Gwlithenni (3.5e Race)

Gwlithenni

Personality

Gwlithenni are generally reclusive, preferring to live with others of their kind deep in caves or in brackish waters. Every so often, however, a gwlithen will leave the safety of their nests and live among other races. Because they cannot communicate verbally it is hard for them to form bonds with people of other races, but when they do they are fiercely protective and loyal. They also tend to be a oddly playful and sarcastic with close friends, using what limited emotive ability they have to great effect.

It is thought that the skulls floating in gwlithenni impart their former owner's personality traits to the Ooze, and those with animal skulls often seem to behave similar to that particular animal. Most adventuring gwlithenni have humanoid skulls, though the odd dragon or canine has been known to adventure as well.

Physical Description

Gwlithenni are large, grayish oozes, although blues, greens, and reds are not uncommon. They have become intelligent via the use of magic: their sentience is tied to a six inch black skull of some kind that floats in their interior. The skull can be from anything from a humanoid, to a dog, to a dragon, and even a number of bizarre subterranean or swamp creatures, but it is always approximately the same size. They have a small extra-dimensional space in the skull to put items, and they can squeeze through any area that the skull fits through.

Relations

Hated and feared by most races unfamiliar with them. Those commonly who live near them, such as dwarves, orcs, ogres, some elves (and, of course, some human settlements) learn to tolerate them as a culture, though they always make individuals who are not intimately familiar with gwlithenni highly uncomfortable. On rare occasions, settlements of humans have formed positive relations with a gwlithenni commune. It is not known what the two groups offer each other, but it does happen.

Gwlithenni have been known to purchase a suit of acid resistant armor and ooze into it to disguise their nature when traveling to unfamiliar and possibly hostile places, but generally prefer to remain in their natural form.

Alignment

Usually True Neutral.

Lands

Dark caves, brackish waters, and rotting marshes are the primary domains of the gwlithenni. Often times, the color and size of the gwlithenni indicates which environment it grew up in, though exceptions are not unheard of. Red and grey are most common in caves, blue and grey in brackish waters, and greens and blues in marshes. Marshes have the most color diversity, with the rare purple or white showing up occasionally, and Cave gwlithen tend to be smaller than Aqueous gwlithen. For the most part, gwlithenni live in uncivilized communes, but there are rumors of massive gwlithenni civilizations deep underground.

Language

Gwlithenni cannot speak, but they can understand common. They occasionally pick up other languages when they have enough exposure.

Names

Gwlithenni (pronounced Goo-li-Thenn-ee.) are generally named by their companions, as they have no cultural need for names. They often go by different names depending on who they are with at the time, though some particularly eccentric and distinctive gwlithenni may end up with only one name because they make it a point to retain their initial name or because the name is just so patently obvious that everyone they travel with happens to come up with the same one.

Examples include Gullten (a corruption of Gwlithen), Schlock (Onomatopoeia), Triefel (reference to historical figures), Flemming (appearance), and Greg.

Racial Traits

• +6 Constitution, +2 Strength, − 4 Charisma, − 4 Intelligence, − 2 Dexterity
• Ooze
• Large. As Large creatures, gwlithenni have a -1 attack and AC modifier; a +4 modifier to the bull rush, grapple, overrun, and trip special attacks; a -4 hide modifier; occupies a 10 ft. space and has a reach of 5 ft; and has a &mult;2 carrying capacity mulitplier.
• Gwlithenni base land speed is 20 feet: 10 climb
• Racial Hit Dice: A gwlithen begins with four levels of Ooze, which provide 4d10 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +3, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +1, Ref +1, and Will +1.
• Racial Skills: A gwlithen’s Ooze levels give it skill points equal to 7 × (2 + Int modifier). Its class skills are Climb, Hide, Intimidate, Listen, Move Silently, Swim.
• Racial Feats: A gwlithen’s Ooze levels give it two feats.
• Blindsight (Ex): Gwlithenni can sense all foes within 60 feet as a sighted creature would. Beyond that range, they treat all targets as having total concealment. Every 5% of Arcane Spell Failure Chance received from armor reduces the gwlithen's Blindsight radius by 5ft.
• Gwlithen are immune to gaze attacks, visual effects, illusions, and other attack forms that rely on sight.
• Mute: Gwlithenni cannot speak.
• Extra-dimensional Storage: A gwlithen stores it's items and gear in the skull floating inside of it. This skull functions as a bag of holding of a Type equal to half of the gwlithen's strength score. Any inert item that the gwlithen envelopes can be automatically placed in and subsequently retrieved from the skull as a move action. Any items that the gwlithen has not placed in the skull aside from weapons and armor reduces it's movement speed by 5ft.
• Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning.
• Not subject to flanking, and take half of any bonus damage from critical hits.
• Acid (Ex): A gwlithen secretes a digestive acid that dissolves only flesh. Any melee hit or constrict attack deals acid damage.
• Constrict (Ex): A gwlithen deals automatic unarmed and acid damage with a successful grapple check. This ability may only be used if the gwlithen is wearing light or no armor.
• Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a gwlithen must hit with its unarmed attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict. This ability may not be used if the gwlithen is wearing heavy armor.
• +4 racial bonus to Hide checks. In aquatic environments the gwlithen also receives a +12 circumstance bonus to Hide checks.
• +25 circumstance bonus to Escape Artist checks to escape bindings, and a gwlithen may always take 20 on such checks.
• Automatic Languages: Common

Vital Statistics

Table: Gwlithenni Random Starting Ages

Adulthood	Simple	Moderate	Complex
10 years	+1d8	+2d6	+3d6

Table: Gwlithen Aging Effects

Middle Age1	Old2	Venerable3	Maximum Age
30 years	60 years	80 years	+3d20 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: Gwlithen Random Height and Weight

Home	Base Height1	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Cave	10'	+2d6	900 lb.	+(9 × 2d6) lb.
Watery	14'	+2d8	1260 lb.	+(9 × 2d8) lb.
When the Gwlithen is loosely formed into a cylinder of diameter 3 feet.

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