Steel Men and other strange creatures (3.5, PEACH)

[afroakuma]

Steel Man
Medium Monstrous Humanoid
HD 1d8+4 (8 hp)
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)
Init: -2
AC 14; touch 8; flat-footed 14 (+4 natural, +2 armor, -2 Dex)
BAB +1; Grp +4
Attack Slam +4 melee (1d6+3)
Full Attack Slam +4 melee (1d6+3)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks Batter
Special Qualities DR 5/adamantine and bludgeoning, ductile mind, endure elements, metallic, poison immunity, reactive energy resistance, water torpor
Saves Fort +1 Ref +0 Will +2
Abilities Str 16, Dex 7, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 11
Skills Balance +2*, Concentration +5*, Listen +4, Search +5, Spot +4
Feats Endurance^B, Improved Sunder^B, Toughness
Environment Any desert
Organization Solitary, pair, task (3-6), ring (4 adults plus 2-8 noncombatants), or chamber (8-12 plus two 2nd-3rd level combatants and 1 cleric of 5th-6th level).
Challenge Rating 2
Treasure Half standard plus leather armor
Alignment Often lawful evil
Advancement by class; Favored Class Monk
Level Adjustment +1

Batter (Ex) A steel man ignores the first 10 points of hardness when attacking an object using its natural weapons. When performing a sunder with any weapon, the steel man gets a +2 racial bonus to the attempt.

Ductile Mind (Ex) Steel men have a complex perception of the mind and place low importance on personal motivation based on emotion. Their mindset makes them resistant to emotion-based manipulation, but their certitude in their mental superiority is quite unearned and leaves them open to outside influence not based on emotion. Steel men have a +2 racial bonus to saving throws against charm or emotion effects (including fear effects). Against illusions or compulsions that are not emotion-based, steel men suffer a -2 penalty to their saving throw.

Endure Elements (Ex) Steel men are fairly resilient where their environment is concerned, enjoying the benefits of the endure elements spell. This quality is nonmagical and cannot be dispelled or rendered inert by an antimagic field.

Metallic (Ex) Steel men are considered ferrous and metallic for the purpose of spells and abilities which would affect metal, such as rusting grasp. If heat metal or chill metal are cast on a steel man, its natural weapons take on the flaming or frost properties respectively for rounds 2-6 of the spell's effect. Transmute metal to wood instantly kills a steel man, though they are entitled to a Fortitude saving throw against the spell to resist its effects. Repel metal or stone pushes away a steel man as though it were a creature wearing metal armor. The antennae of a rust monster deal 1d6 damage per hit die of the rust monster (Fortitude half). Steel men receive a +4 racial bonus to saving throws against any effect which specifically targets flesh (such as flesh to stone) unless it would also affect metal (such as the corrosive acid of a gray ooze).

Poison Immunity (Ex) A steel man is immune to the vast majority of contact and injury poisons. Inhaled and ingested poisons affect a steel man normally. Special contact and injury poisons may be developed that would affect a steel man.

Reactive Energy Resistance (Su) A steel man has resistance 10 to acid, cold, electricity, and fire; however, these resistances fluctuate as they are tested. Whenever a steel man suffers fire damage (above whatever amount it resisted), it loses its racial cold resistance for 1 minute, and vice versa for cold damage lowering fire resistance. The same relationship applies to acid and electric damage and resistances.

Water Torpor (Ex) Steel men cannot drown in the way that humanoids normally do; when they would begin drowning, they instead enter a state of torpor, in which they are unconscious as though affected by a sleep spell (irrespective of HD). A steel man cannot wake from this torpor unaided while it remains immersed in water; the torpor ends 1d6 hours after the steel man is extracted from the water. Once per day while in this torpor state, a steel man suffers 1 Constitution damage. A steel man does not recover ability damage naturally while in a state of water torpor.

Skills A steel man has a +4 racial bonus to Balance and Concentration.

Taciturn and unsociable, the mysterious race known to their neighbors and foes alike as the steel men are not known on many worlds. This may be for the best, as they have consistently demonstrated a cold and callous certitude that the lands they occupy are not to be shared with other civilizations.

A steel man stands roughly 6 feet tall, with extremely little variance (5'10" + 1d4") in height, and weighs between 300 and 400 pounds. Despite the colloquial name, the race comprises both male and female members, though there is very little sexual dimorphism. Both sexes are broad-shouldered, with the physique of an athletic human, and are almost always completely hairless - the presence of short black hairs on the head and extremities is an indicator of extremely advanced age, cognate to whitening of hair in an elderly human, while the development of gray or rust-colored hair on any part of the body is a sign of illness or injury and is viewed the same way a disfiguring scar might be. Steel men are so named for both their muscular and androgynous appearance as well as the metallic tone of their skin, which resembles steel with a dull, nonreflective finish. Among their own kind, steel men are called nagla.

Most steel men are lawful neutral or lawful evil. It is rare for steel men to be neutral or neutral evil, and all but unheard of for a steel man to be chaotic in alignment. Good-aligned steel men are exceedingly rare. Unlike many other lawful societies of an evil bent, steel men do not practice slavery as a general rule. To their mind, any who bend are doomed to break, and the world cannot be built on the backs of those who would break. In turn, steel men rarely work well under other strong creatures and are intractable and defiant in the face of coercion.

Steel men place limited value on material goods that are not in some way serviceable and have extremely low regard for gold and copper coinage, though they have an innate appreciation for silver and platinum. They do not generally have a good sense of tone where music is concerned, though their sense of rhythm is excellent. The steel man aesthetic is stark and utilitarian. Steel men require one quarter of the water that a humanoid of similar size would need in order to survive, and half the food. However, a steel man must supplement their diet with small rocks, pebbles, or ferrous sands. Steel man cuisine is notable for being extremely dry, with as much moisture removed from food as possible. Spices and seasonings are strongly preferred to sauces, which are all but unknown. Steel men may cultivate and make use of inhaled narcotics, but avoid alcohol as it is often mixed with a higher water content than they enjoy.

Steel men are aware of their vulnerability to magical force effects, and those who dabble in arcane magic are likely to learn shield to protect against magic missiles. Steel men make poor rogues and bards, and may struggle to connect with nature in the traditional way of druids and rangers. Clerics, called nagavok, play an important role in steel man culture, with each ring meeting with a cleric of the five traditional faiths at least once a year. Steel men are likely to initiate hostilities with others for the sake of establishing dominance, but in turn are not generally vengeful - if they have been forced to withdraw or submit, steel men tend to back off for a substantial period in order to train and better themselves before they will make another attempt. A town which has fought off the steel men may not see their return for another 30 or 40 years, while an individual might not cast a challenge to a rival for a month or more.

Steel men are terribly intractable when it comes to what they are certain is true, which makes them vulnerable to magical compulsions and illusions that alter their perceptions. It can also prove difficult for diplomacy, as their demands are inflexible and their assessment of a situation rarely open to nuance. They are likely to cleave to both the letter and spirit of an agreement, as their principles dictate that to undermine the latter risks weakening the former. That said, steel men are utterly exacting regarding such agreements and treaties, and they are both willing and able to turn on a former ally the minute a deal elapses, without any regard for what has gone before. Friendship with a steel man should always be viewed as an in-the-moment thing - past bonds have little emotional heft for them, and future considerations are likely to be imagined differently from steel man's point of view.

Steel Man Characters

Steel men possess the following racial traits:

• +6 Strength, -4 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence. Steel men are strong but inflexible, their minds sharp but not open to nuance.
• Medium-size.
• A steel man's base speed is 20 ft.
• Normal vision: unlike most monstrous humanoids, steel men do not possess darkvision.
• +4 racial bonus to Balance and Concentration checks. Steel men are careful and resolute in all that they do.
• +4 natural armor.
• Natural attack: slam 1d6 melee.
• Damage reduction 5/adamantine and bludgeoning.
• A steel man receives Endurance and Improved Sunder as bonus feats.
• Batter: as above
• Ductile Mind: as above
• Endure Elements: as above
• Metallic: as above
• Poison Immunity: as above
• Reactive Energy Resistance: as above
• Water Torpor: as above
• Automatic Languages: Nagla. Bonus Languages: Armandish, Asherati, Bhuka, Common, Dwarven, Giant, Goblin, Gol-kaa, Xeph.
• Favored Class: Monk
• Level Adjustment: +1

[Eurus]

Neat concept. I don't really have any objections or suggestions, except that normally "Creatures with 1 or less HD replace their monster levels with their character levels" (DMG), so giving them one RHD might not quite work.

[afroakuma]

Deities of the Steel Men

The steel men traditionally follow what are called the five faiths, and each ring is expected to host a representative from each of the faiths at least once each year. The head of the pantheon is Dolos, the creator deity of the steel men.

Dolos
Intermediate Power of Acheron
The Unbending, the Unbreakable, the Unyielding, the Hard God
Alignment: Lawful evil
Portfolio: Steel men, individual accomplishment, refusal to yield
Divine Realm: Acheron/Tintibulus/The Unmarred Citadel
Symbol: A steel man's fist pointed downward
Domains Competition, Evil, Law, Metal, Strength
Favored Weapon: Warhammer

Creator deity of the steel men, Dolos the Unbending is a hard god who favors individual achievement and despises weakness. His faith preaches that all other races are doomed to bend, and that those who bend will one day break. For this reason, his clerics promote competitions between steel men, tests of mettle and fortitude, strength and prowess, to find the mightiest steel men and recruit them into the service of Dolos. An uncommunicative deity, Dolos never speaks with worshipers and rarely dispatches omens, preferring to work through the divine spells granted to his faithful. Priests of Dolos are discouraged from preparing healing spells, though it is not forbidden - but overuse may result in transgression of one's vows. He is depicted as a towering steel man wearing chainmail, wielding the mighty hammer with which he breaks the world and smashes away any weakness.

The visitation of Dolos takes place at the turn of the year, when each ring is asked to give witness that they neither bend nor break, and that those who are less than they will surely bend or break before them.

Ruusa
Lesser Power of Baator
Strifebringer, She Who Tests Us, She of Storm and Scouring, Longhair
Alignment: Lawful evil
Portfolio: Endurance, strife, tribulation, pain, resilience
Divine Realm: Baator/Dis/Tower of Trials
Symbol: A rusted spike
Domains Destruction, Evil, Law, Protection, Retribution, Suffering
Favored Weapon: Guisarme

A cruel goddess who is believed to send troubles to plague the steel men, Ruusa is responsible for winnowing out the weak and culling those who would break under the strain of her fiercest torments. Depicted as an impossibly ancient steel woman covered in long rust-colored hair, she attracts faithful who are less concerned with their own strength than with disproving that of others, and her clerics often lead sorties against the lands of other races in order to test them and prove them wanting. Ruusa is associated with lightning, stinging winds, and corrosive and poisonous substances.

The visitation of Ruusa takes place in the harsh seasons - winter in cold lands, summer in hot lands, and during stormy periods in particular. Each ring is asked to declare that they stand strong against the worst the goddess can give them, and welcome her to try them once more.

Gredsen
Lesser Power of Arcadia
Chainmaker, He Who Links Us, Caller of Chambers, the Silver God
Alignment: Lawful neutral
Portfolio: Rings, unity, collective strength
Divine Realm: Arcadia/Buxenus/the Silver Sands
Symbol: Three silver rings linked in a triangle
Domains Family, Law, Metal, Nobility, Pact
Favored Weapon: Spiked chain

Though he would never openly call himself a rival to Dolos, Gredsen subtly pushes back against the dogma of the creator god by pointing out how steel men "bend" their own individual ambitions for the purpose of coming together as a ring, an unsubtle metaphor spelled out in his holy symbol and the links of his favored weapon. Just as Dolos wears chainmail, so is Gredsen depicted as the one who shapes and assembles it for his superior, with each ring in the mail comprised of steel men joined in such a social structure. Gredsen's faithful are the diplomats of the steel men, insofar as that term applies to the race, and are often found in leadership roles, to the consternation of the church of Dolos. Gredsen is associated with heat and cold, the powers he uses to shape metal to his will; he is generally depicted working metal or weaving. The church of Gredsen is responsible for the limited silver coinage produced in steel man society.

The visitation of Gredsen takes place at midyear, where each ring is asked to reflect on the strength of their unity, and the ways in which they yield to one another to ensure a result greater than any one steel man could produce alone.

Saprad
Lesser Power of Baator
The Sure, the Stygian, the Mindful, Truthseer
Alignment: Lawful evil
Portfolio: Mental superiority, reason, intellect, death
Divine Realm: Baator/Stygia/the Maze of Doubt
Symbol: A circular labyrinth cracked down the middle
Domains Destiny, Domination, Evil, Law, Mentalism
Favored Weapon: Nunchaku

Steel men disavow emotion, but even they might feel a chill as they contemplate the Maze of Doubt, the testing ground said to await them after death, a labyrinth of ice hanging perilously above an endless black ocean, where those who fail to show resolve and confidence as they navigate the maze risk plunging into the inky depths beneath, never to resurface, to sink forever. The followers of Saprad relish the challenge - to them, confidence and intellect are the hallmarks of their people, and the resolve that Saprad represents is what prevents a steel man from bending or breaking. Saprad is often depicted in association with dark water, and water is his attribute alongside death. Steel men do not imagine harnessing the energies of death as a general rule, believing that superior reason will keep them strong and enduring, while the irrational lesser races fall to it of their own ineptitude. It is perhaps for this reason that Saprad is one of the few gods of death who does not make his realm in the Gray Wastes of Hades, nor does he offer the Death domain to his clerics. Saprad is also the patron of psionic steel men, who may pursue the psychic warrior class in particular.

The visitation of Saprad comes during the season of plenty, when each ring is asked to declare what they have achieved through their superior decisions, and lay out how they expect to profit from what they have accomplished in the year to come.

Briviba
Lesser Power of Limbo
She Who Has Never Bent, Breaker of Chains, the Divider, the Unstoppable
Alignment: Chaotic evil
Portfolio: Freedom, choice, self-determination, abandonment of tradition
Divine Realm: Limbo/Hall of the Shattered
Symbol: A shattered hand
Domains Chaos, Evil, Force, Liberation, Pride, Trickery
Favored Weapon: Spear

In the ancient past, she was for a brief moment known as Sapes (SAH-pez), a goddess created from the shadow of Dolos to serve as his consort. When he demanded that she yield to his rule, however, she defied him, shunning him and the name he gave her and taking on one of her own choosing. When he tried to chain her, bringing forth Gredsen to bind them together, she shattered their hands and broke their chains, and their battles brought forth Ruusa, who arose from the wicked cruelties each endured in their refusal to cede victory to the other. At long last, they spoke as equals, and Saprad came forth as reason and certitude. Neither would give ground, but it was to be understood that if she was truly to be of Dolos, then Briviba must by necessity be unwilling to bend or break, including to his own will. Her example carries on in her faithful, who are disliked by the churches of Dolos and Gredsen but tolerated as a necessity for their incitement of steel men to pursue those things at which they are most skilled. As each forges their own path at the goading of Briviba, Dolos hopes that they will find that path leads to him, while Gredsen desires that it weave into the paths of others with complementary paths in life. For her part, Briviba doesn't care one bit what any of the others hope for; to her, each steel man who breaks free of traditional roles and leaves ring and chamber is another victory, and she keeps the original broken hands of Dolos and Gredsen in her great hall as trophies of her original victory.

The visitation of Briviba comes randomly, and each steel man is challenged to prove they have become better as part of the ring and the community at large than they could have been on their own. Her faithful apply logic for the purpose of causing chaos and division, and they are known to be quite persuasive and skilled at sowing the seeds of doubt. Nevertheless, the faithful of the other gods cannot cast them out, for to do so would be to admit that there is a test which steel men might lack the resolve to pass without breaking or bending.

[afroakuma]

Neat concept. I don't really have any objections or suggestions, except that normally "Creatures with 1 or less HD replace their monster levels with their character levels" (DMG), so giving them one RHD might not quite work.

Quite right, and thank you for the reminder! Amended accordingly.

[afroakuma]

Spotto
Medium Monstrous Humanoid
HD 4d8+4 (22 hp)
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares); climb 20 ft.
Init: +5
AC 15; touch 11; flat-footed 14 (+4 natural, +1 Dex)
BAB +4; Grp +5
Attack Slam +5 melee (1d6+1) or rock +5 ranged (1d3+1)
Full Attack 2 slams +5 melee (1d6+1) or rock +5 ranged (1d3+1)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks Disorienting double, squeeze 2d6+2
Special Qualities Distractible, hide in plain sight, immunity to phase spider venom, mirror image, planar boundary invisibility, planar immunity
Saves Fort +2 Ref +5 Will +5
Abilities Str 12, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 11
Skills Balance +10, Climb +12, Escape Artist +3, Hide +8*, Listen +5, Spot +5
Feats Agile, Improved Initiative
Environment Any and Ethereal Plane
Organization Solitary or trio (3)
Challenge Rating 3
Treasure None
Alignment Often chaotic neutral
Advancement by class; Favored Class Factotum
Level Adjustment +1

A strange and alien figure, the spotto is distinctive outside its preferred habitat but an absolute chameleon when moving about the terrain it calls home. Ranging between 5 and 7 feet tall, a spotto looks like a long-armed muscular humanoid with four stumpy fingers on each hand and an equal number of toes organized in a cross shape on its feet. Its head is wide and trapezoidal, with the longer edge on top of an utterly flat skull, and it possesses only one staring eye and no obvious nose, ears, or mouth. The most distinctive feature of the spotto, which gave rise to its common name, is its variegated skin, which has one dominant color broken up by countless fluctuating spots of another color. The most commonly seen spotto color configuration is white with black or dark gray spots, which allow it to blend in with certain kinds of stone. Other spotto color patterns include green and yellow in forests, gray and dun in caverns, and supposedly even a blue spotto variant which exists under the sea. All spotto have a dominant color, which is never less than 18-20% of their skin's surface area, and a secondary color, which forms spots that can reduce in size down to a mere 5% of their skin's surface area.

Spotto are intelligent but hard to predict; they do not speak in any audible language, but have their own mode of communication that relies on changing the patterns of their skin, which is extremely hard for other creatures to emulate. Some spotto are known to at least recognize and understand one or more other languages, and it is clear to observers that spotto must have some kind of society which has not yet been discovered for study. Spotto have been known to stalk individuals or small groups at a distance for days at a time, never engaging; it is theorized, based on the fact that spotto have never been known to voluntarily associate in pairs for more than an hour at most, that spotto culture requires a certain amount of contrast and dispute in order to function effectively. Spotto have been known to take levels in rogue, factotum, and psion, among other classes.

Planar phenomenologists believe there is some strange link between spotto and phase spiders; the former have been seen successfully using the latter as mounts, and spotto are known to be immune to phase spider venom. The true nature of this link continues to elude sages, though some theorize that spotto may be the result of obscene magical experiments involving mutation or crossbreeding.

In combat, spotto never fight fair - they strike from ambush and use traps and ranged weapons, only closing to melee when they have been denied any alternative or when they are confident a foe is weak and can be finished off. Spotto attack out of fear, confusion, or hunger; they are more than intelligent enough to break off an attack if it does not seem to be succeeding. Spotto appear to dislike ethereal filchers and are in turn strongly disliked by ethereal marauders, who will relentlessly pursue a spotto until one or the other is dead.

Disorienting Double (Su) Spotto are infamous for this disquieting ability, which they use on lone travelers most especially in order to disorient and panic them. By pulsing and swirling the spot patterns on their body to catch the ambient light as a standard action, a spotto can create the illusory impression that it occupies a second place near the viewer, a more threatening position. Creatures within 30 ft. of the spotto must make a Will save (DC 13 negates) or be affected as though by the spell phantom foe^SC cast by a 10th-level sorcerer. Unlike the spell, this effect persists until its full duration has elapsed even if the victim starts its turn without a creature threatening it. Potential victims may avoid this affect by averting their gaze while fighting the spotto. A creature that successfully saves against this effect cannot be affected by the same spotto's disorienting double ability for 24 hours.

Distractible (Ex) Spotto are easily fascinated - any effect which would cause fascination forces a spotto to save at a -2 penalty. Against any form of pattern effect, spotto save at a -4 penalty. These penalties are cumulative.

Hide In Plain Sight (Ex) Each spotto has a favored terrain type to which it belongs (see the Horizon Walker prestige class for terrain types). While within such terrain, a spotto can use the Hide skill even while being observed.

Mirror Image (Sp) Once per encounter, a spotto may rapidly pulse and flicker the spots on its body to create the illusion of being in multiple places at once, as the spell mirror image cast by a 4th-level sorcerer.

Planar Boundary Invisibility (Su) For some unknown reason, spotto cannot be seen across planar boundaries. A creature on the Ethereal Plane cannot see a spotto, nor can a creature looking through a rift from the Plane of Shadow. While the viewer is on a different plane from the spotto, the spotto is effectively invisible to the viewer at all times.

Planar Immunity (Ex) Spotto cannot be forcibly moved to another plane or extraplanar region by a spell or ability, unless the boundary they would be moved across is one which physically exists, such as a portal or gate. Maze, plane shift, and other such effects fail against a spotto unless it wishes to be affected.

Squeeze (Ex) When the spotto lands both of its slam attacks on the same target, it begins to violently dig and press with its stumpy fingers, crushing the victim's body and probing for soft places. This automatically deals an additional 2d6+2 damage. Spotto have a +4 racial bonus on grapple checks.

Skills Spotto have a +8 racial bonus to Hide checks when in their favored terrain, but take a -8 penalty to Hide checks otherwise (as their natural coloration is vivid and garish and likely to stand out). These modifiers have not been factored into the stat block above. Spotto have a +4 racial bonus to Balance checks and a +8 racial bonus to Climb checks. These modifiers are reflected in the stat block above.

[afroakuma]

Balco
Balco 1st-level Warrior
Small Monstrous Humanoid
HD 1d8+4 (8 hp)
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares), burrow 5 ft.
Init: +1
AC 14; touch 10; flat-footed 15 (+2 natural, +2 armor, +1 size, -1 Dex)
BAB +1; Grp -3
Attack Kukri +2 melee (1d3+1, 18-20/x2)
Full Attack Kukri +2 melee (1d3+1, 18-20/x2)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks -
Special Qualities Conviction, flammable, low-light vision, spell-like abilities
Saves Fort +4 Ref +1 Will +3
Abilities Str 8, Dex 9, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 13
Skills Bluff -1*, Diplomacy +3, Escape Artist +3*, Sense Motive -3*, Tumble +3*
Feats Cold Endurance^B, Toughness, Weapon Focus (kukri)^B
Environment Cold hills
Organization Solitary, pair, band (4-6) or troop (10-20)
Challenge Rating 1/2
Treasure Standard
Alignment Often lawful good
Advancement by class; Favored Class Paladin
Level Adjustment +0

Resembling nothing so much as anthropomorphic capybaras or hamsters with heavy moustaches, balcos are a good-natured and hardworking people who live in cooler climes and train for a higher calling. Balco culture holds that life is a series of experiences meant to strengthen them for a great and noble quest to be undertaken in the afterlife, and their interactions with others are colored by this belief system - learning how to work as one and contribute in some small way to a greater task is an important milestone for a balco. Rare are those who shun the communal good, and they are viewed with sorrow and concern in balco settlements. In true ant-and-grasshopper style, balcos are happy to help those who are infirm or unwell, but those with the capacity to help themselves who make no effort to share in the work will be left to their own devices.

Balcos generally have pleasant relationships with dwarves and gnomes, and occasionally meet halflings on their journeys; dwarves find them both too stolid (balcos do not drink) and too easygoing (balcos rarely invest a great deal of energy in mining, artisanal work, or architecture, with form following function and function being minimalist much of the time). Gnomes, conversely, see them as a pleasant but alien people, a sentiment which is generally reciprocated - balcos rarely dabble in the arcane arts and are not typically musical, and the balco idea of a hearty laugh is a sharp "hmph!" and a few nods of the head.

Balcos are rarely found in the same territory as frost giants or evil dragons; invariably, it seems, a balco community will devote its every effort to toppling the evildoers in their land, which generally results in the latter either giving ground and leaving out of sheer irritation at the balcos' persistence, or - more commonly - murdering the lot of them. Red dragons are an exception - they have been known to specifically hunt balco settlements out of a perverse desire to amuse themselves by setting the bold little creatures on fire.

Elves, including drow, cannot stand the natural odor of balcos and suffer a -2 penalty to Concentration checks while within 30 ft. of one. An elf within 60 ft. of a balco gets a +2 circumstance bonus to a Spot check to locate the balco, as the smell is a dead giveaway. Curiously, most other humanoids detect no particular odor from them; elves describe it as moldy hay.

Balcos venerate their creator god, Kavi, who according to their mythology went on a great quest into the Stormlands and was lost. They believe that Kavi sent back a messenger, Kaman, to steward his people and lead them to the Stormlands to rescue their god.

Conviction (Su) Balcos are touched by a preternatural grace arising from their conviction in the worth of their duty. As long as a balco is not shaken, frightened, panicked, cowering, stunned, or nauseated, she receives a +2 morale bonus on all saving throws, on initiative checks, and on weapon damage rolls. Balcos are not aware when this ability is suppressed, nor are they as a general rule aware that it is any kind of supernatural force; they chalk it up to good fortune and courage. This bonus is reflected in the statblock above.

Flammable (Ex) The dry and matted fur of a balco is an ideal fuel for flames. Balcos take 1 additional damage per die when subjected to fire damage (e.g. a 5d6 damage fireball deals 5d6+5 damage to a balco). The Reflex save DC for a balco to avoid catching on fire is 20 rather than 15; for any effect that specifies an alternative DC to avoid catching on fire, treat the DC as 5 higher for the balco.

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp) At will - guidance, resistance; 1/day - bless weapon; the caster level is equal to the balco's character level.

Skills Balcos are surprisingly flexible despite the limitations of their manual dexterity and have a +4 racial bonus to Escape Artist and Tumble checks. Balcos are as a rule extremely poor judges of character, and they suffer a -4 penalty to Sense Motive checks. Due to their earnestness, balcos enjoy a +2 racial bonus to Diplomacy checks but suffer a -2 penalty to Bluff checks.

Balco Characters

Balcos possess the following racial traits:

• -2 Strength, -2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma. Balcos aren't particularly mighty or agile, but they are sure, and insightful.
• Small size.
• A balco's base speed is 20 ft.
• Balcos can burrow at a base speed of 5 ft. through soft earth, dirt, or snow. Frozen or packed earth is too difficult for them to dig into unaided, and sand is no easier for them to dig through than a human could.
• Low-light vision: unlike most monstrous humanoids, balcos do not possess darkvision.
• +4 racial bonus to Escape Artist and Tumble checks. Balcos aren't particularly dextrous, but they have tremendous abdominal flexibility.
• -4 penalty to Sense Motive checks. Balcos are far too trusting.
• +2 racial bonus to Diplomacy checks.
• -2 penalty to Bluff checks.
• +2 natural armor.
• A balco may select an additional feat at 1st level.
• Balcos gain Cold Endurance as a bonus feat.
• Conviction: as above
• Flammable: as above
• Spell-Like Abilities: as above
• Automatic Languages: Balco, Common. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Dwarven, Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Gol-kaa, Orcish.
• Favored Class: Paladin
• Level Adjustment: +0

[afroakuma]

Deities of the Balcos

Balcos respect two deities in the main, their creator Kavi and the steward-god Kaman.

Kavi
Intermediate Power of Bytopia
The Explorer, the Most Bold, Stormchaser, the Dauntless, Hearthlight
Alignment: Lawful good
Portfolio: Balcos, noble quests, discovery, conviction, welcome
Divine Realm: Bytopia/Dothion/Rhonsocco
Symbol: A three-pointed star with two points pointing upward, a sun arching between them.
Domains Community, Courage, Good, Glory, Law, Protection, Travel
Favored Weapon: Kukri

A kind and brave deity, Kavi is the example that balcos are taught to strive for, as well as the motivation behind their pursuit of excellence and service in life. Thousands of years ago, his church taught that balcos who excelled would get to join Kavi on his quests into the Stormlands in pursuit of evils to cast down; however, at some point Kavi stopped sending his omens, and before long it was learned that their god had gotten lost, possibly captured, on his most recent quest. Now, the balcos seek to liberate their deity and return him home.

Kavi gave of his divine essence to his chosen in spades, exalting their conviction in him with his own personal blessing, which has not faded despite his absence. He favored many paths to service and excellence, not limiting his people to one idea of duty, but asking instead that they find a way to give the best of themselves to their community. He was an enemy of several evil powers, none of whom are sorry to have seen the last of him for at least a few millennia - and hopefully forever.

Kaman
Lesser Power of Bytopia
Steward of Kavi, the Messenger, Lightbringer, He Who Guards The Hearth, the Corruptor, the Defiler, Devourer of False Hopes
Alignment: True neutral, formerly neutral evil
Portfolio: Adventure, peril, hope, opportunity, custodial trust, deception, misrule, dismay, dissolution of social bonds
Divine Realm: Bytopia/Dothion/Rhonsocco and Carceri/Porphatys/Yachar
Symbol: A V with a sun dawning between the branches
Domains Animal, Competition, Destiny, Renewal, Strength, Trickery; formerly Destruction, Envy, Evil, Scalykind, Sloth, Trickery
Favored Weapon: Lucerne hammer^DR331

Kaman is a study in biting off more than one can chew; believed by the balcos to be the messenger and ally of Kavi, and the steward of their god's realm while he is lost, Kaman installed himself into their cultural mythology as a guide and savior figure who would collect them in the afterlife and equip them to quest for their lost god. In truth, Kaman was never an ally of Kavi; what precisely his nature was before engineering his grand deception is hard to say. He may have been an advanced demodand, or an exiled demon, or a foul deity with worshipers who have since vanished. What is certain is that Kaman was something profoundly evil and wicked to his very core, a thing of scales and mouths and hunger masked behind a paper-thin veneer of hope and friendship.

Kaman infiltrated balco society shortly after the silence of Kavi, presenting himself to the priesthood through omens as a benevolent messenger, who would help Kavi's people save their deity from the Stormlands. In truth, Kaman had no intention of even bothering to go to Bytopia, nor does he have any idea what happened to Kavi save that the deity did vanish into Shurrock. His plan was to corrupt balco society, feeding them false hope while convincing them to betray the principles of their god in the name of "rescuing" him, and then to corner and devour their souls in the afterlife.

Unfortunately for Kaman, he lied much too well.

The balcos believe him, wholeheartedly, and write off his suggestions to nudge away from Kavi's dogma as the misunderstandings of a well-meaning stranger, disregarding the changes he pushes for. While some elements of society have frayed away, and the race as a whole is no longer as unified as it once was, it is a hollow victory at best for Kaman, for the faith of the balcos is earnest and total - and their belief is changing the nature of the dark deity despite his every attempt to stay true to his malevolent ideals. Kaman didn't even notice it happening until it was too late; already, he is no longer a true power of evil, and many of the powers that were at the heart of his perverse and poisonous nature are no longer his to command.

Kaman has begun to realize that he has little hope of regaining what he once was, though the catalyst for this is unknown - perhaps his original base of worshipers, some cult of evildoers, was wiped out and no longer able to anchor him to his old nature; perhaps in assuming divinity he simply overshot what his original essence could handle. Perhaps Kavi's investiture of his own divine grace into his people doomed Kaman's scheme from the start. Whatever the case, Kaman has begun searching for his good-aligned counterpart in earnest, hoping to divest himself of the balcos' well-meaning faith while he is still anything of his old self.

[afroakuma]

Kullen
Kullen 1st-level Warrior
Medium Monstrous Humanoid
HD 1d8 (4 hp)
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Init: +0
AC 13; touch 10; flat-footed 13 (+2 armor, +1 natural)
BAB +1; Grp +2
Attack Dagger +2 melee (1d4+1, 19-20/x2) or denticle +1 ranged (1d4)
Full Attack Dagger +2 melee (1d4+1, 19-20/x2) or denticle +1 ranged (1d4)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks Cartilage blades, spit denticle, spray denticles
Special Qualities Amphibious, darkvision 60 ft., sharp skin, spoor
Saves Fort +2 Ref +2 Will -1
Abilities Str 12, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 8, Cha 11
Skills Climb +7*, Swim +7*
Feats Lightning Reflexes
Environment Any coastal or forest
Organization Solitary, pair, pack (4-10) or thicket (12-36 plus 100% noncombatants)
Challenge Rating 1/2
Treasure Half standard plus leather armor
Alignment Any
Advancement by class; Favored Class Ranger
Level Adjustment +0

A wild amphibious people, kullens keep to their own devices much of the time, hunting inland and in the waters for their favored foods and meeting with others to conduct trade. A kullen stands between 5-5 1/2 feet tall and is distinguished by three main features - the mouth, a cluster of needlelike protrusions where teeth should be, forming a conical shape; the "hair," a heavy shag of cartilaginous quills; and the eyes, moist and jet-black. One may also notice that the kullen squats on all fours to relax, displaying fearsome bony blades protruding from the elbows, and the inconsistency of skin tones among the group, with black, blue, green, and red all jostling with a kind of dull silvery color for predominance, sometimes appearing in bands or patches on the same kullen.

Kullens favor coastal dwellings and build homes along shores and cliffs when they can, though some kullens have been known to move inland to forested areas with a river. Their diet favors mollusks and eggs, both of which can easily be broken into using their wedge of denticles, the better to extract the slimy innards. Kullens also occasionally eat fish and birds, but otherwise make up the balance of their diet with tough and fibrous plant material such as kelp, pinecones, roots, stems, and tuberous water plants. They find most terrestrial meat not to their liking and are put off by fruit and fungi. Dairy products are toxic to kullens.

The kullen philosophy is simple and straightforward, and their live-and-let-live approach allows many attitudes to proliferate. They generally dislike sahuagin, but kullen communities may also have a bone to pick with locathah, merfolk, and aquatic elves depending on how deep they swim to find mollusks and shellfish. Many kullens enjoy their relationship with the sea, though not all of them - certainly a number of the inland communities much prefer their own way of life to that of their brethren and would never dream of going back to the coast.

Though often considered frightening in appearance to human and elf sensibilities, kullens may find good company with hadozee and have in the past made common cause with darfellans on worlds where both people exist, although finding a common language is difficult as each race finds the tongue of the other rather challenging to learn. In the woodlands, kullens tend to come to a common understanding with raptorans, but have rarely been able to make peace with elves for long unless some common enemy threatens both. Kullens have a particular dislike for fey in any environment, as they are impatient and quick to make decisions, which leaves them prone to being inveigled by the pranks of the fey.

Amphibious (Ex) Kullens breathe normally in air and water.

Cartilage Blades (Ex) A kullen's elbows naturally produce cartilaginous blades that can protrude up to a foot in length, which are regrown within 1d3 days if removed, provided the kullen is in reasonably good health (add 1 day per point of Constitution the kullen is missing). As a standard action, a kullen can withdraw a blade from each elbow (or either one individually) which functions identically to a dagger and provides a +2 circumstance bonus to Climb checks when used as a tool. Non-kullens wielding these blades suffer penalties as though not proficient with the weapon, as it has no true hilt and the sharp edges make handling difficult. Cartilage blades benefit from spells and effects which function on natural weapons as well as on manufactured weapons (i.e. both magic weapon and magic fang can enhance a cartilage blade, though these do not stack) provided they have been extracted from the elbow; otherwise, they are not treated as weapons as they cannot usefully be brought to bear against an enemy while still connected to the elbow.

Sharp Skin (Ex) The cartilaginous skin of a kullen is covered in short barblike protrusions. A creature grappling a kullen wearing light or no armor suffers 1 damage upon securing the grapple and on each successful grapple check thereafter (e.g. when the kullen is trying and failing to break the grapple). This damage is piercing damage which may be reduced by DR. If the kullen is swallowed whole, the swallowing creature suffers this damage at the start of the kullen's turn each round.

Spit Denticle (Ex) The mouth of a kullen is packed with sharp needlelike denticles, some of which loosen as new ones grow in their place. Each day, the kullen may spit up to ten of these in total, less 1 per point of Constitution the kullen is missing. An attack with a denticle is treated like a dart, with the following exceptions: a denticle is a natural weapon (it can be enhanced by magic fang but not magic weapon, and all remaining denticles can be affected by one casting of magic fang) and is not thrown, so Strength bonuses do not apply to damage with a denticle. Denticles are not affected by ranged weapon penalties underwater.

Spoor (Ex) The sloughed cartilaginous barbs, blade fragments, and denticle shards a kullen leaves in its wake are a boon to trackers. The DC to track a kullen is decreased by 4, and a kullen in a group counts as two creatures for the purpose of further decreasing the DC based on group size. This does not apply when the kullen is moving overland at half speed and taking care to clean up such debris.

Spray Denticles (Ex) In addition to the longer denticles, a kullen's mouth contains a number of smaller fragments which can be ejected in a 5 ft. square, functioning as caltrops. The kullen may spray denticles once per day as a standard action into any square they could normally reach with an unarmed strike (so a kullen which has been enlarged above Medium-size may be able to spray them further).

Skills Kullens use their rough skin and cartilaginous body parts to their advantage when climbing and enjoy a +2 racial bonus to Climb checks. These same features help them move in a streamlined fashion in water, providing a +2 racial bonus to Swim checks.

Kullen Characters

• +2 Strength, -2 Wisdom. Kullens dislike overthinking life and are impatient to move on; their mobility relies on physical prowess to ensure they can climb and swim to their heart's content.
• Medium-size.
• A kullen's base speed is 30 ft.
• Darkvision 60 ft.
• +2 racial bonus to Climb and Swim checks. Kullens are adapted to move more easily in water and up surfaces.
• +1 natural armor.
• Amphibious: As above
• Cartilage Blades: As above
• Sharp Skin: As above
• Spit Denticle: As above
• Spoor: As above
• Spray Denticles: As above
• Racial Proficiencies: Kullens are proficient with the dagger, harpoon, and light and heavy picks. Kullens are proficient with cord armor.
• Automatic Languages: Kullen. Bonus Languages: Aquan, Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Hadozee, Sahuagin, Tuilvalanuue.
• Favored Class: Ranger
• Level Adjustment: +0

[Eurus]

Okay, Kavi and Kaman are just hilarious. I wasn't going to post again because I didn't want to interrupt your thread, but I had to say it.

[afroakuma]

Okay, Kavi and Kaman are just hilarious. I wasn't going to post again because I didn't want to interrupt your thread, but I had to say it.

Oh no, by all means, go ahead and comment whenever! It is nice to see feedback!

...suppose it would help to put PEACH in the title...

[afroakuma]

Deities of the Kullens

The kullens have an odd and scattershot pantheon of gods who barely acknowledge one another's existence. If any of them is the creator deity of the kullen race, none care to mention it, and it seems to work out just fine for them as a whole. Kullens keep small shrines that may include symbols or tokens of one or more deities, but true clerics are uncommon. Generally, priests in kullen society are storytellers, sages, and hedge mages moreso than religious leaders, though some faiths have begun adopting a more ceremonial bent, with mixed results.

Akla
Demipower of the Beastlands
Cliffchaser, the Climber, the Aspiring, the Fearless, Quibblesticks
Alignment: Chaotic neutral
Portfolio: Cliffs, mastery of rough terrain, climbing, tools
Divine Realm: Beastlands/Krigala/Jagged Valley
Symbol: A kullen fist gripping a pick
Domains: Chaos, Courage, Craft, Earth, Strength
Favored Weapon: Light pick

One of the twin deities who form the youngest part of the kullen pantheon, Akla is the goddess of cliffs, conqueror of the wilds, a relentless climber who enjoys perilous ascents and watching her charges devise the tools that will enable them to thrive in treetops, cliffsides, and river valleys. Anywhere the terrain is tough to tame, Akla wants to be, and her adherents relish the lifestyle she espouses. In addition to being a free spirit and outdoorsy soul, Akla is also the patron of tools, crafts, and implements to facilitate life and well-being.

Akla has a well-worn rivalry with her twin brother Rakla, and festivities may involve participants taking sides to imitate their humorous mythological squabbles, which invariably end, every single time, in the same way - one tackles the other off a cliff, they fall into the sea, and emerge with shellfish and other spoils of the ocean, each claiming they meant to do that and the other was lucky they are so clever. Akla is symbolized in shrines by shiny rocks.

Galka
Intermediate Power of Pandemonium
The Unsighted, the Unknown, Shellbreaker, the Other
Alignment: Chaotic neutral
Portfolio: Choice, living with what comes, experience, death
Divine Realm: Pandemonium/Agathion/Grotto of Lost Choices
Symbol: A black seashell.
Domains: Chaos, Death, Luck, Passion, Travel, Time
Favored Weapon: Longbow

A genderless deity, Galka is depicted as a white-eyed, hunched kullen with barnacle-encrusted flesh and quills, wizened and long-taloned, sitting on a throne with no back on a pile of seashells, prying them open one by one. The shells, as visitors to Galka's remote and haunting realm will attest, contain visions of alternate realities - the pearl inside of each representing a choice that was not taken. This divine realm features a maelstrom that leads to alternate Primes, worlds in which a particular choice was made differently - but as Galka will cheerfully warn, may the traveler beware.

Galka is the kullen god of death, though the deity would much prefer that they not waste time dwelling on it except as motivation to live their lives and suck it up when they make a bad decision. Legend says that Galka's milky eyes are blind to the future, but that the deity is capable of seeing everything that is happening in the present. Galka's own dogma on the matter is quite simple - "any idiot can see the future: just wait." - and clerics of Galka are forbidden access to spells that see the future, such as augury and divination - though the power has been known to make odd and capricious exceptions such as the granted power of the Luck domain and the moment of prescience spell, which provides a moment of warning only.

Galka quite enjoys the longbow, though it is not a weapon the deity is known to wield often - it is moreso the symbolism of the weapon, that the arrow's flight will be as far as your strength can propel it, and its ultimate destination subject to the vagaries of wind and fortune. Galka is symbolized in shrines by dark seashells.

Panzuriel
Intermediate Power of Hades
The Severed God, the Swimmer-In-Shadows, the Banished One, the Call of the Deep
Alignment: Neutral evil
Portfolio: The ocean depths, murder, confusion, subversion, evil aquatic creatures
Divine Realm: Hades/Niflheim/Rezuriel
Symbol: A left footprint, kraken head, or squid eye surrounded by nine tentacles
Domains: Blackwater, Corruption, Darkness, Evil, Water
Favored Weapon: Whip (on land), net (underwater)

An opportunistic and malefic ancient deity, the profane Panzuriel, patron of krakens and other terrors of the depths, has discovered in the kullens an ideal race of amphibious minions to wield against the elves on land and at sea. With their increased strength and reduced willpower in comparison to many other peoples, kullens are perfect for mental domination, and Panzuriel's dark tentacles have reached out to corrupt all those he can catch, establishing terrifying cults whose prominence threatens the peace of kullens, who may find themselves drawn into wars with other sea races by the influence of those under Panzuriel's sway.

Panzuriel demands harsh cyclopean altars of stone in solitary locations, such as sea caves and barren clifftops. Few of his cultists maintain proper shrines to the other gods, and those that do may mark the influence of their dark god with squid ink or blood.

Rakla
Demipower of the Beastlands
Skyseeker, Egg-Thief, the Brash One, Feastgiver, the Diver
Alignment: Chaotic neutral
Portfolio: Food, hunting, thievery, ambushes, the sky, the ocean
Divine Realm: Beastlands/Krigala/The Lake That Mirrors The Sky
Symbol: A mantis shrimp or crab claw
Domains: Air, Animal, Chaos, Feast, Ocean, Trickery
Favored Weapon: Dagger

Twin brother of Akla, Rakla is a jovial prankster with a bottomless appetite for food, boasting, and trying the patience of his sister. Myths surrounding him paint him as a clever rogue who pushes the limits of his luck just a bit too far and ends up plummeting out of trees or off cliffs for his troubles, somehow always coming out on top. Patron of divers and enemy of birds, Rakla enjoys thinking up complex plans, but all too often they are supplanted on the spur of the moment by "but what if I just jumped on it?" Rakla claims that he and his sister divided the world between them, and that she foolishly took only the earth, leaving him to take both the sky and the sea and leave her dangling in between. For her part, Akla is all too happy to punch him into the sky and send him tumbling into the sea, to see how he enjoys his supposed superiority. Nevertheless, when trouble escalates beyond his comfort level, Rakla turns to his sister to provide the tool he needs to get out of a scrape.

Young kullens enjoy playing at Akla and Rakla, with the latter being a particularly admired role model for children (at least among the children, less so the parents). Rakla's followers prepare for festivals by plotting to bring down birds or catch a particularly noteworthy sea creature (large fish and squid being prized) for the feast, though by and large the community still prefers shellfish where available. Rakla is symbolized in shrines by eggshells or bird feathers.

Tull
Lesser Power of Ysgard
The Bone God, the Hunter, the Dragon In Bone, Sunchaser, Tull of the First Hour
Alignment: Chaotic neutral
Portfolio: Day and night, combat, fear, fire, strife
Divine Realm: Ysgard/Muspelheim/Caves of Ash and Bone
Symbol: An animal skull pierced by a kullen cartilage dagger
Domains: Bone*, Chaos, Darkness, Fire, Sun, War
Favored Weapon: Ranseur

If any of the deities of the kullens are in truth their creator god, none is more likely than Tull, a gargantuan hunter figure depicted as a kullen with more teeth, more elbow blades, more quills... just more of everything that makes a kullen a kullen. Also frequently stylized with a crude draconic motif, Tull is more straightforward and purposeful than Akla and Rakla; while Akla adventures to prove her strength, Tull employs strength in service of specific needs; while Rakla hunts for food, Tull hunts to eliminate threats, establish territory, and subjugate others to his own ends. In mythology, Tull brings forth each day by hunting the sun pelican Gadlak, who roosts in a cave in Nidavellir, chasing the golden bird and her radiance up into the skies. His task complete, Tull returns to his slumber among the flames of his home, the light preventing him from seeing when Gadlak notices that he has gone and sneaks out of the sky again. Akla and Rakla are said to be gifts that Gadlak offered Tull to be spared his wrath, but he cast them both out and swore the sky would have Gadlak's light. The moon, too, is believed to be an egg laid by Gadlak; when it is crescent, it is said to be the eggshell, and that it has already been broken and eaten.

