Entobian

Entobians are a small race of insect people that spend most of their lives as bipedal larvae, looking somewhat like an upright walking caterpillar. They come in all colors and varieties, literally and figuratively. Perhaps the strangest trait of these already unusual creatures is how human they actually seem under their buggy visages. Despite their incredibly alien anatomy, they are prone to familiar dispositions, friendly demeanors, and values common to mankind.

In addition, entobians are attracted to all walks of life. They harbor no favorite class or profession, instead going where their desires take them. Many entobians are hedonistic, wanting to get the most out of life’s pleasures. Others thirst for high adventure, wanting a taste of every new experience. Most are a combination of the two. With experience comes opportunity. Higher level entobians can undergo a metamorphosis that will change their appearance and abilities forever.

Entobians in your Game

Entobians in this text are presented as a fairly fresh race to the world. They are a new race that sprung from wildlife contaminated with magical residue. This allows them to be placed in virtually any campaign setting with little work. As is, they require almost no adjustment to your world to begin play immediately. One downside to this “newness,” is that they lack tradition, language and history common to other PC races. This has several ramifications, including no racial heritage and no cool magic relics tailored especially for this race. However, there are many boons as well. Entobians player characters can be bold pioneers, inventing their own paths, their own history and their own unique traditions. The Gamemaster also has an opportunity to design new magic items for this race, such as special mid-leg sheaths that confer a magic bonus.

Entobians are a race that does not gravitate toward each other. They do not form hives, as some other insect races do, and generally have no sense of racial community. In fact, if it was not for a female’s ability to lay hundreds of viable eggs at one time, entobians might have become extinct long ago. While this provides even more plug and play ability for a game, it also means the entobian race does not benefit from these features as other races do. It may be necessary to set up entobian friendly areas in populations of other races.

Optionally, the Gamemaster can create a more detailed back story for the entobians. They could easily be an ancient race in their own right. Their unique life cycle would normally keep their population fairly low and unnoticed for many centuries. Another possibility is that entobians originated from another plane or an alternate reality; perhaps even a world entirely populated by insects. Yet another potential back story is that the entobians were once human, cursed to live their lives as insects for acts of excessive greed or an offense to some nefarious power.

Whatever the case, the entobian will make a welcome addition to any game as a representative of the insect world, an unusual option for the player who is seeking something different, a challenge for the player who has played everything, or even a fun alternative for those that thrive on change or metamorphosis.

Physical Description

Perhaps the oddest looking of available PC classes, larval entobians, also known as “larvites,” can be likened to vaguely upright walking caterpillars with thin and elongated limbs. All entobians have six limbs; two arms and legs like most other humanoids, and a pair of mid-legs. Their arms end in three digit hands and their legs end in two clawed toes. An entobian’s mid-legs aid in attack, balance, movement, and object manipulation, though these appendages end only in very sharp points. While these limbs are sheathed in rubbery chitin, the larvite’s body is fleshy and covered in coarse hair.

The limbs and eyes of a larvite are almost universally darker than the body, while their body color, hair color and hair distribution varies greatly from individual to individual. Body and hair color is usually bright and unnatural, sometimes even fluorescent in hue. Hair distribution can be sparse, thick, or varied in density; sometimes creating wild looking “hair styles.” Patterns of stripes and spots are also quite common. Any color or combination is possible. Larvites have silk glands on their lower abdomen that appear as a small pouch-like protrusion.

Entobians exude an earthy smell that many compare to dying flowers; not terribly unpleasant, but not entirely desirable either. Their bristle-like hair often causes those of mammalian backgrounds to have mild contact allergies with it. An entobian who washes regularly can alleviate both of these issues.

Metamorphosis Forms

Below is a brief description of the five different forms that the larvite can take through the metamorphosis feats. Please see the individual feats for more details.

Coleophite: The coleophite is the epitome of armored insect. They typically look like large beetles; generally oblong or cylindrical in shape. A pair of clear, membranous wings tuck neatly under their carapace when not in use. They are usually glossy and smooth, with the exception of lightly colored hair on their abdomens. Their shell is most often brown or black, but any color is possible. Some even take on metallic hues. Coleophites often have short antenna and over-sized mandibles. Some even have elaborate horns on their heads which are purely decorative. Coleophites will eat just about any food, being the least picky eaters of the metamorphosis forms.

