Xarael
2018-03-13, 04:35 AM
So, I've been steadily fleshing out my own campaign setting. It has a few custom races, including but not limited to knockoff Warforged, Plant people, Humanoid abberations, and the "Raiju", which were my attempt to make one single race that would encompass any animal race. However, even when I first came up with that idea, I knew I wanted insects, arachnids, and similar animal groups to be seperate entirely.
Long story short, I have this bug race, and I really want them to have no intelligence score. This is my attempt at a race (For pathfinder) with no intelligence score, intended to be an insect-humanoid race:
Desoju, "The Insects".
The Desoju race is an offshoot of the Raiju(Moonkin, or 'Animal People'), known in their own tongue as "Desoju" or "Kin to None". These extremely strange beings tend to dwell underground in tight knit communities, using esoteric forms of communication. Just like Raiju, two parents of any two subgroups can breed, and the child may be of either parent's group, or a third unrelated group. However, "True breeding" tribes of Desoju are much more common than amoung Raiju.
Ability Scores: Desoju receive a +2 to Dexterity, +2 to wisdom, and -2 Cha. They have sharp reflexes, and sharp senses like the vermin they appear to be. However, Desoju are, in a strange way, mindless and do not posses an intelligence score.
Type: Vermin (Grants 60ft darkvision and Mindless trait, except as noted below).
Base speed: 30ft
Languages: Desoju can automatically communicate with any other member of their race, as well as any actual insect or arachnid vermin that lacks an intelligence score. They do not begin play knowing any languages, and must spend points in Linguistics to learn one.
Defense
Semi-Mindless: Desoju are not entirely mindless, have a strange sort of malformed, instinctual mentality. Because of this, instead of being immune to mind effecting effects, they receive a +4 racial bonus to saves against them instead, and +8 for any effect that would read their thoughts. Similarly, they can obtain feats and gain ranks in skills. They cannot gain ranks in Intelligence based skills, except Knowledge skills, and those chosen for Insect Instinct (see below). However, their intelligence modifier is always 0, and they cannot gain levels in any class that uses Intelligence as it's ability score for spellcasting.
Exoskeleton: All Desoju choose one of the following
Sleek Shell: Desoju receive a +1 to Natural armor.
Carapace: This Desoju receives a +4 bonus to natural armor, but cannot wear armor, and their base speed is reduced by 5 feet.
Resistance: Desoju receive a +4 bonus on saves vs disease, and +8 against poison.
Feat and Skill:
Insect Instinct: At 1st level, a Desoju chooses two of Appraise, Craft, Linguistics, or Spellcraft. These stats use their Dexterity modifier instead of intelligence. They may also use their Dexterity score in place of their Intelligence as a prerequisite for any feat.
Darkvision: Darkvision to 60ft
Bug Eyes: All desoju choose one of the following at 1st level.
Compound Eyes: This Desoju receives a +2 racial bonus to Perception and Sense Motive, and a +1 bonus to reflex saves.
Multiple Eyes: Reduce the range of the Desoju's darkvision to 30ft. They gain Tremorsense out to 10ft.
Other
Natural attacks: Desoju all receive a bite attack that deals 1d6 damage (if medium), or 1d4 (if small).
Insectoid Limbs: All Desoju have four to eight limbs. These limbs are thin and sharp, and impose a -4 penalty to Swim and Heal checks. All Desoju Choose one of the Following:
Extra Arms: The Desoju has two or four extra arms. These limbs are tiny, and have few of any digits. They are just strong enough to hold two extra objects (regardless of if the Desoju has two or four extra limbs) that weigh ten pounds or less. They cannot swing weapons with enough force to cause damage. These limbs grant a +2 bonus to Craft and Disable device checks.
Extra Legs: The Desoju has two or four extra legs. This increases the base speed of a Desoju by 10ft, and increases it's carrying capacity by 1 1/2, as if they were a quadruped. In addition, they suffer no encumbrance for carrying up to a medium load, and suffer the penalty for a medium load while carrying a heavy load. They also recive a +4 bonus to CMD avoid being tripped.
Dangerous Limbs: The Desoju has one pair of larger, thicker limbs ending in pincers, claws, scything blades, or similar natural weapons, and one pair of smaller limbs that have digits. They gain two Claw attacks that deal 1d6 damage (if medium). Increase the Desoju's strength by 2. However, their smaller limbs are noticeably weaker, making them worse at any task that can't be performed with their large, weapon-like limbs and incapable of wielding weapons at all. This imposes a -4 penalty to all strength based skills and checks except melee attacks, damage rolls, break checks or any other task that can be easily performed using a hand with no digits that ends in a weapon. This penalty stacks with the normal penalty to swimming all Desoju have. The Desoju loses it's Bite natural attack.
