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[Let's Read] The Delver's Guide to Beast World
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<blockquote data-quote="Libertad" data-source="post: 8949036" data-attributes="member: 6750502"><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/EUXrwIP.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p> <p style="text-align: center"><strong>Chapter 10: Species</strong></p><p></p><p>We’re at the chapter that really gets into the crunchy bits for furry role-play, with 18 unique species and their various subspecies and cultural traits. The species of Beast World are similar to the concept of race in other 5th Edition settings, albeit with some changes: the species serves as the main race (for instance, murine covers rodents), then there are subspecies (in the vulpine example, there are mice and rats), and finally a homeland which grants abilities based on a character’s culture and upbringing rather than being explicitly biological. These do not supersede or replace a character’s background. To give a core race analogy, an elf’s weapon proficiencies would be considered a homeland trait, while their darkvision would be a species trait.</p><p></p><p>Every playable species in the Beast World is some variety of mammal, with dragons and kobolds being the reptilian exceptions. <a href="https://furscience.com/research-findings/fursonas/3-1-species-popularity/" target="_blank">This is pretty inline with the most popular kinds of fursonas,</a> where after hybrid combinations the most popular species are various kinds of canines and felines with dragons being number 5. As Beast World inhabitants “breed true” when having children, hybrids aren’t an option, which may be regrettable for those with fursonas of that type, but understandable given how complicated it would make options.</p><p></p><p>The book also has a handy sidebar for creating one’s own species not covered in the book. It isn’t a detailed system, but rather gives some broad guidelines to keep them relatively balanced.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/WYikMMH.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>There aren’t really “racial languages” in the Beast World, even if certain species are more common in certain regions. The Common tongue is a magical language which was designed during the earliest history of the Beast World to enable interspecies communication, and even the Brethren were able to master its use nearly instantly. But there still exist other languages, which mostly map up to the major countries along with counterparts and naming conventions of real-world cultures: for example, Allemance is French, Glasrúnish is Irish, Al’ar is Caribbean with some post-Colonial Portuguese, Carib, and Indian names, Draconic is Greco-Roman, and so on. Monstrous languages exist as Dungeon inhabitants.</p><p></p><p>I will not be going over every trait of a species, but rather highlighting some of the more interesting or iconic parts. I will also be giving my brief thoughts on each species’ utility for builds. One interesting thing to note among the species is that Darkvision is very rare. Only the Tenebrine species and Mole subspecies of Ligonine have it, and Murines have low-light vision where they can treat dim light as bright light. Some species still have special “greater than human” senses, such as vulpines being able to detect magnetic north and bats being able to see echoes of ethereal creatures and blindsense in the Astral Sea, but torches and lamp oil will be a pretty important commodity in Beast World parties more so than in core 5th Edition. Additionally, all of the species have the humanoid type, save for Jackals which are fey and Dragons which are…well, dragons.</p><p></p><p><strong>Bovines</strong> are physically-imposing people who have a natural connection with the Beast World’s plant life. Their traits reflect this, such as the species gaining advantage on melee attacks if they move at least 10 feet towards a creature they’re attacking, or the bison subspecies being able to wield two-handed weapons in one hand and treating versatile weapons as being two-handed even when wielded in one hand. They can touch a plant to communicate with it for 1 minute and learn about what it sensed nearby. Their homelands reflect how their people adapted to the needs of their particular regions, such as Vinyotians being hired for muscle at businesses which grants them proficiency in Perception and one gaming set, or Oric bovines having the ability to repair broken magical items with cost and DC based on rarity.</p><p></p><p><strong>Thoughts:</strong> It goes without saying that bovines encourage the player to go for melee builds. A bison doesn’t have to sacrifice the defensiveness of a shield in order to use a heavy weapon, and the advantage on a charge attack can be easily exploited to get Sneak Attack as a Rogue. The plant whisperer ability has some creative uses, such as carrying around a “pet plant” to pick up on things the party might miss or gift one to a person they wish to spy on.