Kyace
2007-07-29, 05:28 PM
I wasn't expecting to meet anyone in the cave looking for the vampire-like creature the villagers reported, so when the halfling appeared, I naturally tried to detect evil. Sensing nothing, I waved him away but he followed me anyway. With a cheerful attitude typical to his race, he quizzed me to my purpose in the cave, I just told him I was looking for a monster.
As we approached a cliff and he insisted coming along, I tied us together and we began climbing down. When the spider monsters attacked us midway down, the little guy put my sword fighting skills to shame, bounding back and forth as if the cliff was a flat grassy field. When one of the monsters bite [sic] me, poisoning me, I thought I had doomed us both, but the small guy managed to scare off the spiders with my dead weight hanging from him.
At the bottom of the cliff, we rested until I could prepare Lesser Restoration the next morning. Deciding that any intelligent monster would have ambushed us while I was poisoned, I returned to the town and said I could can't their vampire. After thanking my small rescuer with a fruit filled breakfast in town, we both departed for different directions.
-From the notes of Adnelp, the paladin.
Rouse, 1st-Level Warrior
Size/Type: Small Humanoid (Halfling)
Hit Dice: 1d8 (4 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), Climb 20 ft, Glide 60 ft (Poor)
Armor Class: 15 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +3 studded leather), touch 12, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-3
Attack: Ranseur +3 melee (1d6+1/x3) or light crossbow +3 ranged (1d6/19-20)
Full Attack: Ranseur +3 melee (1d6+1/x3) or light crossbow +3 ranged (1d6/19-20)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. reach with ranseur)
Special Attacks: Rouse traits
Special Qualities: Rouse traits
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +0
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 8
Skills: Climb +9, Hide +4, Jump -1, Listen +8, Move Silently +0
Feats: Blind-Fight
Environment: Warm hills and surrounding caves
Organization: Solo, or colony (10+)
Challenge Rating: 1/2
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +0
The rouse warrior presented here had the following ability scores before racial adjustments: Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 8.
Rouse appear to be an outshoot of the halfling race and typically are mistaken for a halfling in a leather cloak. Rouse (used for male or the race as a whole) or rousettes (used for females) tend to be fairly cheerful and jolly like a typical halfling, but usually thinner and stronger built. The most striking difference is their lack of arms, instead rouse have leathery wings. To outsiders, a humorous side effect of this is that rouse will use their bare feet for tasks that halflings use their hands (such as cooking, crafting and fighting). When not mistaken for halflings on the ground, they tend to be mistaken for very large bats or vampire spawn in the air, often leading to some unfortunate combat.
Rouse are rare, due to centuries of being mistaken for vampires and killed as such, only a few dozen colonies remain. Of the other races, rouse will typically get along with halflings and gnomes the best. In colonies that haven't seen outsiders within a lifetime, rouse tend to gravitate to speaking halfling among themselves in a pitch higher than most common races can hear.
Combat: A rouse with a ranseur or another slashing or piercing weapon will deal double damage while making a diving charge. Rouse will try to begin combat from a high point, such as a tree or rooftop, and use its gliding ability to start combat with a diving charge. Low level rouse will then land and continue combat while higher level rouse will keep to the air. Rouse are generally peaceful, but are quite willing to lay down their life for their colony, which acts as both their village and their family.
Rouse Traits
Rouse characters possess the following traits.
* +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution. Rouse are faster and stronger than the average small creature but more delicate due to lighter bones.
* Small: As a Small creature, a rouse gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but she uses smaller weapons than humans use, and her lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
* Rouse base land speed is 20 feet. Rouse have a climb speed of 20 feet. As Rouse advance, they gain a flight speed, see below.
* Bat-like limbs (Ex): Rouse have wings instead of arms and hands. Rouse may make unarmed attacks with their wings as a creature of one size larger. Rouse may not grasp objects with their forelimbs nor wear magical items designed for arms, fingers or hands on their wings, however rouses' feet are just as dexterous as halflings' hands. A rouse not wearing shoes (most don't) may use their feet and toes as you or I would use our hands and fingers, including wielding weapons, wearing magical gloves and rings and such. A rouse on the ground use their wings as crutches while using their feet as hands.
Rouse may lock their feet closed to prevent from dropping or letting go of something. They gain a +10 bonus for checks to keep from letting go, such as being bull rushed, disarmed, blown off the ground or knocked off a wall while stationary. Rouse also use this ability to sleep hanging upside-down.
* Gliding (Ex): A rouse begins play with a gliding ability. A falling rouse has a fly speed of 60 feet (poor) however they may not fly up and they lose 30 feet of altitude every round they glide. A gliding rouse takes no damage for falling.
* Flight (Ex): A rouse with 5 HD or more have a fly speed of 80 (average).
* Echolocation (Ex): The rouse's keen hearing allow them to mimic blindsense in two ways. First, if they succeed on a listen check (such as one opposed with a move sliently check), they know which square the creature they heard is in. The creature still has total concealment.