Tull's followers hunt large animals such as whales to deliver the spoils to the community, not only meat (which kullens do not eat themselves for the most part) but the more valuable bones, fats, and hides of great beasts. Fire is said to be the gift of Tull, from feathers he has ripped from Gadlak's wings in their daily chase. In shrines, Tull is marked by a flame or a set of small animal bones.

Bone Domain
Granted Power You gain Improved Natural Armor or Improved Toughness as a bonus feat.
1st - boneblast^BoVD (remove the Evil tag and spell has no material or undead component)
2nd - bonefiddle^SC
3rd - skull watch^SC
4th - wall of bones^CArc
5th - necrotic skull bomb^CoR
6th - control undead^SC (corporeal undead with bones only)
7th - arrow of bone^SC
8th - skeletal guard^SC (remove the Evil tag and skeletons are destroyed if they fall out of caster's control)
9th - crushing hand (hand is skeletal, immune to cold damage, and has DR 5/bludgeoning)

[sandmote]

First, these are amazing. I haven't played enough 3.5e to comment on monster balance, but the lore is interesting and the pantheons flow very well from the theme of the races. "The worshipers change the evil god" is an excellent inversion of the usual.

As you mentioned you do want commentary, at this time I have two quibbles, although I do feel I'm missing some information in each case:

First, why is Ruusa's domain in the nine hells? I kind of assumed a goddess of fierce torments would favor the endless slopes of Ghenna before I noticed, which incidentally would also help avoid bending to the strict hierarchy of Baator.

Second is Briviba's favored weapon. I'm aware spears can work for a lone fighter but they're usually associated with formations and not requiring much training to use (which seems to run counter to her theme of mastering your natural talents). I think the glaive usually has the "lone master" association, if that was the idea. I'd figure she's favor either the Sai (associated with surprise disarming, pun intended) or something granting a bonus to sunder attempts. I can't recall such a weapon at the moment, but it could be a racial weapon like the orcish, gnomish, and dwarven double weapons. In any case, I figure it should be a weapon mechanically useful to stop someone from bending you to their will?

[Tzardok]

Those are all interesting races with creative deities. I haven't noticed any problematic abilities.
But something I'm interested in that is missing would be the divine rank of those deities, at least on the demi-greater scale.

[afroakuma]

First, these are amazing. I haven't played enough 3.5e to comment on monster balance, but the lore is interesting and the pantheons flow very well from the theme of the races. "The worshipers change the evil god" is an excellent inversion of the usual.

Glad you enjoyed it! It was a twist I thought was fun to do - and logically, it had to have happened somewhere...

First, why is Ruusa's domain in the nine hells? I kind of assumed a goddess of fierce torments would favor the endless slopes of Ghenna before I noticed, which incidentally would also help avoid bending to the strict hierarchy of Baator.

As a goddess, she can disregard a lot of the hierarchical nonsense of the devils. Baator is more her speed because devils make better torturers - kochrachons are more reliably enthusiastic about causing pain, for instance, whereas yugoloths are only reliably jerks. As well, on Gehenna one could theoretically climb higher than her tower, whereas in the desolate plain of Dis, those who leave the tower are faced with an endless wasteland of blackened iron ores and sands - the only place to go is up through her trials.

Second is Briviba's favored weapon. I'm aware spears can work for a lone fighter but they're usually associated with formations and not requiring much training to use (which seems to run counter to her theme of mastering your natural talents). I think the glaive usually has the "lone master" association, if that was the idea. I'd figure she's favor either the Sai (associated with surprise disarming, pun intended) or something granting a bonus to sunder attempts. I can't recall such a weapon at the moment, but it could be a racial weapon like the orcish, gnomish, and dwarven double weapons. In any case, I figure it should be a weapon mechanically useful to stop someone from bending you to their will?

A spear is also a symbol of keeping others away from you. Briviba, as the patron of extreme individuality, wields her spear as a mandate to others to remain at a distance and not try to approach lest they be impaled. As a steel woman, she would still generally prefer to just punch her enemies in the head a lot. There is also the other common symbolic association that a spear has - Briviba was made to be a consort, and to be under the power of a male deity, but instead she has taken up the spear, which has certain phallic connotations, emblematic of how she defied his plans for her role and decided on her association with the pantheon of her own accord.

Those are all interesting races with creative deities. I haven't noticed any problematic abilities.
But something I'm interested in that is missing would be the divine rank of those deities, at least on the demi-greater scale.

Good point, I should see about adding those.

[anthon]

what means PEACH?

this is 2nd thread with PEACH. I'm completely lost.

[Morphic tide]

what means PEACH?

this is 2nd thread with PEACH. I'm completely lost.

Please Evaluate and Critique Honestly. I think.

[Eurus]

Possibly silly question, what is a "ring" in the context of Steel Man civilization? Is it a single extended family/household, or a professional group of some kind?

[afroakuma]

Please Evaluate and Critique Honestly. I think.

Correct.

Possibly silly question, what is a "ring" in the context of Steel Man civilization? Is it a single extended family/household, or a professional group of some kind?

An extended family/household or polyamorous adult group with their collective offspring. As indicated on their organization, a ring is 4 adults with 2-8 noncombatants, which may include children or elderly dependents.

[afroakuma]

Norrag
Norrag 1st-level Warrior
Small Fey
HD 1d6-1 (2 hp)
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Init: +1
AC 14; touch 12; flat-footed 13 (+2 armor, +1 Dex, +1 size)
BAB +0; Grp -6
Attack Short sword +3 melee (1d4-2, 19-20/x2)
Full Attack Short sword +3 melee (1d4-2, 19-20/x2)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks Cross boundary
Special Qualities Cold iron vulnerability, fey heartline, lingering sight, portal link, wand charge, wandlore
Saves Fort -1 Ref +3 Will +2
Abilities Str 6, Dex 13, Con 8, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 13
Skills Balance +4, Knowledge (arcana) +6, Knowledge (nature) +6, Listen +4, Spellcraft +4, Spot +4, Tumble +4, Use Magic Device +7
Feats Craft Wand^B, Weapon Finesse
Environment Any forest
Organization Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating 1/2
Treasure Standard plus random 0th- or 1st-level wand with 2d4 charges remaining
Alignment Usually chaotic good
Advancement by class; Favored Class Sorcerer
Level Adjustment +0

The boundary between the Plane of Faerie and the Material Plane is strange and nebulous, a phenomenon even where planar metaphysics are concerned. Just as the properties of this coexistence are hard to fully understand, so too are the rules under which the fey choose to interact with mortals. The strange detente and balance that exists does so through arcane and strange rules governing contact between Faerie and the Prime, as well as the comportment of fey on the latter plane and the mysterious paths between. Those paths, where the magic of Faerie flows, are watched by the norrags.

A fey caste charged with curating the places where the boundary is thin, norrags have a preternatural awareness of interplanar boundaries and the things that cross them. They are also curiously magical - not possessed of raw magical abilities in the way that many other fey are, but able to capture the essence of fey magic in wands of enchanted wood that bears the touch of Faerie, wands whose powers they can invoke far better than mortals do.

A norrag stands 3 to 4 feet tall and weighs around 35 to 50 lbs., appearing as an adult elf, but shorter and with a leaner, more slight build. Norrags have feathers blending in with their hairline, which may take on unusual colors distinctive from their hair, which is generally a brown tone ranging from ecru to walnut. Their skin resembles wood in various tones, with whorls and striations, and norrags enjoy applying plant oils that can often give the impression of stain. A norrag's fingers are disproportionately long and fragile, and have an extra joint. Norrag eyes are smooth and featureless orbs of black or a solid dark hue such as midnight blue, deep green, or crimson.

Norrags wander to check on various sites where the boundaries are thin, exploring the world and examining how differences emerge in places close to and far from the edges of Faerie. They occasionally interact with local fey but rarely involve themselves unless they have a sense that something is unbalanced or out of joint. Disturbances to the natural or magical fabric of the world may draw a norrag's attention and active interest. Norrags eat a diet of berries, nuts, flowers, and insects. A norrag's tongue functions much like that of a frog. It must be noted that what a norrag concerns itself with is sometimes hard to fathom, and a norrag might take up the side of a marauding monster against a village, or oppose a search for a vanished hunter because he has trespassed the rules of the fey. Norrags are observers first and not compelled to enforce fey law, but their interest in balancing the needs of the Prime and Faerie may see them acting against their kindred just as easily.

Cold Iron Vulnerability (Su) Norrags, like many other fey, are averse to cold iron. When struck with a cold iron weapon, a norrag suffers an additional 1d6 damage on a successful attack. A norrag wearing a cold iron item or holding one in hand is sickened until it is at least 5 ft. away from their person.

Cross Boundary (Su) By the ancient Covenant of Teorainn, norrags are endowed with mysterious abilities regarding supernatural boundaries, including those erected by magical rings of protection, a divine shield of faith, or even a spell of abjuration to hedge out entities of opposed disposition. A norrag's melee attacks ignore deflection bonus to AC.

Fey Heartline (Su) A norrag can sense the general location of nearby sites of significance to fey, including places where the planar boundary between the Material and Faerie is thin. Such locations may be near ancient trees, standing stones, behind waterfalls, atop hills, etc. and are more common in rural and unpopulated areas. To use this ability, a norrag must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom check, +1 per size category of the nearest settlement within 100 miles (thorp, hamlet, village etc.) in order to detect an active fey site. A successful check functions as know direction except that it indicates the direction of the nearest active fey site rather than north. Use of this ability requires 1 minute of uninterrupted focus, during which time the norrag cannot perform any other actions. The strength of the heartline depends on the nature of the world - a "bright" world has a great deal of fey activity (fey are regularly encountered on the Material Plane), and the heartline will find a fey site within 1d4 miles multiplied by the size category of the nearest settlement within 100 miles (minimum 1). A "liminal" world has fey activity around specific boundary sites only, and fey are rarely encountered away from these borders with the Plane of Faerie without the use of magic to call them. The heartline will find a fey site within 1d20 miles multiplied by the size category of the nearest settlement within 100 miles (minimum 1). A "dark" world has no known fey activity and may be all but dead to the Plane of Faerie. The heartline will find a fey site within 10d10 miles multiplied by ten times the size category of the nearest settlement within 100 miles (minimum 10). This ability has a chance to fail and give the norrag a false perception, which is more likely if strong magic or strong magical sites unrelated to the fey are nearby. On a bright world, the base chance of success is 70% + 1% per character level. On a liminal world, the base chance of success is 40% + 1% per character level. On a dark world, the base chance of success is 5% + 1% per character level. A norrag using this ability always knows whether it is currently within a fey site.

While at a fey site, a norrag can use this ability (with the same Wisdom check and chances of success) to call to any fey in the nearby area. The norrag's call extends out to 1 mile + 1 mile per point of Charisma bonus (if any) and broadcasts a three-word message in Sylvan chosen by the norrag - some more powerful sites may provide a bonus to this range. Fey within this radius can sense the location from which the call has arisen and may choose whether or not to investigate; some other Sylvan-speaking beings such as unicorns may also perceive the call. The norrag's call also extends through the boundary between planes if it is present, which may result in a creature from the Plane of Faerie appearing. Fey or other creatures that choose to respond to the call arrive at such speed as they can normally travel under their own ability and are in no way bound to be helpful to the norrag, and may elect to attack or otherwise display hostile behavior. Norrags take care with this use of their heartline ability, as particularly territorial and powerful fey such as verdant princes and frostwind viragos are highly likely to respond to a call in their territory. Use of the calling function requires 1 hour of uninterrupted focus.

Lingering Sight (Su) A norrag can see an "echo" of a creature that journeys across a planar boundary for 1 minute following such a crossing. This may allow the norrag to see which direction a creature is moving when it is on a coexistent plane, for instance after having used ethereal jaunt. The norrag does not innately know which plane a creature has crossed into. This ability allows a norrag to see a creature under the effects of blink and similar effects and attack it without miss chance. While it offers no direct help against invisibility, it does at least help to differentiate for the norrag whether a creature has gone ethereal or invisible as the latter will leave no echo.

Portal Link (Su) A norrag who finds a rift, gate, or portal between planes, such as may form at a fey site, may form a link with it by spending 8 hours performing a ritual within 60 ft. of the transplanar passage to create an attunement. Once this link is forged, the norrag benefits as though from portal beacon^SC and portal alarm^SC (mental alarm only) with respect to that portal, without limit to the duration. The link is broken if the norrag passes through any other transplanar conduit or uses any other method of travel between planes (such as ethereal jaunt or plane shift), if the conduit is closed or destroyed (the norrag will sense such an event), or if the norrag establishes a link to a new portal. The link leaves traces that can be detected with a Knowledge (nature) or Knowledge (arcana) check (DC 20 + 1/2 the norrag's HD + the norrag's Wisdom modifier). A successful dispel ward^SC or other dispel effect cast targeting the link severs it (use the norrag's HD as the effective caster level for such a check).

Wand Charge (Su) Norrags have extraordinary abilities when it comes to wielding wands. A norrag has a number of charges equal to 1 + the norrag's Charisma modifier (minimum 1) which replenish each day after resting. When using a wand, the norrag may expend a number of their own charges equal to the level of the spell stored in the wand to "cast" the spell from the wand without consuming any of the item's own charges. A norrag with metamagic feats may also apply the effects of one of their metamagic feats to a spell from a wand while triggering it by expending their own charges equal to the level adjustment of the metamagic feat (e.g. a norrag wanting to Empower a fireball from a wand would spend two of their own daily charges to do so). When a wand charge is used with a wand, the DC to save against the spell is the better of the wand's normal DC or the DC of the spell if the norrag had cast it as a sorcerer (using the norrag's Charisma modifier). This ability may not be used to add charges back to a wand that is missing charges; it only substitutes for the use of the wand's remaining charges. A norrag cannot use this ability with a wand that has no charges remaining.

If used with an eternal wand, wand charges may be spent to cast from the wand without using up one of its normal daily uses.

Wandlore (Su) Norrags possess little in the way of direct magical ability, but they have a surpassing ability to craft wands from magical wood that they can then employ. A norrag chooses a virtual list of "spells known" (using the bard's spells known progression and the norrag's total character level) which it can employ with its Craft Wand feat to create wands as though the norrag was a spellcaster of appropriate level. Despite this ability, norrags do not have any inherent link to the wand once it is crafted, and must still meet the normal requisites to use a wand or bypass them via Use Magic Device.

