Worban (3.5e Race)
| A "race's compendium" race created by | ||
| BlueFlames |
|---|
|
Worban
Worbans are strange hybrids. Their parents are halflings, but the offspring show clear signs of having the blood of monstrous vermin in them. Many of them tend to be quite antisocial, if not because of their unusual childhoods, then because of being rejected by humankind at large. Because they are rarely trusted, Worbans become quite skilled at fending for themselves, assisted only by other Worbans, if anyone at all.
| Adulthood | Middle Age | Old | Venerable | Maximum Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 40 | 58 | 80 | +4d10 |
| Adulthood | Bar, Rog, Sor | Ftr, Pal, Rgr | Brd, Clr, Drd, Mnk, Wiz |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | +1d6 | +2d6 | +3d6 |
| Base Height | Height Mod | Base Weight | Weight Mod |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2'6" | +3d6 | 32 lbs. | x1 lb. |
Personality
Worbans tend to inherit Halfling curiosity and wanderlust. They move from place to place relatively quickly, which is just as well, since they tend to get themselves into trouble wherever they go. Worbans enjoy valuable and pretty trinkets, but are rarely able to keep them for long, as they quickly grow bored with objects that do not actively hold their interest.
Physical Description
Worbans appear to be a strange mix of creatures. It is impossible to determine their lineage by look alone. Most stand between two-and-a-half to four feet tall and weigh between 35 and 50 pounds. They are unusually hairy, to the point where they could grow a fur coat, were they to leave their hair untended long enough. Worbans have one pair of arms that are much like those of halflings and two pairs of radically differing legs. The lower pair, upon which the Worban typically stands appear humanoid. The upper pair (growing above the pelvis and below the arms) are jointed similar to the legs of a spider, but have skin and hair similar to their other legs. The upper pair of legs also have claws similar to a rat's, which enable the Worban to climb with ease, even though the upper legs are too weak to stand upon. Worbans also have wings, similar in appearance to a fly's, but these are often too frail to carry the Worban's weight aloft. Worbans reach adulthood around eighteen years of age, and tend to expire, barring unnatural circumstances, about a decade past their first centennial.
Relations
Worbans raised by halfling parents will often try to mimic their parents' ability to be accepted by others. Due to their freakish appearance though, this proves to be a futile endeavor. Most other races are not accepting of Worbans, so they find themselves living either alone or within a small group of Worbans. It even takes other Worbans a significant period of time to trust another Worban, but once they do, they feel a significant bond towards each other and will strive to maintain their foster family. Those who are abandoned even by their halfling parents will simply skip the stage of trying to fit in, already having been familiarized with the notion that they are considered freakish. This variety of Worban, though rarer, often finds itself even more self-motivated and out-of-touch with society.
Alignment
Worbans, feeling rejected by established society, tend to be chaotic. Some bear grudges towards other races and will strive to make the lives of others as miserable as the Worban's own, often through violent and criminal means, but most simply acknowledge that hatred of Worbans stems from bigotry for which there is no cure. Therefore, on the morality alignment axis, Worbans are fairly evenly distributed.
Lands
Worbans obviously feel out of place within cities and moderately populated areas, so they tend to avoid the natural homes of other humanoids. When not being glared upon by others, they enjoy practicing the abilities that their unusual bodies grant them, so they often find themselves migrating towards dense, dark forests. If the climate zone they are in does not permit forests, they will live in thick marshes or deep caves. No matter how much they may enjoy a particular place to live, a Worban will not stay tied to a location for long. Usually after no more than a few months, a Worban will become bored with its locale and seek a new location to live. Since they leave their homes behind so often, they rarely build structures, since they prefer natural enclosures as lodging.
Religion
More than anything, Worbans see religion as the central establishment of the societies that have rejected them. The majority of Worbans are nonbelievers, though a significant minority worship Yondalla. Those that worship Yondalla usually do so because their parents were nurturing and protective, acting as a shield between their Worban child and the vicious culture outside of their household. When these Worbans leave their parents' care, Yondalla becomes a substitute for that protective figure.
