Admiral Squish
2013-06-27, 07:16 PM
Taklobo
Personality: Taklobo are defensively minded, sometimes almost paranoid. They check their surroundings often and can seem a bit neurotic. But once the taklobo is secure in their surroundings and feels safe, they really let loose, becoming quite cheerful and relaxed. They treasure experiences and memories, enjoying great conversations and intellectual games, as well as delicious food. A taklobo can use their soul-pearls to recall the exact details of any memory, so treasured memories are particularly valuable to them.
Physical Description: Taklobo, in their natural state, are fleshy, boneless, roughly humanoid shapes, usually somewhere between caramel-colored and exceptionally pale They have a large, white pearl right above the middle of their eyebrows. This pearl grows constantly through the taklobo‘s life, from the size of a golf ball at maturity to the size of a tennis ball in old age. Their shells grant them a more upright, ridgid stance. The plates are pearly at the edges, becoming darker and rougher toward the middle. Thicker shells are generally rougher, and a long-lasting shell may have barnacles or coral growing on its surface.
Taklobo are hermaphroditic, and they produce tiny eggs, which they lay into the water. The eggs sink to the bottom and anchor, where, once fertilized, they eventually develop to resemble nothing so much as giant clams, though they‘re recognizably different by a pearly sheen along the lips. When the child inside is mature enough, the egg, now some two feet across, detaches and float to the surface, where they eventually drift ashore and open. Nobody is quite sure of the origins of the species, they were unheard of before a few generations ago when the first taklobo infants washed up on the shore.
Relations: The first generations of taklobo were raised by the sentients that lived on the shores they washed up on. Usually these were humans, but some found themselves in the care of halflings, gnomes, or elves. Nowadays, the taklobo have settlements of their own. Still, it’s not unheard of for taklobo infants to continue washing up on shorelines. Taklobo raised outside taklobo settlements have a particular affection for the races they were raised by. Universally, they tend to get along well with halflings, who share their love of fine experiences, and elves, who enjoy intellectual pursuits.
Alignment:
{table=head]|L|N|C
G|25|20|10
N|15|10|5
E|5|5|5[/table]
Taklobo Lands: Taklobo settlements always are on or very near the water, be it fresh or salt water, though salt water is much more common, and usually in tropical areas. Taklobo settlements often have a lagoon (usually with the entrance barred by a net) or lake nearby that they use to lay eggs in. The children that wash ashore are cared for by the entire community, but it’s not uncommon for a few taklobo to be designated as caretakers for the children.
Religion: Taklobo are diverse on issues of religion, each having inherited religious practices from the cultural groups that raised them. Religion is a great source of comfort to taklobo, so the practice of religion is very common among them. Some grown taklobo founded the taklobo communities, and established churches to further the religions they were raised in. Often, taklobo communities pay some respect to spirits or deities of water.
Language: Taklobo adopted common as their universal language, out of practicality, but many learn the languages of the races that live nearby, and a great many learn aquan to speak to water-dwelling neighbors.
Names: Taklobo naming traditions are inherited from a half-dozen cultures, so there is no truly ‘typical’ naming pattern among them.
Adventurers: Taklobo adventurers are relatively rare. Most taklobo are perfectly satisfied settling into a community where they can feel safe. But some are driven by some inner urge to travel, some to seek the mysterious origins of their people, some to find the wealth to protect their communities, and others for more personal reasons.
-2 Dexterity, +2 wisdom Taklobo are contemplative, but their shells make them somewhat clumsy.
Monstrous Humanoid: Taklobo are monstrous humanoids with the aquatic subtype.
Medium Size: Taklobo are medium-sized creatures, and gain no special bonuses or penalties based on size.
Normal Speed: Taklobo have a base land speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision: Taklobo can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Amphibious: Taklobo can breathe water or air freely.
Water Dependant: Taklobo needs to be moist within their shells. They need one gallon of water each day to stay moist. If they don’t get the required water, they take 1d4 points of constitution damage each day and are fatigued until they get the required water. This requirement is not suppressed by abilities or items that suppress the need to eat or drink. This water does not have to be fresh water.
Soul Pearl: All taklobo have a large pearl on their forehead that grows larger as they age. This pearl contains their accumulated experiences and memories, and has a number of uses. The pearl holds enchantments or enhancements that can be applied to any shell the taklobo forms from then on. The taklobo must pay the normal price for all enchantments, and must be present for the entire enchanting process. Secondly, a taklobo’s soul pearl can be used as the focus for a raise dead or resurrection spell, in place of the taklobo’s body. If used in this way, the taklobo suffers no level loss (though they still suffer constitution loss if 1st level). Finally, a taklobo’s soul pearl can be used to access their memories. Using it in this way allows a taklobo to perfectly recall the details of any event they’ve experienced. They can do this by concentrating on the event in question as a full round action, and can do it a number of times per day equal to their wisdom modifier.
