Canine races


Homebrew and House Rules


I didn't know where to put this post

i'm working on a game that a party or ppl has never on the island and the only race living on the island are minotaurs and a wolf (canine) race (there at war) and find the minotaur but the wolf race i can't find (i know about the gnoll) i'm keep my options open.

my question is, Is there a canine (wolf, hound, hyena) race (but the gnoll) out there? it can be a 3ed party race. I know i can make one but asking first before i do that.


Adlet? Not sure if they would be appropriate to most 'island' environments

Unless you put a particularly tall mountain on it,so their could be a cold environment. That could lead to an interesting dichotomy-the Adlets control the forests of the mountain, while the minotaurs control the labyrinthine cave system inside the mountain.

Of course, the Adlet's relatively high level (15HD and CR of 10) might also limit their use. Sure you wouldn't prefer some nice werewolves instead? I am fairly sure minotaurs are immune (doesn't lycanthropy only affect humanoids?) and it provides an easy bit of foreshadowing (have the party encounter a single injured and half mad minotaur with a silver ax)


chaoskin wrote:
my question is, Is there a canine (wolf, hound, hyena) race (but the gnoll) out there? it can be a 3ed party race. I know i can make one but asking first before i do that.

You can always homebrew, or even reskin a race and give it another's stats. That's usually the quick way to get things done imo. For 3rd party, I immediately remember Anumus from alluria and Hengeyokai from rite.


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

There is also the Lupin race. If you could find a copy of the Dragon Magazine it appeared in for 3rd edition, it would be easy to convert. Or just make up your own.


Adjule wrote:
There is also the Lupin race. If you could find a copy of the Dragon Magazine it appeared in for 3rd edition, it would be easy to convert. Or just make up your own.

Dragon magazine 325, pg 85 I think. Got bonuses to sniffing out hidden and disguised foes and bonuses against fighting werewolves.

Speaking of which, were-beast.


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

Also in the Dragon Compendium.


As has been mentioned there is the Lupin race (Dragon #325, or Dragon Compendium.)

The is also the Sibbecai from Arcana Unearthed/Arcana Evolved

Silver Crusade

You can also do Aasimars that originated as a mix between canine-looking Agathions and Humans, but over time they simply homogenized as Idyllkin Aasimars. Could do the same thing but with Archon Blooded and Hound Archons.

Of course you can also refluff and cherry-pick from the (extensive) list of potential traits of Aasimars to get the racial powers/features you want. That will almost guarantee you won't break the game because you're just kind of refluffing something already published by Paizo. I believe you can find the list in a source book called Blood of Angels (but I might be mistaken). Some things that pop out at me as good possibilities are:
1. Once per day can communicate with anything as if under Tongues effect.
2. +2 racial bonus against fear (Warrior attack-dog mentality)
3. +2 racial bonus on hearing-based perception
4. +4 racial bonus to demoralize (Scary wolf thing snarling)
5. +4 racial bonus against cold effects
6. +2 racial bonus to handle animal/ride
7. Can summon a Lantern Archon once a day (goes well with Archon blooded idea)

If the canine group is the "good" group then a long line of Hound Archon blooded would work well with the whole "anti-chaotic warriors of justice" mentality they're described as having.

You can also make a custom race from scratch, but it's sometimes difficult to not make something that can be abused (if your players are good min/maxers with good system mastery) or feel underpowered to the point of feeling bland and boring. There's definitely a sweet spot when it comes to race creation.


Aziraya Zhwan wrote:
You can also make a custom race from scratch, but it's sometimes difficult to not make something that can be abused (if your players are good min/maxers with good system mastery) or feel underpowered to the point of feeling bland and boring. There's definitely a sweet spot when it comes to race creation.

Well, if your aiming for somewhere between what's already existent you have a pretty wide variance. Most of things you can get from a racial trait aren't really that overpowered on their own. +2 to a skill isn't much, +2 to a variable stat won't be any better than any other race, etc. You probably don't start to break things too much until your a four armed super mutant, but funny enough four arms itself isn't that powerful.


Skinwalkers from Blood of the Moon, maybe?


Skin walkers or dogs with the anthropomorphic animal spell stats.
Or the template that does animal/people.


Maybe include Kitsune?

I know, technically vulpine rather than canine, but maybe close enough?

Here's a crazy idea, convert Dogboys from Rifts to Pathfinder! (no, not seriously)


I wrote Canids, a pdf about dogmen (obviously). It came out of Fat Goblin Games and there are plenty of options to customize. Let me know if you have any questions.


Vykati from The World of Terah campaign, or predator ferran from Thunderscape, or the previously mentioned Anumus, which you can find on the d20pfsrd website.

Grand Lodge

Witchwolf Skinwalker is basically what you got.

Now, technically, you could have very Canine like Aasimar, or Tieflings.

Descendants of Hound Archons, and Hell Hounds, and whatnot.

Sovereign Court

i'd use werewolf (hybrid human/wolf form) for the stats of that race... just remove "curse of lycanthropy" from their bite attack...

RPG Superstar 2009 Top 16, 2012 Top 32

I have an upcoming product line that will kick off with a PDF entitled "Clan of the Dog" a few months from now. (Actually, it will kick off with two PDFs, "Clan of the Cat" being the second.)

"Clan of the Dog" includes character options and story elements for a new canine race, but you could easily adapt that material for use with any existing canine race. If you end up using one of the races mentioned earlier in this thread, "Clan of the Dog" would still be useful as supplemental material.

If this thread is still active when "Clan of the Dog" is released, I'll be sure to post a link to the product herein.


Uhhmmm... what's not acceptable about adjusting anthropomorphic jackals? ...unless you feel there's not enough there with which to work.

The Exchange

I second Graywolf777's recommendation of the sibeccai from Arcana Unearthed (a.k.a. Arcana Evolved), though you may need to give them a +2 to one more stat to match the PF playable-race standard of +2 to two stats, -2 to another.


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

Jackals? That's the first I have ever heard gnolls referred to as jackals, instead of hyenas. Personally, I love gnolls, especially if you go full-on hyena and have the females bigger and more dominant than the males.


Here's one called Kaenyd from the pathfinderdb.

It has 4 of 5 stars with 28 ratings.


Adjule wrote:
Jackals? That's the first I have ever heard gnolls referred to as jackals, instead of hyenas. Personally, I love gnolls, especially if you go full-on hyena and have the females bigger and more dominant than the males.

Yeah. You're right. They seem similar in my brain and I use one when I mean another sometimes. I have the same problem with the colors yellow and orange...

I really like flinds. In 2nd, I got the impression they were shorter, stockier, and what's not cool about having nunchucks... I mean flind bars? On a side note, I just got an idea or two for one-shot villains.


sorry its taking me so long to post back the last few days have been hell for me

lemeres wrote:

Adlet? Not sure if they would be appropriate to most 'island' environments

Unless you put a particularly tall mountain on it,so their could be a cold environment. That could lead to an interesting dichotomy-the Adlets control the forests of the mountain, while the minotaurs control the labyrinthine cave system inside the mountain.

Of course, the Adlet's relatively high level (15HD and CR of 10) might also limit their use. Sure you wouldn't prefer some nice werewolves instead? I am fairly sure minotaurs are immune (doesn't lycanthropy only affect humanoids?) and it provides an easy bit of foreshadowing (have the party encounter a single injured and half mad minotaur with a silver ax)

i wasing to use them but the high level thing what killed it

MrSin wrote:
You can always homebrew, or even reskin a race and give it another's stats. That's usually the quick way to get things done imo. For 3rd party, I immediately remember Anumus from alluria and Hengeyokai from rite.

reskin do u mean use the gnoll stats but there look like wolf not hyenas

Hengeyokai!!!!!! i love the race but i can play them as wolf race but when they die they go back as human good one thro

Anumus i never heard of them before i will keep that in mined

Adjule wrote:
There is also the Lupin race. If you could find a copy of the Dragon Magazine it appeared in for 3rd edition, it would be easy to convert. Or just make up your own.

i have heard of them i may have to look them up

MrSin wrote:
Aziraya Zhwan wrote:
You can also make a custom race from scratch, but it's sometimes difficult to not make something that can be abused (if your players are good min/maxers with good system mastery) or feel underpowered to the point of feeling bland and boring. There's definitely a sweet spot when it comes to race creation.

i really dont want to this

MrSin wrote:
Well, if your aiming for somewhere between what's already existent you have a pretty wide variance. Most of things you can get from a racial trait aren't really that overpowered on their own. +2 to a skill isn't much, +2 to a variable stat won't be any better than any other race, etc. You probably don't start to break things too much until your a four armed super mutant, but funny enough four arms itself isn't that powerful.

i will keep that in mine

DrDew wrote:

Here's one called Kaenyd from the pathfinderdb.

