2014-01-12

Fantasy Races: Purrlings

Purrlings are second of the hybrid races I submitted for Little Red Goblin contest and they too earned honorable mention. Following version expands description, alternate traits, racial feats and adds more favored class options.

Purrlings

Occasional monkey-folk and catfolk dalliances led to birth of reckless and mischievous children. Purrlings are usually curious and skittish with other people viewing them as lazy pests — mostly because of their tendency to waste energy in frantic bursts of frivolous activity instead of honest work.

Physical Description: Purrlings are smaller and lighter than humans and covered with soft fur, usually some combination of two or more of black, white, grey, yellow and brown, either spotted or striped. Their slim, elongated bodies  mix feline and primate traits resembling humanoid meerkat, fossa, civet or lemure.

Society: Purrling society, small as it is, is very malleable — its hierarchies shifting from moment to moment with individual purrlings declaring themselves leaders on a whim with remaining purrlings following or ignoring those self-proclaimed princes, kings, queens and emperors as the fancy strikes them. Still, despite their capriciousness, or maybe because of it, purrlings are very social beings, preferring companionship to loneliness.

Relations: Many people consider purrlings little more than talking pets at best and burdensome pests at worst — their reckless and mischievous ways might be appalling to other folks but their frolics have an air of innocence and cheerfulness that makes other races tolerate them grudgingly.

Alignment and Religion: Purrlings seemingly innate inability to show respect and treat the world seriously extends even to deities — their worship and religious obediences are capricious and often driven by immediate needs. To others’ surprise purrlings have predisposition towards engaging in convoluted, abstract and often contradicting philosophies, though. Purrling mischievousness is often linked to their aptitude toward chaos, but they rarely verge into serious malice of evil alignment.

Adventurers: Purrlings are born adventurers. As long as by adventurer you mean nosy, erratic, vain, cowardly, and gluttonous troublemakers. They do make surprisingly good thieves and archers, though and their inclination for havoc makes them decent alchemists… As long as blowing things up is involved.

Purrlings Racial Traits

Ability Scores: +4 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma. Purrlings have superb agility and reflexes but they combine catfolk recklessness and vanara mischievousness.

Type: Purrlings are humanoids with catfolk and vanara subtypes.

Size: Purlings are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Normal Speed: Purrlings have a base speed of 30 feet.

Climb: Purrlings are efficient climbers with a climb speed of 20 feet and +8 racial bonus to Climb checks.

Fleet-Footed: Purrlings are not only agile but also very fast gaining Run as a bonus racial feat and +2 racial bonus to initiative checks.

Low-light Vision: Purrling can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

Prehensile Tail: Purrlings bushy tail is long and flexible enough to carry objects and perform simple manipulations. Purrlings can’t wield weapons with their tails but they can retrieve small, stowed objects carried on them as a swift action.

Languages: Purrlings begin play speaking Common. Purrlings with high Intelligence scores can choose from Catfolk, Ratfolk, Sylvan, Tengu, and Vanara as bonus languages.

Purrling Alternate Racial Traits
The following racial traits can be selected in place of existing purrling traits.

Big Eyed: Some purrlings have enormous eyes that allow them to see in darkness but are vulnerable to bright lights. The purrling gains darkvision with 60 feet range and light sensitivity making them dazzled in bright light. Big eyed replace low-light vision.

Small Frame: Some purrlings are smaller than others having Small size instead of Medium. They gain +1 size bonus to attack rolls and AC, -1 size penalty to CMB and CMD and +4 size bonus to Stealth checks. This feature replaces their normal size.

Purrling Racial Feats
Purrlings have access to following feats:

Erratic Tail
Bushy tail can be surprisingly effective distraction in combat.
Prerequisite: Prehensile tail.
Benefit: You gain +2 bonus to Bluff checks made to feint or create diversion, +2 bonus to Sleight Of Hand checks made to entertain and +2 bonus to CMB to perform dirty combat maneuvers.

