Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Spiritwalker 01-03-08, 01:30 PM	The Arborites In recent years, a new race has emerged into the world, bearing a strange history, at best. The story of the Arborites begins long ago, when the race of man was one of nomads and travellers. One night, when camp had been set and the horses were all settled, an old man wandered out of the darkness, looking for shelter from the storm that was coming. Many tents turned him away, but eventually a young priest, a druid, offered to share his fire and his food. The two talked amiably of inconsequential things, and slept soundly while the storm blew harshly through the valleys and between the tents of his fellows. When morning came, the old man was gone, but where he had slept, there was a polished, sandalwood egg, and a note written on a scrap of hide. It read: "For your shelter, i grant you this. When the storm is about to consume you and yours, use this to find shelter." Thinking it nothing more than kind sentiment, the druid put the egg aside and went about his work. It was several years later, when, while camped and settled, the entire tent village was attacked by a horde of orcs. The young druid was panicked, and not knowing why, or quite how, his hand felt the egg as he woke. When he saw the tide of green skinned creatures descending on his people, he called out for help. The egg glowed brightly, and the world melted into green and gold light. The village, and every soul in it that the druid cared for, vanished into that light, and was never seen again. Or, not quite. Millennia later, on a flat and barren Nomad plane, a tent village appeared out of nothing, with fires still burning and horses still docile. But the inhabitants were anything but human. The young druid was the first to come back, and he had been left with knowledge imparted by the egg on what had happened, but not why. As his fellows appeared one by one, changed into alien shapes with powerful bodies, he took stock and prepared. When he had activated the egg, a treasure given to him by none other than an ancient and powerful Arboreal Dragon, the whole village had been whisked away to the Olympian Glades of Arborea, where the villagers were placed in eggs to await a safe time to return to the world of life. Normally, the dragon who gave the egg would have undone the spells holding the villagers within a few days, but he had died, in his sleep, less than a year later. The villagers remained trapped in their egg form until the magic degraded and was eventually broken, but the long sleep inside draconic magic changed them irrevocably into something more dragon than man. Some, upon finding what had happened, ran, others killed themselves or went out into the world to find and kill the creatures that had did this to them. But a few accepted their new lot in life, and thanked the druid for saving them from certain death. Over the intervening years, the Arborites have become accustomed to their new existence, if not wholly accepting of it, and strive to make a place for themselves in the world. Personality: The Arborites are quite at a loss as to how to fit into the modern world. The 'old guard', the first generation of Arborites, only came into this world a couple of generations back, and the new generation find themselves in an alien, and ill-fitting world. The Arborites are on the whole an insular lot, because of this, and have little trust for other races. The Arborites also constantly find themselves amazed by the wonders of this world, and find almost childish delight in finding new ways of accomplishing tasks, some of which they would have found impossible in the long gone past. Some, though, have only one thing on their minds - revenge, and they do anything in their power to hunt both orc and dragon-kind down. Physical Description: Arborites in some ways still resemble men, in basic shape and structure, but are more dragon than man. Standing 6ft to 7ft tall, they are head and shoulders taller than most humans, and built willowy and strong - like corded steel. Their skin is covered in bands of green scales that occasionally flow with iridescent colour, and they have long, thin draconic faces, with tapering muzzles and large, elf-like eyes that are nearly black in colour. Unlike most of dragonkind, or dragon-like races, Arborites have no horns, spikes, or back ridges. They appear curiously smooth and snake-like, as opposed to lizard-like. Large, gossamer dragons wings extend from their shoulders that float and billow in the wind, and they have long, ropey tails that leave a small trail of coloured mist in their wake. As they age, Arborite males grow long, wispy beards, and females hair grows longer and turns a darker green than the colour of their scales. Relations: Arborites are not a trusting folk, preferring their own small numbers. When forced to travel, the Arborites find an affinity with elves and forest-folk, as they call to their Arborean blood, but the Arbories get on best with accepting groups of humans, having once been human themselves. Universally, Arborites dislike and distrust Orcs, some of them opening into hostilities with the greens-skins if they get the chance. Alignment: Arborites run the gammut of alignments, though Though due to the effect of their long sleep on Arborea, Arborites tend towards a chaotic alignment more than a lawful one. Evil Arborites certainly exist, and tarnish the new races' reputation wherever they go. Religion: Many Arborites have chosen not to worship any god, believing themselves forsaken, but some still either revere the deities that they did before the change (if they still exist) or else gods of the forest and of nature. Bahamut and Tiamat have also seen a