This one might be better as a racial class.

MARL



"Halt!"

Marls resemble gigantic brown cobras with white underbellies, and 3-8 humanoid arms depending on age. Some are also mottled green.

MARL RACIAL TRAITS
· +20 Str, +12 Con, -4 Cha
· Size Class: Gargantuan size. -4 penalty to Armor Class, -4 penalty on attack rolls, -16 penalty on Hide checks, +16 bonus on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits eight times those of Medium characters.
· Type: Aberration, giving it 60 ft. Darkvision.
· Base land speed 15 ft.
· Base swim speed 60 ft.
· +8 Natural AC Bonus
· Improved Grab (Ex): If the Marl successfully hits with it's Slam Attack it may immediately make a Grapple attempt as a Free Action without provoking an Attack of Opportunity. If successful it may Constrict.
· Constriction (Ex): The Marl does 6d6 plus Str Bonus with a successful Grapple Check as it bites down on him.
· Immunities: Marls are immune to Mind-Affecting effects.
· Bird Phobia: Marls hate birds, who are their primary food source. If attacked by a bird or anything resembling one the Marl goes into a Rage (as per the Barbarian Ability listed in the PHB) until all birds or birdlike entities are dead.
· Skills: Marls have a +4 Racial Bonus on Hide Checks.
· A Marl has 10 Racial Hit Dice, giving it the following: 10d8 Hit Points, +7 Base Attack Bonus, +3 Fort Save, +3 Ref Save, +7 Will Save, and (2 + Int modifier) skill points per level (with times 4 skill points for the first level). Class skills are Hide, Knowledge (Nature), Listen, Move Silently, Spot, Survival, and Swim. It also gets 4 Feats.
· Marl have a Primary Slam attack doing 1d6 plus Strength Bonus. It gets 8 Slams with a Full Attack.
. Non Humanoid Form: The Marl are non humanoid in form. They cannot be tripped. Armor they buy is 16 times the normal cost and eight times the normal weight.
· Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: Any nearby race (usually Ophidians or Yuan-Ti).
· Level Adjustment: +7
· Favored Class: Barbarian

STARTING AGE
Adulthood: 2 years
Barbarian, Rogue, Sorcerer: +1
Bard, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger: +1d2
Cleric, Druid, Monk, Wizard: +1d3

AGING EFFECTS
Middle Age: 10 years
Old: 15 years
Venerable: 20 years
Maximum Age: +2d6 years

HEIGHT AND WEIGHT
Base Length: 36'
Length Modifier: +2d3'
Base Weight: 16 tons
Weight Modifier: x (2d10) tons

MARL CHARACTERS
Marls are quite devastating as melee fighters, and with the appropriate Feats can be nasty at range as well. Most do not seem to become casters, and express a profound lack of interest in arcane or divine power.
Adventuring Race: Marls usually adventure because they are being paid to. Usually in food and shinies. Some few hold a grudge though, and are not beneath going on epic revenge quests.
Character Development: Marls do not generally use weapons, especially ranged ones, unless they are taught to do so when they hire on as mercs. Make sure you pick up Multiweapon fighting Feats if you go that route, or ones that involve Grappling to maximize your natural abilities.
Character Names: Marls do not generally have names given their lack of society. They only adopt one when dealing with other races.

ROLEPLAYING A MARL
Marls hate birds. Some say this is not surprising given that marsh birds are their main food source, but the Marl genuinely seem to go into a mouth foaming frenzy at the appearance of anything with feathers. Even they hae forgotten why, and it appears to be an atavistic response.
Personality: Marls are mostly intelligent snakes. Despite their sentience they care little for civilization, and are fairly apathetic to most things an animal wouldn't normally care about until they are convinced to spend time with others. Being adopted by others brings about personality changes in them, making them more friendly and inquisitive.
Behaviors: Most Marls spend their time sunning or hunting for food, and are loners by nature. If adopted into other societies however they learn quickly, and most develop some sort of skill or hobby they quickly master by becoming obsessed with.
Language: Surprisingly Marls have no racial language, and speak whatever is most common to the area near them.

MARL SOCIETY
Despite being highly intelligent, the Marls are little more than animals. They produce nothing, and live as any other non-sentient predator would. Unless they serve as mercenaries they don't even really have basic equipment. They are highly adaptable to new cultures however, and many have become famous artists and warriors.
Alignment : The majority of Marls are Neutral, though those aligned with the Yuan-Ti are usually Neutral Evil.
Lands : Marls live in temperate or warm marshes, usually in or near rivers.
Settlements : The Marl never venture far from large bodies of water.
Beliefs :The Marl adopt the Gods of whatever society they join, otherwise they are fairly non-theistic.
Relations: While the Marls will work with Yuan-Ti, Ophidians, and other serpentine races, they consider most mammals to be food. The can be convinced otherwise by the quick witted or honest.

MARL ADVENTURES
· Bird people have invaded the marsh. Too many for you to kill personally, unfortunately. Time to round up the others and go on a smashing spree.
· Some Ophidian is offering food for guards. Something about him makes you not trust him, but too many of your fellows have signed on to do anything about him. Time to get help.
· The Yuan-Ti have been holding perverse parties in the swamp and you are just darn sick and tired of it. It's time to find some help to oust them.


Marl Racial Feats

Mental Resistance
Psionics are less effective on you.
Prerequisites: Marl
Benefits: You gain a +1 Resistance Bonus on Saving Throws against Psionics


Improved Mental Resistance
Your resistance continues to prove.
Prerequisites: Mental Resistance
Benefits: Your Resistance Bonus increases to +2.


Feathered Frenzy
You go insane at the sight of anything with feathers or that reminds you of birds.
Prerequisites: Marl
Benefits: When you see anything feathered or Bird-like you go into Frenzy (see Complete Warrior). You can do this 1/day.


Improved Feathered Frenzy
Man you really hate birds...
Prerequisites: Feathered Frenzy
Benefits: You may now use this ability 3/day.


Marl Racial Substitution Levels

Ranger
Levels 2, 6, 11: Instead of Archery or Two Weapon Fighting for their Combat Style, Marl Rangers can choose Ambush Predator or Multi-Weapon Fighting.
Combat Style: Ambush Predator gets +1d6 Sneak Attack at Levels 2, 6, and 11 (see PHB). This stacks with Sneak Attack dice gained from other sources. Multi-Weapon Fighting gets Multiweapon Fighting at 2nd Level, Improved Initiative at 6th Level (See PHB2), and Improved Multiweapon Fighting at 11th Level.


Barbarian
Level 1: Lose Fast Movement for Stubborn Rage
Stubborn Rage (Ex): When Raging a Marl gains a +2 Bonus on all Saving Throws against Psionics. This stacks with their Racial Feats.