PM
I made it up on the spot. I don't have any idea what a Cactur IS. Soooooo......any other comments? Not even a "Looks ok?"

Oh, it looks okay, alright.

Just...

Cactaur (http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Cactuar). (Yeah, typo).


EDIT: Uh, that'd be a... Cacturne (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Cacturne_(Pok%C3%A9mon)). A badass cacturn, yes, but still one of them.

TheGeckoKing
2010-09-30, 01:59 PM
@M-Bark, thanks for the feedback, and yeah. It's Cacturne.
1. I'll make it -4 CHA instead. The CON boost seemed a bit high, but I don't want to gimp it's fine manipulation any more.
2. I'll make some ajustments to Ingrain. Maybe it takes 2 hours if you move while in your square?
3. I messed that bit up, with the Subtypes. I think i'll go fullblown Plant (Awakened) type instead.
4. Dessication damage isn't THAT common, unless it's a Sandstorm campaign
(in which case this'll be pretty themeatic). I think i'll just add the immunity to exhaustion on top.

@The-Mage-King
I guess a Cactaur is a Cactyr with a Dwarfisim Flaw :smalltongue:

EDIT : Added the changes. Made Ingrain heal some HP, to make it a bit more useful. Is it Ok? Have I made it Op'ed now?
EDIT EDIT: Changed my mind. With the plant type, all the immunities are quite good. A bit too good. I'll remove the disease thing (Like i'll miss that),
thr Dessication damage, and make Ingrain heal all Dessication damage instead.

Morph Bark
2010-09-30, 02:15 PM
There is no Awakened subtype either. Non-awakened plants are not creatures, so just Plant type works. Do note though that then they got immunity to critical hits, sneak attack, poison, etc.

From the SRD:

"Plant Type: This type comprises vegetable creatures. Note that regular plants, such as one finds growing in gardens and fields, lack Wisdom and Charisma scores (see Nonabilities, above) and are not creatures, but objects, even though they are alive.

Traits: A plant creature possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
Low-light vision.
Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning.
Not subject to critical hits.
Proficient with its natural weapons only.
Proficient with no armor.
Plants breathe and eat, but do not sleep."


Perhaps a new homebrewed subtype, or additional racial features, are requires here?

Another idea could be making it Fey type. There is a race in Races of the Wild that is a Fey that actually is rather plant-like (Killoren I think?) and could have been a Plant type if it were not for those benefits.

TheGeckoKing
2010-09-30, 02:21 PM
Yeauch. You can tell i'm not good at this
I'll make a lesser Plant type. Thanks for that catch.
EDIT : Made lots of cool changes. Once again, go crazy with the PEACHes
EDITEDIT: Final Tweaks. If it's still not up to scratch, i'll just leave it and post the fluff.
EDITEDITEDIT: Well, no-one's commented, so i'll add the fluff (though, not much of it - it's late, and i'm sleepy)
EDITEDITEDITEDIT!: Almost 100 views and no more comments? :smallyuk: Come on! Even a "Hi!" will do! Maybe some new feats will bring ya in! :smallwink: