Serpentfolk (4e Race)

Serpentfolk

Lizard Man by NimmyNimmy, on Flickr

Devious, sinister creatures, the serpentfolk bear an uncanny aura.

Racial Traits

Average Height: 5'4-5'11"

Average Weight: 120-170 lbs.

Ability Scores: +2 Intelligence; +2 Dexterity or Charisma

Size: Medium

Speed: 6 squares

Vision: Normal

Languages: Common, Draconic

Skill Bonuses: +2 Bluff, +2 Intimidate

Poison Resistance: You gain poison resistance equal to 5 + one-half your level.

Poison Skill: You get a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls when using powers with the poison keyword.

Slippery Tongue: You gain a +5 racial bonus to saving throws against charm effects.

Slink By: You can use slink by as an encounter power.

Slink By	Serpentfolk Racial Power
You take advantage of your abnormal anatomy, moving through a tight area.
Encounter
Free Action	Personal
Trigger: You fall prone
Effect: You do not provoke opportunity attacks while crawling, and may crawl at your full speed, until the end of your next turn.

Deceptive and ruthless, the serpentfolk are probably the most sinister of the anifolk. They care little for contact with other people, even their own race, and prefer pursuing knowledge and power. Even the purest serpentfolk will endeavor to gain more power at least once in their lives.

Play a serpentfolk if you want:

• To be disturbing and intimidating
• To be effective with poison
• To be a member of a race that favors the bard, rogue, warlock, or wizard classes

Physical Qualities

Serpentfolk are snake/human hybrids. They are shorter and smaller than normal humans, with a height of 5 feet, 3 inches, and weighing around 115 to 125 pounds. They have scaly skin which dries and is completely shed every 3 or 4 months. This skin comes in a variety odd colors and patterns, ranging from a ruddy, brick-like red or dark brown to navy blue, or even green. Their heads resemble that of a snake, but some have heads resembling pythons, while some others are more cobra-like. All serpentfolk have long two-pronged tongues, which gives them strange, slithery voices when speaking. They are also unique in that they are born like other reptiles, not mammals.

Like many of the other anifolk, the serpentfolk age a little more slowly than humans, but they reach full maturity at 15. Most live about a hundred years before passing away.

Playing a Serpentfolk

The tongue of a serpentfolk is sharp both literally and figuratively. They have a strange way with words that rivals even the rabbitfolk. However, the feelings and perceptions are different. While rabbitfolk's words were often soothing or at least filled with levity, those of the serpentfolk are sinister and vile, making a person feel as if they were being choked by a growing dread. Many avoid speaking to the serpentfolk for these reasons, though it is said the ratfolk and monkeyfolk do not feel these effects when interacting with their hybrid cousins.

Serpentfolk have self-centered personalities, concentrated solely on what they want most. In fact, most serpentfolk believe the pursuit of power is all that matters, which makes even the most altruistic serpentfolk unreceptive to company. In fact, solitude is their preferred way of life. This way, they can pursue their interests, whether for good or ill, without worrying about what others think of them.

Serpentfolk Characteristics: Aloof, dark, disturbing, intelligent, self-centered, selfish, sharp-tongued, sinister, tactful

Male Names: All human names, as well as Cobra, Lizard, Rattle, Snake, and Venom

Female Names: Any human name, including Ana, Poison, and Serpent

Serpentfolk Adventurers

Three sample serpentfolk adventurers are described below.

Rattle is a male serpentfolk rogue, a loner with a talent for coming up with a quick word almost instantly. His quick wit is matched only by his lust for power, and for him, knowledge is power. Obsessed with obtaining as much as he can, he has become obsessed with uncovering the most valuable treasures known to man.

Ana is a female serpentfolk warlord, working as a leader of a small gang of bandits in the region of Hollis. Crafty and charismatic, Ana knows the necessity of a good strategy, and is one of the best in planning raids and ambushes, never losing any of her fellow bandits in the process. Her gang grows larger by the day, and she hopes to one day create an army in the hopes of having her own nation.

Lizard is a male serpentfolk warlock. A former slave of the yuan-ti, Lizard grew up a servant to a yuan-ti shaman, spared from becoming a sacrifice to Zehir for his race, but repeatedly beaten and whipped by other yuan-ti for being what they deemed inferior. One day, he touched the border of the Feywild, and was offered their power in exchange for service. He accepted, and killed the shaman in his sleep. Now free, Lizard must be ever careful of pursuing yuan-ti.

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