Beastfolk, Slinks (3.5e Race)

Slinks

Nobody notices them until it’s far too late, and their jaws are sinking into the back of a victim’s skull. Slinks, also called weaselkin, are adept solitary predators’‘: quiet, crafty, and lethal. They are adept at living alone in the wilds of the world, and generally prefer that manner of life. However, when they do enter the cities of other races, slinks become truly deadly. Most other races feel uneasy around the weaselkin, and there is good reason for this, since slinks are not noted for being the most social (or the most sane) or individuals, and are prone to occasional fits of mindless bloodlust. Besides this, they are also associated with the criminal underworld with almost gleeful enjoyment of their grisly tasks. However, there are many slinks who act as spies, infiltrators, and informants all over the world, and their talents are held in high regard wherever they are known. Those who know slinks know that they are expert, if eccentric, talent, and treat them accordingly, catering to their wishes for the excellent results that this brings. But anyone who really knows slinks never lets them out of their sight, for the moment one trusts a slink too much, that is the same moment that there begins the constant danger of a final, lethal bite.

Personality

Nobody ever said that slinks were completely stable individuals. In fact, most people will say quite the opposite. Though not necessarily malicious, weaselkin tend to be eccentric loners, which seems to be a part of their genetic makeup. While they do enjoy the company of their friends, and often act the part of the jester, clowning their way into the hearts of those around them, all slinks feel most comfortable on their own. When around others, a slink tends to be a light-hearted chatterbox, speaking before thinking and given to acting on the least impulse, which can all-too-often lead to all sorts of trouble. When alone, however, a slink undergoes a remarkable transformation, suddenly becoming an incredibly smooth operator, efficient and lethal.

Physical Description

Weaselkin are what their alternate name suggests’‘: a humanoid version of one of the small mustelids, with bright eyes, quivering whiskers on the end of a short, delicate muzzle, soft, luxurious fur, and an almost constant state of hyperactive motion. Slinks can take after the general appearance of weasels, ferrets, mongooses, polecats, minks, sables, and other, similar, wiry predators of mustelid origins. They are small, slender, incredibly agile, and are almost impossibly flexible.

Relations

Most races are distrustful of slinks under the best of circumstances. They have an unnerving predatory quality about them which gives them an unsavory reputation, though most people who meet a slink in person can easily forget this, due to the bright and active personalities of the weaselkin. Because of this, weaselkin really do not have any racial friends, but at the same time, they lack any serious racial enemies. The only races that slinks have any serious dealings with are the proscion, who are generally thought to be the ones that taught the slinks Squeak Speak and gave them their first boost into the world of espionage and crime, the rippers, with whom they feel a strange kinship (see the section on rippers, below, for more information on this), and occasionally the ratlings.

Note’‘: Slinks are able to interbreed with rippers, the offspring taking on the racial traits of the mother.

Alignment

Slinks are wild and free-spirited and given to fits of seemingly random action and bouts of playful activity. Because of this, Chaotic Neutral is the most common alignment that describes this race.

Lands

Generally solitary, slinks do not have any racial lands, though individual slinks will stake out what they consider their personal territory, whether this be in the wilderness or an urban environment. Slinks prefer territory with lots of prey, whether literal or figurative, and where they can hide easily.

Religion

A casual observer would think that slinks were areligious. This is not the case, however. Slinks are religious, preferring deities of trickery, stealth, assassination, and lighthearted fun, but they are such individualists that the idea of organized religion is almost completely anathema to them. So, while a slink might follow a deity, his manner of worship tends to be highly individualistic. Gods such as Garl Glittergold, Olidamara, and Erythnuul are all in keeping with the ideals of slinks.

Language

Squeak Speak is the native tongue of slinks, though they know Common as well. They can choose bonus languages from Avian, Dwarven, Elven, Feline, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling, Orc, Ripper, and Wolfen.

Names

Solitary by nature, slinks do not have family names, only a single use name. This name would generally be considered a nickname by other species, and can be in any of the languages that a slink knows. Typical names in Common include Devilfang, Skittle, and Whitepaw, though names of similar meaning in other languages are just as likely.

Adventureres

A slink is one of those races that is less likely to adventure, not so much because of a lack of a lust for excitement, but more because they do not work very well in groups, and they always feel that they need to be checking up on what belongs to them. However, if a party can give a slink plenty of space when she needs it, and is willing to put up with some of the weaselkin’s odd behaviors, then a slink can make a most able ally, and a willing (though occasionally odd) friend.

Racial Traits

• +2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom
• Monstrous Humanoid
• Medium-size
• Slink base land speed is 30 feet
• Low-light vision
• Incredible Flexibility: +2 bonus to Escape Artist and Tumble checks, and a +4 racial bonus to Grapple checks.
• Attach: A slink that succeeds on a Grapple check can choose to sink in its teeth (like a weasel), doing 1d4 lethal damage (instead of 1d3 subdual as a normal creature of its size) each round that the slink stays attached. If a slink has the Feral Bite Feat (found in the “Feats of the Beastfolk” document) then a slink can choose to attach automatically after a successful bite attack instead, as well as doing normal bite damage each round. An attached slink loses any Dexterity bonuses to AC, and can only be removed involuntarily on a successful pin with a grapple attack, or by killing the slink.
• Ferretkin: Slinks can take Dwarfism (see the “Feats of the Beastfolk” document) as a racial Feat at 1st level. Their attach special attack still does the same amount of damage, regardless of size.
• Light Build: Slinks cannot wear heavy armor
• Automatic Languages: Common, Squeak Speak. Bonus Languages: Avian, Dwarven, Elven, Feline, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling, Orc, Ripper, Wolfen.
• Favored Class: Rogue.
• Level Adjustment: 0

Vital Statistics

Table: Random Starting Ages

Adulthood	Simple	Moderate	Complex
years	+	+	+

Table: Aging Effects

Middle Age1	Old2	Venerable3	Maximum Age
years	years	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: Random Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	' "	+	lb.	× () lb.
Female	' "	+	lb.	× () lb.

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