BLADEBACKS

Bladebacks are the most straightforward and trusting of the saurial subraces. Highly social, they mix well with all kinds of saurials, and even with creatures from outside the Lost Vale. Slow to anger, bladebacks work hard to understand the motives of others, but they are passionate once they have been pushed to the point of aggression.

Bladebacks often become village leaders or advisors to those in power. Like most saurials, bladeback adventurers are usually motivated by curiosity about the world around them. However, their trusting and open nature sometimes gets them into trouble that they can escape only through the use of force.

Bladebacks seldom initiate battle because they would much rather learn about the creatures they meet. If attacked, however, they can employ their claws and tails with deadly efficiency.

BLADEBACK RACIAL TRAITS

  • +2 Strength, +2 Charisma: Bladebacks are naturally strong and outgoing.

  • Medium: As Medium creatures, bladebacks have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

  • Speed: Bladeback base speed is 30 feet.

  • Racial Hit Dice: A bladeback begins with two levels of humanoid. This provides 2d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +1, and base saving throws of Fort +0, Ref +3, and Will +0.

  • Racial Skills: A bladeback character's humanoid levels give him skill points equal to 5 × (2 + Intelligence modifier). Bladeback class skills are Craft, Diplomacy, and Jump.

  • Racial Feats: A bladeback's humanoid levels give him one feat.

  • Natural Armor Bonus: A bladeback has a +4 natural armor bonus.

  • Natural Attacks: A bladeback can make two claw attacks and one tail attack. Each claw attack deals 1d4 points of damage plus Strength modifier, and the tail attack deals 1d3 points of damage plus Strength penalty or one-half Strength bonus.

  • Cold Torpor (Ex): Bladebacks are warm-blooded creatures, but they retain heat poorly in cold environments. Thus, a bladeback takes a -5 penalty on Fortitude saving throws made to avoid nonlethal damage from cold environments, and it takes double the normal amount of nonlethal damage for failing such a saving throw.

  • Protection from Sonic Attacks (Ex): Because a bladeback's earholes are well protected, it gains a +4 circumstance bonus on saving throws against sonic effects and attacks.

  • Vulnerability to Gas Attacks (Ex): A bladeback's metabolism and reliance on scent make it vulnerable to attacks conveyed through gas, including stinking cloud, cloudkill, and poisonous gas. It thus takes a -4 penalty on saving throws against gas-based effects and attacks.

  • Scent (Ex): Bladebacks have the scent special quality.

  • Automatic Languages: Draconic. Bonus Languages: Common, Elven, Sylvan, and Celestial. Bladebacks have difficulty with other languages. Although they can understand and read all the bonus languages they know, they cannot speak them without spending skill points.

  • Favored Class: Cleric.

  • Level Adjustment: +2.

FINHEADS

Alert, bright, active, curious, and emotional, finheads are good with their hands and willing to perform almost any sort of hard labor. Most see the world in black-and-white terms and believe in absolute concepts such as good, evil, and truth.

Finheads are enthusiastic about new tasks and adventures, and they often leap into dangerous situations before fully understanding them. Even so, their ability to think quickly on their feet allows them to assess situations within moments.

Finheads are apt to attack at the drop of a hat if they perceive their foes to be dangerous or particularly loathsome in some way. They seldom let obviously evil creatures pass without a fight. Like bladebacks, finheads prefer to fight with their claws and tails.

FINHEAD RACIAL TRAITS

  • +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom: Finheads have good reflexes and exceptional insight.

  • Medium: As Medium creatures, finheads have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

  • Speed: Finhead base speed is 30 feet.

  • Racial Hit Dice: A finhead begins with two levels of humanoid. This provides 2d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +1, and base saving throws of Fort +0, Ref +3, and Will +0.

  • Racial Skills: A finhead character's humanoid levels give him skill points equal to 5 × (2 + Intelligence modifier). Finhead class skills for are Balance, Craft (any), and Jump.

  • Racial Feats: A finhead's humanoid levels give him one feat.

  • Natural Armor Bonus: A finhead has a +4 natural armor bonus.

  • Natural Attacks: A finhead can make two claw attacks and one tail attack. Each claw attack deals 1d4 points of damage plus Strength modifier, and the tail attack deals 1d3 points of damage plus Strength penalty or one-half Strength bonus.

  • Cold Torpor (Ex): Finheads are warm-blooded creatures, but they retain heat poorly in cold environments. Thus, a finhead takes a -5 penalty on Fortitude saving throws made to avoid nonlethal damage from cold environments, and it takes double the normal amount of nonlethal damage for failing such a saving throw.

  • Protection from Sonic Attacks (Ex): Because a finhead's earholes are well protected, it gains a +4 circumstance bonus on saving throws against sonic effects and attacks.

  • Vulnerability to Gas Attacks (Ex): A finhead's metabolism and reliance on scent make it vulnerable to attacks conveyed through gas, including stinking cloud, cloudkill, and poisonous gas. It thus takes a -4 penalty on saving throws against gas-based effects and attacks.

  • Scent (Ex): Finheads have the scent special quality.

  • Automatic Languages: Draconic. Bonus Languages: Common, Elven, Sylvan, and Celestial. Finheads have difficulty with other languages. Although they can understand and read all the bonus languages they know, they cannot speak them without spending skill points.

  • Favored Class: Paladin.

  • Level Adjustment: +2.

FLYERS

Flyers are the noisiest and most nervous of the saurials, and members of other races often find them somewhat irritating. They love gossip and enjoy spending time with people who are interested in listening to them.

