Zellic Solis
2010-03-27, 04:00 PM
I'm trying to put together a campaign setting for 4e. My players are somewhat sick of ebberon (after running four different ebberon campaigns, 3 in 3.5) so I'm trying to come up with something new for June.
One thing I want is a race of animal people. Why? Because two of my players are furries, one is a girl, and both are great players and have requested it. But I don't want to do "wolf people" or "cat people" or "fox people" I want to do animal people. So the folk are just that; an entire race of humanoids with animal characteristics.
Average traits: 4'0- 7'0
Average weight: 75-300 lbs
Ability score: +2 con, +2 race specific
Size: race specific
Speed: race specific
Vision: Low light
Language: Freespeech, Westertongue.
Skills: +2 nature, +2 race specific
Animal Nature: You ancestors were humans transformed over many generations by the Wyld. You count as a beast for the purpose of effects that relate to creature or origin.
species: (and if folks can tell me how to insert a table it'd help)
Species Ability Mod Size speed skill Traits
Apes +2 str M 6 Athletics 7, 13
Armadillos +2 Wis S 5 Endurance 4, 11
Badgers +2 Str M 6 Intimidate 3, 9
Bats +2 Dex S 5 / 8 Perception 6, 7, 17
Bears +2 Str L 6 Athletics 3, 13
Boars +2 Str M 6 Endurance 9, 10
Cats +2 Dex M 6 Acrobatics 3, 8, 17
Chickens +2 Cha M 6 Diplomacy 7, 11
Cranes +2 Dex M 6 / 8 Insight 6, 7
Deer +2 wis M 6 Healing 8, 12, 17
Dogs +2 Cha M 6 Diplomacy 1, 3, 17
Elephants +2 Str L 6 Endurance 4, 13
Ferrets +2 Dex M 7 Acrobatics 3, 5
Foxes +2 Int M 6 Bluff 3, 12, 17
Goats +2 Dex M 6 Endurance 9, 10
Horses +2 Str M 7 Endurance 2, 8
Leopards +2 Dex M 6 Stealth 3, 12, 17
Lions +2 Str L 7 Intimidation 1, 3
Monkeys +2 Int M 6 Bluff 5, 7
Otters +2 Dex M 6 / 10s Athletics 3, 5
Oxen +2 Str M 6 Endurance 2, 10
Pandas +2 wis M 6 Insight 3, 11
Porcupine +2 Cha M 6 Diplomacy 4, 15
Rabbits +2 Dex M 7 Perception 8, 11, 17
Rats +2 dex S 5 dungeoneering 5, 9, 17
Raccoons +2 Int M 7 Thievery 9,14,3
Rhinos +2 Str L 6 Intimidation 4, 10
Skunk +2 Dex M 6 Diplomacy 9, 16,
Sheep +2 Wis M 6 Healing 2, 11,
Squirrels +2 Dex S 6 Acrobatics 8, 12,
Tigers +2 Str L 7 Stealth 3, 13, 17
Tortoises +2 Wis M 5 Insight 4, 11
Weasels +2 Dex M 6 Dungeoneering 3, 5,
Wolves +2 Dex M 6 Diplomacy 1, 3, 17
1) Pack tactics: +1 to melee attack rolls, +2 to melee damage rolls when attacking an enemy with an ally adjacent to it.
2) Herd mentality: +1 to AC, +1 to will when adjacent to an ally
3) Predator: The character possesses claws and fangs that can be used as weapons and count as light blades. +2 prof, 1d4 damage.
4) Carapace: Possesses either a shell made of tough bone or a thick, wrinkly hide. +2 racial bonus to AC. +1 racial bonus to Fortitude.
5) Contortionist: The character receives no penalties for being squeezed while in a tight space. The character can attack while grappled with light blades.
6) flight: The character can fly a number of squares. Leaving a square to fly provokes an attack of opportunity from enemies on the ground. If the character is still airborn at the end of their turn they land gently on the ground. These characters lack hands.