It has 4 of 5 stars with 28 ratings.

nice :)

Epic Meepo wrote:

I have an upcoming product line that will kick off with a PDF entitled "Clan of the Dog" a few months from now. (Actually, it will kick off with two PDFs, "Clan of the Cat" being the second.)

"Clan of the Dog" includes character options and story elements for a new canine race, but you could easily adapt that material for use with any existing canine race. If you end up using one of the races mentioned earlier in this thread, "Clan of the Dog" would still be useful as supplemental material.

If this thread is still active when "Clan of the Dog" is released, I'll be sure to post a link to the product herein.

hmmmm that new but i dont that the time for this but i will buy it when it comes out

Purple Dragon Knight wrote:
i'd use werewolf (hybrid human/wolf form) for the stats of that race... just remove "curse of lycanthropy" from their bite attack...

thats a other good one but some as Hengeyokai!!!!!! (sorry i love the race) they change back to human

Aziraya Zhwan wrote:
You can also do Aasimars that originated as a mix between canine-looking Agathions and Humans, but over time they simply homogenized as Idyllkin Aasimars. Could do the same thing but with Archon Blooded and Hound Archons.

i was thing about plane touch or use a template but to much work or me

thats a lot of good ideas come them coming plz

Silver Crusade

What do you picture this race to be like? Some questions that might help us find something that works:

1. Are they compassionate (noble hound), or are they brutish (vicious wolf)?
2. Do they work well with nature, or do they abuse nature?
3. Are they usually scrawny, are they built for power, or varied? What are their mental abilities like?
4. Are their senses as powerful as a canine's or as powerful as a human's?
5. Do they value justice, or do they value trickery?
6. Do you want them magical in some way (Aasimars, Fey, Kitsune), or mundane (humans, elves)?
7. Are there any aspect(s) or powers in particular that you want to have included? Stuff such as racial ability modifiers or spell like abilities.

I can probably homebrew something approximating what you're looking for if I have that information. The mechanics of it, at least. I'll base it off of an existing race (so not much work to memorize and/or write down) and post it here for you (and whoever else) to see. At that point you can fluff up their culture and background information however you want.

Silver Crusade

DrDew wrote:

Here's one called Kaenyd from the pathfinderdb.

It has 4 of 5 stars with 28 ratings.

Btw, my antivirus seems to think that website is virused.

Silver Crusade

Oh, also, is their culture "work where you're obviously best at mentally and physically" or more like how we are in a "you can choose your life's profession no matter your origins"?


Aziraya Zhwan wrote:

What do you picture this race to be like? Some questions that might help us find something that works:

1. Are they compassionate (noble hound), or are they brutish (vicious wolf)?
2. Do they work well with nature, or do they abuse nature?
3. Are they usually scrawny, are they built for power, or varied? What are their mental abilities like?
4. Are their senses as powerful as a canine's or as powerful as a human's?
5. Do they value justice, or do they value trickery?
6. Do you want them magical in some way (Aasimars, Fey, Kitsune), or mundane (humans, elves)?
7. Are there any aspect(s) or powers in particular that you want to have included? Stuff such as racial ability modifiers or spell like abilities.

I can probably homebrew something approximating what you're looking for if I have that information. The mechanics of it, at least. I'll base it off of an existing race (so not much work to memorize and/or write down) and post it here for you (and whoever else) to see. At that point you can fluff up their culture and background information however you want.

they look like werewolf pride comes up a lot

2 Do they work well with nature: yes they all do spears, bows, leather if they're not using for tents, eat what they need not what they want, etc
3 there wolfs they work together like packs but do to the war all the packs are fighting to kill off the other races
4 senses like canine's ? idk what you mean there
5 mostly pride and trickery (only in combat, out number you, hit and run stuff like that)
6 they do use magic maybe both i will keep my options open
7 ?

im looking for something that look like a werewolf

Silver Crusade

chaoskin wrote:


they look like werewolf pride comes up a lot

2 Do they work well with nature: yes they all do spears, bows, leather if they're not using for tents, eat what they need not what they want, etc
3 there wolfs they work together like packs but do to the war all the packs are fighting to kill off the other races
4 senses like canine's ? idk what you mean there
5 mostly pride and trickery (only in combat, out number you, hit and run stuff like that)
6 they do use magic maybe both i will keep my options open
7 ?

im looking for something that look like a werewolf

In regards to question 4, I meant the strength of their senses. You know how (real world) canines can smell better than humans? I want to know if I should model the race with a canine's sense of smell (strong) and ability to see in the dark or if their sense of smell/vision is closer in strength to a human (normal).

