Foulspawn (4e Race)

Foulspawn

By Dave Allsop

Humanoids whose minds and bodies have been have been twisted and altered by the power of the Far Realm

Racial Traits

Average Height: 6'6" - 7'6"

Average Weight: 200 lbs. - 400 lbs.

Ability Scores: +2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence or Charisma

Size: Medium

Speed: 5 squares

Vision: Low-light vision

Languages: Common, Deep Speech

Skill Bonuses: +2 Arcana, +2 Athletics

Aberrant Awareness: You have a +2 bonus to Perception do to your foul nature.

Alien Body: You are considered an aberrant creature for the purpose of effects that relate to the creature origin.

Foul Infection: You gain a +3 bonus to saves against attacks that have the dominated condition.

Body Molt: You can use Aberrant Augmentation as an encounter power.

Aberrant Augmentation	Foulspawn Racial Power
You feel the power of the Far Realm course through your core as the foul taint in your body comes forth.
Encounter
Minor Action	Personal
Effect: You immediately gain a +3 to all attack and defense rolls until the end of your next turn.

The foulspawn are unfortunate souls tainted with the influence of the Far Realm. When the Living Gate was destroyed, an uncontrolled wave of creatures like gith and illithids burst into the world. Along with these entities came a tide of ill and foul wind from the realm of dark cosmos. The Far Realm's effects on the local life was devastating. Humanoids like elves and humans found themselves warped beyond recognition into the beings now known as foulspawn. Some liken them to the farspawn though the two come from different locations.

Play a foulspawn if you want...

• to play a character forever in a battle for their own sanity
• to be a member of a unique race with special rules
• the pleasure of roleplaying a mad-man
• To be a member of a race that favors the psion, warlock, and bard classes.

Physical Qualities

The foulspawn can appear like any other humanoid race with a few minor differences that give away their true nature. This usually can be seen in their neon swirl eyes or oddly shaped pupils. Patches of their skin maybe covered in scales like a reptile, or they may have small tentacles around their face instead of hair. Some have double jointed, long and knobby fingers, while others have webbing at their joints and translucent skin revealing their veins. Their default forms also tell tales of their mental hardships. Those who have hair often have patches missing, having pulled it out themselves. Others may have chewed on all their fingernails.

However, when they begin to tap into their aberrant powers, their forms shift and bubble to become something else entirely. Their skin splits like a chrysalis to reveal a foul form not of this world. In this form, known as their aberrant augmentation, they get faster and stronger, as well as more wily, as if all the psionic and alien energy in the Far Realm suddenly surges forth from them.

Attitudes and Beliefs

The foulspawn are creatures with minds damaged by a catastrophic event that was not of their doing. They are the victims. Some are actually aware of that, and others are too nutty to. Foulspawn vary amazingly in temperament due to the degree which their minds may have been damaged by their transformation. But they are generally all mentally disturbed, one way or another. There are foulspawn who hear voices to different degrees, or have flashbacks of horrific memories and visages in their head, all influences of the Far Realm.

There are generally two groups that foulspawn fit into in terms of belief. Any others that are uncategorized usually hold no real belief aside from survival and preservation. The first group are the ones aware of the harm the Far Realm has caused and continues to cause. These foulspawn usually end up with goals to close the gate to the Far Realm once and for all, and are willing to cooperate with beings under the guidance of Ioun, despite being possibly hated. The other group is interested in the Far Realm and the promises it holds for them. They often clash with those seeking to close off the Far Realm and will align themselves with evil beings for their thirst for power. Despite whatever their beliefs, foulspawn in general will never resort to a divine power due to not having any belief in that.

Roleplaying a Foulspawn

When making a foulspawn adventurer, here are a few points to consider:

Maddened. The typical foulspawn is not mentally stable all the time. They could therefore be a rather large hinderance on the party and be very socially withdrawn.

Defeatist. Most foulspawn tend to be very cynical. They have been beat down most of their lives by forces pummeling their mind and body. Trying new things to them is often pointless, as well as doing good things.

Victim. While farspawn can be difficult, they retain some humanity. They can still respond positively to compassion and kindness. Many are observed to have been able to better retain their sanity when given better conditions. It is like healing for their soul, supposedly. While it is not a permanent solution, foulspawn can reciprocate these feelings as well, showing improvement in their condition.

Foulspawn Characteristics: Nervous, anxious, mad, verbose, violent, frightened, gloomy, cross, fatalistic

Male Names: Fhfragn, Rgarlas, Pjsarew, Vnerasrg

Female Names: Gssartlss, Bgsasrt, Vfrwylt, Nsgnro

Foulspawn Adventurers

Foulspawn usually adventure for the sake of their sanity, one way or another. Some seek to bolster it and even find answers to reverting to their original forms. Others may seek to staunch the flow of Far Realm powers in the world. Of course, there are also foulspawn who seek to perhaps widen the gate by weakening Ioun. Fouler still are those who see the Far Realm as the "true way" and so seek to essentially destroy the natural world at the behest of alien forces, turning it into a horrid, twisted nightmare.

Psion: With their chaotic, but strong minds, the psion class is a natural fit for the foulspawn.

Warlock: Commonly, foulspawn seeking powers of the beyond will become warlocks. They are not religious enough to pledge themselves to a deity, and so they resort to other means to obtain contracts and pacts for their powers.

Bard: Some farspawn find interest in the power of the arcane, as opposed to psionic. They utilize their power over fear or even mental invasions to tide others to their whim.

Three sample Foulspawn adventurers are described below.

Fluntusa is a Foulspawn Bard. He was amazed by the power of warpcallers and strove to be like them. He has become famous in a section of the Far Realm and strives to "perfect" the world in the way of the mad visions the Far Realm has given him. Thinking he was built to be legendary, he already has bolstered the strongest armies of foulspawn with his twisted battle tunes, and many kingdoms fear he could lead an invasion of the natural world.

Hloth-Samethagog is a Foulspawn Star Pact Warlock. She isn't completely mad, but she has acquired many eccentricities from her transformation, and she meditates each week. Still thinking herself to be human, she uses the name she was given at birth, Avenia. She is very interested in the power of the Far Realm, harnessing the power of a patron from it's mysterious territory. As she uses its power more, she has no idea the patron could be using her as a gateway for its influence on others.

Yxyx is a distant Foulspawn Psion. He makes his dwelling in the Tower of Thyp, once owned by the power-hungry group of psions called the Thinkers of Thyp. With each passing year, he develops more powerful rituals to fortify his mind against the power of Outside. The Tower of Thyp is actually a large petrified tentacle from the Far Realm, making many rooms irregular in shape. He gladly helps other Foulspawn defend their minds against the Far Realm, and although he doesn't seek them out, they seek him out, making anything he does, although how insignificant it may be, worth it.

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