[Race] House of 1,000 Corpses

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Glöi



The glöi, also known as Charnels or Gutfolk, are amongst the most misunderstood and reviled races in the multiverse. They seem a macabre, alien race until one attempts to understand their customs and ways through the eyes of their heritage. They are scavengers whose origins found them in the bowels of much larger carnivores, where they hid in the stomachs, feasting on the swallowed meat, or causing the carnivore to regurgitate the meal, and the glöi, where it could feed outside the host.

To a glöi the odor of a festering corpse is alike to a fine boutique, and a field of bodies a grove of wildflowers. Ripening cadavers, pustules and bones have a certain aesthetic beauty to them that few if any other races share. Their art reflects this with bone carvings, flesh sculptures, deadpools and fungus arrangements of horrible skill.

Personality: Though the range of personalities vary as widely as any human, glöi tend to be a surprisingly optimistic and philosophical people, and are masters of black humor. They see death and life as alternating shades of existence that goes from one to the other, much like day and night, with neither being an end.

Physical Description: Glöi bodies are much like that of a snake, but flatter and wider, and have strange crimps and twists in it as if their spine at several times along their length formed a swiveling joint. At the base four short, springy legs with a single retractable gripping claw grows. Dozens of much smaller legs continue up the side of the body, though appear mainly atrophied and are capable of very limited movement.
Their faces are strange and idiotic seeming, with tiny black eyes, one on each side of a round, circular head built around an enormous mouth. The teeth of this mouth are made for tearing, but are extremely tiny. A long tongue, covered in barbs, can be extended from this maw. A beard of what appears as a dozen meter-long, feathery moth antennae extend from the base of their throat that move with prehensile ease. They have a wiry strength to them, and can be braided together in a blink to make a pair of arms that are every bit as strong as a man's and much more dextrous.

Alignment: Glöi tend towards no particular alignment, depending on the individual and society it grew from.

Lands: Glöi prefer lands that are the hotter and humid the better, preferring balmy swamps and misty jungles. They can tolerate colder climates, but are intensely uncomfortable.

Settlements: Glöi prefer to craft their homes to be partially above and below. Though they use mud frequently, they prefer bone and scale, and often form large hunting parties for gathering building materials, much like loggers set out to cut trees. The rest of the remains are put in literal charnel houses to age and gain flavor. The wealthier Glöi make their homes from entire mummified remains of enormous beasts, such as dinosaur and similiar. Dragons are the preferred corpses, and it is said that it is within the guts of draconic hosts the glöi originally came to sentience. As such, glöi residences are surrounded by a miasma of putrescence that is only possible by the careful cultivation of decay. As often as not glöi tend to be nomadic, only settling for short periods while happening upon a particularly great beast's death or to lay eggs. Some glöi even raise dead to follow them as both food and protection, and serve as pack creatures.

Glöi eggs have no yolks, so they are laid en masse in pools of liquefied flesh, absorbing through the porous membranes. Glöi larvae are aquatic and mindless for their first year, eating anything, alive or dead, even one another. After this they become to develop a true intelligence, at which point the maggots are rescued from their cannibalistic brethren and into new pools of children to be taught and cared for by the settlement in general. As the maggots begin to mature, they grow a cocoon-like sack around themselves of great durability. This sack smells enticing to predators, and the settlement as a whole tries to attract a huge beast to come and literally eat their young. They remain growing in the belly of this beast, the sack slowly being eaten away by the stomach acid of their host, the only substance that seems capable of doing so. The entire brood then hatches, and feed upon the eatings of their host. Eventually it weakens and dies. The brood then emerges, having all the materials ready for the beginning of a new settlement.

Glöi have no genders, and can in fact lay eggs and produce offspring without the need of a mate, but this tends to be taboo and the individual shunned.

Power Groups: Glöi society is oddly normal, with bullies and subordinates, iconoclasts and individualists. Though they work together to raise their young, it is also quite normal for groups to break off and start their own society. Leaders tend to be the elders of the community, though can be thrown down by a stronger or more well liked younger glöi.

