Post by songstress on Apr 23, 2006 19:19:03 GMT -5
these are the playable races (if you wish to play anything but a human you must speak with me via pm first because depending on the campaign it may not be wise to be a certain race)
Human
Humans aren't a race in the FMA world, they are the race. As such, humans may be almost anything: patricians to paupers, soldiers to pacifists, short, tall, fast, slow, anything.
Sections not listed here are as described on pp. 12-13 of the d&d Player's Handbook.
Relations: The trait that marks humans out from the other races in the FMA world is perhaps complacent. Not that each human is complacent; rather, humans don't know of the other races, and are complacent in their supremacy.
Language: Humans speak Common. There are several languages available in the FMA world, but the primary language of the nation is the de facto language of humanity, Common.
Names: Names vary greatly, but are contemporary and largely European in sound.
Human Racial Traits
Human Racial traits are as listed on p. 13-14 of the Player's Handbook.
Homunculus
Homunculi are created humans, shells with a breath of life but no soul to speak of. Often the result of experiments into the forbidden realm of soul alchemy, their lives depend on their mimicry of humanity. Some embrace that fate and make it their own; others strike out to prove themselves worthy or even greater than the abominations that brought them to life.
Personality: Homunculi are typically one of two ilk: those that strive to be human and those that revel in their inhumanity. Some rare few may have been raised or trained with care in an approximation of a human life. Many more were created to replace the departed, their first days filled with horror, revulsion, and denial. The rejected are typically far hardier, if less pleasant.
Physical Description: Though generally human in appearance, homunculi often exhibit telltale signs of their nature, such as an alchemical tattoo, mismatched limbs, or exaggerated features.
Relations: How does an ill-favored bastard child relate to its parents? Homunculi are typically either sycophantic or condescending toward humans. Other magical races they address according to an odd pecking order: who has the most humanity.
Alignment: Homunculi may be found with any alignment. Some, broken in the act of creation, tend toward chaos. Others follow a rigid and lawful path in their pursuit of humanity. Others still wind up vividly neutral regarding good and evil, order and chaos; they are inhuman.
Religion: Homunculi are generally atheistic.
Language: Any human.
Names: Homunculi are sometimes given names by their creators, but in the absence of that they may adopt or be given names that fit their nature and origin. Names for human traits (those that led to their creation) are common: lust, envy, greed on the dark side and hope, yearning, fortitude and justice on the light.
Adventurers: Adventuring may be a matter of course to homunculi repelled or abandoned by their creators. Homunculi found away from their creators are, conversely, likely to be adventurers of one sort or another.
Homunculus Racial Traits
-2 Wisdom, +2 Intelligence. Homunculi are unusually perceptive in their pursuit of humanity, but lack a basic element of the soul.
Medium: As Medium creatures, homunculli have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
+2 to intimidate checks. Homunculi can use their uncanniness to great advantage.
Ageless: Most Homunculi do not age, however some human-based ones are known to.
Imbued Minor Trait: Homunculi may choose from one of the following powers, as appropriate to their origin.
Speed: +2 initiative bonus and +10ft speed
Shapeshift: Transform shape at will, +2 to Disguise checks
Extending Claws/Arms: d4 Range touch attack, 20 ft reach
Liquid form: adapted from Unearthed Arcana, p68: "The homunculus' body becomes semifluid. While in this form, the Homunculus gains a +10 bonus on Escape Artist checks, resistance to fire 10, and immunity to poison, sleep, paralysis, and stunning. It gains a swim speed of 90 feet and a +8 bonus on Swim checks. Its touch puts out torches, campfires, exposed lanterns, and other open flames if these are Large or smaller. The homunculus cannot combine this with any other power, and cannot regenerate while in Liquid Form.
Metal Skin: Damage Reduction 10
Alchemic Eye: +2 Insight bonus
Decomposing Bite: Bite Attack, ?
Transmute body: Can transmute body to other objects/characters
Favored Class: racial
Human Chimera
Human Chimeras are the alchemical fusion of a human with another creature. Chimeras often pass for human, but have powers beyond that of normal humans.