Retractable Claws
The purrling’s claws were hardened enough to be used as a weapon.
Prerequisite: Purrling.
Benefit: You can extend or retract claws with a swift action. While the claws are extended you can make two claw natural attacks dealing 1d4 points of damage each.

Tree-runner
Purrlings living all their lives on trees can climb with even greater speed.
Prerequisites: Purrling, Run feat.
Benefit: You can move on tree branches very fast using a run action while climbing and count all falling distances as if they were 20 feet lower.

Favored Class Options
The following options are available to all purrlings who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time the favored class reward is selected.

Alchemist: Add +1 foot to bomb range. In combat this option has no effect unless the alchemist has selected it five times (or another increment of five).

Barbarian: Add +1 foot to climb speed while wearing medium or lighter armor and carrying medium or lighter load. In combat this option has no effect unless the barbarian has selected it five times (or another increment of five).

Bard: Add +1 foot to the range of all bardic performances. In combat this option has no effect unless the bard has selected it five times (or another increment of five).

Cavalier: Add +1 foot to the cavalier’s mount speed. In combat this option has no effect unless the cavalier has selected it five times (or another increment of five).

Cleric: Add +1 foot to channel energy radius. In combat this option has no effect unless the cleric has selected it five times (or another increment of five).

Commander: Add +⅓ to the number of daily speech uses.

Druid: Add +1 foot to the land speed while wildshaped. In combat this option has no effect unless the druid has selected it five times (or another increment of five).

Fighter: Add +1 foot to base land speed while taking charge, run or withdraw actions. In combat this option has no effect unless the fighter has selected it five times (or another increment of five).

Inquisitor: Add +1 foot to base land speed while judgment is active. In combat this option has no effect unless the inquisitor has selected it five times (or another increment of five).

Magus: Add +¼ to caster level of all spells that grant the magus a new movement speed or increase existing one.

Metamorph: Add +1 foot to any one movement mode speed. Purrling metamorph can apply this bonus to different movement mode each level. In combat this option has no effect unless the metamorph has selected it five times (or another increment of five).

Monk: Add +⅙ to the monk’s AC bonus.

Oracle: Add +¼ to caster level of oracle spells and spell-like abilities with chaotic descriptor.

Paladin: Add+⅙ to divine grace saving throw bonus.

Ranger: Add +1 foot to base land and climb speeds while in any of the ranger’s favored terrains. In combat this option has no effect unless the ranger has selected it five times (or another increment of five).

Rogue: Add +½ bonus to initiative checks.

Sorcerer: Add +¼ to DC of concentration checks required to cast a spell while damaged or distracted by the purrling’s spell.

Summoner: Add +1 foot to speed of one movement type of the summoner’s eidolon (maximum +10 feet to single movement speed). In combat this option has no effect unless the summoner has selected it five times (or another increment of five).

Witch: Add +1 foot to all of the witch’s familiar movement speeds. In combat this option has no effect unless the witch has selected it five times (or another increment of five).

Wizard: Add +1 point to hardness and +5 hit points to the purrlings bonded object.

2014-01-11

Fantasy Races: Kulit

This race was one of my two submission for Little Red Goblin Games Racial Guide 2.5: Half Races and Hybrids. It hadn't made cut into the book (there were only three places for submitted races) but earned its place in honorable mentions and might end in free web enhancement for that book. The following version expands the description, adds racial feats and a number of favored class options.

Kulit

Kulits are children of  a gnome and a wayang couples. Apparently, traces of fey blood of gnomes mixed with the shadow heritage of wayangs have potential for unusual attraction, complementing each other into beings that are unexpected vortices of lifeforce – tapping the mixture of vivid vitality and hidden resilience.

Physical Description: Kulits are short and lean, usually closer in posture to their wayang parent than the gnomish one, often outrightly wiry. Unlike wayangs, kulits have skin of some intensely bright color and unlike gnomes they tend to have either very dark or very pale hair. Kulits’ shadows slither and seem to wave and move out of their own accord even when not commanded by their owners.

