Tengu (3.5e Race)

The Tengu

The Tengu are crow-people that live high in the mountains in hidden treetop villages. Tengu are lithe, fast, regimented, and diligent. To enter Tengu territory is to be under constant watch from unknown forces. Here the tengu take every precaution to keep their village from being discovered by outsiders.

Personality

The Tengu are by nature alert, always keeping watch over their surroundings. The Tengu tend to stay hidden and watch from afar. Their lives mainly involve labor to supply and feed the Treetop villages in which they nest and judicious reconnaissance of their territory, always ensuring that their village is never discovered. On the rare occasions when individual Tengu interact with non-Tengu, it is usually to exchange information. Tengu make great investigators due to their aptitude for spotting details and keeping watch, as well as their natural affinity for reading others.

Physical Description

Tengu are mostly humanoid in shape, but as Crow folk, Tengu appear different in several ways. First, their nails tend to be sharper, like a crow's talons. Secondly, Tengu are lithe and slender, with males being noticeably larger then females, and tend to have thinner, slightly longer noses than humans do. Finally, every Tengu sports a pair of black feathery wings, which allow them to fly at great speed. Some Tengu are capable of flying so fast they appear as a blurr to those not expecting them to fly by. They are slightly smaller than Humans and often weigh less. Tengu are relatively long-lived compared to humans, often living several centuries.

Relations

Tengu are reclusive, and tend to keep others at a distance even on the occasions when contact is made. The Tengu are less suspicious of the Kappa, however, and tend to trust them more than other races, since they sometimes share mountains together, the Kappa in the dank caves and the Tengu high in the trees and clouds. Most communication with non-tengu is between Tengu and Kappa. Tengu are automatically unfriendly towards all races except other Tengu and Kappas.

Alignment

Tengu tend to be enigmatic, but also regimented. The guard keeps close watch over the territory, and many of the happenings in the Tengu village are precisely orchestrated. Due to their tendency towards regimented society and disciplined life, the Tengu are most often Lawful. A Tengu's view on good or evil is dependent entirely on the tengu in question.

Lands

The Tengu are tree-dwelling people that live in the Mountains. Their villages tend to be wooden structures built into massive trees that grow high in the mountain forests, far away from human civilization. their treetop structures are only accessible by flight, and are unnoticeable from the ground. Most people who walk through the mountains and stumble upon a Tengu village dont even know it before they are assailed by swarms of talons and arrows.

Religion

Like all Japanese myths, the Animistic religions stand strong in the Tengu faith.

Language

Tengu speak Common like the Kappas they speak with, and Tengu, which sounds much like birds chirping and kawing

Names

Tengu often have names that embody speed and agility, or something involving the structure of Tengu society.

Male: Aki, Junichi, Kaede, Kei, Kunio, Kyo, Mamoru, Michio, Osamu, Raiden, Sadao, Satoshi, Sho, Sora.

Female: Aki, Amaterasu, Amaya, Ayumi, Chika, Kasumi, Kotone, Maiko, Mayumi, Moriko, Sora, Suzume.

Racial Traits

• Strength -2, Dexterity +2, Constitution -2, Wisdom +2, Charisma +2: Tengu are frighteningly fast, but not physically impressive. They are also great at studying others, and their exotic looks are alluring to others.
• Level Adjustment: +1. Tengu's statistics are similar in concept to Goliath's. +6 to useful and coherent stats, -4 to probably dump stats, one useful ability (flight) and a bunch of situational or flavorful others.
• Monstrous Humanoid: The Tengu are humanoid, but boast a very crowlike characteristics.
• Medium: Tengu gain no bonuses or penalties due to size.
• Tengu base land speed is 30 feet
• Flight: If the Tengu isn't wearing Heavy armour or carrying a Heavy load, they also have a fly speed equal to their land speed. (Good maneuverability) They can fly for a number of rounds equal to 2 times their constitution score.

At 6HD, the tengu can fly indefintitely

At 12HD, the tengu's fly speed increased to twice their land speed.

• Mimicry: A tengu can mimic the voice of any creature that he has heard before. The tengu can make a bluff check, opposed by a creature's sense motive check in order to realize the voice is fake.
• Low-Light Vision: Tengu can see up to 4 times as far as humans in dim lighting.
• Tengu racial skill bonuses: Tengu gain a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks, and a +2 racial bonus on Gather Information, Sense Motive, and Spot checks.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Tengu Bonus Languages: Any (except Secret languages).
• Favored Class: a Tengu's favored class is Ranger.

Vital Statistics

Table: Tengu Random Starting Ages

Adulthood	Simple	Moderate	Complex
70 years	+1d6	+1d12	+2d20

Table: Tengu Aging Effects

Middle Age1	Old2	Venerable3	Maximum Age
150 years	250 years	500 years	+3d12 years
At middle age, −1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At old age, −2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At venerable age, −3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

Table: Tengu Random Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	4' 7"	+2d8	85 lb.	× (1d8) lb.
Female	4' 4"	+2d6	70 lb.	× (1d6) lb.

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