Beliefs: The glöi believe that all life grows upon the multiverse like mold on a piece of meat, and that we are all living off the flesh of a dead, plane-spanning deity. Someday, after all has been consumed and everything has died, the released life force will reawaken the god and its followers, and they will become one with it.

Languages: Glöi. Bonus Languages: Common, Draconic, and Giant. Glöi language sounds like a mixture between a stuck pig and a phlegmy wheeze with buzzing overtones and sudden series of strangled glottal stops.

Names: Glöi are often named after their eating habits with family names based off the creature within which they grew, with special titles given depending on their accomplishments.


Glöi Racial Traits

Con +2, Dex +2, Cha -4: Glöi are a race of hardy contortionists but they come across as intensely unpleasant to almost all other known species.
* Monstrous Humanoid: Glöi are not subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person.
* Small: As a Small creature, a Glöi gains a +1 bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but it uses smaller weapons than humans use, and its lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
* Glöi base land speed is 20 feet. They gain a Burrow speed of 5 feet when moving through dead flesh.
* Darkvision: A glöi has darkvision out to 60 feet.
* Parasitic Heritage: A glöi's nature is such that some healing spells are confused by them. Glöi can be cured of diseases with spells, but take 1d6 points of damage per 2 levels of the spell. For instance, Remove Disease, a 3rd level spell, deals 1d6 points of damage, and Heal, a 6th level spell deals 3d6 points of damage (though in the case of Heal, may heal the damage it deals, though it heals pre-existing damage first). Glöi casters have their own versions that does not deal damage, however, when this version is used on non-glöi they are considered 2 caster levels lower for counter casting purposes and similar.
* Charnel Nose (Ex): A glöi gains the scent ability within 30 feet for the purpose of detecting dead flesh if it has been dead for more than an hour. If the corpse is upwind, the range increases to 60 feet; if downwind, it drops to 15 feet. When a glöi detects a scent, the exact location of the source is not revealed - only its presence somewhere within range. The glöi can take a move action to note the direction of the scent. Whenever the glöi comes within 5 feet of the source, the glöi pinpoints the source’s location.
They can tell within up to half a day how long a creature has been dead by smell alone and can 'smell through' any Bluff or Disguise check a creature may make to appear dead.
* Gutborn (Ex): A glöi is immune to digestive acids and the bludgeoning damage of a creature's gizzard (though other acids and bludgeoning damage still affects them). As such, unless the creature's stomach deals other kinds of damage, such as tearing or has a stomach full of fire, the glöi is completely immune to being swallowed whole. In addition, they can tickle the creature's inner orifices in such a way as to cause a gagging reflex. The creature must succeed on a Constitution save equal to the glöi's Heal check or expell the contents of it's stomach. The glöi gains a +10 racial bonus to Heal for the purpose of causing this reflex.
* Irongut: A glöi is immune to all ingested and inhaled poisons and disease.
* Rasping Tongue: A glöi can make a secondary attack with it's barbed tongue, dealing 1d4 subdual damage.
* Favored Class: Fighter
* Level Adjustment: +1

[SurlySeraph]

Wow.

I don't think I've ever seen such a flavorful race, nor such a horrifying one. Glöi would be really interesting to play alongside, if RP'd properly - especially good-aligned ones. Just trying to imagine how a gloi paladin would get along in society makes my head hurt, and makes me want to write a story about that. The crunch looks balanced, and fits the fluff like a glove. I don't have much to add, since this is incredible already. I can always count on you to make creatures that are both awesome and scare the hell out of me, Tribble.

[Stycotl]

really neat race. i might have to find a reason to include these in my current story just on principle alone.

[arguskos]

Vorpal, are you TRYING to give me nightmares? Now I can only think of these creepy flatworm people with a rictus of a grin talking animatedly about the texture of rotting flesh and why I should try some.

Also, most excellent stuff. I'll never use it, but wow, the attention to lore is astounding.

[Stycotl]

but wow, the attention to lore is astounding.

that's one of the things that make his homebrew so good: the details that give it life.

