Atargaian (3.5e Race)

Author: Leziad (talk) Date Created: 6th Mars 2015 Status: Finished Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Atargaian

The atargaians where once a group of powerful priestess, who after their Goddess lost a war against a much more powerful God were banished away from land forever. As the opposed God faded as well as their own deity, the atargaians now sea-dwelling creature could once again make their way back to land. Alas, although all interested parties had died off, the curse was still strong enough to keep them at bay. However it was discovered that a mortal could trade their 'right' to be on land for a favor.

Atargaians look much like human in their base form, although they possess little fins on their feet and wrist as well as gills. All atargaians are capable of assuming an hybrid form, at which point their hips and legs turn into a fish or eel tail. This form possess greatly increased swim speed, but make them unable to really walk. Atargaians are overwhelmingly female, with only 1 in a 100 being male. However they can breed with humans, creating pure atargaians, thus they are often found as the temporary lovers of sailors. When found on the surface they typically skirt the coast, although a few like to adventure deep inland.

Most atargaians don't bother with a pact, however a few of them have dreams of their ancestor's lives and thus wish nothing more than to experience life on land. Those atargaians make for ambitious adventurers. The atargaians found on the surface are often tricky and deceiving, using various techniques to make mortals agree to a pact with them. The few who make a honest pact quickly attempt to fulfill it, to then enjoy her time at the surface without much hassle.

Racial Traits

• -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma: Atargaians are gracious and agile fey, however they are weaker than average.
• Humanoid (Aquatic, Human): As an aquatic creature, a atargaians has a +8 racial bonus on Swim skill checks and can always choose to take 10, even if distracted or endangered. She can use the run action while swimming, provided she swims in a straight line. Swim is always treated as a class skill. 
• Medium: As a Medium creature, an atargaian has no special bonuses or penalties due to its size.
• Atargaian base land speed is 30 feet. Swim 20 ft. 
• Low-Light Vision: An atargaian 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. 
• Atargaians gain a +2 racial bonus on Escape Artist, Spot and Perform (Singing) checks. 
• Aquatic Fighter (Ex): Atargaians gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC while fighting underwater. She gain a +4 dodge bonus against the attack of nets, she may attempt to escape being entangled or grappled as a swift action. 
• Amphibious (Ex): Atargaians can breathe both water and air. 
• Banished: Atargaians are descendant of the people who were banished from the surface. A glint of the curse placed on their ancestor also affects every atargaian. While on the surface, atargaians is constantly At Bay for as long as she stay on land, although she may stay on a vessel as long as it stay at sea. This is not a [fear]-effect and bypass immunity. While on land, they are also vulnerable to the dismissal and banishment spells, however instead of being sent to another plane they are transported to the nearest ocean. Finally each day they stay on land, they take a cumulative -1 penalty to their Constitution, which clear at the rate of one per day once she return to the waters or instantly if she make a pact. They can travel on land safely through their blessed pearl ability (see below). 
• Blessed Pearl: Atargaians can earn the ability to travel on land safely through a specific magical ritual nigh identical to the binding contract spell. The atargaian must make a contract with a land dwelling creature. The creature must verbally allow the atargaian to walk the earth for up to a year, typically in exchange of a service or favor by the atargaian. The ritual takes 10 minutes and a pearl of any value (acting as proof of the covenant) may be used as a focus. As soon as the ritual is complete, the atargaian loses the Banished trait for the duration established in the pact as is under the effect of a binding contract to follow on her side of the deal. The land dweller however has it lifespan shortened by 1d4 years. The land dwelling creature must be informed of that fact for the contract to be legal, see the pact below. If the contract is broken (as per the spell) or expire, the atargaian has 72 hours to make a new contract before regaining her banished trait. 
• Enchanting Chant (Su): Atargaians can start singing as a standard action, all creatures capable of hearing must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 HD + the atargaian's Charisma modifier) or become enthralled by her song. All affected creature essentially become fascinated for as long as the atargaian keep singing (a standard action each round) and 1d4 rounds thereafter. While under the effect of the atargaian's chant the attitude of each affected creature change to friendly toward the atargaian and to indifferent to all other creatures. The atargaian may make a single reasonable request to a creature while it fascinated with an opposed Charisma check, if successful it retain it friendly attitude toward the atargaian and indifferent attitude toward anyone else, but only for the purpose of that request. An Atargaians may use her Enchanting Chant once per day an an additional time per day at 6th level and each 6 levels thereafter. 
• Merform (Ex): Atargaians are constantly under the effect of the merform spell except without blindsense. They may dismiss or resume this ability as a move action.
• Automatic Languages: Aquan, Common
• Bonus Languages: Any non-secret.
• Favored Class: Sorcerer
• Level Adjustment: +0
• Effective Character Level: 1

The Pact

In order to be legal, the atargaian must follow a few rule when making her pact for a blessed pearl. Refer to the guideline posted below:

• Has all the normal restriction of a binding contract, no compulsion (such as your Enchanting Chant ability). However you may use a pearl of any value as the focus.
• The subject of the pact are the atargaian and a land-dwelling humanoid, she cannot make a pact with another aquatic creature.
• The land-dweller must have set foot on land for at least a day since 1 year.
• The land-dweller must not be immortal.
• The land-dweller must be informed of all negative effects the pact will have, although the atargaian may downplay it.
• The land-dweller or the land-dweller's family must not be directly threatened (aka make a pact or die), if a pact is made under such duress it will expire within 24 hours.
• The land-dweller may be indirectly threatened however, such vowing to not returning an item that was stolen by the atargaian previously unless a pact is made.
• If the land-dweller dies, the pact end early.

The Atargaian may have multiple pacts at the same time, but their duration overlap. As a result they are usually sought for safety in case any previous pacts break.

Vital Statistics

Table: Atargaian Random Starting Ages

Adulthood	Simple	Moderate	Complex
15 years	+1d4	+1d6	+2d6

Table: Atargaian Aging Effects

Middle Age1	Old2	Venerable3	Maximum Age
85 years	135 years	270 years	+8d20 years
At middle age, −1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At old age, −2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At venerable age, −3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

Table: Atargaian Random Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	5’ 10”	+2d10	120 lb.	× (2d4) lb.
Female	5’ 5”	+2d10	85 lb.	× (2d4) lb.

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