So I was watching Kung Fu Panda with my daughter today, and she asked me why there are no turtle folk she can play in pathfinder. So I have decided to work on this. I'd like to keep it core as possible and in the standard or low advanced range (no higher than 15 RP) and so I am turning to more creative minds - you. Can anyone help me build a turtle folk race?
These are my home rules. I have blatantly stolen ideas from other online races, some turtle, and some not. If there was an online copyright for home brew stuff, I would violate the bejeebus out of it. That said, here we go:
Testudo
Most Testudo live over large tracks of land, that border and heavily overlap the territories of other Testudo. They possess little in the way of technology, and while they farm and build permanent homes, they have little in the way of industry.
A typical village will have a cluster of homes closely packed around the egg laying site for the tribe. These tribes usually only interact with other species by collecting herbs, magical components, and salvage to trade, as their immunities to environmental hazards allow them to tread where few other species can go.
Testudo are spiritual creatures. The worship mother Ocean, the protector, Father Earth, the life bringer, Brother Shell, the warrior, and Sister Grain, the patron of farmers and fertility. The typical Testudo will contain a shrine to at least one of these deities.
Personality: Testudo vary widely based on their lineage. Some are very stoic and kind, acting as fishermen and traders along coastal areas. Others are extremely aggressive and launch deadly raids against settlements for food and gold.
Physical Description: Simply put, Testudo are appropriately named because they look like tortoise-humanoids. Depending on their lineage they will have different patterns on their shells and different colors of skin. The list below details some well-known tribes of Testudo.
Bloodshell Raiders: A merciless group of coastal raiders that have crimson shells and a dark grey-brown skin. Their shells are extremely spiky and they have mouths shaped like a much more jagged and sharp beak than other Testudo.
Chelonians: The peaceful chelonian merchants are commonly found along tropical coasts. They have bright azure shells with ivory spirals on each scale. Their skin is grey and mottled with dark blue spots.
Lapos: A common name given to a scattering of Testudo that are found inland. They usually have dark green shells with green skin. Their faces sometimes have brightly colored markings and their shells intricate patterns.
Relations: Along coastal regions, depending on their lineage, Testudo are often at least known by people and respected. Areas afflicted by particularly bloodthirsty Testudo may greet them with hostility, but more often, they are treated as foreign traders: never quite trusted by society, but not feared.
Lands: Testudo prefer warmer climates, but they can be found in small groups anywhere that humans can be found. Very few large groups of Testudo exist because they are often killed before they reach adulthood.
Names: Testudo get a draconic name through a naming ceremony that happens once they reach adulthood. Until then, they are expected to wander the world, learning skills that will prove valuable to their people. Often during their travels, they are given a name by the people they encounter (ranging from a real name from people of that culture to simply "turtle"). Away from their people, they often use this "outsider name", reserving their real name as a privilege for Testudo only.
Racial Traits: -2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence: Testudo are slow to act, but exceptionally tough.
Humanoid (Reptillian)
Medium: As medium creatures, Testudo get no special penalties or bonuses due to their size.
Testudo base land speed is 20 feet.
Testudo have a +3 natural armor bonus.
Ageless Constitution (Ex): Testudo do not receive penalties to their Constitution score due to aging. They still receive the normal penalties to their Strength and Dexterity scores.
Tortoise gain Endurance as a bonus feat.
Sturdy Build: The tortoise can move at its full speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load (unlike other creatures, whose speed is reduced in such situations). It also gains a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground).
Endure Elements (Heat only): As the spell.
Testudo can pick any two of the following abilities:
Aggressive: The tortoise gains +2 Strength, but -1 Intelligence.
Aquatic: The tortoise gains the Aquatic subtype and a swim speed of 30 feet. The tortoise can now move through water without making swim checks. It has a +8 racial bonus on any swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always can choose to take 10 on a swim check, even if it is distracted. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line. Unlike normal aquatic creatures, it still breathes air, but it can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to 4x its constitution score.
Natural Intuition: The tortoise gains +2 Wisdom, but another -1 Dexterity.
Snapper: The tortoise has a natural bite attack that deals 1d6 + strength modifier damage.
Tough Shell: The tortoise has a +6 natural masterwork armor bonus instead of a +3 natural armor bonus.
Automatic Languages: Common, Draconic
Bonus Languages: Aquan, Dwarven, Elven, Goblin
If anyone I have cribbed from is offended, I apologize.
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Kappa are a 'turtle-folk' race you could use for some inspiration.
My suggestions for a turtle race, stat-wise:
- Small humanoid (0 RP)
- 20 ft. movement (-1 RP)
- 40 ft. swim speed (4 RP)
- Stat array is up to your ideas for the race... I'd suggest +2 CON +2 WIS -2 STR. (0 RP)
- Normal languages (0 RP)
- Low-light vision (1 RP)
- +1 natural armor (2 RP)
- Hold breath (1 RP)
Plus maybe an interesting and unique trait with the remaining few points?
I would go with a -2 to dex. Maybe a special ability that doesn't count snapping turtle style against the number of styles that the PC can use at a time... Turtle style mastery!
The Te Ehm'entee
1) Size Small (or medium, but I think or turtles as small) 0 RP (either way)
2) Speed: Slow (Think this is a given...) -1 RP
3) Lang Group: Common 0 RP
4) Racial Language: Sylvan 0 RP
Stat: Flexible (+2 to 2 stats) (2 RP)
Racial Abilities:
1) Water Child: +4 bonus to swim checks, can always take 10 to swim, may choose Aquan as bonus language. (4 RP)
2) Emissary (1/Day): Roll twice for one Bluff or Diplomacy Check, and use the highter result (1 RP)
3) Hold Breath: Members of this race can hold their breath a number of rounds equal to four times their Con Mod. (1 RP)
4) Low Light Vision: Members of this race can see twice as far as other normal in dim light. (1 RP)
5) Natural Armor: +1 Natural Armor ) (2 RP)
Total 10 Points
at first I was concerned about balance when I saw +3 natural armor on a pc race, but then
Tough Shell: The tortoise has a +6 natural masterwork armor bonus instead of a +3 natural armor bonus.
made me realize you probably meant for this to be built in armor you could wear other armor over, not traditional natural armor as in the category of things which adjust your ac. Having no penalty armor stapled to your character doesn't seem like the worst thing ever on further review. Perhaps lowering the upgraded version to a no penalty masterwork chain shirt might be a little less crazy on monks and wizards, but a shell really is just like a breastplate in a lot of ways so you are losing out on flavor.
The only other changes I'd suggest would be to balance the stat tradeoffs on aggressive, though natural intuition may be fine, as -3 to a stat is much worse than -2. That said, making aggressive lower dex instead may be just what you need to balance the built in breastplate choice, and give you an incredibly ponderous yet tough and strong species, and they would still be more stealthy than anyone else in equivalent armor.
You guys rock, there are some great ideas here! Thank you! I think I'm definitely going with a minus to dex, the sheep seems limiting to movement.
And, she's never played a monk or ninja, so I'm hoping she won't try one now >.<
I am okay with Ninjas.Just don't let her be a Monk.If not monk then at least a teenage ninja.
young, multiclass ninja/alchemist, with some mutations perhaps?
I remember a 3.5 rewrite of the tortle race from Savage Coast/Red Steel in Dungeon or Dragon. I don't have that, anymore, though.
EDIT: It was in Dragon #315, according to the internets.