"Anthropomorphic" Snapping/Alligator Snapping turtles.
Short & slow, but strong and very stocky, with a vicious bite & the obvious natural armor. They don't need boats- they're excellent swimmers- but often work as ferrymen, towing rather than poling them across. Those that own the riverboats that take goods the length of the rivers have a status much like caravan masters.
Their natural armor and physical power make them highly valued as soldiers on warships, though they lack the speed that pirates and raiders favor.
If they have a failing, it is their tempers, which are usually volcanic. They are patient- often to a fault- but when they lose their tempers, they completely lose it. Think, "long fuse" but "huge explosion"
As such, they are largely a tribal species, with strength in combat or success in trade being the measuring sticks for prominence in their society.
They love adorning themselves to show wealth or status. Warriors especially favor bright pigments (red is a favorite, followed by yellow) for painting symbols on their faces, and its not uncommon for them to have intricate designs etched into their shells. Those with etched shells sometimes paint the shells or the etchings (or both) to highlight the details.
* +4 Strength, -4Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma.
* Natural Armor: +4AC
* Natural Attack: Bite 1d8
* Darkvision out to 60 feet.
* Light Sensitivity: they are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
* Poor Hearing: -2 to all checks involving hearing
* Crafty: +2 to all checks involving commerce (Appraise, Bluff, etc.). They may not be charismatic, but they know how to bargain.
* Medium: As Medium creatures, they have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
* Base land speed is 20 feet. However, they can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load (unlike other creatures, whose speed is reduced in such situations). Their land speed is also unaffected by mud.
* Base Swim speed is 30 feet. Like their land speed, they can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load (unlike other creatures, whose speed is reduced in such situations).
* Hold Breath: While living a very aquatic life, they are air-breathers. However, they can hold their breath for a number of rounds equal to six times their Constitution score before risking drowning.
* Rivercunning: They get a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice and avoid river hazards, like whirlpools, hidden sandbars or rocks, submerged logs or hidden river predators. One who merely comes within 10 feet of a river hazard can make a Search check as if he were actively searching, and can use the Search skill to find traps involving rivers as a rogue can. They can also intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underwater as naturally as a human can sense which way is up.
* Stability: They gain a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground).
* Because their diet consists largely of fresh or scavenged meat, they have built up a natural resistance to toxins, giving them a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison.
* Favored Class: Barbarian
