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ZeroNumerous
2008-01-02, 12:46 AM
The Brood

Creation Legend

At the dawn of the world, there were the Gods. Among them, two sisters bickered and argued until the dawn of creation. Myria, Goddess of Destruction, favored a race of people who bred quickly, learned quickly, and fought tenaciously. In this race, she envisioned the perfect warrior who would rule creation through their military might. Deis, Goddess of Creation, favored a race of people who lived peacefully, learned quickly, and fought only when necessary. During this argument, the two goddesses created their own races to see whom would fare better. Myria made humans. Deis made the brood.

To create the brood, Deis took the blood of the first dragon and mixed it with the blood of the first elf, dwarf, and gnome. Each race counteracted the other's weaknesses, and made a race of people gifted with magic and a very long life span. Myria's first few attempts at humans failed, and she grew increasingly frustrated with her failures. She had tried using the first orc as a base. This caused her race to be too bloodthirsty and they died quickly. She then tried the first elf, but the result was too complacent for her wishes. She left the half-elf creature to it's own devices and concocted a plan. She quietly stole away a brood child when Deis wasn't paying close attention, and then used the child as her new base for humans.

A Day in the Life

The sun's bright rays washed over the eastern horizon, bathing Altoc's home in light. He woke quickly, and stirred the fire to ensure it continued burning. His wife and eldest daughter had already awoken, and were busy preparing his armor. Today would be the day he left for war. He already knew what to expect from the other men and women who had returned from the conflict. Humans were pushing into their land, thinking that the brood were just another human clan. Their appearance may be deceiving, but those humans were in for a surprise.

Leagues to the north, Milana awoke with a start. She had long since gotten used to sleeping on the hard ground, and didn't even acknowledge the near-permanent ache that settled into her bones. She began to don her armor, but the sound of trumpets shoved that idea out the window quickly. Time was not on her side, and she certainly wouldn't be able to lug that heavy metal plate on without help. The brood-warrior grabbed up her spear and sighed. Today was a day that would end in more human blood on her hands.

Thousands of miles to the east, Kaskin crouched behind a sand dune while the sun's rays warmed his bones. It was his third day without water, and he was growing tired from walking. But still, he pressed on. Many of the captives his unit led had died, probably because his leader overestimated human fortitude. Their deaths were meaningless now, since they had brought war to his peaceful people. The sound of war drums in the distance heralded the coming of another war band..

Brood Psychology
Despite the animosity between humans and brood, they are very much alike. Brood can be found in any spectrum of personality, and even the same city has a virtual cornucopia of variety. There are some psychological traits that are prevalent in almost all brood.

The Other Side of the Fence
Few brood attempt to live life in exclusively one way. Trying new things colors a child's every thought and action, and this tendency does not die with age. Nothing is too strange to at least try once, and nothing is too outlandish to dismiss out-of-hand. A brood who's lived his entire life on the straight and narrow will always wonder what life is like on the other side of the law. Some individuals revel in trying new things, whilst others choose to simply question.

Restraint
Many brood understand the power that flows within their veins. Because of this, many brood restrain themselves in everything they do. This restraint appears in almost every facet of brood society. From their fights to their debates, to the marketplace and even the home. More often than not, it takes quite alot of jostling to get a brood to go all out in any endeavor.

Fearlessness
Brood are very understanding of their hardy natures and their ability to function normally even while injured. This gives many brood an unconcerned approach to their own death. Many brood approach combat with a subtle disregard for their own safety as they have complete faith in their ability to regenerate their wounds in time.

Brood Life

Work Ethic
Brood are hard-workers who prefer to uplift the group rather than stand out. Because of their restraint, many brood would rather help their fellows than act outside his station. Any given job often finds brood working together as teams, and this causes their overall productivity to be much greater than other races. Any given individual is always attempting to contribute his fair share to the whole rather than trying to upstage his fellow brood and make a name for himself.

Leisure
Brood prefer relaxation that everyone can be involved in, but leisure is just as varied as the brood themselves.

Performance Entertainment
Brood favor good dancers over orators. To dance beautifully in brood society instantly elevates most individuals to a minor celebrity status. Dancers are integral parts of brood society, and many inns and pubs hire out exceptional dancers to draw in the crowd. Many brood favor dancing because everyone is enjoying themselves, from the people watching to the dancer herself. Tastes and themes in dances vary from town to town, nation to nation, but one thing is universal. Color always draws a crowd. The more colorful performances cause brood to flock to the performer quickly.

The use of magic opens up whole new possibilities for performers. However, this is colored by the availability of magic to brood. Due to their draconic blood, few brood are fascinated with simple magic tricks. An elaborate or ornate magical display does elicit a favorable reaction from a brood crowd, however.

