Llathrana (3.5 Race, PEACH)

[Risek]

Llathrana

Personality

Llathrana embrace death, believing that death is merely a path to new life. A llathrana pack may slaughter another pack to prove a point - suprisingly, being welcomed as heroes among the survivors. To outsiders, llathrana seem to be fatalistic and morbid. They embrace death and decay on levels unheard of among other races, raping and murdering each other just prove their own mortality. Strangely, a llathrana will guard the young of any other llathrana to the death, even if it belongs to its mortal enemy.

Physical Description

Llathrana are slender quadrupedal humanoids with muscular dog-like hind legs, over-sized canines, vestigial tails, and short bristly hair which covers their body. They move around on thickly calloused hands and feet tipped with thick, blunt claws - excellent for digging, climbing, and wielding weapons. A llathrana may "unfurl" itself, a painful experience which allows them to stand on their hind legs at nearly six feet tall. Most llathrana have dark brown, gray, or black fur. A few individuals have a yellow or white pelt; a llathrana may even have stripes or other color varieties. Llathrana gain dark red faces and manes as they age. Adults typically appear to have bloodstained masks and backs, elders appear to have deep maroon faces.

A few subspecies of llathrana also exist, with the most notable being a plains-dwelling breed known for stalking and raiding merchant caravans crossing the Illus. Such llathrana tend to be of a lighter build, colored with purple faces.

A typical llathrana stands around two feet tall at the shoulder (when furled), and weighs about 120 pounds.

Relations

Throughout history, llathrana have been hunted for sport by nearly every organization of humans. As such, llathrana have a tendecy to return the favor, raiding villages and outposts for the flesh of their enemies. In recent years, rogue llathrana warriors have begun to seek employment from the powerful Sai'quel who have proliferated in Dreden, often serving as vessels for Norus fiends .

Alignment

Llathrana are generally chaotic, reflecting the chaos in their societies and everyday lives. Llathrana are rarely evil, despite their fatalistic outlook and morbid antics.

Lands

Llathrana were the original inhabitants of Dreden, before the Sai'quel and their disciples began colonization of the tree-islands that fill the swamp.

Religion

The llathrana have no patron deities. Typically they worship nature or the elements, meaning that druids are the primary spellcasters in most tribes.

Language

Llathrana speak a language of the same name which consists mostly of growls, squeals, howls, and other guttural sounds. Llathrana are also known to utter a unique hunting cry - long and baleful, like that of a loon and wolf. This cry, often heard for miles through the swamp forest, gives nearby humans good cause to be nervous.

There is no written form of Llathrana. A need for high-level written communication has not yet developed from the simple llathrana societies in the swamps of Dreden.

Names

Llathrana tend to choose names that roughly translate into the names of things in nature.

Examples: Hrekt (Rock), Grestek (Fire), Squoola (a type of pink flower indgenious to the mountains), Seelma (Mud).



Llathrana
Medium Humanoid (Llathrana)
*+2 Strength, -2 Intelligence: Llathrana rely more on their wits and survival instinct then rational, logical thought.
* Llathrana base land speed is 50 feet.
* Medium: As Medium creatures, llathrana have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
* Low-Light Vision: A Llathrana can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
* +2 racial bonus on Listen, Spot, and Survival checks.
* Lesser Scent: A creature with the lesser scent ability can detect an opponent within 5 feet by sense of smell. If the opponent is upwind, the range increases to 10 feet; if downwind, it drops to 0 feet (the creature can detect downwind creatures only in its own square). Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at twice the ranges noted above (minimum 5 feet). Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at triple normal range. Detection of a scent does not reveal the exact location of the source--only its presence somewhere within range. However, a creature using lesser scent can take a standard action to note the direction of the scent. Whenever it comes within 5 feet of the source, the creature can take a move action to pinpoint the source's location. A creature with the Track feat and the lesser scent ability can follow tracks by smell, just as a creature with the scent ability can.
* Natural Weapon: Bite (1d4).
* Unfurl: As a move action that provokes attacks of opportunity, a llathrana may unfurl, a joint-popping and form-altering experience. An unfurled llathrana gains the following changes: They gain a +4 bonus Strength, and may use manufactured weapons as normal. However, while unfurled, the llathrana takes a -2 penalty to Dexterity, their speed drops down to 20 feet andthey can't run, and they lose their bite attack (Except when grappling). A llathrana may remain unfurled for a number of rounds equal to their character level (minimum 1 round), after which it reverts to it's quadruped form and is fatigued for 1d4 rounds. If a llathrana re-furls itself before it's time is up it is still fatigued.
* Light Sensitivity: Llathrana are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
* Quadruped: A llathrana gains a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground and not unfurled. When not unfurled, a llathrana may make melee attacks with light or one-handed manufactured weapons, albeit at a -5 penalty to attack.
Automatic Languages: Llathrana. Bonus Languages: Common, Dreden.
Favored Class: Ranger. A multiclass llathrana's ranger class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.

[Limos]

It seems like it would be difficult to play one of those. The penalties to use conventail weapons are pretty steep.

Either you've got a penalty for being on all fours, or a penalty for standing up.

Maybe if you made a Cleric. They would be able to cast while on all fours, and wouldn't need a high Int.

[Risek]

It seems like it would be difficult to play one of those. The penalties to use conventail weapons are pretty steep.

Either you've got a penalty for being on all fours, or a penalty for standing up.

I actually created a handful of feats, PrCs and racial sub levels that help cope with this. (Dreden Marshstalker: faster speed, better bite damage, swim speed, and no penalties for moving up to 4x speed while hiding or tracking)

Maybe if you made a Cleric. They would be able to cast while on all fours, and wouldn't need a high Int.

And to think, the campaign that this is from is completely devoid of divine spellcasters, or even gods.

[DracoDei]

Druid then, like you say in the fluff... or sorcerer.

Also, +2 strength and 1d4 damage is the same as for a short sword (except the lower crit range), and fine manipulation (disable device and open lock) and movement (climb and tumble) aren't hampered by the quadrupedal nature, so Intellegence penalty aside you should be able to pull off a decent rogue (especially with how far you can tumble) or maybe even vocal-based bard... barbarian, paladin, and fighters aren't looking so hot though...