Because of its wings, a flyer has difficulty wearing normal clothing, armor, or even a backpack. Thus, their accoutrements are typically custom-made.

Flyers usually act as scouts and messengers in a saurial community, although several important saurial heroes have been flyers. Those that become adventurers often do so by accident or out of necessity, since their roles in saurial society often put them in harm's way.

FLYER RACIAL TRAITS

  • +4 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, -2 Charisma: Flyers can soar through the air with exceptional grace, but they are physically weak and often irritating to others.

  • Small: As a Small creature, a flyer gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks. However, it must use smaller weapons than humans use, and its lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of Medium characters.

  • Speed: Flyer base speed is 20 feet, and the creature can fly at a speed of 50 feet with average maneuverability.

  • Racial Hit Dice: A flyer begins with two levels of humanoid. This provides 2d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +1, and base saving throws of Fort +0, Ref +3, and Will +0.

  • Racial Skills: A flyer character's humanoid levels give him skill points equal to 5 × (2 + Intelligence modifier). Flyer class skills are Balance, Craft (any), and Jump.

  • Racial Feats: A flyer's humanoid levels give him one feat.

  • Natural Armor Bonus: A flyer has a +4 natural armor bonus.

  • Natural Attacks: A flyer can make two claw attacks and one tail attack. Each claw attack deals 1d3 points of damage plus Strength modifier, and the tail attack deals 1d2 points of damage plus Strength penalty or one-half Strength bonus.

  • Cold Torpor (Ex): Flyers are warm-blooded creatures, but they retain heat poorly in cold environments. Thus, a flyer takes a -5 penalty on Fortitude saving throws made to avoid nonlethal damage from cold environments, and it takes double the normal amount of nonlethal damage for failing such a saving throw.

  • Protection from Sonic Attacks (Ex): Because a flyer's earholes are well protected, it gains a +4 circumstance bonus on saving throws against sonic effects and attacks.

  • Vulnerability to Gas Attacks (Ex): A flyer's metabolism and reliance on scent make it vulnerable to attacks conveyed through gas, including stinking cloud, cloudkill, and poisonous gas. It thus takes a -4 penalty on saving throws against gas-based effects and attacks.

  • Scent (Ex): Flyers have the scent special quality.

  • Automatic Languages: Draconic. Bonus Languages: Common, Elven, Sylvan, and Celestial. Flyers have difficulty with other languages. Although they can understand and read all the bonus languages they know, they cannot speak them without spending skill points.

  • Favored Class: Rogue.

  • Level Adjustment: +3.

HORNHEADS

Hornheads tend to be careful, rational planners. They choose their words carefully and avoid taking action without prior contemplation. Most are interested in alchemy, engineering, and other mental pursuits, and many also enjoy physical tasks requiring discipline, such as blacksmithing and weaponsmithing.

Most adventuring hornheads are consumed by a desire to understand the particulars of the world around them. Some choose to study the laws of other cultures, some the philosophical underpinnings of a religion, and some the arcane secrets of new spells. A hornhead's favored class is wizard, although some choose to develop an innate talent for sorcery instead.

Hornheads seldom fight without first considering all their options - including nonviolent ones. If pressed into combat, they don't hesitate to use their size and strength to advantage.

HORNHEAD RACIAL TRAITS

  • +2 Strength, +2 Intelligence: Hornheads are strong and have sharp minds.

  • Large: As a Large creature, a hornhead has a -1 size modifier to Armor Class, a -1 size modifier on attack rolls, and a -4 size modifier on Hide checks. However, it can use larger weapons than humans can, and its lifting and carrying limits are double those of Medium characters.

  • Speed: Hornhead base speed is 30 feet.

  • Racial Hit Dice: A hornhead begins with two levels of humanoid. This provides 2d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +1, and base saving throws of Fort +0, Ref +3, and Will +0.

  • Racial Skills: A hornhead character's humanoid levels give him skill points equal to 5 × (2 + Intelligence modifier). Hornhead class skills are Craft (blacksmithing or weaponsmithing), Jump, and Knowledge (architecture and engineering).

  • Racial Feats: A hornhead's humanoid levels give him one feat.

  • Natural Armor Bonus: A hornhead has a +5 natural armor bonus.

  • Natural Attacks: A hornhead can make two claw attacks and one tail attack. Each claw attack deals 1d4 points of damage plus Strength modifier, and the tail attack deals 1d3 points of damage plus Strength penalty or one-half Strength bonus. Hornheads have 10-foot reach with their tail attacks.

  • Cold Torpor (Ex): Hornheads are warm-blooded creatures, but they retain heat poorly in cold environments. Thus, a hornhead takes a -5 penalty on Fortitude saving throws made to avoid nonlethal damage from cold environments, and it takes double the normal amount of nonlethal damage for failing such a saving throw.

  • Protection from Sonic Attacks (Ex): Because a hornhead's earholes are well protected, it gains a +4 circumstance bonus on saving throws against sonic effects and attacks.

  • Vulnerability to Gas Attacks (Ex): A hornhead's metabolism and reliance on scent make it vulnerable to attacks conveyed through gas, including stinking cloud, cloudkill, and poisonous gas. It thus takes a -4 penalty on saving throws against gas-based effects and attacks.

  • Scent (Ex): Hornheads have the scent special quality.

  • Automatic Languages: Draconic. Bonus Languages: Common, Elven, Sylvan, and Celestial. Hornheads have difficulty with other languages. Although they can understand and read all the bonus languages they know, they cannot speak them without spending skill points.

  • Favored Class: Wizard.

  • Level Adjustment: +2.