Society: Individual kulits are uncommon and groups of kulits living together are very rare.

Relations: Without established society and virtually unknown beyond gnome and wayang communities, kulits like many other rare crossbreeds remain curiosity or even mere myth among other races.

Alignment and Religion: Kulits with strong wayang relations developed their own strain of “The Dissolution” philosophy, believing that instead of merging with shadows after death, they will fuse back with strange world of fey from which their gnomish ancestors came. Their natural affinity for healing makes them lean toward good.

Adventurers: Kulits inherent life-force makes them excellent healers — usually bards, oracles or witches. While inquisitors, monks, paladins and rangers are rare among them, kulits who choose one of those paths have great potential as hunters of the dead. Kulits with least affinity for life often study wizardry or alchemy.

Names: Without society and culture of their own, kulits are usually named by their parents with a combination of gnome and wayang names.

Kulit Racial Traits

Ability Scores: Kulits inherited gnomish vitality and wayang cunning. They gain +2 racial bonus to Constitution and Intelligence but suffer -2 penalty to Strength and Wisdom.

Type: Kulits are humanoids with gnome and wayang subtypes.

Small Size: Kulits are Small creatures and thus gain +1 size bonus to attack rolls and AC, -1 size penalty to CMB and CMD, and a +4 size bonus to Stealth checks.

Slow Speed: Kulits have a base speed of 20 feet.

Darkvision: Kulits see in dark up to 60 feet.

Low-light Vision: Kulits can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

Keen Senses: Kulit gain +2 racial bonus to Perception checks.

Font Of Life (Sp): Each kulit is a vortex of vitality that manifest as life-giving light. This mimics the effects of a constant light spell centered on the kulit. It can be suppressed as a free action and reactivated with a standard action. Living creatures in the range of normal light generated by this ability add the kulit’s Charisma bonus (minimum +1) to all the healing received, magical or mundane.

Living Shadow (Sp): A kulit’s shadow is an active extension of its owner performing simple tasks when commanded to do so acting like unseen servant spell for a number of hours per day equal to the kulit’s character level. These hours do not need to be consecutive but they need to be used in hour-long increments. The kulit can also directly control actions of his shadow duplicating effects of mage hand spell instead, at the expense of one hour of daily use. Living shadow cannot enter areas of daylight (true or magical) or supernatural darkness.

Languages: Kulits begin play speaking Common, Gnome and Wayang. Kulits with high Intelligence scores can choose any non-restricted languages.

Racial Feats
Kulits have access to following feats:

Pulse Of Life
The kulit’s life-giving light can be focused into a pulse of positive energy.
Prerequisite: Font of life racial ability.
Benefit: Three times per day, while your font of life ability is active you can create a pulse of positive energy as a swift action spreading in area of normal light generated by the font of life ability. Pulse of life heals a number of hit points equal to the total healing bonus provided by font of life to living creatures and inflicts the same amount of damage to undeads and creatures with negative energy affinity.

Favored Class Options
The following options are available to all kulits who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time the favored class reward is selected.

Alchemist: Add +½ to bomb damage against undeads, both direct and splash.

Barbarian: Add +½ to healing received while raging.

Bard: Add +½ to all healing received by the allies affected with the bardic performance.

Cavalier: Add +½ to all healing received by the cavalier’s mount.

Cleric: Add +½ to healing or damage of channel energy ability.

Commander: Add +1 feet to the radius of normal light generated by font of life ability.

Druid: Add +½ to all healing received by the druid’s animal companion.

Fighter: Add +1 to Constitution score while calculating when death occurs.

Inquisitor: Add +½ to Perception and Survival skill checks made to notice and track undeads and creatures with negative energy affinity.

Magus: Add +1 to a total amount of temporary hit points granted or maximum amount of damage points absorbed by protective spells.

