Animal Hybrid Race Block
Ability Score: Select one modifier from your base race and a separate modifier from your animal stock. The modifiers must be for two different abilities.
Size: Medium
Speed: 6
Vision: Normal
Languages: Common, 1 language selected from your base humanoid race
Skill Bonuses: Select either +2 Athletics or +2 Perception and one from your base humanoid race
Defense Bonus: Select either +1 Reflex or per your base humanoid race
Animal Traits: Select one base animal stock. Your base animal stock will determine what animal feats are available to you as well as your ability modifiers. You receive one extra feat at 1st level that may be used to select an animal feat from your animal base stock feat list.
Humanoid Traits: Select one base humanoid race. Your base humanoid race determines what ability modifiers and racial powers are available to you. You do not receive any of the racial benefits associated with your base humanoid race except as noted in this section or based on feats you select. You begin with all humanoid traits designated as Full. You may choose to reduce humanoid traits from Full to Partial or None in order to obtain one or two additional feats, respectively, chosen from your animal base stock feat list.
Natural Weapon Prowess: Animal hybrids are proficient with the use of any natural weapons (claws, fangs/tusks, horns/antlers) that they have. Proficiency bonus is determined by the natural weapon type and described in the animal feat section.
Racial Connection: You may use the encounter or at-will power granted to your base humanoid race as if you were a member of that race.
Steps for creating an Animal Hybrid
These steps provide a high-level summary of the process for creating your animal hybrid character. These steps are intended to replace the normal race selection step in the D&D 4e rules.
1. Select your characters humanoid race from the standard races available for your campaign. Any race can be selected for your hybrid, not just humans. Your race selection does not provide or confer any of the features that go along with selecting that race under normal character building rules. However the race you select does determine what languages are available to your character as well as what racial feats and abilities are available to your character if you choose to select the racial adeptness feat. Also the race you select determines what characteristics of the Look trait you will obtain based on the level you designate for that trait. For example, if you select Looks: Full and your race selected is Elf than you will share most of the physical appearance characteristics of a normal Elf.
2. Select the animal stock for your hybrid animal. Your animal stock determines which ability score bonuses you receive and what animal feats will be available to your character.
3. Select your animal hybrid traits. All animal hybrids share four common traits; Hands, Biped, Speech and Looks. Each of these traits can be designated as none, partial or full. By default all animal hybrids start with each trait at full. Hybrids can elect to step down a trait to partial or none to gain one or two extra animal feats, respectively. These extra feats must be used to select animal feats from the animal feats noted in the selected animal stock description. Traits designated as partial or non confer certain disadvantages to the animal hybrid character. The following are descriptions of each trait and the details of each trait based on its designation.
Hands (Handedness) - This determines whether the character has developed useable finger and thumb digits.
- None – The animal hybrid does not have any useable digits. Hands are just paws. This prevents the PC from being able to wield weapons or hold items. Also the PC will need assistance from others to put on any collars, harnesses, barding or other wearable items. The thievery skill is untrainable.
- Partial – the animal hybrid has developed ruditmentary digits (typically 3) that can be used to grasp items and weapons. The PC will have an opposable thumb digit which allows for them to complete most tasks. PCs with partial handedness will suffer a – 5 penalty to thievery skill challenges.
- Full – the animal hybrid has developed a full set of hands for their selected racial stock. They suffer no penalties and can use all tools and weapons.
Biped (Bipedal stance) – This determines whether the character stands upright on two feet and can walk on two feat.
- None – the animal hybrid stand on all four legs. Movement must occur on all fours. Hands can be used to manipulate objects as long as they can be manipulated in one hand and the character is not moving. Objects held in hand must be sheathed, put away or dropped in order to begin movement.
- Partial – the animal hybrid can stand on two legs but must use all four to move. Hands can be used to manipulate two-handed objects and weapons but the PC must remain still to use them. Objects held in hands must be sheathed, put away or dropped in order to begin movement.
- Full – the animal hybrid can stand and move on two legs. There are no restrictions on movement.
- Quadra - The biped trait has one additional designation that can be selected at the cost of one animal feat selection. Quadra-bipeds retain the lower torso of their selected animal stock but gain the upper torso of their selected racial stock. These character therefore move on all four legs but have two additional arms available on their upper torsos for holding weapons and equipment (if partial or full handedness is selected). Quadra-bipeds gain a +1 bonus to there speed attribute. Quadra-bipeds automatically are treated as being one category stepped down for the Looks trait. So a character with Looks – Full will be viewed as only having partial looks. A character with looks designated as one will be viewed as an abberation which could provoke hostile reactions.
