Post/Author/DateTime	Post
grey muse 12-03-04, 09:48 PM	How do you tell a kalashtar apart from a human? I can't get a very good image of what the kalashtar look like. The picture in the races section is sort of blurry and vague, and they're even described as looking basically like graceful humans. Heck, they even get a bonus to disguise themselves as human. How do they look different? How hard is it to tell a kalashtar apart from a normal human if he's not holding a great big sign saying he's from Adar? Will a kalashtar wearing normal clothing be able to pass for human at a glance? On closer inspection? grey muse
stone_dog 12-03-04, 10:11 PM	You might as well ask "How do you tell if someone is British" really. I think there is no real way to do that other than to ask them. Other than that, take the actors who played elves in Lord of the Rings, David Bowie and other such folk and that is probably a pretty close image.
Gurv 12-03-04, 10:18 PM	You might as well ask "How do you tell if someone is British" really. I think that is a good way to put it. Although the kalashtar are different in game terms, physically they are still human. Humans who share a second soul, have their own culture and beliefs, and who can do some pretty unique things, but still physically human. Thats why they get the +2 bonus to Disguising themselves as human, because they really are. Since they are technically a new race and therefore would take a -2 penalty to looking human without something to offset it.
Arcane Guyver 12-03-04, 10:59 PM	Just keep on the lookout for any humans with Legolas-level prettyboy looks. Then ask them "What in the name of the Host is ectoplasm?" Then use Sense Motive! :)
Edymnion 12-03-04, 11:43 PM	Of course, you could always try to find something that generates a null-psionic field, and walk around with that. Whoever whips their head around when you walk past is probably a Kalashtar (or at least you better HOPE its just a Kalashtar! ;) ).
Gurv 12-03-04, 11:50 PM	Of course, you could always try to find something that generates a null-psionic field, and walk around with that. Whoever whips their head around when you walk past is probably a Kalashtar (or at least you better HOPE its just a Kalashtar! ;) ). Isn't that rather like hunting for polymorphed dragons with an antimagic field, because you want to work for the Chamber?
stone_dog 12-03-04, 11:53 PM	OR.... since they don't dream, it is possible they don't move about or make noise when they sleep.
Edymnion 12-04-04, 12:00 AM	Isn't that rather like hunting for polymorphed dragons with an antimagic field, because you want to work for the Chamber?Can't you just picture some little skinny guy walking through the streets of Sharn, holding up a pair of manacles (the ones that generate an AMF), rattling them, and going "Here dragon dragon dragon! Here dragon dragon dragon!" ?
Gurv 12-04-04, 12:16 AM	Can't you just picture some little skinny guy walking through the streets of Sharn, holding up a pair of manacles (the ones that generate an AMF), rattling them, and going "Here dragon dragon dragon! Here dragon dragon dragon!" ? Yes. Somehow I can picture Ratflail of Doom suggesting it as a character concept. Cute kid though. In seriousness, I would say that a kalashtar would not be noticed by anyone who was not looking for them, unless they were drawing attention to themselves. If you are looking for them, you should be able to pick a kalashtar out of a crowd with a Spot check against a DC of 12 (10 + racial bonus to look like humans; excluding Cha modifier because they're not trying). If they're trying to blend in with humans, they make a Disguise check. Although a case could be made that they would get the "minor details only" bonus.
grey muse 12-04-04, 02:31 AM	Well, unless you're playing the 'psionics are different' variant, that null psionic field is going to gather a lot of attention. =) What has been said here was pretty much my impression of the kalashtar. I'm running a campaign starting this Sunday, and my player who's playing a kalashtar wanted to know how feasible it would be to masquerade as a human. I told her it wouldn't be too hard, but that it would be tough to hide what she was when she started manifesting. She basically decided to only bother hiding herself when she was knowingly dealing with Inspired. I guess the next question, then, is how kalashtar communities form. I mean, someone has to be able to tell kalashtar from non-kalashtar, because they presumably form small communities. Related, can anyone point me to information on kalashtar in the Sharn handbook? According to the ECSB, Sharn is the largest population of kalashtar in Khorvaire, but I didn't notice anything on them in there on my first readthrough. grey muse
Ph33r_the_Wheelchair 12-04-04, 03:22 AM	Remember that all kalashtar can manifest mind link, so I suppose if they ever wondered if someone was a kalashtar they could just send them a link.
