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MAZARON'S NEW PC RACES

page 2

by Tim Martin

MAI

Role-Playing Suggestions and Background: The Mai are native to the world of Tslamania, a mostly tropical world dominated by a gigantic, thousands of miles long river-carved canyon. Mai dominated the equatorial-like hot lowlands, valleys, riverbanks, and seashores of this world, where they live in large cities.

Mai are a wealth-dominated culture. Their society is ruled by a plutocracy. The worth of any Mai, male or female, is measured by the amount of material goods he or she accumulates, as well as what he or she does with them (buy influence, etc.). A council of the wealthiest men in town, which undergoes periodic change as wealth fluctuates, rules each city. Obviously once on the council, Mai use their position to further their wealth.

Mai that are encountered both at home and offworld are always looking for the profit-making angle in any situation. Adventuring is only a means towards an ends; the acquisition of wealth. While they are not ruthless in this pursuit, they are not far from it. The ultimate goal is to retire from adventuring and enjoy that wealth.

Whenever dealing with the government, politics, or bureaucracy of a settlement, burg, nation, or what have you, a Mai will always assume two things. First, it will be the wealthy who rule. If the prime minister, mayor, or prince is not the wealthiest there, then there must be another, true power behind the "throne." Second, they will always assume "money talks," and not bat an eye at bribing to get what they want. They are completely baffled and perplexed when people complain or arrest them for bribery.

Mai are also very superstitious. Rituals, performances, and ceremonies punctuate their daily life, all designed to war off evil deities and spirits. Mai believe that much of life is not under the control of either themselves or other mortals, Mai or not, but rather by gods and unseen spirits. This may partially result in their quest for wealth; the better to afford good priests, proper ceremonies, and their hunger for something tangible that they can control and use to benefit their lives.

Special Advantages: Appraisal and haggling proficiencies as a bonus.

Special Disadvantages: None really. Not the most altruistic of species, they have a hard time with the concepts of charity. They have no problem with church tithes, as they never want to risk offending a deity though. Also, ever Mai has his price. At some point any friend or family member pales in comparison to cash. Even good aligned Mai have difficulty passing over the opportunity to sell somewhat out.

Monstrous Traits: Near human in appearance, the tall Mai have no hair and are six-fingered. However with a little effort they can pass for human fairly easily.

SIND

Role-Playing Suggestions and Background: Sind, or "marshwiggles," are a humanoid race who dwell in marshlands in peaceful colonies. Sind work and trade with other beings such as lizard men and humans, but prefer privacy, each dwelling alone in a dry, warm straw-lined wigwam built of sticks arranged in a conical shape and sealed with a thick layer of mud. Such wigwams are always located within a marsh, where the sind fish for small eels, crayfish, frogs, and small fish. They generally fish by using a hook and line, a net, or by snatching prey from the water with their long, webbed fingers.

Sind tend to be dour, cynical pessimists, but they are also stubborn, pragmatic, good-natured, and sensitive. If one is befriended, he will trust, and can be trusted, absolutely. When at leisure they enjoy a good smoke. They avoid intoxicating drinks except for special occasions, for they are easily made tipsy, and when inebriated they become wildly joyous and reckless.

Sind are not avaricious, but value treasure highly for its bargaining power in obtaining goods (such as clothes and weapons, which they seldom make) and services (such as leaving the sind alone), and will collect any they find in the marsh (from hoards, burials, or unfortunate intruders).

Marshwiggles will fight to defend themselves or their fellows, or for a cause or being they support, but are not aggressive.

Sind and lizard men are sometimes allies against common enemies, being more often neighbors who coexist peacefully, largely ignoring one another. There is seldom strife between

Special Advantages: Sind are greatly feared for a power they acquire as they mature; 30% of the population are able to entomb one creature (as the 9??th?? level wizard spell imprisonment) per day by touch. No words or knowledge of the target's name and background are required. It is suggested that this ability not be allowed to PC Sind, or that they achieve this ability at very high level.

They have tough, horny skin that is not easily harmed by sharp weaponry or surroundings, and they can handle prickly or sharp objects, or scratching and biting animals, without harm.

They gain a +3 on all saving throws versus poison.

They are immune to charm, suggestion, sleep, hold, and slow.

Sind can breathe water like a fish, and walk on water at will, though tend to not use these abilities much (especially the latter) so as to avoid being conspicuous.

Special Disadvantages: Large size for purposes of damage. Poor reaction adjustments due to others fear of their entombment ability. If not able to moisten their skin daily they loose 1 constitution point a day. They take +1 per die of damage extra from fire attacks, and save a ??1 penalty.

Monstrous Traits: Appearance. Sind have sunken-cheeked, sharp-nosed, grim faces. They have small torsos but very long arms and legs, and are between 6 and 10 feet tall. Their skin is brown to green, and they have green-gray, reedlike hair (but no facial hair). Their hands and feet are webbed like those of a frog, and they wear loose, earth-colored clothes, often without a hat to keep the hot sun from drying their skin.

TSLA

Ability Score Adjustments:	The initial ability scores are modified by ??1 to charisma, -2 to comeliness, and a +2 to wisdom.
Ability Score Range:
Strength:	7-18
Dexterity:	4-16
Constitution:	4-18
Intelligence:	9-18
Wisdom:	8-19
Charisma:	1-16
Comeliness:
Perception:	9-18
Alignment:	Tsla tend to be neutral and good in alignment, though adventurers can be of any alignment. Evil Tsla are almost unheard of.
Class Restrictions:	Cleric (no limit), Druid (no limit), Fighter (12), Scout (12), and Wizard (15)
Hit Dice:	Hit Dice by class, with 2 additional hit points at first level of experience.
Natural Armor Class:	9
Languages:	Mai, Common, and Tsla. They seem to do quite well in learning other languages.

Role-Playing Suggestions and Background: The Tsla are also native to the world of Tslamania, a mostly tropical world domainated by a gigantic river canyon. Unlike the Mai, the Tsla are found in the much cooler mid elevations, in climates best described as temperate, even a little cool. Tsla are quite uncomfortable in the lowlands favored by the Mai, but are often found on the high mountains that form the valley of Tslmania's continental river.

While the Mai are very much wealth and class conscious, the Tsla are quite egalitarian. Their primary concerns in life appear to be the quest for knowledge and philosophical pursuits. Tsla are very curious beings, and intensely curious when presented with new situations and strange places.

The Tsla are also under, to a much lesser extent than the Mai, the prevalent Tslamania belief of an unseen spirit world having a large impact on their daily lives. However, they react differently. Instead of a mad grab for power and money and fright-induced ceremonies, the Tsla are much more at peace and calm with the world. What will happen, will happen. One should let go. One should accept. Spiritual enlightenment and treating other sentient beings with respect, living a good life, are of the utmost importance.

This is not to say one should be complacent, according to the Tsla. Just don't place too much emphasis on ephemeral things. Life is transitory, and fleeting. The true goals in life are to lead a good life, to have inner peace, and to seek enlightenment.

Tsla are very monklike or Buddhist in their views on personal possessions. They only have value if they are needed for survival or enlightenment. They are not to be possessed for their own sake. They are constantly conscious of the "Mai problem" of their possessions owning them. If one is in need and a Tsla can aid, a Tsla freely gives what he can and has.

Special Advantages: Tsla have a high clarity of mind, and thus get a +4 saving throw bonus to all illusion spells and confusion.

Special Disadvantages: None

Monstrous Traits: Tsla are very non-human appearing. They are covered everywhere save on their forearms and forelegs with a short, soft, brown fur. The head rests on a neck that is curved forward, giving a false impression of age. Ears are short round stubs set atop the head. They have six fingers, which are shorter and stubbier than Mai or human fingers.

The most prominent facial feature is a quarter meter long flexible snout like that of a tapir. It bobs and dips with an independent life of its own, conveying subtleties of expression discernible only to another Tsla. Twin nostrils are visible through the fur at the tip.

URISK

Ability Score Adjustments:	The initial ability scores are modified by a +1 bonus to dexterity, wisdom, and constitution and a ??3 penalty to charisma.
Strength:	6-18
Dexterity:	6-19
Constitution:	8-18
Intelligence:	4-17
Wisdom:	6-18
Charisma:	4-16
Alignment:	Urisks are normally Neutral in alignment, though a PC urisk may be of any alignment.
Class Restrictions:	Fighter (8), Druid (12), and Thief (12)
Hit Dice:	Hit Dice by class.
Natural Armor Class:	6
Languages:	Urisk, common, gnome, dwarf, elf, and orc.

Role-Playing Suggestions and Background: The urisk is very much like a 3 foot tall, goat-headed satyr, having goatlike legs, a human torso, arms, and hands, and a small bushy tail wagging behind. An urisk is covered in shaggy brown fur. The urisk is solitary in nature and wanders through mountainous and forested terrain with no established lair, though it may have small caches of buried gold or gold jewelry. Intimately familiar with the terrain it inhabits, a urisk can hide well enough to become invisible to the casual observer (in natural terrain only).

Urisks are very fond of wild mammals, and are 75% likely to be encountered with 1-4 mammalian companions such as giant goats, bears, sheep, rams, or deer. They are very defensive and protective of all mammalian species, and to a lesser extent all wildlife. Urisks are generally slow to anger, but can get quite wrathful over mistreatment of wild or domestic animals. Though they understand predators have to eat and humans need horses to ride, they have real problems with hunting for sport, animal cruelty, and the like.

Urisks are quite friendly with gnomes and druids, and get along well with them. Though the urisks are not as prone to humor as the gnomes are, they do occasionally appreciate a good practical joke. They do however identify closely with the more "natural bent" of gnomes, particularly when compared with dwarves or humans.

Urisks are shy for the most part, and are uncomfortable in urban areas, An urisk adventurer will be happy campaigning in the woods, hills, and mountains than a bustling city. Even underground it to be preferred. Part of this stems from the fact that urisk are conscious of their appearance to humans, that they are not very human-like (as a halfling or elf is). Part of it is from being in societies that domesticate and mistreat large numbers of animals. But most of it is from the fact that at their heart, an urisk is a soul of the wild, not one to be confined by four walls and a roof for long.

Special Advantages: An urisk can cast up to four charm mammals spells per day, save at a ??4 penalty, and may speak to any animal as often as desired. The charm mammals spell will only affect normal or giant mammals, and not humans, demihumans, or humanoids. The mammals so charmed will obey the urisk completely, even unto death.

An urisk may warp wood at the 12??th?? level of ability three times per day, and may pass without trace for up to one hour a day in any terrain.

Though preferring to use weapons, an urisk can attack by butting, doing 1-4 points of damage.

Any weapon held by a urisk will function as a +1 weapon for hit determination purposes if it is non-magical. Magical weapons are treated normally. This bonus to hit is temporary only, and is removed as soon as the urisk lets go of the weapon.

Special Disadvantages: Urisks are sometimes mistaken for their black-furred cousin, the lubin. Lubins are much more sinister, and are able to charm humans and demihumans. In some areas they may be openly persecuted for such beliefs, or from the coincidence that the urisk resembles some interpretations of devils or demons.

Monstrous Traits: Appearance; they resemble goat-men. Some areas seem them as representations or incarnations of demons and devils, and they are persecuted accordingly.

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