This is sort of long so please bare with me. After playing the Iron gods I felt like some more technologically advanced/contact with aliens type of campaigns would be fun. I haven't designed the campaign yet, but I like the Aliens vs Predator concept and decided to research both of them and make them playable in Pathfinder. The campaign will center around a struggle between the two races, and so far no players want to be either Predators or Aliens. As DM I can say that if a mercenary was to come into play because of a small group then I would make the mercenary a Yuatja (Predator). I have put a lot of time into making sure that all of the Fluff and actual abilities are as lore specific as possible, however to make this post shorter I have cut most of the fluff like item specifics and appearance out. I think this race would be good at any class but the fluff makes rangers/bounty hunters really stand out, perhaps maybe even a serial killer type like in Predator 2. Anyways feel free to comment on anything about this race. If it is over powered tell me how and what you suggest as an alternative that may also fit the concept. If you think something doesn't mix with another thing then tell me why you think that. Since the Pathfinder campaign setting has expanded to include an infinite universe outside of the base world I think this race could do well in said universe if I tweak it enough to not be over powered. Please assume that when I say Earth I mean whatever the base planet is in a campaign setting Golarian for pathfinder. I also apologize for using three different names for the race. Lore wise any three of the names are acceptable and I have written parts over many different sessions. Also I tried very hard to keep thermal vision instead of regular vision, but it was just to difficult and instead I gave them normal vision and modified their biomask to compliment that.
The Yautja, known colloquially as the Predators or Hish, are an extraterrestrial species characterized by their hunting of other dangerous species for sport and honor, including humans. The Predators are a sentient, humanoid race that breathe an atmosphere similar to that of Earth's, but possess a level of technological advancement far in excess of anything available to humans. The Predators stalk and kill their prey using a combination of highly advanced technology, such as active camouflage and energy weapons, combined with traditional ancient weapons, such as blades, spears and nets; however they usually prefer the traditional weapons over the technologically advanced weapons. The Predators often ritualistically mutilate their victims and usually claim their quarry's skull as a trophy. Capable of interstellar travel in star ships, the Predators have hunted on other planets for centuries and have made contact with civilizations. They have been known to deliberately breed Xenomorphs in order to hunt them, often as part of initiation rituals for young Predators.
Personality
Predators almost always operate alone, there are many exceptions to this though and one such exception being is when young Predators undertake their first Hunt as a means of initiation, although each member of the group is expected to hunt for his/her own food without assistance. When hunting, Predators notably follow a strict code of honor that dictates the manner in which they will hunt their prey.
Yautja train every day (except for young children) for at least an hour, this may include a hunt, and can be included as part of an 8 hour rest, but otherwise families will have a similar daily life to that of a human. Yautja often have a calm, level headed approach to problem solving, however they may become increasingly short fused after long periods of failure or tribulation. Yautja consider themselves masters of ranged and melee combat even if they truly aren't, although it is rare to find ones who haven't been trained. Yautja are known for observing and studying targets, using stealth tactics to claim victory. For most Yautja, honor is worth more than any gem. When fighting, Yautja often employ a strict code of chivalry, always giving an opponent even ground when fighting, and always fighting clean are the highest of virtues. Although the Yuatja appear to be primitive because of the type of armor they wear and their strong ties to their old gods and ritualistic behavior they actually are very technologically advanced. They are naturally strong, fast, and healthy but that is the result of millions of years of evolution attributed by their Survival of the Fittest mentality. Yuatja are actually value intelligence and anything that technologically advances their race. They do not trust any race that wants quick handouts in order to advance without struggle and because of that they share no technology with other races unless specific individuals have earned their respect.
Relations
Yuatja’s will get along with any race (evil or otherwise) as long as they have a sense of honor, if an individual shows a lack of honor, Yuatja’s will not force it on them, but instead ignore the individual. Those who repeatedly show them disrespect will often be brutally killed or challenged to a fight.
