[d20r, Race] Dromites

[Fax Celestis]

Dromites are ant-like humanoids with psionic tendencies. They are short, not standing more than about four and a half feet tall at most. Their eyes glow red, blue, green, white, or yellow depending on subcaste (Fire Caste, Ice Caste, Earth Caste, Voice Caste, or Glimmer Caste, respectively). They are highly intelligent and are psionically capable. They have tough chitinous exoskeletons, and some are capable of great feats of strength.

Most dromite cities have several other "breeds" of lesser insectoid creatures that act as servants and soldiers. Many dromites prefer to command these creatures psionically rather than through other, more common means.

Dromite Player Characters

• Strength -2, Wisdom +2
• Small: As Small creatures, dromites gain a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but they must use smaller weapons than humans use, and their lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of Medium-size characters.
• Monstrous Humanoid: As monstrous humanoids, dromites are immune to spells and effects that specifically target humanoids.
• Speed: Dromite base land speed is 20 feet.
• Compound Eyes: Dromites have compound eyes, which provide a +2 racial bonus on Awareness checks. In addition, these compound eyes grant a dromite darkvision out to 60'.
• Scent: All dromites have the Scent ability.
• Natural Psionics: A dromite has a small pool of psionic charges they may tap into daily. A psionic has one charge per three class levels, minimum one. A charge may be spent to activate a psi-like ability based on their case, or to power a feat with the [Dromite] descriptor. Manifester level equals the dromite's class levels.
• Subcaste: Dromites are divided into five subcastes: Fire, Ice, Earth, Voice, and Glimmer. Each caste has a separate set of benefits as listed below.
  
  • Fire Caste:
    
    • Psi-Like Ability: A fire-caste dromite may spend a psionic charge to manifest synesthete as a psi-like ability.
    • Sharp Vision: Fire-caste have very sharp vision, and this manifests itself in a greater amount of accuracy with ranged weapons. Fire-caste receive a +1 racial bonus to attacks made with missile weapons.
    • Chitin: Fire-caste have chitinous exoskeletons that are resistant to heat. They receive a +1 bonus to natural armor class and have resistance to fire 5.
    • Naturally Psionic: Fire-caste are naturally psionic and receive two bonus power points.
  • Ice Caste:
    
    • Psi-Like Ability: An ice-caste dromite may spend a psionic charge to manifest mindlink as a psi-like ability.
    • Natural Inclination: Unlike most psions, Ice-caste handle the power of the mind with intuition. An Ice-caste may use their Wisdom score as their primary manifesting statistic (but not their primary spellcasting statistic) if it would be advantageous to do so.
    • Chitin: Ice-caste have chitinous exoskeletons that are resistant to cold. They receive a +1 bonus to natural armor class and have resistance to cold 5.
    • Naturally Psionic: Ice-caste are naturally psionic and receive two bonus power points.
  • Earth Caste:
    
    • Powerful Build: The physical stature of Earth-caste lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger.
      
      Whenever an Earth-caste is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the Earth-caste is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him.
      
      An Earth-caste is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature's special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. An Earth-caste can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject's size category.
    • Strong Stature: An Earth-caste determines its carrying capacity as if it were one size larger than it actually is.
    • Chitin: Earth-caste have tough, chitinous exoskeletons. They receive a +2 bonus to natural armor class.
    • Naturally Psionic: Earth-caste are less naturally inclined towards psionics than their Ice-caste and Fire-caste brethren, and only receive one bonus power point.
  • Voice Caste
    
    • Psi-Like Ability: A voice-caste dromite may spend a psionic charge to manifest charm, psionic as a psi-like ability.
    • Brilliant Diplomat: Voice-caste receive a +1 racial bonus to any skill that uses Charisma as its key ability.
    • Chitin: Voice-caste have weak chitinous exoskeletons, as they are not designed for combat like other dromites. However, their exoskeletons are resistant to auditory effects, and as such voice-caste have Resist Sonic 5.
    • Naturally Psionic: Voice-caste fare less naturally inclined towards psionics than other dromites and only receive one bonus power point.
  • Glimmer Caste
    
    • Psi-Like Ability: A glimmer-caste dromite may spend a psionic charge to manifest minor creation, psionic as a psi-like ability.
    • Constructor: Glimmer-caste are the architects and excavators within dromite hives. They receive a +2 racial bonus to Appraise, Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering), and Craft checks.
    • Mind Given Form: Glimmer-caste who manifest Metacreativity powers of the Creation subdiscipline treat their manifester level as if it were one higher when determining their effects.
    • Naturally Psionic: Like the Fire- and Ice-castes, Glimmer-caste dromites have strong psionic powers and receive two bonus power points.
• Automatic languages: Common and and extra language accordingto caste; Ignan (for Fire caste), Aquan (for Ice caste), Terran (for Earth caste), any one other (for Voice caste), or Auran (for Glimmer caste).
• Favored Class: Hunter (for Fire caste), Psion (for Ice caste), Psychic Warrior (for Earth caste), Bard (for Voice caste), or Shaper (for Glimmer caste)

[Vic_Sage]

Why do these guys have racial HD? Other than that pretty good.

[Fax Celestis]

Why do these guys have racial HD? Other than that pretty good.

It was either an RHD or a point of LA. Until I can find a fix for LA that satisfies me, I'm going to be providing RHD. At least RHD provide BAB, saves, and skills.

[Inyssius Tor]

I've got to say I like these guys a lot better than the ones in the Expanded Psionics Handbook. And I've always liked dromites, so hey.

...no Glitter or Voice? Well, I guess that's totally understandable, but the standard elemental thing is beginning to seem a little old. I'm growing convinced that Glitter and Voice, "done right", would be really interesting.

[Fax Celestis]

Well, my main thing is...what powers would their castes have? Voice could have +Diplomacy, +Bluff, I suppose, and Glitter...I'm at a loss.

[Fax Celestis]

Added Voice and Glimmer castes.

[Fax Celestis]

Removed RHD.

[Prock]

I like them.
Im going to ttry to make a voice one for a future campaing.

[Fax Celestis]

Changed the Natural Psionics feature and the psi-like ability features.

[Zaakar]

(My very first post)

I so wanna play one
In the character creation progress, I ran in to the following questions which I couldn't find an answer to:
How old are they when they reach adulthood? How old can they get?
How tall are dromites? How much do they weigh?
If I remember things correctly, most ants are female. Are most dromites female too?

awsome, btw

[Lappy9000]

(My very first post)

I so wanna play one
In the character creation progress, I ran in to the following questions which I couldn't find an answer to:
How old are they when they reach adulthood? How old can they get?
How tall are dromites? How much do they weigh?
If I remember things correctly, most ants are female. Are most dromites female too?

awsome, btw

Since Fax hasn't edited much of the fluff, I imagine that Age, Height, and Weight will remain the same as they were in the Expanded Psionics Handbook. Chika-ching!