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rferries
2017-04-20, 04:31 PM
Xenopolitans
https://i.imgur.com/1rjFDHJ.jpg

My attempt at an aberration PC race. A blue-and-orange morality race, not necessarily Chaotic Evil. My take is that they’re obsessed with the concept of faith – in a deity’s cult or otherwise.

Physical Description: Xenopolitans are of muscular or slender humanoid build, with slimy jade-green flesh, octopus-like heads complete with tentacled mouths, and two great membranous wings with which they “fly” through the benthic depths of the ocean. The priest caste traditionally wear flowing robes, the warrior caste chitinous armor, and all others go nude.

Society: Xenopolitans are refugees (or colonists, or invaders, depending on which one of them you ask) from the planes of madness/Far Realm. They generally keep to the mighty planeship-fortress-cities with which they arrived in our dimension, deep under the earth and in the dark ocean trenches.

Relations: The divine madness of the Xenopolitans almost always leads to conflict with outsiders and other colonies of their own race. Occasionally however, peaceful contact with lone refugee Xenopolitans leads to them feverishly adopting the codes and creeds of their new allies.

https://i.imgur.com/vHNaBlF.jpg
Alignment and Religion: Xenopolitans are mad by mortal standards and this madness most obviously manifests in chaotic alignments. Those colonies that worship the dark gods are quite triumphantly evil as well. However, their fervour can lead them to the ruthless pursuit of logic and order – there are even known to be one or two Xenopolitan paladins.

Adventurers: Occasionally some few Xenopolitans leave their cities to explore their obsessions (be they commerce, diplomacy, the arts, etc.), and adventuring is as good as reason as any. Most adventuring Xenopolitans are divine spellcasters of some kind.

Xenopolitan Racial Traits

+2 Charisma, +2 Strength, -2 Wisdom: Xenopolitans are forceful of personality and body, but lack common sense to say the least.

Medium: Xenopolitans are Medium creatures and receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Normal Speed: Xenopolitans have a base speed of 30 feet.

Aberration: Xenopolitans are aberrations with the amphibious, aquatic, and mortal subtypes.

Mortal (Ex): This non-humanoid creature lacks the immunities normally granted by virtue of its type. Instead, it possesses a +2 racial bonus on saves against any effect against which its type would normally be immune, but is otherwise treated as a humanoid. Furthermore, a creature of this type may only assume humanoid forms when using the alter self spell.
Darkvision: Xenopolitans can see in the dark up to 60 feet.

Aberration Empathy (Su): This ability functions as the druid's wild empathy, save that a Xenopolitan can only use this ability on aberrations. A Xenopolitan gains a +4 racial bonus on this check.

Fanaticism (Ex): A Xenopolitan with levels in a divine spellcasting class uses their Cha modifier instead of their Wis modifier for determining save DCs and spells per day. Knowledge (religion) is always a class skill for Xenopolitans.

Gliding Wings (Ex): Xenopolitans take no damage from falling (as if subject to a constant nonmagical feather fall spell). While in midair, a Xenopolitan can move up to 5 feet in any horizontal direction for every 1 foot it falls, at a speed of 60 feet per round. It cannot gain height with these wings alone; merely coast in other directions it falls. If subjected to a strong wind or any other effect that causes a creature with gliding wings to rise, it can take advantage of the updraft to increase the distance it can glide.

Swim (Ex): Xenopolitans have a swim speed of 30 feet and gain a +8 racial bonus on Swim checks. They lose this bonus if their wings are injured or severed.

Languages: Xenopolitans begin play speaking Aklo and Common. Xenopolitans with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Abyssal, Aquan, Auran, Goblin, Orc, Terran, and Undercommon.

Aberrant Adaptation
You are resistant to the alien energies of your ancestral home dimension.

Prerequisite: Character level 3rd, Xenopolitan.

Benefit: You gain acid, negative energy, and sonic resistance equal to your character level.

Aberrant Adaptation, Improved
You have begun to adapt for existence in the solar winds and deep-space chill.

Prerequisite: Aberrant Adaptation, Character level 6th, Xenopolitan.

Benefit: You gain cold and fire resistance each equal to your character level.

Aberrant Heritage
Your body mutates through the glory of your aberrant blood.

Prerequisite: Xenopolitan.

Benefit: Select two feats requiring Aberrant Blood for which you otherwise qualify. Gain them both.

Lunatic's Insight
Your unhinged mental state grants you an uncanny, quasi-empathetic perception.

Prerequisite: Character level 3rd, Xenopolitan.

Benefit: You gain the bardic knowledge ability of a bard of your level. You may use your Cha bonus in place of your Int bonus on Knowledge checks.

Starting at 11th level, you may use legend lore once per day as a spell-like ability, but you must have the person or thing of interest at hand or be in the locale to be studied.

Special: If you already possess the bardic knowledge ability from another source your bonus on Knowledge checks increases to your bard level.

Maddening Visage
Your presence calls to mind the terrible gods your ancestors and brethren worship.

Prerequisite: Character level 12th, Xenopolitan.

Benefit: You gain a gaze attack that drives the beholder insane. Any creature within 30 feet that looks at you must make a Will save (DC = 10 + ½ your character level + your Cha modifier) or take 1d4 Wis damage. A creature that successfully saves against this ability cannot be affected for another 24 hours.

Aberrations are immune to this ability, as is anyone that has adventured with you long enough to see you as a true friend (in spite of your appearance).

True Starspawn
You have fully adapted for travel through the heavens and the lightless depths of space.

Prerequisite: Aberrant Adaptation, Improved Aberrant Adaptation, Character level 9th, Xenopolitan.

Benefit: You gain a fly speed of 60 feet with good maneuverability.

You do not need to breathe and can survive comfortably in a vacuum.

Other possible feats: granting natural attacks (claws, bite, wing buffets, TENTACLES), eidolon feats allowing you to assume some of their alien power, etc.
-insanity feat (+6 Cha, -6 Wis), unearthly grace feat...

dethkruzer
2017-04-21, 02:24 AM
This seems really powerful, at least for an LA 0 race, especially the feats. One gives Force resistance, when Force is generally that thing you don't resist in any way. I can recall one instance of the top of my head that confers any level of resistance to Force damage, and that involves being an epic-level dragon. So mgiht want to think that.

Or is this maybe meant to fall into the pathfinder level of balance, where even a LA 0 race usually has a net positive of +2 in ability scores modifiers.

ImperatorV
2017-04-21, 02:57 AM
I don't see the force resistance one. EDIT: Ah found it. Yeah, I'd drop that one, the feat is plenty strong with just the other resistances. Or replace it with electricity resistance for the full set when combined with starspawn.

Overall, good race if on the strong side. I don't see it as overpowered though, as it most benefits the classes that cannot get flight and energy resistances on their own, aka the weaker ones.

Might like to see some more fluff on them, as well as age categories and other race info. I wonder, is there a such thing as a half-Xenopolitan? Humans will reproduce with ANYTHING remotely humanoid after all.

nonsi
2017-04-21, 05:53 AM
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Starspawn is friggin awesome. It should at least have any aberration/abrrant blood feat as prereq. And then some.

rferries
2017-04-21, 06:51 AM
This seems really powerful, at least for an LA 0 race, especially the feats. One gives Force resistance, when Force is generally that thing you don't resist in any way. I can recall one instance of the top of my head that confers any level of resistance to Force damage, and that involves being an epic-level dragon. So mgiht want to think that.

Or is this maybe meant to fall into the pathfinder level of balance, where even a LA 0 race usually has a net positive of +2 in ability scores modifiers.

I've removed the force resistance, it was more a flavour thing so I won't replace it with another energy type.

They're intended to be balanced against Pathfinder, yep! (Sorry, couldn't figure out how to add the Pathfinder tag). EDIT: Annnd there we go :D

I don't see the force resistance one. EDIT: Ah found it. Yeah, I'd drop that one, the feat is plenty strong with just the other resistances. Or replace it with electricity resistance for the full set when combined with starspawn.

Overall, good race if on the strong side. I don't see it as overpowered though, as it most benefits the classes that cannot get flight and energy resistances on their own, aka the weaker ones.

Might like to see some more fluff on them, as well as age categories and other race info. I wonder, is there a such thing as a half-Xenopolitan? Humans will reproduce with ANYTHING remotely humanoid after all.

I don't know if I have the stamina for more fluff (definitely not my forte :D), if it helps I see them as being very long-lived (Elder Gods and all that). I imagine cross-breeds would be humans with Aberrant Blood.


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Starspawn is friggin awesome. It should at least have any aberration/abrrant blood feat as prereq. And then some.