Climbing Limbs: The desoju has extra legs or arms that grant them preternatural skill at climbing. The Desoju gains a climb speed of 20ft (Including the racial +8 to climb). They can also climb a surface that is perfectly smooth, vertical, or even hang from ceilings. The DC for all of these is generally 35. Lastly, they can use their extra limbs to climb while not facing the surface they are climbing. This allows them to perform any normal standard action, including wielding a weapon or casting a spell, while climbing, but climbing this way imposes a -10 penalty.
Wings: The Desoju gains a 30ft fly speed with a clumsy maneuverability. They are also treated as one size category smaller for the purposes of how wind affects them while flying. However, they find flying virtually effortless, and can fly almost indefinitely without making constitution checks. Each four hours spent flying counts as 1 day for the purposes of eating, so a Desoju who flies for 8 hours without eating is considered not to have eaten for 2 days. If a Desoju takes nonlethal damage from starvation while flying, they immediately fall for one full round. Lastly, Desoju are naturally good at hovering. They ignore the -8 penalty for Clumsy maneuverability when attempting to hover, and may always take 10 on checks to hover.
Sting: The Desoju has a powerful thorax or tail ending with a stinger, or large pincers or fangs surrounding their mouth. They gain a Sting natural attack that deals 1d4 damage, and inflicts a poison. This poison is an injury poison with a DC equal to 10 + 1/2 the Desoju's level + their Con mod. The Desoju chooses Strength or Dexterity(once chosen it cannot be changed), and this poison causes 1 damage of that type for a number of rounds equal to their Constitution modifier, or 2, whichever is higher. They can inflict this poison a number of times per day equal to their 3+ their Constitution modifier, and they can restore one dose by spending 1 hour resting and eating 1 day's worth of food. A desoju can also "Milk" it's own venom and apply it to weapons as normal. Lastly, a desoju becomes immune to all natural poisons that deal the same type of damage as their poison. The Desoju loses it's Bite attack, as well as it's resistance bonus against poison.
Humanoid: This Desoju does not have extra limbs, and has an extremely humanoid build, sometimes even having some parts of their body, even a majority, with human-like skin instead of chitin. It loses the normal penalty to swim and heal checks, and loses it's -2 to Charisma. They also begin play knowing Common as a language. These Desoju lose their Bite natural attack, as well as their bonus to saves against mind effecting effects of all kinds.
So, it's a little complicated BECAUSE it's meant to allow someone to play as any kind of insect, without a separate race for, like, Spiders, Moths, Scorpions, Beetles, Etc. They are all meant to be represented by this single race.
My biggest question is: Should I abandon the entire mindless/semi-mindless aspect? IS that stupid? Or is it interesting enough to be worth it? Beyond that, general advice, Balance issues (This is not really meant to be directly in line with Core races, but not too far beyond those) are all welcome!
Long story short, I have this bug race, and I really want them to have no intelligence score. This is my attempt at a race (For pathfinder) with no intelligence score, intended to be an insect-humanoid race:
Desoju, "The Insects".
The Desoju race is an offshoot of the Raiju(Moonkin, or 'Animal People'), known in their own tongue as "Desoju" or "Kin to None". These extremely strange beings tend to dwell underground in tight knit communities, using esoteric forms of communication. Just like Raiju, two parents of any two subgroups can breed, and the child may be of either parent's group, or a third unrelated group. However, "True breeding" tribes of Desoju are much more common than amoung Raiju.
Ability Scores: Desoju receive a +2 to Dexterity, +2 to wisdom, and -2 Cha. They have sharp reflexes, and sharp senses like the vermin they appear to be. However, Desoju are, in a strange way, mindless and do not posses an intelligence score.
Type: Vermin (Grants 60ft darkvision and Mindless trait, except as noted below).
Base speed: 30ft
Languages: Desoju can automatically communicate with any other member of their race, as well as any actual insect or arachnid vermin that lacks an intelligence score. They do not begin play knowing any languages, and must spend points in Linguistics to learn one.
Defense
Semi-Mindless: Desoju are not entirely mindless, have a strange sort of malformed, instinctual mentality. Because of this, instead of being immune to mind effecting effects, they receive a +4 racial bonus to saves against them instead, and +8 for any effect that would read their thoughts. Similarly, they can obtain feats and gain ranks in skills. They cannot gain ranks in Intelligence based skills, except Knowledge skills, and those chosen for Insect Instinct (see below). However, their intelligence modifier is always 0, and they cannot gain levels in any class that uses Intelligence as it's ability score for spellcasting.
Exoskeleton: All Desoju choose one of the following
Sleek Shell: Desoju receive a +1 to Natural armor.
Carapace: This Desoju receives a +4 bonus to natural armor, but cannot wear armor, and their base speed is reduced by 5 feet.
Resistance: Desoju receive a +4 bonus on saves vs disease, and +8 against poison.
Feat and Skill:
Insect Instinct: At 1st level, a Desoju chooses two of Appraise, Craft, Linguistics, or Spellcraft. These stats use their Dexterity modifier instead of intelligence. They may also use their Dexterity score in place of their Intelligence as a prerequisite for any feat.
