Protoss (PC race)

[rferries]

Unlike the other races I've been churning out the Protoss are explicitly described as being both physically and mentally powerful, and therefore it was hard to think of penalties I could give them to offset their various advantages. I've therefore given them 6 racial HD (ouch!) and mandatory feat selections instead of any LA, but through the Protoss Caste feat that works out to be about +3 LA that you can't pay off. I welcome other alternatives!

My current idea is that they typically advance as Fighters/Psychic Warriors/Soulknives (or I'll homebrew a better equivalent to Protoss Zealots), then switch over to Wizards/Psions (or I'll homebrew a Protoss High Templar prestige class). I admit the flavour feats are probably too complex, and should maybe just be ditched.

Protoss

Protoss Zealot by Samwise Didier
Physical Description: Protoss are generally eight feet tall. They have two glowing eyes that blink normally, digitigrade legs, semi-permeable skin covered in scales (that come in a variety of colours both bright and ashen), four digits on their hands (of which two are thumbs) and toes, broad chests and shoulders, and narrow waists with slim midsections. Extending back from the crown of the head, protoss have a bony crest. Beneath it, emerging from the back of the head, are the nerve cords, allowing them to access their racial psionic gestalt.

Society: A magically-engineered race, Protoss are still subdivided into their ancestral tribes, which assigns them a Caste through which they serve civilised Protoss society (the "Khala"). The Castes are "Judicator" (leader), "Templar" (warrior), and "Khalai" (worker). Those Protoss who are dissatisifed with their lot or with the Khala as a whole leave to join the Dark Templar, a fiercely individualistic subculture that keeps to the frontiers. The Khala itself brought an end to the long and bloody Aeon of Strife in which the tribes warred amongst each other after being abandoned by their Xel'Naga creators.

Relations: Protoss are wise, proud, and noble. They do not suffer fools lightly and often take a paternalistic attitude towards younger races, guarding those settlements that fall within their own borders. They can be mighty allies, or formidable opponents...

Alignment and Religion: Protoss are inclined towards good. Khala Protoss are strongly inclined towards law, whereas Dark Templar are strongly inclined towards chaos. Protoss worship deities of psionics, and still revere their ancient creator race the Xel'Naga.

Adventurers: Khala Protoss are ambitious, and Dark Templar even more so. Khala Protoss eagerly prove themselves in battle or in peacetime according to their talents as Soulknives or Paladins or Psions, for the greater good of Protoss society. Dark Templar pursue whatever interests they please as Rogues, Assassins, and Sorcerers.

Protoss Racial Traits

Protoss Zealot by Glenn Rane
+2 Charisma, +4 Constitution, +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, +8 Strength, +2 Wisdom : All Protoss are strong both in mind and body.

Large: Protoss are Large creatures and therefore receive a -1 penalty to Armor Class, a -1 penalty on attack rolls, a -4 penalty on Hide checks, a +4 bonus on grapple checks, and lifting and carrying limits double those of Medium characters.

Fast Speed: Protoss have a base speed of 40 feet.

Outsider (native, psionic): Protoss are outsiders with the native and psionic subtypes.

Darkvision (Ex): Protoss have darkvision 60 feet.

Discorporate (Su): Although Protoss are outsiders with the native subtype, their physical bodies vanish upon death in a burst of radiant psionic energy. This makes it difficult to raise, reincarnate, or resurrect them with spells that require access to a creature's body (whether whole or a part of it).

Energy Shield (Su): A Protoss is surrounded by a protective barrier of psionic force. Treat the energy shield as a buffer of temporary hit points equal to the Protoss's character level x his Charisma bonus (minimum +1). If damaged the energy shield regains hp equal to the Protoss's character level each hour. Furthermore, a Protoss adds his Charisma bonus (minimum +1) as a deflection bonus to his Armour Class.

Hive Mind (Su): All allied Khala Protoss (but not Dark Templar) within 50 miles of each other are in constant communication. If one is aware of a particular danger, they all are. If one in a group is not flat-footed, none of them are. No Protoss in a group is considered flanked unless all of them are.

