Balayan Rakshasas: Spawn of the Lords of Dust [Archive] - Wizards Community

Balayan Rakshasas: Spawn of the Lords of Dust [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Magocrat
03-24-08, 11:52 AM Balayan Rakshasa

Balayan rakshasas are the descendants of the true rakshasa. The rakshasa's ability to assume the form of a member of the common races has lead to many females giving birth to children with rakshasa blood. These fiends spawned true rakshasas, but as their fiendish blood diluted, the balayan rakshasas were born. They do not possess the full powers of the true rakshasas, but they can adapt some of the powers of their ancestors to a lesser degree.

Personality: Most balayan are cunning manipulators, using their inborn talents to deceive others. They are arrogant and see themselves as superior to all except the true rakshasas and the Lords of Dust. In addition, balayan tend to share other traits with the rakshasa of their heritage. Zakya rakshasa are boisterous and loud, for example, while naztharune rakshasas are shrewd and very treacherous.

Physical Description: Balayan resemble true rakshasas in many ways, often displaying the appearance of their heritage in one way or another. Balayan with ak'chazar heritage, for example, often have white fur, while those with naztharune heritage often have black fur. Balayan with naityan rakshasa are different; they appear differently depending on the discipline they have chosen at that moment. Their appearance changes much like their true rakshasa ancestors (see the Tome of Battle), albeit their changes are more subtle. A balayan with naityan heritage with the Stone Dragon discipline may have a grey, stony fur, while a balayan with the Desert Wind discipline has bright orange fur. Regardless of their heritage, balayan stand as tall and weigh as much as humans. (This also means that they are treated as humans for purpose of randomly determining their height and weight.)

Relations: Balayan commonly traffic with the true rakshasas, acting as followers to their fiendish masters. They also associate with the Cults of the Dragon Below, where their heritage often grants them powerful positions. The few balayan rakshasa who are good either hide out in communities of the common races or actively seek out the groups who oppose the rakshasa, using their familiarity with the Lords of Dust to help such groups.

Alignment: Due to their heritage, most balayan are evil, tending to lawful. They are unswerving followers of the true rakshasas and the Lords of Dust, although the more powerful balayan rival the power of the true rakshasas. However, there are a few balayan who have turned away from their evil origins. These rare few are not actively persecuted by the rakshasas, but they are more violently opposed when they seek to frustrate the plans of their former masters.

Balayan Lands: Balayan can appear all over Eberron, but they are commonly found near the seals where the rakshasa rajahs are held. There is a disproportionate number of balayan in the Demon Wastes, where they thrive despite their persecution by the Ghaash'kala orcs. However, some balayan have taken up a living amongst the common races of Khorvaire, using their inherent skill in disguising themselves to evade detection.

Dragonmarks: Balayan never develop dragonmarks, and they see no purpose in disguising themselves as a prestigious member of a dragonmarked house.

Religion: Most balayan revere the Lords of Dust who spawned them, although some may occasionally say a prayer to a deity of the Dark Six, particularly the Devourer and the Keeper. The few balayan who are good tend to pray to Boldrei or Olladra, invoking their protection and luck to get along amongst the distrusting communities of Khorvaire.

Language: Balayan speak Common and Undercommon, the language of the denizens of Khyber. They often learn the language of the land they're in to fit in.

Names: Balayan names often sound like the names of rakshasa rajahs. They often include sharp consonants and guttural vowels. When correctly pronounced, balayan names have a distinctive growling sound. Male names tend to have more guttural names, whereas female names often sound sharper. However, balayan often take up other names to suit their disguises if they are hiding in a community.

Male Names: Horghat, Rhazhaat, Taghaarth, Thoraagh, Zathrass.

Female Names: Aashast, Rashaaras, Shzaarat, Taarish, Thziiras.

Adventures: A wandering existence comes natural to most balayan, who do not truly have a home. They might take up a life of adventuring for their rajah masters, striving to shatter the seals that bind them to the depths of Khyber. It is very common for good balayan to take it upon them to prevent these seals from being shattered, binding themselves to groups such as the Ghaash'kala and the Wardens of the Wood. Rarely are the spawn of the rakshasa trusted in these circles, though, when their identities are known.