Speech - This trait determines whether the character has developed vocal cords that can be used for speech.
- None – No vocal chords have been developed. This character can not speak and can only make the grunts or growls of its base animal stock. The character can understand others as long as they are proficient in the language spoken.
- Partial – The hybrid has developed basic vocal chords that can be used for communication. The character will still have issue pronounciating certain words and speech will include occasional grunts and growls. The character will suffer -5 penalties to diplomacy and bluff skill challenges.
- Full – The character has developed fully functional vocal chords.
Looks - Determines how closely the character resembles it base racial stock.
- None - the character shares no common features with its base racial stock. Members of any race will barely recognize the hybrid as anything but a monster or beast. The character will suffer -5 penalties to diplomacy, bluff or charisma related skill challenges.
- Partial – The character has developed some of the common racial features and characteristics of its chosen racial stock. People will certainly view the character as malformed but will associate them with the chosen race stock. Under heavy disguise at night the character may be able to pass as a member of their chosen race. The character will suffer -5 penalties to diplomacy, bluff and charisma skill challenges.
- Full – Although some animal vestiges remain, these characters share almost all the common racial features and traits of their selected racial stock. They will be generally accepted by other people even though close inspection will reveal that some deformity is present.
4. Select your animal hybrid feats. All hybrids start with one bonus feat that must be selected from the animal hybrid feat list for their selected animal stock. In addition based on the traits selected additional animal feats may be selected as well. Characters may also use any standard feats to select from the animal feat list available to their animal stock.
Animal Stock Descriptions
Animal stocks determine what ability score modifiers and animal feats will be available to your animal hybrid character. Each animal stock description below uses the following description format.
Animal Type: Name of the animal type
Ability Scores: Modifiers to be applied to ability scores for selecting this animal type.
Animal Feat List: A list of the animal feats available to animals of this stock that the player can choose from using there animal and standard feats.
Bull
Ability Scores: +2 Strength, +2 Constitution
Animal Feat List:
- Racial Adeptness
- Multiple Animal Stock
- Animal Speech
- Horns/Antlers I – IV
- Heightened Smell
Dog
Ability Scores: +2 Constitution, +2 Charisma
Animal Feat List:
- Racial Adeptness
- Multiple Animal Stocks
- Animal Speech
- Fangs/Tusks I-IV
- Heightened Smell
- Heightened Hearing
Elk/Deer
Ability Scores: +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom
Animal Feat List:
- Racial Adeptness
- Multiple Animal Stocks
- Animal Speech
- Horns/Antlers I-III
- Heightened Hearing
- Heightened Smell
- Heightened Speed
- Leaping
Lion/Tiger/Sabertooth
Ability Scores: +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity
Animal Feat List:
- Racial Adeptness
- Multiple Animal Stocks
- Animal Speech
- Fangs/Tusks I-IV
- Heightened Hearing
- Nightvision
- Claws I-IV
- Leaping
- Climbing Claws
- Retractable Claws
Porcupine
Ability Scores: +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom
Animal Feat List:
- Racial Adeptness
- Multiple Animal Stocks
- Animal Speech
- Claws I-II
- Digging
- Tunneling
- Heightened Smell
- Nightvision
- Quill Defense
- Quill Attack
Rodent
Ability Scores: +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence
Animal Feat List:
- Racial Adeptness
- Multiple Animal Stocks
- Animal Speech
- Claws I-II
- Climbing Claws
- Digging
- Poison/Disease Resistance
- Heightened Smell
- Fangs/Tusks I-III
- Nightvision
Turtle
Ability Scores: +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom
Animal Feat List:
- Racial Adeptness
- Multiple Animal Stocks
- Animal Speech
- Hold Breath I-II
- Natural Body Armor I-IV
- Swimming
Wolf
Ability Scores: +2 Strength, +2 Constitution
Animal Feat List:
- Racial Adeptness
- Multiple Animal Stocks
- Animal Speech
- Fangs/Tusks I-IV
- Heightened Smell
- Heightened Hearing
- Nightvision