Shell: Taklobo can produce a protective shell from their skin. Forming a shell requires 24 hours of meditation and concentration. This shell occupies space on the body like a suit of armor or robe. A taklobo cannot remove their shell without breaking it. A shell’s armor check penalty does not apply to swim checks. A taklobo is always considered proficient with it’s shell. A shell has hardness 8.
Pearl A pearl shell is an extremely thin layer of pearly material, offering little protection, but allowing a maximum of movement.
The pearl shell grants a +1 armor bonus. It has a max dex bonus of +6 and an ACP of 0. It has no arcane spell failure chance. A pearl shell is treated as light armor. A pearl shell has 5 HP.
Light: A light shell is a relatively thin cover of pearly material, but thick enough to ward off some blows. It’s surface is lightly covered in a stony surface.
The light shell grants a +3 armor bonus. It has a max dex bonus of +4 and an ACP of -1. It has an arcane spell failure chance of 15%. A light shell is treated as light armor. A light shell has 8 HP.
Medium: A medium shell is a thicker coating of shell material, with a more bulky silhouette. The outer layer is entirely covered in rough, stone-like surface.
The medium shell gants a +6 armor bonus. It has a max dex bonus of +2, and an ACP of -3. It has an arcane spell failure chance of 25%. This shell reduces the taklobo’s speed to 20 feet. A medium shell is treated as medium armor. A medium shell has 12 HP.
Heavy: A heavy shell is a dense coating of rough shell material, with a very bulky silhouette, covered in a rough stony surface.
The heavy shell grants a +9 armor bonus. It has a max dex bonus of +0, and an ACP of -5. It has an arcane spell failure chance of 35%. This shell reduces the taklobo’s speed to 20 feet. A heavy shell is treated as heavy armor. A heavy shell has 16 HP.
Nakedness: While a taklobo’s shell is broken, shattered, or removed, their boneless bodies are weak and vulnerable. They take a -4 penalty to strength, dexterity, and constitution (Hit points lost from this penalty are recovered when the shell is reformed), and their land speed is reduced to 10 feet as long as they do not have a shell.
Language: Taklobo speak common. Bonus languages: Aquan, Draconic, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling, Orc.
Personality: Taklobo are defensively minded, sometimes almost paranoid. They check their surroundings often and can seem a bit neurotic. But once the taklobo is secure in their surroundings and feels safe, they really let loose, becoming quite cheerful and relaxed. They treasure experiences and memories, enjoying great conversations and intellectual games, as well as delicious food. A taklobo can use their soul-pearls to recall the exact details of any memory, so treasured memories are particularly valuable to them.
Physical Description: Taklobo, in their natural state, are fleshy, boneless, roughly humanoid shapes, usually somewhere between caramel-colored and exceptionally pale They have a large, white pearl right above the middle of their eyebrows. This pearl grows constantly through the taklobo‘s life, from the size of a golf ball at maturity to the size of a tennis ball in old age. Their shells grant them a more upright, ridgid stance. The plates are pearly at the edges, becoming darker and rougher toward the middle. Thicker shells are generally rougher, and a long-lasting shell may have barnacles or coral growing on its surface.
Taklobo are hermaphroditic, and they produce tiny eggs, which they lay into the water. The eggs sink to the bottom and anchor, where, once fertilized, they eventually develop to resemble nothing so much as giant clams, though they‘re recognizably different by a pearly sheen along the lips. When the child inside is mature enough, the egg, now some two feet across, detaches and float to the surface, where they eventually drift ashore and open. Nobody is quite sure of the origins of the species, they were unheard of before a few generations ago when the first taklobo infants washed up on the shore.
Relations: The first generations of taklobo were raised by the sentients that lived on the shores they washed up on. Usually these were humans, but some found themselves in the care of halflings, gnomes, or elves. Nowadays, the taklobo have settlements of their own. Still, it’s not unheard of for taklobo infants to continue washing up on shorelines. Taklobo raised outside taklobo settlements have a particular affection for the races they were raised by. Universally, they tend to get along well with halflings, who share their love of fine experiences, and elves, who enjoy intellectual pursuits.
Alignment:
{table=head]|L|N|C
G|25|20|10
N|15|10|5
E|5|5|5[/table]
Taklobo Lands: Taklobo settlements always are on or very near the water, be it fresh or salt water, though salt water is much more common, and usually in tropical areas. Taklobo settlements often have a lagoon (usually with the entrance barred by a net) or lake nearby that they use to lay eggs in. The children that wash ashore are cared for by the entire community, but it’s not uncommon for a few taklobo to be designated as caretakers for the children.