There are many of what can be called tribes within Yautja civilization. There is occasional war between groups over land or hunting territory, such wars often spanning several generations. But for the most part the race has a general respect for each other.
Religion
Yautja have shown not to have any widespread or traditional religion, instead, they revere the "Black Warrior"- the God of Death. The Black Warrior is seen as an adversary who eventually wins all battles. All of the “Old Gods” are different aspects of the Black Warrior that represent a specific area that the Black Warrior has mastered.
Culture and History
Predator culture revolves around the stalking and hunting of dangerous lifeforms. Predators primarily hunt not for sustenance nor elimination of threats, but purely as a means of entertainment and proof of worth. As such, they will only attack life forms that have the ability, natural or technological, to provide them with a challenge. Indeed, Predators will often travel great distances to find worthy opponents, or seek out ways in which to attract or transport such prey to them. When traveling to other locations, Predators are often drawn by intense heat and armed conflict. Predators have been known to use other non-sentient species as tools to aid them in their hunts, including alien hunting hounds. On occasion, if a particularly worthy member of a sentient species is found on a hunt, Predators will systematically eliminate those who are close to the intended target in an attempt to enrage them and increase the challenge of the final confrontation.
After making a kill, a Predator may mutilate the corpse and turn it into a trophy — this is done only for prey who were considered worthy. This process can involve skinning, decapitating or removing the skull and spine from the carcass, or even removing all of the bones from the body altogether. One typical means of displaying a kill is to hang the filleted body upside down from a great height. Skulls and sometimes spinal cords are routinely removed and collected, and can commonly be found displayed on board Predator vessels or even worn about the Predator's person if size permits this.
Despite the ferocity and brutality with which Predators hunt and kill their prey, they adhere to a strict code of honor that forbids them from killing children, unarmed adults or the elderly. They have also been known to spare pregnant women and those with terminal illnesses, although they will not hesitate to kill such targets if directly attacked by them. A human who has managed to kill a Predator in single combat is often spared and even rewarded with a gift (often a rare or exotic weapon) as a sign of respect. In even rarer cases, a human who has fought valiantly alongside a Predator may be similarly honored, as was the case with Lex Woods. Should a target challenge a Predator to a fair, hand to hand fight, the Predator will often abide, and strip themselves of any advanced technology, bar their wrist gauntlet, to challenge them.
Defeat in a hunt typically results in the Predator committing honorable suicide, usually through the detonation of their Wrist Gauntlet's self-destruct mechanism, which may simultaneously be used as a last-ditch attempt to kill their prey. This explosion is also intended to wipe out all traces of the Predator and prevent their technology from falling into the hands of their prey, an occurrence which is considered a huge affront by Yautja society and typically results in the Predator responsible being banished. Should they be killed, a Predator's ship will return automatically to the home world, taking with it a record of the individual's hunt, recorded through their Bio-Mask.
Names
Yautja are given three names.
The first is the family name, and is only used by close relatives and extremely close comrades who have been hunting together for years. There are no differentiators between male and female names. The second and third names are given by the time Yautja reaches adulthood, until then, the Yuatja is referred to as a Youngblood by its brethren.
Example: Kree-klii, Gra, Nurag-wul, Tar, Yul, Kroll-sig, Maul
The second is often a trait or physical characteristic the Yaujta has displayed before it brethren.
Examples: Swift, Strong, Silent, Brutal, Dark, Wide-Eyes, Sharp
The Third name is most often a follow up to the second, complimenting the quality before it. It may also be a verb, such as Kill or Leap. Some Yautja may choose not to be called by a third name.
Examples: Spear, Blade, Hound, Hunter, Kill,
In rare cases, a Yautja proves himself a superior fighter, commanding respect from other Yautja. These Yautja may leave behind the names he was given for a name he chooses; often a one word, and unique- Such as Wolf, or Scar. Often these Yautja are enforcers, chosen to uphold Yautja law.