7) prehensile feet. If uncovered, the character can manipulate objects with their toes. All actions such as thievery attempted with toes suffer a -2 penalty. +2 to athletics checks involving climbing. Attacks with weapons held by feet suffer a -2 to attacks. they must either be prone or have one unoccupied foot to stand. They must have both feet free to move.
8) Dash. Encounter power. minor action. Character moves 1+ dex modifier.
9) Omnivore: Character can eat most substances. +2 to endurance checks. Character resist disease damage = to their con modifier.
10) Furious Charge. The character charges an enemy, attacking them with a weapon or goring them with tusks or horns. Encounter power. Standard action. Target: melee. Str vrs Reflex. +2 to attack. Damage: [W] +1d6 +str or 2d6+str if unarmed. Can be used in place of a basic attack.
11) pacify: The character attempts to look as pathetic and harmless as possible. Encounter power, immediate interrupt, trigger: when targeted by an enemy's attack. Int, Wis, or Cha + 1/2 character level vrs will. Effect: the enemy must target another opponent if available.
12) Graceful: The character treats treats the square it occupies as normal terrain. The character does not suffer a penalty to defenses when moving through difficult terrain.
13) Furious Blow: The character uses its size and strength to stagger an enemy. Encounter power. Free action. Reaction. Trigger: successfully hit an opponent in melee. Str + 1/2 character level vrs fort. Effect: Target is stunned until the begining of the characters next round. Miss: target is dazed.
14) Clever. The character receives a free feat at 1st level.
15) Quills. The quills of a porcupine inflict Con damage to any adjacent enemy who successfully makes a melee attack against them.
16) Musk. The skunk either turns and lifts tail or does an elaborate hand stand. What follows is a bad day for its target as it sprays reeking musk into the face of their enemy. Daily Power. Standard action. Target: 1c Range 3. Dex +1/2 level vrs Fort. Effect: Target is blinded. Saves to end suffer a -2 penalty. Save ends. Character is going to stink till they can get a bath though.
17) Keen senses: Beastfolk have developed an uncanny level of scent, feel and hearing beyond other races, who primarily depend on sight. Beastfolk roll twice for each perception check and take the higher roll.
(okay. more ideas would help at this point. getting migraine.)
Beast Folk are a greatly varied race of beings with human and animal characteristics. The descendants of humans settling near regions of wyld ether, they altered into a distinct class of beings all their own. While most beast folk have personality quirks and idiosyncrasies in nature with their feral cousins, beast folk do not have distinct cultures breaking down along species. While many outsiders consider beast folk to be animals, the beast folk themselves strive to address their reason and intelligence foremost. They are far from harmless, however. Some beastfolk seek to tap into their primal instincts, and can turn into murderous fiends seeing all others as potential prey.
Physical qualities:
Beast folk are humanoids that have been altered to possess a single animal's characteristics. Regardless of their parentage, all beast folk are born with only a single animal aspect and that aspect does not change during their natural life. While many beast folk embrace their civil human roots others develop the more animalistic side of their nature.
They vary greatly in terms of body size and build. All Beast Folk either have a furred pelt or thick hides. Both come in an astonishing arrangements of colors, stripes, spots, or other markings generally similar to their animal cousins. Most such markings are unique to the individual. Beast folk almost always possess muzzles and skull structures of their animal cousins. With rare exception, all beast folk possess fully functioning hands. Beast folk can be found with either humanoid or bestial (digitgrade) legs with the former ending in feet and the latter ending in paws or hooves. Females usually have prominent breasts like humans.
Unlike their pure blood cousins beastfolk can interbreed with each other so long as their sizes are compatible. The child is always of the mother's species, though often with small physical traits of the father. Beastfolk can also breed with humans, though the child will always be a beastfolk. Beastfolk can breed with normal animal counterparts,again size permitting, with the off spring being of the mother's type. For example a male beastfolk wolf could breed with a female wolf, but the offspring would always be normal wolves. Such couplings are generally not regarded as valid relationships and are treated as the behavior of atavists.