Darkvision: Darkvision to 60ft
Bug Eyes: All desoju choose one of the following at 1st level.
Compound Eyes: This Desoju receives a +2 racial bonus to Perception and Sense Motive, and a +1 bonus to reflex saves.
Multiple Eyes: Reduce the range of the Desoju's darkvision to 30ft. They gain Tremorsense out to 10ft.
Other
Natural attacks: Desoju all receive a bite attack that deals 1d6 damage (if medium), or 1d4 (if small).
Insectoid Limbs: All Desoju have four to eight limbs. These limbs are thin and sharp, and impose a -4 penalty to Swim and Heal checks. All Desoju Choose one of the Following:
Extra Arms: The Desoju has two or four extra arms. These limbs are tiny, and have few of any digits. They are just strong enough to hold two extra objects (regardless of if the Desoju has two or four extra limbs) that weigh ten pounds or less. They cannot swing weapons with enough force to cause damage. These limbs grant a +2 bonus to Craft and Disable device checks.
Extra Legs: The Desoju has two or four extra legs. This increases the base speed of a Desoju by 10ft, and increases it's carrying capacity by 1 1/2, as if they were a quadruped. In addition, they suffer no encumbrance for carrying up to a medium load, and suffer the penalty for a medium load while carrying a heavy load. They also recive a +4 bonus to CMD avoid being tripped.
Dangerous Limbs: The Desoju has one pair of larger, thicker limbs ending in pincers, claws, scything blades, or similar natural weapons, and one pair of smaller limbs that have digits. They gain two Claw attacks that deal 1d6 damage (if medium). Increase the Desoju's strength by 2. However, their smaller limbs are noticeably weaker, making them worse at any task that can't be performed with their large, weapon-like limbs and incapable of wielding weapons at all. This imposes a -4 penalty to all strength based skills and checks except melee attacks, damage rolls, break checks or any other task that can be easily performed using a hand with no digits that ends in a weapon. This penalty stacks with the normal penalty to swimming all Desoju have. The Desoju loses it's Bite natural attack.
Climbing Limbs: The desoju has extra legs or arms that grant them preternatural skill at climbing. The Desoju gains a climb speed of 20ft (Including the racial +8 to climb). They can also climb a surface that is perfectly smooth, vertical, or even hang from ceilings. The DC for all of these is generally 35. Lastly, they can use their extra limbs to climb while not facing the surface they are climbing. This allows them to perform any normal standard action, including wielding a weapon or casting a spell, while climbing, but climbing this way imposes a -10 penalty.
Wings: The Desoju gains a 30ft fly speed with a clumsy maneuverability. They are also treated as one size category smaller for the purposes of how wind affects them while flying. However, they find flying virtually effortless, and can fly almost indefinitely without making constitution checks. Each four hours spent flying counts as 1 day for the purposes of eating, so a Desoju who flies for 8 hours without eating is considered not to have eaten for 2 days. If a Desoju takes nonlethal damage from starvation while flying, they immediately fall for one full round. Lastly, Desoju are naturally good at hovering. They ignore the -8 penalty for Clumsy maneuverability when attempting to hover, and may always take 10 on checks to hover.
Sting: The Desoju has a powerful thorax or tail ending with a stinger, or large pincers or fangs surrounding their mouth. They gain a Sting natural attack that deals 1d4 damage, and inflicts a poison. This poison is an injury poison with a DC equal to 10 + 1/2 the Desoju's level + their Con mod. The Desoju chooses Strength or Dexterity(once chosen it cannot be changed), and this poison causes 1 damage of that type for a number of rounds equal to their Constitution modifier, or 2, whichever is higher. They can inflict this poison a number of times per day equal to their 3+ their Constitution modifier, and they can restore one dose by spending 1 hour resting and eating 1 day's worth of food. A desoju can also "Milk" it's own venom and apply it to weapons as normal. Lastly, a desoju becomes immune to all natural poisons that deal the same type of damage as their poison. The Desoju loses it's Bite attack, as well as it's resistance bonus against poison.
Humanoid: This Desoju does not have extra limbs, and has an extremely humanoid build, sometimes even having some parts of their body, even a majority, with human-like skin instead of chitin. It loses the normal penalty to swim and heal checks, and loses it's -2 to Charisma. They also begin play knowing Common as a language. These Desoju lose their Bite natural attack, as well as their bonus to saves against mind effecting effects of all kinds.
So, it's a little complicated BECAUSE it's meant to allow someone to play as any kind of insect, without a separate race for, like, Spiders, Moths, Scorpions, Beetles, Etc. They are all meant to be represented by this single race.
My biggest question is: Should I abandon the entire mindless/semi-mindless aspect? IS that stupid? Or is it interesting enough to be worth it? Beyond that, general advice, Balance issues (This is not really meant to be directly in line with Core races, but not too far beyond those) are all welcome!