Lesser Displacer Beast (3.5e Race)

Author: Eiji-kun (talk) Date Created: 9-19-12 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Lesser Displacer Beast

"Black as night, hidden from sight, the displacer beast will feast tonight."

In the temperate hills and jungles of the world stalks a deadly predator of dusk and dawn. They are displacer beasts, fierce predators who naturally bend light around them and produce the "displacement" glamer they are named for. But there's more than one species of displacer beast. Lesser displacer beasts are a subspecies of displacer beast which, while weaker, has a stronger personality and more complex society. The unusual conditions surrounding these displacer beasts produces an environment which sometimes create adventurers.

Some lesser displacer beasts may wish to level in the lesser displacer beast paragon class.

Personality

The culture of a lesser displacer beast is a cruel one. They have a pecking order, lead by the tribe's alpha, and rigorous dogma of social mores and habits. Violations are punished severely to break the will of those who would challenge the alpha. Even so, some try. Many die, but those that succeed earn the right to lead. Thus the strongest becomes master, and the weaker must fall in line or pay the price. As such, many seek to go out on their own, becoming solitary hunters but lacking the support of the pack. These exiles are rarely welcomed back.

Yet this culture, combined with the fragmented tribal nature of their societies, does lead an undercurrent of sedition and revenge. Though tribes appear unified, they often have cracks and seems in their society. To break down the fear of punishment is to invite chaos and riots, and soon the tribe tears itself apart.

Most lesser displacer beasts come off as lawful and evil, but adventurous outcasts tend towards neutrality or chaos. Their evil upbringing is difficult to shake off, but there is nothing inherently sinister about them beyond their original culture.

Physical Description

Lesser displacer beasts appear much like black panthers, but thinner and emaciated looking. They have six legs instead of four, and two large tentacles rising from the shoulder blades which end in a flattened tip with sickle-shaped spikes and claws, capable of grasping objects and, more often, tearing at the flesh of victims. Lesser displacer beasts tails range from long and sinuous to short nubs.

The fur of the lesser displacer beast has a strange effect on light. Under certain circumstances it deflects light away from its normal path, making it look like it is somewhere it is not.

Relations

Lesser displacer beasts are surly at best, and xenophobic at worst. They tend to break into tribes of those who are strongest, and territories which they prowl and keep jealously. They want little to do with each other, much less other races who range from food to threats. Rarely, they may bully lesser species into working for them, commonly goblins, kobolds, or halflings when they think they can get away with it.

Alignment

Lesser displacer beasts are typically lawful and evil, but exceptions always exist, and those adventuring are often some other alignment.

Lands

Lesser displacer beasts make their home in temperate hills and jungles, where hunting is viable and security can be found.

Religion

Lesser displacer beasts have no known pantheon or religion. It is unclear if they have any concept of gods beyond "distant threats", but individual tribes may take up worship of a god, the alpha, or even demons.

Language

Lesser displacer beasts have picked up the language of common from their prey, and have run with it. They have a more subtle body language used between other displacer beasts, which is neither written, spoken, and difficult to pull off if you lack tentacles.

Names

The lesser displacer beast names rarely differ between male and female names, and come off as guttural sounding, much like growls, hisses, and other difficult to transcribe noises.

Racial Traits

• +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -4 Intelligence, -2 Charisma: Creatures of the wild, their bodies are honed to physical perfection. They've no need for intellect and charisma outside the trappings of civilization.
• Magical Beast: As supernatural animals, lesser displacer beasts are considered magical beasts.
• As a Large (long) creature, a lesser displacer beast takes a -1 size penalty to Armor Class, a -1 size penalty on attack rolls, a +4 size bonus on special attack (bull rushes, grapples, overruns, and trips) checks, and a -4 size penalty on Hide checks, but it uses larger weapons than humans use, and its lifting and carrying limits are four times of those of a Medium character (as they are hexapedal). They have a space of 10 feet and a reach of 5 feet.
• Lesser Displacer Beast base land speed is 40 feet.
• Darkvision: A 60 can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and a Lesser Displacer Beast can function just fine with no light at all.
• Low-Light Vision: A lesser displacer beast can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.

• Lesser displacer beasts have a two primary tentacle attacks (1d6) and a secondary bite attack (1d8).
• Beast Form (Ex): Lesser displacer beasts lack hands to wield weapons and items. While their mobile tentacles allow them to pick up items, using weapons is another matter. Though unsuitable for swinging a sword, most magic items such as wands and scrolls can usually still be used as they only need to be held, not "wielded". Lesser displacer beasts still have all the body slots of normal humanoids. As a magical beast, it requires barding for a large creature (that is, x4 the mundane cost).
• Displacement (Su): While normal displacer beasts are constantly shifting around, the lesser displacer beast does not inherently have their ability on all the time, nor as strong. 1/day they may use blur as a supernatural ability, and an additional use per day at 3 HD and every 3 levels beyond. At 15 HD, it becomes a permanent continuous effect. Their caster level is equal to their character level.
• Resistance to Ranged Attacks (Su): A lesser displacer beast has a +2 racial bonus on saves against any ranged attack (except for ranged touch attacks).
• Stability (Ex): Lesser displacer beasts are exceptionally stable on their feet. They have a +8 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground).
• A lesser displacer beast has a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks. This rises to +8 if it is under the effect of Displacement or another form of concealment.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Displacer Sign Language.
• Bonus Languages: Elven, Giant, Gnome, Halfling, and Sylvan.
• Favored Class: Ranger
• Level Adjustment: +0
• Effective Character Level: 1

Adaptation

If using rules as a mythic beast, the lesser displacer beast receives one feral strike (bite), and two feral strike (tails) for their tentacles.

Vital Statistics

Table: Lesser Displacer Beast Random Starting Ages

Adulthood	Simple	Moderate	Complex
3 years	+1d3	+1d4	+2d4

Table: Lesser Displacer Beast Aging Effects

Middle Age1	Old2	Venerable3	Maximum Age
20 years	30 years	40 years	+2d10 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: Lesser Displacer Beast Random Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	7' 10" (long)	+2d12	400 lb.	× (2d6) lb.
Female	7' 10" (long)	+2d12	400 lb.	× (2d6) lb.

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