Runeterra, the Precipice of Tragedy

Game Master Ace Matthews

Yordle! (Rough Draft):

Yordles are a race of diminutive fey creatures that inhabit the breadith of Runeterra. While today, the vast majority of the yordle society dwells in the mysterious Bandle City, many travelers set out to other nations at various times. Their knowledge of magic, the sciences, and arts has made them an integral part of Valoran society and they are present in its Politics. 
However the origin of this race in Runeterra is unknown but most would agree that Yordles resided in Valoran during its Pre-Historic times. They were a nomadic race, travelling from one part of Valoran to the other. Records show they had presence in Ancient Freljord. They lived in tight neat family groups. Because of their small stature, they were mostly prey for many animals. During their evolution they lost their tails and front canine teeth, which help them evolve their brains. They started using tools for their everyday needs like hunting and defending from predators which helped them evolve as a species. The recent discovery of the pre-historic Yordle known as Gnar has further expanded the knowledge of Yordle biology and has opened a window into the life of the Pre-historic yordle race.

Alignment: Yordles are generally a peaceful and amicable race, often marked with streaks of joviality and light prankishness; their moral compass is most often pointed toward goodness and benevolence. Their desire for social interaction drives them toward this ethos, as the mental health of a yordle is very much dependent on the positive company he or she keeps. This does not mean, however, that they are incapable of cruelty and evil. In fact, a yordle who is kept in isolation for too long – especially from contact with other yordles – runs the risk of becoming withdrawn and sullen. Some who already are centered more toward malevolence will become exceedingly so in due course. These yordles will often twist their desire for social interaction into a desire to seek out others to inflict pain and suffering upon them, one extreme example being Veigar, the Tiny Master of Evil. Yordles are attracted to Runeterra cultures and enjoy manifesting around certain human ideals.
Standard Racial Traits
Ability Score Racial Traits: Yordles are quick and clever above all else, but as a race are rather squishy. They receive +2 to DEX and INT, and -2 to CON.
Type: Yordles are humanoids with the Yordle subtype. 
Size: Yordles are Small creatures and thus gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their CMB and CMD, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks. 
Base Speed (Move Quick): Yordles have a base speed of 30 feet, quick for such small creatures. 
Languages: Yordles begin play speaking Common and Bandiche. Yordles with high Intelligence scores can choose from languages geographically near Bandle City. (except secret languages, such as Druidic). See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.

Senses racial traits
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Big-ass ears: Yordles gain a +2 to sound based perception checks, and take a lessened penalty to perception while sleeping.

Defense Racial Traits 
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Community Hope: Yordles gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against fear and despair effects when with companions. Also, once per day, after a natural roll of 1 on a saving throw, a Yordle may reroll and use the second result.

Feat and Skill Racial Traits 
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Specialized education,
All Yordles raised in Bandle City are given a choice of specialty as they near the end of their primary education. At level one a yordle must choose a pair of skills from the list below. These are considered class skills permanently. If the yordle chooses a class that has these as class skills, they receive a +2 racial bonus to it instead.
Disable Device and K. (Engineering)
Perception and Survival
K. (nature) and Handle Animal
K. (Arcana) and Use Magic Device
Bluff and Sense Motive

Alternate Racial Traits 
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Alts are to come, suggestions welcome.

House rules and rulings compendium

Ability Skill Checks:

- Various tasks have different amounts of variability. It makes little sense that an Arm wrestling contest could vary as much as twenty points when the average Orc is only four points stronger than the average human. However, due to various experiences, a variance that high could be justified for a wisdom check.
Variance
Physical Abilities- Physical abilities are Low Variance by default, using the Ability score (not modifier) plus a D6.
(Ex. Open Door Str check DC 16. Doc has a STR of 8, so he can't open the door. Grumpy has a STR of 18, so he can open it with relative ease. Happy has a STR of 12, so he must roll 4 or better on the d6.)
Mental Abilities - Knowing or realizing things depends on a number of factors, therefore mental checks are Medium to high variance by default, using Ability Score plus a D10.
(I like to use these in Roleplay a lot, generally setting 15 as the Wisdom DC for a normal good decision, and 10 or less as time to be really stupid. Ex, Dopey gets bored on watch and rolls a D10+ his 7Wis. Landing a 2, he decides to play a prank on Grumpy. Grumpy rolls a D10+ his 8Wis to avoid being angry. He rolls a 1 and promptly knocks Dopey the fluff out. Doc is asleep, but the Player Rolls anyway, 1d10+16. He rolls a 9, totaling 25, so the GM allows him to happen to wake up in time to witness the occurrence and react)

Knowledge in combat:

Knowledge checks are free actions, and may be made out of the initiative order, however, you may only speak on your turn for the most part. This keeps posts flowing so that I can respond to the knowledge check before you make your turn and can communicate or act on it.

Taking ten on Knowledge:

Taking ten on knowledge may only be done with material on the subject, i.e. a book or reliable source. Taking twenty may be done in a library or similar with adequate time to research.

Leveling Up:

Favored Class bonus - In addition to the usual options, the favored class bonus may be spent to reroll the hit die. The second roll MUST be taken even if it is worse than the first.