Religion: Taklobo are diverse on issues of religion, each having inherited religious practices from the cultural groups that raised them. Religion is a great source of comfort to taklobo, so the practice of religion is very common among them. Some grown taklobo founded the taklobo communities, and established churches to further the religions they were raised in. Often, taklobo communities pay some respect to spirits or deities of water.
Language: Taklobo adopted common as their universal language, out of practicality, but many learn the languages of the races that live nearby, and a great many learn aquan to speak to water-dwelling neighbors.
Names: Taklobo naming traditions are inherited from a half-dozen cultures, so there is no truly ‘typical’ naming pattern among them.
Adventurers: Taklobo adventurers are relatively rare. Most taklobo are perfectly satisfied settling into a community where they can feel safe. But some are driven by some inner urge to travel, some to seek the mysterious origins of their people, some to find the wealth to protect their communities, and others for more personal reasons.
-2 Dexterity, +2 wisdom Taklobo are contemplative, but their shells make them somewhat clumsy.
Monstrous Humanoid: Taklobo are monstrous humanoids with the aquatic subtype.
Medium Size: Taklobo are medium-sized creatures, and gain no special bonuses or penalties based on size.
Normal Speed: Taklobo have a base land speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision: Taklobo can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Amphibious: Taklobo can breathe water or air freely.
Water Dependant: Taklobo needs to be moist within their shells. They need one gallon of water each day to stay moist. If they don’t get the required water, they take 1d4 points of constitution damage each day and are fatigued until they get the required water. This requirement is not suppressed by abilities or items that suppress the need to eat or drink. This water does not have to be fresh water.
Soul Pearl: All taklobo have a large pearl on their forehead that grows larger as they age. This pearl contains their accumulated experiences and memories, and has a number of uses. The pearl holds enchantments or enhancements that can be applied to any shell the taklobo forms from then on. The taklobo must pay the normal price for all enchantments, and must be present for the entire enchanting process. Secondly, a taklobo’s soul pearl can be used as the focus for a raise dead or resurrection spell, in place of the taklobo’s body. If used in this way, the taklobo suffers no level loss (though they still suffer constitution loss if 1st level). Finally, a taklobo’s soul pearl can be used to access their memories. Using it in this way allows a taklobo to perfectly recall the details of any event they’ve experienced. They can do this by concentrating on the event in question as a full round action, and can do it a number of times per day equal to their wisdom modifier.
Shell: Taklobo can produce a protective shell from their skin. Forming a shell requires 24 hours of meditation and concentration. This shell occupies space on the body like a suit of armor or robe. A taklobo cannot remove their shell without breaking it. A shell’s armor check penalty does not apply to swim checks. A taklobo is always considered proficient with it’s shell. A shell has hardness 8.
Pearl A pearl shell is an extremely thin layer of pearly material, offering little protection, but allowing a maximum of movement.
The pearl shell grants a +1 armor bonus. It has a max dex bonus of +6 and an ACP of 0. It has no arcane spell failure chance. A pearl shell is treated as light armor. A pearl shell has 5 HP.
Light: A light shell is a relatively thin cover of pearly material, but thick enough to ward off some blows. It’s surface is lightly covered in a stony surface.
The light shell grants a +3 armor bonus. It has a max dex bonus of +4 and an ACP of -1. It has an arcane spell failure chance of 15%. A light shell is treated as light armor. A light shell has 8 HP.
Medium: A medium shell is a thicker coating of shell material, with a more bulky silhouette. The outer layer is entirely covered in rough, stone-like surface.
The medium shell gants a +6 armor bonus. It has a max dex bonus of +2, and an ACP of -3. It has an arcane spell failure chance of 25%. This shell reduces the taklobo’s speed to 20 feet. A medium shell is treated as medium armor. A medium shell has 12 HP.
Heavy: A heavy shell is a dense coating of rough shell material, with a very bulky silhouette, covered in a rough stony surface.
The heavy shell grants a +9 armor bonus. It has a max dex bonus of +0, and an ACP of -5. It has an arcane spell failure chance of 35%. This shell reduces the taklobo’s speed to 20 feet. A heavy shell is treated as heavy armor. A heavy shell has 16 HP.
Nakedness: While a taklobo’s shell is broken, shattered, or removed, their boneless bodies are weak and vulnerable. They take a -4 penalty to strength, dexterity, and constitution (Hit points lost from this penalty are recovered when the shell is reformed), and their land speed is reduced to 10 feet as long as they do not have a shell.
Language: Taklobo speak common. Bonus languages: Aquan, Draconic, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling, Orc.