Playing a beast folk:
Beast folk are born split between the expectations of civilization and the primal all of their animal instincts. Most communities encourage the former while primalists demand the latter. Regardless, many beastfolk adopt particular traits of their animal cousins. A cat folk might be tempted to take long naps in the sun. A rhino may feel suspicious of anything unfamiliar. However, this is not a rule. Some go their entire lives with their behavior independent of their instinct, and those that do frequently feel stereotyped by outsiders.
The majority of beast folk are civil, living in integrated communities either within the cities of other races or their own. Beast folk encourage self sufficiency, and would rather help others help themselves than simply give charity. Beast folk have a deep appreciation for nature and their animals, and a folk will usually regard an animal of the same species as a distant cousin. Beast folk communities encourage green space, trees, and flowers; though they are far more likely to build communities than to live in the wilderness. The general law is eating other sentient beings is murder and consuming other folk doubly so. However, while some folk resent their animal cousins being used as livestock, it is an unfortunate necessity.
The folk that embrace their animal nature live in much smaller and usually nomadic groups. They are suspicious of outsiders and are far more likely to be composed of homogeneous groups. The worst are called atavists, who reject civilization completely and engage in eating other folk and sentient beings intentionally. They see civilization as a blight to be eradicated, and groups of atavists plot the annihilation of nearby communities. They attempt to convert folk to their cause, but if they do not they have little hesitation in devouring them.
The folk have difficult relationships with other races. While humans are closest in behavior, human culture rarely recognizes the folks as beings with innate rights. The worst treat them as mutant animals, slaves, and even the best keep them at a distance. Folk have a more amiable relationship with the Green people; but their alien natures frequently make regular association more problematic. Subterranean folk might associate with dwarves, but such relationships are rare.
Folk are given a name at birth and then either adopt a surname in adolencence or are given a name by their community. Such surnames can be discriptive, comical, or even literal. Maceo the Cat would be like a human named "John Smith."
One thing I want is a race of animal people. Why? Because two of my players are furries, one is a girl, and both are great players and have requested it. But I don't want to do "wolf people" or "cat people" or "fox people" I want to do animal people. So the folk are just that; an entire race of humanoids with animal characteristics.
Average traits: 4'0- 7'0
Average weight: 75-300 lbs
Ability score: +2 con, +2 race specific
Size: race specific
Speed: race specific
Vision: Low light
Language: Freespeech, Westertongue.
Skills: +2 nature, +2 race specific
Animal Nature: You ancestors were humans transformed over many generations by the Wyld. You count as a beast for the purpose of effects that relate to creature or origin.
species: (and if folks can tell me how to insert a table it'd help)
Species Ability Mod Size speed skill Traits
Apes +2 str M 6 Athletics 7, 13
Armadillos +2 Wis S 5 Endurance 4, 11
Badgers +2 Str M 6 Intimidate 3, 9
Bats +2 Dex S 5 / 8 Perception 6, 7, 17
Bears +2 Str L 6 Athletics 3, 13
Boars +2 Str M 6 Endurance 9, 10
Cats +2 Dex M 6 Acrobatics 3, 8, 17
Chickens +2 Cha M 6 Diplomacy 7, 11
Cranes +2 Dex M 6 / 8 Insight 6, 7
Deer +2 wis M 6 Healing 8, 12, 17
Dogs +2 Cha M 6 Diplomacy 1, 3, 17
Elephants +2 Str L 6 Endurance 4, 13
