Leaflings
Okay...
Altered size to tiny (kept their speed at 20' though, monkeys as listed are tiny but have a land speed of 30' *shrug*), dropped the slight frame feature, dropped the climb speed (it was really only their for trees/vines/etc.), refined the arcane brachiation, added plant empathy, added a limited speak with plants ability (1/day for a minute), defined their type specifically.
I believe... as they are written they should be balanced now...
[sblock=Leafling Race]
Base concept was in an E.W. published book, another concept I snatched off of a website but similar was the base I used for this and then basically re-wrote the whole thing anyways.
History: Long ago in the distant past a whole shire of halfling folk sought refuge from encroaching orc bands during a time of war. They did not want to impose upon the elves in the forests and moved ever deeper into the forested lands. Into the "deep" forests and forgotten places they travelled, where forgotten magics still pooled and the fey had no fears and gathered to feast and play. The fey creatures fled at the approach of the many halfling families and watched them for days stretching into weeks of hardship for the halfling people. A number of the more humanoid fey with stronger memories and personalities soon took pity on the struggling halflings attempting to live within the forest. They had been very careful to tend the trees and plants in the area they had chosen to settle with the aid of a lone elvish druid, Ardanaliel Tualien, who had accompanied them. The fey, realizing that the halflings motives were peaceful and their respect and care for the land and it's natural flora and fauna moved the fey to make contact with the halflings. Ardanaliel was a great aid in this matter and the fey and halflings soon became allies and close friends. Many of the fey stayed within the halflings small villages and the bond between the natural world and the halflings grew. As time went on and generation after generation passed away and was replaced small changes began to take place in the halflings of the woods. Their features, bodies and very being of their race altered and changed. Their villages were slowly crafte high up in the trees, similar to many elvish communities but even higher, and their ability to move about within the upper ways became highly developed. They became thinner and even lighter than their ancestral halfling stock and even took on a small fragment of wild magic as well. Taking a new name for their people, Leaflings, they have broadened their areas populated and kept the deep forests safe from harm where fey of all kinds work and play together with the Leaflings.
Personality: The Leaflings are very sheltered and reclusive in their small tree villages having little contact with the other races except elves. They typically remain in their deep forests and even then within a small area although some exceptions to this do occur. Many elvish races that live in heavily forested areas have regular contact with Leaflings and small trade agreements typically help both communities out. They are a shy race but when dealing with strangers once their intitial shyness is overcome they are an extremely social people. They are natural story tellers and love to sing, dance and in general perform. They tend to remain in trees whenever possible and a great number of them live out their lives without ever touching the ground!
Physical Description: Leaflings can vary in appearance quite a bit but one who is unfamiliar with them might think they are very small elvish children. Their features are much sharper than the standard halfling races and their ears are longer and come to a tapered point almost identical to an elvish ear. Their eyes are large and round, not almond shaped, appearing almost childlike regardless of their age as they are oversized for their small narrow faces. Much smaller than typical halfling stock they range from 1' to no more than 1'6". They are amazingly slight as well and weigh between 1 and 6 pounds. Their skin has an olive green cast to it and their body hair consists of their eyebrows, very thin and angular, and a luxurious head of hair, often kept no neater than a ragged wild tangle, ranges from a black to dark green or brown.
Relations: There is still a deep sense of loathing for the Orcs which forced them into the forest, and they will only deal with an orc if proven by actions and behaviour. In fact, if an orc wishes to deal with them they will be forced to earn the individual right from each village unit separately. The leaflings distrust of the orcish race is so complete and ingrained that despite the close knit racial ties the word of one village is not accepted by another with regards to any orc. The other humanoid races are all accepted although they get along better with elves than most. Perhaps surprisingly, gnomes are the second favored race for leaflings over their own distant halfling relatives. Dwarves are often confusing to the tree loving leaflings but they still prefer them to the medium and larger sized humanoids most of the time. Particular sub-races are of course less well thought of and these are typically those that have little or nothing to do with trees and forests.
Lands: Leaflings have scattered to the forests of many lands and the fraction of leaflings that ever settle outside of a forest is amazingly small. Even in the largest of cities it would be uncommon to find a leafling and even unliklier that they have a permanent residence there.
Religion: Leaflings venerate nature in all of its many forms. Nature related gods from any pantheon are suitable choices for a leafling. The sun is important to leaflings as well and thus many leaflings honor sun dieties as well. They aren't missionaries and regardless of belief they remain neutral with regards to others beliefs having a "live and let live" type of culture.
Death: A somber event for leaflings, their passing is accompanied by a ritualistic event called the
Great Bonding. The dead leafling is wrapped in the softest and most fragrant leaves available to the clan which are treated in a binding process before wrapping. Thus when the tiny body is wrapped the leaves remain. Every tree village of all leafling clans designates the oldest and grandest tree slightly less than half a days travel from the village as their
tree of the dead. This can be any kind of tree initially and over time changes. The leafling elders gather around the uppermost trunk of the tree and the ritual of song is performed during which time the trunk opens, the leafling is placed within, and then the trunk closes again. [Not done with this yet]
Language: Leaflings speak sylvan and elvish typically while those who are brighter than most often pick up common for trading purposes. Truly intelligent leaflings might pick up a smattering of gnomish or even halfling as well.