[Owrtho]

This is one of my favorite races I've seen so far (even including official ones). It's nice seeing a flavorful non-humanoid race that has its own culture and isn't inherently evil or some such thing even though most would likely view it as such. Also, I'm not sure how they are monstrous humanoid considering the physical description (but then I may be confused as I've always assumed monstrous humanoid meant it had a humanoid form, but was more monstrous than such as humans, elves, and dwarfs).

Owrtho

[arguskos]

Also, I'm not sure how they are monstrous humanoid considering the physical description (but then I may be confused as I've always assumed monstrous humanoid meant it had a humanoid form, but was more monstrous than such as humans, elves, and dwarfs).

That's a good point. I was thinking that they look a bit like Naga, which are aberrations if I recall correctly.

@Stycotl: Damn right! That's why I always read Vorpal's work, even if it terrifies me more often than not.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Also, I'm not sure how they are monstrous humanoid considering the physical description (but then I may be confused as I've always assumed monstrous humanoid meant it had a humanoid form, but was more monstrous than such as humans, elves, and dwarfs).

Yeah, it was hard placing them. Basically monstrous humanoids are anything that aren't supernatural or unnatural yet have human mentality to a degree.

If they aren't magical in nature they can't be magical beasts, and if they evolved here, have a place in a natural niche and have nothing otherworldly about them they can't be aberrations.

Pretty much leaves monstrous humanoid.

That's a good point. I was thinking that they look a bit like Naga, which are aberrations if I recall correctly.

Never understood why they are aberrations. Human-faced snakes are right along with harpies, centaurs and merfolk, which are all monstrous humanoids.

[arguskos]

Never understood why they are aberrations. Human-faced snakes are right along with harpies, centaurs and merfolk, which are all monstrous humanoids.

All of the above are half-human though. A better example of a Monstrous Humanoid human-snake would be a Yuan-Ti Abomination.

Naga are snakes, with a vaguely humanoid face. They share nothing else with humans but that little tidbit, and frankly, that's not enough for the monstrous humanoid type. Look at who else has that type: gnolls, hobgoblins, harpies, merfolk, yuan-ti. Compare to naga, and it's easy to see how naga are aberrations.

Course, it's your critter, so if you like it as a monstrous humanoid, who am I to stop you?

[Athaniar]

Monstrous Humanoids are, of course, all at least vaguely humanoid. These guys seem very much like Aberrations. The SRD says the following concerning Aberrations:

An aberration has a bizarre anatomy, strange abilities, an alien mindset, or any combination of the three.

And on Monstrous Humanoids:

Monstrous humanoids are similar to humanoids, but with monstrous or animalistic features. They often have magical abilities as well.

These are definitely Aberrations. Very cool creatures, though.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

All of the above are half-human though.

No, I'm open for debate as always. There are others that share no mingling with humanity as well. Off the top of my head...

Armand
Gulgar
Kenku

These are definitely Aberrations. Very cool creatures, though.

Aberrations are unnatural. That's why they are aberrant. My fellows are not unnatural however. You could apply this same argument to a jellyfish, naked mole rat or Michael Jackson... ok, maybe the last doesn't help my argument, but you know what I'm getting at.

[Tingel]

Neat.

What exactly is the accompanying piece of artwork supposed to depict?

[Worira]

Yes, this is an Aberration. A jellyfish is either a vermin or animal, a naked mole rat is an animal, and Michael Jackson is a humanoid. The Armand, Kenku, and Gulgar are all bipedal with an upright stance, unlike the Glöi.

That said, this is excellent. And horrible. One other thing, though: I'm having trouble imagining an intestinal parasite with a spine. A notochord, perhaps, but not a spine.

[Owrtho]

No, I'm open for debate as always. There are others that share no mingling with humanity as well. Off the top of my head...

Armand
Gulgar
Kenku

All of those are humanoid though. Humanoid doesn't have to do with the mindset but the body layout (Though DnD breaks the category into those that are like humans and those that are less so). I myself would argue that such as centaur, harpies, etc. that lack such a body layout don't belong in the monstrous humanoid type, but can't think of a better place to put them and would likely have to make a new type for them (that would likely be exactly the same mechanically but with a different name that is accurate in describing them). Despite that those clearly are humanoid in form (also, aberrations need not be unnatural, just different from most other thing. They just usually are unnatural in DnD.).

