Naga-Anu and Garuda [Race]

[Lord Tataraus]

While I am in the midst of a large project involving the Avatar D20, I still like to submit my work so, here are two races I created a while back what do you think?

Both races are taken from Hindu mythology directly, so some background:

Spoiler

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Both the Naga-Anu and Garuda have the same father, Kashyapa, but differing mothers. The Naga-Anu's mother is Kadru and the Garuda's is Vinata. Kadru wished to have many children, while Vinata wished to have strong children, thus Kadru birthed hundreds of Naga-Anu while Vinata birthed a single Garuda. Originally immortal, the more Naga-Anu and Garuda where born mortal and sent to live on the material plane.

It is thought that the Naga-Anu are an evil people while the Garuda are righteous, but in truth their quarrel is over ancient gamble. Vinata entered and lost a foolish bet to Kadru who won Vinata as a slave. The Garuda approached their Naga-Anu brothers asking what it would take to regain their mother's freedom. The Naga-Anu asked for the Garuda to bring them the elixir of immortality from its guarded keep in the sky. The keep was guarded by many perils and traps or fire, venom, and blades. Only one of the best Garudas sent survived, but barely so and returned the elixir to the Naga-Anu. However, the surviving Garuda had met Vishnu while returning and was grant immortality for his selfless act and courage. The Naga-Anu leader did become immortal by drinking the elixir but the Naga-Anu were enraged by the the Garuda gaining immortality as well and thus the two races have been fighting forever.

Naga-Anu (literally, Snake-human or Cobra-human)
A great snake with green-black scales slithers through the water, its head comes up to reveal the torso, arms and head of a human with the same small and smooth green-black scales. The humanoid mouth is elongated and opens far wider than it seems it should, revealing rows upon rows of sharp pointed teeth and two great flexing fangs. The creature hisses, its forked tongue darting out as the muscular body lunges toward you...

• +4 Str, +2 Con, -2 Int, -2 Cha
  The Naga-Anu are strong and hearty, yet have naturally small brains and crude mannerisms.
• Medium (long) Fey
  The Naga-Anu have a serpentine body, meaning they take up 2 adjacent 5ft squares, or may double their height and take up one square, or curl up into a single square as they wish.
• Base Land speed 20’
  Due to the mode of movement, the Naga-Anu are slow on land. Additionally, a Naga-Anu cannot run unless the run feat is taken and only then at a normal run speed.
• Swim speed 40’
  The Naga-Anu's movements are easier and faster in water.
• Snake Body – Can’t be tripped, counts as one size larger for grappling. Additionally, a Naga-Anu gains a Constrict 1d8+1.5*strength modifier.
• +2 Natural armor, the Naga-Anu's tough scales protect their body.
• Natural Weapon: Bite (1d6+poison)
• Poisonous bite – DC 10+con+1/2 HD, Paralysis (1d4 rounds)/-
  A Naga-Anu may only use this ability 1+Con modifier times per day.
• Cold Vulnerability, Naga-Anu are more accustomed to the wet heat of the jungles.
• +2 LA

Naga-Anu feats:
Superior Poison
Prerequisite: 3 hit dice, 15 constitution
Benefit: The Naga-Anu's poison from his poisonous bite gains a secondary damage of 1d3 con.
Normal: A Naga-Anu's poison has no secondary damage.

Poisonous Spit
Prerequisite: 6 hit dice, 15 constitution
Benefit: The Naga-Anu may make a ranged touch attack to inflict his poison from afar. The range increment is 10ft and counts as a thrown weapon for purposes of feats, through no damage is dealt.
Normal: A Naga-Anu may only deal poison on a bite attack.
Special: A Naga-Anu may also coat a weapon with his poison by taking a full round action and with no chance of poisoning himself. The poison acts as a contact poison and lasts for a number of rounds equal to the Naga-Anu's constitution score.

Garuda
No one can save you as the snake creature lunges, yet the call of an eagle is heard and a great bird-man lands in front of you, blocking the snake's approach. The being before you seems to be a man, slightly taller than normal and stronger as well. Two great rust-red wings like that of the golden eagle attach above the man's shoulder. His head too is like that of an eagle with its rust-red coloring. He holds his head at angle so that one golden eye glares at the snake. The bird creature opens his great beak and lets fly a caw as the creature charges forth to battle the snake, his taloned bird feet spraying the river mud up at you...