number of Arborites turn to them, because of the draconic influences the Arborites suffered. Language: Arborites speak common, or a version of it, often accented with whistles and clicks as they learn to speak with muzzles. Most also speak Draconic, having woken with a knowledge of the language. Names: Most Arborites follow human naming traditions, while some of the new generation choose names in draconic for themselves. Adventurers: Arborite adventurers are, for the most part, those that feel they don't fit in anywhere else. Those that ran, those that declared vengence, and those that just want to see the new world and its wonders, all are candidates to become adventurers. Arborite Racial Traits: +2 Strength, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma. Arborites are physically powerful, but hail from a different age, and are not as bright as their modern counterparts. Humanoid (Dragonblood): Arborites are humanoids with the dragonblood subtype. Arborites have a base land speed of 30ft. Powerful Build: The physical stature of Arborites lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger. Whenever an Arborite is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the Arborite is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. An Arborite is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. An Arborite can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size category. Wings: Arborites have wings, which may be used to glide at a speed of 40ft. An Arborite can glide 20ft for every 5ft of elevation he has. Additionally, the wings of an Arborite contain powerful muscles and ligaments. When knocked unconscious while falling, an Arborites' wings automatically open, and allow the Arborite to glide to the ground in a tight spiral. An Arborite only ever takes 1d6 points of damage from falling. At 6HD, an Arborite gains the ability to fly for a limited amount of time. She may fly at a speed of 40ft with average manuverability for a number of consecutive rounds equal to her constitution modifier. They may double this amount of time, but are fatigued by doing so. Likewise, an Arborite is fatigued if she spends more than 10 minutes flying per day. At 12HD, an Arborites' wings become strong enough to hold her in the air for longer periods of time. She can fly as easily as walking, and is no longer fatigued. An Arborite can only fly while wearing light, medium, or no armour, and while carrying a light load. Wing-assisted jump: Before they learn to fly, even, an Arborites’ wings allow a boost when jumping. An Arborite receives a +10 bonus to jump checks when carrying a light load and wearing light or medium armour. Low Light Vision: An Arborite can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and other conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish colour under these conditions. +2 Bonus to Survival and Knowledge (Nature) checks. Arborites spent a long time in Arborea, soaking in its particular type of magic. They have a closer ties to nature as a result. Pact of the Natural Order: Arborite spell casters cast spells that effect only plants or animals at +1 caster level. Automatic Languages: Common, Draconic. Bonus Languages: Elven, Sylven, Giant, Celestial, Gnome, and Orc Favoured Class: Any. Level Adjustment: +1 Arborite Feats: Vicious Bite: [Dragonblood] Your Draconic heritage has manifested in a deadly bite Prerequisites: Dragonblood subtype, must be taken at 1st level Benefit: Your jaws and teeth develop, giving you a natural attack in the form of a vicious bite that deals 1d6 points of piercing and bludgeoning damage. You may use the bite as a secondary natural attack as part of a full round action. Sharpened Claws: [Dragonblood] Your Draconic Heritage has manifested in a set of wicked looking claws that tip your fingers Prerequisites: Dragonblood subtype, must be taken at first level Benefit: You gain a secondary natural attack in the form of 2 claw attacks that deal 1d3 points of damage each. What do people think? Overpowered? Underpowered?
Orchomenos 01-04-08, 09:32 AM	Basically, a mix of goliath and raptoran, with draconic features... That seems ok to me, there are very few circumstances where both Powerful Build AND Wings would have an overwhelming synergy, the Arborite would have to wait 6th level to grapple a foe and fly away... And even then, it's not a save-or-die situation, it's barely worse than a grapple! :D In second thought, I think you should give them -2 INT instead of -2 WIS. Stats-wise, that would allow them to make decent druid or nature-related clerics; there are few Wizard spells specifically affecting plants or animals. And background-wise, I think they experienced more things on Arborea than they learned...
Spiritwalker 01-04-08, 12:35 PM	good idea, appriciated. changed. Also added a couple of feats for draconic characters.
M-bark 01-05-08, 06:03 AM	Considering the fact you put down of them having been in the Olympian Glades of Arborea for such a long time, I would think that the plane might have affected them in some way. They wouldn't necessarily have become outsiders because of that, but I'd think that their alignment would be more chaotic than lawful, or at least have equal amounts of chaotic-aligned people as lawful-aligned people. Another reason for that might be that - instead of the plane affecting them during their "sleep" - that the natives to the Olympian Glades of Arborea would more readily aid chaotic-aligned people than lawful-aligned people.
Spiritwalker 01-05-08, 05:09 PM	another good point. Will put them down as chaotically inclined If anyone's wondering, the original idea for this race started with the children from the old playstation game - Dino Crisis II. Just thought I'd mention that