Blue

Once thought to be a subrace of the goblins, blues are related to goblins, being a goblinoid race, but are actually defined as their own race. Able to interbreed with goblins, similar to humans interbreeding with elves, blues often infiltrate goblin tribes to procreate with the females of the tribe, having a limited population of blue females to choose from. Many blues with strong psionic ability learn to control their physical form using psionics to assume the look of a normal goblin, thereby allowing easier integration into a goblin tribe. The blood of blues runs stronger than goblins, and therefore a tribe that knowingly or unknowingly allows blues to breed with them will over a matter of a few generations be composed completely of blues. Because of this, the blues were once hunted into near extinction by their goblin kin, prompting their stealthier and cautious ways. The blue elders will often breed and then leave a tribe, looking for a new place to spread their blood before it is destroyed.

Physical Description Short with leathery blue hide, large eyes and ears and a mouth filled with fangs, blues stand between 3 and 4 feet tall, with males slightly taller and heavier than females. Most blues have black hair on their heads, although some choose to go bald. To most, the blue is simply an oddly-colored goblin. Very few things make them stand out from their racial cousins, at least physically, aside from their skin tone.

Society Where goblins are disorganized, driven by their passions and need for activity, blues are quite the opposite. They are determined, focused, and driven to organization and structure. A tribe of goblins that doesn’t kill a newborn blue will often come to be dominated by that blue, whose natural organizational skills and intelligence allows it to either rule the tribe outright, or manipulate the less intelligent goblins. These tribes tend to become focused and unified, whipped into structure not necessarily by the leadership qualities of the blue, but by his psionic power and intelligence. As a result, most of the dominant goblin societies are actually lead by a powerful blue; the few tribes of only blues that have popped up tend to welcome order and competition, finding common cause with the ophiduans .

Relations While driven and intelligent, most blues are colored by the dark ways of the tribes where they grew up. These blues tend to look down on all other races and wish to dominate and enslave them, which naturally makes them enemies to most races, but even a more mild-natured or civilized blue will be met by suspicion by half-giants, elves, dwarves, gnomes and dromites, while the maenad and ophiduan societies often find much in common with a blue’s worldview, seeing the need for structure and order, which can equate to expansionistic and conquering tendencies..

Alignment and Religion Few blues are religious, believing themselves to be superior to the weak-willed people around them that need supernatural crutches to cope with a hostile world. Most blues tend to be lawful evil, tainted by their lives among the goblin tribes. Laws tend to protect the selfish more than the altruistic and therefore a blue would rather learn to use the rules than break them.

Adventurers Blues often become adventurers having been driven out by their home tribe, or they come from one of the few existing blue tribes. Even so, to wander means that they are either desperate (often for power) or cocky and unafraid. Blues find adventuring a means to an end, a way for them to become rich, powerful, and connected, with death one of the possible outcomes. To a blue, that is a fair bargain to be made.

Names Most blues outside of goblin society take a name from other humanoids, which means that their naming conventions are as varied as that of all other races combined. However, many often add a descriptive title, such as “Oman the Magnificent” or “Andra the Wild” to enhance their individuality.

Table: Random Starting Ages
Adulthood Intuitive1 Self-Taught2 Trained3
12 years +1d4 years (13-16 years) +1d6 years (13-18 years) +2d6 years (14-24 years)

1 This category includes barbarians, oracles, rogues, and sorcerers.
2 This category includes bards, cavaliers, fighters, gunslingers, paladins, rangers, summoners, and witches.
3 This category includes alchemists, clerics, druids, inquisitors, magi, monks, and wizards.

Table: Random Height and Weight
Gender Base Height Height Modifier Base Weight Weight Modifier
Male 3 ft. 10 in. +2d4 in. (4 ft. 0 in. – 4 ft. 6 in.) 40 lbs. x1 lb. (42 – 48 lbs.)
Female 2 ft. 10 in. +2d4 in. (3 ft. 0 in. – 3 ft. 6 in.) 35 lbs. x1 lb. (37 – 43 lbs.)

Standard Racial Traits

  • Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Intelligence, +2 Dexterity, –2 Strength: Blues are smart and quick, but their small size makes them weak.
  • Size: Blues are Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
  • Type: Blues are of the humanoid (goblinoid) subtype.
  • Speed: Blues are fast for their size, and have a base speed of 30 feet.
  • Vision: Blues have darkvision 60 ft. See Vision and Light for details.
  • Languages: Blues begin play speaking Common and Goblin. Blues with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Draconic, Dwarven, Gnoll, Gnome, Halfling, and Orc.
  • Naturally Psionic: Blues gain the Wild Talent feat as a bonus feat at 1st level. If a blue takes levels in a psionic class, he instead gains the Psionic Talent feat..
  • Psionic Aptitude: When a blue takes a level in a favored class, he can choose to gain an additional power point instead of a hit point or skill point.
  • Pariah: The appearance of the blue can affect the reactions of those nearby. A blue takes a -1 penalty to Charisma-based skill checks when dealing with non-goblinoid humanoids, but gains a +1 bonus to Charisma-based skill checks while interacting with goblins.
  • Repletion (Su): A blue can sustain his body without need of food or water. If he spends 1 power point, a blue does not need to eat or drink for 24 hours.
  • Keen Senses: Blues receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception skill checks.
  • Stealthy: Blues receive a +2 racial bonus on Stealth and Ride checks, and blues always treat Stealth as a class skill
  • Weapon Familiarity: Blues treat any weapon with the word “goblin” in its name as a martial weapon.

Alternate Racial Traits

The following racial traits replace existing blue racial traits. Consult your GM before selecting any of these new options.

  • Goblinoid Camouflage (Su): Some blues have learned to make subtle, but long-lasting, psionic changes to their body structure – the most notable being the change of skin color from their eponymous blue to a more common goblin color, typically green. They also get into the habit of eating regularly so as to avoid suspicion. By spending 1 power point as a swift action, a blue with this trait gains a +10 bonus on Disguise checks to appear as a normal goblin rather than a blue; this bonus lasts for 24 hours and is dismissable as a free action. This trait replaces the Repletion trait.
  • Kinslayer: Outcast blues must fight their own kind to survive. Blues with this trait gain a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against goblinoids. This replaces the repletion racial trait.
  • Leadership: Some blues naturally take on leadership roles, either directly controlling a tribe, or as an important advisor to a leader. A blue with this trait gains a +2 racial bonus to Diplomacy checks. This trait replaces the Keen Senses trait.
  • Mindbender: The rare blue is able to tap into the minds of others to impose its will. Blues with this trait gain a +1 racial bonus to the saving throw DCs of compulsion powers they manifest. This trait replaces the stealthy trait.
  • Psionic Prodigy: It is not uncommon for blues to natively have the ability to manifest powers. Blues with this trait gain the Unlocked Talent* feat as a bonus feat. This trait replaces the Repletion and stealthy traits.
  • Self Reliant: Blues outcast from their kin learn to survive on their own, but often lack in social graces. A blue with this trait gains a +3 racial bonus to Survival checks, but suffers a -1 penalty to all Diplomacy checks. This trait replaces the Pariah trait.

Favored Class Options

Instead of receiving an additional skill rank or hit point whenever they gain a level in a favored class, blues have the option of choosing from a number of other bonuses, depending upon their favored classes. The following options are available to all blues who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the listed favored class reward.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Psionics Unleashed. Copyright 2010, Dreamscarred Press.

scroll to top