Spoiler: Wandlore Spells

Show

0th Level
arcane mark
caltrops^SC
create water
cure minor wounds
dancing lights
dawn^SC
daze
detect magic
detect poison
flare
ghostharp^SC
ghost sound
instant search^SC
know direction
launch item^SC
light
lullaby
mage hand
mending
message
minor disguise^SC
naturewatch^SC
open/close
prestidigitation
purify food and drink
ray of frost
read magic
resistance
silent portal^SC
songbird^SC
sonic snap^SC
stick^SC
summon instrument
touch of fatigue

1st Level
accelerated movement^SC
alarm
animate fire^SC
animate rope
animate water^SC
animate wood^SC
amplify^SC
backbiter^SC
beastland ferocity^SC
benign transposition^SC
branch to branch^SC
buoyant lifting^SC
buzzing bee^SC
calm animals
camouflage^SC
cause fear
charm animal
charm person
comprehend languages
cheat^SC
climb walls^SC
cloudburst^SC
color spray
command
cure light wounds
dead end^SC
deathwatch
detect animals or plants
detect law
detect secret doors
detect snares and pits
detect undead
disguise self
dispel ward^SC
distort speech^SC
distract^SC
endure elements
enrage animal^SC
entangle
entropic shield
erase
expeditious retreat
faerie fire
feather fall
focusing chant^SC
goodberry
grease
greater mage hand^SC
guiding light^SC
hawkeye^SC
healthful rest^SC
herald's call^SC
hide from animals
hideous laughter
hold portal
horrible taste^SC
hypnotism
improvisation^SC
incite^SC
inhibit^SC
insidious rhythm^SC
instant locksmith^SC
ironthunder horn^SC
joyful noise^SC
jump
lesser confusion
longstrider
low-light vision^SC
luminous gaze^SC
magic aura
magic missile
magic mouth
magic stone
magic weapon
master's touch^SC
moon lust^SC
nerveskitter^SC
net of shadows^SC
nightshield^SC
obscure object
obscuring mist
omen of peril^SC
pass without trace
phantom threat^SC
portal beacon^SC
protection from law
ray of clumsiness^SC
reduce person
remove fear
remove scent^SC
resist planar alignment^SC
sanctuary
sandblast^SC
scatterspray^SC
serene visage^SC
shillelagh
shock and awe^SC
sign^SC
silent image
sleep
slow burn^SC
snake's swiftness^SC
snowshoes^SC
speak with animals
sticky fingers^SC
summon nature's ally I
swift expeditious retreat^SC
swift invisibility^SC
targeting ray^SC
undersong^SC
undetectable alignment
unseen servant
updraft^SC
ventriloquism
winter chill^SC
wood wose^SC

2nd Level
alter self
animal messenger
animal trance
augury
aura against flame^SC
avoid planar effects^SC
baleful transposition^SC
barkskin
binding winds^SC
blinding spittle^SC
blur
bonefiddle^SC
brambles^SC
briar web^SC
burrow^SC
calm emotions
cat's grace
circle dance^SC
cloak pool^SC
cloud of bewilderment^SC
continual flame
countermoon^SC
cure moderate wounds
curse of ill fortune^SC
curse of impending blades^SC
daggerspell stance^SC
dark way^SC
darkness
daze monster
delay poison
delusions of grandeur^SC
detect thoughts
discern shapechanger^SC
discolor pool^SC
dissonant chant^SC
distracting ray^SC
eagle's splendor
earthbind^SC
easy trail^SC
embrace the wild^SC
enthrall
entice gift^SC
find traps
fog cloud
fox's cunning
ghost touch armor^SC
glitterdust
grace^SC
greater alarm^SC
gust of wind
harmonic chorus^SC
healing sting^SC
hold animal
hold person
heartfire^SC
hypnotic pattern
invisibility
kelpstrand^SC
knock
know vulnerabilities^SC
lesser spell immunity^SC
levitate
lively step^SC
locate object
make whole
malevolent miasma^SC
mark of the outcast^SC
marked object
mass camouflage^SC
mass snake's swiftness^SC
mesmerizing glare^SC
mindless rage^SC
minor image
mirror image
misdirection
miser's envy^SC
nature's favor^SC
nightmare lullaby^SC
one with the land^SC
phantom foe^SC
phantom trap
portal alarm^SC
protection from arrows
quick potion^SC
rage
ray of stupidity^SC
ray of weakness^SC
reduce animal
reflective disguise^SC
remove paralysis
scent^SC
shadow mask^SC
share husk^SC
silence
snare
sonorous hum^SC
speak to allies^SC
spider climb
status
sting ray^SC
stolen breath^SC
suggestion
summon nature's ally II
surefooted stride^SC
swift fly^SC
swim^SC
tongues
touch of idiocy
train animal^SC
tree shape
veil of shadow^SC
warp wood
wave of grief^SC
weapon shift^SC
whispering wind
winter's embrace^SC
wood shape
zone of truth

3rd Level
air breathing^SC
allegro^SC
analyze portal^SC
anticipate teleportation^SC
attune form^SC
bestow curse
blink
capricious zephyr^SC
charm monster
clairaudience/clairvoyance
cone of dimness
confusion
creaking cacophony^SC
create food and water
crumble^SC
crushing despair
cure serious wounds
daylight
deep slumber
deeper darkness
dirge of discord^SC
dispel magic
displacement
dissonant chord^SC
dominate animal
downdraft^SC
entangling staff^SC
false gravity^SC
fear
flashburst^SC
forestfold^SC
g'elsewhere chant^SC
gaseous form
ghost touch weapon^SC
giant's wrath^SC
glibness
glyph of warding
great thunderclap^SC
haunting tune^SC
helping hand
interplanar message^SC
invisibility purge
invisibility sphere
know opponent^SC
lesser geas
lesser telepathic bond^SC
listening coin^SC
love's lament^SC
major image
mark of the hunter^SC
mass curse of impending blades^SC
mass snowshoes^SC
nature's balance^SC
nauseating breath^SC
phantasmal decoy^SC
phantom steed
puppeteer^SC
quench
ray of dizziness^SC
remove curse
reverse arrows^SC
rust ray^SC
safety^SC
scrying
sculpt sound
see invisibility
servant horde^SC
shadow binding^SC
shadow cache^SC
shadow phase^SC
shrink page
sign of sealing^SC
sink^SC
sleet storm
slow
speak with animals
speak with plants
speechlink^SC
spiderskin^SC
spikes^SC
summon nature's ally III
suppress breath weapon^SC
suppress glyph^SC
suspended silence^SC
thornskin^SC
tiny hut
treasure scent^SC
tremor^SC
unluck^SC
vine mine^SC
water breathing
water walk
weather eye^SC
wind wall

4th Level
air walk
antiplant shell
arcane eye
assay spell resistance^SC
astral hospice^SC
backlash^SC
break enchantment
cacophonic shield^SC
celebration^SC
command plants
detect scrying
dimension door
dimensional anchor
discern lies
dismissal
dispelling screen^SC
dominate person
essence of the raptor^SC
ethereal mount^SC
freedom of movement
fugue^SC
glowing orb^SC
greater invisibility
greater resistance^SC
hallucinatory terrain
hold monster
illusory wall
implacable pursuer^SC
improved portal alarm^SC
land womb^SC
languor^SC
lay of the land^SC
legend lore
locate creature
make manifest^SC
mass reduce person
mass surefooted stride^SC
mass swim^SC
minor creation
modify memory
neutralize poison
panacea^SC
planar tolerance^SC
poison vines^SC
protégé^SC
rainbow pattern
ray deflection^SC
ray of deanimation^SC
repel vermin
ruin delver's fortune^SC
rusting grasp
scramble portal^SC
secure shelter
sending
sensory deprivation^SC
shadow conjuration
sirine's grace^SC
spark of life^SC
spectral weapon^SC
spell enhancer^SC
spell immunity
spell vulnerability^SC
starvation^SC
stone shatter^SC
sudden stalagmite^SC
summon nature's ally IV
translocation trick^SC
voice of the dragon^SC
wind at back^SC
zone of silence

Skills A norrag has a +4 racial bonus on Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (nature) checks involving fey, fey sites, the Plane of Faerie, fey-related magic, and wands. A norrag has a +4 racial bonus on Use Magic Device checks to use a wand.

Norrag Characters

• -4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, +2 Charisma. Norrags are otherworldly and nimble, but have frail physiques.
• Small size.
• Fey type: Norrags are unaffected by spells that only affect humanoids. Norrags have low-light vision.
• Norrag base speed is 30 ft.
• +4 racial bonus on Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (nature) checks involving fey, fey sites, the Plane of Faerie, fey-related magic, and wands. Norrags may make such checks as though trained. A norrag has a +4 racial bonus on Use Magic Device checks to use a wand and can always make Use Magic Device checks as though trained.
• Norrags gain Craft Wand as a bonus feat.
• Cold Iron Vulnerability: as above
• Cross Boundary: as above
• Fey Heartline: as above
• Lingering Sight: as above
• Portal Link: as above
• Wand Charge: as above
• Wandlore: as above
• Racial Proficiencies: Norrags are proficient with simple weapons and short swords. Norrags are proficient with light armor.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Sylvan. Bonus Languages: Abyssal, Aquan, Auran, Celestial, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Goblin, Gnoll, Gnome, Infernal, Treant, Tuilvalanuue, Undercommon
• Favored Class: Sorcerer
• Level Adjustment: +0

[afroakuma]

Sea Norrag
Sea norrag 1st-level Warrior
Small Fey (Aquatic)
HD 1d6+1 (4 hp)
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares), swim 60 ft.
Init: +1
AC 15; touch 12; flat-footed 14 (+3 shell armor, +1 Dex, +1 size)
BAB +0; Grp -6
Attack Short sword +3 melee (1d4-2, 19-20/x2)
Full Attack Short sword +3 melee (1d4-2, 19-20/x2)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks Cross boundary
Special Qualities Amphibious, cold iron vulnerability, fey heartline, lingering sight, portal link, wand charge, wandlore
Saves Fort +1 Ref +3 Will +2
Abilities Str 6, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills Knowledge (arcana) +6, Knowledge (nature) +6, Listen +4, Spellcraft +4, Spot +4, Swim 10*, Tumble +4, Use Magic Device +7
Feats Craft Wand^B, Weapon Finesse
Environment Any aquatic
Organization Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating 1/2
Treasure Standard plus random 0th- or 1st-level wand with 2d4 charges remaining
Alignment Usually chaotic neutral
Advancement by class; Favored Class Druid
Level Adjustment +0

Some of the paths between Faerie and the Prime are linked to bodies of water, and the custodians of the boundary go where they are needed. Thus the sea norrags, who inhabit lakes, ponds and coastlines, constructing wands of coral, shell, and pearl with which to conduct their fey magic.

A norrag stands 3 to 4 feet tall and weighs around 35 to 50 lbs., appearing as an adult elf, but shorter and with a leaner, more slight build. Sea norrag feathers may appear more like thin trailing fins or strands of kelp, and their hair is generally lighter than their land-based brethren. Their skin resembles sand with swirls of darker hues. A norrag's fingers are disproportionately long and fragile, and have an extra joint - those of sea norrags are also slightly webbed. Norrag eyes are smooth and featureless orbs of black or a solid dark hue such as midnight blue, deep green, or crimson. A sea norrag is somewhat ungainly on land. Their bodies occasionally pick up calcifications on the skin that give seashell patterns and can result in iridescent patches.

Unlike their more common cousins, sea norrags are somewhat alienated from the Seelie Court and frequently keep their own counsel. They are notably less outgoing as a general rule, eat fish and other sea creatures live, and are predisposed to hide and lurk when presented with a new situation. More than one observer has noted them to be eerie and off-putting, and they have been associated with traps laid by kelpies and the vanishing of sailors.

Amphibious (Ex) Sea norrags breathe normally in air and water.

Cold Iron Vulnerability (Su) As norrag.

Cross Boundary (Su) As norrag.

Fey Heartline (Su) As norrag. A sea norrag's call can broadcast in Aquan instead of Sylvan, at the sea norrag's discretion.

Lingering Sight (Su) As norrag.

Portal Link (Su) As norrag.

Wand Charge (Su) As norrag.

Wandlore (Su) Sea norrags have a slightly different list of spells they can know with this ability, which otherwise is the same as the norrag ability of the same name.

Spoiler: Wandlore Spells

Show

0th Level
acid splash
arcane mark
create water
dancing lights
daze
detect magic
detect poison
flare
ghostharp^SC
ghost sound
inflict minor wounds
instant search^SC
know direction
launch item^SC
light
lullaby
mage hand
mending
message
minor disguise^SC
naturewatch^SC
open/close
prestidigitation
read magic
resistance
silent portal^SC
songbird^SC
sonic snap^SC
stick^SC
summon instrument
touch of fatigue

1st Level
accelerated movement^SC
alarm
animate rope
animate water^SC
animate wood^SC
amplify^SC
backbiter^SC
beastland ferocity^SC
benign transposition^SC
buoyant lifting^SC
calm animals
camouflage^SC
cause fear
charm animal
charm person
comprehend languages
cheat^SC
climb walls^SC
cloudburst^SC
color spray
command
dead end^SC
deathwatch
detect animals or plants
detect law
detect secret doors
detect snares and pits
detect undead
disguise self
dispel ward^SC
distort speech^SC
distract^SC
endure elements
enrage animal^SC
entangle
entropic shield
erase
expeditious retreat
faerie fire
feather fall
focusing chant^SC
grease
greater mage hand^SC
guiding light^SC
hawkeye^SC
healthful rest^SC
herald's call^SC
hide from animals
hideous laughter
hold portal
horrible taste^SC
hypnotism
improvisation^SC
incite^SC
inhibit^SC
insidious rhythm^SC
instant locksmith^SC
ironthunder horn^SC
jump
kuo-toa skin^Sw
lesser confusion
low-light vision^SC
luminous gaze^SC
magic aura
magic missile
magic mouth
magic stone
magic weapon
master's touch^SC
moon lust^SC
nerveskitter^SC
net of shadows^SC
nightshield^SC
obscure object
obscuring mist
omen of peril^SC
pass without trace
phantom threat^SC
portal beacon^SC
protection from law
quickswim^Sw
ray of clumsiness^SC
reduce person
remove fear
remove scent^SC
resist planar alignment^SC
sanctuary
sandblast^SC
scatterspray^SC
serene visage^SC
shillelagh
shock and awe^SC
sign^SC
silent image
sleep
snake's swiftness^SC
speak with animals
sticky fingers^SC
summon nature's ally I
swift expeditious retreat^SC
swift invisibility^SC
targeting ray^SC
undersong^SC
undetectable alignment
unseen servant
updraft^SC
ventriloquism
wave blessing^Sw
webfoot^Sw
wood wose^SC

