Nostri
2007-10-01, 01:16 PM
This is a race I'm working on for a campaign world I'm making. I'm aiming for a +0 LA race so if you could help me whittle the race down to that if it's above it.
The Arachnadae
A race of humanoid spiders that in far ranging clans in two very disparate environments. This has caused a divergence in development in the race and now there are two distinct sub races- the large mountain dwellers and the smaller forest dwellers. However both types do share some traits:
-Compound Eyes: +2 Spot, -2 Search, Arachnadae have multiple compound eyes that have adapted to catching movement but aren't very good and seeing details.
-Mandibles: Due to the odd shape of their mouth parts arachnadae cannot speak languages other than those of other insectoid races (and other races the DM feels appropriate). They can learn the languages in order to understand other humanoids and while other humanoids can never truly learn to speak their language the same can be done with them.
In addition to the communication problems this presents it also prevents an arachnadae from learning spells with verbal components from non-insectoid races. Spells without verbal componants do not pse this problem. To adapt a spell with verbal componants to their use an arachnadae must make a Spellcraft check (DC 20+spell level) to decipher the verbal componants. Using the spell Read Magic gives the caster a +5 to their Spellcraft check if cast each day during the translation process. This takes the caster 2 days per level of the spell being translated. (Example: An arachnadae wizard wants to learn Sleet Storm from the spellbook of the human wizard she just helped to defeat. TO translate the spell it will take 6 days (3rd level spell times 3 days per level) and she must succeed on a Spellcraft check with a DC of 23 at the end of the 6 days. If she had cast Read Magic on each of the six days the DC would only be 18.)
-Alien Appearance: Because of their strange look an mannerisms arachnadae take a -2 penalty to Charisma
-Natural Hunter: From various physical and cultural adaptations Arachnadae gain a +2 racial bonus to Jump, Hide and Move Silently skills.
-Low-light Vision: An arachnadae can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Mountain Dwellers: Descended from wolf and other active hunting spiders, these man sized arachnids hunt their territories in family-packs.
-Medium Size:Medium: As Medium creatures, Mountain Dwellers have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
-+2 Dex: Mountain Dwellers are agile and fast.
-Uncanny Speed: Because of the shape of their legs and their physiology Mountain Dwellers have a base speed of 40'
-Leaper: Mountain Dwellers have a +4 racial bonus to all Jump checks and treat the height as 1.5 times what it is for determining the maximum distance they can jump. (This bonus stacks with the bonus all arachnadae have.) A Mountain Dweller is always considered to have a running start when making jump checks.
-Powerful Mandibles: A Mountain Dweller's mandibles have developed to be used as weapons when in combat. Because of this all Mountain Dwellers have the ability to bite for 1d6 damage. Their bite counts as a natural weapon.
Forest Dwellers: With orb and funnel spiders as ancestors, this race of arachnadae live much more stationary lives in the large hive webs they build high above the forest floor in the middle of their territories.
-Small Size: As a Small creature, a Forest Dweller gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but he uses smaller weapons than humans use, and his lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
-+2 Dexterity, -2 Strength: Forest Dwellers are faster than they would appear but not as strong as a being larger than they are.
-Uncanny Speed: Due to the shape of their legs Forest Dwellers have a 30’ base land speed.
-Spider Climb: A Forest Dweller has a climb speed equal to their land speed. Also they can move along spider webs (though not the spell web) at their climb speed without getting caught and can determine the location of anything caught in their webs.
-Net: A Forest Dweller can produce webbing like their vermin ancestors. They can cast a web a number of times equal to their character level divided by 2 (rounded up). This is similar to an attack with a net but has a range increment of 30 ft and is effective on creatures up to Medium size. The web anchors the target in place, allowing no movement.
An entangled creature can escape with a successful Escape Artist check or burst the webbing with a Strength check. The DC for the Escape Artist check is 12+level and the DC for the Strength check is 15+level. Both are a standard action.
Forest Dwellers can create nets of sticky webbing from 5-30 feet square to use as traps for mainly flying creatures though they can set them up to capture ground based creatures as well. Approaching creatures must succeed on a Spot check (DC 20) to notice the web, otherwise they are caught in it can become trapped as though by a successful web attack. Attempts to escape or burst free get a +5 equipment bonus if there is something nearby to grab and pull on while attempting to escape. Each 5 foot section of web has 6 hit points and damage reduction 5/fire. Also each 5 foot section of webbing uses one use of the web attack though multiple Forest Dwellers can work together to create a larger net.
Feats:
Poisonous Bite
Prerequisites:Bite attack, Arachnadae, must be taken at first level
Benifit: You have grown the venom sacks that your ancestors had and used in hunting. When you make a bite attack you also inject poison into your opponent. The poison has a Fort DC equal to 10+your class level+1/2 your Con and deals 1d4 Strength damage as both primary and secondary damage.