Balayan Rakshasa Racial Traits

• +2 Charisma, -2 Dexterity: Balayan are magnetic and have a regal stature, but their awkward joints make them clumsy.
• Medium: As Medium creatures, balayan have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Balayan base land speed is 30 feet.
• +2 racial bonus on Bluff, Disguise, and Sense Motive checks: Balayan are inherently skilled in deception, and though they cannot actually read thoughts as true rakshasas can, they can intuitively read body language and attitude with surprising accuracy. If a balayan makes a successful DC 20 Sense Motive check (a free action) against a humanoid opponent, her racial bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks increases by a further +2 against that opponent for 24 hours.
• +1 natural armor bonus against slashing and bludgeoning weapons: Though they do not have the luxurious coat of fur of true rakshasas, a balayan's fur still offers her a measure of protection.
• Rakshasa Heritage: All balayan can trace their ancestry back to a true rakshasa. While all balayan have a few traits in common, they gain additional traits depending on their heritage. A balayan can select a true rakshasa as her heritage, gaining the traits listed below.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Infernal, Undercommon. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Orc, Quor, Riedran.
• Favored Class: Sorcerer (ak'chazar and chalaya), swordsage (naityan), rogue (naztharune), fighter (zakya).

Rakshasa Heritages

There are five kinds of rakshasa, each represented by a balayan heritage. The chalaya rakshasa is presented in the Monster Manual.

Ak'chazar: You add +1 to Difficulty Class for all saving throws against necromancy spells. In addition, you can agonize an opponent by touch. If you succeed on a melee touch attack, your opponent must make a Will save (DC 10 + one-half your character level + your Charisma modifier) or become shaken for 1 round. This is a supernatural ability.

Chalaya: You add +1 to Difficulty Class for all saving throws against mind-affecting spells. In addition, you can use detect thoughts three times per day, as the spell, except as noted here. You must choose one target within 30 feet each time you use this ability. This ability lasts as long as you concentrate, for up to 1 round per character level. The Difficulty Class against this ability is 11 + one-half your character level + your Charisma modifier. The caster level equals your character level. If your target fails her saving throw against this ability, you can treat her as if you made a successful Sense Motive check against her. This is a supernatural ability.

Naityan: You gain a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls when you initiate a Desert Wind, Setting Sun, Shadow Hand, or Stone Dragon strike (your choice). In addition, your initiator level is treated as one higher than it actually is for the selected discipline. You can change the discipline as a swift action or as part of changing your stance.

Naztharune: You do not have the standard bonuses and penalties to Charisma and Dexterity of a balayan rakshasa. You gain a +1 dodge bonus to Armor Class whenever you have cover or concealment. In addition, you deal an additional 2 points of damage when your opponent is denied her Dexterity bonus, or when you flank her.

Zakya: You are automatically proficient with the bastard sword. In addition, you can curse an opponent by touch. If you succeed on a melee touch attack, your target must make a Will save (DC 10 + one-half your character level + your Charisma modifier) or take a -4 penalty on her next attack roll. You can use this ability three times per day. This is a supernatural ability.
Magocrat
04-09-08, 09:24 AM So does anyone like or dislike this race? Or should I just let it die?
Rageofthemodrons101
04-11-08, 10:51 PM No, this is cool. I never would've thought about it. Use it in a cool campaign.:bow: :invasion: :rimshot: :OMG!
Revvecor
04-11-08, 10:58 PM I like it as well great job :w00t: I will more than likely use them in one of my future games. :D
Rageofthemodrons101
04-14-08, 10:45 PM What that guy said, However, there is a small typo. The language Quori should be Quor. Otherwise slap together a cool campaign name like "War of Shadows" and something else fancy
Rageofthemodrons101
04-14-08, 10:55 PM As an NPC idea, I made the Lords of the Dust a single deity.

