Ra'vaac (3.5e Race)
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Ra'vaac
Personality
Ra'vaac are an extremely kleptomaniac race, and find anything shiny (but in particular gold) to be irresistable. Like rust monsters trying to devour a warrior's sword, armor and any other metal he might have, Ra'vaac revert to an animalistic mentality if they even see a metallic or crystallic item, and try to take it almost immediately (although they usually don't get this way around mundane shiny things, such as steel or iron, or glass or ice.). In an insane paradox, Ra'vaac are some of the most generous of people when dealing with non-shiny objects, and some of the best healers, priests and general do-gooders out there are wandering Ra'vaac. Ra'vaac in groups, however, tend to be slightly xenophobic, although they will not attack or harm the strangers unless they are wearing flashy jewelry that they refuse to give up, or if they attack a "nchat-kai", a "nest-mother". All Ra'vaac share a love of intellectual sport, mainly focused on games of strategy or the devilishly hard riddles that they usually tell. On a lesser level, they all enjoy music of any variety, many kinds of art, and especially poetry. Long, 365 page ballads or epics read all in one sitting are fairly commonplace at their annual festivities.
Physical Description
Ra'vaac stand about 5', 8" to 6', 3", and usually weigh between 65 and 93 lbs. Their dimensions are roughly similar to humans, but differ in several, crucial ways. Ra'vaac have the heads of enormous ravens or crows, but with a slightly larger skull to accommodate a larger brain. Their eyes are positioned on the side of their heads, so anything directly in front of them appears fuzzy, as if seen in peripheral vision. Their torsos are very similar to those of humans, but their limbs are quite different. Their arms from the elbow down are covered in blackish-grey scales, and each arm ends in a four-fingered claw with large talons. Also, from the "pinkie finger" side of the hand to a spot somewhere between the armpit and the back, they have enourmous black wings following the line of the arms. Their legs are similar in composition to their arms, but without wings, and while their leg-claws also have four talon-tipped toes, there are two toes facing foreward and two facing back, like those of owls. Behind their legs, somewhere near the base of the spine, they have a large, fan-shaped tail of feathers. Their entire body is sheathed in black feathers or fluffy black down, and their eyes are usually blue or green. "shtai-karai" or "shaman-crows" are rare individuals who always have pure white feathers and down and deep violet eyes. Despite their distinctly avian appearance and physiology, they do not lay eggs. Instead, expecting mothers bear live chicks, usually two or three at a time. For the duration of her pregnancy, the female shuns all male company, and is fiercly volatile towards any that would dare to break her solitude.
Relations
Ra'vaac get along well with just about everyone that doesn't see any need to demolish their homes, which means everybody except dwarves, who have a nasty habit of felling the trees Ra'vaac happen to be living in in order to feed their forges, and goblinoids, whom they absolutely abhor. (Hobgoblins are a notable exception; the Ra'vaac may fight them bitterly, but they recognize an intelligent and ordered foe when they see one, and treat it with the cautious respect it deserves.) This is because the Ra'vaac have an unnering ability to see a person's flaws and benefits, and to weigh these together in developing an opinion. However, while Ra'vaac may like most others, that doesn't mean that everyone else likes them. Except for halflings and gnomes, who delight in incessant chatter and discussion, most other races find Ra'vaac raucously loud and annoying at best; haughty, arrogant and greedy at worst.
Alignment
Ra'vaac have no real favored alignment, although they are never evil, but rather "free-spirited". Due to their affinity with nature, they also tend to lean ever-so-slightly towards chaos or neutrality.
Lands
Ra'vaac are most often found in forests of enourmous pines, monolithic ranges of mountains, or (just recently) on the exteriors of the tallest buildings in human cities. They like most places just fine, but hate anything too watery. (like marshes or an aquatic environment.)
Religion
Ra'vaac worship Ithilion, goddess of the moon, and Nalmanest, goddess of the stars. Their clerics are always "shtai-karai" females, and these select few have the complete devotion and affection of all other Ra'vaac, for normal Ra'vaac were sundered from their dieties long ago, the shtai-karai now are their last link to the creatrices. A cleric of either of these dieties gains access to the domains of Air, Water, Protection, and Destruction.
Language
Although Ra'vaac have their own language, it is impossible for non-Ra'vaac to speak. However, it is no more difficult to understand than any other language, it's just that no other race is capable of producing the harsh and unattural shrieks, caws and other ululations that Ra'vaakii is full of. Other than that, Ra'vaac usually speak common and avian.
Names
Because their real names are in Ra'vaakii, and thus unpronouncable to others, most Ra'vaac will choose a second name that they use around non-Ravaac. These names are often human, but are sometimes elvish or even gnommish. Regardless of origin, a second name usually has something to do with a bright or shiny something-or-other.
Racial Traits
- +2 dexterity,+2 intelligence; -2 strength, -2 charisma
Ravaac are very nimble and quick due to their "honeycombed" bones, and are also very smart, but because of these same bones they are slightly fragile and due to their raucous and boisterous nature, are somewhat unpleasant to be around.
- Type:Humanoid (avian)
- Size:Medium. Ra'vaac have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- Base speed:20; Fly, 50(average). Ra'vaac are slightly ungainly when grounded, but in the air...well, you get my drift, right?
- Avian body:Ra'vaac are born with a light, "honeycombed" skeleton, like those of birds, and with air-worthy wings and tail. Before maturity, a Ra'vaac isn't strong enough to fly, but it still gets a +2 bonus to jump checks. A mature Ra'vaac keeps this bonus, but also gains the ability to fly for a number of rounds equal to it's constitution score times 5. Every round that a Ra'vaac goes over this amount, they sustain one point of temporary constitution damage and 1d3 nonlethal damage. A Ra'vaac also gains the ability to take damage from a fall as if it were 15 feet shorter because of its' wings, but this only functions if the Ra'vaac is conscious.
- +4 racial bonus to spot checks. Ra'vaac are insanely hard to sneak up on due to their almost all-around vision, which is also, I might add, always 20/20.
- 2 natural attacks: 2 claws(1d4 slashing, crit x2), or Peck(1d4 piercing, critx3)
- Automatic Languages: Ra'vaakii, Avian and Common. Bonus Languages: Any
- Favored class: Monk, if regular; Cleric, if Shtai-karai. Many Ra'vaac seek to control their lust for shiny objects through the ascetic lifestyle of the monk.
- Level Adjustment: +1
Vital Statistics
| Adulthood | Simple | Moderate | Complex |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 years | +1d4 | +2d4 | +1d10 |
| Middle Age1 | Old2 | Venerable3 | Maximum Age | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 years | 22 years | 26 years | +3d6 years | |
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| Gender | Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 5' 4" | +2d6 | 45 lb. | × (1d3) lb. |
| Female | 4' 10" | +2d6 | 38 lb. | × (1d3) lb. |
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