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/1x5DNmO.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p><strong>Canines</strong> are a widespread species, with dogs being found in every region but most wolves live in Allemance. Their species traits are pretty broad, including +2 Charisma, advantage on Survival checks when tracking, and advantage on saves vs ingested poisons. They are natural team players, with wolves having a limited form of Pack Tactics where they gain advantage on attack rolls if they and at least 2 allies are adjacent to the target, and +2 on Charisma checks if within the presence of at least 3 allies. Dogs, by contrast, have advantage on attack rolls when they’re fighting 2 hostile creatures adjacent to each other, and their keen ears give them +1d4 on initiative rolls and advantage on Dexterity saves vs magical traps and spells when surprised. Their homelands reflect their particular peoples’ history in the region, such as Allemance soldiers being trained in backswings which once per round grants a free 1d4+ STR or DEX base weapon damage attack if they miss with a melee attack.</p><p></p><p><strong>Thoughts:</strong> Wolves really shine if you have at least two other PCs or allies who engage in melee, and their ability score increases encourage Charisma-based martials such as Valor Bards and Paladins. The dog’s advantage on attack alternative works well with a reach weapon and appropriate feats, in that a target’s ally may provoke an opportunity attack should they try to move away and thus deny the advantage. Bonuses on initiative rolls are good for just about anyone.</p><p></p><p><strong>Celerines</strong> are rabbits and squirrels, innately magical people who prefer to live in the big cities and keep up with the latest artistic trends. Their base species hews towards being agile, such as a 35 foot base walking speed and are immune to being surprised as long as they’re conscious. Rabbits begin play with the Prestidigitation cantrip, and squirrels can climb vertical surfaces as part of their movement. Their homeland traits determine how their particular culture learned to shape their inherent magic, such as Arnerian celerines being able to grant themselves and adjacent allies a speed boost for one minute once per long rest.</p><p></p><p><strong>Thoughts:</strong> Prestidigitation is one of the more useful cantrips, and vertical movement is nice but kind of peters off at higher levels when Spider Climb, flight, and the like become more common. The Oria trait’s restraining tentacles are a good means of crowd control, and Vinyot’s personal aura of silence is good for shutting down enemy spellcasters if the celerine has some means of preventing movement (like grappling).</p><p></p><p><strong>Cervines</strong> are elk, which is also their only listed subspecies, and most of them are native to Oria. Although they may seem introverted, they have a great curiosity for the world, leading quite a few to explore beyond the snowy north. Their species and subspecies traits encourage them towards gish builds, where they have a hoof and/or gore* natural weapon attack and can treat either their eyes or their antlers as an innate spellcasting focus. Their homeland traits can trace back generations to some esteemed individual or group who made a name for themselves in new lands, such as Al’ari cervines having arrived as cultural ambassadors, being proficient with two artisan or musical instrument tools and can knock enemies prone with their natural weapons while charging.</p><p></p><p>*Some cervine have antlers, some don’t, and unlike the real world it’s not split by biological sex.</p><p></p><p><strong>Thoughts:</strong> Treating your eyes or antlers as a spellcsting focus frees up one’s hands to hold other things, making them good martial casters. Neither their species nor subspecies gains a bonus to any mental abilities, which is kind of a loss. The Vinyot homeland trait can be used on the party’s wagon to help reduce damage and deal more damage when ramming, which is good for Ironaxle wagons.</p><p></p><p><strong>Equines</strong> are born to move, and horses and donkeys alike hail from nomadic cultures. Both the species and subspecies traits have features centered around movement, such as the horse being able to double their movement speeds (not just base walking, which is 35 for equines) during the first round of combat and donkeys being able to sleep for 4 hours and continue walking even when nonmagically asleep. Donkeys also make for good mages, for they have advantage on Constitution saves to maintain concentration on a spell. Their homelands reflect things they picked up on the road, such as Vinyotian pilgrims who are proficient in Religion and learned how to hide ciphers within written documents.