Khazâd (3.5e Race)

Khazâd
Summary::In the beginning of most ancient times, the dwarves were created not in a form as we know them today. Born from stone with strong elemental ties, the khazâd are precusours to dwarves, gnomes, and other races associated with stone.  No khazâd exist in modern times that we know, but with their endless lifespans and slow movements, it is possible that somewhere deep in some cavern sleeps a khazâd waiting to wake up.

Personality
The khazâd were said to be focused and slow-thinking. That is not to say they were dull or dimwitted, but they never rushed, they never panicked and they were always coolheaded and focused. While offputting to the passionate, they were nevertheless considered wise. To call them unemotional would be a lie as well. Rather, their passions manifest in long term determination and stubbornness. All in all, much like dwarves.

Physical Description
The elemental nature of the khazâd is obvious, for its skin appears to be made of stone, not flesh. Its features are rugged, hard, and angular as if they were a hewn statue brought to life. They were thickly built as dwarves but much much taller, with heads inset nearly into their shoulders on short stubby necks, and stony hair ranging from bald to great lion-like manes. Many were also slightly hunchbacked. Younger khazâd look significently less bulky and surprisingly small, but otherwise look much like the adults. The khazâd reproduce via stone eggs, surprising for a supposedly mammalian species and giving rise to the idea that khazâd are born from the rock itself. Their blood was molten lava, which cooled rapidly, as they possessed an extraordinarily high core body temperature. Their skin color varied across all the spectrum of stone itself.

Relations
The khazâd were loners, desiring little from others and others desiring little from the khazâd. However, as the khazâd were master craftsman and found great pleasure in shaping and reshaping the earth, they were sought out for their items by traders. In return, the khazâd received grain and harvested goods from farming communities. This relationship remained stable, based on mutual profit rather than any friendship or alliance.

Alignment
Thoughtful and proud, determined and stubborn, the khazâd were usually lawful neutral or true neutral.

Lands
The khazâd lived deep in the mountains and caves below where they were born, lived, worked and died in the mines. Some khazâd may have never even seen the surface. Those closer to the surface may occationally move from their homes for trade, but they were nearly never found outside otherwise.

Religion
The khazâd worshiped ancient dwarven gods and gods of earth and artifice. Their faith was absolute, for they existed during a time where gods actively walked the earth, shaping and growing the forms of their future races.

Language
The khazâd speak a highly archaic form of Dwarven known as Ancient Dwarven, as well as Terran. Those who understand both the Dwarven and Terran languages can speak Ancient Dwarven, but if they only understand Dwarven it takes a DC 10 Intelligence check to understand what is being said.

Names
Traditional dwarven names and names typical to earth elementals are common with the khazâd.

Racial Traits

 * ,, , , : Strong and plodding, wise but unfriendly, the khazâd were powerful tanks.
 * : Khazâds are humanoids made largely of earth.  They also may count as either a dwarf or gnome when beneficial, such as the purposes of entering a prestige class.
 * Khazâd base land speed is 20 feet. However, khazâd can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load (unlike other creatures, whose speed is reduced in such situations).  They also have a burrow speed of 20 feet and may burrow through soil, sand, gravel, and other soft materials as easily as swimming.  They may choose to leave a tunnel if they wish by moving at half speed.
 * A khazâd has +2 natural armor from its rocky skin.
 * Damage Reduction : Khazâd have DR/adamantine equal to half their HD + 2.
 * Earthly Life Force :  Khazâd do not breath.  They do not eat or sleep as long as they are in contact with the earth, but if they are ever seperate from solid earth for extended periods of time they will grow hungry and tired.  They may enter a trance state much like elves, their form of sleeping.  While trancing they don't seem to be anything more than piles of humanoid-shaped stone and get a +10 Disguise bonus to hide as such.  Some khazâd have been known to sleep for centuries at a time...
 * Immunities : Khazâd are immune to disease, poison, sleep, and paralysis.
 * Inherent Crafter : A khazâd is considered to have a caster level equal to its HD + 4 for the purposes of crafting and picking up crafting feats.  It can duplicate any spell required for the purposes of crafting as if it were a caster of its HD.  For example a 11 HD khazâd could make an item with a 6th level spell in it, but not a 7th level spell.  It would need to be 13 HD for that.
 * Molten Blood : Those who injure a khazâd in melee with a piercing or slashing weapon take 3 points of fire damage each time they hit.  Creatures using reach weapons or at range are safe from the spray of molten blood.
 * Powerful Build : The physical stature of khazâds lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger. Whenever a khazâd 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 khazâd is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. A khazâd 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. A khazâd 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.
 * Spell Resistance : Khazâd have spell resistance equal to 12 + their HD.
 * Stability : A khazâd gains 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).
 * Stonecunning : This ability grants a khazâd a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn’t stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. A khazâd who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as if he were actively searching, and a khazâd can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can. A khazâd can also intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up.
 * Tough as Stone : Khazâd gain a bonus 30 hit points.
 * Khazâd have a +4 racial bonus on bull rush checks.
 * Khazâd have a +4 racial bonus on Appraise with stone or metal items, all Craft checks involving stone or metal, and Survival checks made underground. They may make Craft checks untrained.
 * Automatic Languages: Ancient Dwarven, Terran.
 * Bonus Languages: Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Gnome, Ignan, and Undercommon.
 * Favored Class:
 * Level Adjustment: +Level Adjustment::2
 * Effective Character Level: Effective Character Level::3
 * Favored Class:
 * Level Adjustment: +Level Adjustment::2
 * Effective Character Level: Effective Character Level::3