Admiral Squish
2014-11-25, 09:45 PM
Thirtysixes*
*It's very difficult to properly put the names of these creatures into our language. They refer to their species with a gesture that consists of all six manipulator tentacles curled, then uncurling so the tips drag over each of the six suckers on each tentacle, ending with the tentacles fully extended. Due to similarity with other gestures, it is believed that this gesture is a variant indicating something approximate to 'six times six manipulator tentacles', referencing their distinct body plan. Most simply call them 'thirtysixes', the preferred term, 'swamp stars', a somewhat more informal address, or 'mudhuggers', a derogatory.
Thirtysixes are a race of boneless creatures that superficially seem similar to cephalopods or sea stars, but in truth they are a very distinct form of life. Their body consists of somewhat domed main body surrounded by six thick, muscular tentacles of equal length, ending in manipulators. Despite their dramatically non-standard appearance and way of life, in truth, they are sentient, friendly beings with an innate curiosity.
Personality: Thirtysixes are inherently friendly and curious beings, with an eagerness to understand their world and the creatures that share it with. They seem to think in strange ways, which is not particularly surprising, but can give them the impression of being less intelligent or focused than other races. Thirtysixes are also highly competitive, particularly in tests of strength, and most will eagerly accept any challenge offered. Wrestling is a favored sport for them, and those who have experience wrestling with a thirtysix will often compare an overwhelming or hopeless situation to the experience.
Physical Description: A thirtysix's body is a highly unusual form by any standard other than their own. They typically have smooth, rubbery skin, ranging through a wide variety of colors, including red, blue, yellow, orange, purple, brown, and several other uncommon shades. Though soft to the touch when at rest, when the muscles are tensed they can be extremely firm and are can be incredibly strong. Thirtysixes are capable of living very long lives, some elders claiming to be too old to count on their suckers, which, if accurate, would make them in excess of 200 years old. Thirtysixes have three possible genders, male, female, and both, and it's possible for them to actually change genders based on a variety of factors, but genders are not visually notable and generally thirtysixes pay little attention to them. Specific description of a thirtysix's body requires one to assume the creature is relaxed, as its dimensions can dramatically change under muscular force or external pressure.
A thirtysix's main body is slightly domed, and possesses six eyes, spaced evenly around the sides of the central dome, above the points where the limbs meet. The main body is between eighteen and twenty four inches across at the shortest measurement, from the meeting of two limbs to the opposite meeting. This structure contains a flexible, semi-stiff bubble filled with fluid and containing the majority of their vital organs, apart from the stomach. This bubble is surrounded by muscle, allowing the thirtysix to compress its main body to slip through tiny spaces, some as narrow as six inches across. The rest of the body is composed almost entirely of muscle. Each thirtysix has unique, radially symmetrical patterns on their main body, allowing them to be identified. Thirtysixes have only a single orifice, located on the underside of their body, consisting of a loop of muscle surrounded by six tentacles. The loop of muscle opens to allow specialized internal structures out. There are structures for feeding, excreting, mating, and propulsion through open water. The thirtysixes believe the orifice to be shameful. As such, the only garment they typically wear consists of a small disk of material fastened around the bases of the tentacles surrounding the orifice, some garments pinning them under the material, others not. Typically, hiding the tentacles is expected in formal situations.
Surrounding the main body are six thick, muscular tentacles, evenly spaced around the central body. These limbs are all of equal length, between two and three feet long, wedge-shaped and tapering down to a manipulator at the end. The limbs are usually lighter colored on the underside, but otherwise are largely featureless on the surface. At the center of each tentacle is a highly unique structure composed of cylindrical fluid-filled chambers approximately three inches long and one and a half inches in diameter. These chambers are stacked together, reaching both the manipulator and the central cartilage, and are tightly connected. Each chamber is connected together by a tough muscular cylinder. These cylinders contract to apply force to these chambers, the fluid within transferring force to either end, allowing them to function as rigid structures. This design allows the thirtysix's limbs to remain flexible, withstand tension, or withstand compression, at their option.
