THE MARISSIC or LESSER MEDUSAE
The Marissics are rare beings, a weaker form of the vicious creatures known as Medusae. However, they bear less of a tendency towards evil, and have slowly managed to get this message across to other intelligent races. Accepting that most people would rather not be eaten helped this a lot.
TYPICAL MARISSIC
Marissic tend to be inquisitive and friendly, always interested in learning more about the world around them. But they tend to hold grudges, being easily angered and difficult to appease. A war with the Marissic is a painful and costly one for anyone involved, as their natural powers make them horrific to fight against.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Marissic come in two main forms-the kind with the lower half of a snake, and the kind without. From the waist up, both kinds look almost entirely human. The only noticeable differences are both in the face-Marissics have sharper teeth than most humanoids, due to their almost entirely carnivorous diet, and have the vertically slit eyes of a serpent. The serpentine forms have long, sinuous tails rather than legs, giving them great dexterity and balance. Some have other miscellaneous serpentine aspects, such as forked tongues or tiny scales somewhere on their bodies.
Relations With Other Races
Marissic tend to live in small, nomadic groups, which makes them easier for other races to accept. A city of ‘monsters’ would never be alright, but when the village is only thirty Marissic strong, you can meet each one and know for yourself that they’re safe to be around.
However, this rarely appeases them entirely. It’s difficult to be around someone when you know that their eyes could freeze you in an instant, and this shows. While Marissics are likeable and kind, few races like to keep them around. Dwarves find an odd friendship with them, being naturally tough, and resistant to poison and change, and sharing their thirst for knowledge, albeit in a much quieter way.
Alignment
Marissic vary greatly in their alignments, but have a racial aversion to Law. Good Marissics are most common, striving to prove their kind natures as more than a trick, but some evil Marissics do exist, and some tribes consider other races their very favourite meal.
Marissic Lands
Marissic lands are few and far between, but they do exist. Most commonly, they live in secluded areas with plenty of water-coastlines, valley rivers, or large desert oases. On the rare occasion that a permanent community does form, they get by with as few rules as they can, the most common laws being ‘Do not cause unnecessary harm’ and ‘Don’t be a jerk’, often using those exact wordings. But their darker sides are revealed when the laws are broken-while trying to please other races has largely removed sentient beings from the Marissic’s diet, someone sentenced to death is rarely wasted.
Religion
Marissic have no deity of their own, being a relatively young race. They tend to favour deities of chaos or learning, such as Liira or Hlal.
Language
Marissic generally speak common.
Common Names
Marissic names often use long vowels and s’s, such as Saera, Aessara and Rou’as, but can vary greatly with the whims of their parents.
Adventures
Marissic adventurers are common, their restless curiosity driving them to strike out in the world. Their reputation helps this, seeking out adventure in the hopes of heroism, intending to perform such wondrous acts that other races will finally believe they’re as good as they claim.
Marissic Racial Traits
Ability Scores: +2 Dexterity, +4 Charisma. A Marissic is swift of body and forceful of personality, as well as strangely compelling.
Size: A Marissic is a medium humanoid.
Movement Rate: A Marissic has a 30ft movement rate, and can swim at the same speed. A Marissic has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
Gaze of Stone (Su): A Marissic may force their gaze to contain the magic of their progenitors, turning their foes to statues of their own form. They may activate this ability for a number of their own rounds (lasting until the beginning of their next round) each day equal to their Charisma modifier, and are capable of performing a simple ceremony that links their spirit with an ally to prevent the chance of petrifying their own friends and companions. (This ceremony requires oils worth five gold pieces.)
While the gaze is active, they have a Gaze attack causing a fortitude save against permanent petrification. The save DC is charisma based..
At 6 HD, their growing control allows them to use their gaze more frequently. They may double the amount of rounds per day it can be active for. At 12HD, the number of rounds is equal to Charisma modifier again, but is limited per encounter, rather than per day.
Serpent’s Venom (Ex): A Marissic has a powerful, draining venom in it’s body, that it can use to weaken its foes. It may spit the poison onto a weapon (a single melee weapon or up to fifty pieces of ammunition) as a move action. It may also make a special bite attack, treated as a secondary weapon doing 1+str mod damage as well as applying poison.
The venom deals 1d3 strength damage as primary and secondary damage. Increase the size of the die rolled by one for each 4th HD. (1d4 at 4HD, 1d6 at 8HD…) The fortitude save for this poison is constitution based. This venom rapidly loses its potency, lasting for a number of hours equal to their constitution modifier.
Two Kinds: The legacy of the Marissic’s ancestors comes in different forms, with some being more human than the others. Some appear entirely human, barring serpentine eyes and slightly sharp teeth, while some bear the tail of a naga or true medusa. A rare few are capable of shifting their own form from one to the other.
Humanoid Marissic: A Humanoid Marissic can easily pass as human, especially if their eyes are covered. In addition, they tend to have far more potent abilities. They add one to the DC of their gaze and their venom.
Serpentine Marissic: A Serpentine Marissic has a tail slap attack dealing 1d6+1.5Str mod damage, and has the special attack Constrict for the same amount. They also gain a +1 racial bonus to balance checks, and a +2 bonus to resist bull rushes due to the increased stability their tail gives them.
Automatic Languages: Common, plus the ability to speak to snakes and similar creatures as if under a Speak With Animals effect.
Bonus Languages: Any, except secret languages
Favoured Class: Rogue, Swordsage
Level Adjustment/CR: +3
Variant - Lesser Naga (LA +1)
SpoilerA Lesser Naga receives only a +2 racial bonus to charisma, and do not receive the Gaze of Stone ability. They are always Serpentine. However, their Level Adjustment is only +1.
Variant - Lesser Lillend (LA +4)
SpoilerA Lesser Lillend does not receive the Gaze of Stone ability, and their Level Adjustment is +4. However, they gain the following abilities.
Serpent's Flight: A Lesser Lillend has a flight speed of 30ft (Average). This increases by 10ft at each fourth effective character level, starting at 40ft at ECL 8. At 10th ECL, and again at 15th, their maneuverability increases by one step. Their wings also allow them to glide. This negates damage from a fall of any height and allows 20 feet of forward travel for every 5 feet of descent. They glide at a speed of 30 feet (poor maneuverability). Even if their maneuverability improves, they can't hover while gliding. A Lesser Lillend can't glide while carrying a medium or heavy load. If they become unconscious or helpless while in midair, her wings naturally unfurl and powerful ligaments stiffen the wings. They descends in a tight corkscrew and takes only 1d6 points of falling damage, no matter what the actual distance of the fall.
Celestial Song: A Lesser Lillend has the Bardic Music abilities of a bard of second level. These stack with any actual bard levels.*
*If using the Songsmith class, this provides access to both Songs and Chords.
Feats
SpoilerDextrous Tail
Prerequisites: Marissic, ability to make a tail slap attack
Benefit: You gain the Improved Grab ability in conjunction with your tail slaps, allowing you to start a grapple as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity after striking a foe with your tail slap attack.
Shifting Form
Prerequisites: Marissic
Benefit: As a full round action, you may change your form from that of a humanoid Marissic to a Serpentine Marissic or vice verse, gaining amd losing the appropriate racial traits. Doing so is hard work, and fatigues the character until the end of the encounter, or for five minutes outside of combat.
Special: A character with this feat gains the Shapeshifter subtype.
Skilled Change
Prerequisites: Shifting Form
Benefit: You are not fatigued by shifting from one Marissic form to another.
Spells (Assorted; I swear they all have a connection, but I may not be able to explain why.)
SpoilerForm of Stone Revoked
Transmutation
Level: Cleric 2, Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: One petrified creature or a cylinder of stone from 1 ft. to 3 ft. in diameter and up to 10 ft. long
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (Object; see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes
Developed by the Marissic, this spell exists to negate the mistakes made by themselves or their progeny.
This spell functions as Stone to Flesh, but only if the target were petrified by the caster's action.
Friend of Stone Returned
Transmutation
Level: Cleric 3, Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: One petrified creature or a cylinder of stone from 1 ft. to 3 ft. in diameter and up to 10 ft. long
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (Object; see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes
This spell functions identically to stone to flesh, but requires the knowledge, permission and aid (as if an Aid Another action) of the being that caused the original petrification.
Ending Prevented
Conjuration/Necromancy (Healing)
Level: Cleric 6
Components: V, S, M, DF
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Touch
Effect: Living creature with hit dice equal or less than your caster level
Duration: 24 hours
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes (Harmless)
This spell is as to a Raise Dead spell as a shield or mage armour spell is to healing magic. It blesses the target with a persistent aura of divine magic. This magic has no real effect, unless the target is slain. A slain victim remains alive, their spirit remaining around the body (although they may stray if taught how), and, after a day has passed, will be returned to life, without losing a level or hit die. They return to life as they were and where they were when the spell was cast, but with a number of hit points equal to their HD. An unwilling being cannot be targetted with this spell, although it works if they change their mind. Constructs, elementals, outsiders, and undead creatures can’t be raised with this spell. The spell cannot bring back a creature that has died of old age.
By dousing the focus in special oils worth an additional 50gp, and placing it in any location, the being will reform there rather than at the spell's origin point.
Material Components: Rare diamonds worth at least 10,000gp
Pain to Pleasure
Abjuration/Enchantment (Mind-Affecting)
Level: Cleric 2
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Effect: Target gets pleasurable feelings when they should suffer
Duration: 1 hour/caster level
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (Harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes
The target is warded against pain, reversing it into an enjoyable sensation. They ignore one point of damage from every source (to a minimum of one), and are immune to death from massive damage. Furthermore, they do not need to take concentration checks to continue casting while taking damage.
In addition, for one round after any round in which they take damage, they gain a +1 morale modifier to all attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws.
Finally, their lack of pain often makes them foolhardy, though very hard to kill. They suffer a -1 penalty to AC, but gain a +2 morale bonus to Constitution.
Monster (Ridable)
Spoiler
Desert Wurm
Size/Type: Large Animal
Hit Dice: 8d6
Initiative: +1
Speed: 60 ft. (12 squares), Burrow 80 ft.
Armor Class: 17 (10-1 size +1 Dexterity +7 natural) touch 10, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+16
Attack: +11 Bite (2d6+9) or +11 Tail Slam (1d8+9)
Full Attack: +11 Bite (2d6+9), +11 Tail Slam (1d8+9)
Space/Reach: 10ft/5ft
Special Attacks: Constrict
Special Qualities: Immunity to Petrification
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +7, Will +1
Abilities: Str 23, Dex 13, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 10
Skills: -
Feats: Improved Grapple (B), Improved Natural Attack, Improved Toughness, Cleave
Environment: Desert, but close relatives exist for many environments, especially deep forests
Organization: Solitary (1) or clutch (3-6)
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: (True Neutral)
Advancement: 9-11 (Large), 12-15 (Huge), 16-18 (Gargantuan), 19-21 (Colossal)
A Wurm is a massive creature, similar to a worm but with a head more akin to that of a dragon. It is a predator, and can adapt to many environments. This is a desert wurm, which camoflauges its scales amongst the sand, and is often tamed as a steed by Marissic tribes.
Constrict: A Wurm that traps a foe in their coils can crush them, causing horrible damage. On each turn they successfully grapple a foe, including the first such turn, they deal an automatic 2d6+6 bludgeoning damage.
Immunity to Petrification: Through some quirk of biology, likely caused by co-existence with Marissic, Wurms are completely immune to Flesh to Stone and similar effects.
Skills
A Wurm has a +8 bonus to Hide and a +4 bonus to Survival whilst in their natural environment. They do not suffer from Hide penalties due to size, unless their size is increased past that implied by their hit dice. A Wurm with 8 hit dice grown to Colossal size would not sufer his Large size penalty of -8. As a colossal creature, he would normally have a -18 modifier, giving him a size modifier of -8.
A Wurm can run and even charge while burrowing.
Training a Wurm
A Wurm requires training before it can bear a rider in combat. Training a friendly wurm requires six weeks of work and a DC 30 Handle Animal check. Riding a Wurm requires an exotic saddle at double cost, but this saddle (which more resembles a chariot compartment*) can carry twice the creatures a normal creature of the Wurm's size could. A Wurm can fight while carrying a rider, but the rider cannot also attack unless he or she succeeds on a Ride check.
*Wurms are most commonly ridden by Marissics, who are incapable of using saddles not specifically designed for their kind. They may only ride exotic saddles.
A Wurm is suitable as a druid animal companion, with a -9 druid level modifier.
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So me making playable monster-lite races seems to be a thing now. I'm fine with this.
Main worries: Is being human-looking as good as what the snakey ones get?
I probably overdid the LA. Or didn't give them enough for what they have, but the petrifying is too good for any lower.
