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.
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, -2 Dexterity: Bladebacks are naturally strong and outgoing, but the armor on their back makes them less flexible.
• 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.
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, -2 Charisma: Finheads have good reflexes and exceptional insight, but not as outgoing like the others.
• 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.
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 quite weaker 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.
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.
I would really like some feedback on this. It feels as if I'm forgetting something.
Hm....no one?
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Because of how good a +2 natural armor bonus is, these races are probably on par with the Aasimar, Tiefling, Suli, etc. in being 'powerful' races, but not egregiously so.
Random other thoughts;
1) Were the Bladebacks and Hornheads intended to have tail or gore attacks? (Possibly a feeble bite attack for the fliers?)
2) Do they have any special visual senses, like low-light vision?
3) For the purposes of ease of use, I imagine it's best to completely ditch the scent-based language (and inability to speak, penalty to hearing / Listen checks), and just go with Common & Draconic, as you have.
Flyers:
• +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Strength: Flyers can soar through the air with exceptional grace and are quite bright. Though they are quite weaker compared to the others.
Total grammar nitpick, but that last sentence causes me pain.
'Their small frame makes them physically weaker than their larger cousins.'
Hornheads:
• +2 Strength, +2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom: Hornheads are strong and have sharp minds, but they .
This sentence ends abruptly.
'but they lack the sharper senses of their smaller kin.' or something, I imagine would fit there.
Sorry about my grammar and sentence structure...I'm not a writer, lol. I knew I forgot the low-light vision. In regards to the natural attacks, I didn't add them because they don't use them. To them the use of their claws, horns, or tails as weapons is a sign of being feral. They frown upon that.
What about the flying for the flyers? Do you think that its a little much?
From what I remember of the Saurials, Finheads is the races analogues to humans. So my only nitpick is giving them defines attribute modifications.
From what I remember of the Saurials, Finheads is the races analogues to humans. So my only nitpick is giving them defines attribute modifications.
????
From what I remember of the Saurials, Finheads is the races analogues to humans. So my only nitpick is defining their attribute modifications.????
Sorry about that.
Like humans, let them pick their +2.
I like the ability adjustments they have already, but do you guys think i should give them some skill bonuses? like give the flyers +2 to flying and perception?
I love the idea of Saurials and given the background from FR they could easily end up on any planet (I seem to recall Moander brought them from another prime material plane)
Anyway other then kudos for suggesting the idea I suggest you make the hornheads a large creature instead of medium, I think they are supposed to be on par with ogres in size. I'd also add natural attacks for all of them (as suggested above) and give them cold vulnerability to balance out the natural attacks they get.
If you would have read the whole thing you would've seen that they all have cold vulnerability. I'm not making the hornheads large because it would be too powerful for 1st level characters. And with the natural attacks, I didn't add them because they don't use them. In my world they think it is a sign of being feral or mentally unstable. They see them selves as advanced beings, so using their claws and what not is a big taboo in their society.
I have decided to scrap this idea. It became too bothersome to finish.