At the end of each limb is a manipulator, consisting of six short tentacles emerging from the narrowest point of the limb. The manipulator has a short 'wrist', which contains the final ring of muscle and fluid chamber. When this wrist chamber is flexed, a tough section of skin in the middle of the manipulator is pushed out by the fluid pressure, functioning as a hard surface, much like a heel, and can be used to support the thirtysix's weight or to strike with. Each manipulator tentacle has six suckers along its length, which the thirtysix uses to enhance its grip. If a thirtysix chooses to stiffen a limb to support itself, it will often curl its manipulator tentacles tight to protect the sensitive inner surfaces and suckers, and use the tough, curled digits as 'toes', to keep it balanced.
Relations: The highly unusual physical form of these distinct beings unfortunately led to some unpleasant circumstances when they were first discovered. The records of the first explorer to encounter these creature mentions their flavor. It is only after extensive contact they were realized to be intelligent, and even in modern times there still occurs incidents where unfortunately uneducated individuals fail to recognize the thirtysixes are sentient.
Alignment: Thirtysixes are usually neutral, but more likely to be good than evil and show a slight tendency for chaos.
LNC
G101515
N101515
E5510
Thirtysix Lands: The thirtysix were first discovered in a massive, tangled tropical swamp that is still largely unexplored by races other than the thirtysix. They lived primitive lives with little technology, swimming and brachiating through the swamplands freely. However, since their introduction to more advanced technology, they have flourished, spreading beyond their native swamp into communities all around the world. They typically prefer to dwell in places with plenty of water, or places humid enough to keep their skin from drying out. Some more curious ones may move to more unusual locations, such as cities or drier climes, provided they can make the accommodations necessary to remain comfortable.
Religion: Thirtysixes have surprisingly tame religious beliefs, their primary deity being a creator god that made them and controls their homeland. However, they often take on religious practices of wherever they go, offering passing to respect to their creator deity for making them in the past. When questioned they often say their old deity controlled the swamp, and while they are grateful for his aid, he no longer holds authority in their new homeland.
Language: Thirtysix do not have a spoken language, lacking proper lungs or ears. They can detect the vibrations of speech, however, and learned to understand it once they realized what it was. Their language, known as six-point, is purely gestural, relating to the movements of the six manipulator tentacles of one manipulator and how those movement relate to each other and the suckers. Six-point can also be 'shouted', the thirtysix using their limbs to imitate the gestures of a manipulator more clearly over greater distances. Six-point is easy enough to understand once one grasps the fundamentals, but those fundamentals are challenging unless one's mind is particularly flexible. For example, six-point uses a base-six numerical system, which can be challenging to grasp. Most translators settle for trying to translate the intent rather than the exact wording, as there are no exact translations for many gestures. However, just as they lack the lungs to speak most languages, no other races possess the equipment to properly gesture in six-point. Six-point does have a written language, each character made of six lines arranged to imitate the position of the manipulator tentacles normally associated with a gesture, and words made of multiple such symbols in sequence to describe more complicated gesture. The thirtysixes had this written language long before contact with other races, and it's believed it arose via the thirtysixes examining manipulator prints in mud. Thirtysixes can hear almost as well as other races, but their hearing lacks fine fidelity, so it's often much easier for a thirtysix to learn to write in another language than to learn to understand it.
Names: Thirtysix names are written or gestured in six-point, but for the ease of use, most other races call them by some sort of nickname or translation.
Adventurers: Thirtysix adventurers are rather common. It often seems a natural way to satisfy their innate curiosity and their natural drive for competition. They often get plenty of opportunities to put their great strength to use, and most adventurers are at least reasonably tolerant of their sort of strangeness. Most enter classes that allow them to take advantage of their strength and engage in melee combat, and avoid more mentally focused classes.
Thirtysix Racial Traits: (Advanced race, ~20 RP)
+4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma Thirtysixes are exceptionally powerful creatures, but their alien biology makes them hard to relate to, and they think in very different ways than most races.
Aberration Thirtysixes are aberrations.
Medium Size Thirtysixes are medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties based on size.
Darkvision Thirtysixes can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Varied Movement: Thirtysixes have a wide variety of movement options available.
Thirtysixes have a base speed of 20 feet.
Thirtysixes have a climb speed of 20 feet, and gain the +8 racial bonus to climb checks that a climb speed normally grants.
