Lairship
2008-03-21, 09:52 AM
Hey people, I'll hopefully be posting one or two of these a day until I stop. :smallconfused:
I'm trying to make a set of races that covers whatever my players need to make a character, you know, stuff like the sneak race, meat-shield race, cute race, civilised dusty tower race, melodramatic spooky dark crawling in my skin race. :smallbiggrin:
Heres the first of many, thoughts?
Niliphite
They are descendents of angels and creators of the first empire which is now long forgotten.
The lineage to the celestials grows ever distant and though they breed true and each generation shares the abilities of the last, the elders fear they are loosing their heavenly bond.
Niliphites have skin ranging from pallid greens to brilliant jades, they rarely add to their body, finding sleek, clear skin to be attractive. Their hair comes in white-streaked blonde or glimmering black, no other, and they often style it elaborately. They are far taller and more heavy set than common man, known for traits such as large, piercing eyes, coarse hair like a lion's mane, hooked noses, broad jaws, thick lips and large hands.
Their temperament is where their mortality lies, while in social confrontations they do their best to be seen as holy, they are really as sinful as anyone, prideful of their heritage, wrathful at the lesser races that spoiled their perfect empire, greedy as they feast in their halls ignoring the lands troubles and at times slothful, content within their remaining cities. They are a theatrical breed, warriors of the niliphites are famed for poetry, while their wizards use slow, methodical dance to tempt the greater magics into their hands. Performance is a deeply imbedded part of their culture. Emotional would be another word to describe them, they laugh loud, they wail in the streets at funerals and destroy all in their path in "divine rage" when insulted. There are those however, even within their own kind that blame the niliphim for increasing wickness of the world at large, many of their ancient experiments now run free and hundreds of barbarians clans still blame them for their sorry state.
They would often worship their angelic forefathers directly, however after the empires fall so many centuries ago some now believe they either abandoned them or were simply not lending a hand in the first place. Thus many now look to true gods that reign over such things as light, courage, justice, control or other domains fit for the niliphite ideal. Their innate cunning and wit means they are sort after as clergy and fit the role of the travelling preacher very well.
Niliphites are drawn to adventure for a number of reasons, a common one is simply for a young niliphite wish to explore the world away his homelands decadent decline, another is to once again spread the message the empire offered, unity, they often do this through story, song and great deeds, regularly putting themselves in great danger to show their worth. Others travel in search of a banner to follow, be it a god or a people, these are reviled by their own people, but thought of as truly angel blooded by those they aid. Rarely, a band of bitter niliphites will test their supposedly superior bodies and minds against others for the sport of it, duelling all they come across and raiding their own ruins for the spoils that are rightfully theirs.
+2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma, -2 Dexterity. Niliphites were ruthlessly selected for astuteness and force of personality over generations, but their sheer bulk does not grant them mobility.
Medium: As Medium creatures, niliphites have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Niliphites base land speed is 30 feet.
Low-Light Vision: A niliphite can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Powerful Build: The physical stature of niliphites lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger.
Whenever a niliphite is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the niliphite is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him.
A niliphite is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A niliphite can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size category.
+2 racial bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy and Knowledge (history) - Niliphite's once, long ago, formed a world-wide empire and still get by on fast talk. They pride themselves on being keepers of lore and all are taught from a young age of the world's past
Favoured Class: Bard, Wizard or Cleric. Once favoured class has been chosen it cannot be changed.
Level Adjustment: +1
Next up, well, they may not come in this order:
Angra ~ Roaming barbarians long ago sponsered by Devils** in return for sacrifice, they are still marked by this reguardless of their beliefs.
Miriados ~ Humans that live in colourful villages in near constant festival, in order to survive the dangerous world around them they venerate spirits and channel the powers of nature through ritual. Brave and simple.
Honnia ~ Honnia are demons that long ago left the legions of the Devils and while still savage to the exteme, choose their own path and promote liberation.
Kenk ~ Small craftsmen that lurk in complex underground fortresses that farm on underground rivers. They are creatures of stone and shadow, birthed by no god.
Omotyr ~ Cruel to travellers, they are kindly to each other and unified as a people, these beastmen are patch-work of horn, claw, fur and fang, quickly coughed up by mother nature long ago to defeat a other worldly threat.
Prutra ~ Once two peoples were attack by a nameless empire and almost destroyed, in a last ditch attempt to survive, they joined their races together. They are part machine, part plant.
Atayamahum ~ Sinister, regal moth and butterfly (female and male) people that start life as writhing caterpillars that are herded by their parents and used as soldiers until they grow into adulthood.
* I'm not bothering with languages, a player can learn any language except if it doesn't make sense to, like a insect peoples language or a secret one.
** This can easily be altered by DMs out their, but lawful Devil's control the chaotic demons with a mix of pacts, misdirection, making them fight each other and a bit of luck.
