User:Paleomancer/Emerald Sun (3.5e Campaign Setting)/Races

Emerald Sun utilizes the simplified races variant rule, which allows for greater diversity of races over the human-like species of traditional D&D. While mechanically any simplified race could be used here, thematically it is recommended to utilize those presented here.

Common Races

Tellus is home to a wide range of species and cultures, but some are more common (and more universally appropriate) than others. The following races should be universally available, regardless of how the DM chooses to implement this setting.

Traditional Races in Emerald Sun

This campaign draws heavily on the Cthulhu mythos, and thus has a wider range of possible races than the more traditional humanoids/demihumans of other D&D settings. However, it is possible, if the DM wishes, to use more standard races in addition to, or instead of, those listed here. Other simplified races are acceptable options, provided that each race does NOT follow normal D&D alignment biases, so no always chaotic good elves or lawful evil hobgoblins. In addition, the origin and nature of each race should be very different to preserve the horror aspects of the setting. For instance, elves, centaurs, gnomes, and similar fey or magic races are natural servants of, or refugees from the Dreamlands, while more "mundane" races like orcs, goblins, halflings, and dwarves could be divergent humans, just as ghouls are in the standard setting. Designing level appropriate equivalents for those who do not wish to use the Simplifed Races is currently under progress.

Base Traits

Unless indicated, all races possess the following traits:

• Humanoid Type
• Medium Size
• Base Land Speed 30 ft.

Doppelganger

A strange figure approaches you from the mists. Something is faintly and disturbingly familiar about the figure, but you cannot trace it. The figure raises its head, revealing a blank grey face with three black eyes. As you start, its features seem to melt and suddenly, you gaze upon your own face!

It is said that everything strives to be, even the most immaterial of ideas. Perhaps nothing proves that adage more true than the doppelgangers, mysterious shapeshifters born in the Dreamlands, but drawn to the Material Plane for inscrutable purposes. Doppelgangers, as mutable creatures of both matter and dreamstuff, have few consistent physical features, even height or weight, and resemble nothing more than slim gray humanoid figures with three eyes on an otherwise featureless face. Feared by many for their talent in mimicry, most doppelgangers live lonely lives dominated by one goal: to find the purpose of their existence.

Starting Languages: Common, any one.

Origins: The Dreamlands.

Racial Traits

Combat Ability - Horrifying Visage: You change your form into something strange and horrible to behold. Once per encounter as a swift action you may demoralize a foe as a swift action, though the result does not stack with other fear effects. For doppelgangers with a specific progenitor, this ability gains a +4 bonus on the Intimidate check, and it does stack with other fear effects, but only against the progenitor.

Passive Ability - Aberrant Being: You gain the Aberration type, and gain Darkvision out to 60'. You gain no other benefits of the Aberration type (such as skill points, HD, base saves, or weapon and armor proficiencies).

Utility Ability - Shapeshift: By concentrating for three rounds you may mold your features to a different form, allowing you to make minor adjustments to yourself as if making a Transformation check (though no disguise kit is required). This functions as the disguise self spell, except that it is an extraordinary ability that does not provoke a Will save if interacted with. True seeing and similar spells reveal the true form of the doppelganger, and skills like Psychology can detect the subterfuge, if not the disguise. As a secondary benefit, doppelgangers do not need disguise kits for Transformation rank 1 and rank 4 abilities to alter physical appearance (but not clothing) when using this ability, since their body actually changes into those proportions, including weight.

Ghoul

"An emaciated grayish green humanoid figure clothed in rags half-crawls, half-walks across the path. It has an ape-like face, with pointed ears, short tufts of hair, and disturbingly large fangs."

Ghouls are feral humanoid scavengers who have survived on the outskirts of human civilization for millennia. Due to their association with cannibalism and grave-robbing, ghouls have an "unclean" status in human society and are seen as vermin or pests by other powerful tellurian races. Ghouls tend to return hatred and contempt in kind, and do on occasion commit acts considered horrendous by other races if it helps them survive, such as waylaying travelers or raiding villages for food. Oddly, ghouls have a very strong taboo against harming children of any sentient race, and they are known to adopt lost children into their clans. Only the Talpa have favorable relations with the ghouls, befitting the outsider/slave status both races possess in most Tellurian societies.

Starting Languages: Common, Undercommon.

Secrets: Ghoul art and poetry bears a similarity to that of the long-gone city-state of Algol.