2nd Level
alter self
animal messenger
animal trance
augury
avoid planar effects^SC
baleful transposition^SC
barkskin
blinding spittle^SC
blur
bonefiddle^SC
brambles^SC
briar web^SC
calm emotions
cat's grace
circle dance^SC
cloak pool^SC
cloud of bewilderment^SC
continual flame
countermoon^SC
curse of ill fortune^SC
curse of impending blades^SC
daggerspell stance^SC
dark way^SC
darkness
daze monster
delay poison
delusions of grandeur^SC
detect thoughts
discern shapechanger^SC
discolor pool^SC
dissonant chant^SC
distracting ray^SC
eagle's splendor
earthbind^SC
easy trail^SC
embrace the wild^SC
enthrall
entice gift^SC
find traps
fins to feet^Sw
fog cloud
fox's cunning
ghost touch armor^SC
glitterdust
grace^SC
greater alarm^SC
gust of wind
harmonic chorus^SC
healing sting^SC
hold animal
hold person
hypnotic pattern
invisibility
jig of the waves^Sw
kelpstrand^SC
knock
know vulnerabilities^SC
lesser spell immunity^SC
levitate
lively step^SC
locate object
make whole
malevolent miasma^SC
mark of the outcast^SC
marked object
mass camouflage^SC
mass snake's swiftness^SC
mesmerizing glare^SC
mindless rage^SC
minor image
mirror image
misdirection
miser's envy^SC
nature's favor^SC
nightmare lullaby^SC
phantom foe^SC
phantom trap
portal alarm^SC
pressure sphere^Sw
protection from arrows
quick potion^SC
rage
ray of stupidity^SC
ray of weakness^SC
reduce animal
reflective disguise^SC
remove paralysis
scent^SC
shadow mask^SC
share husk^SC
silence
snare
sonorous hum^SC
speak to allies^SC
spider climb
status
sting ray^SC
stolen breath^SC
suggestion
summon nature's ally II
surefooted stride^SC
swift fly^SC
swim^SC
tongues
touch of idiocy
train animal^SC
tree shape
turbidity^Sw
urchin's spines^Sw
veil of shadow^SC
warp wood
wave of grief^SC
weapon shift^SC
whispering wind
winter's embrace^SC
wood shape
zone of truth

3rd Level
air breathing^SC
allegro^SC
analyze portal^SC
anticipate teleportation^SC
attune form^SC
bestow curse
blink
capricious zephyr^SC
charm monster
clairaudience/clairvoyance
cone of dimness
confusion
creaking cacophony^SC
create food and water
crumble^SC
crushing despair
daylight
deep slumber
deeper darkness
detect ship^Sw
dirge of discord^SC
dispel magic
displacement
dissonant chord^SC
dominate animal
downdraft^SC
entangling staff^SC
false gravity^SC
fear
flashburst^SC
g'elsewhere chant^SC
gaseous form
ghost touch weapon^SC
giant's wrath^SC
glibness
glyph of warding
great thunderclap^SC
haunting tune^SC
helping hand
interplanar message^SC
invisibility purge
invisibility sphere
know opponent^SC
lesser geas
lesser telepathic bond^SC
listening coin^SC
love's lament^SC
major image
mark of the hunter^SC
mass curse of impending blades^SC
nature's balance^SC
nauseating breath^SC
phantasmal decoy^SC
phantom steed
puppeteer^SC
quench
ray of dizziness^SC
remove curse
reverse arrows^SC
roar of the waves^Sw
rust ray^SC
safety^SC
scales of the sealord^Sw
scrying
sculpt sound
see invisibility
servant horde^SC
shadow binding^SC
shadow cache^SC
shadow phase^SC
shrink page
sign of sealing^SC
sink^SC
sirine's call^Sw
sleet storm
slow
speak with animals
speak with plants
speechlink^SC
spikes^SC
summon nature's ally III
suppress breath weapon^SC
suppress glyph^SC
suspended silence^SC
tiny hut
treasure scent^SC
unluck^SC
water breathing
water walk
weather eye^SC
wind wall

4th Level
air walk
antiplant shell
arcane eye
assay spell resistance^SC
astral hospice^SC
backlash^SC
break enchantment
cacophonic shield^SC
celebration^SC
command plants
control currents^Sw
detect scrying
dimension door
dimensional anchor
discern lies
dismissal
dispelling screen^SC
dominate person
essence of the raptor^SC
ethereal mount^SC
flowsight^Sw
freedom of movement
fugue^SC
glowing orb^SC
greater invisibility
greater resistance^SC
hallucinatory terrain
hold monster
illusory wall
implacable pursuer^SC
improved portal alarm^SC
land womb^SC
languor^SC
lay of the land^SC
legend lore
locate creature
make manifest^SC
mass reduce person
mass surefooted stride^SC
mass swim^SC
minor creation
modify memory
neutralize poison
panacea^SC
planar tolerance^SC
poison vines^SC
protégé^SC
rainbow pattern
ray deflection^SC
ray of deanimation^SC
repel vermin
ruin delver's fortune^SC
rusting grasp
scramble portal^SC
secure shelter
sending
sensory deprivation^SC
shadow conjuration
sirine's grace^SC
spark of life^SC
spectral weapon^SC
spell enhancer^SC
spell immunity
spell vulnerability^SC
starvation^SC
stone shatter^SC
sudden stalagmite^SC
summon nature's ally IV
thalassemia^Sw
translocation trick^SC
voice of the dragon^SC
wake trailing^Sw
wind at back^SC
zone of silence

Skills A sea norrag has a +4 racial bonus on Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (nature) checks involving fey, fey sites, the Plane of Faerie, fey-related magic, and wands. A sea norrag has a +4 racial bonus on Use Magic Device checks to use a wand. A sea norrag has a +8 racial bonus to Swim checks.

Norrag Characters

• -4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution. Sea norrags are more resilient than their land cousins, but eerie and insular.
• Small size.
• Fey type: Norrags are unaffected by spells that only affect humanoids. Norrags have low-light vision.
• Sea norrag base speed is 20 ft.
• Sea norrag base swim speed is 60 ft.
• +4 racial bonus on Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (nature) checks involving fey, fey sites, the Plane of Faerie, fey-related magic, and wands. Sea norrags may make such checks as though trained. A sea norrag has a +4 racial bonus on Use Magic Device checks to use a wand and can always make Use Magic Device checks as though trained.
• +8 racial bonus on Swim checks.
• Sea norrags gain Craft Wand as a bonus feat.
• Amphibious: as above
• Cold Iron Vulnerability: as above
• Cross Boundary: as above
• Fey Heartline: as above
• Lingering Sight: as above
• Portal Link: as above
• Wand Charge: as above
• Wandlore: as above
• Racial Proficiencies: Norrags are proficient with simple weapons and short swords. Norrags are proficient with light armor.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Aquan. Bonus Languages: Abyssal, Auran, Celestial, Draconic, Elven, Infernal, Sahuagin, Sylvan, Undercommon
• Favored Class: Druid
• Level Adjustment: +0

[afroakuma]

Latha
Large Outsider (Chaotic, Evil, Extraplanar, Obyrith)
HD 11d8+66 (115 hp)
Speed 5 ft. (1 square), fly 30 ft. (poor)
Init: +8
AC 21; touch 9; flat-footed 17 (+8 natural, +4 Int, -1 size)
BAB +11; Grp +15
Attack Feeler +11 melee (2d6+5 and poison)
Full Attack 2 feelers +11 melee (2d6+5 and poison)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks Form of madness, poison, soul violation, spell-like abilities, swallow whole
Special Qualities Bleed eyes, darkvision 60 ft., DR 10/cold iron and lawful, fast healing 5, immune to blindness, observation, obyrith traits, perceptual travel, telepathy 100 ft., true seeing
Saves Fort +13 Ref +11 Will +11
Abilities Str 20, Dex 5, Con 22, Int 18, Wis 19, Cha 17
Skills Appraise +18, Balance +11, Bluff +17, Climb +19, Concentration +20, Disguise +17, Intimidate +17, Knowledge (the planes) +18, Listen +18, Search +22, Sense Motive +18, Spot +22,
Feats Ability Focus (demonic possession^FCI), Ability Focus (perceptual travel), Hover, Improved Initiative
Environment Infinite Layers of the Abyss
Organization Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating 10
Treasure Half standard
Alignment Always chaotic evil
Advancement 12-22 HD (Large); 23-33 HD (Huge)

At first glance, a latha could be mistaken for an enormous gastropod, a slimy bed of blackened and leathery flesh topped by an engorged mound of bloated, pulsating white goo, the whole dragged forward by two long, thin, probing feelers where a snail's eyestalks would be. Only when it rises into the air does the dark orifice on its back become apparent, a vertical gash filled with teeming black orbs that twitch and writhe. The whole gives the effect of a gigantic eye infested with some kind of awful black maggots in its depths.

Lathas are ancient and terrible demons fueled by a hedonistic and driving curiosity. Faced with the ordered multiverse, they are determined to see as much of it as they can to exhaust their curiosity and assuage their boredom. Lathas do not limit themselves to a mortal's version of curiosity, however - they will intrude, dissect, probe, and devour, violating every boundary as they seek to slake their lust for knowledge and experience. Many lathas enjoy using possession in order to expand their reach (see rules in Fiendish Codex I, pp.21-26) and savor new ways of bringing everything that multiverse has to offer into their grasp.

Bleed Eyes (Ex) When a latha suffers 5 or more damage from a slashing or piercing weapon, the membranes of its flesh discharge a thin clear slime containing several sticky black orbs, which are the latha's eyes. A latha gets a +2 insight bonus to AC against further attacks made with that weapon. As the eye adheres to the weapon that struck the blow, this property has no effect on a ranged weapon. As a full-round action, a weapon may be scrubbed of the little eyes using alcohol, axiomatic water, holy water, or universal solvent. The eyes also remain in the place where the latha was wounded, allowing it to see in a 5 ft. radius around the square where it was originally injured. The eyes go inert after 1 hour.

As lathas do not have conventional blood, spells and effects that would affect or manipulate blood have no effect on a latha.

Form of Madness (Su) A creature within 60 ft. that observes a latha must attempt a DC 18 Will save. Failure indicates that the creature has been seized with a revulsion for its own capacity to see. After 1d4 rounds have passed, the creature must spend its next available action attempting to remove its own eyes, and will continue committing to that course of action until blinded. An affected victim whose sight is removed through a less destructive method (blindfolding, blindness spell, etc.) will be calm for 1d4 days before the madness escalates, at which point - regardless of ability to see - the victim will attempt to put its eyes out once more, as even feeling their presence has become intolerable. Removing an eye deals 1d6 damage and imposes a -8 penalty to Search and Spot checks.

Regardless of whether or not a creature has eyes, any creature perceiving the latha who fails its Will save also suffers 1d4 Wisdom drain.

The madness can be cured by heal, greater restoration, miracle, or wish, though the former two will not repair any eyes that have been gouged out. Regenerate can recover removed and destroyed eyes for a victim, though unless the madness has been healed, doing so will only prompt the victim to attempt to remove the newly regenerated eyes. Remove blindness and similar effects are of no use for restoring sight lost by the removal of eyes. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Observation (Ex) Lathas observe and recall in vast detail, constantly studying everything around them with their myriad eyes and probing with their feelers. A latha's understanding of the world is complex and subtle, allowing the latha to use its Intelligence modifier in place of its Dexterity modifier on initiative checks, ranged attack rolls, AC, and Reflex saves. Any time a latha would be denied its Dex bonus to AC, its Int bonus is also denied - the latha must be capable of reacting in order to make effective use of prior observations.

Obyrith Traits Obyriths are immune to poison and mind-affecting spells and abilities. Obyriths have resistance to acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10, and fire 10.

Perceptual Travel (Su) Once per round as a swift action, a latha may attempt to apply its warped perception of reality to its own location. The latha selects any place it can currently see. Creatures within 30 ft. of that point may make a Will save (DC 21). If any creature fails this save, the latha has successfully imposed its perception on local reality, and teleports to the chosen position. The save DC is Int-based.

Poison (Ex) Contact, Fortitude DC 21, initial damage 2d4 Dex, secondary damage 1d10 Wis. The save DC is Con-based. A creature striking the latha with an unarmed strike or natural attack makes contact with the poison on its body.

Soul Violation (Su) A creature swallowed by a latha suffers from a horrible affliction, as the thousands of slimy eyes probe every aspect of the creature's existence. Even if removed from the bowels of the demon, a victim of this ability can no longer benefit from the effects of spells and abilities that would conceal its presence, location, or nature from magical detection (nondetection, undetectable alignment, misdirection, etc.) Spells and abilities which conceal or disguise the victim's presence, location or nature from conventional detection (disguise self, invisibility, use of the Hide skill) continue to function. After 1d10 days, the victim must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 21) or turn to stone as their essence has been utterly probed to its last mote of independent existence by the residual effects of the latha's sight, as flesh to stone - however, stone to flesh will not free the victim unless the soul violation has been released. Dispel evil, wish, or miracle are required to end this effect.

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp) At will - arcane eye, clairvoyance, ray of enfeeblement. 3/day - hold person (DC 16), prying eyes. 1/day - eyebite (DC 19), magic jar (DC 18). Caster level 11th, save DCs Cha-based.

Swallow Whole (Ex) A latha can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of Medium or smaller size by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the opponent takes 2d6+5 points of crushing damage per round and is afflicted with soul violation. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by dealing 10 points of damage to the latha's innards (AC 15) or attempt to climb out through the main orifice by making a successful grapple check against the latha at a -4 penalty. If a creature has emerged via cutting its way out, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. A latha can hold one Medium, two Small, or four Tiny or smaller creatures.

Skills A latha has a +4 racial bonus on Search and Spot checks.

[Tzardok]

Right, because we need even more evil eye monsters.

I like the Form of Madness, feels really evil. I also have the sudden desire to crossbreed this thing with a beholder, just to see what comes out.

[afroakuma]

Powl
Powl 1st-level Warrior
Small Fey
HD 1d6 (3 hp)
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)
Init: +4
AC 13; touch 11; flat-footed 13 (+1 armor, +1 shield, +1 size)
BAB +1; Grp +2
Attack Club +2 melee (1d6+1)
Full Attack 2 clubs -2 melee (1d6+1)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks -
Special Qualities Cold iron vulnerability, false tracks, gangly build, gnaw stone, powl mark, shillelagh, smell hunger, stick block
Saves Fort +0 Ref +2 Will +2
Abilities Str 12, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 11
Skills Balance +4, Climb +7, Hide +8, Survival +4, Use Rope +2
Feats Improved Initiative, Two-Weapon Fighting^B
Environment Any plains, hills, and forest
Organization Solitary or brigade (4-16)
Challenge Rating 1/2
Treasure Standard
Alignment Usually chaotic (any)
Advancement by class; Favored Class Ranger
Level Adjustment +0

Low-level grunts of Faerie, powls (rhymes with howl) are known by many names in the rural lands they favor - knockmen, nain-ogres, coneyhops, knot-goblins - but are often sneeringly referred to by other fey, regardless of relative size, as "runts". Although a powl in truth bears little resemblance to a pug, the similarities are there with a stretch of the imagination - just below the height of a dwarf, powls have squashed faces, button noses, wide-set bulging eyes, and an overly large mouth. Their hair is invariably a shade of red, generally bright, and does not grow along the sides of their heads, making their whippet-like ears all the more apparent. What most immediately distinguishes a powl, however, is that its arms are quite long, muscular, and slightly lopsided.

Powls serve in various menial functions in fey society, generally jobs that let them work alone and employ their strength and flexibility to something simple and enjoyable. Many powls, however, grow bored with the idea of doing a thing for the sake of others because it is expected of them, and opt to amble away from their roles to do their own thing. This being Faerie, nobody misses a given powl for very long. "There's always another powl" is a popular saying among the fey elite.

Powls are found among both the Seelie and Unseelie, with many more unaffiliated. They are typically creatures of simple goals and comforts, who like to leave their mark and make their presence known, but are not keen on sticking around to deal with people. Evil powls can be foul and brutish ruffians who haunt and terrorize for their own amusement, while good-aligned powls may leave a few rabbits on the stoop of a hungry family. The knock on the door that heralds a powl's gift gave rise to one of their popular nicknames, though the powl has usually hidden or climbed a tree by the time someone checks the door.