Language
Worbans speak Halfling, as their parents. Those that are kept by their parents long enough also learn Common, since halflings speak that almost as much as their own language. Worbans often learn how to read and write, but once on their own have little reason to practice the skill and are quite apt to lose it. When speaking to each other, Worbans dislike the idea of being eavesdropped upon, so they will speak whatever language they believe the locals will be less likely to understand, be that Halfling or Common.
Names
Worbans are typically named by their halfling parents in halfling tradition. Those parents that view a Worban child as an abomination (i.e. the ones most likely to abandon the child at some point) will often deny the Worban child its family name though. Worbans often keep their halfling names, but those who never receive one or cannot remember their original name will usually choose one at random, based on names it has heard in places it has been.
Adventures
Worbans seek to leave society behind. Worban adventurers seek to evade established culture and large groups of 'normal' humanoids. Beyond that, their goals are wide-ranging and ever-changing. They often do not pursue one objective, besides avoiding other people, for a long enough period of time to achieve it. To a Worban, adventuring is simply a fact of life, and exploration is its own reward.
Racial Traits
- Semi-humanoid: For the purposes of crafting armor, the worban is non-humanoid. For all other purposes, the worban is considered humanoid.
- -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma. Worbans seem to intuitively know how to move for greatest effect, whatever they do. They also have particularly keen senses. They inherit the small size and physical weakness of their halfling parents, and their strange appearance makes them much less sociable.
- Small: As a small creature, a worban gains a +1 size bonus to armor class and attack rolls, as well as a +4 bonus to hide checks. The worban must use smaller weapons though, takes penalties to size-related activities, such as grappling, and cannot carry as much weight as a Medium character.
- Worbans' base land speed is 20 feet. Worbans also have a climb speed of 20 feet and may take a 10 on a climb check even if rushed or threatened.
- Some worbans have wings strong enough to grant a limited ability to fly. By taking a permanent -2 to Constitution at time of creation, a Worban may fly with a speed of 30 ft. (average) for up to a minute. Each minute after the first, the Worban must make a DC 13 Constitution check to continue flying or fall to the ground. The check DC increases by one for each additional minute of flight. After two minutes resting its wings, a Worban can take flight again. While wearing light or medium armor or while under a medium load, the worban's flight speed is reduced to 20 ft. (poor). While in heavy armor or under a heavy load, the worban may not fly. Worbans that choose not to take this Constitution penalty still have wings, but may not fly.
- Darkvision: Worbans, being accustomed to living in very dark environments, can see in the dark up to 90 feet.
- Light Sensitivity: Worbans are dazzled in bright sunlight or in the radius of a Daylight spell.
- Vermin Blood: For all effects related to race, a worban is considered a vermin.
- +4 racial bonus to Bluff checks to feint in combat: The worban's extra pair of limbs makes it difficult for an opponent to tell where a strike is going to come from.
- +2 racial bonus to Survival: Worbans travel often and avoid going to settlements whenever possible, so they are well-practiced at avoiding natural hazards, using natural resources, and tracking prey.
- +2 racial bonus to rolls to avoid Intimidation: Because of their often hostile interaction with society, worbans are familiar with and callus towards intimidation tactics.
- +2 racial bonus to Sense Motive: Because worbans resemble vermin, they are often treated as vermin. Worbans have become accustomed to being lied to and adept at knowing when someone is being dishonest.
- +2 racial bonus to saves versus fear: By the time they reach adulthood, worbans have faced every threat imaginable and spat in the face of fear.
- Illiterate: Because worbans place so little value on written words, they do not practice reading or writing, and thus lose their literacy by the time they reach adulthood. With the help of someone who is literate, a worban can spend two skill points to relearn how to read and write.
- Automatic Languages: Halfling (and Common if raised by Halflings to adulthood) Bonus Languages: Any (except secret languages). Though not natural linguists, worbans move around a great deal and may learn whatever language they need to communicate in a particular region.
- Favored class: Druid or Rogue. Worbans become attuned to nature after spending a long enough period of time living away from civilization. Otherwise they are simply adept at avoiding detection, since they cannot be ridiculed or mocked if they are not noticed.
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