Potent Venom [Ceremony]
Prerequisites: Bite attack, Poisonous Bite
Benefit: The poison in your bite becomes more deadly, dealing 1d6 Strength damage now.
Special: In order to gain this feat you need to undergo a week long ceremony, beseeching various spirits and injesting compounds to alter your body chemistry. During this ceremony you must burn insences and drink potions made of rare herbs and animal parts that total 500 gold in worth.
Four Arms
Prerequisites: Arachnadae, must be taken at first level
Benifit: When you hatched you had an extra set of limbs, harkening back to the days when your ancient forbearers were more closely related to the spiders you are descended from. This secondary set of limbs in slight smaller and weaker then your primary limbs, acting as though they had only half the Strength score of your main limbs. They are useful however in a variety of ways. Each of these hands can use a light weapon (though nothing heavier then that) and use it to attack in addition to your normal attacks. However without the feat Multiweapon Attack doing so imposes a -6 to hit with your primary hand and a -10 with each of your other hands as normal. These hands can also use a one handed weapon if you use it in both of the hands, gaining the normal 1.5 times the secondary arms augmented strength modifier. If the character uses all of it's arms to wield the weapon it may use a weapon one size category larger then normal, gaining the same effects as if they were wielding it two handed.
Special: These hands may not be used to cast any extra spells per round or do anything else that would require splitting one's concentration to preform.
Tough Carapace [Ceremony]
Prerequisites: Arachnadae
Benefit: By applying special oils to your skin and preforming exorcises to strengthen your exoskeleton you gain a +1 to natural armor.
Special: To gain this feat you must preform a three day long ceremony honoring your ancestors and applying oils and other treatments to you skin. These oils cost 1000 gold pieces to acquire.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EDIT1: Added text to the Mandibles entry and changed the layout of the post.
EDIT2: Overhaul of the race. Kept most of the things from the part that's common to the entire race. Changed most of the Forest Dwellers and nixed the Mountain Dwellers....for now, mwuahahahahahaha...ahem. Yeah, that is all.
EDIT3: Removed the bonus to init...which I thought I already had, bloody people talking to me while I'm playing god.... :smalltongue:
EDIT4: Readded the Mountain Dwellers.
EDIT5: Fixed Mountain Dwellers, added some feats.
The Arachnadae
A race of humanoid spiders that in far ranging clans in two very disparate environments. This has caused a divergence in development in the race and now there are two distinct sub races- the large mountain dwellers and the smaller forest dwellers. However both types do share some traits:
-Compound Eyes: +2 Spot, -2 Search, Arachnadae have multiple compound eyes that have adapted to catching movement but aren't very good and seeing details.
-Mandibles: Due to the odd shape of their mouth parts arachnadae cannot speak languages other than those of other insectoid races (and other races the DM feels appropriate). They can learn the languages in order to understand other humanoids and while other humanoids can never truly learn to speak their language the same can be done with them.
In addition to the communication problems this presents it also prevents an arachnadae from learning spells with verbal components from non-insectoid races. Spells without verbal componants do not pse this problem. To adapt a spell with verbal componants to their use an arachnadae must make a Spellcraft check (DC 20+spell level) to decipher the verbal componants. Using the spell Read Magic gives the caster a +5 to their Spellcraft check if cast each day during the translation process. This takes the caster 2 days per level of the spell being translated. (Example: An arachnadae wizard wants to learn Sleet Storm from the spellbook of the human wizard she just helped to defeat. TO translate the spell it will take 6 days (3rd level spell times 3 days per level) and she must succeed on a Spellcraft check with a DC of 23 at the end of the 6 days. If she had cast Read Magic on each of the six days the DC would only be 18.)
-Alien Appearance: Because of their strange look an mannerisms arachnadae take a -2 penalty to Charisma
-Natural Hunter: From various physical and cultural adaptations Arachnadae gain a +2 racial bonus to Jump, Hide and Move Silently skills.
-Low-light Vision: An arachnadae can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Mountain Dwellers: Descended from wolf and other active hunting spiders, these man sized arachnids hunt their territories in family-packs.
-Medium Size:Medium: As Medium creatures, Mountain Dwellers have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
-+2 Dex: Mountain Dwellers are agile and fast.
-Uncanny Speed: Because of the shape of their legs and their physiology Mountain Dwellers have a base speed of 40'
-Leaper: Mountain Dwellers have a +4 racial bonus to all Jump checks and treat the height as 1.5 times what it is for determining the maximum distance they can jump. (This bonus stacks with the bonus all arachnadae have.) A Mountain Dweller is always considered to have a running start when making jump checks.
