Amphimir Míriel
2007-01-23, 11:23 PM
Khorenzai
"Something in the insect seems to be alien to the habits, morals, and psychology of this world, as if it had come from some other planet: more monstrous, more energetic, more insensate, more atrocious, more infernal than our own."
- Maurice Maeterlinck (1862-1949)
This race is intended to be a Open Gaming Content alternative to a certain 6 limbed insect race included in the Expanded Psionics Handbook and in the Monstrous Manual II. I hope this creation is attractive to at least someone here.
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The Khorenzai live in the arid brush wilderness and in the deserts of the world of Alwhar, living off the land and raiding the occassional caravan.
Abilities: +4 DEX, +2 WIS, -4 CHA.
Monstrous Humanoid: Khorenzai are not subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person.
Khorenzai, being insects, do not sleep and therefore have immunity to magic sleep effects.
Medium: As Medium creatures, Khorenzai have no bonuses or penalties related to size. Khorenzai normally stand in a half crouch, 4½ to 5½ feet from head to floor, and their abdomen extends about 2-3 feet behind their thorax joint. A Khorenzai can also stand upright by extending its rear legs, but this stance is uncomfortable and cannot be maintained for long periods (a number of minutes equal to 1 + the khorenzai´s CON bonus per hour). A khorenzai standing upright measures 6 to 7 feet from head to floor. Their total length from the head to the tip of the abdomen is between 9 and 11 feet.
Movement: Base land speed for Khorenzai is 40 ft. Khorenzai cannot hustle or run; instead, they move on a series of wing-assisted jumps (see below), and can maintain their “running” speeds for twice as long as humanoid characters.
Darkvision: Khorenzai have Darkvision 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and they can function just fine with no light at all.
Natural Armor: Khorenzai have a chitinous hide, giving them +3 AC bonus. Their general body shape makes the wearing of normal artificial armors impossible. A custom armor could be made for them, but such armors cost triple and have double the standard armor check penalty.
Multiple Limbs: Khorenzai have six appendages jutting from their thoracic segments, which have three joints each. The front appendages end in three-fingered hands with sharp, hook-like claws, and are employed for holding objects and performing fine motions and manipulations. The middle and rear appendages each end in one long unarticulated foot which tapers to a point and has several hook-like structures underneath, used to gain grasp on the floor. The rear legs are employed mainly for locomotion (see below). The middle legs, while usually employed for maintaining balance and as secondary weight-bearing members, can also be employed to carry weights and hold objects that don’t require manipulation for a short time (not weapons). Because they usually stand on four legs, Khorenzai gain a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped.
Leap: Khorenzai have extremely long and strong hind legs and a pair of short, underdeveloped wings, which they use in combination to jump long distances. Khorenzai have a natural +40 bonus to Jump checks, their maximum jumping distance is not limited by height and don’t need a running start to do long jumps. Khorenzai cannot jump more than 10 feet (2 squares) unless the distance to cover in a single jump doesn’t exceed twice the distance to the roof. Also, any time a Khorenzai character has a chance to “jump down” instead of just falling, falling damage is determined as if the distance fallen was 30 feet lower.
Natural Attacks: Khorenzai have hard, sharp chitinous claws at the end of their upper-limb fingers that can be used like claws to deal 1d4 damage. Their unarmed strikes still provoke attacks of opportunity unless they become monks or take the Improved Unarmed Strike Feat.
Naturally Psionic (psi): Khorenzai gain 2 bonus power points at 1st level. This benefit does not grant them the ability to manifest powers unless they gain that ability from another source, such as levels in a psionic class.
Skill Bonuses: Besides the aforementioned Jump bonus, Khorenzai have a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks in outdoor arid bush or desert settings.
Weapon Familiarity: Khorenzai treat Boomerangs as martial weapons instead of exotic weapons.
Favored Class: Ranger
Level Adjustment: +2
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Opinions and constructive criticism is welcome...
"Something in the insect seems to be alien to the habits, morals, and psychology of this world, as if it had come from some other planet: more monstrous, more energetic, more insensate, more atrocious, more infernal than our own."
- Maurice Maeterlinck (1862-1949)
This race is intended to be a Open Gaming Content alternative to a certain 6 limbed insect race included in the Expanded Psionics Handbook and in the Monstrous Manual II. I hope this creation is attractive to at least someone here.
---
The Khorenzai live in the arid brush wilderness and in the deserts of the world of Alwhar, living off the land and raiding the occassional caravan.
Abilities: +4 DEX, +2 WIS, -4 CHA.
Monstrous Humanoid: Khorenzai are not subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person.
Khorenzai, being insects, do not sleep and therefore have immunity to magic sleep effects.
Medium: As Medium creatures, Khorenzai have no bonuses or penalties related to size. Khorenzai normally stand in a half crouch, 4½ to 5½ feet from head to floor, and their abdomen extends about 2-3 feet behind their thorax joint. A Khorenzai can also stand upright by extending its rear legs, but this stance is uncomfortable and cannot be maintained for long periods (a number of minutes equal to 1 + the khorenzai´s CON bonus per hour). A khorenzai standing upright measures 6 to 7 feet from head to floor. Their total length from the head to the tip of the abdomen is between 9 and 11 feet.
Movement: Base land speed for Khorenzai is 40 ft. Khorenzai cannot hustle or run; instead, they move on a series of wing-assisted jumps (see below), and can maintain their “running” speeds for twice as long as humanoid characters.
Darkvision: Khorenzai have Darkvision 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and they can function just fine with no light at all.
Natural Armor: Khorenzai have a chitinous hide, giving them +3 AC bonus. Their general body shape makes the wearing of normal artificial armors impossible. A custom armor could be made for them, but such armors cost triple and have double the standard armor check penalty.
Multiple Limbs: Khorenzai have six appendages jutting from their thoracic segments, which have three joints each. The front appendages end in three-fingered hands with sharp, hook-like claws, and are employed for holding objects and performing fine motions and manipulations. The middle and rear appendages each end in one long unarticulated foot which tapers to a point and has several hook-like structures underneath, used to gain grasp on the floor. The rear legs are employed mainly for locomotion (see below). The middle legs, while usually employed for maintaining balance and as secondary weight-bearing members, can also be employed to carry weights and hold objects that don’t require manipulation for a short time (not weapons). Because they usually stand on four legs, Khorenzai gain a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped.
Leap: Khorenzai have extremely long and strong hind legs and a pair of short, underdeveloped wings, which they use in combination to jump long distances. Khorenzai have a natural +40 bonus to Jump checks, their maximum jumping distance is not limited by height and don’t need a running start to do long jumps. Khorenzai cannot jump more than 10 feet (2 squares) unless the distance to cover in a single jump doesn’t exceed twice the distance to the roof. Also, any time a Khorenzai character has a chance to “jump down” instead of just falling, falling damage is determined as if the distance fallen was 30 feet lower.
Natural Attacks: Khorenzai have hard, sharp chitinous claws at the end of their upper-limb fingers that can be used like claws to deal 1d4 damage. Their unarmed strikes still provoke attacks of opportunity unless they become monks or take the Improved Unarmed Strike Feat.
Naturally Psionic (psi): Khorenzai gain 2 bonus power points at 1st level. This benefit does not grant them the ability to manifest powers unless they gain that ability from another source, such as levels in a psionic class.
Skill Bonuses: Besides the aforementioned Jump bonus, Khorenzai have a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks in outdoor arid bush or desert settings.
Weapon Familiarity: Khorenzai treat Boomerangs as martial weapons instead of exotic weapons.
Favored Class: Ranger
Level Adjustment: +2
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Opinions and constructive criticism is welcome...