Thirtysixes have a swim speed of 20 feet, and gain the +8 racial bonus to swim checks that a swim speed normally grants.
Varied Stance: Thirtysixes have six limbs, all of which are capable of wielding weapons, but they normally must use at least some of these limbs to carry themselves. As a swift action, a thirtysix can change their stance. No matter which limbs or how many limbs they can use to wield weapons, they designate one limb at a time as a primary hand, and all other limbs are off hands.
No Limbs Thirtysixes in this stance abandon movement and turn all their limbs to the purpose of manipulating objects. While in this stance they are considered to be prone and cannot move, but they can bring all six arms to bear, allowing them to manipulate objects in all six manipulators. If they take this stance while climbing, flying, or swimming, they begin to fall or sink, unless they have some other method of maintaining their position that does not require the use of their limbs.
Two Limbs Thirtysixes in this stance propel themselves on two limbs, allowing them to manipulate objects with four manipulators. While in this stance they are slow-moving and unsteady. They take a -2 penalty to CMD against bull rush and trip attempts, and take a 10-foot penalty to their base speed, climb speed, and swim speed. They lose the benefits of all-around vision in this stance.
Four Limbs Thirtysixes in this stance support themselves on four limbs, allowing them to manipulate objects with two manipulators. They gain no special bonuses or penalties while in this stance.
Six Limbs Thirtysixes in this stance support themselves on all six limbs, allowing them greater mobility, at the cost of their ability to manipulate objects. While in this stance, they cannot manipulate objects, but they gain a +10 racial bonus to their base speed, climb speed, and swim speed, and a +2 racial bonus to CMD against bull rush and trip attempts.
Amphibious Thirtysixes can breathe both air and water.
All-around Vision Thirtysixes can see in all directions, and cannot be flanked. However, see the varied stance description, as some stances cause them to lose this benefit.
Grabby Thirtysixes have many strong limbs and suckered hands. They gain a +8 racial bonus on combat maneuver checks to start and maintain a grapple.
Compression Thirtysixes are boneless, and can squeeze and slip through even tiny gaps. They can squeeze through spaces as though they were two sizes smaller than they actually are, and gain a +10 racial bonus to escape artist checks.
Alien Mind Thirtysixes have a strange thought pattern and unusual logic paths. They gain a +2 racial bonus to saves against mind-affecting spells and abilities. This bonus increases to +4 against charm or compulsion effects.
Regrowth Thirtysixes heal quickly, and can even regrow lost limbs. When resting or undergoing complete bed rest, a thirtysix requires half the normal time period to heal normally (4 hours of resting or 12 hours or complete bed rest). If they continue to rest or undergo complete bed rest for the full normal time period, they heal a second time at the end of the period. In addition, a thirtysix can regrow a lost body part, if given enough time. Any lost body part can be fully regrown in 1d4+1 weeks.
Desiccation Thirtysixes must stay moist. In some humid environments, they can be fine indefinitely, but most require frequent exposure to water to avoid a painful cracking of the skin. A thirtysix can remain away from water without risk for a number of hours equal to their constitution modifier (minimum 1). After that, the thirtysix must make a constitution check (DC 10 +1 per previous check) each hour or dry out. While dried out, the thirtysix is considered to be sickened, and takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage each hour. The sickened condition and damage cannot be removed until the thirtysix rehydrates, at which point he sickened condition is removed and the damage begins to heal normally. A thirtysix can rehydrate by wetting itself with a gallon of fresh water or submerging in a body of fresh water.
Mute Thirtysixes have no lungs, and cannot speak or produce any audible sound. They cannot cast spells with a verbal component or use items that require a command word.
Languages Thirtysixes begin play speaking six-points. Thirtysixes with a high intelligence score can choose to learn any languages they want (except secret languages), but due to their inability to produce sounds and their limited hearing, they learn to read and write the language first, even if they learn the language through the linguistics skill. A thirtysix can spend a skill point to learn to understand the spoken form of any language they can write.
To use with 3.5:
Apply +1 LA.
Two limbs imposes a -2 penalty to strength checks to resist bull rush and trip attempts.
Six limbs grants a +2 to strength checks to resist bull rush and trip attempts.