Check it out :teach:

Lords of The Dust
Revered by the Carrion Tribes and the Balayan Rakshasa:) , the cabal of Rajas have nearly risen to deific status. If used, use this:

Lords of the Dust
Lawful Evil
Domains: Law, Evil, Decay (described in Eberron), Destruction, Charm
Magocrat
04-15-08, 04:55 AM I personally don't think that the Lords of Dust would be deities, given the existing deities in the Eberron Campaign Setting. However, I do think that they would be an excellent personification of the Dragon Below. While the Carrion Tribes and the balayan rakshasa revere the Lords of Dust, their prayers are answered by Khyber. That wouldn't rule out that the rakshasa rajahs could whisper to their followers. And as spawn of the Dragon Below, the rajahs are indirectly worshiped nonetheless. I suggest that the Charm domain be added to the domains, because of the beguiling influence of the rakshasas. Especially the chalaya and ak'chazar rakshasa.

And thanks for that correction, I knew there was something wrong somewhere. :)
Games_R_life
04-27-08, 05:20 PM I really like this, but I do have one question - would their backward hands lead them to have -2 dexterity? I don't think so, as it dosn't seem to effect (affect? *There go my english skills...*) true rakshasa. Just my opinon - hopefully I didn't miss anything... :)
Magocrat
04-27-08, 05:38 PM Well, it's primarily their backwards hands, yes. I figured that it would affect their other joints as well, therefore decreasing their Dexterity. This is partially out of flavor considerations, and mechanical considerations for the other part. I really wanted to include the +2 to Charisma, and Dexterity seemed like the most logical choice for a penalty. After all, most of the rakshasa have a high Charisma score and a lesser Dexterity score.

Note, however, that a balayan with naztharune heritage doesn't get these ability modifiers. This is because the naztharune rakshasa has a high Dexterity score and a lesser Charisma score.

So no, you didn't miss anything. ;)
Rageofthemodrons101
04-28-08, 10:38 PM Very Evil… yes. :schemes: :devil: :devil: :devil: :evillaugh :evillaugh :evillaugh :evillaugh :evillaugh :evillaugh :smirk:

