[Hourglass of Zihaja] Chapter 9: Creatures

[Zeta Kai]

Sabi, Masabi (Water Sabi)

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3E Material

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Warrior 1
Medium Outsider (Native, Water)
Hit Dice: 1d8 (4HP)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 30’ (6 squares), Swim 30’ (6 squares)
Armor Class: 17 (+2 Dex, +3 studded leather, +2 heavy wooden shield); touch 12; flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+2
Attack: Spear +2 melee (1d8+1/×3) or Heavy Crossbow +3 ranged (1d10+2, 19-20/×3)
Full Attack: Spear +2 melee (1d8+1/×3) or Heavy Crossbow +3 ranged (1d10+2, 19-20/×3)
Space/Reach: 5’/5’
Special Attacks: N/A
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60’, Elemental Resistance, Genie Heritage, Native traits, Outsider traits, Spell-like Abilities
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +2
Abilities: Str 13 (+1), Dex 14 (+2), Con 10 (+0), Int 12 (+1), Wis 11 (+0), Cha 8 (-1)
Skills: Climb +5, Jump +5, Swim +9
Feats: Improved Initiative, Racial Feat (Bonus)
Environment: any land or aquatic (Siraaj)
Organization: solitary, squad (2-4), company (11-20 plus 2 3rd-level sergeants & 1 leader of 3rd-6th level), or band (30-100 plus 20% noncombatants plus 1 3rd-level sergeant per 10 adults, 5 5th-level lieutenants, & 3 7th-level captains)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: standard
Alignment: often Chaotic Neutral
Advancement: by character class
Level Adjustment: +1

Combat
A masabi is a capricious being with a dichotomous nature, & as such, they are unpredictable. Sometimes they would rather settle a conflict peacefully; at other times, however, they will unsheathe their blades at the first sign of trouble. They tend to wear light armor, for increased maneuverability, & prefer bladed weapons as opposed to bludgeoning weapons.

Elemental Resistance: A masabi gains Cold Resistance 2.

Genie Heritage (Sp): A masabi gains a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against [Water] spells & effects. This bonus increases by +2 for every 5 class levels the sabi attains.

Outsider traits: All creatures with the Outsider type possess the following traits:

• Darkvision out to 60’.
• An outsider with the native subtype can be raised, reincarnated, or resurrected just as other living creatures can be.
• Proficient with all simple & martial weapons & any weapons mentioned in its entry.
• Outsiders not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor or shields.
• Native outsiders breathe, eat, & sleep.

Racial Skills: A masabi character gains a +4 racial bonus on Swim checks.

Racial Feat: Masabi gain a bonus feat, chosen from the following list: Clever Wit, Diverse Background, Elemental Attunement, Legacy of the Genie, Magically Sensitive..

Spell-Like Abilities

• 3/Day: hydrate
• 1/Day: fog cloud
• Caster level 5th. The save DCs are Intelligence-based.

Water traits: All creatures with the Water subtype possess the following traits:

• Water creatures always have swim speeds, & can move in water without making Swim checks.
• A water creature can breathe underwater & usually can breathe air as well.

Masabi Lore
Characters that have ranks in Knowledge (Local) or Knowledge (The Planes) can learn more about masabi. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DC’s.

• DC11: “When the blood of the genies is thinned through intermingling with mortal beings, a sabi is often the result.” A character making this check recalls all native outsider traits.
• DC16: “Sabi of the water have the rivers & the oceans in their veins, inherited from their marid ancestors.” A character making this check knows the workings of the Create Water Levitate ability.
• DC21: “The most famous of all masabi was an affable scoundrel named the Laughing Padishah, who led a small army against hordes of sahuagin, defending the pahari & getting very rich in the process.” A character making this check remembers the Clerical Focus of a sabi, as well as their Genie Heritage & combat tactics.
• DC26: “They mostly live in coastal areas, & their only known major settlement is in the city of Zawraq.” A character making this check is familiar with tarisabi settlements & habits.

Abilities & Racial Features
Masabi characters possess the following racial traits:

• +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma.
• Outsider (Native, Water): Masabi are not subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person. They also can be raised, reincarnated, or resurrected just as other living creatures can be, & they need to eat & sleep. Water creatures always have swim speeds, & can move in water without making Swim checks. A water creature can breathe underwater & usually can breathe air as well.
• Medium Size: As Medium creatures, masabi have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Masabi base speed is 30 feet. They swim at a speed of 30 feet.
• Masabi breathe water as an extraordinary ability.
• Darkvision up to 60 feet.
• Elemental Resistance: A masabi gains Cold Resistance 2.
• Genie Heritage (Sp): A masabi gains a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against [Water] spells & effects. This bonus increases by +2 for every 5 class levels the sabi attains.
• Racial Skills: A masabi character gains a +4 racial bonus on Swim checks.
• Racial Feat: Masabi gain a bonus feat, chosen from the following list: Clever Wit, Diverse Background, Elemental Attunement, Legacy of the Genie, Magically Sensitive.
• Spell-Like Abilities
  
  • 3/Day: hydrate
  • 1/Day: fog cloud
  • Caster level 5th. The save DCs are Intelligence-based.
• Automatic Languages: Aquan. Bonus Languages: Common.
• Favored Class: Bard.
• Level Adjustment: +1.

4E Material

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Please see Genasi in the Monster Manual 2, pages 116-118.

The figure before you appears to be a Human. Their hair is slicked back, as if it were dripping wet. Their skin has a scaly greenish cast, like that of a fish.

The product of a union between half-genies & mortals, the sabi (SAH-bee) are a blend of the magical & the mundane. Caught between two radically different worlds, sabi sometimes have difficulty fitting in with other races & cultures, especially those with a more insular or xenophobic society. Although they are native to the daylight world of Siraaj, they are equally at home in the star-lit world of Najmah.

With the blood of the marids in their veins, masabi are patient & independent, used to solving problems on their own & not afraid to take a lot of time doing so. At times they are fierce & destructive like terrible storms, but more often than not they present a tranquil appearance, despite whatever emotions run underneath that quiet surface. Because their elemental forebear usually has no interest in them, masabi are often abandoned by their mortal parents & raised instead by aquatic creatures such as merfolk, sahuagin, or pahari. Masabi usually leave their parents (real or adoptive) upon reaching maturity, taking to the open sea in order to explore, learn, & develop their own personality & place in the world.

Sometimes called Nuza-Farun (“Water-Blooded”), masabi feel that they are unique & superior to the humans who bore them. They have little or no interest in others of their kind; since they can wander both the land & the seas, they feel there is room enough in the world that masabi need not crowd each other or even meet. They tend to live alongside the coastlines, on both sides of the surf, but the only major settlement of masabi is in the city of Zawraq.

A masabi is about 5-6’ tall & weighs around 120-220 pounds. They speak Aquan & Common.

Plot Hooks

• Tension is brewing between the masabi & narsabi enclaves, sparked by a minor dispute.
• A masabi noble is trying to broker a deal with the pahari, but the pact may be the target of sabotage efforts from an unknown party.
• A masabi explorer is organizing an expedition to the ruins of an underwater city.