Ferrets +2 Dex M 7 Acrobatics 3, 5
Foxes +2 Int M 6 Bluff 3, 12, 17
Goats +2 Dex M 6 Endurance 9, 10
Horses +2 Str M 7 Endurance 2, 8
Leopards +2 Dex M 6 Stealth 3, 12, 17
Lions +2 Str L 7 Intimidation 1, 3
Monkeys +2 Int M 6 Bluff 5, 7
Otters +2 Dex M 6 / 10s Athletics 3, 5
Oxen +2 Str M 6 Endurance 2, 10
Pandas +2 wis M 6 Insight 3, 11
Porcupine +2 Cha M 6 Diplomacy 4, 15
Rabbits +2 Dex M 7 Perception 8, 11, 17
Rats +2 dex S 5 dungeoneering 5, 9, 17
Raccoons +2 Int M 7 Thievery 9,14,3
Rhinos +2 Str L 6 Intimidation 4, 10
Skunk +2 Dex M 6 Diplomacy 9, 16,
Sheep +2 Wis M 6 Healing 2, 11,
Squirrels +2 Dex S 6 Acrobatics 8, 12,
Tigers +2 Str L 7 Stealth 3, 13, 17
Tortoises +2 Wis M 5 Insight 4, 11
Weasels +2 Dex M 6 Dungeoneering 3, 5,
Wolves +2 Dex M 6 Diplomacy 1, 3, 17
1) Pack tactics: +1 to melee attack rolls, +2 to melee damage rolls when attacking an enemy with an ally adjacent to it.
2) Herd mentality: +1 to AC, +1 to will when adjacent to an ally
3) Predator: The character possesses claws and fangs that can be used as weapons and count as light blades. +2 prof, 1d4 damage.
4) Carapace: Possesses either a shell made of tough bone or a thick, wrinkly hide. +2 racial bonus to AC. +1 racial bonus to Fortitude.
5) Contortionist: The character receives no penalties for being squeezed while in a tight space. The character can attack while grappled with light blades.
6) flight: The character can fly a number of squares. Leaving a square to fly provokes an attack of opportunity from enemies on the ground. If the character is still airborn at the end of their turn they land gently on the ground. These characters lack hands.
7) prehensile feet. If uncovered, the character can manipulate objects with their toes. All actions such as thievery attempted with toes suffer a -2 penalty. +2 to athletics checks involving climbing. Attacks with weapons held by feet suffer a -2 to attacks. they must either be prone or have one unoccupied foot to stand. They must have both feet free to move.
8) Dash. Encounter power. minor action. Character moves 1+ dex modifier.
9) Omnivore: Character can eat most substances. +2 to endurance checks. Character resist disease damage = to their con modifier.
10) Furious Charge. The character charges an enemy, attacking them with a weapon or goring them with tusks or horns. Encounter power. Standard action. Target: melee. Str vrs Reflex. +2 to attack. Damage: [W] +1d6 +str or 2d6+str if unarmed. Can be used in place of a basic attack.
11) pacify: The character attempts to look as pathetic and harmless as possible. Encounter power, immediate interrupt, trigger: when targeted by an enemy's attack. Int, Wis, or Cha + 1/2 character level vrs will. Effect: the enemy must target another opponent if available.
12) Graceful: The character treats treats the square it occupies as normal terrain. The character does not suffer a penalty to defenses when moving through difficult terrain.
13) Furious Blow: The character uses its size and strength to stagger an enemy. Encounter power. Free action. Reaction. Trigger: successfully hit an opponent in melee. Str + 1/2 character level vrs fort. Effect: Target is stunned until the begining of the characters next round. Miss: target is dazed.
14) Clever. The character receives a free feat at 1st level.
15) Quills. The quills of a porcupine inflict Con damage to any adjacent enemy who successfully makes a melee attack against them.
16) Musk. The skunk either turns and lifts tail or does an elaborate hand stand. What follows is a bad day for its target as it sprays reeking musk into the face of their enemy. Daily Power. Standard action. Target: 1c Range 3. Dex +1/2 level vrs Fort. Effect: Target is blinded. Saves to end suffer a -2 penalty. Save ends. Character is going to stink till they can get a bath though.