I've altered it to "True Starspawn" to avoid conflicts with the original Starspawn. It's a strong feat but you have to be an aberration (specifically a Xenopolitan) to use it, and you take it at the level where fly becomes available anyways.

Thanks everyone for your feedback!

nonsi
2017-04-21, 07:56 AM
I've altered it to "True Starspawn" to avoid conflicts with the original Starspawn. It's a strong feat but you have to be an aberration (specifically a Xenopolitan) to use it, and you take it at the level where fly becomes available anyways.


Yes, but that's 3 solid benefits in a single feat - each of which more than worth a feat investment.

rferries
2017-04-21, 08:56 AM
Yes, but that's 3 solid benefits in a single feat - each of which more than worth a feat investment.

Fair point! I've broken it into 2 feats (Improved Aberrant Adaptation and True Starspawn) and made them all part of a chain, so if you want the benefits you'll have to invest multiple feats.

nonsi
2017-04-22, 12:58 PM
Fair point! I've broken it into 2 feats (Improved Aberrant Adaptation and True Starspawn) and made them all part of a chain, so if you want the benefits you'll have to invest multiple feats.

Now it feels just right.

dragonjek
2017-04-22, 01:44 PM
Oooh. I've gotta admit, this is pretty interesting. I'm assuming the planeship-fortress-cities a reference to R'lyeh?

I look forwards to seeing what you make of the other feats you've mentioned coming up with for them. Maybe a few more based on madness or mental powers? And I'm certain that now that Pathfinder's got their occult stuff out, a Mesmerist archetype could be... fascinating (get it? Get it?).

Also, you might want to revisit this race once Paizo puts out Starfinder. With the love they've got for Lovecraft and creatures from space in general, there should be some nice material for you to either adapt to the race or to base more ideas off of.

nonsi
2017-04-23, 10:37 AM
.
Just noticed that one question remains unanswered: how do Xenopolitans call themselves?

Xuldarinar
2017-04-23, 01:02 PM
.
Just noticed that one question remains unanswered: how do Xenopolitans call themselves?

A word that is neither pronouncable nor spellable by the sane, in fact hearing it would be beyond the grasp of mortal comprehension; But likely a name that means 'the people' or 'us' to them.

rferries
2017-04-29, 04:33 PM
Apologies for the delays, kept putting off updating this. I've added the Lunatic's Insight feat, above.


Oooh. I've gotta admit, this is pretty interesting. I'm assuming the planeship-fortress-cities a reference to R'lyeh?

I look forwards to seeing what you make of the other feats you've mentioned coming up with for them. Maybe a few more based on madness or mental powers? And I'm certain that now that Pathfinder's got their occult stuff out, a Mesmerist archetype could be... fascinating (get it? Get it?).

Also, you might want to revisit this race once Paizo puts out Starfinder. With the love they've got for Lovecraft and creatures from space in general, there should be some nice material for you to either adapt to the race or to base more ideas off of.

Yeah, the cities were a mix of that and the old illithid backstory (of them fleeing from the future and/or the Far Realm).

I was more ambitious at the start but after looking at some of the older threads here on Aberrant feats, I feel like I'd just be stealing other people's ideas. Plus there's already an Aberrant feat for growing tentacles in 3.5, after all. The eidolon feat was going to simply be selecting 2+ evolution points worth of evolutions and gaining them (even for non-summoner Xenopolitans) but it might be hard to balance. The Lunatic's Insight feat is based off of the Malkavians from Vampire: The Masquerade, if you're familiar with that franchise.


.
Just noticed that one question remains unanswered: how do Xenopolitans call themselves?


A word that is neither pronouncable nor spellable by the sane, in fact hearing it would be beyond the grasp of mortal comprehension; But likely a name that means 'the people' or 'us' to them.

That's a better answer to the question than any I could give! I would have just said that by a bizarre twist of fate Xenopolitan happens to be both both the name we've given them and their actual name for themselves :D

Grizl' Bjorn
2017-04-30, 05:40 AM
I'd be interested in playing a variant that appears to be human unless examined closely. I'd also be super interested if someone could update this for 5e!

Xuldarinar
2017-04-30, 10:28 AM
I'd be interested in playing a variant that appears to be human unless examined closely. I'd also be super interested if someone could update this for 5e!

*Conversion.

If the creator gave permission, and didn't want to do that conversion themselves, I think I could manage to do that, formatting and all. And if not, I do have for 5e a race of elves that got twisted by the far-realm at the opening of the Vast Gate that can fit the niche.

rferries
2017-04-30, 03:04 PM
*Conversion.