</p><p></p><p><strong>Thoughts:</strong> The base species has +2 to Wisdom, which strongly pushes them towards being a Cleric, Druid, Monk, or Ranger. The horse subspecies’ special stomp attack (move through an enemy square, damage and knock them prone) counts as an unarmed attack, which should mean that as a monk its base weapon damage die can increase with level. Donkeys as mentioned before are good for Concentration spells although their sleepwalking trait is of more limited use.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/GqB5933.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p><strong>Felines</strong> were born in Al’ar, and even those who moved to other lands still carry with them nearly a millennium of island culture. Unlike dogs they are choosier in who they befriend and associate with, and even among good company they still prize having some “alone time” every now and then. The species is predictably agile, such as treating their Strength score as 6 points higher for jump distances and a 35 foot movement speed, but have some supernatural traits such as being immune to divination spells lower than 6th level and being more aware of their surroundings while asleep. The Chikitu subspecies represents smaller felines and gain the benefits of Dodge whenever they take the Dash action,* while the Grandi represent tigers and other big cats and have a cleavelike ability where they gain a free melee weapon attack if they drop a creature to 0 hit points with a melee weapon. Homeland traits represent how they adapted to a more inland lifestyle if away from Al’ar, such as Allemagne (Alley Cats) having a climb speed if they can brace against two parallel walls and being proficient in brewer’s supplies.</p><p></p><p>*The text could afford to be a bit clearer, as one could ask if a Feline Rogue using Cunning Action could thus Dash and Dodge during the same turn, which would be really powerful.</p><p></p><p><strong>Thoughts:</strong> Felines are heavily pushed towards the physical classes, in that only Chikitus gain a mental ability score increase and that is from Wisdom. As mentioned above the Chikitu’s Dash may be powerful depending on how it’s read, and Oria’s Cat Got Your Tongue can be useful for shutting down an enemy spellcaster; the only downside is that the DC is low (8 + proficiency bonus) and they use their primary casting stat to save.</p><p></p><p><strong>Laetines</strong> are ferrets and otters, one of the Small-sized races who share flexible bodies and curious and inventive mindsets. They make for good Artificers and Wizards, with the species granting a +2 Intelligence, and their noodly bodies treat their size as Tiny for determining where they can fit and squeeze into. Otters have a swim speed and can hold their breath for 15 minutes and add double proficiency bonuses to Dexterity and Intelligence checks when using ropes, while Ferrets have adaptable minds which lets them become proficient in their choice of one of four sensory-based skills (Insight, Investigation, Perception, Survival) every long rest. Their homeland traits reflect expertise in some local industry, such as an Orian architect capable of performing a falling rubble-based AoE when hitting the weak point of a structure or Al’ari laetines being proficient with nets and are capable of building ones with higher escape DC and AC for purposes of breaking free.</p><p></p><p><strong>Thoughts:</strong> The noodle body has all sorts of creative applications, as Tiny is the smallest size category in 5th Edition. The otter’s double proficiency on rope isn’t so hot, although the ferret's bonus skill proficiency is nice if not exactly amazing. Oria’s AoE rubble is perhaps the most potent ability, although Vinyot’s jury-rig effects can also be useful albeit a bit situational.</p><p></p><p><strong>Ligonines</strong> are a bit of an exception for the species, as instead of being linked by similar physical features or ancestries they are instead linked by those who live in the highest and lowest places of the Beast World. They have three species, being armadillos, moles, and sloths. The ligonines help maintain the Loamlink network of subterranean tunnels running throughout the Beast World, which they allow others to use although most people find them inconvenient to travel. The eruption of the Dungeon in recent years has been disastrous for the species, who have memories of those lost from their appearance.</p><p></p><p>The main species traits are brief and reactive, granting +2 Constitution and adding proficiency bonuses to mental ability checks that aren’t skills. Moles are built for underground travel, such as a burrow speed, darkvision, and once per short or long rest can grant themselves tremorsense. Armadillos have mobility and defensive-minded traits, such as a natural armor of 14 plus Dexterity bonus, and can curl up into a defensive ball that lets them move twice as fast while dashing and subtracting 3 points of nonmagical physical damage whenever they Dash, Disengage, or Dodge. Sloths are built for melee, having a Climbing speed, claw natural weapons, treat their unarmed reach as being 5 feet longer than normal, and have advantage on their first Strength or Dexterity contested ability check they make against a creature if they haven’t moved that round or used their bonus action or reaction. Homeland traits are different, being based on whether they spent their lives underground, on the surface, or in the forested canopies.</p><p></p><p><strong>Thoughts:</strong> The subspecies are different enough they may as well be treated as their own entries. Moles are basically the dwarves of the setting, and being one of the few races with darkvision they do not need to rely on light sources or magic to function in the dark, which is very useful. Armadillo rogues are quite potent, as they can go really fast when using the Dash action and two out of three actions that trigger their defensive ball are Rogue Cunning Actions. Sloths are pretty good for grapple and shove builds, as they have reliable means of gaining advantage provided that the enemy doesn’t move away from them.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/kFBvYvo.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p><strong>Murines</strong> are the rodents of the Beast World. Both mice and rats called Arneria their home, but the rats moved en masse to other lands after losing their ability of silent speech that mice still possess. Rats are famous for starting and operating the first independent newspapers of the Beast World, motivated to keep in touch with friends and family across vast distances. The species main traits are rather interesting, including the aforementioned low-light vision and also being “mazeproof” in being able to retrace their steps over the last 7 days. The mice subspecies can communicate via subtle nonverbal cues with other mice, and can expend a spell slot* as a reaction if a creature would ordinarily lose concentration on a spell in order to maintain it. Rats can go for twice as long without food and water, and once per long rest as a reaction to seeing a spell cast within 60 feet they can cause the spell to affect them as well. Mice follow typical homeland traits separated by country, although the rats are an exception: in having spent generations living among others for much of their history, they can choose their homeland trait from any non-murine species list. Those living in Arneria can choose Blackwild Feedback, which is the result of a magical catastrophe that robbed them of silent speech, where as a reaction once per long rest can gain resistance to necrotic damage until the start of their next turn.</p><p></p><p>*slot level equal to the spell at risk.</p><p></p><p><strong>Thoughts:</strong> Rodents are very good team players; mice can help maintain concentration effects, and rats can turn single-target beneficial spells into multi-target ones benefiting themselves as well. Arnerian mice’s homeland trait can let them teach their voiceless speech to non-mice allies, and use the Help action at range with them which is a pretty strong ability. The rat’s basic homeland trait is rather underwhelming as necrotic isn’t a super-common damage type, which likely means they’ll choose some other species’ homeland trait instead.</p><p></p><p><strong>Ovines</strong> are another single subspecies entry, representing sheep who have a reputation for being gentle and patient. Their people inherited the ability to communicate with quiet-minded beasts, a peculiar gift from Pirhoua. As a result, sheep are more likely than others to be vegetarians, and work well as shepherds and in other occupations involving animal husbandry. The bulk of their traits come from their species, which include being able to communicate with creatures of the Beast type, can cast Animal Messenger once per long rest, a climbing speed of 15 feet, and are capable of eating any form of green vegetation. The sheep subspecies causes their wool to deal +1d4 lightning damage whenever they make an attack that does damage of the same type. Their homelands exhibit various interpretations of their green thumbs and sagely natures, such as Allemance ovines being able to do a trip attack with reach weapons that can knock a target prone on a failed Strength or Dexterity save, or Al’ari ovines capable of affecting multiple targets with their Animal Messenger if the animals in question live in water.</p><p></p><p><strong>Thoughts:</strong> Most of the ovine’s features are rather underwhelming and strongly push them towards specific archetypes. The lightning wool’s bonus damage only works with a specific damage type, encouraging them to pick up Shocking Grasp or related spells, and even then +1d4 isn’t a whole lot. The perpetual beast speech is perhaps the most broad ability, although its utility will depend on DM Fiat.</p><p></p><p><strong>This is getting to be a long post, so will continue in Part 2.</strong></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Libertad, post: 8949036, member: 6750502"] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/EUXrwIP.png[/img] [b]Chapter 10: Species[/b][/center] We’re at the chapter that really gets into the crunchy bits for furry role-play, with 18 unique species and their various subspecies and cultural traits. The species of Beast World are similar to the concept of race in other 5th Edition settings, albeit with some changes: the species serves as the main race (for instance, murine covers rodents), then there are subspecies (in the vulpine example, there are mice and rats), and finally a homeland which grants abilities based on a character’s culture and upbringing rather than being explicitly biological. These do not supersede or replace a character’s background. To give a core race analogy, an elf’s weapon proficiencies would be considered a homeland trait, while their darkvision would be a species trait. Every playable species in the Beast World is some variety of mammal, with dragons and kobolds being the reptilian exceptions. [url=https://furscience.com/research-findings/fursonas/3-1-species-popularity/]This is pretty inline with the most popular kinds of fursonas,[/url] where after hybrid combinations the most popular species are various kinds of canines and felines with dragons being number 5. As Beast World inhabitants “breed true” when having children, hybrids aren’t an option, which may be regrettable for those with fursonas of that type, but understandable given how complicated it would make options. The book also has a handy sidebar for creating one’s own species not covered in the book. It isn’t a detailed system, but rather gives some broad guidelines to keep them relatively balanced. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/WYikMMH.png[/img][/center] There aren’t really “racial languages” in the Beast World, even if certain species are more common in certain regions. The Common tongue is a magical language which was designed during the earliest history of the Beast World to enable interspecies communication, and even the Brethren were able to master its use nearly instantly. But there still exist other languages, which mostly map up to the major countries along with counterparts and naming conventions of real-world cultures: for example, Allemance is French, Glasrúnish is Irish, Al’ar is Caribbean with some post-Colonial Portuguese, Carib, and Indian names, Draconic is Greco-Roman, and so on. Monstrous languages exist as Dungeon inhabitants. I will not be going over every trait of a species, but rather highlighting some of the more interesting or iconic parts. I will also be giving my brief thoughts on each species’ utility for builds. One interesting thing to note among the species is that Darkvision is very rare. Only the Tenebrine species and Mole subspecies of Ligonine have it, and Murines have low-light vision where they can treat dim light as bright light. Some species still have special “greater than human” senses, such as vulpines being able to detect magnetic north and bats being able to see echoes of ethereal creatures and blindsense in the Astral Sea, but torches and lamp oil will be a pretty important commodity in Beast World parties more so than in core 5th Edition. Additionally, all of the species have the humanoid type, save for Jackals which are fey and Dragons which are…well, dragons. [b]Bovines[/b] are physically-imposing people who have a natural connection with the Beast World’s plant life. Their traits reflect this, such as the species gaining advantage on melee attacks if they move at least 10 feet towards a creature they’re attacking, or the bison subspecies being able to wield two-handed weapons in one hand and treating versatile weapons as being two-handed even when wielded in one hand. They can touch a plant to communicate with it for 1 minute and learn about what it sensed nearby. Their homelands reflect how their people adapted to the needs of their particular regions, such as Vinyotians being hired for muscle at businesses which grants them proficiency in Perception and one gaming set, or Oric bovines having the ability to repair broken magical items with cost and DC based on rarity. [b]Thoughts:[/b] It goes without saying that bovines encourage the player to go for melee builds. A bison doesn’t have to sacrifice the defensiveness of a shield in order to use a heavy weapon, and the advantage on a charge attack can be easily exploited to get Sneak Attack as a Rogue. The plant whisperer ability has some creative uses, such as carrying around a “pet plant” to pick up on things the party might miss or gift one to a person they wish to spy on. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/1x5DNmO.png[/img][/center] [b]Canines[/b] are a widespread species, with dogs being found in every region but most wolves live in Allemance. Their species traits are pretty broad, including +2 Charisma, advantage on Survival checks when tracking, and advantage on saves vs ingested poisons. They are natural team players, with wolves having a limited form of Pack Tactics where they gain advantage on attack rolls if they and at least 2 allies are adjacent to the target, and +2 on Charisma checks if within the presence of at least 3 allies. Dogs, by contrast, have advantage on attack rolls when they’re fighting 2 hostile creatures adjacent to each other, and their keen ears give them +1d4 on initiative rolls and advantage on Dexterity saves vs magical traps and spells when surprised. Their homelands reflect their particular peoples’ history in the region, such as Allemance soldiers being trained in backswings which once per round grants a free 1d4+ STR or DEX base weapon damage attack if they miss with a melee attack. [b]Thoughts:[/b] Wolves really shine if you have at least two other PCs or allies who engage in melee, and their ability score increases encourage Charisma-based martials such as Valor Bards and Paladins. The dog’s advantage on attack alternative works well with a reach weapon and appropriate feats, in that a target’s ally may provoke an opportunity attack should they try to move away and thus deny the advantage. Bonuses on initiative rolls are good for just about anyone. [b]Celerines[/b] are rabbits and squirrels, innately magical people who prefer to live in the big cities and keep up with the latest artistic trends. Their base species hews towards being agile, such as a 35 foot base walking speed and are immune to being surprised as long as they’re conscious. Rabbits begin play with the Prestidigitation cantrip, and squirrels can climb vertical surfaces as part of their movement. Their homeland traits determine how their particular culture learned to shape their inherent magic, such as Arnerian celerines being able to grant themselves and adjacent allies a speed boost for one minute once per long rest. [b]Thoughts:[/b] Prestidigitation is one of the more useful cantrips, and vertical movement is nice but kind of peters off at higher levels when Spider Climb, flight, and the like become more common. The Oria trait’s restraining tentacles are a good means of crowd control, and Vinyot’s personal aura of silence is good for shutting down enemy spellcasters if the celerine has some means of preventing movement (like grappling). [b]Cervines[/b] are elk, which is also their only listed subspecies, and most of them are native to Oria. Although they may seem introverted, they have a great curiosity for the world, leading quite a few to explore beyond the snowy north. Their species and subspecies traits encourage them towards gish builds, where they have a hoof and/or gore* natural weapon attack and can treat either their eyes or their antlers as an innate spellcasting focus. Their homeland traits can trace back generations to some esteemed individual or group who made a name for themselves in new lands, such as Al’ari cervines having arrived as cultural ambassadors, being proficient with two artisan or musical instrument tools and can knock enemies prone with their natural weapons while charging. *Some cervine have antlers, some don’t, and unlike the real world it’s not split by biological sex. [b]Thoughts:[/b] Treating your eyes or antlers as a spellcsting focus frees up one’s hands to hold other things, making them good martial casters. Neither their species nor subspecies gains a bonus to any mental abilities, which is kind of a loss. The Vinyot homeland trait can be used on the party’s wagon to help reduce damage and deal more damage when ramming, which is good for Ironaxle wagons. [b]Equines[/b] are born to move, and horses and donkeys alike hail from nomadic cultures. Both the species and subspecies traits have features centered around movement, such as the horse being able to double their movement speeds (not just base walking, which is 35 for equines) during the first round of combat and donkeys being able to sleep for 4 hours and continue walking even when nonmagically asleep. Donkeys also make for good mages, for they have advantage on Constitution saves to maintain concentration on a spell. Their homelands reflect things they picked up on the road, such as Vinyotian pilgrims who are proficient in Religion and learned how to hide ciphers within written documents. [b]Thoughts:[/b] The base species has +2 to Wisdom, which strongly pushes them towards being a Cleric, Druid, Monk, or Ranger. The horse subspecies’ special stomp attack (move through an enemy square, damage and knock them prone) counts as an unarmed attack, which should mean that as a monk its base weapon damage die can increase with level. Donkeys as mentioned before are good for Concentration spells although their sleepwalking trait is of more limited use. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/GqB5933.png[/img][/center] [b]Felines[/b] were born in Al’ar, and even those who moved to other lands still carry with them nearly a millennium of island culture. Unlike dogs they are choosier in who they befriend and associate with, and even among good company they still prize having some “alone time” every now and then. The species is predictably agile, such as treating their Strength score as 6 points higher for jump distances and a 35 foot movement speed, but have some supernatural traits such as being immune to divination spells lower than 6th level and being more aware of their surroundings while asleep. The Chikitu subspecies represents smaller felines and gain the benefits of Dodge whenever they take the Dash action,* while the Grandi represent tigers and other big cats and have a cleavelike ability where they gain a free melee weapon attack if they drop a creature to 0 hit points with a melee weapon. Homeland traits represent how they adapted to a more inland lifestyle if away from Al’ar, such as Allemagne (Alley Cats) having a climb speed if they can brace against two parallel walls and being proficient in brewer’s supplies. *The text could afford to be a bit clearer, as one could ask if a Feline Rogue using Cunning Action could thus Dash and Dodge during the same turn, which would be really powerful. [b]Thoughts:[/b] Felines are heavily pushed towards the physical classes, in that only Chikitus gain a mental ability score increase and that is from Wisdom. As mentioned above the Chikitu’s Dash may be powerful depending on how it’s read, and Oria’s Cat Got Your Tongue can be useful for shutting down an enemy spellcaster; the only downside is that the DC is low (8 + proficiency bonus) and they use their primary casting stat to save. [b]Laetines[/b] are ferrets and otters, one of the Small-sized races who share flexible bodies and curious and inventive mindsets. They make for good Artificers and Wizards, with the species granting a +2 Intelligence, and their noodly bodies treat their size as Tiny for determining where they can fit and squeeze into. Otters have a swim speed and can hold their breath for 15 minutes and add double proficiency bonuses to Dexterity and Intelligence checks when using ropes, while Ferrets have adaptable minds which lets them become proficient in their choice of one of four sensory-based skills (Insight, Investigation, Perception, Survival) every long rest. Their homeland traits reflect expertise in some local industry, such as an Orian architect capable of performing a falling rubble-based AoE when hitting the weak point of a structure or Al’ari laetines being proficient with nets and are capable of building ones with higher escape DC and AC for purposes of breaking free. [b]Thoughts:[/b] The noodle body has all sorts of creative applications, as Tiny is the smallest size category in 5th Edition. The otter’s double proficiency on rope isn’t so hot, although the ferret's bonus skill proficiency is nice if not exactly amazing. Oria’s AoE rubble is perhaps the most potent ability, although Vinyot’s jury-rig effects can also be useful albeit a bit situational. [b]Ligonines[/b] are a bit of an exception for the species, as instead of being linked by similar physical features or ancestries they are instead linked by those who live in the highest and lowest places of the Beast World. They have three species, being armadillos, moles, and sloths. The ligonines help maintain the Loamlink network of subterranean tunnels running throughout the Beast World, which they allow others to use although most people find them inconvenient to travel. The eruption of the Dungeon in recent years has been disastrous for the species, who have memories of those lost from their appearance. The main species traits are brief and reactive, granting +2 Constitution and adding proficiency bonuses to mental ability checks that aren’t skills. Moles are built for underground travel, such as a burrow speed, darkvision, and once per short or long rest can grant themselves tremorsense. Armadillos have mobility and defensive-minded traits, such as a natural armor of 14 plus Dexterity bonus, and can curl up into a defensive ball that lets them move twice as fast while dashing and subtracting 3 points of nonmagical physical damage whenever they Dash, Disengage, or Dodge. Sloths are built for melee, having a Climbing speed, claw natural weapons, treat their unarmed reach as being 5 feet longer than normal, and have advantage on their first Strength or Dexterity contested ability check they make against a creature if they haven’t moved that round or used their bonus action or reaction. Homeland traits are different, being based on whether they spent their lives underground, on the surface, or in the forested canopies. [b]Thoughts:[/b] The subspecies are different enough they may as well be treated as their own entries. Moles are basically the dwarves of the setting, and being one of the few races with darkvision they do not need to rely on light sources or magic to function in the dark, which is very useful. Armadillo rogues are quite potent, as they can go really fast when using the Dash action and two out of three actions that trigger their defensive ball are Rogue Cunning Actions. Sloths are pretty good for grapple and shove builds, as they have reliable means of gaining advantage provided that the enemy doesn’t move away from them. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/kFBvYvo.png[/img][/center] [b]Murines[/b] are the rodents of the Beast World. Both mice and rats called Arneria their home, but the rats moved en masse to other lands after losing their ability of silent speech that mice still possess. Rats are famous for starting and operating the first independent newspapers of the Beast World, motivated to keep in touch with friends and family across vast distances. The species main traits are rather interesting, including the aforementioned low-light vision and also being “mazeproof” in being able to retrace their steps over the last 7 days. The mice subspecies can communicate via subtle nonverbal cues with other mice, and can expend a spell slot* as a reaction if a creature would ordinarily lose concentration on a spell in order to maintain it. Rats can go for twice as long without food and water, and once per long rest as a reaction to seeing a spell cast within 60 feet they can cause the spell to affect them as well. Mice follow typical homeland traits separated by country, although the rats are an exception: in having spent generations living among others for much of their history, they can choose their homeland trait from any non-murine species list. Those living in Arneria can choose Blackwild Feedback, which is the result of a magical catastrophe that robbed them of silent speech, where as a reaction once per long rest can gain resistance to necrotic damage until the start of their next turn. *slot level equal to the spell at risk. [b]Thoughts:[/b] Rodents are very good team players; mice can help maintain concentration effects, and rats can turn single-target beneficial spells into multi-target ones benefiting themselves as well. Arnerian mice’s homeland trait can let them teach their voiceless speech to non-mice allies, and use the Help action at range with them which is a pretty strong ability. The rat’s basic homeland trait is rather underwhelming as necrotic isn’t a super-common damage type, which likely means they’ll choose some other species’ homeland trait instead. [b]Ovines[/b] are another single subspecies entry, representing sheep who have a reputation for being gentle and patient. Their people inherited the ability to communicate with quiet-minded beasts, a peculiar gift from Pirhoua. As a result, sheep are more likely than others to be vegetarians, and work well as shepherds and in other occupations involving animal husbandry. The bulk of their traits come from their species, which include being able to communicate with creatures of the Beast type, can cast Animal Messenger once per long rest, a climbing speed of 15 feet, and are capable of eating any form of green vegetation. The sheep subspecies causes their wool to deal +1d4 lightning damage whenever they make an attack that does damage of the same type. Their homelands exhibit various interpretations of their green thumbs and sagely natures, such as Allemance ovines being able to do a trip attack with reach weapons that can knock a target prone on a failed Strength or Dexterity save, or Al’ari ovines capable of affecting multiple targets with their Animal Messenger if the animals in question live in water. [b]Thoughts:[/b] Most of the ovine’s features are rather underwhelming and strongly push them towards specific archetypes. The lightning wool’s bonus damage only works with a specific damage type, encouraging them to pick up Shocking Grasp or related spells, and even then +1d4 isn’t a whole lot. The perpetual beast speech is perhaps the most broad ability, although its utility will depend on DM Fiat. [b]This is getting to be a long post, so will continue in Part 2.[/b] [/QUOTE]
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