[XPH] Open, Legal Psionic Snake-Men -- Balance Help, Please!

Those who follow the Serpent Spirit are touched more than metaphorically by His power. As a race, they identify themselves only as The People. To outsiders, they are known by many names, including Snake Men, Ophidar, or Setteshim. All accounts agree that they are evil, worshipping the Dark Serpent Settesh.


Set Touched
Medium Humanoid (Human, Reptilian, Psionic)
HD: 4d8-4 (14 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
AC: 17 (+1 Dex, +1 natural, +3 studded leather armor, +2 heavy shield), touch 11, flat-footed 16
BAB/Grapple: +3/+3
Attack: Morningstar +3 (1d8, 20/x2) or light crossbow +5 (1d8+1+2d6, 20/x3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Psionics
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., detect poison, poison use, PR 15, wild shape
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +4
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 12, Con 8, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 13
Skills: Bluff +6, Concentration +2, Disguise +4*, Hide +4, Intimidate +6, Listen +3, Spot +3
Feats: Persuasive (B), Psionic Talent (B), Point-Blank Shot, Psionic Shot

Environment: Warm Jungles, Hills, Mountains and Swamps
Organization: Pair, troupe (3-6), team (1-2 plus 3-12 human slaves) or colony (2-12 plus 10-60 human slaves)
CR: 3
Alignment: Usually evil (any)
Advancement: By character class
Level adjustment: +1

Psionics: Each of the touched manifests as a 2nd level Wilder or Psion, chosen when the character is created. If Psion, the character does not have access to any discipline-specific powers until he takes an actual level of Psion (and chooses a primary discipline). Typical powers are those which disable or confuse their foes, since they prefer capturing and keeping slaves: Conceal Thoughts, Psi Daze, Deceleration, Deja Vu, Demoralize, Disable, Entangling Ectoplasm, Force Screen, Telempathic Projection, Vigor. An average Set-touched has 9 power points.

Detect Poison (Ps): At will, 4th level caster. Every Set-touched knows automatically if he is about to consume poison.

Poison Use (Ex): Every one of the touched learns at an early age to safely handle poison without accidentally poisoning himself.

Wild Shape (Su): 1/day one of the touched may wild shape into a small or medium snake (viper or constrictor) for up to four hours. (The character's racial HD count as Druid levels for the purpose of determining additional wild shape abilities granted by Druid levels, or by prestige classes like Warshaper or Nature's Warrior. In the special case of Nature's Warrior, the text may be changed to read "+1 Manifester Level" in place of "+1 Caster Level", at the character's option.) Should the character gain wild shape from another source, he is limited to non-mammalian forms, including those of snakes, lizards, frogs, fish, sharks and dinosaurs.

Skills: A Set-touched gain a +10 racial bonus when attempting to disguise himself as a normal Human.

Set Touched as Characters
Set Touched characters possess the following racial traits.

• -2 Constitution, +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma.
• Racial Hit Dice: A set touched begins with four levels of humanoid, which provide 4d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +3, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +1, Ref +1, and Will +4.
• Racial Skills: A set touched’s humanoid levels give it skill points equal to 7 × (3 + Int modifier, which inclues the bonus point for being human). Its class skills are Climb, Concentration, Craft, Disguise, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (local, psionics), Listen, Move Silently, Psicraft and Swim.
• Racial Feats: A set touched’s humanoid levels give it two feats, plus one bonus feat for being human.
• +1 natural armor bonus.
• A set touched’s base land speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Racial bonus feat: Persuasive
• Psionics: You manifest as a 2nd level Psion or Wilder (chosen at character creation), though you have no other class abilities from those classes. If you choose Psion, you do not gain a primary Discipline, and you cannot select any Discipline powers until you take a level of Psion. If you choose Wilder, you cannot Wild Surge until you take a level of Wilder.
• Detect Poison (Ps): See above. Your manifester level for this abiltiy is your character level.
• Power Resistance: You posess PR 11 + character level.
• Wild Shape: see above.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Setteshim. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Abyssal, Infernal, Giant, Sylvan.
• Favored Class: Psion or Wilder (choice made on character creation).
• Level adjustment +1.

