Madcap (13 RP)

Within the fey realms, few sights inspire awe like the neon mushroom forests. There, mushrooms tower over the purple earth like the redwoods of the Material Plane and emit a bioluminescence of spectacular neon colors. Violet, pink, green, and blue emit from the gills of these treelike mushrooms.

Even the undergrowth and creatures in these forests are alight. But not all creatures care to be seen.

Buried in mud beside the glinting streams of these forests are a peculiar and shy kind of fey: madcaps. These small creatures have fungi and moss covering their bodies.

They have beady black eyes, a small nose and mouth, and hands like roots.

Though madcaps are often born in solitude and are shy, they desire the companionship of friends. But their stench, lack of social etiquette, and tendency to bumble from one sentence to the next can distract others from their otherwise kind demeanor.

During times of joy, a madcap grows spores that create others of its kind.

Of the few friends madcaps have in the mushroom forests, witches are the most common. In fact, the first madcap was born from the remains of a fey witch’s familiar.

Appearance

Madcaps are small, mushroom-like creatures who grow fungi along their bodies. They have beady black eyes, a petite nose, and a mouth like a slit. Their faces are expressionless.

Madcaps come in bright colors, from neon orange to purple, as well as greens, browns, and black. A madcap’s skin has a slick film to it, and what little hair they have grows short and thin. They have long, thin arms and legs, and their hands are rooty. Although most madcaps have a mushroom cap, some simply have a stocky head, atop which mushrooms and moss grows like hair.

As they prefer to sleep in the mud, madcaps are rarely clean. Often growing up in swamps or deep within forests, madcaps commonly don clothes made from ferns and other plants. Some choose not to wear any clothing at all.

Madcaps reach maturity in under one year and can grow to be as tall as three feet. They can live to be upwards of 45 years old.

Society

Madcaps are born in dense mushroom forests, where the earth is purple and the canopy glows with clusters of neon mushroom caps. Born from spores that have been released by others of their kind, madcaps live in isolation or are adopted by witches and other unusual creatures.

Madcaps struggle to grasp the intricacies of social interaction, even as they attempt to mimic others’ behavior. Pass or fail, madcaps crave close relationships and will cling to those who accept them.

Madcaps have poor hygiene and eat dead plant material and carrion. The latter point may be off-putting to others, especially when a madcap gifts a half-gnawed leg to someone who was kind to them.

Madcaps treasure knowledge. This, in part, is due to the fact that they carry some of the knowledge of previous madcaps. Day to day, they take careful notes. Faced with an obstacle, they refer to previous observations and use deduction to predict the best course of action, making them self-sufficient.

Madcaps reproduce in a similar manner to mushrooms. During times of great joy, they grow spores along their bodies that fly off in the wind. If the spores find moist patches of soil to settle in, up to three madcaps may grow from them. Infant madcaps, called cappies, open their eyes on the first night after they emerge. They grow rapidly and are able to walk and speak a few words within a month, given that their voracious appetites are satiated through this time.

Madcaps or adventurers who wish to raise a cappie may choose to plant madcap spores in a pot. In these cases, cappies will remain in their pot until they are able to walk and care for themselves.

Madcaps who choose to be parents can be overbearing and clingy with their children.

By the end of their first year, a cappie reaches maturity and is fluent in at least one language.

Relations

Madcaps are short, and they’d easily be swallowed up in a crowd if not for their stench. Though they may fumble when trying to fit in, madcaps are thoughtful and tough, making them reliable party members.

Madcaps value meaningful relationships. Aware of their own flaws, they’re willing to overlook flaws in others. For those they truly love, madcaps will offer up gifts and become obsessive.

Madcaps work best with those who respect their quietude but still seek out their guidance. Temperamental creatures may find madcaps act as their voice of reason. But while madcaps shrink from the limelight, they like to be recognized from time to time.

Alignment and Religion

Madcaps can be of any alignment. They often adopt the ideologies of those who raised them. Those that grow alone, however, lean toward neutral alignments, developing their understanding of the world from the wild.

Adventurers

Few madcaps stray far from home. Those who do choose to in order to accompany a close friend or relative or seek out companionship.

Madcaps who pursue the magical arts are drawn to arcana found in books. They are impassioned by the talents of wizards and will adventure in order to learn from them. Other madcaps turn to science in order to find ways to augment their bodies and will adventure in order to meet great minds in the sciences or to conduct research in libraries.

Names

Madcaps are genderless. Common names include: Durop, Duun, Gump, Muroom, and Udou.

Standard Racial Traits (13 RP)

Madcaps are commonly born alone outside of civilization and have only their tenacity and intellect to help them survive. They may struggle to navigate the intricacies of social interaction.

