Kaetae - A Group of Races [Archive] - Wizards Community

Kaetae - A Group of Races [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Ekko
02-29-08, 06:09 PM I'm currently working on a series of races for my campaign world. If you want some basic information about the theme of the races in general, click the spoiler here. This thread will focus on the kaetae. There are three main groups of races: the umariae, the asluiae, and the kaetae.
The umariae, or "tallfolk" consist of elves, humans, orcs, and several similar races. The umariae believe they are the nt group of races (humans are very prone to this) and are superior to the other races.
The asluiae, or "smallfolk" are halflings, dwarves, gnomes, and their ilk. Asluiae, in general, are a more accepting group, and have no problem accepting the kaetae as actual people (something most umariae have problems with).
The kaetae, or "aliens," are a group of races that are completly unique to this campaign world. All kaetae bear a vague feline or reptilian appearance, and are despised by umariae and some asluiae. The kaetae are believed to be "invaders" from another reality, but simply live in out-of-the-way or unknown places (including several uncharted continents).
All the races here will be unique from one-another. Some will be similar, but all will be different, usually in a major way. I will post a new race every so often, and am open to honest and fair critiques of any of the races I post here.

The first race we have are the serae (sing. seraid).

Personality: Serae are very intelligent, and yet somehow impulsive. They value learning and experience above all else. Their main philosophy is Years of meticulous study tend to pale in comparision to the font of learning from a single mistake. It is because of this that serae are rather rash and tend to leap head-first into situations. Serae treat almost anything as a "study," and relish a new experience. Serae are lighthearted, slow to anger, and quick to laugh. A seraid has two modes: Go and Stop. When a seraid starts moving, it doesn't stop. A seraid on alert will fidget constantly, and might pace for lack of something to do. A seraid can be laidback and restful on occasion, but they tend to snap back to "go" very quickly.
Physical Description: A seraid looks similar to a cross between a gecko and a short human, having a slightly reptilian face, tail, and earslits.. Serae stand about 4 1/2 to 5 feet tall and weigh an average of 95 pounds. They are of slight build and their tails are slim and short (1' long, on average). Serae have silvery-grey skin and vibrant yellow, orange, and red eyes. They have no hair, but tiny bead-like scales dot the tops of their heads in a unique pattern and color. Similar scales (though these are grey) trace the outline of the seriad's eye.
Relations: I'll fill this in as more kaetae are posted. For now, just bear in mind the general info above.
Alignment: Serae tend towards a chaotic alignment because of their rather reckless nature and a constant desire to learn unhampered by restrictions.
Seraid Lands: Serae live in cities build into old forests and cliffs. They live in close proximity to umariae and asluiae, though the 2 groups are generally unaware of their scaly neighbors.
Religion: Most serae are not religious, becuase they believe that extreme devotion to something other than learning closes the mind to some types of learning. Some serae do take up the worship of Olidammarra and Farglahnan, however.
Language: Serae speak the strange, songlike language common to all kaetae, and their own language. The seraid language is a series of fast clicks, trills, whistle, and the occasional humming sound. It is possible, but very hard for an outsider to learn to speak any kaetid language. Because of this, serae will translate their first (but not family) names for an outsider.
Naming: Serae are named after particularily wonderful experiences that both parents have had, to encourage the young to seek out their own experiences. Family names are based on the seraid titles that great ancestral heroes have taken for themselves.
Male Names: Cliffjump, Sworddance, Bridgeburn, Wolfsbane, Greatleap
Female Names: Lilybloom, Fineport, Moonblack, Greatsong, Seawind
Family Names: Klisthshuathkykhmm (Brighteye), Ssthkstkthauk (Fireclaw), Sttikkantkhmm (Windwaker), Eeeeskthkuak (Whisperscale)
Adventurers: Seraid adventurers are common, because of their innate desire to experience everything. This often leads to wanderlust, and serae leaving their hometowns and setting off by themselves or as a group to "study" the world.

RACIAL TRAITS
Medium Humanoid (Kaetid)
+2 INT, -2 WIS: Serae are very intelligent and able learners, but their philosophy of learning makes them rather impulsive and rash.
Climb: A seraid has a +8 racial bonus on all Climb checks and always can choose to take 10 even if rushed or threatened while climbing. If a seraid chooses an accelerated climb it moves at double the given climb speed (or its base land speed, whichever is lower) and makes a single Climb check at a -5 penalty. Serae cannot run while climbing. A seraid retains its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) while climbing, and opponents get no special bonus on their attacks against a climbing seraid.
Run: Serae gain Run as a bonus feat, even if they do not meet the prerequisites.
Tail: A seraid’s short tail allows it to balance with ease. A seraid has a +4 racial bonus to Balance checks, and can always take 10 on a Balance check, even if rushed or threatened.
Skills: A seraid has a +2 racial bonus to Spot and Listen checks. Serae’s eyes are well developed, and their ear-slits are very sensitive.
Speed: Base 30 ft, climb 15.
Automatic Languages: Seraid, Kaetid.
Bonus Languages: All (except secret)
LA: +0
Ekko
03-01-08, 07:03 PM Umm...I need some help on making sure these are balanced. Anyone have any ideas? Anyone?
bhu
03-02-08, 12:24 AM I think the first ones fine as is. ALthough I ma curious why gecko people wouldnt have a bonus to dex.
ragoftag
03-02-08, 10:24 AM Very interesting start! I like the Serae, but agree that the bonus to Int fits better with Dex. Normally, a mental bonus denotes a major racial trait such as a predominance of highly educated populations for Intelligence or devotion to the spiritual or natural ways for Wisdom. Your philosophy of "Years of meticulous study tend to pale in comparison to the font of learning from a single mistake" leads me see Concentration as a better choice in a racial feat rather than a +2 to Int with all that entails. By the way, it makes a great philosophy for Halflings, too. A search for knowledge is better as a RP goal than a hard Stat, In my ignorant opinion.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Ekko 02-29-08, 06:09 PM	I'm currently working on a series of races for my campaign world. If you want some basic information about the theme of the races in general, click the spoiler here. This thread will focus on the kaetae. There are three main groups of races: the umariae, the asluiae, and the kaetae. The umariae, or "tallfolk" consist of elves, humans, orcs, and several similar races. The umariae believe they are the nt group of races (humans are very prone to this) and are superior to the other races. The asluiae, or "smallfolk" are halflings, dwarves, gnomes, and their ilk. Asluiae, in general, are a more accepting group, and have no problem accepting the kaetae as actual people (something most umariae have problems with). The kaetae, or "aliens," are a group of races that are completly unique to this campaign world. All kaetae bear a vague feline or reptilian appearance, and are despised by umariae and some asluiae. The kaetae are believed to be "invaders" from another reality, but simply live in out-of-the-way or unknown places (including several uncharted continents). All the races here will be unique from one-another. Some will be similar, but all will be different, usually in a major way. I will post a new race every so often, and am open to honest and fair critiques of any of the races I post here. The first race we have are the serae (sing. seraid). Personality: Serae are very intelligent, and yet somehow impulsive. They value learning and experience above all else. Their main philosophy is Years of meticulous study tend to pale in comparision to the font of learning from a single mistake. It is because of this that serae are rather rash and tend to leap head-first into situations. Serae treat almost anything as a "study," and relish a new experience. Serae are lighthearted, slow to anger, and quick to laugh. A seraid has two modes: Go and Stop. When a seraid starts moving, it doesn't stop. A seraid on alert will fidget constantly, and might pace for lack of something to do. A seraid can be laidback and restful on occasion, but they tend to snap back to "go" very quickly. Physical Description: A seraid looks similar to a cross between a gecko and a short