Selenite (3.5e Race)

Author: the bluez in the dungeon (talk) Date Created: 22 May 2024 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Lacertan

Humanoid creatures that have the body, shape and mentality of lizards and other saurians.

Personality

Self-reliant, wild, cunning and sly are all traits of the standard lacertan. They are often solitary, who just congregate in small, tribe-like groups, not more than expanded families, but even so, lacertans give more credit to personal attachments rather than social bonds, an expression of their strong individuality (they may appear even lacking compassion to other races).

Despite this, they share a common ancestry, religion and cultural heritage and acknowledge this when interacting with each other. They often prefer to stand together towards other race, even if they don't personally know each other.

Physical Description

Lacertans are a curious race of people-like lizards, with no specific denomitator to refer to: they may be sleek, sturdy, with long or shorter tails, thin or squared heads, sometimes frilled or feathered, and in some cases they have some sort of fur growing from their scales.

They can assume a variety of colors, from grey to dull green, brown, vibrant leaf color, golden sand and such. Their specific colors and physical traits depend on their habitat, which commands the color of their scales, allowing them to better hide in it.

They prefer to wear comfortable clothes, apt for survival in the wild according to the characteristics of their land.

Relations

Due to their secretive and violent ways they are often shunned by other races, which sometimes accomunate them to orcs, especially in those regions where they resort to stealing.

Sometimes they are better received, when they put away their violent inclination and try to stay together, or when they live in more urbanized areas

Evil lacertans become brigands, either with a small group of kindred or in a larger group, with more diverse background.

Other lacertans become solitary nature guardians and protect natural sites with their life, in a sacred duty.

Most good lacertans fight for the rights of the oppressed and often join revolutions and political movements (bit also armies).

Alignment

The majority of lacertans are chaotic, a trait reflecting their independent nature and love for freedom. Fewer are neutral, while lawful lacertans are almost unheard.

They tend towards neutrality on the good-evil axis, but chaotic good lacertans do exist, who become mostly freedom-fighters. Evil-aligned lacertans usually are the most prolific pillagers.

Lands

They are widespread among almost all environments, having adapted to a variety of climates and terrains. They usually live in small villages, very much in contact with nature (except for the minority of city-dwelling lacertans), foraging, hunting and sometimes pillaging for sustenance, while guarding their habitat and caring for it.

Religion

Their faith pays homage to the First Predator and First Prey, two god-like concepts often represented by a lizard biting its tail who preside over the aspects for death and life, hunting and nature.

Most lacertans who become nature guardian devote themselves to this divine entity.

Language

Their language of choice is Common, mainly for its semplicity.

Names

Their names often refer to a physical trait or notable thing about the individual, such as Red Tongue or Mad Tail.

Racial Traits

• +2 Any: Selenite society allows individuals to develop their natural inclination.
• Humanoid (Spiritfolk): Being humanoids which have libed on the moon since time immemorial, they have developed strange properties. 
• Medium: As a Medium creature, a selenite has no special bonuses or penalties due to its size.
• Selenite base land speed is 30 feet.  
• Low-Light Vision: A selenite can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions. 
• Moontouch (Ex): All of selenites' unarmed attacks and natural weapons are treated as being made of silver. They can gift this property as swift action to weapons they are wielding and the effects remain active until they no longer wield them. While under this effect, the weapons glow like a candle. 
• Lunar Sustenance: When on the moon they don't suffer from the lack of oxygen or from ambient temperature, so that they may live normally as if there was breathable air and a temperate climate. They do need these conditions in other places, as it's the moon sustaining them rather than an innate ability. 
• Moon Madness: Selenites have an incredible bond with the moon, so much that they suffer when away from it. Whenever they aren't on the moon and the moon is new they suffer a -2 to all skill and ability checks. They also act erratically and don't seem their normal self. Their alignment shifts by one step in a random direction for the duration of the effect. This may prevent them from using certain abilities or items, but they don't permanently lose benefits, they are just suspended. If acting according to their shifted alignment would break an alignment restriction of theirs, they may try a Will save with DC 15 with a +2 to the save, and if they succeed they may avoid doing that action. 
• Saurian Agility: Lacertans are nimble and quick, and know how to avoid danger when moving. They gain Mobility for free and its bonus is added to Balance and Tumble checks made within the same round. 
• Light Gravity Adptation (Ex): Selenites are adapted to light gravity, and so they don't suffer from the effects of light gravity (but they still get any bonus it offers). Penalties of low gravity are halved for them.
• Automatic Languages: Common
• Bonus Languages: Any, except for secret ones
• Favored Class: Any
• Level Adjustment: +0
• Effective Character Level: 1

Racial Options

Feats

• Thermoboost

Pathfinder Options

In Pathfinder games, lacertans have an additional +2 to any stat, except for Dexterity.

Alternate Racial Feature

• Breathing Sac: Living near water for a prolonged time, made some lacertans develop a specialized organ to allow them to hold their breath for longer. They can for breathe when airless for 10 minutes, as if holding their breath. The same amount of time spent must be used to refill the sac. This feature could avoid inhaled effects. This feature replaces the Trailblazer feature.

• Cuttail: In some unfortunate cases, lacertans may lose their tails and never recover it, especially due to birth or genetic defects, curses or other kind of magic. This a brand of shame for them, and many forsake their home as soon as they can, never to return. They gain the Nomad's Blade feat for free. This feature replaces the Decoy Tail feature.

• Double Claw Style: More martially oriented lacertans learn special techniques with scimitars. You gain Two-Weapon Fighting for free and you treat a scimitar as a light weapon for the purpose of two-weapon fighting. This feature replaces the Saurian Agility feature.

• Fur-coated Reptile: Lacertans living in cold environments have evolved special adaptations to resist the frigid temperature in the form of light but warm hair. They gain cold resistance 5 and fire susceptability 5. This feature replaces the Cold Blooded feature.

• Sandswimmer: In deserts lacertans have less chance of climbing, and so their bodies often adapt to burrow instead. They gain a burrow speed equal to 20 feet when in moving on sand or similar loose soil. This feature replaces the climb speed.

• Guerrilla Warrior: Thanks to their combat tradition and hunting skills, some lacertans learn special war tactics. They gain the Guerrilla feat for free. This feature replaces the Saurian Agility feature.

• Water Way: Lacertans that live along the sea, in swamps, or near other great bodies of water have a tendency to learn to swim instead of climbing. They gain a swim speed equal to 20 feet. This feature replaces the climb speed.

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