Forbidden Lore: Ghouls are primarily descended from the people of Algol, a once mighty human civilization who was instrumental in sealing Ixthotlu during the last Sundering. In retribution, Ixthotlu unleashed the nightmares of the Dreamlands, twisting the surviving Algolians into their current forms; even now, he still bears a grudge against the ghouls for their temerity in resisting him. The word "ghoul" is a corrupted form of Algol, a hint at their origin, though most people (including the ghouls themselves) remain ignorant of the truth.

Racial Traits

Combat Ability - Feed: As a standard action, you can feed on a dead body (must have died within 8 hours), which provokes attacks of opportunity as normal. Upon completion, you heal 2 HP per CR of the body in life, up to your full normal HP. Any HP over that limit are instead gained as temporary HP, up to a maximum of twice your level, which last for one hour. As normal, multiple temporary hit point applications do not stack; only the newest application applies. You may use this ability as often as you like, provided you have fresh corpses on which to feed. As a secondary benefit, a ghoul cannot contract disease from eating rotting meat and can thrive on such fare.

Passive Ability - Graveborn: You gain a +4 bonus on saves against death effects, disease, mind-affecting effects, poison, and stunning.

Utility Ability - Sneakiness: You are considered to have a number of ranks in the Stealth skill equal to your HD + 3.

Human

"A humanoid figure appr... You see a human. Come on, you should know what one looks like!"

An simian species possessing no particular strength or focus, perhaps best described by the phrase "mostly harmless;" weak and vulnerable to most other species, but capable of impressive and horrifying violence when provoked. As the youngest and least imposing of Tellur's mortal peoples, the vast majority of humans are servants of the Great Old Ones, kept in line by fear and awe of their otherworldly masters. Humans do not dominate the planet as they do on other worlds, as competition with established peoples like the Ophidians limited early human expansion; in fact, the only reason for human dominance of the Crescent Sea region is due to that area's proximity to R'lyeh, with the result that no older Tellurian species would settle there at all. Humans are found in other regions of Tellur, including remote mountains and island chains, but these are fairly isolated and sparsly populated. Tellurian humans have fairly normal ranges of skin colors, but a wider range of natural eye and hair colors than in the real world.

Starting Languages: R'leyan (Common), Native (TBA for options).

Forbidden Lore: Humans are the last species doomed to fall according to the Prophesies of Succession. This may be a moot point, since every Tellurian civilization has met its downfall at the pseudopods of the Great Old Ones, and since humans have been conquered by said entities, their downfall has probably already occurred. Also, artifacts of the Rubarian kin of the Selenites are affiliated with some of the earliest human civilizations, and the Selenites and the humans developed an instant dislike for one another, independent of any rational reason.

Racial Traits

Combat Ability - Adaptable: You gain a bonus feat. This feat may be changed at the start of each day as long as it is not a prerequisite for any other feat, class, or ability.

Passive Ability - Skillful: You gain four extra skill points at first level, and one extra for every level afterwards.

Utility Ability - Talented: You select one skill to be a permanent class skill for all classes.

Mer

A tall, gangly, hunched fish-like humanoid rears up before you. While it wears the latest R'lyehan fashion, it is clearly inhuman, resembling nothing more than a greenish-blue hybrid of human, frog and fish, with a long serpentine tail, ending in a shark's crescent fin. Its fish-like head bears four bulging eyes and needle-sharp teeth, and shark-like gill slits can be seen on its neck. Its hands are webbed and bear no claws or nails, and its scales are coated with a faint, and trace of slime.

An ancient amphibious people whose civilization dominated the oceans of Tellur long before land life prospered. The Mer still control most of Tellus' oceans, granting them more power than any other extant mortal civilization. Once a fish-like people, the Mer are ancient enough that they have diverged into a number of different "breeds", whose appearance reflects a variety of different marine species, both archaic and recent. Mer with fish-like characteristics, such as lionfish, cod, shark, sea horse, barracuda, manta or stingray, are the most common, but those with cetacean, plesiosaur, cephalopod, coral, seaweed, crustacean, brittle star, or jellyfish are also common. Racial discrimination amongst the Mer often result in massive wars and attempts at genocide.

Starting Languages: Aquan, Common.

Secrets: Villagers pay tribute to aquatic beings, certain reefs have a disproportionately high shipwreck count.

