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Three Races (Drowned, Deathtouched, God-touched)
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<blockquote data-quote="Sound of Azure" data-source="post: 2881735" data-attributes="member: 40749"><p><strong>The Varunastra/ Drowned- Draft One</strong></p><p></p><p><strong>Varunastra/Drowned</strong></p><p></p><p>When a child is to be named, they are taken to the river or ocean and bathed in it by a Shaman. Sometimes, the babe disappears during this ceremony becoming water. Usually they disappear for good, but sometimes they come back changed, marked by the water gods forever after.</p><p> The Varunastra, or Drowned are humans whose essence has been changed by contact with water spirits or gods. Their name is variously translated as “Power of the Water Deva”, or “Weapon of the Water Deva”. Marked different from all other people and never seen as average or mundane, Varunastra are either seen as a great blessing, or a curse of bad fortune by those around them. </p><p></p><p> <strong>Personality:</strong> Varunastra tend to have very even temperaments, and have a close affinity for water. Most engage in activities that are closely associated with rivers, such as fishing and sailing. However, some resent the impact the water spirits had on them, and try to ignore the inner call to the water. They tend to adopt the mannerisms of the culture in which they were raised.</p><p> <strong>Physical Description:</strong> Marked by their impossibly blue eyes and pale, clammy skin, Varunastra are markedly different to ordinary humans. Their features tend to be smooth and flowing, and their skin cold to the touch, but otherwise follow the appearance of their human parents.</p><p> <strong>Relations:</strong> Varunastra have no culture of their own, and inherit the prejudices of their parent culture, but tend to get along with those who respect waterways.</p><p> <strong>Alignment:</strong> Varunastra are still essentially human, and tend to no particular alignment, not even neutrality. </p><p> <strong>Lands: </strong> Varunastra have no lands of their own, living amongst humans in coastal zones and close to rivers and lakes. Because of their connection to water, they are often seen as lucky in communities from such areas. </p><p> <strong> Religion:</strong> While they have an affinity for the oceans and rivers, Varunastra follow the religious practices of their parent culture. Many feel drawn to religions promoting closeness to nature.</p><p> <strong> Language:</strong> Varunastra speak Common, or the languages of the culture they were born into.</p><p> <strong>Names:</strong> Varunastra take their names from their parent culture.</p><p> Adventurers: Varanastra excel in many fields, and typically have a deep love for natural waterways. Some tire of the attention they receive amongst their communities and strike out on their own.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Varunastra Racial Traits</strong></p><p> <strong>Medium:</strong> As Medium creatures, Varunastra have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.</p><p> Spi<strong>rit Subtype:</strong> Varunastra have the spirit subtype, which means they can be affected by spells that specifically target spirits, such as protection from spirits and invisibility to spirits. Their human ancestry makes them humanoids, however, so they are also affected by spells such as charm person and hold person.</p><p> <strong>Swim Speed 15 feet.</strong> Varunastra gain a +8 racial bonus to all Swim checks and can always choose to take 10 with swim checks, even if rushed or threatened. Varunastra may use the run action while swimming, as long as they swim in a straight line.</p><p> <strong>Sea Longing:</strong> Varunastra that remain out of sight of the ocean for more than one week (or 7 days if not using an earth-like world) longs to be close to the sea, and suffers a -1 penalty to all Wisdom-based checks until they return to a shore that connects to it.</p><p> <strong>Speak With Fish:</strong> Once per day Varunastra may use speak with animals to speak with any fish as a supernatural ability. The Varunastra’s caster level with this ability is equal to their character level, and lasts for one minute per character level. The Varunastra must be in contact with the water the fish is in to use this ability. If contact is broken, the effect ends.</p><p> <strong>Water Affinity:</strong> A Varunastra with Kaiu Ainu levels may substitute the Water domain for one of the domains they normally have access to. Those with Shaman levels often choose River as one of their domains. </p><p> <strong>Scentless:</strong> A Varunastra does not leave a scent, and cannot be have their location pinpointed by the scent ability. Creatures with the scent ability may not add the scent bonus to Survival checks when tracking a Varunastra.</p><p> <strong>Favoured Class:</strong> Any. When determining whether a multiclass Varunastra suffers an XP penalty, their highest level class does not count.</p><p></p><p>-----</p><p></p><p>* I'm considering making the Sea Longing penalty greater, become cumulative over time, or both.</p><p>* I want to implement the suggestion above about the race being mostly water. Unsure how to, however. I'm loathe to give them resistance to critical hits and sneak attacks (this seems too powerful).