Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Jayne 12-05-06, 08:09 AM	Further refinement, as well as more focused editing, is ready to go. TAU (LA +1) http://uk.games-workshop.com/tau/faq/images/tau-firewarrior-vignette.jpg The Tau are one people, five castes, each with their own place in a single, seamless society. They are a young, dynamic race who believe that it is their destiny to rule over all people as a single, progressive society. Recently unified and granted this vision by the mysterious Ethereal Caste, the Tau have begun pushing out from their lands, offering all they encounter a choice. Those who choose to join the fledgling Tau Empire are granted amnesty and welcomed as citizens of a forward-thinking society where everyone has a place -those who defy the Empire are swiftly crushed by their unified might. Personality: The Tau are a people driven by their belief in a concept they call the Tau'va -the Greater Good. They are a loyal, hardworking people who see honor in all tasks that benefit the Empire. To a Tau, there is no shame in even the most menial of actions so long as it is for the Greater Good. Their attitudes vary somewhat by the cast into which a specific Tau was born: Fire caste members tend to be aggressive and direct, looking to solve any problem by the most immediate route; Earth caste are analytical and logical, they know there is an efficient solution to every problem; Water caste are patient and enduring, they know that all things in the end will eventually come to benefit the Empire; and the Air caste are swift and decisive but prefer to avoid confrontation when possible, flitting away like an elusive shadow rather than being brought to direct battle. Physical Description: Tau vary by caste, but in general they are all slightly smaller than humans, standing between 4 and 5 feet tall. They have skin that ranges from slate gray to nearly ultramarine blue and red or brown eyes. Tau have a human-like face with a wide, flat mouth and lack a nose -instead, they have a single nasal slit that runs from the middle of their face between their eyes to just above their forehead. Fire and Earth caste tend to be stockier and heavier and Fire caste Tau are the biggest of their race, sometimes nearly equalling humans in size. Air and Water caste tend to be more thin and frail-looking, but are taller. Tau also have three fingers and hoof-like toes each with opposable thumbs (though in the case of Tau feet, the fourth digit is vestigial in all but the Air caste). For the most part, the Tau are just as physically capable as a normal human would be, although less so for the Air Caste. Relations: The Tau get along with and work well alongside anybody, or so they would have you think. This is true so far as citizens of the Empire are concerned- a Tau is always willing to help another citizen as far as he is able. When it comes to people who aren't citizens, though, the story is somewhat different. The Tua are still willing to help -for a price, and that price is usually an oath of allegiance to the Empire. Those who will not bend their knee to the Tau'va will find no aid from the Tau. Alignment: Honorable, Loyal and with an unshakeable belief in their concept of the Greater Good, Tau tend strongly toward Lawful alignments. Chaotic elements in their society are rooted out and most are turned to the benefit of the Empire. Those who do not quietly disappear. The Tau genuinely believe that they are doing the right thing, and have a slight tendency toward Good over Evil, though the best and worst can be found within the Empire -the Tau do not care about your moral compass so long as you serve the Greater Good in the end. Even evil Tau within the Empire have a strongly loyal, even fraternal, bond with their brethern. The differences only significantly appear when the Tau deals with outsiders, with the ones tending towards evil being more accusatory, aggressive, or even downright merciless. Obviously, this trend tends to appear more in the Tau Fire Caste, but there have been exceptions. Tau Lands: The far eastern Empire of the Tau consists primarily of open, flat savannah framed by inhospitable mountains to the west and south and seas to the east and north. They are well-insulated against attack by their lands' natural isolation, but see little reason to be content with their current holdings. The Tau have begun launching a series of expansionist pushes further and further from their homelands, subjugating or driving off all they encounter. They