So, I always liked ettercaps, don't know why. They just seamed cool to me, and it was a shame that those lovable spider-hugging cannibalistic aberrations aren't really playable. So I decide to make a kind of distant, more inteligent and civilized cousen of ettercap.
I present, the Ettermen:
+2 CON, +2DEX, -2INT, -2 CHA: Etterment are slender and quick as well as quite hardy for their frame, but retain much of the bizarre anatomy and mind-set of their ancestors (-4rp)
Medium: Ettermen are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Etterman have a base speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision: Ettermen can see in the dark up to 60 feet. (0rp from aberration)
Climber: Ettermen are extremely good climbers, and can easily scale walls. They have a climb speed of 20 feet, and gain the +8 racial bonus on Climb checks that a climb speed normally grants. (2rp)
Etterspeach: Ettermen natural language is composed of shreeks and clicks and is almost inaudible to human ear. Any ettermen can communicate with another etterman at distances up to 60ft, as if using telepathy. Anyone within 30ft of the talking etteman can make a DC20 perception check to hear the barely audible language. This ability works only with etterspech language. (2rp)
Ettercap jaws: Ettermen have a capable pair of chelicerae, which are not only sharp but also poisonous. The primary bite attack deals 1d4 damage, plus strength modifier, with a successful attack the opponent can also be poisoned. The poisons stats are as follows: Bite—injury; save Fort DC 15; frequency 1/round for 10 rounds; effect 1d2 Dex; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Constitution based. (5?rp)(taken right of the ettercap monster, maybe nerf it a bit?)
Trapper: Ettermen are secretive creatures, from birth they are tought to keep a low profile and relying more on cunning traps and stealth than on raw power. Ettermen treat stealth and craft (traps) as class skills. (1rp)
Imitated speech: Etterman have no vocal cords, and as such, they communicate by imitating words with clicks, hisses and low-pitched shrieks. As a result, they have a problem getting their point across, when dealing with other races. Etterment suffer -2 to all social skill checks, except intimidate, made against other sapient races. Also, when casting spells that are language dependant, the save DC for those spells is also lowered by 2. (-3?rp)
Spider Empathy (Ex): This ability functions as the druid's wild empathy, save that an ettermen can only use this ability on spiders. An ettercap gains a +4 racial bonus on this check. Spiders are mindless, but this empathic communication imparts on them a modicum of implanted intelligence, allowing ettermen train giant spiders and use them as guardians. (2?rp)
Languages: Etterspeach. Ettermen with with high Intelligence scores can choose any of the following: undercommon, common, gnome, orc, dwarven, drow.
Aging Effects: Middle Age 20 Old 30 Venerable 40 Max 40+1d10
Height and Weight: Male Height 1.85m Weight 85kg
Female Height 1.75 Weight 75
Alternative traits:
Ettermaw – Particular breeds of ettermen hone monstrous chelicerae, twice the regular size. These, while not as poisonous, can do much more harm. The primary bite attack damage dice changes to 1d6+1 ½ STR modifier. The poison stats are as follows: Bite—injury; save Fort DC 15; frequency 1/round for 5 rounds; effect 1d2 Dex; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is fortitude based. This trait replaces Ettercap jaws and Trapper traits.
Hunter – some above-land etterment prefer the more direct approach to hunting their pray. They treat survival and stealth as class skills. This trait replaces the Trapper trait.
Clawed – some ettermen still poses the large claw-like appendages on their arms that, though useful in combat, are quite the nuisance when performing mundane tasks. Etterman gains 2 primary 1d6 claw attacks. However, he also receives -2 on all skill rolls that require fine motor skills (such as craft or disable device) and doesn’t add his DEX bonus to CMD when being disarmed.
Not sure on some of the costs, but IMHO it's without doubt an advanced race.
Still, I liked these guys so much, I made a couple of racial achetypes for them:
The Venomous Stalker (Rogue):
Venomous stalkers are skilled ettermen assassins and is saboteurs; they use their natural poison to fulfil their tasks.
Natural Poison (Ex): At 1st level venomous stalkers learn how to apply their natural poison, from the chelicerae, dirrectly to their weapons, as a full-round action, as if using regular poison. He can do this a number of times per day, equal to twice his constitution modifier (minimum 1). The poison becomes inert after 1 minute after application. This ability replaces trap sense.