Personality: Nearly all chimeras are created in a painful process rather than born as chimeras. Their origin influences their 'personality' greatly-- they either underwent the procedure willingly in order to gain superhuman powers or were converted against their will and then abandoned.
Physical Description: Human Chimeras, the ones that survive the fusion intact, can generally pass for humans. They always display aspects of the animal and the trait that they were fused with. A snake chimera will be lithe, and may have snake-like eyes or a forked tongue. A bear chimera fused for strength will be large, and may have a light fur or a blunted nose.
Relations: Amestrian society does not know about chimeras except as legend, and are likely to be frightened by chimeras. As a result, chimeras generally hide themselves and pass as humans.
Alignment: Chimeras may be of any alignment, but are rarely neutral. Strong beliefs lead to or result from the fusion; a chimera generally emerges very loyal, very rebellious, very obedient, very arrogant. They are likely to occupy the fringes of the alignments.
Religion: Chimeras may be of any religion.
Language: Chimeras have no native language, and speak the language of their origin.
Names: Chimeras have regular given names appropriate for their origin, but are often given nicknames related to their animal natures.
Human Chimera Racial Traits
Anthropomorphic: A human chimera can pass for human but close inspection reveals their inhuman traits. A Spot check DC 15 reveals a human chimera as a chimera if the chimera is making a basic attempt to mask their appearance-- with a long coat, a hat, glasses, baggy clothing, etc. If the chimera is making no attempt at disguise, the DC drops to 10. A chimera may apply their Disguise Skill bonus to raise the DC if they wish and have the means or gear.
enhanced reflexes: +1 racial bonus to reflex saves. Human chimera have some of the survival instincts of the animal kingdom.
Chimera Ability: A Human Chimera's traits depend on the animal that it was fused with:
Canine Chimera (Dog)
Scent feat
Keen hearing: +2 to listen checks
loyalty (+x to Morale)
Serpentine Chimera (Snake)
+4 to Escape Artist
+2 to dexterity, -2 to constitution. A snake chimera is flexible and fast, but their cold-blooded aspect makes them frequently low on energy and even sickly.
Ursal Chimera (Bear)
+2 to strength, -2 to dexterity
Lacertilian Chimera (Lizard/Chameleon)
+4 to climb checks
lizard tail
Reptilian Chimera (Crocodile)
-1 to dexterity, -1 to constitution, +2 to strength
+3 to Swim checks
Feline Chimera (Cat)
Cat's Grace - +2 to dexterity, -2 to strength
+4 to jump checks
Additionally, more animalistic chimera display some of these traits. Chimera with these traits cannot pass for human and are easily recognized (DC 5). A chimera character may pick one of the following traits:
claw attack - d4 unarmed attack, retractable claws.
bite attack - d6 unarmed attack.
amphibian - chimera has gills or adapted breathing. The character can breathe underwater.
feline speed - the chimera's limbs are built for speed. Their musculature is clearly inhuman, but when on all fours and unencumbered, the chimera has speed 45.
Spirit-bound Armor
The greatest, and often darkest, feats of alchemy can transmute even the Soul. Soul-bound Armor is the fusion of a human soul to inanimate metal. Soul-bound armor are rare indeed, and as varied as the souls that inhabit them. One thing they all have in common ... though once a human soul, they have lost much of their humanity.
Personality: Soul-bound Armor were, generally, at one time regular humans, and so may have any personality found among humans. It changes one, though, having no body to speak of but a hollow metal shell. Many Soul-bound Armor are on their way to losing key parts of their humanity, or have already lost them.
Physical Description: Soul-bound Armor are generally, because of the circumstances or goals of their creation, suits of animated armor: tall, imposing, and metallic. Even more rarely than one finds soul-bound armor, however, one may find souls bound to other humanoid forms: life-sized dolls, puppets, or statues, for instance. All soul-bound armor is humanoid, however, and of 'life-size'. The soul cannot bind to more alien shapes, apparently.
Relations: Soul-bound armor have no relations, as such, to other races. They are a terrifying and confusing work of (dark) magic in the eyes of most. Most soul-bound armor masquerade as a human in armor rather than continually shock and confuse those around them.
