The_Dodger
2016-11-29, 12:53 AM
For a long while I've been working to convert an old setting I found in a thrift store to the d20 Modern system. The setting is called Underworld, and was originally based on a coin flip system and mostly intended for LARP. You can find the majority of my progress in this conversion here (https://underworld-1.obsidianportal.com/wikis/main-page). Most of it is fluff, but there is some crunch in there too.
To that end, I am looking to get some second opinions on parts of the conversion, starting with the races since I'm unsure of their balance or viability as playable races.
Legendaries
The Underworld is home to heroes and villains...gods and monsters. Legendaries are the after-effects of continuous magical use. The magical properties of the Underworld create something akin to a magical background radiation, known as the Radiance. Sometimes, this energy coalesces, and spontaneously shapes itself into a being. Often, these become the monsters that inhabit the deepest tunnels – but sometimes, the spark of awareness is created, and a new life form is the result.
Legendaries often take the form of archetypal ideas – the result of drawing from the collective unconscious of the millions of surrounding people. They are urban legends personified. They take the shape of tales that are told in hushed tones by nervous subway passengers, or loudly proclaimed as fact at the corner deli or neighborhood playground.
Not to say, however, that all Legendaries are the embodiment of myths specific to the urban experience. As the Radiance has slowed and eventually ceased its dispersal, Legendaries have taken more wide-ranging forms, including characters of particularly well-loved books, or classic archetypes from ancient myths. Legendaries are literally dreams given form...however, it is always prudent to remember that not all dreams are good.
Like Junkmen, Legendaries are creatures that depend entirely upon the Radiance for their existence, and as such, cannot venture into the World Above. Legendaries who do, fade into the ideas and emotions that spawned them, and are re-absorbed into the minds of the humans in the immediate area. This can have a disruptive effect upon Upworlders...recently, a vile Legendaries that was the embodiment of the Sexual Predator distilled from the fears of the cities women was chased to the surface by a group of Bravos hired to hunt it down. Unfortunately, it surfaced near the south end of Central Park during a heavily attended Puerto Rican Day Parade. The concepts of the Legendaries dissipated into the crowd, resulting in a group assault on several dozen women in what the local media referred to as a 'wilding'.
Breed Traits
Size: Medium
Ability Modifiers: +2 Intelligence, -2 Strength
Base Speed: 30ft.
Low-light Vision: Legendaries can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Radiance Immunities: Legendaries are immune to Sleep spells and effects, and they gain a +2 species bonus on saves against enchantment spells and effects.
Skill Bonuses: Legendaries gain a +1 species bonus on Search, Spot and Listen checks. They gain a +2 species bonus on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks.
Bonus Feat: Legendaries gain the Archaic Weapon Proficiency feat
Ferals
Never mind the homeless. The truly forgotten denizens of the city don't have homes or even clothes. Kicked, abused, forgotten, and occasionally even flushed, the true scapegoats of the city must live in constant fear of municipally ordained extermination. They root through garbage for scrapes of food. They languish in cells and die nameless and forgotten. Unless they can get underground.
The animals of the city, the dogs, cats, rats, bats, and other more exotic beasts who inhabit the urban jungle, all share a common secret – they know if they can get underground, The Radiance will free them and allow them to communicate with the humanoids once again. In the Underworld, animals are very much people too. The Feral Breed is primarily made up of Dogs, and Cats. Still The Radiance's gift of speech can be bestowed on almost any animal underground, and even the occasional roach has been seen to stand on its hind legs and start cracking wise about his living conditions – a sobering sight.
The Ferals are an angry Breed, and although they can understand the difference between the humans above and the humans below, their anger often boils beneath the surface. The dogs' loyalty leads them into a compromised position with the humans – they claim to have taken an ancient blood oath to serve and protect their 'best friend', but they feel betrayed, and the sting of that betrayal worsens with every stray put to sleep. The cats, as usual, could give a rat's ass, and the rats take umbrage with this, seeing as how they collectively have plenty.