Naturally Psionic (Ex): A Protoss gains bonus power points equal to 6 x his Charisma bonus (minimum +1).

Purity of Form (Su): Protoss do not eat or drink. Instead, a Protoss that is exposed to at least 8 hours of natural light each day (sunlight, moonlight, or even starlight) receives all the nourishment they require for that day. They benefit from this exposure even whilst asleep.

Psionic Affinity (Ex): A Protoss's outsider levels stack with levels of all other classes for determining manifester level (and therefore caster level in systems with magic/psionics transparency). This benefit stacks (does not overlap) with the benefits of the Protoss Caste feat.

Telepathy (Su): A Protoss can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language.

Racial Hit Dice (Ex): A protoss begins with six levels of outsider, which provide 6d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +6, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +5, Ref +5, and Will +5.

Racial Skills: A Protoss’s outsider levels give it skill points equal to 9 × (8 + Int modifier, minimum 1). Its class skills are Autohypnosis, Concentration, Craft, Knowledge (psionics), Profession, Psicraft, Sense Motive, Survival, Use Psionic Device, and any other skills added through its Protoss Tribe and Dark Templar feats.

Racial Feats: A Protoss's outsider levels give it three feats. The first feat a Protoss selects must be Protoss Tribe, and the second must be either Protoss Caste or Dark Templar. A Protoss receives Endurance and Wild Talent as bonus feats.

Languages: Protoss adventurers begin play speaking Common and Protoss. Protoss with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Auran, Celestial, Draconic, Elven, and Sylvan.

Level Adjustment: +0.

Favoured Class: A Protoss's favoured class is determined by its Protoss Tribe feat.

New Feats

Zeratul by GlennRane

Protoss Tribe
You originate from one of the ancestral tribes of Aiur.

Prerequisite
Protoss, character level 1st.

Benefit
Choose one of the following tribes. You must select the associated caste when you take the Protoss Caste feat. The tribal skills are always considered class skills for you, and the tribal class is always considered your favoured class (use the class in brackets if you are not using psionics in this campaign).

Tribe	Caste	Tribal Skills	Tribal Class
Ara	Judicator	Diplomacy, Knowledge (nobility and royalty), Knowledge (religion), Perform (oratory)	Psion (Cleric)
Akilae	Templar	Diplomacy, Intimidate, Listen, Spot	Psychic Warrior (Paladin)
Shelak	Judicator	Decipher Script, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (history), Knowledge (nature)	Psion (Wizard)
Sargas	Templar	Bluff, Intimidate, Hide, Move Silently	Rogue
Auriga	Templar	Climb, Jump, Knowledge (geography), Swim	Soulknife (Ranger)
Furinax	Khalai	Disable Device, Knowledge (architecture and engineering), Open Lock, Search	Monk

Spoiler: Tribal Fluff

Show

Ara: Following the Aeon of Strife after the departure of the Xel'Naga, the Ara helped to promote the mandates of the Khala and to ease the fragmented tribes to a lasting peace. Upon the creation of the caste system, the Ara came to become the dominant force within the Judicators (and therefore the dominant force for leadership of the Khala Protoss).

Akilae: The Akilae Tribe represent the strongest and noblest fighting force in Protoss society. The Akilae dominated the other tribes for hundreds of years during the Aeon of Strife but submitted completely to the peace brought about by the Khala. They now lead the Protoss military and argue the most strongly for the protection of lesser races.

Shelak: The Shelak Tribe was the protoss tribe closest to the Xel'Naga. They are the Protoss scholars, entrusted with the study and custody of the ancient Xel'Naga relics and tomes.

Sargas: The Sargas Tribe is easily the most notorious of the protoss tribes. They are famed as warriors, but are known mainly for their skills at stealth and assassination. More Dark Templar originate from the Sargas tribe than any other.

Auriga: Tens of thousands of years ago, the Auriga Tribe was the first to construct sailing ships, captivated by the thrill of exploring the unknown (a trait that the Auriga still bear).