Second, if they use a move action to move, they may, as a free action, release a burst of supersonic sound to listen to the echoes. This gives them blindsense 20 feet until the start of their next round. Other keen-eared creatures may use the rouse's echolocation to hear them: if the rouse is trying to move sliently, they must make a listen check and use that in place of their move sliently check if it is lower.
* +4 racial bonus on Jump and Listen checks. Rouse have a +8 racial bonus to all climb checks and a further +10 to climb checks (as detailed above in "Bat-like limbs") to remain attached to a wall or slope if they haven't moved 5 feet within the last round. A rouse may always take 10 on climb checks, even if threatened or asleep. A flying or gliding rouse doesn't increase the climb DC by 20 as a falling creature would. In addition, Listen is always a class skill for a rouse.
* Automatic Languages: Common and Halfling. Bonus Languages: Auran, Draconic, Dwarven, Gnome, Goblin, Terran and Undercommon.
* Favored Class: Monk if lawful, rogue if nonlawful. A multiclass rouse's favored class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
----
While still rare but much more common than pure rouse are halfling which have half-rouse traits due to a rouse ancestor. Sometimes, when two normal looking halfling produce a child, the child may have traits as a throw back to a rouse generations back in one of the family trees. These children, which appear as normal halflings, may go live a lifetime without noticing these traits, however halfling adventures, pushed to the limits of their bodies may notice unusually keen hearing or skill in climbing. These halflings, called half-rouse due to sharing the traits with the even rarer soul born to one halfling parent and one rouse parent, tend to the rogue classes due to the usefulness climbing ability and hearing are to stealthy types.
Half-rouse Traits
Half-rouse possess the following racial traits.
* +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution. Half-rouse are stronger than a normal halfling but more delicate due to lighter bones.
* Small: As a Small creature, a half-rouse gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but she uses smaller weapons than humans use, and her lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
* A half-rouse's base land speed is 20 feet.
* Climbing heritage (Ex): A climbing half-rouse doesn't lose her dexterity bonus to AC while climbing and may take 10 on climb checks even under pressure.
* Rouse ears (Ex): If a half-rouse succeeds on a listen check and beats the DC or opposed Move Sliently check by 5 or more, the half-rouse knows which square the creature they heard is in. The creature still has total concealment.
* +1 racial bonus on attack rolls with thrown weapons and slings.
* +4 racial bonus on Climb, and Listen checks. In addition, Climb and Listen are always class skills for a half-rouse.
* Automatic Languages: Common and Halfling. Bonus Languages: Auran, Draconic, Dwarven, Gnome, Goblin, Terran and Undercommon.
* Favored Class: Rogue.
These look balanced?
As we approached a cliff and he insisted coming along, I tied us together and we began climbing down. When the spider monsters attacked us midway down, the little guy put my sword fighting skills to shame, bounding back and forth as if the cliff was a flat grassy field. When one of the monsters bite [sic] me, poisoning me, I thought I had doomed us both, but the small guy managed to scare off the spiders with my dead weight hanging from him.
At the bottom of the cliff, we rested until I could prepare Lesser Restoration the next morning. Deciding that any intelligent monster would have ambushed us while I was poisoned, I returned to the town and said I could can't their vampire. After thanking my small rescuer with a fruit filled breakfast in town, we both departed for different directions.
-From the notes of Adnelp, the paladin.
Rouse, 1st-Level Warrior
Size/Type: Small Humanoid (Halfling)
Hit Dice: 1d8 (4 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), Climb 20 ft, Glide 60 ft (Poor)
Armor Class: 15 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +3 studded leather), touch 12, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-3
Attack: Ranseur +3 melee (1d6+1/x3) or light crossbow +3 ranged (1d6/19-20)
Full Attack: Ranseur +3 melee (1d6+1/x3) or light crossbow +3 ranged (1d6/19-20)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. reach with ranseur)
Special Attacks: Rouse traits
Special Qualities: Rouse traits
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +0
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 8
Skills: Climb +9, Hide +4, Jump -1, Listen +8, Move Silently +0
Feats: Blind-Fight
Environment: Warm hills and surrounding caves
Organization: Solo, or colony (10+)
Challenge Rating: 1/2
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +0
The rouse warrior presented here had the following ability scores before racial adjustments: Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 8.
Rouse appear to be an outshoot of the halfling race and typically are mistaken for a halfling in a leather cloak. Rouse (used for male or the race as a whole) or rousettes (used for females) tend to be fairly cheerful and jolly like a typical halfling, but usually thinner and stronger built. The most striking difference is their lack of arms, instead rouse have leathery wings. To outsiders, a humorous side effect of this is that rouse will use their bare feet for tasks that halflings use their hands (such as cooking, crafting and fighting). When not mistaken for halflings on the ground, they tend to be mistaken for very large bats or vampire spawn in the air, often leading to some unfortunate combat.