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Magocrat 03-24-08, 11:52 AM	Balayan Rakshasa Balayan rakshasas are the descendants of the true rakshasa. The rakshasa's ability to assume the form of a member of the common races has lead to many females giving birth to children with rakshasa blood. These fiends spawned true rakshasas, but as their fiendish blood diluted, the balayan rakshasas were born. They do not possess the full powers of the true rakshasas, but they can adapt some of the powers of their ancestors to a lesser degree. Personality: Most balayan are cunning manipulators, using their inborn talents to deceive others. They are arrogant and see themselves as superior to all except the true rakshasas and the Lords of Dust. In addition, balayan tend to share other traits with the rakshasa of their heritage. Zakya rakshasa are boisterous and loud, for example, while naztharune rakshasas are shrewd and very treacherous. Physical Description: Balayan resemble true rakshasas in many ways, often displaying the appearance of their heritage in one way or another. Balayan with ak'chazar heritage, for example, often have white fur, while those with naztharune heritage often have black fur. Balayan with naityan rakshasa are different; they appear differently depending on the discipline they have chosen at that moment. Their appearance changes much like their true rakshasa ancestors (see the Tome of Battle), albeit their changes are more subtle. A balayan with naityan heritage with the Stone Dragon discipline may have a grey, stony fur, while a balayan with the Desert Wind discipline has bright orange fur. Regardless of their heritage, balayan stand as tall and weigh as much as humans. (This also means that they are treated as humans for purpose of randomly determining their height and weight.) Relations: Balayan commonly traffic with the true rakshasas, acting as followers to their fiendish masters. They also associate with the Cults of the Dragon Below, where their heritage often grants them powerful positions. The few balayan rakshasa who are good either hide out in communities of the common races or actively seek out the groups who oppose the rakshasa, using their familiarity with the Lords of Dust to help such groups. Alignment: Due to their heritage, most balayan are evil, tending to lawful. They are unswerving followers of the true rakshasas and the Lords of Dust, although the more powerful balayan rival the power of the true rakshasas. However, there are a few balayan who have turned away from their evil origins. These rare few are not actively persecuted by the rakshasas, but they are more violently opposed when they seek to frustrate the plans of their former masters. Balayan Lands: Balayan can appear all over Eberron, but they are commonly found near the seals where the rakshasa rajahs are held. There is a disproportionate number of balayan in the Demon Wastes, where they thrive despite their persecution by the Ghaash'kala orcs. However, some balayan have taken up a living amongst the common races of Khorvaire, using their inherent skill in disguising themselves to evade detection. Dragonmarks: Balayan never develop dragonmarks, and they see no purpose in disguising themselves as a prestigious member of a dragonmarked house. Religion: Most balayan revere the Lords of Dust who spawned them, although some may occasionally say a prayer to a deity of the Dark Six, particularly the Devourer and the Keeper. The few balayan who are good tend to pray to Boldrei or Olladra, invoking their protection and luck to get along amongst the distrusting communities of Khorvaire. Language: Balayan speak Common and Undercommon, the language of the denizens of Khyber. They often learn the language of the land they're in to fit in. Names: Balayan names often sound like the names of rakshasa rajahs. They often include sharp consonants and guttural vowels. When correctly pronounced, balayan names have a distinctive growling sound. Male names tend to have more guttural names, whereas female names often sound sharper. However, balayan often take up other names to suit their disguises if they are hiding in a community. Male Names: Horghat, Rhazhaat, Taghaarth, Thoraagh, Zathrass. Female Names: Aashast, Rashaaras, Shzaarat, Taarish, Thziiras. Adventures: A wandering existence comes natural to most balayan, who do not truly have a home. They might take up a life of adventuring for their rajah masters, striving to shatter the seals that bind them to the depths of Khyber. It is very common for good balayan to take it upon them to prevent these seals from being shattered, binding themselves to groups such as the Ghaash'kala and the Wardens of the Wood. Rarely are the spawn of the rakshasa trusted in these circles, though, when their identities are known. Balayan Rakshasa Racial Traits • +2 Charisma, -2 Dexterity: Balayan are magnetic and have a regal stature, but their awkward joints make them clumsy. • Medium: As Medium creatures, balayan have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. • Balayan base land speed is 30 feet. • +2 racial bonus on Bluff, Disguise, and Sense Motive checks: Balayan are inherently skilled in deception, and though they cannot actually read thoughts as true rakshasas can, they can intuitively read body language and attitude with surprising accuracy. If a balayan makes a successful DC 20 Sense Motive check (a free action) against a humanoid opponent, her racial bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks increases by a further +2 against that opponent for 24 hours. • +1 natural armor bonus against slashing and bludgeoning weapons: Though they do not have the luxurious coat of fur of true rakshasas, a balayan's fur still offers her a measure of protection. • Rakshasa Heritage: All balayan can trace their ancestry back to a true rakshasa. While all balayan have a few traits in common, they gain additional traits depending on their heritage. A balayan can select a true rakshasa as her heritage, gaining the traits listed below. • Automatic Languages: Common, Infernal, Undercommon. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Orc, Quor, Riedran. • Favored Class: Sorcerer (ak'chazar and chalaya), swordsage (naityan), rogue (naztharune), fighter (zakya). Rakshasa Heritages There are five kinds of rakshasa, each represented by a balayan heritage. The chalaya rakshasa is presented in the Monster Manual. Ak'chazar: You add +1 to Difficulty Class for all saving throws against necromancy spells. In addition, you can agonize an opponent by touch. If you succeed on a melee touch attack, your opponent must make a Will save (DC 10 + one-half your character level + your Charisma modifier) or become shaken for 1 round. This is a supernatural ability. Chalaya: You add +1 to Difficulty Class for all saving throws against mind-affecting spells. In addition, you can use detect thoughts three times per day, as the spell, except as noted here. You must choose one target within 30 feet each time you use this ability. This ability lasts as long as you concentrate, for up to 1 round per character level. The Difficulty Class against this ability is 11 + one-half your character level + your Charisma modifier. The caster level equals your character level. If your target fails her saving throw against this ability, you can treat her as if you made a successful Sense Motive check against her. This is a supernatural ability. Naityan: You gain a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls when you initiate a Desert Wind, Setting Sun, Shadow Hand, or Stone Dragon strike (your choice). In addition, your initiator level is treated as one higher than it actually is for the selected discipline. You can change the discipline as a swift action or as part of changing your stance. Naztharune: You do not have the standard bonuses and penalties to Charisma and Dexterity of a balayan rakshasa. You gain a +1 dodge bonus to Armor Class whenever you have cover or concealment. In addition, you deal an additional 2 points of damage when your opponent is denied her Dexterity bonus, or when you flank her. Zakya: You are automatically proficient with the bastard sword. In addition, you can curse an opponent by touch. If you succeed on a melee touch attack, your target must make a Will save (DC 10 + one-half your character level + your Charisma modifier) or take a -4 penalty on her next attack roll. You can use this ability three times per day. This is a supernatural ability.
Magocrat 04-09-08, 09:24 AM	So does anyone like or dislike this race? Or should I just let it die?
Rageofthemodrons101 04-11-08, 10:51 PM	No, this is cool. I never would've thought about it. Use it in a cool campaign.:bow: :invasion: :rimshot: :OMG!
Revvecor 04-11-08, 10:58 PM	I like it as well great job :w00t: I will more than likely use them in one of my future games. :D
Rageofthemodrons101 04-14-08, 10:45 PM	What that guy said, However, there is a small typo. The language Quori should be Quor. Otherwise slap together a cool campaign name like "War of Shadows" and something else fancy
Rageofthemodrons101 04-14-08, 10:55 PM	As an NPC idea, I made the Lords of the Dust a single deity. Check it out :teach: Lords of The Dust Revered by the Carrion Tribes and the Balayan Rakshasa:) , the cabal of Rajas have nearly risen to deific status. If used, use this: Lords of the Dust Lawful Evil Domains: Law, Evil, Decay (described in Eberron), Destruction, Charm
Magocrat 04-15-08, 04:55 AM	I personally don't think that the Lords of Dust would be deities, given the existing deities in the Eberron Campaign Setting. However, I do think that they would be an excellent personification of the Dragon Below. While the Carrion Tribes and the balayan rakshasa revere the Lords of Dust, their prayers are answered by Khyber. That wouldn't rule out that the rakshasa rajahs could whisper to their followers. And as spawn of the Dragon Below, the rajahs are indirectly worshiped nonetheless. I suggest that the Charm domain be added to the domains, because of the beguiling influence of the rakshasas. Especially the chalaya and ak'chazar rakshasa. And thanks for that correction, I knew there was something wrong somewhere. :)
Games_R_life 04-27-08, 05:20 PM	I really like this, but I do have one question - would their backward hands lead them to have -2 dexterity? I don't think so, as it dosn't seem to effect (affect? There go my english skills...) true rakshasa. Just my opinon - hopefully I didn't miss anything... :)
Magocrat 04-27-08, 05:38 PM	Well, it's primarily their backwards hands, yes. I figured that it would affect their other joints as well, therefore decreasing their Dexterity. This is partially out of flavor considerations, and mechanical considerations for the other part. I really wanted to include the +2 to Charisma, and Dexterity seemed like the most logical choice for a penalty. After all, most of the rakshasa have a high Charisma score and a lesser Dexterity score. Note, however, that a balayan with naztharune heritage doesn't get these ability modifiers. This is because the naztharune rakshasa has a high Dexterity score and a lesser Charisma score. So no, you didn't miss anything. ;)
Rageofthemodrons101 04-28-08, 10:38 PM	Very Evil… yes. :schemes: :devil: :devil: :devil: :evillaugh :evillaugh :evillaugh :evillaugh :evillaugh :evillaugh :smirk: