Saurial from Dragon Magazine


Homebrew and House Rules


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Ok, so I have to give thanks to Northbrb, for lighting a fire under my rear to get this done. If he didn't post the thread for his reptile race, it would have taken me for ever to get around to it. So, I give you the Saurials from the Dragon Magazine. I changed them up a bit, mainly to fit them in my setting. Also sorry for the long post, I'm not sure how to use the spoiler thing on here. Also, I'm still working on them. I just posted them to get some feed back.

Saurials
These dinosaur-like beings, known as saurials, were stranded in Lyria on the jungle continent Valboryn during the giants rule of the continent.

Several saurial subraces exist: bladebacks, finheads, flyers, and hornheads to be exact. Hornheads are a little taller than orcs and flyers are as small as halflings, but the other two subraces are similar to humans in height and weight.
All saurials are generally humanoid in shape. Each has two arms that end in clawed hands, two legs, and a lizardlike tail. A member of the flyer subrace also has two “wings”—actually flaps of skin that extend from its wrists to its waist that allow it to fly. The scales that cover a saurial’s body are primarily green, with patterns of yellow on its back. Very rarely, a pure white saurial is hatched, but this coloration carries no stigma, and the event is not considered an omen.

Saurial Traits
All of the saurial subraces share the following traits.

Cold Torpor (Ex): Saurials are warm-blooded creatures, but they retain heat poorly in cold environments. Thus, a saurial takes a –4 penalty on Fortitude saving throws made to avoid nonlethal damage from cold environments, and it takes double the normal amount of nonlethal damage for failing such a saving throw.
In cooler climates, saurials can easily die from exposure in an environment that a human would find merely uncomfortable. Thus, they usually bundle up to keep warm.

Protection from Sonic Attacks (Ex): Because a saurial’s earholes are well protected, it gains a +2 circumstance bonus on saving throws against sonic effects and attacks.

Scent (Ex): Saurials have the scent special quality, as described in the Bestiary.

Vulnerability to Gas Attacks (Ex): A saurial’s metabolism and reliance on scent make it vulnerable to attacks conveyed through gas, including stinking cloud, cloudkill, and poisonous gas. It thus takes a -4 penalty on saving throws against gas-based effects and attacks.

Bladebacks
This bipedal lizard looks taller and stockier than a human; in fact, it’s built much like a half-orc. A line of sharp scales runs down its spine from its head to the tip of its tail, which is about as long as its body.

Type: Humanoid (Reptilian)
• +2 Strength, +2 Charisma: Bladebacks are naturally strong and outgoing.
• Medium: As Medium creatures, bladebacks have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Speed: A bladeback’s base speed is 30 feet.
• Natural Armor Bonus: A bladeback has a +2 natural armor bonus.
• Special Qualities: A bladeback has cold torpor, protection from sonic attacks, scent, and vulnerability to gas attacks, as described above.
Automatic Languages: Common and Draconic. Bonus Languages: Elven, Sylvan, and Giant.

Finheads
This reptilian creature stands slightly shorter than a typical human and has roughly human shape and proportions. Its tail measures slightly more than half its body length, and a pronounced fin crowns its head

Type: Humanoid (Reptilian)
• +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom: Finheads have good reflexes and exceptional insight.
• Medium: As Medium creatures, finheads have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Speed: Finhead base speed is 30 feet.
Natural Armor Bonus: A finhead has a +2 natural armor bonus.
• Special Qualities: A finhead has cold torpor, protection from sonic attacks, scent, and vulnerability to gas attacks, as described above.
Automatic Languages: Common and Draconic. Bonus Languages:Elven, Sylvan, and Giant.

Flyers
This reptile is about the size of a halfling and has similar proportions. It has a short tail and a flap of scaly skin beneath each of its arms. These primitive wings stretch from its wrists to its waist.

Type: Humanoid (Reptilian)
• +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Strength: Flyers can soar through the air with exceptional grace and are quite bright. Though they are physically weak compared to the others.
• Small: Flyers are Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
• Speed: Flyer base speed is 20 feet, and the creature can fly at a speed of 50 feet with average maneuverability.
• Natural Armor Bonus: A flyer has a +2 natural armor bonus.
• Special Qualities: A flyer has cold torpor, protection from sonic attacks, scent, and vulnerability to gas attacks, as described above.
Automatic Languages: Common and Draconic. Bonus Languages: Elven, Sylvan, and Giant.

Hornhead
This bipedal lizard is a little taller than a orc and has a tail longer than its own body. Sharp horns protrude from its head, and a bony plate protects its neck.

Type: Humanoid (Reptilian)
• +2 Strength, +2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom: Hornheads are strong and have sharp minds, but they .
• Medium: As Medium creatures, hornheads have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Speed: Hornhead base speed is 30 feet.
• Natural Armor Bonus: A hornhead has a +2 natural armor bonus.
• Special Qualities: A hornhead has cold torpor, protection from sonic attacks, scent, and vulnerability to gas attacks, as described above.
• Automatic Languages: Common and Draconic. Bonus Languages: Elven, Sylvan, and Giant.

Silver Crusade

Thank you for this. Do you know how to do the Sonic Resistance and the Cold Topor in Herolab?


I would prefer to see more differentialtion between the races. Tell me if I am missing something, but it looks like three of them are identical except for ability score bonuses. I see no reason that they should all have the same natural AC bonus, and (in my opinion), a race needs some mechanics that support the flavor, such as skill bonuses or racial weapons. You have the things about heat, gas, sonic, and ac, but they are all identical.

Also, look further down to where it says "How to format your text" and click on the button that says "Show".


There is an excellent D20 treatment of reptillian races in Ssethregore—In the Coils of the Serpent Empire (d20) which is a gold mine for your own homebrew versions or to plug into your campaign.

I've used my own rules for years before I came across this book.


Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
Ciaran Barnes wrote:

I would prefer to see more differentialtion between the races. Tell me if I am missing something, but it looks like three of them are identical except for ability score bonuses. I see no reason that they should all have the same natural AC bonus, and (in my opinion), a race needs some mechanics that support the flavor, such as skill bonuses or racial weapons. You have the things about heat, gas, sonic, and ac, but they are all identical.

Also, look further down to where it says "How to format your text" and click on the button that says "Show".

To be fair, there isn't more to them than that. If you hunt down the Serpent Kingdoms add on from 3.5 the biggest difference was their racial hit die and everything that having racial hit die brought with it.

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