17) Keen senses: Beastfolk have developed an uncanny level of scent, feel and hearing beyond other races, who primarily depend on sight. Beastfolk roll twice for each perception check and take the higher roll.
(okay. more ideas would help at this point. getting migraine.)
Beast Folk are a greatly varied race of beings with human and animal characteristics. The descendants of humans settling near regions of wyld ether, they altered into a distinct class of beings all their own. While most beast folk have personality quirks and idiosyncrasies in nature with their feral cousins, beast folk do not have distinct cultures breaking down along species. While many outsiders consider beast folk to be animals, the beast folk themselves strive to address their reason and intelligence foremost. They are far from harmless, however. Some beastfolk seek to tap into their primal instincts, and can turn into murderous fiends seeing all others as potential prey.
Physical qualities:
Beast folk are humanoids that have been altered to possess a single animal's characteristics. Regardless of their parentage, all beast folk are born with only a single animal aspect and that aspect does not change during their natural life. While many beast folk embrace their civil human roots others develop the more animalistic side of their nature.
They vary greatly in terms of body size and build. All Beast Folk either have a furred pelt or thick hides. Both come in an astonishing arrangements of colors, stripes, spots, or other markings generally similar to their animal cousins. Most such markings are unique to the individual. Beast folk almost always possess muzzles and skull structures of their animal cousins. With rare exception, all beast folk possess fully functioning hands. Beast folk can be found with either humanoid or bestial (digitgrade) legs with the former ending in feet and the latter ending in paws or hooves. Females usually have prominent breasts like humans.
Unlike their pure blood cousins beastfolk can interbreed with each other so long as their sizes are compatible. The child is always of the mother's species, though often with small physical traits of the father. Beastfolk can also breed with humans, though the child will always be a beastfolk. Beastfolk can breed with normal animal counterparts,again size permitting, with the off spring being of the mother's type. For example a male beastfolk wolf could breed with a female wolf, but the offspring would always be normal wolves. Such couplings are generally not regarded as valid relationships and are treated as the behavior of atavists.
Playing a beast folk:
Beast folk are born split between the expectations of civilization and the primal all of their animal instincts. Most communities encourage the former while primalists demand the latter. Regardless, many beastfolk adopt particular traits of their animal cousins. A cat folk might be tempted to take long naps in the sun. A rhino may feel suspicious of anything unfamiliar. However, this is not a rule. Some go their entire lives with their behavior independent of their instinct, and those that do frequently feel stereotyped by outsiders.
The majority of beast folk are civil, living in integrated communities either within the cities of other races or their own. Beast folk encourage self sufficiency, and would rather help others help themselves than simply give charity. Beast folk have a deep appreciation for nature and their animals, and a folk will usually regard an animal of the same species as a distant cousin. Beast folk communities encourage green space, trees, and flowers; though they are far more likely to build communities than to live in the wilderness. The general law is eating other sentient beings is murder and consuming other folk doubly so. However, while some folk resent their animal cousins being used as livestock, it is an unfortunate necessity.
The folk that embrace their animal nature live in much smaller and usually nomadic groups. They are suspicious of outsiders and are far more likely to be composed of homogeneous groups. The worst are called atavists, who reject civilization completely and engage in eating other folk and sentient beings intentionally. They see civilization as a blight to be eradicated, and groups of atavists plot the annihilation of nearby communities. They attempt to convert folk to their cause, but if they do not they have little hesitation in devouring them.
The folk have difficult relationships with other races. While humans are closest in behavior, human culture rarely recognizes the folks as beings with innate rights. The worst treat them as mutant animals, slaves, and even the best keep them at a distance. Folk have a more amiable relationship with the Green people; but their alien natures frequently make regular association more problematic. Subterranean folk might associate with dwarves, but such relationships are rare.
Folk are given a name at birth and then either adopt a surname in adolencence or are given a name by their community. Such surnames can be discriptive, comical, or even literal. Maceo the Cat would be like a human named "John Smith."