Forbidden Lore: While the Ophidians have been forced to yield to R'lyeh, the Trolls, Ghouls, and Doppelgangers have been marginalized, and the Wights, Selenites, and Talpa are subjugated to R'lyeh's hegemony, the Mer remain largely independent. Most people believe the Deep Ones are largely in thrall to the Fremd, and only a few remain free; they believe incorrectly. Almost two-thirds of the Deep Ones remain free of R'lyeh, and are one of the biggest threats to the Great Old Ones. Over 80% of Tellus is ocean, leaving the Deep Ones plenty of places to build their armies. Only the Crescent Sea remains completely free of Deep One control.

Racial Traits

Combat Ability - Electric Impulse: Once per encounter as an immediate action, you may make a melee touch attack to emit a pulse of electricity, which deals 1d4 electricity damage (Fort DC 11 + your HD half). For every three HD you possess over your first the damage is increased by 1d4 (2d4 at 4th HD, 3d4 at 7 HD, and so on). Underwater, or when grappled, you instead deal 1d6 damage, plus 1d6 for every three HD after first level (you need not make a touch attack for using it while grappled).

Passive Ability - Amphibious: You can breathe water as easily as you do air, and have a swim speed of 20'. Your base land speed is reduced to 20 ft.

Utility Ability - Slimy Skin: You are considered to have a number of ranks in Escape Artistry equal to your HD + 3.

Nightghaunt

A sinister black figure appears out of the gloom. It is midnight black in color, leaching the very light from its surroundings. Its forehead bears two curved horns, two immense wings on each shoulder, and a long whip-like tail. The most disturbing aspect of the creature, as it turns to face you, is its lack of any facial features.

Winged humanoids of sinister appearance, native to the Dreamlands. Most nightghaunts choose to live in the dreamlands, rather than on Tellur itself. As almost exclusively loyal servants of the Great Old Ones, nightghaunts are feared and hated, regardless of theire ethical or moral outlook.

Starting Languages: R'leyan (Common), Somnian (TBA).

Forbidden Lore: Nightghaunts were created by the Great Old Ones by imbuing Lamenting Statues with dreamstuff, resulting in a potent, yet easily controlled servitor race. Their facelessness is a reference to the Dark Wanderer, a potent and powerful Fremd servitor imbued with the combined powers of the Great Old Ones, who originally created the race partially in his image. Initially subservient, many nightghaunts have become dissatisfied with their lot, and since they can travel through the Dreamlands with no issue, a movement has been formed to aid the Mir-Ga in their attacks, hopefully destroying the Great Old Ones and freeing the Nightghaunts, who erroneously believe they can live in the dreamlands, unaware that Tellur's destruction will mean its dreamscape also dies.

Racial Traits

Combat Ability - Timeless Touch: Once per encounter, as a standard action, you may make a melee touch attack against a single opponent or object. The target must make a Fortitude save DC 11 + your HD or be trapped in time for one round, unable to affect or be affected by any attack, spell, or effect for the duration. This works normally against constructs, undead, and the like. The duration of the timeless touch increases by 1 round for every 3 HD beyond the first (2 rounds at 4th, 3 rounds at 7th, and so on), although you can end this at any time before the effect's duration is complete. If you use this on a living creature, you drain a portion of the energy that creature would have used for the time it is in stasis. You receive temporary hit points equal to 3 x the duration of the effect, which last for up to one hour.

Passive Ability - Faceless Sight: You are immune to being dazzled or blinded, and you gain a +4 bonus on saves against gaze attacks. You otherwise see normally.

Utility Ability - Wings of Shadow: You gains wings which you may use to glide, negating falling damage from a fall of any height and allowing 30 feet of forward travel for every 5 feet of descent at your base speed with average maneuverability. Should you fall unconscious or helpless in midair, your wings naturally unfurl and powerful ligaments stiffen the wings. You descend in a tight corkscrew and take only 1d6 points of falling damage, no matter what the actual distance of the fall. Even if your maneuverability improves, you cannot hover while gliding. When you reach 9 HD, you are able to fly at your base speed with average maneuverability for up to a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier, and can exert yourself for up to twice that time but are fatigued at the end of your flight, as well as after spending ten minutes per day of flying. Because you can glide before, after, and between rounds of actual flight, you can remain aloft for extended periods (even if you can only use flight for 1 round at a time without becoming fatigued). When you reach 12 HD, you have no chance of becoming fatigued from flying.

Ophidian

A human-sized serpentine creature approaches, with a human-like torso, but a snake-like head and body. It meets your gaze unblinkingly.