As a race born from the remains of a familiar, madcaps crave companionship and are adept at magic.

• Ability Score Modifiers (+2 Con, +2 Int, –2 Cha; 0 RP): Madcaps are hardy and intelligent but sometimes difficult to interact with.
• Size (Small; 0 RP): Madcaps 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.
• Type (Fey; 2 RP): Madcaps are fey with the madcap subtype.
• Speed (Slow; –1 RP): Madcaps have a base speed of 20 feet.
• Senses (Low-light vision; 0 RP): Madcaps grow beneath the dimly lit canopies of glowing mushrooms. They can see twice as far as a race with normal vision in conditions of dim lights.
• Languages (0 RP): Madcaps begin play speaking Common and Sylvan. Madcaps with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aklo, Gnome, Terran, and Treant.

Other Racial Traits

• Bottom Feeder (1 RP): Madcaps survive in the wild by feeding on carrion and dead plant material. They can eat spoiled or rotting food and drink without ill effect.
• Familiarity (2 RP): Madcaps retain some of the magical properties of a familiar. At 1st level, choose one of the following benefits: +3 hit points +2 to Initiative checks +2 racial bonus to Acrobatics, Appraise, Bluff, Climb, Perception, or Stealth
• Fey Realm Magic (Sp) (2 RP): Born from the soil of the fey realms, madcaps have an innate gift for magic. They add +1 to the DC of any saving throws against poison spells that they cast. Madcaps with an Intelligence score of 11 or higher also gain the following spell-like abilities: 1/day—detect poison, know direction, root, speak with animals. The caster level for these effects is equal to the madcap’s character level.
• Healthy (2 RP): Madcaps are home to an array of poisonous mushrooms, bugs, and plants. They gain a +4 bonus on Fortitude saves against disease and poison, including magical diseases.
• Learned Survivalist (2 RP): Madcaps use cold logic to survive in the fey realms. They use their Intelligence modifier instead of their Wisdom modifier on Survival skill checks.
• Spore Cloud (Ex) (2 RP): Madcaps grow an array of toxic fungi on their bodies that can be used to protect them from predators. Once per day, as a standard action, a madcap can release poisonous spores in a 10-foot radius burst centered on themself. Creatures who inhale the spores must make a Will saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 the madcap’s character level + the madcap’s Constitution modifier) to avoid the psychoactive properties of the spores. Creatures who fail are dazed for 1 round. This is a poison and mind-affecting effect. The cloud remains for 1 round. Creatures who hold their breath can avoid inhaling the spores. Madcaps are immune to the effects of this poison.
• Stability (1 RP): Madcaps have rootlike feet they can use to plant themselves in the earth. As an immediate action, they can root themselves against an attack. Doing so grants them a +4 racial bonus to their CMD when resisting bull rush or trip attempts while standing on the ground.

Alternate Racial Traits

The following alternate racial traits may be selected in place of one or more of the standard racial traits above. Consult your GM before selecting any of these new options.

• Alertness: Whether living in the forest or a crowded city, some madcaps are born with strong instincts. Madcaps with this racial trait gain Alertness as a bonus feat at 1st level. This racial trait replaces familiarity.
• Camouflage: Appearing as overgrown mushrooms, madcaps are adept at hiding among trees and undergrowth. Madcaps gain a +4 racial bonus on Stealth checks while in forest terrain. This racial trait replaces stability.
• Carrion Sense: Madcaps born in areas where food is sparse develop a knack for sniffing out carrion. This functions like the scent ability, but only for detecting corpses and badly wounded creatures (creatures with 25% or fewer hit points). This racial trait replaces low-light vision.
• Claws: Some madcaps grow sharp rootlike fingers. Madcaps with this racial trait receive two claw attacks. These are primary natural attacks that deal 1d3 damage. This racial trait replaces spore cloud.
• Edible Mushrooms (Ex): Madcaps who crave the company of animals or aim to be useful in adventuring groups may choose to grow edible mushrooms to feed others. Madcaps with this racial trait can harvest enough food to sustain a number of Medium creatures up to their Constitution modifier (minimum 1) for 24 hours. They can harvest their mushrooms once per day. This racial trait replaces spore cloud.
• Enhance Poison: Madcaps are adept at enhancing the potency of poisons they craft by using the fungi on their bodies. Three times per day, a madcap can raise the DC of a poison they craft by 1. They can only use this effect once per poison they craft. This racial trait replaces spore cloud.
• Glow (Sp): In forests where the canopies are dark and no light reaches the floor, madcaps grow fungi that produce light. At will and as a spell-like ability, madcaps with this racial trait can make themselves glow, as though under the effects of light. This racial trait replaces fey realm magic.
• Innate Arcane Knowledge: Some madcaps carry the arcane knowledge of their ancestors, allowing them to cast spells that might otherwise be inaccessible to them. At 1st level, add an arcane spell to your class spell list. It does not need to be a spell you can cast at 1st level. This racial trait replaces fey realm magic.
• Poisonous Crop (Ex): Some madcaps choose to feed on living creatures and grow mushrooms that secrete an oil that can aid them on their hunts. Once per day as a swift action, a madcap can create a poison that can be applied to a weapon or delivered as a touch attack. Alternatively, the madcap can smear the poison on its own body as a standard action, affecting the first creature to hit it with an unarmed strike or natural weapon. The poison loses its potency after 1 hour. Madcaps are immune to the effects of this poison. This racial trait replaces spore cloud.