Eulite: The eulite takes on the nocturnal aspects of a moth. In addition to moth-like wings and feathery antenna, the eulite develops a strong bio-electric current. Eulites have thick bodies covered in fluffy fur. Their overall color is typically earth-toned, with grey, brown, rust red, and green hues being most common. Sometimes they will have subtle patterns or spots on their otherwise monotone wings. Eulites are omnivorous, but prefer nuts and grains.

Farfalite: Farfalites are by-far the most beautiful of the entobians. Being basically humanoid butterflies, their wings can be any color of the rainbow and often have intricate patterns, stripes, and spots. Their thin and wiry bodies are usually solid and dark colors, though a few brightly polka-dotted individuals have also been recorded. They are covered in a thin layer of soft fur. A farfalite’s antennas are long and wispy, occasionally with feather-like tufts at the ends. Their eyes are small compared to other entobians, and can be any color. Farfalites are strict vegetarians, and are very fond of fruit.

Moscanite: If the farfalite is the most comely of the entobians, the moscanite is the least. It bears the visage of a large fly; complete with two membranous wings and a chitinous body sparsely covered in bristle-like hairs. They most often have dark colors; brown and black being most encountered. Metallic green and yellow highlights are also common among this form. A moscanite’s bulging eyes are often bright primary colors. Their mouths often drip foul acid, especially when they smell fresh meat, their favorite food.

Matron: Matrons have no set look to them as each one is unique. They blend the traits of any of those forms above, but do so each in their own way. Often their forms mimic other known insects, though some may be truly new designs. Matrons are most often distinguished by their larger (Medium) size.

Ecology & Society

Larvites are sexually immature, and most remain in this state their entire lives. Reproduction happens with only the most experienced entobians who decide to undergo metamorphosis (by taking a metamorphosis feat at higher levels). Until then, the larvite is effectively genderless, though most are considered male because of their deep and resonating voices.

Larvites hatch from a clutch of roughly 200 marble-sized eggs of various colors. They grow from Diminutive caterpillars to Small-sized larvite children in about 6 weeks, eating practically constantly during this time. Larvites are omnivorous; they eat anything. By restricting their diet, and through intense meditation, they can choose when and what they metamorphosis into, provided they have endured enough trials and tribulations beforehand. Larvite children, identical to larvite adults in appearance, generally reach emotional and social maturity in about 14 years. Entobians live about a decade longer than humans on average. While most entobians never gain the ability to lay eggs—only the highest level entobians can—when they do, they can have thousands of children in their lifetime.

The origin of the entobians is speculated to be the result of environmental contamination from an arcane waste produced by a particularly reclusive race of insectoid creatures that live in deep underground hives. Of what little is known of this race, there is much evidence that they are experimenting on creatures by implanting their own biological components, creating deadly insect hybrids. A byproduct of this partially alchemical process is a purplish goo that is disposed of in great quantity into an underground river. This river eventually leads to the surface and into a fertile valley. There, insect life absorbed the waste and became fundamentally altered, all producing tens of thousands of offspring which became the first larvites. According to elves’ memory of the event, the first larvites were only about one-foot tall.

Relations

Entobians share many personality qualities with humans; they are creative, passionate, inventive, and they have a sense of humor. Despite their appearance, their likable and relaxed demeanor can be quite charming. They are excellent conversationalists, having strong and rich voices that give many the feeling that they are wise and intelligent. They enjoy conversing and interacting with all friendly races, and are often quick to lend a helping hand. They forge strong and loyal friendships, and feel nearly all emotions that humans do, with a few exceptions. Their nonjudgmental nature allows them to get along with any of the core races that also maintain an open mind.

Ironically, their apparently familiar personalities cause their differences to seem even starker when others become aware of them. The most evident of which is that entobians have no sense of romance or romantic love; even those that are sexually mature view the process as a required duty rather than a pleasurable interaction. They also don’t see the need to interact with others of their own kind, unless it’s a matter of reproduction. Aside from their colossal nurseries, there are no entobian cities or communities; entobians have no distinct cultures or languages. They often find each other to be dreadfully boring.

Relations to Remarkable Races

Entobians are far less likely to judge races based on appearance than most other races. Therefore they will often be seen in the company of a motley sort. Their motivations drive them towards other races for various reasons, usually involving conversation, entertainment, or business. The philosophical xax and the depressing obitu are perfect candidates for a lengthy conversation. The gifted muse and the passionate kval will provide endless wonderment to an entobian. Numistians know that entobians make loyal customers, who, once pleased, will never fail to return.

Alignment and Religion

Entobians are often chaotic, and value their individual freedom over the laws of society. Luckily they are also quite peaceful in their pursuit of personal gain and seldom stoop to darker means. Therefore entobians are usually chaotic good. However, any alignment of entobian has been encountered, and this is even more evident in those that choose metamorphosis.

Entobians have no deities of their own, but will often worship gods of freedom, nature, or pleasure. While not well suited to a life of piety, a few clerics and paladin entobians do exist. These rare individuals almost always choose metamorphosis as a way to further their spiritual journey.

Adventurers

Entobians adventure for many reasons, though there are three reasons that are most common. First, entobians love nothing more in life than creature comforts: food, drink, and song. They will travel far and wide to amass enough wealth to afford a life of luxury and excess. Entobians that seek this existence often live out their entire lives as fat and happy larvites. The second reason for adventure is simply the love of adventure itself. All entobians seem to be instilled with the desire to experience new things, and thrive on the rush of adrenaline in the face of great danger.

Lastly, some entobians feel a sense of duty to carry on the race, and thus obtain enough world experience in order to master the meditations required for metamorphosis. Some combination of the three is often encountered, as well as strictly personal reasons common to other races; revenge, greed, honor and glory.

Names

Drister, Drytun, Haldozan, Malowa, Miraopay, Morgnan, Pulequay, Telduuk, Tiibay, Vanuuz, Verduzi, Vesterban, Zimberbim

Racial Traits

  • +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, -2 Wisdom: Larvites have uncanny reflexes and can charm even the most callous of souls. Unfortunately, they often lack common sense, and are prone to foolishness and addiction. These traits change after metamorphosis
  • Small: Entobians are Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a -1 penalty to their CMB and CMD, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
  • Fast Speed: Because of their extra limbs and insectoid muscles, entobians are fast for their size, and have a base speed of 30 feet.
  • Familiar Foe: Entobians receive a +1 bonus on attack rolls against creatures of the vermin type due to an intimate understanding of the anatomy of such creatures.
  • Insect Mind: Entobians gain a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment (charm) spells and effects.
  • Natural Weapons: Entobians possess two slashing natural weapon attacks with their mid-legs that inflict 1d4 points of damage (x2 critical) on a hit. These are primary attacks, or secondary attacks if the entobian wields a manufactured weapon.
  • Skilled: Larvites have a +2 racial bonus to Acrobatics and Climb skill checks. These skill bonuses are lost after metamorphosis.
  • Spin Silk: A larvite can use silk glands on its abdomen to create a 30-foot length of silk rope. The larvite may do this a number of times per day equal to one half its character level, minimum 1. The rope decomposes and is destroyed after 24 hours. Entobians lose this ability after metamorphosis.
  • Languages: Entobians begin play speaking common. Entobians with high intelligence scores can choose any of these bonus languages: Draconic, Dwarven, Giant, Elven, Halfling, Gnome, Orc or Sylvan.
Random Starting Age
Adulthood Barbarian, Rogue, Sorcerer Bard, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger Cleric, Druid, Monk, Wizard
14 years +1d4 years (15 – 18years) +1d6 years (15 – 20 years) +2d6 years (16 – 26 years)
Middle Age (45 years) Old (65 years) Venerable (75 years) Maximum Age (75 + 3d20 years)
Random Height and Weight
Type Base Height Height Modifier Base Weight Weight Modifier
Entobian 2 ft. 6 in. +1d12 in.(2 ft. 7 in. – 3 ft. 6 in.) 25 lbs. +(1d12×1 lb.)(26 – 37 lbs.)
Entobian, larvite lifer or matron 4 ft. 5 in. +1d12 in.(4 ft. 6 in. – 5 ft. 5 in.) 95 lbs. +(1d12×5 lbs.)(100 – 155 lbs.)

Racial Feats

The following feats are available to a muse character who meets the prerequisites.

Metamorphosis Feats

Entobian larvites may choose from several metamorphosis feats. They are not required to take any of these feats and may remain a larvite for their entire lives. Metamorphosis is a planned event. For one, the larvite must take the Prepare for Metamorphosis feat at some point beforehand. Immediately preceding the event, the larvite prepares and consumes a large feast roughly equal to their body weight. The ingredients of the feast vary according to what metamorphosis feat the entobian is taking; rare herbs for coleophites, exotic fruits for farfalites, uncommon grains for eulites, and meat from dangerous beasts for moscanites. After consumption, the larvite then enters a state of intense meditation for 8 hours. This meditation culminates in the spinning of a cocoon. In this pupa state, the entobian is completely helpless and unconscious for roughly 7 days. The newly emerged and transformed entobian is considered disabled for 24 hours.