Owrtho

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Yes, this is an Aberration.

I will ask this once more. Once.

If it's physiology is not unnatural, it's mentality is not unnatural, and nothing about it is in fact aberrant, how in the name of repeated posts is this an aberration?

One other thing, though: I'm having trouble imagining an intestinal parasite with a spine. A notochord, perhaps, but not a spine.

It evolved into a more internally advanced/complex creature.

Despite that those clearly are humanoid in form (also, aberrations need not be unnatural, just different from most other thing. They just usually are unnatural in DnD.)

But we have untold amounts of creatures that are completely different than anything else and they aren't labeled as aberrations.

[Worira]

Not unnatural, bizarre or alien. It has a bizarre anatomy, and a mindset alien to humans.

The other possibility is magical beast. Note that it doesn't technically have to have magic powers to be a magical beast, just an intelligence over 2.

[Lappy9000]

I'd say leave the classification up to VT, since he has a better mental image of the glöi than any of us do. Since the description still leaves a lot to the imagination (most do) and the fact that most of the arguments consist of "It's an aberration, just because," leave the grouping of the charnel folk up to the man who knows them best

[Mr.Moron]

Nothing about the flavor really seems to paint them as individually weak in spirit. The CHA penalty is in a line that says they're unpleasant to other races but that really doesn't reflect the way say a Sorcerer or Paladin uses CHA.

I might have missed something (I usually do on my first read-through) but if the CHA penalty is really just there as a social thing, how about a massive penalty to social skills -6(?) with others, not of their kind. I don't think the race is really at a point where it would break them power-wise.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Not unnatural, bizarre or alien. It has a bizarre anatomy, and a mindset alien to humans.

It's anatomy is no more bizarre than these other monstrous humanoids:

Ormyrr
Thri-kreen

Also, it's mindset is bizarre to humans because we're mammals and eat fruit. Get any sentient predator and they would think we're bizarre that we eat plants and don't like playing with our food.

Nothing about the flavor really seems to paint them as weak in spirit. The CHA penalty is in a line that says they're unpleasant to other races but that really doesn't reflect the way say a Sorcerer or Paladin uses CHA.

I might have missed something (I usually do on my first read-through) but if the CHA penalty is really just there as a social thing, how about a massive penalty to social skills -6(?) with others, not of their kind. I don't think the race is really at a point where it would break them power-wise.

That would make sense, but then we have creatures like the Elan. They were born human, but underwent a ritual to replace their life force with mental energy and the change altered how they perceive the world. They now have the Aberration type and a -2 to Charisma because they interact with all other living folks strangely.

Thri-kreen also have a -4 penalty to Cha because they think like insects, but they are actually monstrous humanoids.

[Mr.Moron]

That would make sense, but then we have creatures like the Elan. They were born human, but underwent a ritual to replace their life force with mental energy and the change altered how they perceive the world. They now have the Aberration type and a -2 to Charisma because they interact with all other living folks strangely.

Well, I'm not going to try to argue too strongly here since A) I'm not familiar with elan. B) These are yours, and your flavor.

Still, these guys are in the natural state rather undergoing some kind of mental replacement jazz. If you're having our life force replaced with mental energy, I can see that as potentially causing damage to one spirit/personal self. These guys really don't have anything like that going on. They're just creepy, it really seems like their spirit/personality might be as intact/whole as anyone else.

It's really just a thought though, it is still very nice. Though maybe you might be able to get a bit more for LA+1 from a mechanical perspective.

[Zeta Kai]

1) This is a MH is the Trib says it's a MH, because...

2) ...an awesome 'brewer making an awesome homebrew has sovereignty over his babies, so long as they are truly awesome...

3) ...and this is truly awesome. Great job, VT.

[sigurd]

Very creepy!

If it is still a parasite in its outlook would it not be 'Humanoid Vermin" or some sort of Vermin?