Notes:
1) The LA is low because of the 4 Humanoid HD. Humanoid HD kinda suck.
2) This is gonna be really easy to make into a 4-level "Racial Paragon" PrC. Yes, I prefer 4-level Paragon PrCs.

Gimmie feedback. -- N

Edits:
1/ spelling fix
2/ added "as character" section
3/ weapon changes -- they are humanoids, they use simple weapons

Set Blooded (snake head variety)
Medium Monstrous Humanoid (Reptilian, Psionic)
HD: 8d8 (36 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
AC: 20 (+4 Dex, +3 natural, +3 studded leather armor), touch 14, flat-footed 16
BAB/Grapple: +8/+10
Attack: MW scimitar +11 (1d6+2, 18/x2) or MW composite longbow +13 (1d8+2, 20/x3)
Full Attack: MS scimitar +11/+6 (1d6+2, 18/x2) and bite +5 (1d6+2, 20/x2 + poison) or MW composite longbow +11/+11/+6 (1d8+2, 20/x3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Psionics, psi-like abilities, poison
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., detect poison, poison use, PR 19, wild shape (snake)
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +10, Will +9
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 18, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 15, Cha 15
Skills: Concentration +7, Hide +8, Intimidate +7, Knowlege (Psionics) +7, Listen +9, Move Silently +8, Sense Motive +7, Spot +9
Feats: Alertness (B), Psionic Talent (B), Point-Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Speed of Thought

Environment: Warm Jungles, Hills, Mountains and Swamps
Organization: Pair, troupe (3-6), strike team (2-5 plus 2-12 touched) or colony (2-5 plus 2-12 touched plus 10-60 human slaves)
CR: 7
Alignment: Usually evil (any)
Advancement: By character class
Level adjustment: +3

Psionics: Each of the blooded manifests as a 6th level Psychic Warrior. Typical powers are those which augment their combat ability or conceal their presence: Biofeedback, Chameleon, Claws of the Beast, Conceal Thoughts, Empty Mind, Expansion, Force Screen, Metaphysical Claw, Offensive Prescience, Prevenom Weapon, Vigor, Animal Affinity, Dissolving Weapon, Painful Strike, Dimension Slide, Evade Burst, Empathic Feedback, Exhalation of the Black Dragon. An average Set-blooded knows 6 powers and has 19 power points.

Poison (Ex): Delivered with every successful bite attack, 1d6/1d6 Con, Fort DC 14.

Detect Poison (Ps): At will, 8th level caster. Every Set-blooded knows automatically if he is about to consume poison.

Poison Use (Ex): Every one of the blooded learns at an early age to safely handle poison without accidentally poisoning himself.

Wild Shape (Su): 3/day one of the blooded may wild shape into a small, medium or large snake (viper or constrictor) for up to eight hours. (The character's racial HD count as Druid levels for the purpose of determining additional wild shape abilities granted by Druid levels, or by prestige classes like Warshaper or Nature's Warrior. In the special case of Nature's Warrior, the text may be changed to read "+1 Manifester Level" in place of "+1 Caster Level", at the character's option.) Should the character gain wild shape from another source, he is limited to non-mammalian forms, including those of snakes, lizards, frogs, fish, sharks and dinosaurs.

