Cnidary (3.5e Race)

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Author: Ganteka Future (talk)
Date Created: 14 April 2019
Status: Tentative Completion
Editing: Clarity edits only please
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Cnidary[edit]

These aquatic, jellyfish-like aberrations in a humanoid shape have a penchant for crafting.

Presumably shaped by guided magic, or taken form through elemental power, the cnidary are a curious and inventive creature. Their exact origins are unknown, and their history in the world is difficult to trace. They may be recent-comers to the Material, but where they came from before remains a mystery.

Physical Description[edit]

Despite superficial structures and appearance to radially-symmetrical jellyfish, the cnidary have an entirely different sort of body plan. Adults have a basic humanoid shape, supported by pearl-like calcium structures and tough, fibrous proteins in the place of bones. They're fairly typical in size and height for humanoids, but with a high level of variability. Their skins are often whitish, or even transparent, though some have palettes of salmon pink, pale aqua, pumpkin orange, chocolate brown or velvet red. Markings are common and varied as well, with spots and stripes as typical patterning. Their eyes are surprisingly humanoid in shape as well, though their irises have a wide range of colors and even occasionally emit faint bioluminescent light. A dome-like hood is often present on the heads of adults, wherein tendrils hang.

The forms of reproduction and shapes of their young are complex. Budding, asexual and sexual reproduction are all possible among their kind, and sometimes even possible among the same population or individual. Their young may range from free-swimming tendrilous creatures, to sessile stumps that filter nutrients in the water to larger, nearly squid-like creatures, to even something closer resembling a humanoid baby. They may even go through several of these forms as developmental phases. After reaching adulthood, they age a little over twice as slow as a human, but apparently never grow old and die of old age.

What may be true for one individual, may not be the case for the rest of their local populace.

Culture[edit]

They're a fairly docile people in regions they're found, often preferring to keep to themselves, though not entirely unwilling to trade and exchanges ideas, goods and wonders.

They tend to build from stone and netted-woven materials to form sea-fences to provide some immediate barrier to larger sea creatures. Given their apparent bad taste and texture, few larger creatures actively seek to eat them.

Despite their handicaps, some civilizations have managed a near-modern existence, with writing, history, magical tools and precision engineered structures. They are known to work heavily with malleastite.

They tend to worship sea gods, among them in particular, creatures known as "Errant Gods", "Perspective Minds" or "Mother Thoughts", though these names are difficult translations from Aquan at best. These gods are thought to be living beings native to their lands, though as the translation suggests, they may no longer be present, or perhaps are errant from some other place to where they found the cnidary.

Cnidary make no distinction for gender when naming or taking a name. Their names are often short, rarely more than three syllables.

Sample Names: Acōb, Adua, Baō, Bēbē, Bel-ub, Bula, Da-ub, Ebbe, Ebed, Hudā, Hy-ub, Lyl-ub, Pa-ub, Payū, Quup, Ubedā, Ud-yb, Up-haa

Racial Traits[edit]

  • +2 Any Mental: Cnidary favor focusing their mental prowess over physical might.
  • Aberration (Aquatic, Psionic)
  • Medium: As Medium-sized creatures, cnidary have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Cnidary base land speed is 20 feet (4 squares). They have a swim speed of 30 feet.
  • Darkvision (Ex): Cnidary can see in total darkness out to 60 feet.
  • Low-Light Vision (Ex): A cnidary can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
  • Bioluminescence (Ex): Cnidary possess organelles and glands to produce light from their bodies. As a free action, they can begin glowing, faintly illuminating, providing dim illumination in their space, or providing dim illumination out to 40 feet.
  • Light Sensitivity: Cnidary are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
  • Magitechnical Expertise: Cnidary gain a +2 racial bonus on Craft, Spellcraft and Use Magic Device checks when making, examining or operating magic items. These skills are class skills for all their classes. Additionally, cnidary reduce crafting time when crafting magic items by 20%.
  • Naturally Psionic: Cnidary gain 2 bonus power points at 1st level.
  • Stings (Ex): As a standard action, a cnidary may attempt to lash out with stinging tendrils as a touch attack. They may employ this when grappled or swallowed at no penalty, even if paralyzed. Creature's struck by a cnidary's sting must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Constitution modifier). A failed save causes the target to be dealt 1d6 + Constitution modifier in nonlethal [Poison] damage as a [Pain] effect, with a successful save halving the damage. Upon a second failed save against stings within a minute, the target becomes sickened for a minute, and on a third failure, they become paralyzed for a minute. This damage increases by 1d6 at BAB +6, +11 and +16. Cnidary are immune to the stings of their own kind.
  • Automatic Languages: Aquan.
  • Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages).
  • Favored Class: Any
  • Level Adjustment: +0
  • Effective Character Level: 1

Vital Statistics[edit]

Table: Cnidary Random Starting Ages
Adulthood Simple Moderate Complex
17 years +1d6+1 +2d6+2 +3d6+3
Table: Cnidary Aging Effects
Middle Age1 Old1 Venerable1 Maximum Age2
77 years 116 years 154 years
  1. Use the Aging Overhaul variant rule.
  2. Cnidary have no known maximum age.
Table: Cnidary Random Height and Weight
Base Height Height Modifier Base Weight Weight Modifier
4' 1" +4d6 70 lbs. ×(2d4) lbs.



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Facts about "Cnidary (3.5e Race)"
AuthorGanteka Future +
Effective Character Level1 +
Favored ClassAny +
Identifier3.5e Race +
Level Adjustment0 +
Racial Ability Adjustments+2 Any Mental +
RatingUndiscussed +
SizeMedium +
SubtypeAquatic + and Psionic +
SummaryThese aquatic, jellyfish-like aberrations in a humanoid shape have a penchant for crafting. +
TitleCnidary +
TypeAberration +