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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Alternity Arcana Race: Fraal



RazDelacroix
2017-02-06, 11:07 PM
Fraal

"PERISH FOOL SUBCREATURE! FRAAL ARE SUPERIOR! DRAGONS ARE INFERIOR!" Boris Bloodcrust could not believe what his dwarven eyes were seeing. A little gray humanoid thing was leapt across the tavern to tackle a kobold while shouting what might have been obscenities. If not particularly verbose and enunciated obscenities. He looked to the other small gray being that sat on his left. Boris had one question in mind, which was answered swiftly IN his mind.

"He is attempting to arouse physical and psychological interest as a means of acquiring incentive for imminent long-term copulation arrangement with myself through display of aggressive combat while addressing my personal perception in regards to my study of massive reptile entities."

"So, he's trying to woo you?"

"And it is succeeding!"

Fraal are an alien race from a star far away, who got lost in transit to elsewhere, crash landed on this world, and after a multitude of generations bereft of superior technology are finally forced into SOCIALIZING with the inferior races whom have had a measure of success in the world. The time has come to put their great minds to the ultimate test, to survive in a world bereft the great technology that would have made them masters of the world.

Frail Bodies and Mega Minds
The fraal had developed their science to the point where most physical exertions were made outright obsolete. Even after centuries bereft of the wreckage rich in their technologies, they still possess small undeveloped bodies that catch illness easily and muscles that struggle to lift a peasant's labors. However, they retain their excellent mental prowess coupled with either acute foresight or domineering presence.

A fraal stands only slightly taller than a halfing, with a slightly oversized cranium resting atop a spindly humanoid body. Their skin is a pale gray, to slightly luminescent white, that under excessive sun may tan to a light green color that dissipates swiftly when removed from sunlight. A pair of large, opaque black eyes stare from a slightly elongated and gaunt face with a pair of slight slits for nostrils that sit above a small mouth. To some races, they appear wizened and inscrutable, to others they are to be kicked.

A fraal's sense of sight, touch, and hearing are equivalent to a human's. Their sense of smell is poor, and they possess NO sense of taste whatsoever. Fraal culinary skills are epitomized in the classic nutrient paste. Which tastes like wet cardboard. To be fair, EVERYTHING tastes like wet cardboard to a fraal. Even alchohol.

Mindwalkers
Fraal are natural psionic telepaths. This access to mental powers endeared them to be somewhat timid, curious beings that find enjoyable fulfillment in scientific pursuits such as exploration and biology. Which is one of the primary reasons they got stranded on the world in the first place. As a race of secretive psionically gifted people, they take great strides to hide their emotions from themselves and each other. They have difficulty grasping the point art, music, humor, and most other nonscientific subjects. Science and logic is their answer to most issues, though some fraal who get past their limitations may be regarded as lunatics, renegades, or worse yet, ADVENTURERS.

A fraal can broadcast their thoughts as easily as humans speak aloud. Fraal who stumble across the study of arcane magic take great pains to translate such works into a psionic form they have an easier time of recognizing as the art of mindwalking. This need to convert most supernatural sources of power into a more palatable science colors most of their interactions with other cultures. Clerics and warlocks have little distinction to them beyond capabilities, for example.

If you want to see a fraal go into an absolutely livid bundle of psychic rage however, introduce them to a mindflayer. Illithids and fraal share at least one memorable historical moment, where they found themselves at absolute odds and attempted to annihilate the other. This probably led to at least one starship crash landing on a backwater world where local science was so inferior that they cannot rebuild their starship to specifications. Illithids find fraal minds to be delicious. Fraal minds find illithids to be dangerous psychic predators. Thus, they are natural enemies.

Science of Adventure
Every fraal longs to explore the stars, to seek out new life, new civilizations, and to cut them open and see what makes those strange people tick. As the current situation is, however, most find themselves in either roaming caravans of curious oddities meeting regularly with the interesting folk of the world; or within fortified enclaves where they try to make progress in esoteric sciences in peace. The occasional fraal that separates from these two groups become noticeable in their aggressive need for answers through very personal interactions with the world.