Adventurers: Many soul-bound armor were bound for a purpose, and given the difficulty of negotiating daily life in armor, most adventurers are pursuing that purpose.
Soul-bound Armor Racial Traits
Living Construct Subtype (Ex): Soul-bound Armor are constructs wit the living construct subtype. A living construct is a created being given a sentient soul through transmutation. Living constructs combine aspects of constructs and living creatures as detailed here.
As living constructs, soul-bound armor are affected by alchemy that targets inanimate material as well as the spirit.
Immune to poison, paralysis, disease, nausea, fatigue, exhaustion, effects that cause the sickened condition, and energy drain. Resistant (see below) to blindness and deafness.
Soul-bound armor does not need to eat, sleep, or breathe.
Mechanical Healing: A spirit-bound armor cannot heal normally, and alchemic healing is perilous. Body alchemy has no effect on soul-bound armor, and so cannot heal them. The skills appropriate to repairing Soul-bound Armor are transmute (metal) for the reconstruction of any mechanically-destroyed pieces of armor and craft (mechanical) for the rebuilding of the armor so that it functions. Additionally, the alchemist must have knowledge of the blood seal so that their reconstruction does not damage it. While that may be a simple matter of knowledge of the seal and its location, that information is usually carefully guarded by the soul-bound armor.
Blood Seal: The soul of a soul-bound armor is joined to its physical body through a blood seal, an alchemic sigil drawn in its blood (or that of a blood relation) on the armor. The seal may be anywhere on the body, but the location is important-- the character may only animate that portion of the armor which is normally part of its body and which is directly connected to the portion with the blood seal. If the seal is in the torso, for instance, and the helmet is knocked off, the character can neither control the head nor see through it; the character can see and speak normally, but the helmet is inert. Additionally, the blood seal must remain intact. If the blood seal is damaged (3 hit points dealt specifically to the blood seal), washed away, or otherwise marred, the character's spirit is unbound from the armor and the character is effectively dead.
The unusual construction of soul-bound armor makes them vulnerable to alchemic effects that don't normally affect living creatures. Effects which target metal, leather, wood, or other parts of their armor affect them. Effects that heat or chill metal, rust (oxidize) or make brittle metal or wood affect them. They can be shaped and damaged by craft (metal) and (if appropriate) transmute (earth)
Soul-bound armor responds differently from other creatures when it is reduced to 0 hit points. At 0 hit points the soul-bound armor is disabled, just like a living creature. It can only take a single move action or standard action in each round, but strenuous activity does not risk further injury. When its hit points are less than 0 and greater than -10, it is effectively inert. The armor is considered so damaged that the soul cannot control it effectively. It is blind, deaf, and may only speak if the GM allows.
Although soul-bound armor does not require sleep, a soul-bound armor alchemist must have a regular period of rest (8 hours) in order to be able to use alchemy without incurring the penalties for sleep deprivation. This may be considered time spent meditating or focusing the soul's attention and control of the armor.
Terrifying Truth: +4 to intimidate checks in encounters when the soul-bound armor first reveals its nature. Using this ability is often a double-edged sword, however, as once the effect wears off the 'witness' is free to respond as normal to the idea of an inhuman suit of armor.
Disembodied Senses (Ex): Since soul-bound armor has no eyes or ears, they are immune to the lasting effects of deafness or blindness. The initial effect of a bright light or loud noise will prevent them from hearing anything during its initial duration, but soul-bound armor will not gain the status deafened or blinded.
+2 Strength, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma: Soul-bound armor are strong, but they have difficulty relating to living creatures as their mortality fades.
Medium: As Medium constructs, soul-bound armor have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Armor Embodiment: +2 armor bonus. The soul's knowledge of the armor it resides in allows it to use the armor more effectively in combat. This is not natural armor and does not stack with other effects that give an armor bonus. Since the armor is armor, soul-bound armor cannot wear further armor.
Light Fortification (Ex): When a critical hit or sneak attack is scored on a soul-bound armor, there is a 25% chance that the critical hit or sneak attack is negated and damage is instead rolled normally.
Soul-bound armor has a natural weapon in the form of a slam attack that deals 1d4 points of damage.