human, having a slightly reptilian face, tail, and earslits.. Serae stand about 4 1/2 to 5 feet tall and weigh an average of 95 pounds. They are of slight build and their tails are slim and short (1' long, on average). Serae have silvery-grey skin and vibrant yellow, orange, and red eyes. They have no hair, but tiny bead-like scales dot the tops of their heads in a unique pattern and color. Similar scales (though these are grey) trace the outline of the seriad's eye. Relations: I'll fill this in as more kaetae are posted. For now, just bear in mind the general info above. Alignment: Serae tend towards a chaotic alignment because of their rather reckless nature and a constant desire to learn unhampered by restrictions. Seraid Lands: Serae live in cities build into old forests and cliffs. They live in close proximity to umariae and asluiae, though the 2 groups are generally unaware of their scaly neighbors. Religion: Most serae are not religious, becuase they believe that extreme devotion to something other than learning closes the mind to some types of learning. Some serae do take up the worship of Olidammarra and Farglahnan, however. Language: Serae speak the strange, songlike language common to all kaetae, and their own language. The seraid language is a series of fast clicks, trills, whistle, and the occasional humming sound. It is possible, but very hard for an outsider to learn to speak any kaetid language. Because of this, serae will translate their first (but not family) names for an outsider. Naming: Serae are named after particularily wonderful experiences that both parents have had, to encourage the young to seek out their own experiences. Family names are based on the seraid titles that great ancestral heroes have taken for themselves. Male Names: Cliffjump, Sworddance, Bridgeburn, Wolfsbane, Greatleap Female Names: Lilybloom, Fineport, Moonblack, Greatsong, Seawind Family Names: Klisthshuathkykhmm (Brighteye), Ssthkstkthauk (Fireclaw), Sttikkantkhmm (Windwaker), Eeeeskthkuak (Whisperscale) Adventurers: Seraid adventurers are common, because of their innate desire to experience everything. This often leads to wanderlust, and serae leaving their hometowns and setting off by themselves or as a group to "study" the world. RACIAL TRAITS Medium Humanoid (Kaetid) +2 INT, -2 WIS: Serae are very intelligent and able learners, but their philosophy of learning makes them rather impulsive and rash. Climb: A seraid has a +8 racial bonus on all Climb checks and always can choose to take 10 even if rushed or threatened while climbing. If a seraid chooses an accelerated climb it moves at double the given climb speed (or its base land speed, whichever is lower) and makes a single Climb check at a -5 penalty. Serae cannot run while climbing. A seraid retains its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) while climbing, and opponents get no special bonus on their attacks against a climbing seraid. Run: Serae gain Run as a bonus feat, even if they do not meet the prerequisites. Tail: A seraid’s short tail allows it to balance with ease. A seraid has a +4 racial bonus to Balance checks, and can always take 10 on a Balance check, even if rushed or threatened. Skills: A seraid has a +2 racial bonus to Spot and Listen checks. Serae’s eyes are well developed, and their ear-slits are very sensitive. Speed: Base 30 ft, climb 15. Automatic Languages: Seraid, Kaetid. Bonus Languages: All (except secret) LA: +0
Ekko 03-01-08, 07:03 PM	Umm...I need some help on making sure these are balanced. Anyone have any ideas? Anyone?
bhu 03-02-08, 12:24 AM	I think the first ones fine as is. ALthough I ma curious why gecko people wouldnt have a bonus to dex.
ragoftag 03-02-08, 10:24 AM	Very interesting start! I like the Serae, but agree that the bonus to Int fits better with Dex. Normally, a mental bonus denotes a major racial trait such as a predominance of highly educated populations for Intelligence or devotion to the spiritual or natural ways for Wisdom. Your philosophy of "Years of meticulous study tend to pale in comparison to the font of learning from a single mistake" leads me see Concentration as a better choice in a racial feat rather than a +2 to Int with all that entails. By the way, it makes a great philosophy for Halflings, too. A search for knowledge is better as a RP goal than a hard Stat, In my ignorant opinion.