If the creator gave permission, and didn't want to do that conversion themselves, I think I could manage to do that, formatting and all. And if not, I do have for 5e a race of elves that got twisted by the far-realm at the opening of the Vast Gate that can fit the niche.

Please, be my guest! I have no copyright claims :D

Xuldarinar
2017-04-30, 04:37 PM
Please, be my guest! I have no copyright claims :D

Well, here's an initial crack at it.


Xenopolitan Traits

Abilities. Your Charisma increases by 2 and your Strength increases by 1.
Age. Xenopolitans age (at some rate I'm sure)
Alignment. Xenopolitans typically hold to the Chaotic alignments, mad by nature, and are more often than not drawn to faiths considered evil by most. That being said, in their religious fervor, Xenopolitans can run the span of alignments. More often than not a Xenopolitan will hold an alignment matching their patron.
Size. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. Being a creature native to the far-realm, you have superior vision in the dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of grey.
Aberrant Blood. For the purpose of effects that have specific interactions with aberrations, you are treated as an aberration. For all other purposes you are considered to be humanoid.
Aberrant Empathy. You have advantage on persuasion when interacting with aberrations, but disadvantage on persuasion when interacting with non-aberrations.
Fanaticism. For the purpose of spellcasting, you may use your Charisma score in place of Wisdom.
Wings of Air and Sea. You possess wings, which allow you to both move more easily through water and to glide. You have proficiency on all swim checks and can swim at your base walking speed. Additionally, you are always considered to be under the effects of a feather fall spell and you are capable as moving horizontally while falling at your base walking speed. you retain this ability so long as you have your wings, and are capable of using them.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Deep Speech and Common.

PotatoGolem
2017-05-01, 09:36 AM
Well, here's an initial crack at it.


Xenopolitan Traits

Abilities. Your Charisma increases by 2 and your Strength increases by 1.
Age. Xenopolitans age (at some rate I'm sure)
Alignment. Xenopolitans typically hold to the Chaotic alignments, mad by nature, and are more often than not drawn to faiths considered evil by most. That being said, in their religious fervor, Xenopolitans can run the span of alignments. More often than not a Xenopolitan will hold an alignment matching their patron.
Size. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. Being a creature native to the far-realm, you have superior vision in the dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of grey.
Aberrant Blood. For the purpose of effects that have specific interactions with aberrations, you are treated as an aberration. For all other purposes you are considered to be humanoid.
Aberrant Empathy. You have advantage on persuasion when interacting with aberrations, but disadvantage on persuasion when interacting with non-aberrations.
Fanaticism. For the purpose of spellcasting, you may use your Charisma score in place of Wisdom.
Wings of Air and Sea. You possess wings, which allow you to both move more easily through water and to glide. You have proficiency on all swim checks and can swim at your base walking speed. Additionally, you are always considered to be under the effects of a feather fall spell and you are capable as moving horizontally while falling at your base walking speed. you retain this ability so long as you have your wings, and are capable of using them.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Deep Speech and Common.

This is pretty underpowered. It doesn't give many benefits, and has a more disadvantages than other races.

Benefits:
Dark vision
Swim speed
Glide
Advantage on persuading aberrations (so niche it's basically a ribbon)

Disadvantages:
Treated as an aberration (and so vulnerable to a few nasty effects)
Disadvantage on persuading non aberrations (most npcs. A bigger deal than you'd think, since the +2 cha person is normally a party face)

Sidegrade:
Use cha instead of wis for casting (makes cleric builds stronger, but does nothing for most builds)

Xuldarinar
2017-05-01, 08:25 PM
This is pretty underpowered. It doesn't give many benefits, and has a more disadvantages than other races.

Benefits:
Dark vision
Swim speed
Glide
Advantage on persuading aberrations (so niche it's basically a ribbon)

Disadvantages:
Treated as an aberration (and so vulnerable to a few nasty effects)
Disadvantage on persuading non aberrations (most npcs. A bigger deal than you'd think, since the +2 cha person is normally a party face)

Sidegrade:
Use cha instead of wis for casting (makes cleric builds stronger, but does nothing for most builds)

Well, we can easily drop the Disadvantage on persuading non-aberrations. Can't argue for an aberration race to not be treated as aberrations. Any suggestions you have for bumping it up a little more?