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Obrysii
2008-10-04, 04:16 PM
I posted this a very long time ago on the WoTC boards and just rediscovered it, and so I thought I'd share it here.

While thinking about the Shard species in Star Wars, I came up with this idea:


Crystalkin
Crystalkin are similar to psicrystals and they share a common origin: psionic power manifest in crystaline form. However, Crystalkin have broken free from their masters, and have built a society themselves.

Personality: Crystalkin tend to be slow to act: their immortal lives make them pace themselves. As with dragons and other long-lived races, most take the long view. Their bodies are extremely durable, and with their small size, they are able to take their time to get into proper positions before they act. Many seclude themselves for centuries, focusing on the inner secrets of their existence: psionic power moulded into crystaline form. While they do not have a physical gender, like Warforged they take on the traits associated with males or females.

Physical Description: Crystalkin appear similar to the gems to which they are named after. There are many kinds of Crystalkin, and each bares some semblence to their namesake. Diamond Crystalkin are nearly transparent, many-faceted, and very hard; Jade Crystalkin are firey red; Emerald Crystalkin can take many colored forms, but mostly appear as brilliant green; Talc Crystalkin are powdery white. They are all of very small size, and often add to themselves so that they can appear as jewelry. The name "Crystalkin" is not exact, as many Crystalkin did not manifest in the form of a gem. The most common Crystalkin is not in the form of a gem: the low-cast Talc Crystalkin.

Relations: Crystalkin do not understand why other races fight with one another. As with long-lived beings, they take the long view and often do not interact with these other races. Needing nothing that the mortal races need, save an understanding of their own existence, seperates them from often working with those mortal kind. However, many are drawn to these other races because they are puzzled over their own destines and their own creation.

Alignment: While Crystalkin tend to be Lawful Neutral, they have no specific alignment restrictions.

Crystalkin Lands: Crystalkin tend to burrow deep into the ground and live in caves or even in rock. They have laid some claim on a portion of the Underdark, but can be found all over the world. Their social structure revolves around castes of different types of Crystalkin: Talc are the lowest, and Diamond are the highest.

Religion: Crystalkin often worship the Gem Dragons, as well as Saidor. However, as they spread they find many new religions and are quick to adapt these religions.

Language: Crystalkin, despite lacking any appearent organ for speech, are capable of it. They speak in a willowy, organic voice and their native Crystaline tongue is extremely slow to speak. They speak Common, and gain Crystaline as a bonus language.

Names: Their names are often based off of gems. A common name among male Crystalkin is Lapis, while a common name among females is Lazuli.

Adventurers: Crystalkin, when their passion for learning of Creation is sparked, are willing to adventure across the world to find the answers they seek. They can be of any class, but given their physical limitations, spellcasting and psionic classes tend to be the ones most commonly encountered.

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All Crystalkin possess the following traits:

*Str --*, Dex --*, Con +2
*Immobile: Crystalkin cannot naturally move, and thus lack Str and Dex scores.
*Psionic Movement (su): A crystalkin can use its' inherent psionic powers to grant itself mobility. If it spends one power point, as a standard action, the Crystalkin can grant itself a move speed of 20', as leg-like tendrils of psionic ectoplasm form around its' body. If a crystalkin spends three power points, as a standard action, the Crystalkin can sprout ectoplasmic wings, granting it a fly speed of 20' (Good). Either of these modes of movement lasts for 24 hours. If the Crystalkin spends an additional power point, it gains limbs with which weapons and spells may be held or cast, respectively. Their Str and Dex scores are dependent on how many power points they spend for this movement, based on the following table:


PP | Str | Dex
1 | 1 | 10
2 | 2 | 12
3 | 2 | 14
*Naturally psionic: Crystalkin possess 3 bonus power points.
*Type: Construct (Living Construct subtype)
*Size: Dimunitive. Crystalkin are dimunitive in size, granting them a +4 bonus on AC and attacks. They have a +12 bonus on Hide checks and a -12 penalty on Grapple checks.
*Sonic Vulnerability (ex): Crystalkin's inherent crystaline form makes it vulnerable to sonic attacks. As such, they take an additional +50% damage from sonic attacks.
*+8 racial bonus on Disguise when attempting to look like an ordinary gem.
*Favored Class: Psion (or Sorceror, if in a nonpsionic campaign)

The Racial Castes (All Crystalkin must be one of the following):

Diamond Crystalkin
Diamond Crystalkin are the rulers of Crystalkin society. They appear as finely cut diamonds of immense size--they are nearly completely transparent, except for the faint glow of their animating energy within them. They are extremely durable, however, and tend to put themselves in the front-lines along with their fellow Crystalkin.
*Hardness 5
*Light vulnerability (su): Diamond Crystalkin take +50% damage from light-based attacks (such as Searing Light).
*LA +2

Jade Crystalkin
Jade Crystalkin tend to be firey in nature: quicker to anger than the typical Crystalkin, Jade Crystalkin favor fire-based attacks if possible. They appear as large jade cut with quality facets that seem to reflect the spark of their creation.
*Hardness 1
*+1 bonus on caster levels/manifester levels when casting spells/powers with the (fire) subtype.
*LA +2

Emerald Crystalkin
Compared to Jade Crystalkin, Emerald Crystalkin are down-to-earth. They glow faintly with a green aura from deep within them, and it often matches their green exterior. Within the constraints of their social structure, they tend to be diplomats and court members.
*Hardness 1
*+1 bonus on caster level/manifester level when casting spells/powers with the (earth) subtype.
*LA +2

Talc Crystalkin
The Talc Crystalkin, lacking the shine and luster of their rarer brethren, are the commoners of Crystalkin society. Often subjegated beneath the other types, they are nonetheless competent beings. Lacking the physical durability of their higher-caste Crystalkin, they are not any weaker against sonic attacks than a typical human. They appear to be small blocks of Talc, a powdery-white mineral.
*Powder (ex): A Talc crystalkin can release excessive talc powder from its' form once per day as a standard action, which spreads out in a 10' radius. This talc powder cloud lasts for one minute and grants the Crystalkin concealment.
*No sonic vulnerability (ex): Their softer forms have one benefit: it absorbs sonic damage far easier than the other Crystalkin: they do not take any additional damage from sonic attacks.
*LA +2

Owrtho
2008-10-04, 06:34 PM
Well, I like the look of the race, but it seems to me that a +2 LA is a little high for something that defaults to no str/dex and is immoble, and even when it does have str/dex, the dex only goes to 14 and the str to 2. That could just be ma however. Also I'd think the sonic vulnerability would be natural, not supernatural.

Owrtho

Obrysii
2008-10-04, 06:53 PM
A lot of people felt that the Hardness quality, with its massive reductions in elemental damage, combined with its size, made the level adjustment worth-while.

Thank you for pointing out the vulnerability - I will change it to an extraordinary thing, not (su).

Owrtho
2008-10-04, 07:29 PM
However, such benefits would be temporary at best. While it is true it would have elemental resistance, the benefits of its size are next to nothing. when looked at after a few levels. A strength of 2 provides a -4 penelty to attack which cancels out the +4 from its size. Also, due to a max dex of 12, they only can have a +1 dex modifier to AC. In addition, I doubt that they would be able wear armor of any kid as they look to be nothing more than a gem (though that may be different based on what the gm chooses). This would meen that they would have a total ac of 15. This would cause them to be rather easy to hit after a few levels. While the hardness neates this some, the only one I'd consider it to be worth much for is the Diamond one because the 5 hardness gives them a notable advantage at early levels. As for the others I dot see how it enhances them so much as offsets their weaknesses.

Owrtho