(Also, these are for a very wacky world I'm makin', but I won't be making that thread for ages.)
I'm trying to make a set of races that covers whatever my players need to make a character, you know, stuff like the sneak race, meat-shield race, cute race, civilised dusty tower race, melodramatic spooky dark crawling in my skin race. :smallbiggrin:
Heres the first of many, thoughts?
Niliphite
They are descendents of angels and creators of the first empire which is now long forgotten.
The lineage to the celestials grows ever distant and though they breed true and each generation shares the abilities of the last, the elders fear they are loosing their heavenly bond.
Niliphites have skin ranging from pallid greens to brilliant jades, they rarely add to their body, finding sleek, clear skin to be attractive. Their hair comes in white-streaked blonde or glimmering black, no other, and they often style it elaborately. They are far taller and more heavy set than common man, known for traits such as large, piercing eyes, coarse hair like a lion's mane, hooked noses, broad jaws, thick lips and large hands.
Their temperament is where their mortality lies, while in social confrontations they do their best to be seen as holy, they are really as sinful as anyone, prideful of their heritage, wrathful at the lesser races that spoiled their perfect empire, greedy as they feast in their halls ignoring the lands troubles and at times slothful, content within their remaining cities. They are a theatrical breed, warriors of the niliphites are famed for poetry, while their wizards use slow, methodical dance to tempt the greater magics into their hands. Performance is a deeply imbedded part of their culture. Emotional would be another word to describe them, they laugh loud, they wail in the streets at funerals and destroy all in their path in "divine rage" when insulted. There are those however, even within their own kind that blame the niliphim for increasing wickness of the world at large, many of their ancient experiments now run free and hundreds of barbarians clans still blame them for their sorry state.
They would often worship their angelic forefathers directly, however after the empires fall so many centuries ago some now believe they either abandoned them or were simply not lending a hand in the first place. Thus many now look to true gods that reign over such things as light, courage, justice, control or other domains fit for the niliphite ideal. Their innate cunning and wit means they are sort after as clergy and fit the role of the travelling preacher very well.
Niliphites are drawn to adventure for a number of reasons, a common one is simply for a young niliphite wish to explore the world away his homelands decadent decline, another is to once again spread the message the empire offered, unity, they often do this through story, song and great deeds, regularly putting themselves in great danger to show their worth. Others travel in search of a banner to follow, be it a god or a people, these are reviled by their own people, but thought of as truly angel blooded by those they aid. Rarely, a band of bitter niliphites will test their supposedly superior bodies and minds against others for the sport of it, duelling all they come across and raiding their own ruins for the spoils that are rightfully theirs.
+2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma, -2 Dexterity. Niliphites were ruthlessly selected for astuteness and force of personality over generations, but their sheer bulk does not grant them mobility.
Medium: As Medium creatures, niliphites have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Niliphites base land speed is 30 feet.
Low-Light Vision: A niliphite can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Powerful Build: The physical stature of niliphites lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger.
Whenever a niliphite is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the niliphite is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him.
A niliphite is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A niliphite can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size category.
+2 racial bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy and Knowledge (history) - Niliphite's once, long ago, formed a world-wide empire and still get by on fast talk. They pride themselves on being keepers of lore and all are taught from a young age of the world's past
Favoured Class: Bard, Wizard or Cleric. Once favoured class has been chosen it cannot be changed.
Level Adjustment: +1
Next up, well, they may not come in this order:
Angra ~ Roaming barbarians long ago sponsered by Devils** in return for sacrifice, they are still marked by this reguardless of their beliefs.
Miriados ~ Humans that live in colourful villages in near constant festival, in order to survive the dangerous world around them they venerate spirits and channel the powers of nature through ritual. Brave and simple.
Honnia ~ Honnia are demons that long ago left the legions of the Devils and while still savage to the exteme, choose their own path and promote liberation.
Kenk ~ Small craftsmen that lurk in complex underground fortresses that farm on underground rivers. They are creatures of stone and shadow, birthed by no god.
Omotyr ~ Cruel to travellers, they are kindly to each other and unified as a people, these beastmen are patch-work of horn, claw, fur and fang, quickly coughed up by mother nature long ago to defeat a other worldly threat.
Prutra ~ Once two peoples were attack by a nameless empire and almost destroyed, in a last ditch attempt to survive, they joined their races together. They are part machine, part plant.
Atayamahum ~ Sinister, regal moth and butterfly (female and male) people that start life as writhing caterpillars that are herded by their parents and used as soldiers until they grow into adulthood.
* I'm not bothering with languages, a player can learn any language except if it doesn't make sense to, like a insect peoples language or a secret one.
** This can easily be altered by DMs out their, but lawful Devil's control the chaotic demons with a mix of pacts, misdirection, making them fight each other and a bit of luck.
(Also, these are for a very wacky world I'm makin', but I won't be making that thread for ages.)