Powls eat small game, roots, and fish, as well as gnawing on the occasional bit of stone. They enjoy ropes and may trade for a length of well-made cord. A powl is slightly taller than a gnome and much more stout. Most powls encountered are male, though tales tell of run-ins with female powls with quick tempers and hefty cudgels.

Cold Iron Vulnerability (Ex) Powls, like many other fey, are averse to cold iron. When struck with a cold iron weapon, a powl suffers an additional 1d6 damage on a successful attack. A powl wearing a cold iron item or holding one in hand is sickened until it is at least 5 ft. away from their person.

False Tracks (Ex) A powl's feet naturally mimic the footprint of a small animal, generally a dog, rabbit, fox, badger, or weasel. Each powl's feet mimic one specific animal, which does not change during their lifetime. This imposes a +5 adjustment to the DC of any Knowledge (nature) checks to identify the tracks of a powl, as well as a +2 adjustment to the DC of Survival checks to track a powl, as random animal tracks are likely to confound the issue. Powls wearing shoes or other footwear leave appropriate tracks as normal.

Gangly Build (Ex) Powls have long and lopsided arms, which they can actually shift back and forth (switching which is the longer arm) with a shrug of their shoulders. While this uneven length confers no additional reach, it does allow a powl to grapple and to comfortably wield weapons as though it was one size category larger. This ability also qualifies as the prerequisite Dexterity score for any non-epic two-weapon fighting feat, including but not limited to Double Hit^Mini, Dual Strike^CAdv, Greater Two-Weapon Defense^CW, Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, Haft Strike^DR331, Improved Two-Weapon Defense^CW, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Oversized Two-Weapon Fighting^CAdv, Pin Shield^CW, Two-Weapon Defense, Two-Weapon Pounce^PHBII, and Two-Weapon Rend^PHBII. A powl must still meet all other prerequisites to select one of these feats.

Gnaw Stone (Ex) Powls require a bit of rock in their diet to remain healthy, or else they suffer the penalty for going hungry. A powl's broad, flat teeth are nearly useless in a combat capacity, but when directed against objects, a powl has a bite attack that deals 1d4 damage and ignores the hardness of any kind of nonmagical rock or stone. Wood, metal, and packed earth, among other materials, retain their full hardness against this bite, generally rendering it useless.

Powl Mark (Sp) Once per day a powl may leave an arcane mark which may be made either visible to fey, or visible only to powls, at the powl's discretion, as the spell cast by a 1st-level sorcerer.

Shillelagh (Sp) Powls favor clubs and quarterstaffs in combat, for they have the magical ability to enchant them with ferocious heft as the spell shillelagh. A powl can use this ability for 1 minute per day per hit die it possesses (including from class levels). These minutes need not be consecutive, but must be spent in one-minute increments. Extra time not used is wasted.

Smell Hunger (Su) Powls have the supernatural ability to smell the hunger of other beings. This functions as the scent ability, except that ranges are doubled if the creature being scented is carnivorous and that a creature which is currently sated (not experiencing hunger) gives off no odor to smell. This odor can alert a powl to prey or threats, and scenting a hungry creature provides the powl a +2 insight bonus to initiative checks made when encountering that creature within 1 minute of catching the odor. The smell of hunger is supernatural and is given off even by mindless and nonliving creatures (note that undead who do not feed on flesh or blood but rather on life energy, ability scores, etc. do not qualify as carnivorous for the purpose of determining range). Oozes do not trigger this ability. Wooden and packed soil barriers do not block the smell of hunger, though stone, metal, ice, and other similarly solid materials do.

Stick Block (Ex) Powls favor durable wooden bludgeoning weapons in their combat style, and know how to use them for defense as well as offense. A powl holding a light bludgeoning weapon in its off hand gets a +1 shield bonus to AC. A powl wielding a double weapon instead gets a +2 shield bonus to AC, as it can block with the haft as well as the anterior end.

Skills A powl has a +2 racial bonus to Climb and Hide.

Powl Characters

Powls possess the following racial traits:

• +2 Strength, -4 Intelligence. Powls are surprisingly strong for their size but generally uncurious about detail and not terribly bright.
• Small size.
• A powl's base speed is 20 ft.
• Fey type: Powls are unaffected by spells that only affect humanoids. Powls have low-light vision.
• +2 racial bonus to Climb and Hide checks.
• A powl receives Two-Weapon Fighting as a bonus feat.
• Cold Iron Vulnerability: as above
• False Tracks: as above
• Gangly Build: as above
• Gnaw Stone: as above
• Powl Mark: as above
• Shillelagh: as above
• Smell Hunger: as above
• Stick Block: as above
• Automatic Languages: Common, Sylvan. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Gol-kaa, Halfling.
• Favored Class: Ranger
• Level Adjustment: +0

[afroakuma]

Arix
Medium Monstrous Humanoid
HD 2d8+2 (11 hp)
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Init: +1
AC 17; touch 11; flat-footed 16 (+4 natural, +2 armor, +1 Dex)
BAB +2; Grp +4
Attack Cold iron crúcatéad +5 melee (1d6+2, x3)
Full Attack Cold iron crúcatéad +5 melee (1d6+2, x3) and braid blade ^DU120 +2 melee (1d3+1, 18-20/x2)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with crúcatéad)
Special Attacks Phantom threat
Special Qualities Darkvision 60 ft., feyward, horrible taste, scent
Saves Fort +1 Ref +4 Will +6
Abilities Str 14, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 9
Skills Knowledge (nature) +4*, Listen +8*, Sense Motive +6, Spellcraft +4*, Spot -1*, Tumble +6
Feats Blind-Fight^B, Iron Will^B, Weapon Focus (crúcatéad)
Environment Cold and temperate hills and forests
Organization Solitary, trio (3), or pack (5-12)
Challenge Rating 2
Treasure Standard
Alignment Usually neutral evil
Advancement by class; Favored Class Warblade^ToB
Level Adjustment +1

Rarely seen by most races, arix keep to themselves whenever possible, chiefly disinterested in the goings-on of others as long as they do not truck with the fey. More than anything else, arix utterly despise fey of any kind, and will make ferocious efforts to hunt down and murder fey in their lands whenever possible.

An arix resembles an anthropomorphic goat, standing some 7 ft. tall fully erect but nearly always carrying itself slightly hunched. A thick mane of rusty reddish, brown, or black hair is usually tied into a single long braid attached to a blade at the end. Their hands and feet resemble bird talons, and around their back and shoulders grow dark reddish, brown, or black feathers. The nostrils of an arix are unusually long and vertical, resembling outward-pointing curly brackets, and their eyes are a uniform black with an odd gray thread crossing them horizontally. The arix language sounds like a mix of bird shrieks and guttural low rumbles, and is notably difficult for non-arix to speak properly.

Arix tracks are difficult to identify as belonging to arix (+4 DC) and may be mistaken for griffon tracks or the tracks of a large bird.

Arix dislike travelling in pairs; they need to be able to form a majority opinion lest they otherwise fall to infighting. They are not fond of stealth and are generally abrasive and overly forward. Nevertheless, arix are generally content to defend their territory with words before violence, and can be engaged with a bit of diplomacy provided one is not known to be an ally of the fey. Arix are rarely willing to believe in anything they cannot touch and hold firm in their grasp - simply showing an arix something is unlikely to be trusted as evidence, as the arix have a long and unpleasant history of dealing with fey trickery. Besides their knowledge of the fey, arix are also experts at working cold iron to make weapons and other implements, and they have been known to be hired by dwarves from time to time for assistance in locating veins of iron with the requisite purity and working it to the desired application. Arix have a dim view of elves due to their frequent association with fey, as well as a strong dislike of shapeshifters of any kind. An arix always assumes it is in the right, regardless of its alignment - the rare good-aligned arix are just as overbearingly self-righteous as the run-of-the-mill evil arix are self-involved. Arix horns are fragile and shed with some frequency, making them useless for gore attacks. Apart from fey and elves, arix do not like gnolls as a general rule, and they are the mortal enemies of trolls and ettercaps, both of which consider arix flesh quite tasty and both of which hunt down arix as a preferred prey.

In the event that a corporeal undead is created from an arix, it retains the feyward ability. Should that undead creature possess flesh, it also retains its horrible taste ability - death and decay do the odious flavor of the arix no favors.

Feyward (Ex) Some believe that arix eat small amounts of cold iron as part of their diet; others that their hatred for fey runs so deep in their blood that at has imbued them with properties antithetical to fey. Regardless of the truth, an arix enjoys a +2 deflection bonus to AC against attacks from fey or creatures and effects conjured by fey magic, and a +2 luck bonus on saving throws against effects generated by fey or creatures and effects conjured by fey magic. An arix who is under the influence of a mind-affecting effect created by a fey or a creature or effect conjured by fey magic may make a new saving throw to break free of that effect each round even if they would otherwise not be entitled to do so. Arix are not able to use magic items crafted by fey.

Horrible Taste (Ex) The oily hair and flesh of an arix is considered intensely repugnant by most creatures with the noted exception of ettercaps and trolls. To certain predators including leucrottas, perytons, bearhounds, and most forms of carnivorous plant, arix blood and flesh is actively toxic (equivalent to dark reaver powder, and bypasses the immunities of the plant type). This ability otherwise protects an arix as the horrible taste^SC spell, except that it ignores the poison immunity of plants and treats them as creatures with a sense of taste.

Phantom Threat (Sp) Three times per day as a swift action, an arix can afflict a creature with phantom threat^SC (DC 12, CL equal to character level, minimum 5). The save DC is Int-based.

Scent (Ex) An arix enjoys double the normal range for this ability (60 ft., 120 ft. upwind, 30 ft. downwind) but can only smell animals, dragons, fey, and plants. All fey are treated as possessing a strong smell for this purpose. An arix can gain the scent ability from another source, in which case it enjoys doubled ranges on that ability as well and it can apply to all sources of smell.

Arix possess racial proficiency with the crúcatéad, an exotic weapon resembling a long chain with a vicious hook at the end, not unlike a kusari-gama. The crúcatéad has reach and may also be used against adjacent foes. As the chain can wrap around an enemy's leg or other limb, the wielder can make trip attacks with it. If the wielder is tripped during their own trip attempt, they can drop the crúcatéad to avoid being tripped. When using a crúcatéad, the wielder gets a +2 bonus on opposed attack rolls made to disarm an opponent (including the roll to avoid being disarmed if such an attempt fails). The wielder can use the Weapon Finesse feat to apply their Dexterity modifier instead of their Strength modifier to attack rolls with a crúcatéad sized for them, even though it isn't a light weapon. When landing a hit with the crúcatéad, the wielder may make an opposed grapple check to drag the winner of the check 5 ft. toward the loser.

Arix are also racially proficient with all forms of pick and with the braid blade.

Arix Characters

Arix possess the following racial traits:

• +4 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Con, +2 Int, +2 Wis, -2 Cha. Arix are wiry and tough with sharp and discerning acumen, but their identity is tied up strongly in what they despise rather than their own hopes and ambitions.
• Medium-size.
• An arix's base speed is 30 ft.
• Arix are proficient with all forms of pick, with the crúcatéad, and with the braid blade^DU120. Arix are proficient with light armor.
• An arix treats the crúcatéad as a discipline weapon for the Iron Heart and Tiger Claw disciplines for the purpose of Blade Meditation^ToB and similar abilities.
• Arix have a +4 racial bonus to Craft checks involving cold iron.
• Arix have a +4 racial bonus to Knowledge (nature) checks involving fey and Spellcraft checks involving fey magic, and can make such checks pertaining to fey untrained.
• Arix gain Blind-Fight and Iron Will as bonus feats.
• Arix have a +2 racial bonus to Listen checks, but suffer a -2 racial penalty to Spot checks. Arix do not trust their eyes as fey illusions have long been a thorn in their sides.
• +4 natural armor.
• Racial Hit Dice: An arix begins with two levels of monstrous humanoid, which provide 2d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +2, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +0, Ref +3, and Will +3.
• Racial Skills: An arix's monstrous humanoid levels give it skill points equal to 5 × (2 + Int modifier). Its class skills are Knowledge (nature), Listen, Sense Motive, Survival, and Tumble.
• Racial Feats: An arix's monstrous humanoid levels give it one feat.
• Darkvision 60 ft.
• Feyward: as above
• Horrible Taste: as above
• Phantom Threat: as above.
• Scent: as above.
• Automatic Languages: Arix. Bonus Languages: Common, Dwarven, Elven, Goblin, Orcish, Sylvan, Terran, Tuilvalanuue.
• Favored Class: Warblade^ToB
• Level Adjustment: +1

[afroakuma]

Terror Fish
Tiny Magical Beast
HD 1d10 (5 hp)
Speed 10 ft. (2 squares), swim 30 ft.
Init: +2
AC 15; touch 14; flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +2 size, +1 natural)
BAB +1; Grp -11
Attack -
Full Attack -
Space 2.5 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks Blood gas, terror shriek
Special Qualities Amphibious, darkvision 60 ft., impulse, low-light vision, resistance to sonic 20
Saves Fort +2 Ref +4 Will +2
Abilities Str 3, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 3, Wis 15, Cha 10
Skills Hide +10, Jump +10*, Listen +3, Spot +3, Swim +10*
Feats Dodge
Environment Temperate and warm aquatic, marshes, and forests
Organization Splash (4-10) or boil (11-100)
Challenge Rating 1
Treasure None
Alignment Often neutral
Advancement 1-2 HD (Tiny); 3-6 HD (Small)
Level Adjustment -

Reputable scholars consider "terror fish" to be a vicious misnomer, for the creatures are neither fish nor are they intent on causing terror. Terror fish are small amphibians resembling a cross between an axolotl and a pale white toad, with silvery veins and massively bulging, blood-red eyes. Terror fish acquired the misnomer in part due to the gauzy and iridescent "fins" that trail from their limbs, backs, and tails, assisting in camouflage when splayed out. Indeed, terror fish (properly known as ranabari) spend a good deal of their time stationary with their eyes closed, resembling small chunks of marble or gypsum, with their fins blending in with grass and other nearby plant life. Unlike toads and frogs, terror fish have no tongues. They eat insects and similar prey by making an exaggerated "kiss face" and drawing it in with their lips, causing a temporary pucker while the food is delivered into the oral cavity.

Terror fish are creatures of simple pleasures and benign curiosities. Due to their frightening sound, terror fish generally have tremendously limited contact with humanoids and thus do not particularly recognize them as a threat or hostile presence - indeed, terror fish are often quite calm around just about anything that is not a recognized predator, though water birds of any kind scare them severely. Terror fish are prized by some as pets or familiars, for they are friendly and affectionate, as well as vocal - frequently purring contentedly or making a kind of conversational burbling as they nudge about indulging their curiosity. This may also prove a liability, as terror fish are quite loud (+8 to Listen checks to hear one) relative to their size, and may require training to be quiet in appropriate situations.

Creatures sensitive to sound tend to despise terror fish, for obvious reasons. Locathah consider their flesh a delicacy, as do sahuagin, though tritons and merfolk both dislike the flavor and texture. Terror fish have been found in subterranean lakes where they may be fed on by aboleths, ixzan, and other dwellers of the dark depths. Terror fish meat is poisonous to gnomes and all reptilian humanoids (equivalent to id moss), though some deal in it as a soporific drug. The bloody smell of water where terror fish are present can attract dangerous creatures to the area, who are likely to be all the more hungry for having been tricked into hunting for food that is not present. Terror fish are prized by apothecaries for their magical applications, with terror fish oil being a useful component in potions of remove deafness, terror fish skin being useful in the making of earplugs or soundproof pouches for fragile objects, and terror fish bones being a useful component in spells with the Sonic descriptor (+1 to the DC if the bones have been properly treated, normally costing about 100 gp to do).