The Ferals are a proud Breed, strong and willing to fight for what they believe in. They tend to keep a close eye on animal-rights politics topside. Most realize the inevitable outcome of any sort of confrontation with mankind, and so choose to bide their time and make decisive strikes that take out the worst offenders. The time will come though. One day, there will be a revolution.
Breed Traits
Size: Small
Ability Modifiers: +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence
Base Speed: 40ft
Low-light Vision: Ferals can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Skill Bonuses: Ferals gain a +2 species bonus to Spot and Listen checks. They gain a +1 species bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks.
Bonus Feat: Ferals gain the Track feat
Homeless
The Homeless are the rank-and-file members of the Underworld population. They are the most common of the Breeds, and, unlike many of the others, they can be found in the World Above almost as often as the World Below. They are the only visible part of the Underworld in the daily lives of the Upworlders...although they are most often ignored, outside of the occasional guilt-ridden offer of a few spare coins or a scrap of food. They are derided as bums or vagrants by the World Above, which remains unaware of the true majesty of their subterranean domain.
The common bond of the Homeless is that they have collectively turned their backs upon the Upworld society. Certainly, most of the Homeless did not choose to become what they are – but without exception, all of the members of this Breed chose to remain as they are. These are not the helpless alcoholics or overflow from the mental wards that do, unfortunately, make up a percentage of the topside homeless population. The Homeless who make up the Breed that bears their name have discovered the wonder of the Underworld, and have simply 'jumped ship' to another way of life. They have seen behind the facade of 'reality' as it is defined above ground, and have chosen to no longer participate.
Their unique nature, straddling the two worlds, makes them the primary source of news and materials from the surface. As such, many Homeless are members of the Traders Guild. Even those who are not Traders, however, maintain some ties with the world of the surface, usually old friends from their previous lives above ground.
Below ground, the Homeless make up the bulk of the citizenship of the Underworld, and a good percentage of the ruling class as well. The name of the Breed is a misnomer, in fact, since they do have homes – just not any that the upworlders can see. Some find the moniker 'Homeless' an insulting hold-over from the stigma placed upon them by the surface society, preferring instead to call themselves 'Folk'. However, most Homeless wear their names as a badge of honor, an outward sign of their abandonment of the Upworld culture.
Breed Traits
Size: Medium
Ability Modifiers: None
Base Speed: 30ft.
Saving Throw Bonuses: Homeless gain a +1 species bonus on all saving throws.
Bonus Feat: Homeless receive a bonus feat at 1st level.
Junkmen
Created by the Artificers, the Junkmen are automatons – robots created from trash and abandoned machinery, directed by the intelligence of a ghost who has been bound within the metal frame, and powered directly by the Radiance itself. Their forms are as widely varied as the imaginations that spawned them. Whirring gears and cogs, hissing steam and crackling electricity, the Junkman wander the world below, living out their new lives. Some are overjoyed at this new existence, staving off death – but some Junkmen are melancholy creatures, longing for release from this world.
The Junkmen are a rare Breed – the process of creating them is incredibly difficult, and there are few Artificers capable of achieving such a feat. Those Junkmen that are created are effectively immortal, however, only needing occasional repairs to keep going. They are impressive creatures – great clanking collections of metal, rubber, and other scrap, lumbering down the tunnels and caverns of the Underworld, drawing sustenance from raw magic.
The Junkmen vary in construction – most are roughly humanoid in form, however. The ghost within the machine finds it easier to acclimate if it's new body is at least somewhat familiar in shape. However, there are some non-humanoid Junkmen – ranging from a sentient vending machine on wheels to a strange combination of a remote control helicopter and the brass head of a boardwalk fortune telling machine.
The biggest drawback of existence as a Junkman is that their connection to and dependance upon the Radiance for power effectively keeps them within the Underworld. A Junkman cannot exist in the World Above. Without the power of the Radiance to draw from, they run down and eventually cease functioning, leaving nothing but the pile of junk from which they were built.
Breed Traits
Size: Medium
Ability Modifiers: +2 Strength, -2 Dexterity
Base Speed: 20ft.
Stability: Junkmen gain a +4 species bonus on ability checks to resist bull rush and trip attempts when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground).
Darkvision: Junkmen can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and Junkmen can function with no light at all.
Skill Bonuses: Junkmen gain a +2 species bonus on Disable Device and Repair checks.
Bonus Feat: Junkmen gain the Builder feat
The Lost
There are many ways into the Underworld. Some of these pathways travel across more than just space, but through time as well. The Lost are people from another time, who wandered into the Underworld, and now cannot find their way back. The Lost uniformly come from the past – a fact that some offer as proof that the future is unwritten. Regardless of the reason, denizens of the past are almost uniformly stunned by the huge, loud metropolis that is New York. Unable to adjust to life in the Upworld, The Lost remain below, eking out an existence, while searching for a way back home. Some Lost choose to remain above, however most of these end up either dead by fatal miscalculation, or in Belview Hospital, receiving treatment for their 'mental illness'.
So far, there is no evidence that any member of this Breed has ever made it back to their correct time. That does not stop the Lost from looking. After being down in the Underworld for a while, however, most Lost end up concentrating on the task at hand – namely, surviving in their new environment. A member of the Lost never truly gives up the search for home, but for most it becomes an overall goal, rather than the driving force of their day-to-day existence.
As a Breed, the greatest connection between members of The Lost is their shared desire for the eventual resolution of their temporal exile. When two members meet, they often share tales of their progress with their fellow Lost, in the hopes that, someday, another may provide the that last remaining piece of the puzzle that makes it all come together, and leads the way back home.
Breed Traits
Size: Medium
Ability Modifiers: None
Base Speed: 30ft.
Skill Bonuses: The Lost gain a + 2 species bonus on Gather Information and Knowledge (history) checks.
Bonus Feat: The Lost gain the Archaic Weapons Proficiency feat
Mole People
The only Breed which is truly a species unto itself, the Mole People might have been human at one time...or perhaps not. Their origins are shrouded in the dark corners of history. It is assumed by modern Under-worlders that world-wide legends of the little people who live beneath the ground are most likely references to encounters with the Mole People. Small, lithe and able to see in the dark, the Mole People have evolved through generation after generation of living underground. They are unable to live in the World Above – sunlight harms their eyes.
The Mole People (not their true name, which is unpronounceable to human tongues) tend to live in insular communities, away from other Under-worlders. They venture out of their settlements only to trade with others, or in times of emergency. Young Mole People often seek their fortunes out among the other Under-worlders, returning to their villages only after making a name for themselves. The Mole People worship the Radiance as a god, believing it to be the force responsible for the creation of the world. They believe that the World Above has turned its back on this god, and as such view anything or anyone from the surface with suspicion.
The Mole People generally stand between three and a half and four feet tall with slender, lithe bodies of well toned muscle. Their skin is covered in a fine layer of short, soft fur that ranges in color from light brown to black, with longer hair on the top of their heads. They possess short, rodent-like muzzles, and their eyes are slightly larger than other breeds, appearing completely black and giving them excellent vision in total darkness. Their fingers end in short claws, not suitable for combat but a useful aid in digging.
Breed Traits
Size: Small
Ability Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution
Base Speed: 30ft.
Speak with Animals: Once per day, a Mole Person can use speak with animals to speak with a burrowing mammal (a mole, gopher, ground hog, and so forth). It has a duration of 1 minute, and the Mole Person is considered a 1st level caster when they use this spell-like ability, regardless of their actual level.
Darkvision: Mole People can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and Mole People can function with no light at all.
Skill Bonuses: Mole People gain a +1 species bonus on Balanc, Climb and Jump checks. They gain a +2 species bonus on Handle Animal and Ride checks.
Bonus Feat: Mole People gain the Blind-Fight feat.