When handling your newfound fraal traveling companion it is important to establish whether or not this particular compatriot will open up your insides to see how your lungs work, how to remove that unsightly black stains from your lungs, or replace your lungs with a necrotic organism that will turn you into a ravenous ghoul. Your local fraal may eventually open up and become more relate-able or even adopt portions of your culture. Or simply keep someone very large between themselves and the visibly predatory entity that wants to eat their delicious brains.

Fraal Names
Most fraal will take on a new 'Pursuit' name in order to better ingratiate themselves to the world at large. Amidst their own people, however, they use more traditional fraal names while attaching a personal title that reflects a significant achievement of theirs. This poor human scholar, however, has better things to type up than to peruse and hunt for the Stardrive Campaign Book that might have had answers to that which should never be asked upon. This is not a message written via suggestion!

Fraal Quirks
You can use Fraal Quirks table to determine a personality quirk for a fraal or to inspire a unique mannerism.

Fraal Quirks
d8 Quirk

Humor is meaningless to you.
You have a penchant for dissecting what you kill.
The idea of abduction is perfectly acceptable.
You MUST regard supernatural events in a scientific basis.
Everything without your intelligence is a subcreature.
You occasionally get an urge to make circles out of crops.
You believe you can make satisfying and nutritious meals for your companions.
Your gaze occasionally drifts to the sky and stars above, inspiring actual poetry.



Frall Traits
Your fraal character has a number of traits in common with all other fraal.
Ability Score Increase. There is no such thing as a dumb fraal. Your Intelligence increases by 2. Choose either Wisdom or Charisma, the chosen ability increases by 2.
Ability Score Decrease. A fraal is physically frail. Very frail. Gnomes take their lunch money frail. Your Strength and Constitution decrease by 2 each.
Age. A fraal reaches expected acceptable point of majority and responsibility at 11. Without access to advanced medical science, the average fraal lifespan ends slightly before a century.
Alignment. Most fraal are lawful neutral. As a psychological habit they take incredible pains to hide their emotions from others as well as themselves. Though those with malevolent and benevolent tendencies do occur, it can be hard for others to figure it out until the end of their turn on the surgery table.
Size. Fraal average in height at 3 1/2 feet tall and weigh between 40 and 50 pounds. Your size is Small.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Fraal move with surprising alacrity when trouble brews, or experiments go awry.
Psychic Resistance. A fraal's mind is a bastion against outside influences. You have Advantage on all saves against charm effects, and you possess Resistance to psychic damage.
Psionics. You know the mage hand cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast suggestion as a 2nd-level spell. After casting suggestion you may not do so again until you complete a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it.
Tool Proficiency. You gain proficiency in one of the following tools. Alchemist's supplies, Tinker's tools, Herbalism kit, Navigator's tools, Vechicles (land, water, or air).
Telepathy. A fraal's average telepathy range is 30 feet.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Fraal. Fraal is a dry, verbose, and technical language with no appreciable use in art and philosophy. However, it is AMAZINGLY useful for artificers and physicians! Fraal as a whole still prefer to keep their mouths shut and use sensible telepathy in lieu of creating physical noise.

The Fraal were first introduced through the Alternity Players Guide, way back when I was starting out in Junior High. I feel in love with Alternity and it's sci-fi take on tabletop roleplaying. Alas, Alternity and my love of the Stardrive Campaign were left as dust in the solar wind. During the 3.5 era, a little something called d20 Modern came up, and my hopes revived. Sadly, I still do not have a physical copy of Urban Arcana. However, I did get my mitts on the d20 Future supplement where I found my Alternity races again and some others I had not seen before! I enjoyed running a campaign that I called Alternity Arcana, a starlit fantasy filled with mindwalkers, elves, and dwarves in giant robots! I will strive to post more 'Alternity Arcana' material in the nearish future. Tell me if you want me to write-up/convert something in particular or give some critiques!