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View Full Version : (PEACH) Race: The Darmians (Isle of X contest)



BooNL
2007-12-15, 01:55 PM
Hi there, could you take a look at my first homebrewed race? I'd appreciate any feedback.

Thanks in advance!


The Darmians

"These Darmians are an amazing species. I can safely assume they evolved from the common ant. Somewhere along the line of evolution, they lost their ability to breed queens, losing their telepathic bond as well. Eventually, they created a society similar to us humans."




Physical Description

Darmians look very much like upright walking ants. They have a chitinous shell covering their soft flesh. This chitin is mostly colored dark brown or black. Only four of the usual six limbs developed for the Darmians, leaving two short and redundant "arms" at their waist. They are unable to use these limbs.

Their face is fully covered in chitin, with a slightly crested and more developed chitin on the top on their skull. Darmians have large, black eyes and antennae extend out of their forehead. On the sides of their mouths are pincers, used to feeding.

Organization

Most Darmians are infertile females. Males are rare and revered, for they are the ones able to insure the future of the Darmian race. A village only holds one male and if another one is born, it will leave the village when he has come of age. He will take a following of both fertile and infertile females and found a new village.

Despite their reverence, males hold no power in Darmian society. Their only purpose is to breed. It is the eldest of the fertile females who is the sole leader. The number of fertile females depends on the village. The smallest can have only two fertiles, while the largest might have twenty. These females are the diplomatic organ of the Darmians.

Darmians are highly militant. While most infertiles are regular workers, every one of them is a trained warrior. In combat they use complicated tactics, circling giant vermin on the backs of trained spiders. They also deploy scatter maneuvers when attacked by Ventak (described later).

Environment

The Darmians look for elevated clearings on the island. They favor areas with fresh water and nearby woods, for foraging.

Alignment

Darmians are usually lawful due to their militant organization and strict social structure. Due to the fact that they have had no interaction with other races, beside the Ventak, they have little concept of good or evil.

Religion

Darmians have no concept of religion, although their males are worshipped as gods.

Adventurers

Darmians are naturally curious, willing to share what shelter and supplies they have. They have explored most of the island, except the areas where Ventak are concentrated.

Due to their militant nature, most Darmians are of a martial class. There are also a number of Darmian druids. Clerics are non-existent among them, while wizards and sorcerers are rare.

Darmians
Monstrous Humanoid: Darmians are not subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person.
+2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma: Darmians are skilled survivors, but their isolation has made them untrained in social interaction.
Darmian base land speed is 30 feet.
Chitin: Darmians have a chitinous exoskeleton, granting them a +2 natural armor bonus to AC.
Antennae: The antennae of a Darmian gives her the Scent ability. It also grants her Blind Fight as a bonus feat.
Weapon Familiarity: A Darmian treats any Hive weapon as a Martial weapon, rather than an Exotic weapon. (Hive weapons are described later)
Vermin Affinity (Ex): Darmians hold a close link with their vermin cousins. This enables them to train a vermin's instinctive mind. A Darmian treats any creature listed as Vermin without an Intelligence score, as a creature with an Intelligence score of 2. This allows them to be trained and ridden into combat. However, because of this same reason, Darmians have trouble interacting with mammals and regular animals. They treat any creature listed as Animal with an Intelligence score of 2, as having an Intelligence score of 1. Any Animals with an Intelligence score of 1 are treated as having no score, thus making them untrainable for a Darmian.
In addition, Darmian Rangers and Druids are able to select Vermin as an animal companion, instead of Animals.
Automatic Languages: Darmian. Bonus Languages: Any.
Favored Class: Ranger
Level Adjustment: +0

Lord Tataraus
2007-12-15, 02:02 PM
Hm...they need some form of minor drawback. As of now, they get +2 nat armor and monstrous humanoid which are powerful, though the nat armor balances with the higher cost for armor (irregular shape), but the benefits of monstrous humanoid type require some minor penalty to some skills or something.

Charlie Kemek
2007-12-15, 03:55 PM
Hm...they need some form of minor drawback. As of now, they get +2 nat armor and monstrous humanoid which are powerful, though the nat armor balances with the higher cost for armor (irregular shape), but the benefits of monstrous humanoid type require some minor penalty to some skills or something.

personally i think it is also overpowered, especially if they became a ninja. no armor, wis bonus to ac, scent, etc. this would make an awesome ninja, maybe that should be the favored class. give it -2 to all cha based skills against non-monstures humanoids or vermin, or magical beasts, etc.

Lord Tataraus
2007-12-15, 04:22 PM
personally i think it is also overpowered, especially if they became a ninja. no armor, wis bonus to ac, scent, etc. this would make an awesome ninja, maybe that should be the favored class. give it -2 to all cha based skills against non-monstures humanoids or vermin, or magical beasts, etc.

Woah! Scent?! I must have missed that, I guess a stiffer penalty is in order then. I'd say a combat related one. Do ants tumble? A penalty to tumble and something else combat related...

BooNL
2007-12-15, 04:27 PM
As I said, this is my first homebrew, so there's plenty to fix.

I based a part of it on the Dromite race (from XPH), which is an LA+1 race.

I could lower the AC to +1 and change it to humanoid (Darmian), would that even it out a bit?

A penalty to tumble sounds like a good idea. What about a penalty to jump as well? I can't really see them as exceptional jumpers.

About the ninja stuff, my Isle will (probably) be SRD only, so ninjas are out anyway. At least, in the current state of the isle.