Ophidians, or serpentfolk, are members of an ancient civilization that preceded the rise of humans by millions of years. In appearance, Ophidians resemble human-sized serpents with humanoid arms and legs; different lineages display different snake-like traits (cobra hood, rattlesnake tail, viper head, etc.). Ophidians have a long history of conflict and mistrust with many of the other races, but most ophidians maintain a veneer of civility with even their worst enemies.

Starting Languages: Ophidian (Draconic), R'leyan (Common).

Forbidden Lore: The ophidians are considered traitors by many free peoples, but they are merely biding their time. Sukhet was forcibly enlisted into the ranks of the Great Old Ones to keep him in line. In reality, the ophidians are more active than most in funding and supporting resistance movements, including less extreme branches of Rache, as well as spreading the use of sorcery, which the Great Old Ones do not directly control. While they are generally dismissive of most non-ophidians, they are slow to express hostility, given the high value ophidian culture places on politeness and verbal over physical conflict.

Racial Traits

Combat Ability - Spit Vitriol: Once per encounter as a move action, you may spit corrosive venom at a single target within 30 ft. This requires a ranged touch attack, and deals 1d6 acid damage (Fort DC 11 + your HD for half damage). For every two HD you possess over your first the damage is increased by 1d6 (2d6 at 3 HD, 3d6 at 5 HD, and so on).

Passive Ability - Serpent's Tongue: Select one of the following skills: Affability, Bluff, Intimidation. You are considered to have a number of ranks in this skill equal to your HD +3.

Utility Ability - Snake in the Grass: Once per encounter, you may move up to 1.5 times your base land speed as a move action.

Selenite

A strange segmented humanoid appraches you. Its head resembles a bird of prey, but with mandibles, compound eyes, and short antennae. It walks on three legs, two on the side and one behind, and bears three segmented limbs bearing wicked claws.

The moonfolk, as they are commonly known, are strange insect-like tripedal humanoids native to Selene, the moon of Tellur. The selenites are a recent conquest of the Fremd, and as such are not as nearly as cowed as humans, ghouls, or even bathyians are by the Great Old Ones. Since humans were instrumental in their conquest, they tend to be unfriendly to humans. They have a eusocial society, with no real rulers or servitors, but rather a fixed role for each individual. There is a breeder caste (who also orchestrate the Selenite colonies) headed by a queen and her consorts, a warrior caste, and a worker caste.

Starting Languages: R'lyehan, Selenite.

Secrets: Murders of prominent wights are characterized by slashing wounds and occasionally, explosions. Mi-Go operations spotted near Selene. Selenites and humans have an unnatural antipathy for one another.

Forbidden Lore: Selenites are descended from the insectoid inhabitants of the neighboring world of Rubar, who were driven into extinction by a combination of hive wars and machinations by the Dark Wanderer. Survivors of the conflicts fled to Selene and Tellus, but only the Seleneites seem to have survived. Life on Selene progressed more or less unaffected by the Great Old Ones, until humans developed voidships able to traverse the gulf between planet and moon. Initial encounters ended badly, with humans trying to conquer the selenites and the insectoids repelling human invasions. The last and only successful invasion was sponsored by the Great Old Ones, who feared (not unjustly, as it happens) the Selenites making an alliance with the Mir-Ga that would allow the fungoids access to Tellur. As to why humans and Selenites dislike one another...

Racial Traits

Combat Ability - Retributive Burst: Once per encounter as an immediate action upon being damaged by an opponent in melee, you may have that opponent make a Reflex save (DC 11 + HD) or take 1d6 fire damage. This damage is increased by 1d6 for every two levels beyond one that you possess (2d6 at 3 HD, 3d6 at 5 HD, and so on).

Passive Ability - Chitinous Shell: You are covered in a hard shell, which grants you a +1 natural armor bonus.

Utility Ability - Leaper: You are considered to have a number of ranks in the Jump skills equal to your HD + 3, and and you may jump +15 ft. farther than your check would suggest.

Talpan

A broad, heavily built humanoid lumbers out of nearby cave. It meets your gaze, with small black eyes and a verticle slit for a mouth. It is dressed like a miner, but instead of a pick, it claws through sand and stone with massive claws.

The Talpa, often known as mole people, are subterranean creatures with a vaguely humanoid build, squashed faces, a vertical mouth, and large, heavy claws. Talpa are a Tellurian slave race of unknown origin, and many still exist as slaves or servants in R'laehan society. They get along well with ghouls, given the outcast status of both peoples, and generally are unfriendly or hostile to other races, who they see as oppressors (justified or not).

Starting Languages: R'lyehan, Talpan.

Forbidden Lore: Talpa are distantly related to trolls, and are descended from a branch of trolls who were captured by the Elder Race and experimented on; eventually the Elder Race discarded them as unfinished. Their flesh and blood nature antagonized early trolls, especially the Jotun, who massacred them. The survivors fled into the depths of Tellur, but were still pursued by the Jotun. The oldest and wisest of the refugees, a powerful shaman, fused her being with a magma shoggoth and single-handedly wiped out the Jotun incursion. The survivors paid reverence to their savior, who used her powers to transform them into a form better suited for living underground, and made it her priority to protect the Talpa people. The transformed shaman became the goddess C'talpa (Mother of the Talpa). Some Talpa were seized by the Great Old Ones and used as slaves; this population knows little of their history.

Racial Traits

Combat Ability - Rending Claws: You gain two natural claw attacks (1d4 damage); if you hit with both claw attacks, you deal an additional 1d4 + 1.5 Str modifier damage. Rend damage increases by +1d4 at 5th level, and every 5 HD after. Talpa may use this ability while mining, effectively taking 10 on attack rolls against a stationary rock object.

Passive Ability - Stare Down the Void: You can see normally in mundane and magical darkness out to 60 ft.

Utility Ability - Tenacious Digger: You gain a burrow speed of 5 ft., but only through soil, sand, dirt, and similar materials, and unless you or another person are simultaneously constructing supports, you do not leave a usable tunnel. You may remain underground in this fashion indefinitely, but others with you may face suffocation as normal. Your burrow speed increases by 5 ft. at 5th level, and every 5 levels after 5th (10th, 15th, 20th level, and so on).

Troll

A large, rocky creature faces you. Its body appears to be composed of granite, shale, and mica, and its eyes and teeth have a crystalline appearance.

Trolls are strong, hearty silicon-based lifeforms, relics of an older evolutionary trend in Tellur's prehistory. Trolls are thought to be the oldest of all the mortal races native to Tellur. While vaguely humanoid in appearance, trolls look more like craggy gingerbread men than humans. Trolls tend to have a dim view, at best, towards organic life.

Starting Languages: R'lyehan, Terran.

Forbidden Lore: The trolls are indeed the oldest sentient race of Tellur, a remnant of a push towards silicon-based life early in Tellur's history. Trolls see organics as having pushed them from their rightful place in the world, and many are at best unfriendly, at worst hostile, towards the fleshy menace. Trolls are divided into three main branches: typical trolls, the most similar to their ancestors, the Jotun or frost troll followers of the Lady of Ice, and the Talpa, fleshy experiments of the Elder Race.

Racial Traits

Combat Ability - Powerful Build: Your physical stature lets you function in many ways as if you were one size category larger. Whenever you are subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), you are treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to you. You are also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect you. You can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, your space and reach remain those of a creature of your actual size. The benefits of this feat stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size category. You may also take the Large Size feat at or after 6th level; however, its benefits supersede, rather than stack with, those of Powerful Build.

Passive Ability - Stoneblooded: You gain the Giant (Earth) type and darkvision out to 60 ft.

Support Ability - Stability: Reduce your base speed by 1/3, you take no penalty to movement from heavy armor or encumberance, and you gain a +4 bonus against effects that would move you such as trip, overrun, or bull rush attempts.

Uncommon Races

Depending on the setting, there may be alternative races available. Many of these are considerably more powerful, and as such are represented by racial or transformational classes. Usually they are tightly bound to a particular organization or species, and as such may not be suitable for all campaigns.

Starspawn

Powerful, alien horrors of terrible supernatural power, the starspawn are members of the mortal races who house a splinter of a Great Old One's being within themselves, usually in reward for loyal service. They vary in appearance, depending on patron, but all look alien and misshapen as they complete their metamorphosis; generally those who share a particular patron resemble that entity and one another. The starspawn are the favored children of the Fremd, and thus hold significant power as members of the aristocracy and clergy. Starspawn begin as a member of one of the mortal races, who slowly gains abilities reflecting his or her patron or heritage through the Starspawn Host prestige class, although lesser Fremd also advance in this class as they metamorphose into more powerful, mature forms.

Teuth

Squid-headed beings.