-- N

Set Bodied (human arms variety)
Large Monstrous Humanoid (Reptilian, Psionic, Evil)
HD: 12d8+24 (78 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 15 ft., swim 30 ft.
AC: 17 (+2 Dex, +3 natural, +3 studded leather armor), touch 12, flat-footed 16
BAB/Grapple: +12/+20
Attack: MW large scimitar +17 (1d8+4, 18/x2) or MW composite longbow +17 (2d6+4, 20/x3)
Full Attack: MS scimitar +17/+12/+7 (1d8+4, 18/x2) and bite +11 (1d8+4, 20/x2 + poison) or MW composite longbow +15/+15/+10/+5 (2d6+4, 20/x3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Spells, psionics, psi-like abilities, poison
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., detect poison, poison use, PR 23, wild shape (snake)
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +12, Will +14
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 19, Wis 21, Cha 19
Skills: Concentration +12, Hide +14, Intimidate +14, Knowlege (Religion, Psionics) +14, Listen +17, Move Silently +14, Sense Motive +15, Spot +17
Feats: Alertness (B), Psionic Talent (B), Ability Focus (poison), Point-Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Power Attack, Natural Spell

Environment: Warm Jungles, Hills, Mountains and Swamps
Organization: Solitary, pair, strike force (2 plus 2-5 blooded plus 2-12 touched), cult (1-6 plus 2-12 blooded plus 4-32 touched plus 20-120 human cultists) or city (4-16 plus 10-40 blooded plus 30-180 touched plus 100-800 human slaves)
CR: 11
Alignment: Any evil
Advancement: By character class
Level adjustment: --

Spells: Each of the bodied casts spells as an 8th level Cleric or Druid (chosen when the character is created). If Clerical, he chooses two of the following Domains: Animal, Evil, Knowlege, Plant, Trickery.

Psionics: Each of the bodied manifests powers as an 8th level Telepath. Most focus on powers that disable or dominate their foes. Set-bodied often take the Thrallherd prestige class and use their thralls to start a cult.

Poison (Ex): Delivered with every successful bite attack, 1d6/1d6 Con, Fort DC 20.

Detect Poison (Ps): At will, 12th level caster. Every Set-bodied knows automatically if he is about to consume poison.

Poison Use (Ex): Every one of the bodied learns at an early age to safely handle poison without accidentally poisoning himself.

Wild Shape (Su): 4/day one of the bodied may wild shape into a tiny, small, medium or large snake (viper or constrictor) for up to twelve hours. (The character's racial HD count as Druid levels for the purpose of determining additional wild shape abilities granted by Druid levels, or by prestige classes like Warshaper or Nature's Warrior.) Should the character gain wild shape from another source, he is limited to reptilian forms, including those of snakes, lizards, frogs, fish, sharks and dinosaurs.

-- N

I like the ideas here.

With respect to the Set-touched, shouldn't they also be monstrous (no "e", BTW) humanoids rather than humanoids?

Does PR increase with additional class levels?

Are you sure about the non-reptilian forms you describe as being suitable?

Monstrous Humanoids are supposed to be, quoting the SRD: "Monstrous humanoids are similar to humanoids, but with monstrous or animalistic features." The Set-touched lack natural attacks, have natural armor that's equal to a Kobold, and generally don't have any special abilities that are not shared by other humanoids.

Thanks for the spelling fix. D'oh!

Looking at the Ti-Khana template in the Fiend Folio, it seems WotC considers Dinosaurs to be Reptilian. The others are subject to review, certainly. My goal is to mildly restrict their Wild Shape, rather than to slavishly follow the inflexible Snake theme.

Yes, PR is 11+HD in all cases. I'm working on a Setteshim-as-Characters write-up.

Thanks, -- N

Interesting...but...
How about making templates? I'd love to see the beginnings of the evolution. Would it work on elves? Dwarves? What about Gnolls? Giants?

Keep up the good work! I like 'em!

Nifft-

This is great stuff- especially adding the psionics! Please post whatever new ones/variants you come up with! These guys will be perfect for my Conan-esque games... [insert evil cackle here]

Eldon: IMC, Gnoll is a template -- look for my "BoVD" thread for details.

rowport: Thanks! Any thoughts on specifics that you like?

-- N, off to work

I'm going to post some updates soon, so comments on the basics (above) much appreciated.

-- N

sorry, no psionic-fu here :\