The image of these being within bodies is very powerful. I imagine a successful Gloi crawling into a dead body and using it for shelter and food for a couple of days.

Can they hold tools?

Would they be henchmen?

Any tradition of making other races do their lifting etc....



Sigurd

[Worira]

I'll drop the aberration/magical beast/monstrous humanoid thing, since it's not particularly productive. You're still wrong, though.

Anyway, I think this could work as a LA 0 if you drop one of the stat bonuses. It's good, but not overly powerful. Also, when you say "At the base four short, springy legs with a single retractable gripping claw grows.", do you mean the legs are at the front or at the back? Also also, that should be "grow".

[SilverClawShift]

This is really cool. Very creepy. I'm gonna save this for our groups race/monster archive.

Mind you, I doubt I'll be PLAYING one any time soon

[Owrtho]

It's anatomy is no more bizarre than these other monstrous humanoids:

Ormyrr
Thri-kreen

I'd still note though that even if it is not bazaar, their anatomy is in no way humanoid (at least based on your description, for that matter I have no idea why that first one is counted as such either, but that is beside the point). As such they should not be either of the humanoid types. They might not fit in aberration either. But they fit there more closely than in a category that is for things with a humanoid body type (for example humanoids are bipedal and stand erect, these have 4 main legs with dozens of smaller ones making it likely they crawl).

Owrtho

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Anyway, I think this could work as a LA 0 if you drop one of the stat bonuses. It's good, but not overly powerful. Also, when you say "At the base four short, springy legs with a single retractable gripping claw grows.", do you mean the legs are at the front or at the back?

At the back. They walk curved upwards, balanced on two sets of legs.

ut they fit there more closely than in a category that is for things with a humanoid body type (for example humanoids are bipedal and stand erect, these have 4 main legs with dozens of smaller ones making it likely they crawl).

See above. Mainly just use two legs the same way we use one. They at one time had lots of legs, or possibly just cilia, but are no longer using them for anything.

Very creepy!
If it is still a parasite in its outlook would it not be 'Humanoid Vermin" or some sort of Vermin?

No more than the Thri-kreen or Abeil who are monstrous humanoids of insectoid-vermin. These are just cestoda-vermin.

i'm thinking of just writing up a new monster type...

Can they hold tools?

Sure. They can wield anything a human can. Probably more things since they have the equivalent of hundreds of little fingers.

Would they be henchmen?

They could.

Any tradition of making other races do their lifting etc...

Only undead. They treat the living and the dead just as differently as anyone else, just they consider them much like we consider plants. Something to make use of.

[arguskos]

i'm thinking of just writing up a new monster type...

Honestly, that'd be awesome. I heartily approve.

Also, I hope my objections to the type above upset you any, Vorpal. I didn't really emphasize how awesome this critter is. I hope you didn't mind too much. You are one of the homebrew masters here for a good reason.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Pftt, ain't one of those thin-skinned pansy homebrewers. I want to have a balanced critter and lay any objections you have at it. Just don't get riled up in turn if I argue the objection for several pages

[sigurd]

Pftt, ain't one of those thin-skinned pansy homebrewers. I want to have a balanced critter and lay any objections you have at it.

I mean, Just look at his avatar - he's got pointy bits pointing every direction! He's like a beholder with fur and an attitude!

[The Vorpal Tribble]

For sadistic DM's who want to make it a little harder for them...


Beastly Bowels [General]
Your innards are lined with razor-sharp hooks that aid the breakdown of food.
Prerequisite: Swallow Whole ability.
Benefit: In addition to standard bludgeoning damage you deal an extra 1 point of slashing/piercing damage per HD plus half your Strength mod. For example a Behir would deal 13 piercing/slashing damage in addition to it's bludgeoning and acid.

Stickygut [General]
Your bowels have a particularly thick lining that secrete an inner ooze that holds your meal down.
Prerequisite: Swallow Whole ability.
Benefit: Whenever you make an attack to cut within a creature that's swallowed you you must succeed on a Reflex save (DC 10 + half creature's HD + Con mod) or have your weapon stuck fast within. You may remove it with an opposed Strength check.