Furinax: The Furinax are craftsmen, artisans, builders and weaponsmiths. Unlike their ancestors, modern day Furinax revile warfare of any kind, though they can still be counted upon to fight with a combination of savagery and honor.

Special
A Protoss must select Protoss Tribe as its first racial feat.

Protoss Caste
You are a trained and worthy member of your tribe's Caste.

Prerequisite
Protoss, Protoss Tribe, character level 3rd.

Benefit
You enter the Caste associated with your tribe (as described under Protoss Tribe). Choose one of the classes associated with that Caste; one-half of your racial outsider levels (3 levels total) stack with levels you have in that class when determining your class features (including manifesting/spellcasting, sneak attacks, turn undead, etc.).

Caste	Class
Judicator	Cleric, Psion, Wizard
Khalai	Bard, Druid, Ranger, Rogue
Templar	Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Psychic Warrior, Soulknife

Special
A Protoss must select either this feat or Dark Templar as its second racial feat.

You must have at least one level in the appropriate class to gain the benefits of this feat.

Dark Templar
You have rejected the Caste system and severed the nerve endings that allowed you to join the Khala gestalt consciousness. In exchange, you have been granted preternatural stealth and deadly psionic power.

Prerequisites
Protoss, Protoss Tribe, character level 3rd, Cha 14.

Benefits
You lose the Hive Mind special quality and suffer a -2 penalty to your Consitution modifier.

Your Purity of Form special quality requires you to be exposed to at least 8 hours of darkness (rather than light) each day, allowing you to survive indefinitely on lightless worlds and in subterranean areas. Moonlight and starlight are sufficiently dim for this purpose.

Your racial levels of outsider grant Sneak Attack as a rogue (Sneak Attack +3d6), stacking with all other sources of Sneak Attack.

You gain the Hide In Plain Sight special quality, though you need not be within 10 feet of a shadow to benefit from it.

Your psionic attacks (including a Soulknife's Mind Blades) overcome all forms of damage reduction and regeneration.

Special
A Protoss must select either this feat or Protoss Caste as its second racial feat.

Intensified Energy Shield
Your energy shield is more resilient.

Prerequisite
Protoss, Cha 12.

Benefit
Your energy shield gains fast healing 1 and hardness 1. When determing the hit points and deflection bonus of your energy shield, treat your Charisma score as if it were 2 points higher.

Special
You may select this feat multiple times. Each time you do, each of the benefits stack.

[AOKost]

Very interesting... I've not played much Starcraft, but this sounts like a fun race to play!

[Almarck]

Nice work.

Will point out that they are not Outsiders, they're Humanoids of their own race, because they do explicitly have biology and aren't... well extradimensional.

You could make a case for them being Aberrants though.

[Vogie]

It's been a while since I've tapped into StarCraft, but wasn't the main schtick of the Protoss is that they were physically weak, didn't heal well, but were magically strong & smart? Of course, They countered this by having shields or forcefields that more than doubled their effective hit points.

As opposed to Terrans who could be healed or rebuild/repair their crafts, or Zerg which had minor self-healing off the creep, and major self-healing on the creep.

I would second them being Aberrants

[nikkoli]

The protoss, lore wise, are atcueally really physically capable compared to the terrans. Like jacked. Game balance they are squishy with shields to offset damage. The archons are the "weakest" physically because they kinda sorta don't have bodies. They are more coporeal than say a ghost, but all their power comes from the mind fusion of 2 super psions.

Dark Templars are called nerazim, and I would actually make the con penalty an Int & cha penalty. Int because not being able to connect to the khala prevents them from learning from others experiences and cha because those that spend their time connected to the khala look down on them for severing that link. Or instead of -cha it could be like -4 to interactions with those connected to Khala. And not a con penalty because the nerazim live much less luxurious lives and, as far as I have seen and read, are hardier because if a harder life from training and survival and all.

I also third them being aberrations because their biology is bazaar enough to not be humanoid, but their soul and body are not tied together as closely as an outsiders are, even native ones.

[rferries]

Hey all, thanks for the replies.

