PDA

View Full Version : Hissi, Serpents of Kura (Poisoned World 3.5)



LordErebus12
2013-03-30, 10:01 PM
Hissi (Pronounced Hiss-Sai)

http://i.imgur.com/BtGaFgu.jpg

DESCRIPTION
Hissi resemble monstrous snakes with humanoid bodies from the waist up, but maintain some very snake-like features, such as slit eyes, scaled skin and a split tongue. The snakelike features of a Hissi may reflect any of a variety of venomous snakes, so a Hissi may have a black mamba’s glossy scales or a coral’s distinct color pattern. These features are usually consistent within a single troupe of Hissi, and often mark a troupe’s status within a tribe.

Hissi grow throughout their lives, reaching lengths of sixteen feet long and weighing up to a thousand pounds.

COMBAT
Hissi are geniuses and fight as such. They plan elaborate traps and utilize their surroundings superbly in combat, preferring ambushes to direct confrontation. They also prefer ranged attacks and spells to melee. In a mixed group, the least valuable and powerful attack first. The group leader may order particular members forward before others if that makes for better strategy. Their evilness, cunning, and ruthlessness are legendary. Hissi constantly scheme to advance their own dark agendas. They are calculating and suave enough to form alliances with other evil creatures when necessary, but they always put their own interests first.

HISSI SOCIETY
The Hissi are devout worshipers of Hidris. They also hold all reptiles in high esteem. The center of Hissi life is the temple, and their rituals often involve elaborate sacrifices of livestock, adventurers or convicted criminals, using alcohol and other poisons to dull the sacrifice's senses of the coming sacrifice. They tend toward isolated, old ruins of the giant empire. Their architecture favors curves, with ramps and poles replacing stairs.

The chief deity of the Hissi is Hidris. The clerics of Hidris rule over the Hissi and are the temple leaders, with the high priest above all. A Hissi cleric of Hidris has access to two of the following domains: Celerity*, Evil, Hatred*, Law, Plants, Renewal*, Skalykind*

* from Spell Compendium.

HISSI AS CHARACTERS
Hissi character’s have the following base statistics.

Ability Adjustments
Dex -2, Int +2, Wis +2

Size and Type
Medium Monstrous Humanoid.

Base Speed
Hissi have a base movement speed of 30 ft. (6 squares). They also have a climb speed and a swim speed of 20 ft.

Darkvision
The Hissi has darkvision out to 60 ft.

Natural Armor
The Hissi has tough scales along their snake-like tail, but have micro scales that cover their upper body as well. Hissi has a +2 natural armor bonus.

Natural Attacks
The Hissi has a primary bite attack (1d6 piercing). When the Hissi’s size increases, it increase to 1d8, then 2d6.

Constrict (Ex):
A Hissi deals 1d4 + Str modifier points of damage on a successful grapple check. This increases to 1d6 as a large creature and 1d8 as a huge creature.

Skills:
A Hissi has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

Starting Languages
Hissi speak their own language, called Hiss.

Bonus Languages
Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Giant and Skale

Favored Class
Cleric

Level Adjustment
+0

LordErebus12
2013-03-30, 10:02 PM
Hissi Racial Class

Abilities:
Alignment: Any. Typically Evil
Hit Die: d8

Class Skills
The Hissi’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (Any), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Spot (Wis) and Survival (Wis)

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) × 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

{table=head]{colsp=7}Table: Hissi Racial Class
Level| BAB | Fort| Ref |Will| Special | Abilities

1st |+1 |+0 |+2 |+2 | Hardened Scales (+4) | ----------
2nd |+2 |+0 |+3 |+3 | ---------- | Str +2, Dex +2
3rd |+3 |+1 |+3 |+3 | Spell-Like Abilities | Int +2, Wis +2
4th |+4 |+1 |+4 |+4 | Improved Grab | Int +2, Cha +2
5th |+5 |+1 |+4 |+4 | Detect Poison, Venomous Bite | ----------