-Powerful Mandibles: A Mountain Dweller's mandibles have developed to be used as weapons when in combat. Because of this all Mountain Dwellers have the ability to bite for 1d6 damage. Their bite counts as a natural weapon.
Forest Dwellers: With orb and funnel spiders as ancestors, this race of arachnadae live much more stationary lives in the large hive webs they build high above the forest floor in the middle of their territories.
-Small Size: As a Small creature, a Forest Dweller gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but he uses smaller weapons than humans use, and his lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
-+2 Dexterity, -2 Strength: Forest Dwellers are faster than they would appear but not as strong as a being larger than they are.
-Uncanny Speed: Due to the shape of their legs Forest Dwellers have a 30’ base land speed.
-Spider Climb: A Forest Dweller has a climb speed equal to their land speed. Also they can move along spider webs (though not the spell web) at their climb speed without getting caught and can determine the location of anything caught in their webs.
-Net: A Forest Dweller can produce webbing like their vermin ancestors. They can cast a web a number of times equal to their character level divided by 2 (rounded up). This is similar to an attack with a net but has a range increment of 30 ft and is effective on creatures up to Medium size. The web anchors the target in place, allowing no movement.
An entangled creature can escape with a successful Escape Artist check or burst the webbing with a Strength check. The DC for the Escape Artist check is 12+level and the DC for the Strength check is 15+level. Both are a standard action.
Forest Dwellers can create nets of sticky webbing from 5-30 feet square to use as traps for mainly flying creatures though they can set them up to capture ground based creatures as well. Approaching creatures must succeed on a Spot check (DC 20) to notice the web, otherwise they are caught in it can become trapped as though by a successful web attack. Attempts to escape or burst free get a +5 equipment bonus if there is something nearby to grab and pull on while attempting to escape. Each 5 foot section of web has 6 hit points and damage reduction 5/fire. Also each 5 foot section of webbing uses one use of the web attack though multiple Forest Dwellers can work together to create a larger net.
Feats:
Poisonous Bite
Prerequisites:Bite attack, Arachnadae, must be taken at first level
Benifit: You have grown the venom sacks that your ancestors had and used in hunting. When you make a bite attack you also inject poison into your opponent. The poison has a Fort DC equal to 10+your class level+1/2 your Con and deals 1d4 Strength damage as both primary and secondary damage.
Potent Venom [Ceremony]
Prerequisites: Bite attack, Poisonous Bite
Benefit: The poison in your bite becomes more deadly, dealing 1d6 Strength damage now.
Special: In order to gain this feat you need to undergo a week long ceremony, beseeching various spirits and injesting compounds to alter your body chemistry. During this ceremony you must burn insences and drink potions made of rare herbs and animal parts that total 500 gold in worth.
Four Arms
Prerequisites: Arachnadae, must be taken at first level
Benifit: When you hatched you had an extra set of limbs, harkening back to the days when your ancient forbearers were more closely related to the spiders you are descended from. This secondary set of limbs in slight smaller and weaker then your primary limbs, acting as though they had only half the Strength score of your main limbs. They are useful however in a variety of ways. Each of these hands can use a light weapon (though nothing heavier then that) and use it to attack in addition to your normal attacks. However without the feat Multiweapon Attack doing so imposes a -6 to hit with your primary hand and a -10 with each of your other hands as normal. These hands can also use a one handed weapon if you use it in both of the hands, gaining the normal 1.5 times the secondary arms augmented strength modifier. If the character uses all of it's arms to wield the weapon it may use a weapon one size category larger then normal, gaining the same effects as if they were wielding it two handed.
Special: These hands may not be used to cast any extra spells per round or do anything else that would require splitting one's concentration to preform.
Tough Carapace [Ceremony]
Prerequisites: Arachnadae
Benefit: By applying special oils to your skin and preforming exorcises to strengthen your exoskeleton you gain a +1 to natural armor.
Special: To gain this feat you must preform a three day long ceremony honoring your ancestors and applying oils and other treatments to you skin. These oils cost 1000 gold pieces to acquire.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EDIT1: Added text to the Mandibles entry and changed the layout of the post.
EDIT2: Overhaul of the race. Kept most of the things from the part that's common to the entire race. Changed most of the Forest Dwellers and nixed the Mountain Dwellers....for now, mwuahahahahahaha...ahem. Yeah, that is all.
EDIT3: Removed the bonus to init...which I thought I already had, bloody people talking to me while I'm playing god.... :smalltongue:
EDIT4: Readded the Mountain Dwellers.
EDIT5: Fixed Mountain Dwellers, added some feats.