• +2 Str, +4 Dex, +2 Cha
• Medium Fey
• Base Land speed 30’
• Fly speed 60’ (average)
• Superior low-light vision
• Talon: Garuda have sharp talons on their feet allowing a natural talon attack (1d6).
• +8 Spot, +2 Search and +1 insight bonus to attacks with ranged weapons
  Garuda have the keen eyes of an eagle; able to pick out the smallest details from almost any distance.
• +2 LA

The Garuda is kind of lame at this point, I'm open to suggestions. But anyway, what do you think?

[Yeril]

Naga-Anu Snip

Add in a constriction attack and you just made my wet-dream come true

Ive been looking for a race like this for a very long time but the nearest I could find was a ECL 19 odd Yaun-ti Abomination

[Capoeira]

I am very happy to see this, being raised in eeastern mythology myself.


I think to spruce up the Garuda, you should look at bit at the tibetan, thai, and indonesian versions.

I many of those places they are wise protector spirits... they protect a building they way a gargoyle would...

A few tings to consider:


* maybe garudas are centered on a specific place to watch over, like a 2nd ed. druid.

* flying, natural talon attacks, insight bonus to attack, spot, listen.

well, I guess thats two things... but still, I wouldnt mind having a low-ECL flying race...

[AstralFire]

Use the Raptoran as a base for a lower LA flyer with the Garuda. Gradually getting full flight and no LA > having flight right off the bat for a high LA.

[Lord Tataraus]

Add in a constriction attack and you just made my wet-dream come true

Ive been looking for a race like this for a very long time but the nearest I could find was a ECL 19 odd Yaun-ti Abomination

Forgot about constrict...*ding*
*smiles*...*stares oddly at Yeril*...*backs away slowly*

@ Capoeira - seriously?!?!?!? we must talk!

@ AstralFire - I don't mind having a lowish LA for the Garuda, but they have to deserve it with more than just flight. I might have lower maneuverability that gets better through HD...

[DracoDei]

Well, if "The case of the Toxic Spelldump" is anything to go by you would be justified in making the Garuda bird much larger and faster (in that book it was the base creature that they were souping up magically to be the equivalent of the Apollo Project rocket for that world).

[Lord Tataraus]

Well, if "The case of the Toxic Spelldump" is anything to go by you would be justified in making the Garuda bird much larger and faster (in that book it was the base creature that they were souping up magically to be the equivalent of the Apollo Project rocket for that world).

The mythological description is of a man-sized bird with golden skin, rust-red feathers, with the head, wings and talons of a golden eagle. Actually, if you want a book reference, check out Perdido Street Station by China Miéville. He actually got the Garuda right on and is my original inspiration (that and Dragon magazine 352 with the original Garuda stats). I felt the original Garuda stats just didn't fit too well.

Also, a word of advice: Never, never, believe any video game, movie, book, etc. unless it is an actual study/documentary.

[Nebo_]

How long does the paralysis last for?

[Lord Tataraus]

How long does the paralysis last for?

Oh! Thanks for catching that *edits* I might well say it here: paralysis lasts for 1d4 rounds.

[Nebo_]

That's a VERY powerful poison to have on a PC race. Maybe there should be a limit to how many times you can use it in a day. 1+ Con mod, or something....

[Lord Tataraus]

That's a VERY powerful poison to have on a PC race. Maybe there should be a limit to how many times you can use it in a day. 1+ Con mod, or something....

Hm, well it is a LA +2 race, but I see your point 1+con mod a day is not so bad. At max con first level 6/day? Pretty good.

[Lord Tataraus]

*ba-bump*

Anyone have any other comments? Or are these races sufficiently balanced and peachy?

[Kyace]

The mythological description is of a man-sized bird with golden skin, rust-red feathers, with the head, wings and talons of a golden eagle. Actually, if you want a book reference, check out Perdido Street Station by China Miéville. He actually got the Garuda right on and is my original inspiration (that and Dragon magazine 352 with the original Garuda stats). I felt the original Garuda stats just didn't fit too well.

Also, a word of advice: Never, never, believe any video game, movie, book, etc. unless it is an actual study/documentary.

Myths are fluid. According to the wikipedia article, the Hindu Garuda is large; large enough to block out the sun.

[Lord Tataraus]

Myths are fluid. According to the wikipedia article, the Hindu Garuda is large; large enough to block out the sun.

Ah true, but I'm going for a mortal version. The immortal Garuda demigod would probably be that big though.

[DracoDei]

Ah true, but I'm going for a mortal version. The immortal Garuda demigod would probably be that big though.

That BTW would have been the one in "The Case of the Toxic Spelldump"... Turtledove does his research it would seem...

[Lord Tataraus]

That BTW would have been the one in "The Case of the Toxic Spelldump"... Turtledove does his research it would seem...

Ah ok.

So, any other comments on improving the Garuda? Is the Naga-Anu good to go?