Metamorph: Add +1 to a total amount of healing received from any source.

Monk: Add +½ to the healing bonus provided by font of life ability.

Oracle: Add +½ to healing and damage of cure and inflict spells.

Paladin: Add +1 feet to the radius of normal light generated by font of life ability.

Ranger: Add +⅓ to initiative checks and Knowledge [geography], Perception, Stealth, and Survival skill checks while on the Plane Of Shadow. This bonus stacks with regular favored terrain bonus.

Rogue: Add +1 hour to the daily limit of living shadow ability.

Sorcerer: Add +½ to magic damage against undeads.

Summoner: Add +½ to all healing received by the summoner’s eidolon.
Witch: Add +½ to magical healing provided.

Wizard: Add +1 to a total amount of temporary hit points granted or maximum amount of damage points absorbed by protective spells.

2014-01-10

Liber Influxus Communis

*cough-cough*

I would like to direct all of you to the kickstarter of Liber Influxus Communis.

If you play Pathfinder and use third party products consider pledging to this project. Or buying it when it is ready.

That is all for today.

See you soon. I hope.

2013-12-06

Sword Of The Grand Republic: Under The Forest Canopy, Part 1

The hell is made of stagnant water, mud and rotting plants. Or so the reed-folk living on the borders of the Cold Swamps claim burying their dead in the murky waters. They placate swamp’s spirits with offerings of food and liquors and ward them off with charcoal and herbs. This belief makes them distrustful of anyone coming out of the marshes, alone or in small groups – unlike the denizens of Forest Duchies, the reed-folk do not trade with those rare Grand Republic merchants that chose to brave the Cold Swamps route.


The group finally came out of the swamps in the late afternoon. Tired horses welcomed soft grass and stable ground with visible relief while the riders found the woodland air refreshing change to the stagnant breath of the swamps.
The lead rider turned towards the rest:
"I think we have made it, uncle. No more puddles, no more toads, no more slugs, no more decaying plants…"
"Actually, leaves and needles of trees in forests drop on the ground forming a thick litter-fall… And yes, they are decaying feeding the soil." The older man in the middle of the group responded with a dry smile that only widened when the young man groaned. "You really should have been spending more time outside…"
"I have been spending lot of time outside, uncle. Training camps, roads, battlefields…
"But no forests."
"Nor swamps. Lots of hills and plains, though… I won’t be teaching you geography of the Republic, uncle, it’s not like I would know it better than you anyway."
Older man shook his head still smiling: "No, you would not."
Behind them woman wrapped in robes of fur and leather shrugged: "Whatever. Can we move forward, Viridius? I miss the sight of the open sky, not concealed by swamp mists or tree branches."
"Then you are up for a disappointment, Hisha. This land is called Forest Duchies for a reason. But you are right, we should move forward and put some distance between us and the swamps before we settle for the night." The older man turned back to his nephew. "After you, Marcus, after you…"
The young man spurred his horse to move between the trees and the rest followed.