Class bonus: +2 . A 1st level soul-bound armor is equivalent to a 3th level character. To start at soul-bound armor character below "3th level", refer to the Racial class
Human
Humans aren't a race in the FMA world, they are the race. As such, humans may be almost anything: patricians to paupers, soldiers to pacifists, short, tall, fast, slow, anything.
Sections not listed here are as described on pp. 12-13 of the d&d Player's Handbook.
Relations: The trait that marks humans out from the other races in the FMA world is perhaps complacent. Not that each human is complacent; rather, humans don't know of the other races, and are complacent in their supremacy.
Language: Humans speak Common. There are several languages available in the FMA world, but the primary language of the nation is the de facto language of humanity, Common.
Names: Names vary greatly, but are contemporary and largely European in sound.
Human Racial Traits
Human Racial traits are as listed on p. 13-14 of the Player's Handbook.
Homunculus
Homunculi are created humans, shells with a breath of life but no soul to speak of. Often the result of experiments into the forbidden realm of soul alchemy, their lives depend on their mimicry of humanity. Some embrace that fate and make it their own; others strike out to prove themselves worthy or even greater than the abominations that brought them to life.
Personality: Homunculi are typically one of two ilk: those that strive to be human and those that revel in their inhumanity. Some rare few may have been raised or trained with care in an approximation of a human life. Many more were created to replace the departed, their first days filled with horror, revulsion, and denial. The rejected are typically far hardier, if less pleasant.
Physical Description: Though generally human in appearance, homunculi often exhibit telltale signs of their nature, such as an alchemical tattoo, mismatched limbs, or exaggerated features.
Relations: How does an ill-favored bastard child relate to its parents? Homunculi are typically either sycophantic or condescending toward humans. Other magical races they address according to an odd pecking order: who has the most humanity.
Alignment: Homunculi may be found with any alignment. Some, broken in the act of creation, tend toward chaos. Others follow a rigid and lawful path in their pursuit of humanity. Others still wind up vividly neutral regarding good and evil, order and chaos; they are inhuman.
Religion: Homunculi are generally atheistic.
Language: Any human.
Names: Homunculi are sometimes given names by their creators, but in the absence of that they may adopt or be given names that fit their nature and origin. Names for human traits (those that led to their creation) are common: lust, envy, greed on the dark side and hope, yearning, fortitude and justice on the light.
Adventurers: Adventuring may be a matter of course to homunculi repelled or abandoned by their creators. Homunculi found away from their creators are, conversely, likely to be adventurers of one sort or another.
Homunculus Racial Traits
-2 Wisdom, +2 Intelligence. Homunculi are unusually perceptive in their pursuit of humanity, but lack a basic element of the soul.
Medium: As Medium creatures, homunculli have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
+2 to intimidate checks. Homunculi can use their uncanniness to great advantage.
Ageless: Most Homunculi do not age, however some human-based ones are known to.
Imbued Minor Trait: Homunculi may choose from one of the following powers, as appropriate to their origin.
Speed: +2 initiative bonus and +10ft speed
Shapeshift: Transform shape at will, +2 to Disguise checks
Extending Claws/Arms: d4 Range touch attack, 20 ft reach
Liquid form: adapted from Unearthed Arcana, p68: "The homunculus' body becomes semifluid. While in this form, the Homunculus gains a +10 bonus on Escape Artist checks, resistance to fire 10, and immunity to poison, sleep, paralysis, and stunning. It gains a swim speed of 90 feet and a +8 bonus on Swim checks. Its touch puts out torches, campfires, exposed lanterns, and other open flames if these are Large or smaller. The homunculus cannot combine this with any other power, and cannot regenerate while in Liquid Form.
Metal Skin: Damage Reduction 10
Alchemic Eye: +2 Insight bonus
Decomposing Bite: Bite Attack, ?
Transmute body: Can transmute body to other objects/characters
Favored Class: racial
Human Chimera
Human Chimeras are the alchemical fusion of a human with another creature. Chimeras often pass for human, but have powers beyond that of normal humans.
Personality: Nearly all chimeras are created in a painful process rather than born as chimeras. Their origin influences their 'personality' greatly-- they either underwent the procedure willingly in order to gain superhuman powers or were converted against their will and then abandoned.
