Liminal (3.5e Race)

This is a 3.5e adaptation of the liminal that first appeared in Dragon Magazine #250 ("Heroes of the Sea," James Wyatt).

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Liminals are descended from ancient unions between humans and merfolk. Liminals appear similar to humans, with rich golden-colored skin and light brown or blond hair. They have gill slits in their throats and bright-colored eyes of yellow, blue, or green. Their fingers and toes are partially webbed.

Liminals tend to adopt the roles of merchants, diplomats, and other roles involving interaction or mediation between the cultures of the land and sea. Liminals learn from an early age that settling down on land or sea is a detriment to both the individual and to the race. Liminals are encouraged to marry only other liminals, to protect the existence of their race and to maintain their cultural identity. A liminal who marries a human can no longer rely on other liminals for aid.

Liminals worship an androgynous deity called Eq'aa, who is both male and female. Eq'aa represents a paragon of duality, a concept of great importance to their race. Eq'aa is a neutral good lesser deity; his/her clerics have access to the domains of Animal, Good, Healing, and Water. Ea'aa's favored weapon is the trident.

Type: Humanoid (Aquatic). Alignment: Usually neutral good.

Liminal Racial Traits

• +2 Charisma, −2 Constitution. Liminals are friendly and outgoing, albeit frail.
• Medium size.
• A liminal has a base land speed of 30 feet. She also has a swim speed of 30 feet.
• Aquatic Subtype: A liminal is amphibious and can breathe both air and water.
• Low-Light Vision: A liminal can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
• Gills: A liminal can survive out of the water for 1 hour per point of Constitution (after that, refer to the suffocation rules on page 304 of the Dungeon Master's Guide).
• A liminal has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some action or avoid a hazard. She can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. She can use the run action while swimming, provided she swims in a straight line.
• Animal Companion (Ex): Regardless of class, a liminal gains an animal companion like a druid. Liminals may choose only aquatic mammals for their companions, and as such a 1st-level liminal character may choose only a porpoise, sea lion (Stormwrack 167), sea otter (Frostburn 165), or seal (Stormwrack 167). See below for a list of alternate animal companions. This ability is otherwise identical to the druid's class feature.
• A liminal druid substitutes the standard druid animal companion ability for its innate ability (and thus does not gain a second animal companion, but can choose from a wider range of creatures). A liminal ranger does not gain the standard ranger animal companion ability at all, using its innate ability instead.
• +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Handle Animal checks.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Aquan. Bonus Languages: Any (except for secret languages, such as Druidic).
• Favored Class: Ranger.

Alternative Animal Companions

A liminal of sufficiently high level can select her animal companion from one of the following lists, applying the indicated adjustment to the liminal's level (in parentheses) for purposes of determining the companion's characteristics and special abilities.

10th Level or Higher (Level −9)

Whale, orca (animal)

16th Level or Higher (Level −15)

Zeuglodon (Frostburn 120)

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