Blood Gas (Ex) Terror fish rarely spend more than about 20% of their time in the water, but while they are in contact with water, specialized enzymes in their skin react to produce bubbles of a signature crimson gas that gives off the smell of blood. A single healthy terror fish gives off enough gas bubbles to cause a surface area roughly equal to a bathtub to appear to be boiling merrily, while a small number of them can easily cause a brook, pond, or creek to appear to be boiling. Those within 10 ft. of water so affected must make a Fortitude save each round (DC 10) or become sickened for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Impulse (Ex) Terror fish have excellent leg and tail muscles which provide them with surprising grace and flexibility. They use their Dexterity modifier in place of their Strength modifier for Strength-based skill checks.

Terror Shriek (Su) Terror fish get the "fish" name from their fins and their habit of jumping out of water to try and catch insects in their mouths. The "terror" part derives chiefly from their capacity to unleash utterly nightmarish screams as a standard action, which they employ to bring down prey so that they can approach and ingest it. The terror shriek hits with full force in a 60 ft. radius around the terror fish, causing any kind of vermin to immediately die (Fort DC 10 negates, natural 1 does not automatically fail). Creatures in the area suffer 2d4 sonic damage and are shaken for 1d4 rounds (Fort DC 10 half damage and duration). A terror fish prefers to rest for at least 1 hour between shrieks, as doing so earlier causes 1 point of Constitution damage to the terror fish.

Skills Terror fish have a +8 racial bonus to Jump and Swim checks.

[Debihuman]

I think these might be a tad overpowered for LA+0 but judging that isn't my forte.

Kullen shows +2 armor in AC but doesn't say where it comes from.

Debby

[afroakuma]

Suan
Suan 1st-level Warrior
Medium Humanoid (Suan)
HD 1d8+1 (5 hp)
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Init: +2
AC 15; touch 12; flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +2 Dex)
BAB +1; Grp +1
Attack Spear +2 melee (1d8)
Full Attack Spear +2 melee (1d8)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks Tranquil gaze
Special Qualities Dreamtouch, fey kindred, hunch, immunity to fascination and sleep effects, low-light vision, sleepscent, superstition
Saves Fort +3 Ref +2 Will +0
Abilities Str 11, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 6, Cha 11
Skills Bluff +2*, Climb +2*, Diplomacy +2*, Handle Animal +4, Intimidate +2*
Feats Force of Personality^B, Weapon Focus (spear)
Environment Warm and temperate plains, hills, and forests
Organization Solitary, pair, or kithband (3-7)
Challenge Rating 1/2
Treasure Standard plus studded leather armor
Alignment Often chaotic good
Advancement by class; Favored Class Bard
Level Adjustment +0

At one time a tribe of fey concerned with sleep and dreams, a little over a thousand years ago the suanta made a strange transition from being creatures of Faerie to beings wholly of the Prime. The reasons, if they are known, are not discussed with outsiders, and when the information has been obtained coercively it is always a different story. For better or for worse, the truth is not readily available - and the suanta don't mind in the least.

A suan (pl. suanta) resembles a human with a faint hint of elven heritage, with thick wavy hair that resembles richly stained wood with an odd hint of blue that seems to come and go. At one temple emerges a small curved horn, no longer than an inch or so (young suanta are born with two of these horns, with one gradually shrinking as they age). Their fingertips feel unnaturally smooth to the touch, despite having the telltale whorls of fingerprints, and they are incapable of smiling with both sides of their mouth at the same time - they can only do a side-smirk of sorts. The signature trait that picks out a suan without fail is that suanta have heterochromia - one eye is always dark around the rim of the iris, the other quite bright around the rim of the iris, and each is a different color. When viewed, they seem to flicker and dance ever so slightly - suan eyes are unmistakably inhuman. The colors and positions of these eyes and horns help suanta identify various families and lineages among their kind. Others tend to find the eyes of a suan hypnotically calming to gaze into.

Suanta very rarely eat meat, though they can drink blood and eat insects and such. Their primary diet is tree bark, leaves, and juices - a suan requires considerably more dietary sugars than other humanoids. Suanta respond to the aroma of roses and apples in the same way that humans respond to imbibing alcohol. They dislike the feel and odor of copper, which causes them pain to be around in large quantities (-1 morale penalty to all rolls and checks if at least 1 cubic foot of copper is within 10 ft.), and are known to be fond of nicknames as they are not generally good at remembering names for people or places. Suanta despise basilisks and will go out of their way to hunt them down. Suanta skin wrinkles in cold temperatures (below 40F/4C) and smooths when they get warm again.

Suanta are not tremendously devout, but most at least acknowledge the goddess Sáimhríoch, their patron and protector. They largely live among other races, only gathering in small family groups that never number eight or more. A very loose confederation exists among suanta, where a single representative of a local group shares tales and happenings at annual moots of up to seven such representatives, with those moots having a representative who shares matters with a regional moot, and so on. This looseness of association means that while suanta can spread information, collaboration on major initiatives is all but nonexistent. Suanta live on average about 220 years or so.

The suan warrior presented here had the following ability scores before racial adjustments: Str 11, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 9.

Dreamtouch (Su) Once per day a suan may concentrate for 10 minutes to communicate with a sleeping creature. The sleeper must be somewhere on the same plane as the suan, and the suan has no ability to tell whether the message is received or whether the sleeper is out of range. The suan transmits an image of themself and a single word, including tone of voice (hurried, calm, welcoming, angry, and so forth). The suan must have seen the individual in order to be able to send the dreamtouch. Use of this ability causes the suan to become fatigued for 1 hour. It is of no use with creatures who do not sleep, such as elves.

Fey Kindred (Su) Suanta are descended from predecessors who were once fey. For any effects that are dependent on creature type, there is a 50% chance that a suan counts as a fey rather than a humanoid. This does not apply to prerequisites, for which a suan does not count as fey unless their type is changed via template or similar modification.

Hunch (Su) Suanta still recollect something of their fey awareness of the supernatural. They gain a +2 racial bonus to saving throws against mind-affecting effects.

Sleepscent (Su) Suanta have an incredible ability to "smell" when a creature is truly asleep or unconscious rather than just faking it. A suan can "smell" a sleeping creature of Diminutive or larger size from 30 ft. away (60 ft. for Large or Huge creatures, 120 ft. for Gargantuan or Colossal creatures). Creatures pretending to be asleep must make a Bluff check against the suan, who gets a +10 racial bonus to a Sense Motive check to see through such a deception. This ability communicates in very broad terms the depth of the creature's slumber but offers no information about the identity of a sleeping creature, just a vague direction sufficient for the suan to point out which creature is sleeping if they can actually see what they are "smelling." Although this ability is not actually scent, it does require air to succeed; an airtight barrier (such as a wall of force) or vacuum will impede this sense, as will cold iron, copper, gold, or lead in a wall (even as loose bars rather than a solid barrier). Note that as elves trance rather than sleep, this ability is useless against them.

Superstition (Ex) Suanta fear the number eight and will not voluntarily gather eight or more of their kind, an association ripe with historical ties to disaster for the race. Other groups larger than eight are not a problem, but a suanta will not travel in or associate with a group that numbers exactly eight. Suanta confronted with the number eight in some fashion (eight enemies, an eight-sided pattern, etc.) suffer a -2 morale penalty to checks involving the presence of the number eight (for example, -2 to checks to interpret a puzzle with eight sides). Curiously, spiders seem to be the exception; arachnoid foes do not seem to trigger this for suanta, but other kinds of beings with eight limbs or eight heads and so on will trigger this morale penalty as normal. They suffer a similar morale penalty when facing foes with no eyes, or when handling weapons or other equipment made of cold iron.

Tranquil Gaze (Su) A suan possesses a gaze attack that can be used in two ways. As a standard action, a suan may fascinate one creature within 30 ft. who can see the suan's eyes for 1 round. As a move action, a suan can focus their gaze on a single creature, causing sleep as the spell (caster level = suan's character level) but affecting only a single creature with HD equal to or less than the suan's character level. Affected creatures may make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 suan's character level + suan's Charisma modifier) to resist either effect. A suan may use each ability up to three times per day. Creatures affected by the fascination effect of this gaze make their saves against this or any other sleep effect at a -2 penalty. This is a mind-affecting compulsion effect.

Skills Suanta have a +4 racial bonus to Knowledge (nature) checks involving fey and can make such checks pertaining to fey untrained. They have a +2 racial bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks so long as the target can see the suan's eyes. They have a +2 racial bonus to Climb checks. A suan suffers a -4 penalty to Disguise checks to appear as anything other than a suan as long as their eyes are visible; if concealed, this becomes a +2 bonus to Disguise checks to appear human.

Suan Characters

Suanta possess the following racial traits:

• +2 Dex, -2 Int, -2 Wis, +2 Cha. Suanta are naturally agile and disarming to be around, but have a tendency to daydream and get distracted from worldly matters.
• Medium-size.
• A suan's base speed is 30 ft.
• Suanta are proficient with the shortspear, spear, dart, javelin, and whip.
• Suanta have a +4 racial bonus to Knowledge (nature) checks involving fey and can make such checks pertaining to fey untrained.
• Suanta have a +2 racial bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks as long as the target can see the suan's eyes.
• Suanta fingers have excellent grip, affording a +2 racial bonus to Climb checks.
• Suanta gain a bonus feat for which they do not need to meet the prerequisites, which must be selected from the following list: Agile Athlete^RotW, any Hex feat^DR339, Arcane Flourish^PHBII, Brachiation^CAdv, Captivating Melody^CM, Combat Expertise, Combat Intuition^CAdv, Companion Spellbond^PHBII, Dazzling Illusion^CM, Dash^CWar, Deceitful, Dodge, Fey Bloodline^DR311, Fey Heritage^CM, Force of Personality^CAdv, Insightful^CArc, Irresistible Gaze^SK, Magical Aptitude, Negotiator, Ocular Spell^LoM, Persuasive, Pole Balance^DR331, Split Chakra^MoI, Touch of Captivation^PGE
• Dreamtouch: As above
• Fey Kindred: As above
• Hunch: As above
• Sleepscent: As above
• Superstition: As above
• Tranquil Gaze: As above
• Low-light vision
• Automatic Languages: Common, Sylvan. Bonus Languages: Auran, Elven, Gnoll, Gnome, Halfling, Illumian, Treant, Tuilvalanuue.
• Favored Class: Bard
• Level Adjustment: +0

Sáimhríoch
Lesser Power of Arborea
Dreamsinger, Mother of Night, She Who Brings Sleep, the Silent Shield, Star-Eyes
Alignment: Chaotic good
Portfolio: Dreams, evening hospitality, slumber, suanta, wonder
Divine Realm: Arborea/Pelion/Restwell
Symbol: A black disc with two starlike eyes, each colored differently
Domains: Chaos, Community, Dream, Good, Trickery
Favored Weapon: Spear

Formerly a member of the Seelie Court and still sometimes a guest in their realm, Sáimhríoch Star-Eyes is the patron goddess of the suanta. Her involvement in the changing of her people from true fey to humanoids is unknown, but the goddess has never indicated she is upset with the situation, nor conversely does any holy text mention her being at the heart of the decision. Veneration of Sáimhríoch is actually more common among races that have contact with suanta than among the suanta themselves, for most do not have their own goddesses of sleep and peaceful night, and the suanta are sometimes believed to be watchful bringers of rest and safe slumber (which, oddly, used to be true when they were still fey). Her epithet "the Silent Shield" is a bit of a misnomer, as Sáimhríoch is depicted as singing while playing a harp; it has been suggested that it may refer either to the fact that her music lulls listeners to sleep as though it lacked the volume to keep them awake, or that the goddess is never attested to actually speak.

Among the suanta, it is said that Sáimhríoch brings about the night by threatening the sun with the sharp end of her spear, and that in turn the dawn comes because the sun approaches from behind and does not fear the blunt end. Her realm is a dark and starry oasis that sits on the shore of a lake formed from the tears of sleepers. While she is opposed to cruelty, Sáimhríoch is quite particular about hospitality and shelter from the dark and instructs her followers to make reprisal swift and harsh against any who would transgress the notion of sacred hospitality. She is depicted as loving children (though curiously, is said to have none of her own except the night itself) and to have gifted suan children with a second horn "so they have something just for them that the adults cannot have." Unusually for a mother goddess figure, Sáimhríoch is also frequently depicted as a skilled athlete (throwing her spear and hunting for the sun) and trickster figure, with one myth saying that elves used to sleep until she used her gaze to cause Corellon Larethian to lower his guard and fall into a deep slumber so that she could lay with his wife and steal his favorite starlight to forge into her spearhead.

[afroakuma]

Going to take a brief pause here and ask if anyone has anything they would like to see covered in this thread, any general preferences, and so forth. I still have plenty of ideas, but I'm open to requests for e.g. more fey, more humanoids, more demons...

[sandmote]

Since you're asking, these are still really interesting. Specifically interesting creatures are something I'd enjoy reading more than specific creature types.

[size=3] They eat insects and similar prey by making an exaggerated "kiss face" and drawing it in with their lips, causing a temporary pucker while the food is delivered into the oral cavity.

This sounds like a description of suction feeding. Exception that you also say the fish spend most of their time on land, where suction feeding is ineffective. And I expect that when they stay underwater fast moving prey would try to escape the area of their Blood Gas, so they'd have heavily restricted ability to hunt underwater too. Maybe change this to say they lunge at prey?

Fey Kindred (Su) Suanta are descended from predecessors who were once fey. For any effects that are dependent on creature type, there is a 50% chance that a suan counts as a fey rather than a humanoid. This does not apply to prerequisites, for which a suan does not count as fey unless their type is changed via template or similar modification.

I though 3.5e was pedantic enough that you'd need to specify when this chance is rolled? I assume the Suan counts as humanoid/fey the firs time it is exposed to an instance of an effect, and then counts as the same type for the same instance of the effect in the future. But it feels weird to be looking at a 3.5e feature where this sort of thing isn't spelled out?

This might have more to do with my lack of familiarity with 3.5e though.

[afroakuma]

Since you're asking, these are still really interesting. Specifically interesting creatures are something I'd enjoy reading more than specific creature types.

Fair enough!

This sounds like a description of suction feeding. Exception that you also say the fish spend most of their time on land, where suction feeding is ineffective. And I expect that when they stay underwater fast moving prey would try to escape the area of their Blood Gas, so they'd have heavily restricted ability to hunt underwater too. Maybe change this to say they lunge at prey?

It's important to remember that terror fish have no real need to lunge at anything - their scream kills insects very, very dead. Their basic method of predation is to unleash a scream, killing a small swarm of insects in the vicinity, then casually yooping up the dead bugs one by one. It's rather effective as most of their own natural predators are scared off by the scream, which gives them a comfortable lunchtime window.

I though 3.5e was pedantic enough that you'd need to specify when this chance is rolled? I assume the Suan counts as humanoid/fey the firs time it is exposed to an instance of an effect, and then counts as the same type for the same instance of the effect in the future. But it feels weird to be looking at a 3.5e feature where this sort of thing isn't spelled out?

I'll check with people who know better.