Nomads
Legends from all over the world talk of the connection between the search for Immortality and journeying into the Underworld. The Greeks spoke of travelers who would drink from the subterranean river Lethe, which would allow them to live forever, but make them forget everything. The Chinese told tales of the hollow mountain of K'un Lun, and it's grove of magical peaches which bestowed immortality.
These legends have a basis in fact.
Nomads are immortal – they do not age, and, barring massive injury, cannot die. However, they do not know how they became immortal, or even who they were before they became immortal...for as surely as they live forever, their memories of their previous lives have gone. Some Nomads return to the world above to attempt to get on with their lives...but many choose to remain within the Underworld, searching for some clue of their previous lives, or the source of their incredible life span.
This Breed takes its name from the lifestyle of its members. Very few Nomads choose to remain in one location for very long. Their quest for their memories drives them to constantly move from place to place, looking for new sources of information. There are exceptions to this, naturally – Rector, the Lord of the Lesser Boulevards, for example, is a Nomad who has become the Lord of one of the Domains.
Given their wandering nature, and their...unique physiological anomalies, Nomads, especially those of the Bravo guild, are highly valued as assassins...what better weapon than an unknown stranger, who cannot be killed? In fact, it is sometimes said that if the Nomads were not so pre-occupied with the recovery of their memories, they could dominate the Underworld, by virtue of being unstoppable. This is not said loudly, however. It would not be smart to give the Nomads any ideas.
Breed Traits
Size: Medium
Ability Modifiers: +2 Constitution, -2 Wisdom
Base Speed: 30ft.
Ageless: Nomads do not suffer penalties or gain bonuses due to ageing
Deathless: Nothing deals fatal damage to a Nomad, but they still heal at a normal rate. Furthermore, Nomads are not destroyed by more negative levels than their current character level, or by ability scores of 0. Instead, they are rendered incapacitated. Within 1d4 weeks, they regain 1 level or 1 ability point. After which they continue to regain levels or ability points at a normal rate.
Skill Bonuses: +2 racial bonus on all knowledge checks.
Bonus Feat: Nomads gain the Heroic Surge feat
As thing progress I'll be looking for critique, advice and suggestions on all parts of the conversion and would be happy to get any feedback I can. I've gone a long time without any outside input.
To that end, I am looking to get some second opinions on parts of the conversion, starting with the races since I'm unsure of their balance or viability as playable races.
Legendaries
The Underworld is home to heroes and villains...gods and monsters. Legendaries are the after-effects of continuous magical use. The magical properties of the Underworld create something akin to a magical background radiation, known as the Radiance. Sometimes, this energy coalesces, and spontaneously shapes itself into a being. Often, these become the monsters that inhabit the deepest tunnels – but sometimes, the spark of awareness is created, and a new life form is the result.
Legendaries often take the form of archetypal ideas – the result of drawing from the collective unconscious of the millions of surrounding people. They are urban legends personified. They take the shape of tales that are told in hushed tones by nervous subway passengers, or loudly proclaimed as fact at the corner deli or neighborhood playground.
Not to say, however, that all Legendaries are the embodiment of myths specific to the urban experience. As the Radiance has slowed and eventually ceased its dispersal, Legendaries have taken more wide-ranging forms, including characters of particularly well-loved books, or classic archetypes from ancient myths. Legendaries are literally dreams given form...however, it is always prudent to remember that not all dreams are good.
Like Junkmen, Legendaries are creatures that depend entirely upon the Radiance for their existence, and as such, cannot venture into the World Above. Legendaries who do, fade into the ideas and emotions that spawned them, and are re-absorbed into the minds of the humans in the immediate area. This can have a disruptive effect upon Upworlders...recently, a vile Legendaries that was the embodiment of the Sexual Predator distilled from the fears of the cities women was chased to the surface by a group of Bravos hired to hunt it down. Unfortunately, it surfaced near the south end of Central Park during a heavily attended Puerto Rican Day Parade. The concepts of the Legendaries dissipated into the crowd, resulting in a group assault on several dozen women in what the local media referred to as a 'wilding'.
Breed Traits
Size: Medium
Ability Modifiers: +2 Intelligence, -2 Strength
Base Speed: 30ft.
Low-light Vision: Legendaries can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Radiance Immunities: Legendaries are immune to Sleep spells and effects, and they gain a +2 species bonus on saves against enchantment spells and effects.
Skill Bonuses: Legendaries gain a +1 species bonus on Search, Spot and Listen checks. They gain a +2 species bonus on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks.
Bonus Feat: Legendaries gain the Archaic Weapon Proficiency feat
Ferals
Never mind the homeless. The truly forgotten denizens of the city don't have homes or even clothes. Kicked, abused, forgotten, and occasionally even flushed, the true scapegoats of the city must live in constant fear of municipally ordained extermination. They root through garbage for scrapes of food. They languish in cells and die nameless and forgotten. Unless they can get underground.
The animals of the city, the dogs, cats, rats, bats, and other more exotic beasts who inhabit the urban jungle, all share a common secret – they know if they can get underground, The Radiance will free them and allow them to communicate with the humanoids once again. In the Underworld, animals are very much people too. The Feral Breed is primarily made up of Dogs, and Cats. Still The Radiance's gift of speech can be bestowed on almost any animal underground, and even the occasional roach has been seen to stand on its hind legs and start cracking wise about his living conditions – a sobering sight.
The Ferals are an angry Breed, and although they can understand the difference between the humans above and the humans below, their anger often boils beneath the surface. The dogs' loyalty leads them into a compromised position with the humans – they claim to have taken an ancient blood oath to serve and protect their 'best friend', but they feel betrayed, and the sting of that betrayal worsens with every stray put to sleep. The cats, as usual, could give a rat's ass, and the rats take umbrage with this, seeing as how they collectively have plenty.
The Ferals are a proud Breed, strong and willing to fight for what they believe in. They tend to keep a close eye on animal-rights politics topside. Most realize the inevitable outcome of any sort of confrontation with mankind, and so choose to bide their time and make decisive strikes that take out the worst offenders. The time will come though. One day, there will be a revolution.
Breed Traits
Size: Small
Ability Modifiers: +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence
Base Speed: 40ft
Low-light Vision: Ferals can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Skill Bonuses: Ferals gain a +2 species bonus to Spot and Listen checks. They gain a +1 species bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks.
Bonus Feat: Ferals gain the Track feat
Homeless
The Homeless are the rank-and-file members of the Underworld population. They are the most common of the Breeds, and, unlike many of the others, they can be found in the World Above almost as often as the World Below. They are the only visible part of the Underworld in the daily lives of the Upworlders...although they are most often ignored, outside of the occasional guilt-ridden offer of a few spare coins or a scrap of food. They are derided as bums or vagrants by the World Above, which remains unaware of the true majesty of their subterranean domain.
The common bond of the Homeless is that they have collectively turned their backs upon the Upworld society. Certainly, most of the Homeless did not choose to become what they are – but without exception, all of the members of this Breed chose to remain as they are. These are not the helpless alcoholics or overflow from the mental wards that do, unfortunately, make up a percentage of the topside homeless population. The Homeless who make up the Breed that bears their name have discovered the wonder of the Underworld, and have simply 'jumped ship' to another way of life. They have seen behind the facade of 'reality' as it is defined above ground, and have chosen to no longer participate.
Their unique nature, straddling the two worlds, makes them the primary source of news and materials from the surface. As such, many Homeless are members of the Traders Guild. Even those who are not Traders, however, maintain some ties with the world of the surface, usually old friends from their previous lives above ground.
Below ground, the Homeless make up the bulk of the citizenship of the Underworld, and a good percentage of the ruling class as well. The name of the Breed is a misnomer, in fact, since they do have homes – just not any that the upworlders can see. Some find the moniker 'Homeless' an insulting hold-over from the stigma placed upon them by the surface society, preferring instead to call themselves 'Folk'. However, most Homeless wear their names as a badge of honor, an outward sign of their abandonment of the Upworld culture.
Breed Traits
Size: Medium
Ability Modifiers: None
Base Speed: 30ft.
Saving Throw Bonuses: Homeless gain a +1 species bonus on all saving throws.
Bonus Feat: Homeless receive a bonus feat at 1st level.
Junkmen
Created by the Artificers, the Junkmen are automatons – robots created from trash and abandoned machinery, directed by the intelligence of a ghost who has been bound within the metal frame, and powered directly by the Radiance itself. Their forms are as widely varied as the imaginations that spawned them. Whirring gears and cogs, hissing steam and crackling electricity, the Junkman wander the world below, living out their new lives. Some are overjoyed at this new existence, staving off death – but some Junkmen are melancholy creatures, longing for release from this world.
The Junkmen are a rare Breed – the process of creating them is incredibly difficult, and there are few Artificers capable of achieving such a feat. Those Junkmen that are created are effectively immortal, however, only needing occasional repairs to keep going. They are impressive creatures – great clanking collections of metal, rubber, and other scrap, lumbering down the tunnels and caverns of the Underworld, drawing sustenance from raw magic.
The Junkmen vary in construction – most are roughly humanoid in form, however. The ghost within the machine finds it easier to acclimate if it's new body is at least somewhat familiar in shape. However, there are some non-humanoid Junkmen – ranging from a sentient vending machine on wheels to a strange combination of a remote control helicopter and the brass head of a boardwalk fortune telling machine.
The biggest drawback of existence as a Junkman is that their connection to and dependance upon the Radiance for power effectively keeps them within the Underworld. A Junkman cannot exist in the World Above. Without the power of the Radiance to draw from, they run down and eventually cease functioning, leaving nothing but the pile of junk from which they were built.
Breed Traits
Size: Medium
Ability Modifiers: +2 Strength, -2 Dexterity
Base Speed: 20ft.
Stability: Junkmen gain a +4 species bonus on ability checks to resist bull rush and trip attempts when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground).
Darkvision: Junkmen can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and Junkmen can function with no light at all.
Skill Bonuses: Junkmen gain a +2 species bonus on Disable Device and Repair checks.
Bonus Feat: Junkmen gain the Builder feat
The Lost
There are many ways into the Underworld. Some of these pathways travel across more than just space, but through time as well. The Lost are people from another time, who wandered into the Underworld, and now cannot find their way back. The Lost uniformly come from the past – a fact that some offer as proof that the future is unwritten. Regardless of the reason, denizens of the past are almost uniformly stunned by the huge, loud metropolis that is New York. Unable to adjust to life in the Upworld, The Lost remain below, eking out an existence, while searching for a way back home. Some Lost choose to remain above, however most of these end up either dead by fatal miscalculation, or in Belview Hospital, receiving treatment for their 'mental illness'.
So far, there is no evidence that any member of this Breed has ever made it back to their correct time. That does not stop the Lost from looking. After being down in the Underworld for a while, however, most Lost end up concentrating on the task at hand – namely, surviving in their new environment. A member of the Lost never truly gives up the search for home, but for most it becomes an overall goal, rather than the driving force of their day-to-day existence.
As a Breed, the greatest connection between members of The Lost is their shared desire for the eventual resolution of their temporal exile. When two members meet, they often share tales of their progress with their fellow Lost, in the hopes that, someday, another may provide the that last remaining piece of the puzzle that makes it all come together, and leads the way back home.
Breed Traits
Size: Medium
Ability Modifiers: None
Base Speed: 30ft.
Skill Bonuses: The Lost gain a + 2 species bonus on Gather Information and Knowledge (history) checks.
Bonus Feat: The Lost gain the Archaic Weapons Proficiency feat
Mole People
The only Breed which is truly a species unto itself, the Mole People might have been human at one time...or perhaps not. Their origins are shrouded in the dark corners of history. It is assumed by modern Under-worlders that world-wide legends of the little people who live beneath the ground are most likely references to encounters with the Mole People. Small, lithe and able to see in the dark, the Mole People have evolved through generation after generation of living underground. They are unable to live in the World Above – sunlight harms their eyes.
The Mole People (not their true name, which is unpronounceable to human tongues) tend to live in insular communities, away from other Under-worlders. They venture out of their settlements only to trade with others, or in times of emergency. Young Mole People often seek their fortunes out among the other Under-worlders, returning to their villages only after making a name for themselves. The Mole People worship the Radiance as a god, believing it to be the force responsible for the creation of the world. They believe that the World Above has turned its back on this god, and as such view anything or anyone from the surface with suspicion.
The Mole People generally stand between three and a half and four feet tall with slender, lithe bodies of well toned muscle. Their skin is covered in a fine layer of short, soft fur that ranges in color from light brown to black, with longer hair on the top of their heads. They possess short, rodent-like muzzles, and their eyes are slightly larger than other breeds, appearing completely black and giving them excellent vision in total darkness. Their fingers end in short claws, not suitable for combat but a useful aid in digging.
Breed Traits
Size: Small
Ability Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution
Base Speed: 30ft.
Speak with Animals: Once per day, a Mole Person can use speak with animals to speak with a burrowing mammal (a mole, gopher, ground hog, and so forth). It has a duration of 1 minute, and the Mole Person is considered a 1st level caster when they use this spell-like ability, regardless of their actual level.
Darkvision: Mole People can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and Mole People can function with no light at all.
Skill Bonuses: Mole People gain a +1 species bonus on Balanc, Climb and Jump checks. They gain a +2 species bonus on Handle Animal and Ride checks.
Bonus Feat: Mole People gain the Blind-Fight feat.
Nomads
Legends from all over the world talk of the connection between the search for Immortality and journeying into the Underworld. The Greeks spoke of travelers who would drink from the subterranean river Lethe, which would allow them to live forever, but make them forget everything. The Chinese told tales of the hollow mountain of K'un Lun, and it's grove of magical peaches which bestowed immortality.
These legends have a basis in fact.
Nomads are immortal – they do not age, and, barring massive injury, cannot die. However, they do not know how they became immortal, or even who they were before they became immortal...for as surely as they live forever, their memories of their previous lives have gone. Some Nomads return to the world above to attempt to get on with their lives...but many choose to remain within the Underworld, searching for some clue of their previous lives, or the source of their incredible life span.
This Breed takes its name from the lifestyle of its members. Very few Nomads choose to remain in one location for very long. Their quest for their memories drives them to constantly move from place to place, looking for new sources of information. There are exceptions to this, naturally – Rector, the Lord of the Lesser Boulevards, for example, is a Nomad who has become the Lord of one of the Domains.
Given their wandering nature, and their...unique physiological anomalies, Nomads, especially those of the Bravo guild, are highly valued as assassins...what better weapon than an unknown stranger, who cannot be killed? In fact, it is sometimes said that if the Nomads were not so pre-occupied with the recovery of their memories, they could dominate the Underworld, by virtue of being unstoppable. This is not said loudly, however. It would not be smart to give the Nomads any ideas.
Breed Traits
Size: Medium
Ability Modifiers: +2 Constitution, -2 Wisdom
Base Speed: 30ft.
Ageless: Nomads do not suffer penalties or gain bonuses due to ageing
Deathless: Nothing deals fatal damage to a Nomad, but they still heal at a normal rate. Furthermore, Nomads are not destroyed by more negative levels than their current character level, or by ability scores of 0. Instead, they are rendered incapacitated. Within 1d4 weeks, they regain 1 level or 1 ability point. After which they continue to regain levels or ability points at a normal rate.
Skill Bonuses: +2 racial bonus on all knowledge checks.
Bonus Feat: Nomads gain the Heroic Surge feat
As thing progress I'll be looking for critique, advice and suggestions on all parts of the conversion and would be happy to get any feedback I can. I've gone a long time without any outside input.