Poison gathering (Ex): At level 2 the venomous stalker learns to collect unused poison from his chelicerae. 1 dose of poison can be collected per 2 unused venom applications to a weapon, per day. The collection requires a DC15 Craft (Alchemy) check or DC15 Heal check. The poison dose becomes inert after 2 days, if not used, or after 1 minute, if not stored correctly.
Potent Natural Poison (Ex):At level 6 the venomous stalker learns how to force his body to produce a more volatile and potent version of the poison. By spending 2 Natural Poison uses at once the DEX damage of the poison increases by 2 and the DC save against the poison rises by 2 as well. The poisons damage and DC save continues to rise by 2 at levels 10 and 14, to a maximum of +6 to DEX damage and +6 to save DC at level 14.
This replaces rogue talents at levels 6, 10 and 14.
Venomous stalker adds these feats to his Rogue talents list: Poison use. He adds Swift poisoning (Ex) (as alchemist class feature) to his list of advanced talents.
So, pretty much a poison-focused rogue. I think it needs work.
Spider Rider (chevalier)
Due to their natural bond with spiders, ettermen are the only few creatures capable of capturing, taming and ride large spiders into battle.
Mounted Spider training: All Spider Rider abilities work only when riding Ettermen Spiders, or other spiders, large enough for the spider rider to use for mounts. In addition, when Spider Mount attempts to climb and move at climb speed, the spider rider does not need to roll a ride check, or fall, as long as he is not attacked and hit.
The Spider Rider picks Ettermen Spider as his animal companion and mount:
Ettermen Spider
Starting Statistics:
Size Large; Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.; AC +2 natural armor; Attack bite (1d6 plus poison); Ability Scores Str 14, Dex 15, Con 10, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 2; Special Attacks poison (frequency 1 round [4], effect 1 Str damage, cure 1 save, Con-based DC); Special Qualities darkvision; CMD trip +12.
4th-Level Advancement:
AC +2 natural armor; Attack bite (1d8 plus poison); Ability Scores Str +2, Con +2. tremorsense 30 feet
Challenge (Ex): Spider rider receives challenge ability, at level 4, at 1 use per day, adding 1 additional use per day, every 4 levels.
Webbed charge (Ex): At level 4, after making a successful charge and dealing damage, the Ettermen Spider can attempt to start a grapple as a free action, as if he had grab ability, but it also provokes an attack of opportunity.
This replaces Banner and Greater banner ability.
Webbed grapple (Ex): At level 6 the spider riders mount receives +6 to grapple attempts, and provokes attacks of opportunity only if he fails the attempt. The spider rider doesn’t need to dismount and can attack the creature, grappled by his spider, as if it were standing in the nearest adjacent square.
Webbed capture (Ex): At level 11 Ettermen Spider, when giving pinned condition to the grappeled creature, as a swift action, can tie it in a thick coat of webs, giving it the helpless condition, getting out of these webs required a DC25 Strength check, or a DC30 escape artist check.
This ability replaces Mighty Charge.
Webbed assault (Ex): At level 20 Spider Riders mount, when ending its charge, instead of an attack, can attempt to grapple, and maintain a grapple, on up to its DEX modifier of creature in reach, in a consecutive order, without provoking attacks of opportunity, and upon success pin that creature.
This ability replaces Supreme charge.
Very mount-dependent, but can do a lot of fun stuff... needs optimizing, and nerfing, i belive.
I like the Ettermen concept, especially the etterspeech, ettercap jaws and imitated speech.
Fantastic alternate traits.
I'm seeing a 5 RP cost total not 3 - though it feels as if it should be higher.
If you want some spider-esque cavalier archetypes:
I like the Ettermen concept, especially the etterspeech, ettercap jaws and imitated speech.
Fantastic alternate traits.
I'm seeing a 5 RP cost total not 3 - though it feels as if it should be higher.
If you want some spider-esque cavalier archetypes:
Thanks, I'll look at those alternatives. 3 is the price of being an aberration.
Did a bit of revision on the race, anyone interested can take a look: