Laizo (3.5e Race)

Author: Eiji-kun (talk) Date Created: 9-21-25 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

Rate this article Your rating for this article: Favor Like Neutral Dislike Oppose Submit | Cancel Discuss this article

Laizo

The laizo are technically an artificial race, but one that is self sustaining and not possessing of construct traits in spite of their earthy origins. They were creations of a now lost tribe of dwarves who specialized in runic magic, the art of binding magical energy to letters and symbols upon solid stone and leaving a long-lasting magic that endures the ages. Such was such magic that birthed the first laizo from a statue, from which a runic symbol of life was embedded within. The magic symbol of LIFE carved into stone softened the stone into patterned flesh, and gave true life to what was once unliving. Thus the laizo are stone made flesh, and whose story of their lives are slowly carved into their bodies until they one day return to the earth, a complete tale from beginning to end.

Personality

The laizo took traits from their dwarven kin, becoming thoughtful, wise, sometimes greedy, sometimes bearing grudges, and all of them aware of their nature of a story given flesh. Many are concerned with legacy, and their greatest accomplishments, regrets, and fears are literally written upon them in arcane and eldritch script on their bodies as they age. A newborn laizo has only the mark of LIFE upon their brow, and ancient laizo are large tattoo covered beings who prepare for their ends by making it something worth reading.

Physical Description

Laizo are born from stone but are made from flesh. Except for a rocky shard usually upon their forehead being an old dwarven symbol for life, their bodies are still meat and bone, if unusually rugged and tough. They often carry the hues and patterns of the rock they are spawned from. As they age, symbols appear on their body, with text growing, shrinking, and rarely changing as time goes on in semi-regular snake-like ribbons all over their body, and especially after key pivotal moments in their lives. Markings are usually, but not always, tied directly to age. Their bodies range from humanoid to stocky and dwarven, but every one is completely bare of any hair, even eyebrows. They also slowly grow larger with age to accompany more text (or their text shrinks, becoming harder to read). While laizo are mortal, they do not seem to have an exact set maximum age with some spontaneously perishing when their time is up, and others persisting (often when they have unfinished business) and they continue to grow and age. It is unlikely, but theoretically possible for large and larger ancient laizos to be haunting some area like ancient living ghosts, waiting for their stories to conclude.

As one might imagine a laizo is not "born" normally. When their story calls for it, they asexually bud, the next letter of the script being upon a shard of its own with a emergent potential LIFE symbol. Said shard may be plucked, planted in stone as easily as one may wedge an adamantine arrowhead into rock, and allowed to bud. Over the course of 10 months the rock will develop a stone egg sack of its own composition from which a laizo is forged and born, crumbling into dust upon their awakening. Laizo parents will often keep the place they have planted their seed safe and under watch the entire time to ensure they are there when their child appears. Curiously while they have no need for a partner, budding rarely happens in a vacuum and children somehow bear properties of both their parent, and any others "close" to the parent narratively. They are believed to be the stories themselves of course, and thus are inspired by one or more "parents" in their creation.

Laizo have normal biology but have a stomach for many otherwise inedible rocks (appropriately crushed as one might eat salt), so the concept of eating dirt or other materials is neither alien to them nor repulsive. In particular, nourishment can be borne from the self-same rocks or metals they are borne from.

Relations

As the dwarves they spawned from, laizo have similar outlooks and similar allies and enemies.

Alignment

Laizo can be any alignment, but trend towards lawful alignments tempered with the desire to be a good story to tell, and such the urge to do new things and explore is baked into their souls.

Lands

Laizo hail from dwarven lands, rich in rock and stone.

Religion

Laizo have adopted dwarven gods, for those who have taken up the cause of religion.

Language

Laizo speak Common and Dwarven.

Names

Laizo trend towards dwarven naming conventions.

Racial Traits

• -2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution: Born from the literal earth, the laizo seem to take on its heavy and durable properties.
• Humanoid (Earth, Dwarf, Laizo): Laizo are stories carved into rock given life and fleshy existence. They can qualify for dwarven classes and feats as if they were dwarves themselves. 
• Medium: As a Medium creature, a laizo has no special bonuses or penalties due to its size.
• Laizo base land speed is 30 feet.  
• Darkvision: A laizo can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and a laizo can function just fine with no light at all. 
• Erasure Vulnerability: When exposed to the erase spell, or spells that specifically interact with text, they must make a Will save against the spell (DC 10 + spell level + ability modifier), or become dazed for 1 round. 
• Magic Item Knowledge (Ex): Laizo always have Speak Language and Use Magic Device as a class skill. In addition 1/day they may duplicate the effect of identify and object reading on any magic item by studying it for 1 hour. 
• Runic Knowledge (Ex): Laizo's innate magical nature manifests in the ability to understand magic innately, or the ability to imbue it into the unliving. They gain a bonus feat for either an Item Creation or Metamagic feat. They qualify for item creation as if they were a 3rd level spellcaster, or a spellcaster of their level (whichever is higher). Whenever they level, they may choose to change their the bonus feat to any other item creation or metamagic feat they qualify for as long as they spend 1000 gp in alchemical materials to edit their own script, losing the previous feat. 
• Runic Reading (Sp): Laizo may cast amanuensis^SpC and read magic as spell-like abilities at will. 
• Scriptsmith: If a laizo gains 2nd level spell slots, they automatically learn the spell erase and add it to their class spell list and spells known, if applicable.
• Automatic Languages: Common and Dwarven
• Bonus Languages: Any (except secret languages)
• Favored Class: Bard or Wizard
• Level Adjustment: +0
• Effective Character Level: 1

Vital Statistics

Table: Laizo Random Starting Ages

Adulthood	Simple	Moderate	Complex
15 years	+1d6	+2d6	+3d6

Table: Laizo Aging Effects

Middle Age1	Old2	Venerable3	Maximum Age
60 years	90 years	120 years	+Unknown/Unlimited years
At middle age, −1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At old age, −2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At venerable age, −3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

Table: Laizo Random Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	4' 10"	+2d10	130 lb.	× (2d6) lb.
Female	4' 5"	+2d10	100 lb.	× (2d6) lb.

---

Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Races

Eiji-kun's Homebrew (5732 Articles)

Eiji-kunv