I agree that Aberration (or Monstrous Humanoid) would probably be a better fit biology-wise, and it was in fact my original choice. However since Protoss are meant to be this know-it-all Mary-Sue-perfect space race I went for Outsider for the skill points, saves, etc.; I seized on Couatls as an example of a flesh-and-blood- Outsider race. Plus with the psionic subtype (to justify the body=soul Outsider thing) and the way they vanish after death* I felt I could wriggle my way into making them Outsiders. Archons and Dark Archons would certainly be Outsiders (or perhaps Undead or Elementals).

Stat-wise, the lore has them as being this "perfect" race physically (although the High Templar are physically frail spellcasters), albeit with low reproductive rates.

The Dark Templar are the strong-willed individuals who reject the Khala, so I didn't think a Cha penalty was appropriate (if anything they should have more Charisma than the average Khala Protoss, hence adding Cha 14 as a feat prerequisite). They get the Con penalty due to physically injuring themselves to leave the Hive Mind - after which they rely on stealth to survive their harsh conditions. However you make a good point about them being "tougher" ranger-type Protoss, so maybe I'll leave out the Con penalty altogether (or make Con another feat prerequisite).

*Yes I know SCII later refluffed this into them being beamed to safety when they were mortally wounded, but a contingent teleport ability like that would be horribly broken in DnD (especially when even the lowliest Zealot got it for free!)

[lylsyly]

I sure don't remember artwork like that when I played Starcraft. Of course it has been a looong time (like when it first hit the shelves .

I Like what have done with this.

[khadgar567]

If you ask me protos has high cha and wis but realy low intelligence unless they are dark templar they have racial mind control flaw ( aka no will save for domination)

[rferries]

I sure don't remember artwork like that when I played Starcraft. Of course it has been a looong time (like when it first hit the shelves .

I Like what have done with this.

Thanks! I was going to use the original black-and-white artwork by Metzen and Didier, but I got sucked into various DeviantArt accounts :D

If you ask me protos has high cha and wis but realy low intelligence unless they are dark templar they have racial mind control flaw ( aka no will save for domination)

I'd have to disagree with this - they're meant to be the most technologically advanced race (with the best Psions) so Int is the one mental ability score that SHOULDN'T be low. The argument could be made that Khala Protoss should have a Cha penalty (due to being subsumed into the hive mind), however almost all the Protoss we encounter in the games are proud and forceful of personality.

[khadgar567]

Thanks! I was going to use the original black-and-white artwork by Metzen and Didier, but I got sucked into various DeviantArt accounts :D



I'd have to disagree with this - they're meant to be the most technologically advanced race (with the best Psions) so Int is the one mental ability score that SHOULDN'T be low. The argument could be made that Khala Protoss should have a Cha penalty (due to being subsumed into the hive mind), however almost all the Protoss we encounter in the games are proud and forceful of personality.

kinda agree with you but all of their mental power comes from blind obedience to xelnaga called amon except dark templar they have strict hive mind like society were all knowledge they have either already tamper by amon or being tampered via proxy agents supposed to be smartest of their race until last game they all say may the kala( xelnaga) guide you. well hello hypocrisy didnt you morons fight xelnaga for all your life and yet still obey his whims to become flesh golems of new race he is working

[rferries]

kinda agree with you but all of their mental power comes from blind obedience to xelnaga called amon except dark templar they have strict hive mind like society were all knowledge they have either already tamper by amon or being tampered via proxy agents supposed to be smartest of their race until last game they all say may the kala( xelnaga) guide you. well hello hypocrisy didnt you morons fight xelnaga for all your life and yet still obey his whims to become flesh golems of new race he is working

Ah I see your point now (I've only played SC1). Still I'd say that's reason for a low Wis rather than a low Int -Int is "book smarts" whereas Wis is meant to be "common sense"/"resisting blind obedience".

[khadgar567]

Ah I see your point now (I've only played SC1). Still I'd say that's reason for a low Wis rather than a low Int -Int is "book smarts" whereas Wis is meant to be "common sense"/"resisting blind obedience".

That works for me.