</p><p>*Is Scentless too powerful? Not sure how to guage it. It's not pass without trace or anything, but it seems strong.</p><p>*The race's name is based on the Deva Varuna. I'm aware that in myth Varuna was not just a lord or the seas and rivers, but I felt it appropriate in my campaign.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Sound of Azure, post: 2881735, member: 40749"] [b]The Varunastra/ Drowned- Draft One[/b] [B]Varunastra/Drowned[/B] When a child is to be named, they are taken to the river or ocean and bathed in it by a Shaman. Sometimes, the babe disappears during this ceremony becoming water. Usually they disappear for good, but sometimes they come back changed, marked by the water gods forever after. The Varunastra, or Drowned are humans whose essence has been changed by contact with water spirits or gods. Their name is variously translated as “Power of the Water Deva”, or “Weapon of the Water Deva”. Marked different from all other people and never seen as average or mundane, Varunastra are either seen as a great blessing, or a curse of bad fortune by those around them. [B]Personality:[/B] Varunastra tend to have very even temperaments, and have a close affinity for water. Most engage in activities that are closely associated with rivers, such as fishing and sailing. However, some resent the impact the water spirits had on them, and try to ignore the inner call to the water. They tend to adopt the mannerisms of the culture in which they were raised. [B]Physical Description:[/B] Marked by their impossibly blue eyes and pale, clammy skin, Varunastra are markedly different to ordinary humans. Their features tend to be smooth and flowing, and their skin cold to the touch, but otherwise follow the appearance of their human parents. [B]Relations:[/B] Varunastra have no culture of their own, and inherit the prejudices of their parent culture, but tend to get along with those who respect waterways. [B]Alignment:[/B] Varunastra are still essentially human, and tend to no particular alignment, not even neutrality. [B]Lands: [/B] Varunastra have no lands of their own, living amongst humans in coastal zones and close to rivers and lakes. Because of their connection to water, they are often seen as lucky in communities from such areas. [B] Religion:[/B] While they have an affinity for the oceans and rivers, Varunastra follow the religious practices of their parent culture. Many feel drawn to religions promoting closeness to nature. [B] Language:[/B] Varunastra speak Common, or the languages of the culture they were born into. [B]Names:[/B] Varunastra take their names from their parent culture. Adventurers: Varanastra excel in many fields, and typically have a deep love for natural waterways. Some tire of the attention they receive amongst their communities and strike out on their own. [B]Varunastra Racial Traits[/B] [B]Medium:[/B] As Medium creatures, Varunastra have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. Spi[B]rit Subtype:[/B] Varunastra have the spirit subtype, which means they can be affected by spells that specifically target spirits, such as protection from spirits and invisibility to spirits. Their human ancestry makes them humanoids, however, so they are also affected by spells such as charm person and hold person. [B]Swim Speed 15 feet.[/B] Varunastra gain a +8 racial bonus to all Swim checks and can always choose to take 10 with swim checks, even if rushed or threatened. Varunastra may use the run action while swimming, as long as they swim in a straight line. [B]Sea Longing:[/B] Varunastra that remain out of sight of the ocean for more than one week (or 7 days if not using an earth-like world) longs to be close to the sea, and suffers a -1 penalty to all Wisdom-based checks until they return to a shore that connects to it. [B]Speak With Fish:[/B] Once per day Varunastra may use speak with animals to speak with any fish as a supernatural ability. The Varunastra’s caster level with this ability is equal to their character level, and lasts for one minute per character level. The Varunastra must be in contact with the water the fish is in to use this ability. If contact is broken, the effect ends. [B]Water Affinity:[/B] A Varunastra with Kaiu Ainu levels may substitute the Water domain for one of the domains they normally have access to. Those with Shaman levels often choose River as one of their domains. [B]Scentless:[/B] A Varunastra does not leave a scent, and cannot be have their location pinpointed by the scent ability. Creatures with the scent ability may not add the scent bonus to Survival checks when tracking a Varunastra. [B]Favoured Class:[/B] Any. When determining whether a multiclass Varunastra suffers an XP penalty, their highest level class does not count. ----- * I'm considering making the Sea Longing penalty greater, become cumulative over time, or both. * I want to implement the suggestion above about the race being mostly water. Unsure how to, however. I'm loathe to give them resistance to critical hits and sneak attacks (this seems too powerful). *Is Scentless too powerful? Not sure how to guage it. It's not pass without trace or anything, but it seems strong. *The race's name is based on the Deva Varuna. I'm aware that in myth Varuna was not just a lord or the seas and rivers, but I felt it appropriate in my campaign. [/QUOTE]
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