Swinling (4e Race)

Swinlings

By Fairy Surreal

A quiet, shy people, quite personable when you befriend them, and quite fearsome when you endanger their friends.

Racial Traits

Average Height: 4'6" – 5'2"

Average Weight: 105 – 280 lb.

Ability Scores: +2 Constitution, +2 Dexterity

Size: Medium

Speed: 6 squares

Vision: Normal

Languages: Common, choice of one other

Skill Bonuses: +2 Diplomacy, +2 Insight

Strength of the Boar: You gain 2 additional healing surges.

Desperate Defense: When you’re bloodied, you gain a +1 racial bonus to your AC.

Confident Finish: You can use confident finish as an encounter power.

Confident Finish	Swinling Racial Power
With a surge of confidence, you bring your blade down onto your crippled foe.
Encounter  Weapon
Minor Action	Melee Weapon
Target: One bloodied creature
Attack: Strength Vs. Will
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier + Charisma modifier damage
11th level: 2[W] damage 21st level: 3[W] damage

Swinlings are meek, shy creatures, preferring to avoid the spotlight whenever possible. A job that lends itself to unsung heroes and humble martyrs is a job a swinling would love to do. They hide out of sight in most towns and cities, trying to appear as small and unassuming as they can, taking whatever small jobs they can to make ends meet, and occasionally taking up arms beside adventurers to provide them with support in their brave battles.
In some cities, a swinling is thought of as a prized slave or concubine, and as such, their trepidation in such places is rightly justified. In others, their beauty would be welcomed with open arms, and so they find it easier to break out of their initial, shy shells. Either way, a swinling bride or groom is a status symbol in the few lands where they reside.

In spite of their shyness among friends and social peers, a swinling is a truly remarkable sight on the battlefield. Swift, strong, and sturdy, these valiant warriors lend their steel an almost supernatural grace in carving through their foes. As a result, the second best thing to have than a swinling spouse, is a swinling in your adventuring party.

Swinlings don’t come from an ancient empire, have no major settlements of their own, and are rather few in number. It’s often wondered where they came from. Theories range from a cursed breed of former humans to the result of some forgotten arcane experiment on some poor domestic pigs. Whatever their origin, they are a welcome sight, to some exploitable, to others amicable.

Play an swinling if you want...

• To display an exotic beauty.
• To quietly but confidently support your friends with armor and blade.
• To be of mysterious origins, but benevolent motives.
• To be a member of a race that favours the fighter, ranger, and rogue classes.

Physical Qualities

The swinlings are a race of creatures that seem to be derived from the common domestic pig. They appear like humans, but slightly shorter and smaller in stature, and with the floppy, fleshy ears and snout-like nose of a pig. In addition, they typically have dark brown or black fingernails and toenails Their hair colors and eye colors vary as much as humans, but there is one curious thing about this race. All swinlings are beautiful. All but the most racist members of other races would admit that, apart from the nose and ears, a typical swinling is gorgeous. The men are hard and handsome, the women slender and gracious.

Playing a Swinling

Your friends see you as a trusted friend and confidant, and you see them similarly. However, they find it easy to speak their minds, and this is very difficult for you. You want nothing more than to quietly support them and their decisions, so when they come to you for advice or an opinion, you tend to freeze up and blush. It’s easier for you to show them what you think on the battlefield than tell them what you think in the tavern.

Swinling Characteristics: Shy, humble, meek, unassuming, friendly, close, hopeful, dependant, quiet, trusting, loving

Male Names: Patrick, Gavin, Martin, Riley, William, Toby, Brandon, Richie, Doyle, Jeffrey, Dustin, Oscar, Rufus, Caleb, Oscar

Female Names: Debbie, Earlene, Stephanie, Isabella, Caitlin, Kathy, Elizabeth, Lisa, Angelique, Elena, Georgia, Judy, Teri, Suzie, Tina

Swinling Adventurers

Three sample Swinling adventurers are described below.

Tina is a fighter traveling across the lands with a small party of heroes. They set forth with the modest goal of defeating an evil sorceror in some dank dungeon fortress, and have over time become champions of good, crusading across the lands and bringing justice ot the wicked. Tina, for her part, prefers to let the others do the talking, and stick to the combat, though her husband, the group's cleric, sometimes tries to get her to say her mind. This rarely works well, but she appreciates his attempts, as they show he cares for her.

Dustin is a ranger, patrolling the wilds just outside a human village. He keeps to himself most times, occasionally joining forces with a band of adventurers when he runs into something too strong to face alone. He honestly prefers to pray and to live off the land, away from people, but these adventurers can be quite enjoyable company to him at times.

Earlene is a rogue living in a large metropolis. She and her friends are a band of honorable thieves and brigands, stealing from corrupt officials and nobles and giving most of the profits to the poor and disabled of the slums. They take only a modest fee for themselves, just enough to get by and outfit themselves for the next raid. On occasion, they leave the city and plunder some abandoned ruins for forgotten treasure.

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