Aegis Hands (3.5e Race)

This page needs an image. If you are an artist, or know of any image that would fit this page, please upload a picture and add it. More information...

Aegis Hands

Personality

Aegis Hands spend the majority of their days contemplating their existence and why they were brought into this world. Aegis Hands were infused with the souls of intelligent denizens of the Astral Realm, not unlike the way a necromancer infuses the soul to a corpse, giving them thought capabilities on par with most other humanoids. In a way, this is what sets them out the most between other intelligent races: this similarity paired with an inescapable difference that creates a social gap that is hard to cross. Aegis Hands are incredibly analytical and pragmatic, often opting for the option with the least difficulty for all involved. Though golems, there are exceptionally altruistic, and undeniably malicious, individuals. Since their creation and subsequent rebelion, the Aegis Hands have strived to assume control over their own lives and fates.

Physical Description

Aegis Hands are large, typically 7'10" for males, 7'6" for females. Their crystaline composition give them considerable weight and a slow, stomping gait. Aegis Hands often sport intricate etchings and arcane runes from their former lives as enslaved war machines. An Aegis Hand is made of Bright Crystal, a divine crystal that gives the Aegis Hands such living qualities. Psionic Aegis Hands are also made of a small amount of Deep Crystal, though not enough to be of much use in terms of psionically charging it for increased damage; the same goes for the Bright Crystal, which is already charged to give them life. An Aegis Hands' face is just that: a sphere with a slit in the front for optical observation and holes in the head for auditory observation. Aegis Hands lack any form of olfactory system but have a simple nervous system, enough to be aware of pain and damage done to them.

Relations

Most races recede at the sight of an Aegis Hand, this is because they were originally used as weapons of war. Hatred runs deep for most common races due to the deaths of loved ones at the hands of them. To more forgiving races, the enigmatic Elves and the short-lived, forgetful Humans, the Aegis Hands present a unique trade partner and possible ally. Dwarves respect the craftsmanship of the stone and applaud their combat prowess, though Dwarves are still wary of Aegis Hands, they count them as friends. The most bizarre relationship that Aegis Hands have is with Kobolds, they're inseparable! For some unknown reason, these two races are fast friends and are both willing to die for the other. All Aegis Hands have a deep seated hatred for Mind Flayers, their previous enslavers, and will never willingly associate with one.

Alignment

Almost all Aegis Hands follow some form of Neutrality. All alignments are present in the race, however. The most common would be Neutral/Good, because of the Aegis Hands' drive to remove their title of 'war machine'. An evil Aegis Hand is a peculiar sight, the Bright Crystal rejects the mind and turns a dark red or an empty black, depending on how destructive the soul is (this is merely aesthetic and has no effect on healing or other effects).

Lands

The Aegis Hands have no lands to speak of, though they can live virtually anywhere. Aegis Hands are more likely to associate with whatever race accepts them than most of their own kind. Aegis Hand 'families', that is, groups that decided to travel together, may sometimes set up camps on the outskirts of villages. Though they may not be liked, the defense offered by sentinel constructs has its appeal.

Religion

Surprisingly, Aegis Hands are highly religious. Typically worshiping the local deities of the population, Aegis Hands almost never worship any deity of war. It's too cliché. Aegis Hands have no pantheon of their own to speak of, either through lack of imagination or a preference of the convenience of established gods.

Language

Aegis Hands were taught Common by their enslavers. Their analytical minds allow them to learn or comprehend almost any language fairly easily.

Names

Most Aegis Hands were given titles like: 10023-23 or 102334-99. They thought they lacked flavor or appeal and now pick names found in books or from stories.

Typical Names include: Firebrand, Heart-Seeker, Aegis Fang, Twinkle. For some reason or another, they seem to prefer the names of the weapons as opposed to the characters.

Racial Traits

• +2 Strength, Constitution -, −2 Wisdom, −2 Charisma: Aegis Hands are powerful, but lack much in worldly knowledge and aren't socially accepted.
• Construct (living):
  • No Constitution score.
  • Derives its HD, BAB, Skills, and Base Saves from its classes.
  • Low-light vision.
  • Darkvision out to 60 feet.
  • Since they have minds and think, they do not get immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
  • Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, and necromancy effects.
  • Can heal damage on their own through positive energy, due to being made up of real souls and their bodies being made of Bright Crystal, or through the use of the Craft Construct feat. A construct with the fast healing special quality still benefits from that quality.
  • Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain.
  • Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless).
  • Not at risk of death from massive damage. Becomes inert when reduced to 0 hit points or less. Essentially death, though the body remains the soul departs.
  • Since it has a soul that is separate from the body, the soul can be willed to re-enter the body through SRD:Raise Dead or SRD:Resurrection.
  • Because its body is a mass of crystalline matter, a construct is hard to destroy. It gains bonus hit points based on size, as shown on the following table.
  • Constructs do not eat, sleep, or breathe.

Table: Construct Size and Bonus Hit Points

Construct Size	Bonus Hit Points	Construct Size	Bonus Hit Points
Fine	—	Large	30
Diminutive	—	Huge	40
Tiny	—	Gargantuan	60
Small	10	Colossal	80
Medium	20

• Medium: As Medium creatures, Aegis Hands have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. They gain a bonus 20 Hit Points
• +4 natural armor bonus.
• Crystalline Body: any armor must be made at double cost, which includes masterwork cost; Aegis Hands have large, crystal bodies that are humanoid enough to be fitted with armor, but must be customized for their girth.
• Aegis Hand base land speed is 20 feet: However, Aegis Hands can move at this 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).
• Shield: Shield is a protection unique to certain creatures, most of which are constructs. A shield defends the creature it envelopes and has the ability to soak damage of most any kind. A creature with the shield special quality has a deflection bonus to Armor Class equal to a quarter of its HD (with a minimum of +1 and a maximum of +10 at level 40). For every two HD a creature has, the shield that protects it has 5 hit points. Shield hit points are regained at a rate of 1 hit point per HD per hour. When a shield's hit points are depleted, its deflection bonus to AC disappears until the shield gains at least 1 hit point.
• Reinforced Plating +2: An Aegis Hand's reinforced plating quality acts as a substitute Constitution modifier with respect to their hit points per HD, its Constitution-based special attack save DCs and its Fortitude saves.
• Powerful Build: The physical stature of Aegis Hands lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger. Whenever an Aegis Hand is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the Aegis Hand is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. An Aegis Hand is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature's special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. An Aegis Hand can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. His natural weapons increase their damage as well. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject's size category.
• Heal at the standard rate: 1 Hit Point/HD per day.
• -8 to Move Silently checks: an Aegis Hand has a loud, stomping walk that makes plenty of noise.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Binary. Bonus Languages: Any.
• Favored Class: Fighter.
• Level Adjustment: +2

Vital Statistics

Table: Aegis Hand Random Starting Ages

Adulthood	Simple	Moderate	Complex
100 years	+2d20	+3d20	+4d20

Table: Aegis Hand Aging Effects

Middle Age1	Old2	Venerable3	Maximum Age
450 years	600 years	750 years	-- years
At middle age, −1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At old age, −2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At venerable age, −3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

Table: Aegis Hand Random Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	7' 2"	+1d10	500 lb.	× 2d4 lb.
Female	7' 0"	+1d8	400 lb.	× 2d4 lb.

---

Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Races