have already completely absorbed several other races (such as the forest-dwelling Kroot and the insectile Vespid) and are beginning to push into human-occupied territory, where their expansions are beginning to run into armed resitance from the stubborn humans who have already claimed the land. Religion: Tau are not a religious people, but their faith in the Tau'va makes up for this deficiency. A Tau who lives a life of service to the Empire has done his duty so that the Empire may continue to prosper, and to a Tau there is no greater reward than to die knowing he has bettered the world through his actions. Clerics are almost completely unknown in Tau society; most spellcasters are Wizards or Magewrights. At the present time, two small movements have risen amongst the Fire Caste, claiming that the ancient Commanders Puretide and Farsight (respectively) are deities. As the Empire believes this to be little more than hero-worship, little attention has been paid to this, aside from carefully monitoring it. Language: The Tau speak their own language, T'au, which has its own alphabet. T'au is a subtle language with many layers of communication. An outsider could learn the words, but might go his entire life without understanding the importance of body language, scent and inflection in the Tau language. Tau, for their part, expect citizens of the empire to speak T'au, but most also make an effort to learn the native tongues of the people they encounter. As such, most Tau also speak Common and one or two other languages. A Tau who speaks many languages can better spread the word of the Greater Good, so studying the tongues of outsiders is always considered a worthy pasttime in the Empire. Naming: Tau names follow a strict order: (Caste Name)'(Rank) (City Born) (Honorific[s]). Generally, a Tau starts life with only a single honorific (his 'core' name), earning others throughout his career. ::examples are here.:: Adventurers: Tau adventurers may be scouts or wandering diplomats and their escorts, come to spread the Greater Good by doing noble deeds in lands far from their home Empire. Conversely, there are rumors that some Tau have resisted the message of the Ethereals and are renegades, fleeing before the Empire's expansion, desperate to disappear into the west before their kinsmen catch up with them. TAU RACIAL TRAITS * Medium: As Medium creatures, Tau have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. * Statline (IF using as +0 LA): Choose one caste (as below), and use stat-adjustments. No other caste benefits are used. If at +1 LA, all other benefits apply as well. * Tau base land speed is 30 feet. * Slow Reflexes: All attacks dealt by the player within 20 feet are a -2 attack bonus. * +2 racial bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting spells and abilities, and posession: the Tau are a remarkably stong-willed people, and the coming of the Ethereals has only strengthened this. * Pychic Blanks: Tau minds barely register in astral space and they are difficult to affect with psionic powers. Any manifester attempting to use a power that specifically targets a Tau must pay one power point more than normal to use that power. This power point cannot be used to augment the power in any way and it does not have any additional effect; it is simply a wasted power point. * Low-Light Vision: A Tau can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these circumstances. * Nearsighted: Tau eyes are not as acute as humans and they adjust more slowly to rapidly changing visual information. Tau suffer a -2 racial penalty to Spot checks. * Scent (Ex): Tau have extremely well-developed nasal organs to make up for their poor eyesight. All Tau have the Scent ability (MM p. 314). * -2 penalty to reflex saves. Tau tend to have a slower reaction time than humans, and are less likely to be able to spring clear of an effect in time. FIRE (Shas) CASTE (Racial HD: D10) * Fire Caste Tau have no racial bonuses or penalties to their ability scores: * Adaptable: Tau Fire Caste can perfect new tricks quickly, they gain 1 extra feat at first level. * Weapon Familiarity: Fire Caste Tau treat Tau Longknives and Boltcasters as martial weapons, rather than exotic. * Favored Class: Fighter. Fire Caste Tau are at the forefront of the Empire's expansion, and they must be ready to defend the Empire against all foes. Tau military doctrine teaches ranged combat almost to the exclusion of all else. EARTH (Fio) CASTE (RACIAL HD: D8) * +2 