Rouse are rare, due to centuries of being mistaken for vampires and killed as such, only a few dozen colonies remain. Of the other races, rouse will typically get along with halflings and gnomes the best. In colonies that haven't seen outsiders within a lifetime, rouse tend to gravitate to speaking halfling among themselves in a pitch higher than most common races can hear.
Combat: A rouse with a ranseur or another slashing or piercing weapon will deal double damage while making a diving charge. Rouse will try to begin combat from a high point, such as a tree or rooftop, and use its gliding ability to start combat with a diving charge. Low level rouse will then land and continue combat while higher level rouse will keep to the air. Rouse are generally peaceful, but are quite willing to lay down their life for their colony, which acts as both their village and their family.
Rouse Traits
Rouse characters possess the following traits.
* +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution. Rouse are faster and stronger than the average small creature but more delicate due to lighter bones.
* Small: As a Small creature, a rouse gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but she uses smaller weapons than humans use, and her lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
* Rouse base land speed is 20 feet. Rouse have a climb speed of 20 feet. As Rouse advance, they gain a flight speed, see below.
* Bat-like limbs (Ex): Rouse have wings instead of arms and hands. Rouse may make unarmed attacks with their wings as a creature of one size larger. Rouse may not grasp objects with their forelimbs nor wear magical items designed for arms, fingers or hands on their wings, however rouses' feet are just as dexterous as halflings' hands. A rouse not wearing shoes (most don't) may use their feet and toes as you or I would use our hands and fingers, including wielding weapons, wearing magical gloves and rings and such. A rouse on the ground use their wings as crutches while using their feet as hands.
Rouse may lock their feet closed to prevent from dropping or letting go of something. They gain a +10 bonus for checks to keep from letting go, such as being bull rushed, disarmed, blown off the ground or knocked off a wall while stationary. Rouse also use this ability to sleep hanging upside-down.
* Gliding (Ex): A rouse begins play with a gliding ability. A falling rouse has a fly speed of 60 feet (poor) however they may not fly up and they lose 30 feet of altitude every round they glide. A gliding rouse takes no damage for falling.
* Flight (Ex): A rouse with 5 HD or more have a fly speed of 80 (average).
* Echolocation (Ex): The rouse's keen hearing allow them to mimic blindsense in two ways. First, if they succeed on a listen check (such as one opposed with a move sliently check), they know which square the creature they heard is in. The creature still has total concealment.
Second, if they use a move action to move, they may, as a free action, release a burst of supersonic sound to listen to the echoes. This gives them blindsense 20 feet until the start of their next round. Other keen-eared creatures may use the rouse's echolocation to hear them: if the rouse is trying to move sliently, they must make a listen check and use that in place of their move sliently check if it is lower.
* +4 racial bonus on Jump and Listen checks. Rouse have a +8 racial bonus to all climb checks and a further +10 to climb checks (as detailed above in "Bat-like limbs") to remain attached to a wall or slope if they haven't moved 5 feet within the last round. A rouse may always take 10 on climb checks, even if threatened or asleep. A flying or gliding rouse doesn't increase the climb DC by 20 as a falling creature would. In addition, Listen is always a class skill for a rouse.
* Automatic Languages: Common and Halfling. Bonus Languages: Auran, Draconic, Dwarven, Gnome, Goblin, Terran and Undercommon.
* Favored Class: Monk if lawful, rogue if nonlawful. A multiclass rouse's favored class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
----
While still rare but much more common than pure rouse are halfling which have half-rouse traits due to a rouse ancestor. Sometimes, when two normal looking halfling produce a child, the child may have traits as a throw back to a rouse generations back in one of the family trees. These children, which appear as normal halflings, may go live a lifetime without noticing these traits, however halfling adventures, pushed to the limits of their bodies may notice unusually keen hearing or skill in climbing. These halflings, called half-rouse due to sharing the traits with the even rarer soul born to one halfling parent and one rouse parent, tend to the rogue classes due to the usefulness climbing ability and hearing are to stealthy types.
Half-rouse Traits
Half-rouse possess the following racial traits.
* +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution. Half-rouse are stronger than a normal halfling but more delicate due to lighter bones.
* Small: As a Small creature, a half-rouse gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but she uses smaller weapons than humans use, and her lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
* A half-rouse's base land speed is 20 feet.
* Climbing heritage (Ex): A climbing half-rouse doesn't lose her dexterity bonus to AC while climbing and may take 10 on climb checks even under pressure.
* Rouse ears (Ex): If a half-rouse succeeds on a listen check and beats the DC or opposed Move Sliently check by 5 or more, the half-rouse knows which square the creature they heard is in. The creature still has total concealment.
* +1 racial bonus on attack rolls with thrown weapons and slings.
* +4 racial bonus on Climb, and Listen checks. In addition, Climb and Listen are always class skills for a half-rouse.
* Automatic Languages: Common and Halfling. Bonus Languages: Auran, Draconic, Dwarven, Gnome, Goblin, Terran and Undercommon.
* Favored Class: Rogue.
These look balanced?