6th |+6 |+2 |+5 |+5 | Spell-Like Abilities | ----------
7th |+7 |+2 |+5 |+5 | First Shedding, Hardened Scales (+7) | Str +4, Con +2
8th |+8 |+2 |+6 |+6 | Chameleon Power | Int +2, Wis +2
9th |+9 |+3 |+6 |+6 | Spell-Like Abilities | Int +2, Cha +2
10th |+10 |+3 |+7 |+7 | Venomous Spit | ----------

11th |+11 |+3 |+7 |+7 | Produce Acid (2d6) | ----------
12th |+12 |+4 |+8 |+8 | Spell Resistance | Int +2, Wis +2
13th |+13 |+4 |+8 |+8 | Aversion | Int +2, Cha +2
14th |+14 |+4 |+9 |+9 | Second Shedding, Hardened Scales (+10) | Str +4, Con +2
15th |+15 |+5 |+9 |+9 | Alternate Form | ----------

[/table]

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Hissi.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency:
Hissi is proficient with simple and martial weapons. Hissi is proficient with no armor but are proficient with shields (but not tower shields).

1st - Hardened Scales
The Hissi’s scales harden, increasing the bonus granted to natural armor by 2. The gains a total natural armor bonus of +4. This bonus increases again at 7th and 14th levels, to +7 and +10 natural armor respectively.

Spell-Like Abilities:
The save DCs are Charisma-based. The Hissi’s caster level is equal to its total level.
3th – at will – animal trance, entangle
6th – 3/day – deeper darkness, neutralize poison, suggestion
9th – 1/day – baleful polymorph, fear

4th - Improved Grab (Ex):
To use this ability, a Hissi must hit a creature of equal or less size with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.

5th - Detect Poison (Sp):
A Hissi has the psionic ability to detect poison as the spell (caster level 6th).

5th - Venomous Bite (Ex):
The Hissi’s body begins producing poison through its teeth. Injury, Fortitude (DC 10 + 1/2 Hissi level + Con modifier), initial and secondary damage 1d6 Con.

7th - First Shedding
The Hissi becomes roughly half the way grown, and it's size changes to Large. Do not adjust the ability scores for size; increase natural weapon damage as normal.

8th - Chameleon Power (Sp):
A Hissi can psionically change the coloration of itself and its equipment to match its surroundings, granting it a +10 circumstance bonus on Hide checks.

10th - Venomous Spit (Ex):
A Hissi has the ability to squirt poison as a ranged touch attack. As a standard action, the Hissi sprays poison up to 10 feet away. The poison effects on contact; save Fortitude DC (10+1/2 racial HD + Con modifier); initial and secondary damage 1d6 Con.

11th - Produce Acid (Sp):
A Hissi has the psionic ability to exude acid from its body, dealing 2d6 points of acid damage to the next creature it touches, including a creature hit by its bite attack. If the Hissi is grappling, constricting, or pinning a foe when it uses this power, its grasp deals 4d6 points of acid damage. The acid becomes inert when it leaves the Hissi’s body, and the Hissi is immune to its effects.

12th - Spell Resistance
A Hissi gains spell resistance equal to 9 + level.

13th - Aversion (Sp):
A Hissi can psionically create a compulsion effect targeting one creature within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a (DC 10 + 1/2 Hissi level + Cha modifier) Will save or gain an aversion to snakes for 10 minutes.

Affected creatures must stay at least 20 feet away from any snake or Hissi, alive or dead; if already within 20 feet, they move away. A subject unable to move away, or one attacked by snakes or Hissi, is overcome with revulsion. This revulsion reduces the creature’s Dexterity score by 4 points until the effect wears off or the subject is no longer within 20 feet of a snake or Hissi.

This ability is otherwise similar to antipathy as the spell (caster level 16th).

14th - Second Shedding
The Hissi becomes fully grown, and it's size changes to Huge. Do not adjust the ability scores for size; increase natural weapon damage as normal.

15th - Alternate Form (Sp):
A Hissi can assume the form of a Tiny to Large Viper (MMI, pg 280) as a psionic ability. This ability is similar to a polymorph spell (caster level 19th), but a Hissi does not regain any hit points for changing form, and it can only assume viper forms. The Hissi loses its natural weapons (if any) and gains the natural weapon of the viper form it assumes. If the Hissi has a poisonous bite of its own, it uses its own or the viper’s poison, whichever is more potent.

LordErebus12
2013-03-31, 12:01 AM
what does everyone think?

Edit: LA +2 seems better.

Draken
2013-03-31, 02:35 PM
These are the Yuan-ti of your word, I suppose.

The base race is a bit spread around, I don't think it is worth +2 LA in the end. And the racial class has some severe issues, including a complete lack of internal synergy.

My recommendation:

1. Change the baseline race to be a standard +0 LA, transfering some of its power over to the racial class. Speaking of that, the bastard sword bite looks really weird on something with a human face when the superlizardfolk originally got a measly 1d4.

2. The racial class needs some sprucing up. First of all, I would say condense it into a 10 level class and reassign those abilities (seriously, you give a 1st level power as an 11th level class feature). Second of all, while I really like what you did with the ability score increases (I did the same with the monster classes I made way back, the clutter of +1s really grated my nerves), most of the bonuses serve no real purpose (mostly melee class with tons of mental bonuses that it has no real way of using).

Also, small wording detail on Constrict. Constrict deals damage "on" a successful grapple check, not "with". Might be pedantic on my part, but "with" implies an active choice to make use of the ability, while "on" implies the passiveness of the effect (Constrict acts whenever the grappled victim tries to escape and fails, for instance.

LordErebus12
2013-03-31, 03:42 PM
These are the Yuan-ti of your word, I suppose.

The base race is a bit spread around, I don't think it is worth +2 LA in the end. And the racial class has some severe issues, including a complete lack of internal synergy.

My recommendation:

1. Change the baseline race to be a standard +0 LA, transfering some of its power over to the racial class. Speaking of that, the bastard sword bite looks really weird on something with a human face when the superlizardfolk originally got a measly 1d4.

2. The racial class needs some sprucing up. First of all, I would say condense it into a 10 level class and reassign those abilities (seriously, you give a 1st level power as an 11th level class feature). Second of all, while I really like what you did with the ability score increases (I did the same with the monster classes I made way back, the clutter of +1s really grated my nerves), most of the bonuses serve no real purpose (mostly melee class with tons of mental bonuses that it has no real way of using).

Also, small wording detail on Constrict. Constrict deals damage "on" a successful grapple check, not "with". Might be pedantic on my part, but "with" implies an active choice to make use of the ability, while "on" implies the passiveness of the effect (Constrict acts whenever the grappled victim tries to escape and fails, for instance.

1 LA +1 is okay, it can be bought off. fixed the bite and removed bonus feats.
2 fair enough, ill work on it.
3 ill fix it.

LordErebus12
2013-04-01, 12:09 AM
These are the Yuan-ti of your word, I suppose.

2. The racial class needs some sprucing up. First of all, I would say condense it into a 10 level class and reassign those abilities (seriously, you give a 1st level power as an 11th level class feature). Second of all, while I really like what you did with the ability score increases (I did the same with the monster classes I made way back, the clutter of +1s really grated my nerves), most of the bonuses serve no real purpose (mostly melee class with tons of mental bonuses that it has no real way of using).



Yeah, they are extremely similar to Yuan-Ti, but they will have no human ancestry, they were created from monstrous sized snakes by their god, Hidris. They live in similar terrains but they do not have the spy network of purebloods, no half-bloods mutants slithering around. The Abomination was altered to a more medusa-like appearance (from Clash of the Titans, not MM1), minus the snake hair.

Ive altered the class to fit a 15th level progression, removing some of the nonsense involved with the race, like bonus feats. I moved Improved Grab over to the class. Constrict is gonna stay with the race, since it can still do it physically.

What does everyone think now?