Technology
Predator Technology is distinctive in many respects, not least of which its ornate, tribal appearance that masks its deadly, and sophisticated weaponry. However, despite the species' obvious technological prowess, including access to adaptive camouflage and plasma weaponry, traditional, ancient weapons, such as knives and spears, are still employed widely (and apparently considered by Predators to be more "honorable" than advanced technology).
At least one Predator weapon uses a metal that does not correspond to any known element, and many devices have been shown to be completely resistant to the effects of acidic blood belonging to Xenomorphs, an otherwise incredibly corrosive substance. With this said however, the Wrist Blades and chest armor of Young bloods are still made of metal that is not immune to the Alien's blood. Some aspects of Predator technology have been in use for millennia. In addition, several of these tools make use of thermal imaging to track prey.
Racial Traits RP 13
Humanoid (Reptilian)(Just an assumption they seem sort of snake like but also sort of spider like.)
• (0RP) Eat, breath, and sleep.
• (2RP) Ability Increases: +2 to any 2 ability scores.
• (1RP) Base Land Speed: 40 feet because Yuatja are fast and have longer strides then most medium sized creatures.
• Size: Medium Humanoid
• (1RP) Languages: Common, Yautja, and can learn any language except secret languages like druidic.
• (2RP) Racial: The Yuatja are quick to react to situations they perceive as dangerous and thus have the Improved Initiative feat.
• Master Tinker (2 RP): Yuatja have a +1 bonus on Disable Device and Knowledge (engineering) checks. Yuatjas are also treated as proficient with any weapon they have personally crafted.
• (2RP) Climb: Climb speed of 20 and +8 racial bonus to climb checks that are subject to climb speeds.
• (2RP) Yuatja train to be incredibly alert and gain a +2 to perception.
• Weapon Familiarity (1): All Yuatja are trained in the use of, and are proficient with Predator/Yuatja/Hish items armors and weapons (feats and class abilities that are negated when using specific item types still apply, such as monk’s abilities requiring no armor worn). Additionally all Yuatja are trained in the use of, and are proficient with Kukris.
Predator Feats
Miraculous Blood
Prerequisites: Character level 3
Benefit: 1/day your blood can be harvested as a potion that will rejuvenate the body of creature that isn’t a Yuatja. The potion is made as if you were a cleric of your character level with the brew potion feat except that the costs for the potion are 1 hit point of damage per character level and 1 container for the blood. The potions properties are only potent for 24 hours after the potion is created thus preventing anyone from stocking up on or selling potions. If you possess any Metamagic feats you may apply up to one feat to the potion as if you were casting the cleric spell with said feat. If you are an arcane caster you may apply arcane spells to the potions, but only if the spell would normally apply to the Brew potions feat.
Explaining stats
Ability scores: I wanted the race to fit any class that a person might choose so that the race has a higher chance of being chosen. I also feel that they are more advanced than most races, especially humans, because they have been traveling space for thousands of years.
Movement Speed: They are almost tall enough to be considered large creatures and they need to be able to move swiftly when on hunts.
climb: a lot of lore explaining their hunting methods mimics that of the catfolk whom jump from tree to tree and ambush from above.
Improved Initiative: Really who doesn't want this feat even though they cant always justify putting it into a feat starved build? It also coincides with the ambush hunter style.
tinkerer: is to show they are technologically capable even though they prefer to be more primitive. The proficient with crafted weapons part was just a bonus I thought was nice.
Weapon familiarity: To open build possibilities that may not have been viable simply because of feats. Such as a rogue that wants to wield a katana without being a ninja (I don't know why but I'm sure someone wants that). Also the race comes with a large list of items that are specific to them due to their advanced technology combine that with their martial training and it only makes sense they would train with multiple weapons. I chose the Kukri to be included because it makes me think fo a fillet knife and I imagine the Yuatja would have something similar on them during a hunt.