Weakening Venom

Type Contact or injury; save Fort DC 10 + 1/2 the madcap’s Hit Dice + the madcap’s Constitution modifier; onset —; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Str damage; cure 1 save.

• Polypurpose Mushrooms (Ex): Madcaps born in communities may learn how to craft concoctions to entertain and treat others. Madcaps with this racial trait can spend 10 minutes harvesting a special blend of fungi that can be ingested. When you craft a concoction in this way, choose one effect from polypurpose panaceaUM to replicate. Each concoction is potent for 24 hours. Madcaps may use this ability a number of times per day equal to their Constitution modifier (minimum 1). This racial trait replaces spore cloud.

Favored Class Options

The following favored class options are available to all characters of this race who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward.

• Alchemist: Madcaps make talented alchemists and learn to use alchemical ingredients to great effect. Add +1 on Craft (alchemy) checks to craft poison and +1/3 on the DCs of poisons the alchemist creates.
• Barbarian: Madcap barbarians are tenacious warriors who have a preternatural gift for resisting magic. Add +1/3 to the bonus from the superstition rage power.
• Bard: Madcaps who choose to explore new lands relish learning about other cultures and regions. Add +1/2 to the bard’s bardic knowledge bonus.
• Cleric: Devoting their lives to others, madcap clerics are gifted at healing those they love and harming those who would threaten them. Add +1/3 to the cleric’s channeled energy.
• Druid: Madcap druids share some of their natural gifts with their devoted companions. Add a +1/4 luck bonus on the saving throws of the druid’s animal companion.
• Fighter: Madcap fighters learn to use their small size and wit to their advantage. Add +1/4 to CMB checks made on dirty trick or trip attacks.
• Monk: Madcaps who devote their lives as monks use their small size and collection of fungi to their advantage. Add +1 to the monk’s CMD when resisting a grapple and +1/2 to the number of stunning attack attempts per day.
• Paladin: Madcap paladins gain the admiration of others through their steadfastness. Add +1/4 to the bonus the paladin grants her allies with her aura of courage and aura of resolve special abilities.
• Ranger: Madcap rangers treat their animal companions like their children and emphasize education. Add +1 skill rank to the ranger’s animal companion. If the madcap ever replaces its companion, the new companion gains these bonus skill ranks.
• Rogue: Madcap rogues outclass foes by using poisons. Add +1/4 to sneak attack damage on attacks against opponents under the effects of a poison.
• Witch: Madcap witches have a symbiotic relationship with their familiars and can help them discover new spells. Add one spell from the witch spell list to the witch’s familiar. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level the witch can cast. If the witch ever replaces this familiar, the new familiar knows these bonus spells.
• Wizard: Madcap wizards excel in spellcasting and learning new magics. Add one spell from the wizard spell list to the wizard’s spellbook. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level they can cast.

Racial Feats

The following feats are available to a character of this race who meets any listed prerequisites.

Fey Poison

Prerequisite(s): Gnome magic racial trait or fey creature type.

Benefit(s): You can infuse your poisons with sparkling fey magic to affect creatures that are normally immune to poison. Three times per day, you can charge a dose of poison by spitting into it as a swift action. This allows the poison to affect undead and outsiders, bypassing their inherent immunities. Magical effects that negate poisons still apply.

Expanded Arcane Knowledge

Prerequisite(s): Int 13, innate spell knowledge racial trait, madcap.

Benefit(s): As your power grows so are you able to access the spells once cast by your ancestors. At 1st level and every six levels thereafter (7th, 13th, and 19th level), add one spell from any arcane spellcasting class to your class spell list. The spell must be one level lower than the highest spell level you can cast. For example, a 6th-level wizard may choose any arcane spell up to 2nd level.