Cayzle's Wemic Site
 |
|
|
||||||||||||
|
 |
|
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Second-Edition-Style Liontaurs
as 3E D&D Player CharactersLiontaurs are in some ways strikingly similar to humans, and in other ways, shockingly alien. They are perhaps most similar to the varied non-agricultural nomadic herders in the Real World -- the North American Plains Indian, the Bedouin, the Mongols. Liontaurs are wanderers, following the herds, living under the sky.
Personality: A nomadic, stone-age folk, liontaurs are often represented as barbaric,illiterate, and uncivilized; they are famous for being highly superstitious. Others would describe liontaurs as nature-oriented people with a rich tradition of oral history -- they live close to the earth and are in tune with the magical forces around them. As is often the case for cultures that live on the edge of survival, under conditions of harsh competition, in which wits and strength are paramount, liontaurs make necessity into virtue. Liontaurs must hunt and fight to stay alive, so they glorify bravery, persistance, and aggression. Their success at carving out a niche and thriving is evident in their pride.
Physical Description: Liontaurs are creatures that resemble lions from the waist down and humans from the waist up. They look like centaurs from far off, but at closer distances their leonine natures become unmistakeable. Their lower portions are well muscled; their short fur is tawny; they sport a lion's tail with a tuft of black fur at the end. Their upper portions are like well-formed humans, although the males grow long, mane-like hair, and both sexes have cat-like eyes and larger canine teeth than humans -- which partly explains their heavy accent when speaking the common tongue. Liontaurs dress mostly in furs and leather, and many braid totems or beads into their hair as clan and pride markers. Liontaurs stand six to seven feet tall, and they average ten feet long from head to rump. These large-size creatures weigh 450 to 700 pounds.
Relations: Liontaurs are forced to be nomadic by their need to follow herds, so they tend to scorn settled folk as lazy, slow, and filthy (and in truth, most cities visited by liontaurs are dirty and unsanitary). They usually look down on settled folk, such as humans, as degenerate and soft. But that doesn't stop them from trading! liontaurs are usually happy to trade, especially for metal blades from knives to greatswords. Beads, mirrors, combs and brushes, fine cloth, and tools are all very welcome. Liontaurs usually trade in furs and ivory, but liontaur crafts are often considered valuable.
Alignment: Liontaurs are generally neutral, taking sides only when their own interests are involved. Individual liontaurs can be any alignment, though as wandering people, they tend slightly toward chaos rather than law.
Liontaur Lands: Liontaurs follow the herds they depend on for food, so they are often found in savannah, following antelope and zebra; or in the plains, following wild horses and bison; or even in the tundra, following caribou. Liontaurs view these grazing grounds as their own land, and they react violently to encroachment and competition. However, they tolerate passers-through and welcome merchants.
Religion: Generally liontaurs worship racial gods (or liontaur aspects of gods that govern nature, hunting, and war). Some also honor Nature, the Sun, and the Moon, especially Rangers and Druids. Being superstitious, liontaurs will often honor many gods, just to be on the safe side.
Language: Liontaurs speak their own language, which only includes these consonant sounds: ch/k, f, fr/rf, h, t/j, l/ll, m, n, r, s, th, v, w, wh/hw, z; and these vowel sounds: au like awe, ow like power, e like eel, eo like we old maids, i like ice, o like mold, a like major, y like yes or end, ’ like [sharp pause]. As a general rule, consonant sounds alternate with vowel sounds.
Names: Liontaurs believe that their names reflect their individuality, so no two liontaur names are ever identical. Liontaur males and females have the same kinds of names. Here are some examples: Nijeo, Tomerj, Eojal, Nonowla, Fraweol, Vythao, Fawynth, Vauwerf, Ferfi, Eowyf, Aweth, and Liram.
Adventurers: Liontaurs often become Barbarians, Fighters, Rangers, Clerics, Druids, Sorcerers, and Bards. They almost never learn the arts of Wizardry, because liontaurs are not a literate culture. The urban arts of Rogues are not useful to most liontaurs, although some scout-type characters use the Rogue class. And there is no tradition of liontaur Monks or Paladins.
LIONTAUR RACIAL TRAITS
Type: Monstrous Humanoid. Note that liontaurs are not humanoids or persons, so spells like Charm Person and Enlarge Person don't affect them.
+2 Dexterity, +2 Strength, -2 Constitution, -2 Wisdom, -2 Intelligence
-- Liontaurs are strong and stealthy but have little stamina. They are superstitious and resist adopting new things.Low-light vision. Liontaurs have cat-like eyes.
Large Size:
- AC: -1.
- To Hit: -1.
- Skills: Hide: -4, Intimidate +4.
- Special attacks: a size bonus is generally given (see each special attack in the PHB).
- Carrying capacity is tripled for large quadrupeds.
- Liontaurs have a 5-foot natural reach and occupy a 10x10 space.
- Armor for liontaurs weighs double and costs four times normal (costs for magic enhancements are not doubled).
- Weapons for liontaurs are large. If a liontaur uses a weapon sized for a medium creature, the taur suffers a -2 penalty using the weapon. Weight and price for large-size versions of weapons is double normal. Damage for large-size versions is greater (see PHB).
Natural AC: Liontaurs gain a +1 natural bonus to AC.
Natural Attacks: Liontaurs use the same rules as all D&D creatures for natural attacks and attacks with manufactured weapons: As a standard attack, liontaurs can make one paw attack or one weapon attack. As a full round attack, liontaurs can (1) make usual weapon attacks and two secondary paw attacks at -5 to hit or (2) attack with two paws only, both with no attack penalty.
Natural Damage: Liontaur claws do 1d4 damage on a successful attack. If the claws are the character's only weapon, then the character's Strength modifier is applied. If the claws are used as secondary weapons, with a -5 modifier, then only half the Strength modifier is applied.
Liontaur Base Speed: Liontaurs have a base speed of 40 feet.
Skills: Liontaurs gain a +1 racial bonus with Survival, Jump, Balance, Hide, and Move Silently skill checks. They suffer a -2 penalty on swim checks.
Free Racial Feat: Liontaurs gain Toughness as a racial feat.
Feats: Liontaurs can use the Multiattack feat (as per the Monster Manual) to reduce the melee penalty for claws from -5 to -2 for making a full attack with a weapon (or weapons, one in each hand) as primary attack. They can use Weapon Finesse and Weapon Focus feats with claws, if desired, and liontaur fighters can use Weapon Specialization with claws. They must acquire these feats normally, however -- none are free.
Automatic Languages: Liontaurs speak Liontaur, a language with no written form, as an automatic language. Liontaur characters can speak heavily accented Common as an automatic language. If the liontaur has bonus languages due to Intelligence, then the liontaur can choose Common as one of those bonus languages and lose the great majority of his or her accent. NOTE: Like Barbarians, liontaurs are illiterate, and must spend two skill points to learn to read. These two skill points must be spent before the liontaur can access any skill or class functions having to with reading and writing.
Favored Class: Ranger.