Advanced Race Guide Preview: Wark, Wark, Wark!

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Some time ago I played in a campaign that Jason Bulmahn was running. One of the many highlights of the campaign was Chuko. This was James Jacobs's tengu character, who always shouted "Wark!" when he was excited. My whole conception of tengus comes from Chuko. They are strange little creatures that steal and mark things with flags. Tengus can be unreasonable and stupidly heroic. Chuko was not the sharpest egg in the nest, just a strange little outcast in a far-off land. James played it to the hilt. If you get the chance to play Pathfinder with James, make him play a tengu. Oh, and make him wear a silly hat.

Sorry for the last bit, James.

When it came to reviewing the tengu section of Advanced Race Guide, there was a lot that made me shout, "Wark!" I think Chuko would approve! Now I want to play a tengu.

Here are just a few highlights from the section.

Tengu Equipment

Tengus have access to the following equipment.

Illustration by Paul Guzenko

Signal Kite Kit: Though wingless, tengus have long cast their thoughts toward the sky and flight. Built from paper glued to bamboo frames, their kites are painted with various colors and pictures. In addition to flying kites as a leisure activity, tengus also fly kites of various shades and patterns to send signal messages. Tengus have developed an extensive code of signals and can use their kites to display complex messages visible at great distances. A signal kite kit includes six small colored kites that can be hooked together in different patterns to facilitate complex messages. The kit also includes a spool and 300 feet of twine. Sending or interpreting a signal kite's message functions as described in the Bluff skill, but the sender and anyone trying to understand the message must also know Tengu.

Terror Kite: This small kite is usually painted with a fierce face and bright colors and is edged with serrated wooden blades. Its twine is strengthened by soaking it in glue and sometimes with crushed glass to give it a slight cutting edge. The kite has hardness 5 and 3 hit points. Participants in a kite battle make alternating sunder combat maneuvers against each other's kites; each successful maneuver allows a competitor to roll 1d6 points of damage against the opponent's kite. When a kite reaches 0 hit points, it is broken or its string is cut, and its player loses the match. In some matches, points are awarded for touching the kite's top to the opponent's string, with the winner being the first to reach a set point total. Those interested in kite-fighting may select the terror kite as a weapon for the purpose of feats such as Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization, and apply these bonuses on kite damage rolls and on their sunder combat maneuver attempts made while using terror kites.

Tengu Feats

Tengu have access to the following feats.

Long-Nose Form
You can shift into the form of a human with an unusually long nose.
Prerequisites: Character level 3rd, tengu.
Benefit: Once per day, you can assume the form of a human whose nose is the length of your beak. This spell-like ability functions as alter self with a caster level equal to your level. While in this form you gain the scent ability and a +2 bonus to your Strength score. Because your long nose in this form clearly indicates you are not fully human, you do not gain the normal bonus to Disguise checks for using a polymorph effect (however, you could possibly explain the nose as an unfortunate curse or deformity, or hide it with an item such as a plague doctor's mask).

Tengu Spells

Tengus have access to the following spells.

Theft Ward
School abjuration; Level cleric 1, inquisitor 1, sorcerer/wizard 1, witch 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range touch
Target one object
Duration 1 day

You ward a single object in your possession against theft. You gain a +10 bonus on Perception checks to notice someone trying to take the object from you.

Hey! Tell us what you want to see next. We want to know what you're excited about.

Stephen Radney-MacFarland
Designer