Constitution, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma: Earth Caste Tau are tough and hardy but tend to be too logical in their thinking, making them less able to think "outside the box," they also relate poorly with others, preferring to serve the Empire through deeds, not words. * Stability: Earth Caste Tau are exceptionally stable on their feet. They gain a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground). * Favored Class: Artificer. Earth Caste Tau have been bred to have analytical minds and are excellent at inventing and building. They supply the Fire Caste with their tools of war and are constantly developing new devices to aid the Empire. WATER (Por) CASTE (RACIAL HD: D8) * -2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma: Water Caste Tau are natural diplomats and negotiators, but they do not stand up well to physical violence. * Natual Linguist: Water Caste Tau add Speak Language of the list of class skills for any class they adopt. * +2 racial bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks: Water Caste Tau are inherently skilled in the arts of negotiaton, able to read body language and scent very well. * Favored Class: Bard. Water Caste Tau are master diplomats and cultured individuals, often as precise and demanding of their arts as of their political dealings. AIR (Kor) CASTE (RACIAL HD: D6) * -2 Strength, -2 Constitution, +2 Dexterity: Air Caste Tau are quick and agile but not as strong as the rest of their race, and their light build and wimg membranes make them vulnerable to injury. * Glide: Air Caste Tau have thin membranes connecting their arms to their bodies and webbed fingers, allowing them to glide from place to place in their high mountain homes. An Air Caste Tau cannot take off under his own power and he can only gain altitude by making a long swooping dive or by catching a thermal updraft, but under circumstances where the tau can throw himself off an object at least 10 feet high, he can fly with a speed of 20 feet (average maneuverability). While airborne, the tau can't use his hands for anything other than flying. An Air Caste Tau can't fly while carrying a medium or heavy load or while wearing medium or heavy armor. * Prehensile: Air Caste Tau have better-developed feet than their land-bound bretheren that allows them to climb in a swift and surefooted manner, gripping a surface with their feet as well as their hands. If the Tau is not wearing shoes, he may always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even while rushed or distracted. * Favored Class: Ranger. Air Caste Tau are scouts and messengers and they must be able to defend themselves on long and dangerous journeys. NOTE: All racial abilites gained from Castes occur during 1st level, in the stead of the otherwise gained class. http://www3.sympatico.ca/illumina/WH40K/FW/P-FB.gif
tankschmidt 12-05-06, 09:30 AM	If I were using Tau in my game, I'd probably drop the low-light vision to place emphasis on their near-sightedness. It sounds like a cool race, though, and one that will have far-reaching consequences in the campaign world.
Jayne 12-05-06, 01:44 PM	If I were using Tau in my game, I'd probably drop the low-light vision to place emphasis on their near-sightedness. Hmm, you might be right. I've never seen a whole lot on their ability to see at night, so that is a change I'll have to make. On the plus side, i have an excuse to adapt the blacksun filter...:) EDIT: What do you know, I found the info on Wikipedia: Tau vision is considered slightly superior to humans - their visual spectrum extends a little into the ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths. However their pupils do not dilate giving poorer depth perception and a slower focusing reflex. I guess there was some reasoning behind it.
AngelDust Anderson 12-05-06, 02:47 PM	Something I've wondered about the Tau for a long time. Why does the race with lousy depth perception use ranged weapons so well? -Anderson
Jayne 12-05-06, 04:06 PM	Something I've wondered about the Tau for a long time. Why does the race with lousy depth perception use ranged weapons so well? -Anderson Most likely it is do to a higher chance of reacting in time (i.e., a person running at you from 100 feet away is much easier to react to than one 20 feet away.). Plus, since even a bow is really a LOS weapon (unless you want to really shoot far, which is where the whole range-increment thing comes in.), hitting a person really depends on noticing them, not necessarily finding out that they have a moustache.
Jayne 12-07-06, 01:29 PM	Now a question: With the Tau having the close-ranged attack penalty, do they really need to be a LA+1 race, or can it drop down to to having no adjustment>
Chrys 12-07-06, 01:41 PM	Not bad but what about the Etheal caste and the Kroot I would give the fire caste +2 dex -2 Str and make there favored class ranger [or scout] insted of fighter
Jayne 12-07-06, 02:49 PM	Not bad but what about the Etheal caste and the Kroot As much as I wanted to have the Ethereal caste, their specific nature, as well as their rarity, precluded me from adding them. Plus, I intend to work them into the plot of the campaign I am working on. As for Kroot, although I am not working on them, this person is.: Kroot (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=728660) I would give the fire caste +2 dex -2 Str and make there favored class ranger [or scout] insted of fighter Its not a bad idea, although, in Warhammer 40,000, their basic statline is identical to that of the basic human, apart from reaction time (expressed in Weapon Skill and Initiative).
AngelDust Anderson 12-07-06, 02:56 PM	It's looking interesting so far, but what are the stats for those weapons, the boltcaster and the longknife? -Anderson
Jayne 12-07-06, 03:59 PM	It's looking interesting so far, but what are the stats for those weapons, the boltcaster and the longknife? -Anderson My mistake. I forgot to list the link (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=747455).
Spiritwalker 12-07-06, 07:16 PM	hmm...haven't played Warhammer 40000 since before these came out, but they do seem cool. Love the class, and i think i'll use it as a part of my new campaign, if that's alright with you. My only niggle is that i've been hunting around and couldn't seem to find rules for the Longknife and Boltcaster you describe - though i did remember I had written this in a thread years ago, and thought it seemed very Tau-ish, esspecially as they deal in rail-gun technology in the game. Hope you can find a use for it somehow. Lodebow: The Lodebow was designed by an ambitous young alchemist who found that his powers were too little to be put to much use in a combat sittuation, and his slight frame meant that the recoil from a crossbow made him miss more often than not. Noticing that some of the materials that his master kept for experimentation repelled each other at velocity, he developed a device that could launch a crossbow bolt at devestating speeds with little to know recoil. The Lodbow appears to be a long, thick wooden tube with a hoolow center, and an iris on one end near a shoulder support. On the underside is a triggar mechanism used to open the iris. The 'Barrel' of the Lodebow is lined with a number of magically enchanced magnetic rings, while the bolts are lined with opposing studs made of the same material. The materials tend to repel each other violently, and each subsequent ring doubles the velocity of the bolt once it is released from the iris. The weapon creates a lound thump upon being fired, as large quantities of air are displaced from the barrel, yet there is little to no recoil. Effectively, this gives the Lodebow a +1 circumstance bonus on to hit rolls. Weapon Cost Dmg (s) Dmg (m) Crit. Range Weight Type Lodebow 300gp 1d10 1d12 19-20/X2 120ft 8lb P For an additional 200gp, the Lodebow can be fitted with a spotters' scope that confers an additional +1 to all to hit rolls made with the bow. ...really should have read the last post...well, i'll leave this here anyway
Jayne 12-08-06, 07:51 AM	Lodebow: :) Very cool idea. The price for it might have to go up a hair, but other than that, I like it.
Damior 12-08-06, 02:27 PM	Cool, a WH40k campaign would be a good idea. Over on the d20 design forum I saw someone who suggested using some of the elements of ebberon's techno-magic. I posted some stats for the kroot on that thread too, I'll try to find it. Then all youd need is some vespid stats and you could have a tau vs ork campaign
Jayne 12-08-06, 02:32 PM	That's my next project. Needless to say making a low LA Vespid will be somewhat difficult, being winged, telepathic, and having their very sharp claws.
Jayne 12-11-06, 02:53 PM	Weekend's past, and I've been thinking: With the close-in attack penalty, do the Tau really need to be LA +1? Seems to me that they would be better off with no adjustment.
Jayne 12-14-06, 03:58 PM	Sorry for the DP Assuming there are no more ideas/suggestions/criticisms/death-threats, do you think this is all set?
Jayne 01-02-07, 08:26 AM	Merry Christmas everyone, I hope that everything has worked out, and wanted to let everyone know that the Tau stats are to be added to the D&D Wiki page. Iff anyone else has any suggestions, then of course they will be listened to, and added in. Next stop: Other D20 games.
Jayne 01-17-07, 08:21 AM	I finally found a picture worthy of being posted as a reference. Enjoy. http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r245/Spinneroftales/000_0044_resize.jpg
Jayne 03-14-07, 04:05 PM	It has come to my attention that there was an important aspect of the Tau that was left out: sleep. According to the original codex, the Tau only require 3 hours of sleep (2 Decs). Would this be fair to add to a +1 LA race?
Straylight 03-19-07, 05:58 PM	I normally don't like quoting myself, but in this case since the original source is another forum completely, I'll make an excpetion: Good point, but isn't the T'au Prime day shorter than the Terran day? (can't find my 'dex to check...) The amount of actual sleep versus the amount of downtime they need to actually rest are not necessarily related. Elves only "sleep" four hours a night, but they still need eight hours of rest to regain spells and such, and Warforged don't sleep at all, but still need the benefits of 8 hours' rest for the same. So yeah, your Shas Meatshield might make a great sentinel since he can catch a snooze while the rest of the lads are wrapping up for the night, but your Kor'la Boomstick is still going to have to kick back for the full eight hours, even if only three of that eight is actual sleep. In addition, that magical eight hours is also what you need as far as rest goes for the purposes of regaining any other quantity, including hit points, ability damage, spells per day/spell slots, power points; and limited daily-use class abilities such as Lay on Hands, Turn/Rebuke Undead, Wildshape, etc. In the end, there are enough balancing factors built into the core rules that I don't think you'll really have to worry about it much, even if your campaign tracks that sort of thing very closely.
Grave_Accomplice 03-20-07, 07:05 AM	Something I've wondered about the Tau for a long time. Why does the race with lousy depth perception use ranged weapons so well? -Anderson Sensors built into the armor? They seem to have a gadget for everything else.
Grave_Accomplice 03-20-07, 07:12 AM	That's my next project. Needless to say making a low LA Vespid will be somewhat difficult, being winged, telepathic, and having their very sharp claws. Maybe use the thri-kreen, removing a pair of arms for wings. Dragon Mag printed them with some basic psi-abilites. Their favored class could be psychic warrior. Have the flight capabilities improve as they go up in levels, or add them as monster levels (simiar to Malhavoc's Arcana Evolved).
Jayne 03-20-07, 08:07 AM	Grave: I love the idea. Certainly makes things easier. I'll post the stats tomorrow. Angeldust Anderson: Having a poor depth perception and refocusing rate is less of an issue at a distance, as it takes the target a much longer time to change comparitive distance than compared to, say, when he is 15 feet away from you. Straylight: Good point, but isn't the T'au Prime day shorter than the Terran day? (can't find my 'dex to check...) 15 hours to be exact. So, roughly translating, that brings it to a total of 4.8 hours in 24 hour period (3 hours compared to 15, amped up to 24 hours.) The amount of actual sleep versus the amount of downtime they need to actually rest are not necessarily related. Elves only "sleep" four hours a night, but they still need eight hours of rest to regain spells and such, and Warforged don't sleep at all, but still need the benefits of 8 hours' rest for the same. So yeah, your Shas Meatshield might make a great sentinel since he can catch a snooze while the rest of the lads are wrapping up for the night, but your Kor'la Boomstick is still going to have to kick back for the full eight hours, even if only three of that eight is actual sleep. In addition, that magical eight hours is also what you need as far as rest goes for the purposes of regaining any other quantity, including hit points, ability damage, spells per day/spell slots, power points; and limited daily-use class abilities such as Lay on Hands, Turn/Rebuke Undead, Wildshape, etc. In the end, there are enough balancing factors built into the core rules that I don't think you'll really have to worry about it much, even if your campaign tracks that sort of thing very closely. Yeah, it was one of those things that stood out slightly, and, either way, I'm glad that issue is done. Nice to see that you here.:)