In regards to question 6, I meant magical as in biologically magical. Almost all races use magic in one form or another and any race can be mages, but are they innately magical? A Kitsune has a lot of magical abilities that they get purely for being that race (shapeshifting, magical tail, Dancing Lights, etc) and would be considered "innately magical". A human or halfling don't have any innate magic and their bonuses are biological (better senses, better balance, learns skills easily, etc) and would be considered "mundane". If they happen to be innately magical then it opens up some nifty things like speaking to animals X times a day, Fear spell-like-abilities, etc.

In regards to question 7, I was asking if there was any particular bonuses you wanted them to have. Do you want them to have a +2 to strength within their ability score traits? Do you want them to see well in the dark? Do you want them to shoot lazers from their eyeballs (not serious, of course)? If there's something you really picture them being able to do (magical or mundane) then let me know and I'll try to find a way to work it in there.


sorry its taking so long to post back this week was hell for me

Aziraya Zhwan wrote:


In regards to question 4, I meant the strength of their senses. You know how (real world) canines can smell better than humans? I want to know if I should model the race with a canine's sense of smell (strong) and ability to see in the dark or if their sense of smell/vision is closer in strength to a human (normal).

In regards to question 6, I meant magical as in biologically magical. Almost all races use magic in one form or another and any race can be mages, but are they innately magical? A Kitsune has a lot of magical abilities that they get purely for being that race (shapeshifting, magical tail, Dancing Lights, etc) and would be considered "innately magical". A human or halfling don't have any innate magic and their bonuses are biological (better senses, better balance, learns skills easily, etc) and would be considered "mundane". If they happen to be innately magical then it opens up some nifty things like speaking to animals X times a day, Fear spell-like-abilities, etc.

In regards to question 7, I was asking if there was any particular bonuses you wanted them to have. Do you want them to have a +2 to strength within their ability score traits? Do you want them to see well in the dark? Do you want them to shoot lasers from their eyeballs (not serious, of course)? If there's something you really picture them being able to do (magical or mundane) then let me know and I'll try to find a way to work...

the way i was think about it was human cames from apes the wolf race came from wolf so there sense would be like real wolves (canines).

for question 6 i was talking about class levels, but (canines) may have low-light, stuff that (canines) may have. none of them have magical abilities (like spell-like etc) maybe speak with animals now think about it i can do that with class levels nvm

for question 7 maybe +2 strength, +2 wisdom, -2 something (idk if i can do that) idk if (canines) can see in the dark (as darkvision) i know they have low-light, no lasers out of their eyes, "picture them being able to do?" hmmmmm you're making me think about this as more i think and look my screen i'm like the fear thing, staying true with no magical abilities plus to intimidate (opening round they use the skill)

i hope that helps

Grand Lodge

I made a fan conversion for Warcraft's Worgen race here on the forums. Its 15 RP.

Worgen:

Type
Humanoid (worgen) (0 RP)
Size
Medium (0 RP)
Base Speed
Normal (0 RP)
Ability Score Modifiers
Specialized +2 Str, +2 Dex; -2 Wis (1 RP)
Languages
Standard (0 RP)
Racial Traits
Defensive Racial Traits
Healthy (2 RP)
Feat and Skill Racial Traits
Skill Bonus - Perception (2 RP)
Skill Bonus - Stealth (2 RP)
Movement Racial Traits
Fast +10' (1 RP)
Offensive Racial Traits
Bite – 1d3 (1 RP)
Claws x2 – 1d4 (2 RP)
Senses Racial Traits
Scent (4 RP)


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

If we are going to post our own canine races, here's mine:

Okwaho:

+2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma
Canid: Okwaho are humanoids with the canid subtype.
Medium: Okwaho are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Okwaho have a base speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision: Okwaho can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Forest Strider: Okwaho can move through natural difficult terrain at their normal speed while they are within forests. Magically altered terrain still affects them normally.
Mournful Howl: Once per day, an okwaho can emit a mournful, eerie howl as a swift action. All opponents within a 60 foot radius who can hear the howl must make a Will save DC 10 + 1/2 the okwaho’s HD + the okwaho’s Wisdom modifier or be shaken for 1d4 rounds. If the targets are already shaken, they become frightened for 1d4 rounds. This is a mind-affecting effect.
Pack Fighting: Okwaho receive a +1 racial bonus to attack rolls when flanking, and are considered flanking when 2 or more allies (not including the okwaho) threaten a foe.
Survivalist: Okwaho receive a +2 racial bonus on Survival checks.
Thick Fur: Okwaho receive a +1 natural armor bonus to AC due to the thick fur on their bodies.

The name is Mohawk for "wolf".


There's anthropomorphic animal races in the back of 3E's Savage Species that you could convert to Pathfinder, wolf is one of those.

Silver Crusade

Alright, here we go. I used the Race Builder from the Advanced Race Guide to check for balance. If you wanted to make them into a PC race then I would suggest giving them Common as a language known.

Custom Race:

Racial Traits: +2 strength, +2 wis, -2 cha
(When I think werewolf, I think strong. Being xenophobic seems like it could lead to a lower charisma.)

Size: Normal

Speed: Base Speed of 30

Languages: Whatever their native language is.
(If nobody else has ever been to the island then they won't know any languages your party members could possibly know)

Feat and Skill Racial Traits:
Natural Tracker - +2 racial bonus to Survival, Stealth (4 RP)

Offense Racial Traits:
Natural Weapons: Bite (1d4) (2 RP)

Senses Racial Traits:
Scent (4 RP)
Low-light Vision (2 RP)

Other Racial Traits:
Fast - +10 base speed (1 RP)

This gives an RP of 12 how it is and ~14 if you use the alternate racial trait I talk about in the next spoiler. With this RP I think you can add on Adjule's fear effect he included in his race without a problem. I think it fits perfectly for what you're looking for in a race. As for my next idea...

What if some are trained to be brutish attackers instead of scouts?:

I was also thinking of an alternate racial trait that makes them more berserkerish but I have no idea if it's even remotely balanced or not. It would include giving them Blood Rage (Ex) from the Universal Monster Rules (also known as Frenzy in the race-builder stuff on the PFSRD), and when Raging they lose weapon proficiencies but also gain claw attacks. I think this would fit well with the swift and brutal attacks I associate with a werewolf. It would read like this:

Name: [Insert race name here] Frenzy (Ex) - “Some [Insert race name here] are trained to make use of their natural strength and power as berserkers instead of the usual craftiness of other warriors of their race. When the [enter race name here] takes damage in combat, on its next turn it can choose to fly into a rage as a free action. It gains +2 Constitution and +2 Strength, but takes a –2 penalty to its AC. The rage lasts as long as the battle or 1 minute, whichever is shorter. This does not stack with a Barbarian's or Bloodrager's rage bonuses. It cannot end its rage voluntarily. While raging, the [insert race name here] loses all weapon proficiencies (except for natural weapons). However, she gains two claw attacks dealing 1d4 damage and her Bite attack increases by one size to 1d6. Additionally, if she has Improved Grapple then she also gains a rake (1d4) while grappled. This ability functions 3+ ¼ character levels a day. This replaces Natural Tracker racial trait”.

What RP would this custom trait be? I have no clue, but I can take a wild stab. There's a 2 RP thing that gives the +2 con, str and -2 AC but that's only once a day. I'll add another +2 for multiple uses. It loses weapon proficiencies, which seems to equate to around -2 or -3 RP. This doesn't stack with Rage (which it normally would) knocking the RP down a bit. It gives Claws which bumps it +2 RP (kind of) and Rake (which doesn't have a listed value, but very situational so I'll say +1). Also increases Bite so that's a rough equivalent to +2. All together, this trait would probably give around +5 or +6 RP. I can see it working well with a Natural Attack Ranger or maybe even a Monk with Feral Combat Training.

This would allow for some variation between them.


I'd just take the template for the cat-folk in the ARG as a template, and start modding them using the race builder rules. Change the stat boosts, bonuses from Skilled, change claws to a bite, maybe give them scent instead of a climb speed or something... make sure the point costs are about the same though.


i dont want to kill this post thank you for all the help i will keep my mined open and my options open thank you a lot

chaoskin

p.s. now i need to set down and make them

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Homebrew and House Rules / Canine races All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.
Recent threads in Homebrew and House Rules