Leode (3.5e Race)

Leode
In the vast multiverse there are planes dominated by metals, a subset of the plane of earth mixing with other planes, even (or especially) the prime material. Such demiplanes are one of the many rumored birthplaces of the magnes and other metallic creatures from beyond. One such creature which certainly spawns from these steel-touched worlds are the proud leode. Summary::Large humanoid lions, their bodies are re-enforced with muscles of carbon steel and bones of titanium. Half-organic and half-metal, they are stronger and powerful than your average human.

Personality
The leode have always been a very proud and brave (or foolhearty) race. They have strong convictions, and while they do not trend towards violence they do argue their positions with zeal. Their convictions are iron-tough taking great effort to mold them into a new shape. It is said that a leode friend is a friend who would fight to the death for you, and a leode enemy is one that will haunt your bloodline for generations to come. Fortunately their convictions are tempered with mercy, and their society promotes the ideals of good to prevent the abuses and corruptions that having a strong principle in an evil belief would have. It has earned them friends with the forces of good, especially those of the Beastlands and the angels of the lawful good planes.

Physical Description
Leodes are powerful and intimidating figures, standing between 6 to 7 feet tall and often broad shouldered and muscled. Their heads are of lions and bodies adorned with often metallic covered fur and hair. They often come in the colors of silver, gold, copper, and iron. Their eyes range in colors, but often bright and filled with an inner fire. Males often have great manes, which add to their apparent size and bulk.

Because of the high metal content in their bodies, leode meat is very toxic to most creatures. Likewise leodes have an unusually high-metal diet, often managing through iron-rich foods and fish which otherwise be tainted for normal human consumption, carrying mercury and lead inside. They are primarly carnivores, with a tollerance for plants when needed. Leodes are warm blooded mammels in all other respects.

Relations
Leodes ally themselves with those who promote law and good and as such have good rapport with most dwarven civilizations. Civilizations with more chaotic aspects, including humans, are not seen as enemies but simply misguided children who deserve protection, and every so often scolding. Only those which are blatently embracing of evil earn their scorn. They find themselves at odds with beings such as drow very often.

Alignment
Leodes are often lawful and good, though the occational lawful evil or chaotic good leode exists. Chaotic evil leodes are an aberration, and are often only found as exiles and criminals.

Lands
Leodes prefer to live in places rich in metal, and on high mountaintops whenever found in a land other than their metal-rich demiplanes or the plane of earth. This is both a matter of creature comfort, and diet. They are thus often allies with dwarves who find minerals for them to spice their foods, while leodes return the favor by guarding the entries to the mines from the surface.

Religion
Leodes practic several religions to various lawful good deities, mostly concerning honor, justice, protection, and glory.

Language
Leodes speak Common and Terran.

Names
Leode names often consist of a first name and a title, such as "Graven the Brave Blade" or "Allia the Flameheart". They have a family name, but it is only used as part of titles rather than one's name (ie, Goldemarag the King of Braves, born of House Gaogaigar).

Racial Traits

 * , : Strong as a lion and tough as iron, leodes are stronger than most races in a straight-up brawl.
 * Type::Humanoid (Subtype::Anthro): Though animalistic in appearance, at their heart Leodes are humanoids.  They travel to the prime material often enough to have lost their extraplanar type.
 * Leode base land speed is 30 feet.
 * Lion's Roar : Leodes have a powerful shout which terrifies those who bear witness to it.  The a leode can choose to intimidate any amount of creatures in a 30 ft. cone with a single intimidation check.
 * Metal Touched : Leodes count as metallic creatures for spells and similar effects, such as being affected by a rusting grasp spell.
 * Natural Armor : Leodes have a +2 bonus to natural armor.
 * Powerful Build : The physical stature of a leode lets him function in many ways as if he were one size category larger. Whenever a leode 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 leode is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. A leode 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 leode has the unarmed damage and 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.
 * Racial Hit Dice: An leode begins with two levels of humanoid, which provide 2d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +1, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +3, Ref +0, and Will +3.
 * Racial Skills: An leode’s humanoid levels give it skill points equal to 5 x (2 + Int modifier). Its class skills are Appraise, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge Geography, Knowledge Nobility, Listen, Profession, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival.
 * Racial Feats: An leode's humanoid levels give it one feat.
 * Leodes have a +2 racial bonus to Diplomacy and Intimidate checks.
 * Automatic Languages: Common and Terran.
 * Bonus Languages: Celestial, Draconic, Dwarven, Giant, Gnome, Ignan, and Undercommon.
 * Favored Class:
 * Level Adjustment: +Level Adjustment::0
 * Effective Character Level: Effective Character Level::2
 * Level Adjustment: +Level Adjustment::0
 * Effective Character Level: Effective Character Level::2