BreathingMeat
2007-03-03, 11:25 PM
New Player Race: Kniss
Physical Characteristics
Closely related to gnomes, but with thicker, more leathery skin, kniss typically stand about 3 feet tall, and weigh between 45 and 50 pounds. Kniss of both genders often have a wild, disshevelled appearance, often with feathers or other natural objects braided into their hair. Kniss adults file their four frontmost teeth on the tops and bottoms of their mouths to sharp points, and have been known to use these as a weapon in desperate circumstances. Kniss reach adulthood at about age 30, and typically live for around 250 years.
Personality
Kniss are wild by nature, though usually do not offer violence unless threatened. However, a kniss will consider itself threatened at a fairly low threshold of provocation. Like gnomes, kniss love nature, and consider an attack against the flora and fauna of their home lands equivalent to an attack against their own bodies.
Kniss are twilight creatures, and are most active in the late evening. Kniss prefer to sleep during the brightest hours of the day in the shade of a cave or under a tree with one arm covering their faces. If forced to be awake they will often complain about the brightness of the sun.
Relations
Gnomes consider kniss uncouth, and distance themselves from kniss as much as possible. Kniss, in turn, consider their gnomic cousins snooty and hold them in equal disdain. Kniss have a mutual respect for elves and dwarves, but hold humans in high suspicion as they are often destructive, especially of natural things. Halflings and kniss seldom get on well.
Alignment
Kniss are never lawful, and are more often than not neutral on the good-evil axis.
Religion
Most Kniss revere Hobaddy, a Gnomish name for the god of nature. As Kniss do not use temples, and it is not in the Knissen nature to be a Cleric, religious matters are usually administered by the otherwise retired elders in Kniss society.
Language
Knissen is a dialect of the Gnomic language. Speakers of either dialect can understand the other without difficulty.
Adventurers
Kniss are well suited to be Barbarians or Fighters. It is also common for them to be Rangers and Rogues. Druids are less common, and Clerics and Arcane magic users are almost unheard of. Kniss cannot be Paladins or Monks due to the alignment restrictions.
Kniss Racial Traits
* -2 Cha, +2 Con: Kniss are short-tempered and selfish. They prefer to let their physical toughness resolve disputes, rather than using diplomatic means.
* Small: As a Small creature, a kniss gains a +1 size bonus to AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but uses small weapons and his lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters those of a Medium creature.
* Kniss base land speed is 20 feet.
* Natural weapon: Most kniss have sharpened teeth which they can use as a bite weapon. Bite attacks can be used once per round, to replace any single weapon attack. A bite has the attack bonus that the replaced weapon attack would have had, excluding any bonus from the weapon. Reach is 5 feet; damage is 1d4.
* Low-light vision: Kniss can see twice as far as humans in all forms of low light.
* +2 racial bonus on Survival checks and Knowledge(Nature) checks. Kniss can use Knowledge(nature) untrained, as they grow up living and sleeping in outdoor environments.
* Favoured Class: Barbarian.
No level adjustment.
This is my first new PC race so I'm not fully sure on the rules. Any feedback would be appreciated
Physical Characteristics
Closely related to gnomes, but with thicker, more leathery skin, kniss typically stand about 3 feet tall, and weigh between 45 and 50 pounds. Kniss of both genders often have a wild, disshevelled appearance, often with feathers or other natural objects braided into their hair. Kniss adults file their four frontmost teeth on the tops and bottoms of their mouths to sharp points, and have been known to use these as a weapon in desperate circumstances. Kniss reach adulthood at about age 30, and typically live for around 250 years.
Personality
Kniss are wild by nature, though usually do not offer violence unless threatened. However, a kniss will consider itself threatened at a fairly low threshold of provocation. Like gnomes, kniss love nature, and consider an attack against the flora and fauna of their home lands equivalent to an attack against their own bodies.
Kniss are twilight creatures, and are most active in the late evening. Kniss prefer to sleep during the brightest hours of the day in the shade of a cave or under a tree with one arm covering their faces. If forced to be awake they will often complain about the brightness of the sun.
Relations
Gnomes consider kniss uncouth, and distance themselves from kniss as much as possible. Kniss, in turn, consider their gnomic cousins snooty and hold them in equal disdain. Kniss have a mutual respect for elves and dwarves, but hold humans in high suspicion as they are often destructive, especially of natural things. Halflings and kniss seldom get on well.
Alignment
Kniss are never lawful, and are more often than not neutral on the good-evil axis.
Religion
Most Kniss revere Hobaddy, a Gnomish name for the god of nature. As Kniss do not use temples, and it is not in the Knissen nature to be a Cleric, religious matters are usually administered by the otherwise retired elders in Kniss society.
Language
Knissen is a dialect of the Gnomic language. Speakers of either dialect can understand the other without difficulty.
Adventurers
Kniss are well suited to be Barbarians or Fighters. It is also common for them to be Rangers and Rogues. Druids are less common, and Clerics and Arcane magic users are almost unheard of. Kniss cannot be Paladins or Monks due to the alignment restrictions.
Kniss Racial Traits
* -2 Cha, +2 Con: Kniss are short-tempered and selfish. They prefer to let their physical toughness resolve disputes, rather than using diplomatic means.
* Small: As a Small creature, a kniss gains a +1 size bonus to AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but uses small weapons and his lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters those of a Medium creature.
* Kniss base land speed is 20 feet.
* Natural weapon: Most kniss have sharpened teeth which they can use as a bite weapon. Bite attacks can be used once per round, to replace any single weapon attack. A bite has the attack bonus that the replaced weapon attack would have had, excluding any bonus from the weapon. Reach is 5 feet; damage is 1d4.
* Low-light vision: Kniss can see twice as far as humans in all forms of low light.
* +2 racial bonus on Survival checks and Knowledge(Nature) checks. Kniss can use Knowledge(nature) untrained, as they grow up living and sleeping in outdoor environments.
* Favoured Class: Barbarian.
No level adjustment.
This is my first new PC race so I'm not fully sure on the rules. Any feedback would be appreciated