Gez 12-04-04, 04:08 AM	Just pu one rank in Knowledge Psionics, and start discussing magic stuff with a supposed Kalashtar. If they use psionic jargon, it's probably one.
Zedium 12-04-04, 06:21 AM	You might want to note that there is only a limited number of Kalashtar Quori (66 if I got it right). So, kalasthar probably have a limited genepool, rarely gaining new genes. In short, Kalashtar will have certain trades that identify them, a certain build etc, someone familiar with them will be able to identify one.
Blizzard_Bobsan 12-04-04, 07:00 AM	You might want to note that there is only a limited number of Kalashtar Quori (66 if I got it right). So, kalasthar probably have a limited genepool, rarely gaining new genes. In short, Kalashtar will have certain trades that identify them, a certain build etc, someone familiar with them will be able to identify one. As far as I know they can marry humans, so the gene pool is not so limited. For example, a male kalashtar and a female human produce male kalashtar and female human children. However, it is safe to assume that all kalashtar with the same quori spirit (same suffix in the name) will look as relatives of an extended family.
Beleriphon 12-04-04, 07:02 AM	You might want to note that there is only a limited number of Kalashtar Quori (66 if I got it right). So, kalasthar probably have a limited genepool, rarely gaining new genes. In short, Kalashtar will have certain trades that identify them, a certain build etc, someone familiar with them will be able to identify one. There may only be 66 quori that intially formed the kalashtar but they now breed true with each other. As for basic traits I think going with a certain je ne c'est que about them marks them at least as being different. Not enough for a regular human to note the difference, but enough for another kalashtar to spot them.
Gurv 12-04-04, 09:11 AM	There may only be 66 quori that intially formed the kalashtar but they now breed true with each other. Yes, there were 66 quori that joined with humans to produce what we call kalashtar. But those quori are now spread amongst many mortals. Many, many kalashtar may share a single quori spirit. When a kalashtar has a child, any children of the same sex inherit a bond with the quori spirit. So a kalashtar mating with another kalashtar always produces another kalashtar, while a kalashtar mating with a human has a fifty-fifty chance: and it will always be the same sex as the kalashtar parent. This is reflected in the kalashtar naming process: all kalashtar of the same line (bearing the same spirit) use the same suffix (which 'belongs' to the quori spirit).
polt 12-04-04, 09:25 AM	I think Kalashtars are sort of glowy. Of course light doesn't emerge from them, but there are a sort of exotic weird field aroudn them. People probably won't say "Oh, thats a kalasthar" but they'll defently say "Wow, who is that guy?"
Gez 12-04-04, 01:45 PM	There may only be 66 quori that intially formed the kalashtar but they now breed true with each other. As for basic traits I think going with a certain je ne c'est que about them marks them at least as being different. Not enough for a regular human to note the difference, but enough for another kalashtar to spot them. Je ne sais quoi: I (do) not know what. :) The sais/c'est/ses confusion is a bit akin to the there/their/they're confusion in English; «je sais» is «I know», but «c'est» is «it's».
Sucros 12-04-04, 08:00 PM	Gez is right on the french front. While they don't incur a -2 penalty, kalashtar still need to make an opposed disguise check against their opponent. So if a kalashtar is just blending into a crowd wearing a cowl, with no ranks in disguise, and runs into a druid with decent wis and ranks in spot, the druid's got a good chance of finding a Kalashtar. So they definitely have subtle differences to them that someone who's decently perceptive could pick out in a crowd. Maybe RoE will give us more info.
Beleriphon 12-05-04, 07:24 AM	Je ne sais quoi: I (do) not know what. :) The sais/c'est/ses confusion is a bit akin to the there/their/they're confusion in English; «je sais» is «I know», but «c'est» is «it's». Merci beaucoup mon ami. It has been a long time since I took any French in school. And you're right, it is je ne sais quoi. I should know better, seeing as how Canada has two official languages Enlgish and Frenglish (I refuse to call what the Quebecois speak French). At any rate, there would be a certain je ne sais quoi about a kalashtar that easily marks them as a kalashtar but only to others of their kind.
Gez 12-05-04, 01:17 PM	Also, not everyone has heard of the Kalashtars. They are a secret race, more or less. Only those who know kalashtars (foremostly, kalashtars themselves) could make a difference between a kalash and a human. I suppose for most people, "kalashtar" is not a different race, but just an exotic ethnie of humans.