Names: Leafling names are typically simple and tied to the natural world. They have a "called" or birth name which is replaced within the first few years of their lives as their personality and physical characteristics develop. This replacement name is typically a combination of a partial descriptive word coupled with an object the individual most represents to their parents. This is typically shortened into a single syllable but ocassionally both words stuck together without any truncating at all. The birth parents of the child typically have a surname based on their position or occupation and a clan name is the last part of a typical leafling name and typically associated with a representative animal, plant or other type of natural creature or item of the local woods in a fashion similar to their given first names. An honorary prefix of elder and great elder is added to those recognized by a treevillage as a wise leafling and guardian and great guardian is representative of those with exceptional martial abilities and leadership. Gender makes no difference in leafling names and any name can apply to either sex.
Typical First Names: Strong + Arm (could become) Stam, Sarm, or Strongarm; Broad + Leaf (could become) Braf, Breaf, or Broadleaf; Dark + Sky (could become) Dary or Darksky, etc.
Typical Surnames: Fisher, Guardground, Treeguard, Woodmaster, etc.
Clan Names: Ironoak, Bear, Blackbear, Deer, Lightsky, Dragonfly, etc..
Adventurers: Despite their close ties to forests leaflings have inherited the wanderlust of their halfling relatives. This typically takes the form of travelling about to different clans in various forests and woodlands but there have been a few leaflings with even greater wanderlust than most. Even those who wander the outside lands typically do not settle in any one spot or city and often return to a leafclan for true rest. Any leafling is accepted at any clan as are any companion travellers sworn to honor the forest except for those of orcish ancestry or blood. The very leaves and branches of a leafling treevillage have a magically extended ability formed by any leafling member bonding with a hometree that causes them to curl and point towards any of orcish blood within 500' of a hometree.
Racial Traits
• -2 Str, +4 Dex, -2 Con; Leaflings are much less hardy than their distant halfling ancestors having lighter bones and bodies, but they are also even more dextrous and agile than those same ancestors.
• Tiny; A leafling gains a +2 size bonus to Armor Class, a +2 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +8 size bonus on Hide checks, but they use much smaller weapons, they have a -8 modifier on Grapple checks and their lifting and carrying limits are half of those of a Medium character.
• Move 20': Despite being much smaller than their halfling stock leaflings are very quick for their size and move at the same speed as most small humanoids.
• Arcane Brachiation 40': Visitors to a clan are usually amazed at the incredible speed and grace displayed by these tiny beings moving through their tree villages. Launching themselves from one branch to the next and throwing themselves off the end of a branch to grab onto a branch on another tree and continue on can be shocking to see at first. To those observing it often appears that the trees and other plants are bending and flexing to assist the leaflings. Leaflings have a supernatural connection with plant life and this coupled with their amazing agility and grace allows them unparalled movement through trees and other vegetation. Leaflings can use this movement to climb within vegetation as well. This ability is usable in light and denser environments. Spells which enhance or hinder a specific mode of movement can be altered to affect a leaflings speed and leafling rangers and druids often do so to reduce travel time between tree-clans. Leaflings can "run" while using this mode of movement but it must be in a straight line.
• Plant Empathy: The tiny leaflings have a bond with plants that is virtually identical to the normal Wild Empathy class ability of a druid of equivalent class level.
• Speak with Plants: Leaflings can
speak with plants as the spell 1/day for up to 1 minute.
• Low-light Vision: Leaflings have amazing eyes and can see with very little light. Their over-large eyes catch every bit of available light and enable them to see twice the distance a human in dim lighting conditions can.
• +2 Spot and Listen checks. These bonuses are increased to +4 in woodland environments.
• Graceful Climbing and Leaping: Leaflings apply their Dexterity modifier to Climb and Jump checks and are considered medium creatures (6') for any jumping restrictions.
• Leaflings can redirect their momentum from a fall by spinning about projections (branches, ropes, poles, etc.) taking no damage from falling if they are within reach of any protruding usable object. This ability should be treated in a similar fashion to the slow fall ability that the monk class gains.
• Type: Humanoid(halfling, fey) - Leaflings are treated as both halflings and fey for all purposes related to race, such as using magic items designed to work differently for these races or against them.
• Cold Iron Vulnerability: Leaflings have diverged from their stock species even farther than most understand. Direct contact with cold iron of any sort inflicts 1pt. of subdual damage to leaflings. Any cold iron weapon deals an additional 1d6 damage and damaged dealt by cold iron weapons doesn't heal normally and must be healed by magical or psionic means.
• Automatic Languages: Sylvan. Bonus Languages: Common, Elven, Gnomish, Halfling, Dwarvish, Orcish.
• Favored Class: Ranger or Druid. Leaflings can follow a military path or a natural caster path and neither count when determining any experience point penalty.[/sblock]
New Feat:
Improved Leafling Brachiation
Description: A small number of leaflings, particularly those whom travel from clan to clan regularly, seem to possess an even greater agility amidst the trees and spin about and change direction in a blur as they move about.
Benefit: The run move may be used while brachiating in any path and can include any number of direction changes.
Normal: The run move may be used while brachiating in a straight line.
I'm assembling a source book to sell as a PDF and this is one of the races in it. The PDF is titled Diminutive Species and I'm just about done so I wanted to try this one out.