Physical Description: Human Chimeras, the ones that survive the fusion intact, can generally pass for humans. They always display aspects of the animal and the trait that they were fused with. A snake chimera will be lithe, and may have snake-like eyes or a forked tongue. A bear chimera fused for strength will be large, and may have a light fur or a blunted nose.
Relations: Amestrian society does not know about chimeras except as legend, and are likely to be frightened by chimeras. As a result, chimeras generally hide themselves and pass as humans.
Alignment: Chimeras may be of any alignment, but are rarely neutral. Strong beliefs lead to or result from the fusion; a chimera generally emerges very loyal, very rebellious, very obedient, very arrogant. They are likely to occupy the fringes of the alignments.
Religion: Chimeras may be of any religion.
Language: Chimeras have no native language, and speak the language of their origin.
Names: Chimeras have regular given names appropriate for their origin, but are often given nicknames related to their animal natures.
Human Chimera Racial Traits
Anthropomorphic: A human chimera can pass for human but close inspection reveals their inhuman traits. A Spot check DC 15 reveals a human chimera as a chimera if the chimera is making a basic attempt to mask their appearance-- with a long coat, a hat, glasses, baggy clothing, etc. If the chimera is making no attempt at disguise, the DC drops to 10. A chimera may apply their Disguise Skill bonus to raise the DC if they wish and have the means or gear.
enhanced reflexes: +1 racial bonus to reflex saves. Human chimera have some of the survival instincts of the animal kingdom.
Chimera Ability: A Human Chimera's traits depend on the animal that it was fused with:
Canine Chimera (Dog)
Scent feat
Keen hearing: +2 to listen checks
loyalty (+x to Morale)
Serpentine Chimera (Snake)
+4 to Escape Artist
+2 to dexterity, -2 to constitution. A snake chimera is flexible and fast, but their cold-blooded aspect makes them frequently low on energy and even sickly.
Ursal Chimera (Bear)
+2 to strength, -2 to dexterity
Lacertilian Chimera (Lizard/Chameleon)
+4 to climb checks
lizard tail
Reptilian Chimera (Crocodile)
-1 to dexterity, -1 to constitution, +2 to strength
+3 to Swim checks
Feline Chimera (Cat)
Cat's Grace - +2 to dexterity, -2 to strength
+4 to jump checks
Additionally, more animalistic chimera display some of these traits. Chimera with these traits cannot pass for human and are easily recognized (DC 5). A chimera character may pick one of the following traits:
claw attack - d4 unarmed attack, retractable claws.
bite attack - d6 unarmed attack.
amphibian - chimera has gills or adapted breathing. The character can breathe underwater.
feline speed - the chimera's limbs are built for speed. Their musculature is clearly inhuman, but when on all fours and unencumbered, the chimera has speed 45.
Spirit-bound Armor
The greatest, and often darkest, feats of alchemy can transmute even the Soul. Soul-bound Armor is the fusion of a human soul to inanimate metal. Soul-bound armor are rare indeed, and as varied as the souls that inhabit them. One thing they all have in common ... though once a human soul, they have lost much of their humanity.
Personality: Soul-bound Armor were, generally, at one time regular humans, and so may have any personality found among humans. It changes one, though, having no body to speak of but a hollow metal shell. Many Soul-bound Armor are on their way to losing key parts of their humanity, or have already lost them.
Physical Description: Soul-bound Armor are generally, because of the circumstances or goals of their creation, suits of animated armor: tall, imposing, and metallic. Even more rarely than one finds soul-bound armor, however, one may find souls bound to other humanoid forms: life-sized dolls, puppets, or statues, for instance. All soul-bound armor is humanoid, however, and of 'life-size'. The soul cannot bind to more alien shapes, apparently.
Relations: Soul-bound armor have no relations, as such, to other races. They are a terrifying and confusing work of (dark) magic in the eyes of most. Most soul-bound armor masquerade as a human in armor rather than continually shock and confuse those around them.
Adventurers: Many soul-bound armor were bound for a purpose, and given the difficulty of negotiating daily life in armor, most adventurers are pursuing that purpose.