Competitive Sport
Few brood enjoy a competitive game. Mostly due to the fact that one person is the winner and no one else can walk away feeling good about themselves.

Arts and Crafts
Every brood society has it's own artistic style and ways of expressing it. Brood art covers a wide range of expressions, from the real to the abstract. Brood focus primarily on murals, however, and often use elaborate murals to tell a story or part of a given clan's history.

Art and Wealth
Regardless of social class, brood enjoy beautiful artwork. Of course, this varies depending on the access to such artwork. For poorer brood, embroidery is often the limit of art, and it's often self-made. Higher social status, however, entails a higher access to paintings, murals, and statues. Few brood wear precious jewel, instead they prefer to hoard such gold and jewels rather than decorate themselves in it. Like their dragonkin, brood enjoy sleeping with gold or jewels nearby, and many brood will carry around an expensive jewel to sleep with when traveling.

Technology and Magic

Technology
Brood technology is always changing. Brood are always willing to try something new, and often these innovations are radical enough to change the way things are done all across the land. Brood engineers are common, and use their hardy natures to experiment with volatile or explosive materials without the risk of death.

Magic
Brood, like their dragon counterparts, are intuitive about the nature of magic. Many brood tap into the draconic blood in their veins and become sorcerers or bards. But that does not stop a brood from worshiping a deity to gain his magic.

Brood worship deities as varied as themselves. But many brood societies favor Deis, the Goddess of the Brood. Brood take their divine magic as a gift rather than for granted, and they very rarely squander this gift. Many brood clerics use their magic to heal the wounded or remove diseases that plague their village, town, or city.

Brood at War
Brood are peaceful creatures, and prefer diplomacy to warfare. However, if they're threatened with a war that they cannot halt, brood devote themselves fully to defeating their enemy.

Brood Armies
Brood armies vary greatly depending on the individual nation that created them. Many brood armies are composed of varied soldiers with specialized units intermixed. A normal brood unit generally composes a sorcerer or cleric captain supporting a small group of front line soldiers. Every class has a place in a brood army, however. From bard dancers who uplift the soldier's spirits before going into battle to cleric healers tending the wounded. Sorcerers are especially prominent as the brood's natural affinity to magic makes their appearance more common than any other race.

Life as a Brood Warrior
Brood generally choose not to go into the military, though some show an aptitude for fighting and make a career out of military service. Often, when war is forced upon the brood, a brood society will conscript soldiers from able-bodied men and women to serve as their military force.

Generally, a brood warrior gets regular meals, shelter, clothing, and a few gold as payment. Thus, a struggling young brood would often join the military to ensure his survival until he can get back on his feet. It rarely carries the risk of death, due to the peaceful nature of brood as a whole. But that doesn't stop brood from training to meet the ever present threat of human incursions.

Brood Military Tactics
Brood military tactics change based on whom they engage. They favor adaptation to standing military traditions due to the varied military tactics of their most common foe--humanity. More often than not, however, brood armies have a large concentration of polearms to counteract the human's most common unit--the mounted knight.

Brood Age and Weight

Random Starting Ages
{table="head"]
Adulthood |
Barbarian Rogue Sorcerer |
Bard Fighter Paladin Ranger |
Cleric Druid Wizard Monk
30 |
+2d4 |
+2d6 |
+4d6
[/table]

Aging Effects
{table="head"]
Middle Age |
Old |
Venerable |
Maximum Age
115 |
178 |
240 |
5+Cha Modifier x 5[/table]

Racial Traits

Type: Dragon(Humanblooded)
+2 Constitution. Brood are made that much more hardy by the dragon-blood flowing in their veins.
Medium: As medium creations, brood have no special penalties or bonuses for their size.
Brood base land speed is 30 feet
+4 to Concentration checks to resist thrist. Brood require less water than most other humanoids.
Quick Healers: All brood heal more quickly than normal. A brood regains twice the normal amount of HP when resting.
Animosity of Mankind: Humanoid creatures that recognize the brood for what he is immediately move one step closer to Unfriendly if they are not already hostile.
Low Light Vision
Humanblooded Subtype: Due to their ties with humans, brood are treated as both Dragons and Humanoid when determining their Creature Type.
Will to Live: Brood can operate at -5 HP and above without penalty. Further, a brood dropped to -6 HP through -9 HP automatically stabilize.
Favored Class: Sorcerer. A brood's sorcerer levels do not count when determining any experience penalties.


Racial Substitution Levels
Brood Fighter
The brood fighter favors polearms and utilizes his racial regeneration to an all new height. A brood fighter loses out on some customization options.

HD: d10
{table="head"]Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special
1 | +1 | +2 | +0 | +0 | Weapon Focus(Polearm)
3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | +1 | Weapon Specialization(Polearm)
6 | +6/+1 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Fast Healing[/table]

Requirements
To take a brood fighter substitution level, a character must be a brood about to take his first, third, or sixth level of fighter.