It took them two more days to reach settled lands. The first sign of civilization was a small clearing with a wooden watchtower standing near the overgrown highway. Bored guards looked at the travelers surprised, as if expecting no travellers to come their way. The tallest of the men put away the jug on the table and stood up while placing the other hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Be welcome, travelers, in the thegendom of Black Raven." He stopped and scrutinized them for a few moments "You don’t look like a regular merchant group… Unless your wagons stuck in the marshes. That happens from time to time, or so I heard. Not many merchant caravans come here. Maybe one or two every two or three years. But you don’t look like merchants anyway… I am Brimmi Rideg-Hadda, commander of this watchpost. I can offer you peace if you come in peace or violence if you come with malice in you hearts."
"Peace be with you and your kin, Brimmi, son of Rideg and Hadda. We bear no malice in our hearts toward you or the thegendom of Black Raven. I am Viridius Dor Antaros, this youngster here is my nephew Marcus Dor Getheos and she is Hisha of Ha’shak tribe…"
The woman interrupted him with anger in her voice "I was Hisha of Ha’shak tribe but I am no more one of them. You know that quite well, general Antaros!"
The warrior savored the woman’s outburst and then looked meaningfully at the remaining members of the group: three soldiers and two unarmed men. The bulky rider with pale blueish skin and braided hairs wearing rainbow-hued clothing smiled to him and answered the unspoken question with a highly-pitched voice:
"The remaining ones are the most dedicated and loyal servants of the illustrious master Antaros. The humblest speaker is the master’s gourmet chef, studious chronicler, keen astrologer, sagacious physician and patient apothecary. – He gestured toward the small bald man in plain white robe riding beside him - This one here is the master’s secretary, aide and keeper of coins. The three valorous men bearing the arms are the master’s most vigilant guards protecting his glorious persona’s and his young companions’ safety.
Brimmi grinned and looked back on the old man "Apparently he is also your comedian. Does he entertains spectators with tricks as well as with his words?"
"Man of many talents is often underappreciated by the simple folk." Astrologer shrugged. "Thankfully, the illustrious master of the humble speaker is a talented, talented and generous man himself, capable of recognizing and rewarding true artisan at his work."
Brimmi started to laugh openly. "Illustrious master Antaros… Would you care to show your generosity by presenting us, simple guards of this boring watchtower, with your humble servant, so he would entertain us on long days with his multiple talents?"
"I doubt we have enough silver with us to pay you for taking away Zzaz’zakan with all his modesty. He has enough of it to supply all of your men and still remain a remarkably humble man despite his uncounted skills…"
"The master’s words warm the heart of this humble servant." Astrologer’s words made Brimmi’s underlings chuckle together with their commander.
Viridius cut his servant with a gesture before he could continue. "Brimmi, son of Rideg and Hadda, with your permission we shall travel further this trail. I presume it leads deeper into the thegendom. How long it will take us to reach the thegen’s keep?"
"Two, maybe three days if your horses need rest after passing the marshes." Warrior scanned the group once more and reached for the jug." The trail will take you into the depths of thegendom, aye, but don’t expect to find the thegen’s keep…" He raised the jug in a toast, followed by his men. "For the thegna!"
Viridius nodded to Brimmi and Hisha chuckled seeing surprised look on Marcus face. The group moved along the path again.

2013-11-08

Prepare For War!

I am proud to announce publication of another product I contributed to. Amora Game just released Basic Training Manual for their incoming Adventure Path: Prepare For War.

My personal contribution to this product is a number of traits and Iron Fist archetype.

2013-08-17

Wayfinder #8 Strikes Again!

I have posted about my humble involvement in Wayfinder #8 as one of its (numerous) contributors. Now, I am proud to announce that yesterday on GenCon Wayfinder #8 received Gold ENnie Award for The Best Free Product of 2013!


Estimated 1% share of Gold ENnie is not bad, I think.

Back to designing another submission. Another batch of Wayfinder monsters won't grow by themselves... Or will they?

2013-07-05

Wayfinder #9 is here!

So, at least ninth issue of Wayfinder is finally here. You can download it from Paizo website for free here: Wayfinder #9. This issue, like number 7 is printed one. Being on the other side of world than Paizocon prevents me from getting my own copy, however. Maybe some day in the future I will get one but I doubt it will be anytime soon.

Three of four submissions I sent were accepted. However, because two of those submissions contained two monsters each, this time Wayfinder's bestiary section actually includes five of my monsters: blood maiden, bloated devourer ghoul, gaunt ascetic ghoul, wyrmwing and wyrmwing swarm. The last two share single entry but include two stat blocks.

The next Wayfinder theme is The Sands of Golarion: Katapesh and Qadira. Time to start designing appropriate submissions. Maybe this time I will write something beyond bestiary entries but I promise nothing...