Grabby grants a +8 racial bonus to grapple checks.
*It's very difficult to properly put the names of these creatures into our language. They refer to their species with a gesture that consists of all six manipulator tentacles curled, then uncurling so the tips drag over each of the six suckers on each tentacle, ending with the tentacles fully extended. Due to similarity with other gestures, it is believed that this gesture is a variant indicating something approximate to 'six times six manipulator tentacles', referencing their distinct body plan. Most simply call them 'thirtysixes', the preferred term, 'swamp stars', a somewhat more informal address, or 'mudhuggers', a derogatory.
Thirtysixes are a race of boneless creatures that superficially seem similar to cephalopods or sea stars, but in truth they are a very distinct form of life. Their body consists of somewhat domed main body surrounded by six thick, muscular tentacles of equal length, ending in manipulators. Despite their dramatically non-standard appearance and way of life, in truth, they are sentient, friendly beings with an innate curiosity.
Personality: Thirtysixes are inherently friendly and curious beings, with an eagerness to understand their world and the creatures that share it with. They seem to think in strange ways, which is not particularly surprising, but can give them the impression of being less intelligent or focused than other races. Thirtysixes are also highly competitive, particularly in tests of strength, and most will eagerly accept any challenge offered. Wrestling is a favored sport for them, and those who have experience wrestling with a thirtysix will often compare an overwhelming or hopeless situation to the experience.
Physical Description: A thirtysix's body is a highly unusual form by any standard other than their own. They typically have smooth, rubbery skin, ranging through a wide variety of colors, including red, blue, yellow, orange, purple, brown, and several other uncommon shades. Though soft to the touch when at rest, when the muscles are tensed they can be extremely firm and are can be incredibly strong. Thirtysixes are capable of living very long lives, some elders claiming to be too old to count on their suckers, which, if accurate, would make them in excess of 200 years old. Thirtysixes have three possible genders, male, female, and both, and it's possible for them to actually change genders based on a variety of factors, but genders are not visually notable and generally thirtysixes pay little attention to them. Specific description of a thirtysix's body requires one to assume the creature is relaxed, as its dimensions can dramatically change under muscular force or external pressure.
A thirtysix's main body is slightly domed, and possesses six eyes, spaced evenly around the sides of the central dome, above the points where the limbs meet. The main body is between eighteen and twenty four inches across at the shortest measurement, from the meeting of two limbs to the opposite meeting. This structure contains a flexible, semi-stiff bubble filled with fluid and containing the majority of their vital organs, apart from the stomach. This bubble is surrounded by muscle, allowing the thirtysix to compress its main body to slip through tiny spaces, some as narrow as six inches across. The rest of the body is composed almost entirely of muscle. Each thirtysix has unique, radially symmetrical patterns on their main body, allowing them to be identified. Thirtysixes have only a single orifice, located on the underside of their body, consisting of a loop of muscle surrounded by six tentacles. The loop of muscle opens to allow specialized internal structures out. There are structures for feeding, excreting, mating, and propulsion through open water. The thirtysixes believe the orifice to be shameful. As such, the only garment they typically wear consists of a small disk of material fastened around the bases of the tentacles surrounding the orifice, some garments pinning them under the material, others not. Typically, hiding the tentacles is expected in formal situations.
Surrounding the main body are six thick, muscular tentacles, evenly spaced around the central body. These limbs are all of equal length, between two and three feet long, wedge-shaped and tapering down to a manipulator at the end. The limbs are usually lighter colored on the underside, but otherwise are largely featureless on the surface. At the center of each tentacle is a highly unique structure composed of cylindrical fluid-filled chambers approximately three inches long and one and a half inches in diameter. These chambers are stacked together, reaching both the manipulator and the central cartilage, and are tightly connected. Each chamber is connected together by a tough muscular cylinder. These cylinders contract to apply force to these chambers, the fluid within transferring force to either end, allowing them to function as rigid structures. This design allows the thirtysix's limbs to remain flexible, withstand tension, or withstand compression, at their option.
At the end of each limb is a manipulator, consisting of six short tentacles emerging from the narrowest point of the limb. The manipulator has a short 'wrist', which contains the final ring of muscle and fluid chamber. When this wrist chamber is flexed, a tough section of skin in the middle of the manipulator is pushed out by the fluid pressure, functioning as a hard surface, much like a heel, and can be used to support the thirtysix's weight or to strike with. Each manipulator tentacle has six suckers along its length, which the thirtysix uses to enhance its grip. If a thirtysix chooses to stiffen a limb to support itself, it will often curl its manipulator tentacles tight to protect the sensitive inner surfaces and suckers, and use the tough, curled digits as 'toes', to keep it balanced.
Relations: The highly unusual physical form of these distinct beings unfortunately led to some unpleasant circumstances when they were first discovered. The records of the first explorer to encounter these creature mentions their flavor. It is only after extensive contact they were realized to be intelligent, and even in modern times there still occurs incidents where unfortunately uneducated individuals fail to recognize the thirtysixes are sentient.
Alignment: Thirtysixes are usually neutral, but more likely to be good than evil and show a slight tendency for chaos.
LNC
G101515
N101515
E5510
Thirtysix Lands: The thirtysix were first discovered in a massive, tangled tropical swamp that is still largely unexplored by races other than the thirtysix. They lived primitive lives with little technology, swimming and brachiating through the swamplands freely. However, since their introduction to more advanced technology, they have flourished, spreading beyond their native swamp into communities all around the world. They typically prefer to dwell in places with plenty of water, or places humid enough to keep their skin from drying out. Some more curious ones may move to more unusual locations, such as cities or drier climes, provided they can make the accommodations necessary to remain comfortable.
Religion: Thirtysixes have surprisingly tame religious beliefs, their primary deity being a creator god that made them and controls their homeland. However, they often take on religious practices of wherever they go, offering passing to respect to their creator deity for making them in the past. When questioned they often say their old deity controlled the swamp, and while they are grateful for his aid, he no longer holds authority in their new homeland.
Language: Thirtysix do not have a spoken language, lacking proper lungs or ears. They can detect the vibrations of speech, however, and learned to understand it once they realized what it was. Their language, known as six-point, is purely gestural, relating to the movements of the six manipulator tentacles of one manipulator and how those movement relate to each other and the suckers. Six-point can also be 'shouted', the thirtysix using their limbs to imitate the gestures of a manipulator more clearly over greater distances. Six-point is easy enough to understand once one grasps the fundamentals, but those fundamentals are challenging unless one's mind is particularly flexible. For example, six-point uses a base-six numerical system, which can be challenging to grasp. Most translators settle for trying to translate the intent rather than the exact wording, as there are no exact translations for many gestures. However, just as they lack the lungs to speak most languages, no other races possess the equipment to properly gesture in six-point. Six-point does have a written language, each character made of six lines arranged to imitate the position of the manipulator tentacles normally associated with a gesture, and words made of multiple such symbols in sequence to describe more complicated gesture. The thirtysixes had this written language long before contact with other races, and it's believed it arose via the thirtysixes examining manipulator prints in mud. Thirtysixes can hear almost as well as other races, but their hearing lacks fine fidelity, so it's often much easier for a thirtysix to learn to write in another language than to learn to understand it.
Names: Thirtysix names are written or gestured in six-point, but for the ease of use, most other races call them by some sort of nickname or translation.
Adventurers: Thirtysix adventurers are rather common. It often seems a natural way to satisfy their innate curiosity and their natural drive for competition. They often get plenty of opportunities to put their great strength to use, and most adventurers are at least reasonably tolerant of their sort of strangeness. Most enter classes that allow them to take advantage of their strength and engage in melee combat, and avoid more mentally focused classes.
Thirtysix Racial Traits: (Advanced race, ~20 RP)
+4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma Thirtysixes are exceptionally powerful creatures, but their alien biology makes them hard to relate to, and they think in very different ways than most races.
Aberration Thirtysixes are aberrations.
Medium Size Thirtysixes are medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties based on size.
Darkvision Thirtysixes can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Varied Movement: Thirtysixes have a wide variety of movement options available.
Thirtysixes have a base speed of 20 feet.
Thirtysixes have a climb speed of 20 feet, and gain the +8 racial bonus to climb checks that a climb speed normally grants.