Gurv 12-05-04, 02:57 PM	So if a kalashtar is just blending into a crowd wearing a cowl, with no ranks in disguise, and runs into a druid with decent wis and ranks in spot, the druid's got a good chance of finding a Kalashtar. Not true. Only if the druid is looking for a kalashtar, or has some other reason to be suspicious of the character. Your Disguise check result determines how good the disguise is, and it is opposed by others’ Spot check results. If you don’t draw any attention to yourself, others do not get to make Spot checks. If you come to the attention of people who are suspicious (such as a guard who is watching commoners walking through a city gate), it can be assumed that such observers are taking 10 on their Spot checks. You get only one Disguise check per use of the skill, even if several people are making Spot checks against it. The Disguise check is made secretly, so that you can’t be sure how good the result is. The effectiveness of your disguise depends in part on how much you’re attempting to change your appearance.
Sucros 12-05-04, 10:48 PM	Fair enough However, if he was looking for them (Inspired are paying a good bounty), he'd definitely have a mental list of traints to look for.
Lalato 01-11-05, 10:59 AM	So would most Kalashtar identify themselves as Adarian instead of Kalashtar? I'm wondering because I just started playing a Kalashtar Soulknife in a new campaign. Also, would they make any reference to their religion (The Path of Light) in front of non-Kalashtar... especially Silver Flame zealots? Beyond that... as a soulknife... would a Kalashtar ever display the mindblades in front of non-Kalashtar unless absolutely necessary? --sam
Gurv 01-11-05, 11:12 AM	So would most Kalashtar identify themselves as Adarian instead of Kalashtar? I'm wondering because I just started playing a Kalashtar Soulknife in a new campaign. Also, would they make any reference to their religion (The Path of Light) in front of non-Kalashtar... especially Silver Flame zealots? Beyond that... as a soulknife... would a Kalashtar ever display the mindblades in front of non-Kalashtar unless absolutely necessary? --sam I think that would be a good way to roleplay it. It doesn't really hide anything from anyone from Sarlona, since they would know that anyone living in Adar is hiding something. But it simplifies explainations to outsiders since it is easier to say "I am Adarian, from the Adar Mountains" than it is to say "I am kalashtar, a melding of human and quori spirit". Less explaining anyhow, and therefore less talk about you. And saying kalashtar narrows things down, giving too much information. Better to have your enemies not knowing if you are kalashtar, or a wizard from the Keepers of the Word, or just a criminal who hid in the mountains. If they want the details, make them come to you. No reason to let them use Gather Information checks against you, right? I don't think you would have to hide your mindblades. The people of Khorvaire know nothing about psionics, and will assume they are magical. A spellcaster might be curious as to what spell or item creates them, and stunned to learn that you don't have to cast anything or use up any energy, but thats only after you've explained a little. Someone with Knowledge (psionics) could figure it out, but having that skill pretty much means they're from Sarlona as well.
motorfirebox 01-11-05, 11:26 AM	kalashtar aren't that hard to differentiate from humans. a changeling has a better chance of disguising himself as human than a kalashtar does, which leads me to believe that kalashtar have some highly distinguishing--though relatively easy-to-conceal--traits that set them apart. what those traits might be, i'm not sure; but it should be very easy to pick out a kalashtar who isn't trying to disguise himself as a human.
Gurv 01-11-05, 12:05 PM	A kalashtar has exactly the same degree of success at disguising himself as a human as a human does. Thus, it is possible to distinguish them from the average human, but not easy. Especially since you don't get to oppose a disguise check unless you are aware something is amiss. I would agree that they have some distinguishing characteristic that is easily hidden. Bringing what changelings can do into it is beside the point: they have a shapechanging ability, and are therefore capable of disguising themselves as human better than an actual human could.
motorfirebox 01-11-05, 12:28 PM	er, no, a kalashtar has a +2 racial bonus to disguising himself as a human. a human, on the other hand, never needs to roll to disguise himself as a human; he is a human, and would have to disguise himself as a non-human in order to be mistaken for a non-human. a changeling can't disguise himself as a human better than a human can, because there's no chance that a human can be mistaken for something else. a kalashtar can disguise himself as a human, just like an elf could disguise himself as a human; but unless the kalashtar has more ranks in the Disguise skill than the elf, the kalashtar will only have a slightly higher (10%) rate of success than the elf.
qwykee 01-11-05, 12:39 PM	Generally speaking I don't think Kalashtar hide what they are. I imagine they have different stiles of dress than the average person from Khovaraire. If they were 'in hiding' for some reason then they wouldn't have trouble passing for a human to blend in. Kalashtar are said to possess an unearthly grace, but then so do some humans. In brief, Kalashtar stand out when they want to.
motorfirebox 01-11-05, 03:49 PM	i dunno. a +2 bonus to disguising yourself as a human doesn't sound, to me, like a kalashtar has an easy time passing himself as a human at the drop of a hat. it's possible, sure, but it's not easy unless they've got a high charisma and/or a few ranks in Disguise.
hiryuu 01-11-05, 04:51 PM	i dunno. a +2 bonus to disguising yourself as a human doesn't sound, to me, like a kalashtar has an easy time passing himself as a human at the drop of a hat. it's possible, sure, but it's not easy unless they've got a high charisma and/or a few ranks in Disguise. Sure it does. Because they get a what to Disguising themselves as human? -2 for being another race? So, they get +2.... which means they negate that whole "other race' penalty.... because.... drum roll, please...... They're human! They have just as much trouble disguising themselves as a human that a human has disguising himself as another human.
motorfirebox 01-11-05, 05:05 PM	hm. your argument has merit. i'd thought there was more of a difference between disguising one race as another, and disguising one member of a race as another member of that same race.
hiryuu 01-11-05, 05:10 PM	Well, see, a Kalashtar is just a human, yes? It's kind of a "human subrace," if you will. Now, since it's technically another race, they have -2 to Disguise when impersonating humans, however, since they look exactly like humans, only pretty, they get that +2 Disguise bonus to cover their -2 penalty as laid out in the Player's Handbook to disguise for "disguising as another race."
Gurv 01-11-05, 05:37 PM	I think that kalashtar have some subtle feature that makes them a little different from the average human. Perhaps something along the lines of ethnic markers. Most likely, they have those freaky piercing eyes that make them stand out if they don't avoid eye contact. In order for a human to disguise himself as another human, as you might when the city guards are looking for you, he has a +5 modifier on the check (+5 for minor details only). A kalashtar disguising himself as a similarly unknown human also has a +5 modifier on the check (+5 for minor details, -2 for different race, and +2 for disguised as a human). I agree that a kalashtar, unlike a human, must make an effort to look human. But the difference between a disguised human and a kalashtar disguised as a human is small, at best.
Easter 01-12-05, 07:14 AM	Back to the original question, what makes kalashtar stand out--since we all seem to agree they do, more or less--from humans? Freaky piercing eyes, grace and beauty, ok. The ESB mentions they have especially geometrical features: I'm thinking straight eyebrows, angular nose, oval or squarish face: supernaturally well-proportioned. It's been shown scientifically that the most "beautiful" faces are actually the most average ones--the ones whose measurements and ratios most approach the average for humans in general. So if kalashtar have especially pleasing geometric ratios, this would indeed lend to their unusual beauty. But most humans have an asymmetrical face (if you look at a mirror image of the left side of your face along with the real left side, you look weird), which perhaps the kalashtar don't--their eyes are exactly the same size, their mouth curves the same way on both sides, etc. It's still a little vague and hard to picture, though. Any other ideas?
Blizzard_Bobsan 01-12-05, 11:04 AM	To present the other point of view... How to identify a kalashtar? You ask him his name - if it ends with one of the (67?) kalashtar sufixes, he is a kalashtar. Seriously - they are humans - maybe a little taller, more gracefull and long living, but physically they are still humans, influenced by their quori spirits. In a mixed family the children from one gender will be kalashtar, from the other - humans. They will look alike, talk alike, dress alike, play together, grow together... It will be hard to distinguish who are the kalashtar and who are not. At least this is how the things are in my campaign - you may recognize a person from Adar (from the accent, clothes, etc.), but you have a hard time recognizing a kalashtar just by looking at him and talking to him. From the Keith Baker FAQ: Q Originally posted by N'wah Isn't the +2 to disguise checks there to balance out the cross-species penalty, i.e. doesn't it make your chance of impersonating a human equal to impersonating another Kalashtar? I thought that was the plan behind the +2 bonus... but maybe not. A This is exactly correct. Disguising yourself as a member of another race always carries a -2 penalty. The kalashtar can ignore this when disguising themselves as humans, because they basically are human.