Skum (4e Race)

Skum

By Diana Franco

Skum are heartless amphibians, that are distrustful of most other races.

Racial Traits

Average Height: 5’6”–6’2”

Average Weight: 135–220 lb.

Ability Scores: +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity

Size: Medium

Speed: 5 squares, Swim 7 squares

Vision: Darkvision

Languages: Common, Deep Speech

Skill Bonuses: +2 Perception, +2 Stealth

Amphibious Nature: Your race is amphibious and can breath air or water will equal ease. You have the aquatic keyword, so you are considered aquatic for the purpose of effects that relate to creature origin.

Aquatic Affinity: While in the water you gain a +2 bonus on your attack rolls against creatures that do not have a natural Swim speed. You can Charge while swimming, provided you swim in a straight line.

Feeding Frenzy: You can use Feeding Frenzy as an encounter power.

Feeding Frenzy	Skum Racial Power
Sensing weakness you are driven to feast on your enemy.
Encounter
Minor Action	Melee
Target: Bloodied enemy
Attack: Strength Vs. AC
Hit: You bite your target for 1d8 + Strength modifier damage.
Special: At Paragon levels damage increases to 1d10 + Strength modifier, and at Epic levels damage increases to 1d12 + Strength modifier .

Play a Skum if you want...

• To be an exile looking for a home in a world that hates you.
• To be a cold, often angry creature that finds little amusement in things.
• To be a member of an amphibious race that can live both in and out of the water.
• To be a member of a race that favours the Barbarian, Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, and Warden classes.

Physical Qualities

Skum look like an abominable crossbreed of human and fish. It's fins have grown into twisted arms and legs, and it's bent back is crowned with a long spiny frill. It has a slender, muscular tail and bulbous eyes. Skum are about the same height and weight as an average human. While preferring to live in deep dark waters the skum are an amphibious race able to live on land as easily as below the water.

Playing a Skum

Player Skum are always members of a tribe that has either exiled them or whose behavior has driven them away in search of a better life. Centuries ago the skum were created by an aboleth to serve as it's slaves. Using magics to create a fusion of humans and sahuagin. Somehow in the past they escaped or were freed for some reason. Since that time they have spread across the world. Still, due to their history, skum dislike (and distrust) magic of any kind. They must be convinced it poses them no threat before they will even begin to accept such things in their life.

Skum are not emotionless, but they are creatures of few emotions. They trust only their fear and anger, and feel time should not be wasted on joy, compassion, or other "positive" emotions. Skum do not have family units, instead their young are raised communally, and military structure is something they enjoy and respect.

Most skum gain pleasure in using their natural weapons, but the more civilized skum that leave their tribes find it too barbaric and will use weapons and armor to show they are beyond their wild kin.

All skum are carnivores, preferring the meat of warm-blooded animals over others if possible. Skum always eat their food raw, the cooking of meat leaves it foul and tasteless to them.

SKum Characteristics:

Male Names: Temho, Hota, Cympak, Okeah, Mope, Borha, Bro, Cuneb, Goroto

Female Names: Boha, Nyka, Peka, Neho, Krenek, Tercha, Kameb, Ochoba, Pab

Skum Adventurers

Gulag was a male skum who left his tribe when he found he couldn't agree with hunting intelligent creatures for food. He settled near a small tropical village living in the deep waters of the area called the Ebon Lagoon. As time passed he honed his skills hunting animals in the surrounding woods, and helping protect the village from threats. Learning the skills of a Ranger, Gulag earned the nickname "Gill Man" from those who admired him and "The Creature from the Ebon Lagoon" from his enemies. Before long the desire to see more of the world and to protect it from itself drove Gulag to undertake adventures beyond his small home. Now Gulag often skulks about listening for hints of situations that he may have some hand in, often protecting those that can't protect themselves, but just as often he seeks to shield the natural world from the depredations of those who think themselves better then it. He hates the wanton destruction of nature, particularly if a body of water is involved. Few people know what to make of Gulag, he seems to desire no friends, but he seldom drives away friendly company if it is offered to him. He wears tight black leather armor (some believe made from human hides), and wields both a longspear and longbow that he fashioned himself.

Skum Racial Options

Heroic Tier Racial Feats

Name	Description
Body Shield	You grant allies a bonus to their AC.
Claw Fighter	Your claws are weapons.
Hunting Tactics	You and your allies gain extra damage against targets you Flank.
Skum Bite	While swimming you can bite a foe you are grabbing.
Spear Talent	You can make an extra melee attack with any weapon from the Spear group.

Paragon Tier Racial Feats

Name	Description
Parrying Claws	You are quick enough with your claws that you can catch blades out of the air.
Raking Claws	Quick swipes work fine for some, but you'd rather your opponent fall after one good slash.
Serrated Claws	Your claws have the high crit property.
Sharp Claws	Your claws use d8 instead of d6.

Epic Tier Racial Feats

Name	Description

Skum Setting Options

Creatures: Skum

---

Back to Main Page → 4e Homebrew → Races