Class Skills
Brood fighter substitution levels give the same skills as a regular fighter, plus Survival and Concentration.
Skill Points: 4+INT

Class Features:

Weapon Focus(Polearm): A brood fighter becomes more adept with polearms. He gains Weapon Focus as a bonus feat. The effects of his Weapon Focus feat applies to Longspears, Halberds, Guisarmes, Lances, Ranseurs, Spears, and Greatspears.

Weapon Specialization(Polearm): A brood fighter becomes focused in using polearms. He gains Weapon Specialization as a bonus feat. The effect of his Weapon Specialization feat applies to Longspears, Halberds, Guisarmes, Lances, Ranseurs, Spears, and Greatspears.

Fast Healing: A brood fighter has tested his natural regeneration to the point where he heals even while conscious. A brood fighter gains Fast Healing 1. His Fast Healing ability increases by 1 at his 10th level of fighter and again every 5th level thereafter(15th and 20th).

Brood Sorcerer
The brood sorcerer favors his draconic heritage.

HD: d10
{table="head"]Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | Spells
1 | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Summon Familiar, Eschew Materials | As Sorcerer
5 | +2 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Draconic Heritage | As Sorcerer
10 | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Draconic Heritage | As Sorcerer
15 | +7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +9 | Draconic Heritage | As Sorcerer
20 | +10/+5 | +6 | +6 | +12 | Draconic Heritage | As Sorcerer[/table]

Requirements
To take a brood sorcerer substitution level, a character must be a brood about to take his first, fifth, tenth, fifteenth, twentieth level of sorcerer.

Class Skills
Brood sorcerer substitution levels give the same skills as a regular fighter, plus Survival and Concentration.
Skill Points: 2+INT

Class Features:

Eschew Materials: Brood sorcerers gain this feat at first level as a bonus feat.

Draconic Heritage: Brood sorcerers gain Draconic Heritage as a bonus feat at 5th level. If a brood sorcerer already has this feat when he takes this racial substitution level, then he may select a different Draconic feat as a bonus feat provided he meets the prerequisites. A brood sorcerer gains another Draconic bonus feaet at 10th, 15th, and 20th level.

Stycotl
2008-01-02, 04:55 PM
(double-checking to see if i missed it...) where are the LA adjusts for the first two critters?

what is the physical/social/mental description of the dragons?

under will to live, specify -5 *hit points*

expound on the description of the woren, cuz they so far are very interesting. go into woren folklore on the two paths, the hunters and the trackers. off the top of my head they are reminding me of a mix between werewolf the apocalypse, and the rakasta from greyhawk (?).

give us stats for woren club

the two paths are cool, but the tracker path seems much more useful than the hunter path. huntes gain bonues to hit and damage. nice. but the trackers gain actual abilities, which give it a more versatile package(in my opinion, even despite the mechanical weaknesses of spring attack).

what is the fluff for the three races, especially the guardian as it mentions the "uratan people"

other than that: fluff, fluff, fluff. i want you to show me these guys. give me a visual.

good work.

aaron out.

ZeroNumerous
2008-01-02, 05:40 PM
I wrote most of that as a general basis to work with for when I woke up. Brood are fleshed out and relatively finished. They don't have an LA, and neither do woren.

Cieyrin
2008-01-04, 02:01 PM
Maybe I'm just blind or something but I only see descriptions for the Brood and nothing else.

As for the substitution levels, there are a couple of nitpicks I have, the first being w/ the weapon spec. shouldn't it be at 4th level, when a fighter would normally get it anyways? Plus, since it's substituting a feature for something else, at 3rd level it isn't replacing anything, since fighters don't get a bonus feat at that level.

As for sorcerers, while I do like how they get bonus draconic feats for their draconic heritage, what features are they replacing? Wizards get bonus feats at those levels but sorcerers don't. Again, as above, substitution levels trade class features and you're giving them something for nothing and bonus feats are a pretty big something you're giving them. I would also switch Eschew Components and Draconic Heritage, too, since I think that fit better with the source race and springboard them directly into looking at the various Draconic feats.

As I only do nitpicks on the things I like, I hope you take some of this into consideration, as a fellow Breath of Fire fan. And thank you for providing the racial stats, as I may use them in a campaign that I may eventually throw together (whenever that happens).

ZeroNumerous
2008-01-04, 03:00 PM
Only the brood are up now, but earlier I had a skeletal outline of Woren and the Guardian template up there.

As for your suggestions: I gave them more than I took away simply because Sorcerer is already a barebones class. I can only take away their familiar, which makes no sense, or their spellcasting, which makes even less sense.

As for the Fighter: Yes, I included it at 3rd level so that a Brood Fighter would get something for those levels he's putting into Fighter.