Thirtysixes have a swim speed of 20 feet, and gain the +8 racial bonus to swim checks that a swim speed normally grants.
Varied Stance: Thirtysixes have six limbs, all of which are capable of wielding weapons, but they normally must use at least some of these limbs to carry themselves. As a swift action, a thirtysix can change their stance. No matter which limbs or how many limbs they can use to wield weapons, they designate one limb at a time as a primary hand, and all other limbs are off hands.
No Limbs Thirtysixes in this stance abandon movement and turn all their limbs to the purpose of manipulating objects. While in this stance they are considered to be prone and cannot move, but they can bring all six arms to bear, allowing them to manipulate objects in all six manipulators. If they take this stance while climbing, flying, or swimming, they begin to fall or sink, unless they have some other method of maintaining their position that does not require the use of their limbs.
Two Limbs Thirtysixes in this stance propel themselves on two limbs, allowing them to manipulate objects with four manipulators. While in this stance they are slow-moving and unsteady. They take a -2 penalty to CMD against bull rush and trip attempts, and take a 10-foot penalty to their base speed, climb speed, and swim speed. They lose the benefits of all-around vision in this stance.
Four Limbs Thirtysixes in this stance support themselves on four limbs, allowing them to manipulate objects with two manipulators. They gain no special bonuses or penalties while in this stance.
Six Limbs Thirtysixes in this stance support themselves on all six limbs, allowing them greater mobility, at the cost of their ability to manipulate objects. While in this stance, they cannot manipulate objects, but they gain a +10 racial bonus to their base speed, climb speed, and swim speed, and a +2 racial bonus to CMD against bull rush and trip attempts.
Amphibious Thirtysixes can breathe both air and water.
All-around Vision Thirtysixes can see in all directions, and cannot be flanked. However, see the varied stance description, as some stances cause them to lose this benefit.
Grabby Thirtysixes have many strong limbs and suckered hands. They gain a +8 racial bonus on combat maneuver checks to start and maintain a grapple.
Compression Thirtysixes are boneless, and can squeeze and slip through even tiny gaps. They can squeeze through spaces as though they were two sizes smaller than they actually are, and gain a +10 racial bonus to escape artist checks.
Alien Mind Thirtysixes have a strange thought pattern and unusual logic paths. They gain a +2 racial bonus to saves against mind-affecting spells and abilities. This bonus increases to +4 against charm or compulsion effects.
Regrowth Thirtysixes heal quickly, and can even regrow lost limbs. When resting or undergoing complete bed rest, a thirtysix requires half the normal time period to heal normally (4 hours of resting or 12 hours or complete bed rest). If they continue to rest or undergo complete bed rest for the full normal time period, they heal a second time at the end of the period. In addition, a thirtysix can regrow a lost body part, if given enough time. Any lost body part can be fully regrown in 1d4+1 weeks.
Desiccation Thirtysixes must stay moist. In some humid environments, they can be fine indefinitely, but most require frequent exposure to water to avoid a painful cracking of the skin. A thirtysix can remain away from water without risk for a number of hours equal to their constitution modifier (minimum 1). After that, the thirtysix must make a constitution check (DC 10 +1 per previous check) each hour or dry out. While dried out, the thirtysix is considered to be sickened, and takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage each hour. The sickened condition and damage cannot be removed until the thirtysix rehydrates, at which point he sickened condition is removed and the damage begins to heal normally. A thirtysix can rehydrate by wetting itself with a gallon of fresh water or submerging in a body of fresh water.
Mute Thirtysixes have no lungs, and cannot speak or produce any audible sound. They cannot cast spells with a verbal component or use items that require a command word.
Languages Thirtysixes begin play speaking six-points. Thirtysixes with a high intelligence score can choose to learn any languages they want (except secret languages), but due to their inability to produce sounds and their limited hearing, they learn to read and write the language first, even if they learn the language through the linguistics skill. A thirtysix can spend a skill point to learn to understand the spoken form of any language they can write.
To use with 3.5:
Apply +1 LA.
Two limbs imposes a -2 penalty to strength checks to resist bull rush and trip attempts.
Six limbs grants a +2 to strength checks to resist bull rush and trip attempts.
Grabby grants a +8 racial bonus to grapple checks.