Soul-bound Armor Racial Traits
Living Construct Subtype (Ex): Soul-bound Armor are constructs wit the living construct subtype. A living construct is a created being given a sentient soul through transmutation. Living constructs combine aspects of constructs and living creatures as detailed here.
As living constructs, soul-bound armor are affected by alchemy that targets inanimate material as well as the spirit.
Immune to poison, paralysis, disease, nausea, fatigue, exhaustion, effects that cause the sickened condition, and energy drain. Resistant (see below) to blindness and deafness.
Soul-bound armor does not need to eat, sleep, or breathe.
Mechanical Healing: A spirit-bound armor cannot heal normally, and alchemic healing is perilous. Body alchemy has no effect on soul-bound armor, and so cannot heal them. The skills appropriate to repairing Soul-bound Armor are transmute (metal) for the reconstruction of any mechanically-destroyed pieces of armor and craft (mechanical) for the rebuilding of the armor so that it functions. Additionally, the alchemist must have knowledge of the blood seal so that their reconstruction does not damage it. While that may be a simple matter of knowledge of the seal and its location, that information is usually carefully guarded by the soul-bound armor.
Blood Seal: The soul of a soul-bound armor is joined to its physical body through a blood seal, an alchemic sigil drawn in its blood (or that of a blood relation) on the armor. The seal may be anywhere on the body, but the location is important-- the character may only animate that portion of the armor which is normally part of its body and which is directly connected to the portion with the blood seal. If the seal is in the torso, for instance, and the helmet is knocked off, the character can neither control the head nor see through it; the character can see and speak normally, but the helmet is inert. Additionally, the blood seal must remain intact. If the blood seal is damaged (3 hit points dealt specifically to the blood seal), washed away, or otherwise marred, the character's spirit is unbound from the armor and the character is effectively dead.
The unusual construction of soul-bound armor makes them vulnerable to alchemic effects that don't normally affect living creatures. Effects which target metal, leather, wood, or other parts of their armor affect them. Effects that heat or chill metal, rust (oxidize) or make brittle metal or wood affect them. They can be shaped and damaged by craft (metal) and (if appropriate) transmute (earth)
Soul-bound armor responds differently from other creatures when it is reduced to 0 hit points. At 0 hit points the soul-bound armor is disabled, just like a living creature. It can only take a single move action or standard action in each round, but strenuous activity does not risk further injury. When its hit points are less than 0 and greater than -10, it is effectively inert. The armor is considered so damaged that the soul cannot control it effectively. It is blind, deaf, and may only speak if the GM allows.
Although soul-bound armor does not require sleep, a soul-bound armor alchemist must have a regular period of rest (8 hours) in order to be able to use alchemy without incurring the penalties for sleep deprivation. This may be considered time spent meditating or focusing the soul's attention and control of the armor.
Terrifying Truth: +4 to intimidate checks in encounters when the soul-bound armor first reveals its nature. Using this ability is often a double-edged sword, however, as once the effect wears off the 'witness' is free to respond as normal to the idea of an inhuman suit of armor.
Disembodied Senses (Ex): Since soul-bound armor has no eyes or ears, they are immune to the lasting effects of deafness or blindness. The initial effect of a bright light or loud noise will prevent them from hearing anything during its initial duration, but soul-bound armor will not gain the status deafened or blinded.
+2 Strength, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma: Soul-bound armor are strong, but they have difficulty relating to living creatures as their mortality fades.
Medium: As Medium constructs, soul-bound armor have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Armor Embodiment: +2 armor bonus. The soul's knowledge of the armor it resides in allows it to use the armor more effectively in combat. This is not natural armor and does not stack with other effects that give an armor bonus. Since the armor is armor, soul-bound armor cannot wear further armor.
Light Fortification (Ex): When a critical hit or sneak attack is scored on a soul-bound armor, there is a 25% chance that the critical hit or sneak attack is negated and damage is instead rolled normally.
Soul-bound armor has a natural weapon in the form of a slam attack that deals 1d4 points of damage.
Class bonus: +2 . A 1st level soul-bound armor is equivalent to a 3th level character. To start at soul-bound armor character below "3th level", refer to the Racial class