The transformation is both physical and psychological. Immediately after metamorphosis, the entobian permanently loses the silk spin and skilled racial traits. The original racial ability modifiers (+2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, -2 Wisdom) vanish and are replaced by new racial ability modifiers. Retroactively adjust statistics such as hit points, and so on to match the new ability scores. Any feats for which you no longer meet the requirements can be replaced with those that do. Metamorphosis feats, other than the Matron feat, assign a male gender to the entobian, while the Matron feat denotes a female gender. The new form bears a very small resemblance to the old form. Metamorphosis feats can only be taken by a larvite (thus only one, once, ever). Metamorphosis is irreversible and permanent. After metamorphosis, the character no longer qualifies as a larvite for the purposes of feat prerequisites. Please see individual feats for more details:

Coleophite (Metamorphosis)

You metamorphose into a beetle-like entobian.

Prerequisites: Entobian, Larvite, Prepare for Metamorphosis, Character level 7.

Benefit: You gain the following racial traits:

Entobian (Coleophite) Racial Traits

  • +2 Constitution, +2 Strength, -2 Dexterity: Coleophites are strong and tough, but their thick exoskeletons make it difficult to move deftly.
  • Chitinous Defense: When fighting defensively as a full-round action, a coleophite gains DR (X)/piercing, where (X) is equal to the coleophite’s Constitution modifier. This is in addition to the other benefits for fighting defensively.
  • Natural Armor: Coleophites have a +2 racial bonus to natural armor.
  • Flying: A coleophite can use the wings underneath its sheathed carapace to fly for a number of minutes per day equal to its character level, with a speed of 25 feet and poor maneuverability. This duration does not need to be consecutive, but it must be used in 1 minute increments. Fly becomes a class skill. Coleophites do not gain their racial natural armor bonus while flying with this ability.

Eulite (Metamorphosis)

You metamorphose into a moth-like entobian.

Prerequisites: Entobian, Larvite, Prepare for Metamorphosis, Character level 9.

Benefit: You gain the following racial traits:

Entobian (Eulite) Racial Traits

Farfalite (Metamorphosis)

You metamorphose into a butterfly-like entobian.

Prerequisites: Entobian, Larvite, Prepare for Metamorphosis, Character level 8.

Benefit: You gain the following racial traits:

Entobian (Farfalite) Racial Traits

Matron (Metamorphosis)

You metamorphosis into an entobian queen.

Prerequisites: Entobian, Larvite, Prepare for Metamorphosis, Character level 15.

Benefit: Choose two different metamorphosis feats to draw from, and you become a physical blend of the two. Choose the best flight speed and maneuverability of both feats. Of the six ability modifiers, choose two positive ability modifiers and one negative ability modifier to apply to your ability scores (you cannot choose any two modifiers that affect the same ability). You also gain either low-light vision or darkvision if either is available through the feats you selected. Then choose two traits from the remaining traits available from each of your chosen metamorphosis feats, and apply them to your character. In addition, you grow to Medium size, and your mid-leg damage increases to 1d6. Optionally, you may blend larvite statistics (treat as a metamorphosis feat and keep the spin silk racial trait) with one metamorphosis feat. There are 10 possibilities!

Form may be patterned somewhat after an insect that looks similar to the blended form. For example, a Farfalite/Moscanite combination looks much like a dragonfly, and the form can have minor physical alterations to appear as such. The Farfalite/Moscanite could have +2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma, Fly 40 (good), low-light vision, spell-like ability (displacement) and spell-like ability (acid arrow).

Moscanite (Metamorphosis)

You metamorphose into a fly-like entobian.

Prerequisites: Entobian, Larvite, Prepare for Metamorphosis, Character level 7.

Benefit: You gain the following racial traits:

Entobian (Moscanite) Racial Traits

Racial Classes and/or Prestige Classes

The following classes and/or prestige classes are available to an entobian character who meets the prerequisites.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Remarkable Races: Compendium of Unusual PC Races, Pathway to Adventure Edition. Copyright 2009, Alluria Publishing; Author: J. Matthew Kubisz

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