Balemorph (3.5e Race)

Balemorph
Magic is a dangerous thing. It can summon fire from nowhere, bend time and space, and transmute creatures into different things. One dangerous example is the baleful polymorph spell, a dangerous curse which can leave someone forever a mere animal and can rob them even of their mind. Usually these magics have a binary effect; they either work or they do not. But every so often in a rare case a creature both succeeds and fails, and in the end becomes something entirely different. Summary::Balemorphs are the result of botched baleful polymorphs which only succeed into transforming them into a new creature, half animal and half humanoid. Their original past histories are lost, but their sentience is retained.

Personality
The the balemorph, their creation often leaves them confused and lost. They are "born" with only vague memories of a past life with only their basic knowledge and languages intact. They are aware they used to be a person who had come under a spell, but the initial magic has left them and turned them into this. As a result many have a sense of confusion or revenge with no purpose, becoming frustrated or easily swayed by others until they can develop a new personality of their own.

Those who have developed personality may later discover their old self. How they react may depend on how their new personality conflicts with the old, but many do not wish to go back to what they were. Their personalities are now they're own, and regardless there is no known way of reverting the magic. Though baleful polymorph is permanent, the process which creates a balemorph causes the curse to become an instantaneous effect. Only powerful magics such as wish offer the opportunity to restore their old selves.

Physical Description
A balemorph appears as an animal with 1 HD or less as per baleful polymorph, and this is their true form to the world. However they are able to assume humanoid form which closely resembles their original forms. These humanoid forms usually have at least one oddity revealing their animal nature, such as cat ears, a dog's tail, snake scales, and so forth. Balemorphs can only be created out of humanoid creatures, and though they may resemble a human or halfling or dwarf they no longer have the same racial abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. They are a creature all of their own.

Balemorphs breed true with each other, producing a balemorph with the animal form of one of the parents. Breeding with other humanoids results in normal humanoid children of the appropriate type.

Relations
Balemorphs can easily hide within their original societies and most don't even realize they're different. Those that discover their abnormality may consider it a curse, and some fear they are some manner of lycanthrope. For this reason, balemorphs rarely reveal themselves and they are a rare enough phenomena that few are aware that their condition is not unique.

Alignment
Balemorphs can be of any alignment, but because they start out as blank slates a great number trend towards true neutral.

Lands
Balemorphs have the lands and behavior of their initial starting race.

Religion
Balemorphs may pick up the religion of their original base race, but since they start out as blank slates they may very well deviate.

Language
Balemorphs speak Common and the language of their animal type (such as Feline for cats).

Names
Balemorphs may or may not remember their original name, and often if they do remember they recall a warped or corrupted version of their original name. If they do not recall a name, they often adopt the nicknames others grant them.

Racial Traits
The following racial traits defines the balemorph's humanoid form and assumes a medium humanoid. Small humanoids are also possible; reduce speed to 20 ft, -2 Strength, and +2 Dexterity.