Rat-kin

What keeps Mouse-kin stuck in poverty is that they pay a far higher income tax rate than citizens pay, as well as being limited by the “non-citizen minimum wage”. This is a law created by the Cavy-kin that guarantees all workers in their realm receive a base salary for their work set by the emperor.

Unfortunately, though guaranteeing a base salary looks nice on the outside, the real purpose of the minimum wage was to inform all Cavy-kin employers exactly what to pay the Mouse-kin, so that they all earned the same, small paycheck. Rat-kin tend to avoid this law by working in fields with “bonuses” such as Academia and government-funded research labs, but for Mouse-kin, no matter how in demand their skill set, they all make the same minimum wage.

What this means for Mouse-kin is that in order to help their families survive they are forced to work long, brutal hours in factories and fields to ensure that their younger brothers and sisters have enough food to survive. They never have a chance to earn enough to buy property, become a proper citizen, and break free of the minimum wage law and higher taxes that plague them.

Many Mouse-kin, however, have found the answer to their cycle of poverty-adventuring! By going out in the world and searching for treasure, slaying monsters, and earning accolades for their heroics, Mouse-kin can become as rich as their Cavy-kin neighbors. Unfortunately for perspective Mouse-kin heroes, adventuring has the second highest mortality rate of any profession in the Seven Realms. The first is being a mime. Everyone hates mimes.

Standing about five feet, but with a slight hunch, and weighing around loolbs, Rat-kin are one of the largest Rodentian races. They are covered in fur, generally brown, white, or black, and have a long muscled tail.

Because of their tendency to be born with physical deformities, many Rat-kin can grow to be significantly larger than this with some reaching almost nine feet in height.

Ratkin speak a complicated language known as Esparatu. Unlike the other languages of Layna, Esparatu is not a naturally developed form of communication. Instead, it was invented by a laboratory linguist so that Rat-kin could discuss issues with each other without being judged by the Cavy-kin.

Rat-kin Traits

• Ability Score Modifiers: +2 to one physical stat, +2 to Intelligence, -2 to Wisdom, -4 to Charisma: Years of experimentation have warped the bodies and minds of Rat-kin. While they maintain their signature intelligence, their personalities are volatile.
• Type: Rat-kin are Humanoids with the Rodent Subtype
• Size: Rat-kin are Medium creatures and gain no bonuses or negatives for size.
• Speed: Rat-kin have a base speed of 30 feet.
• Agile Tail: Rat-kin gain incredible balance from their tails, granting them a climb speed of 10 feet, a+ 2 racial bonus to Acrobatics checks, and a +2 to CMD to avoid being tripped.
• Lab Rat: Rat-kin are constantly experimenting with ways to improve themselves. Rats receive a +2 racial bonus to Craft: Alchemy.
• A Sip a Day: Rat-kin tend to use their own children as their first test subjects. While not the best parenting technique, those Rat-kin who survive past infancy gain a +2 racial bonus to saves against poison and disease.
• Mutation: Rat-kin choose one of the following mutations to represent the changes to their lineage that occurred due to generations of alchemical and magical experiments:
  • Regenerative tissue: Rat-kin who select this mutation have fast healing 1. This can heal 2 HP/level each day. This ability will activate on the first damage taken and will cease to work when it reaches the daily limit.
  • Gigantism: The physical stature of these Rat-kin lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger. Whenever this Rat-kin is subject to a size modifier for a Combat Maneuver Bonus or Combat Maneuver Defense (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the Rat-kin is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. A Rat-kin with gigantism is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A Rat-kin with gigantism can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger, but with a -2 modifier to attack rolls. A Rat-kin with gigantism maintains the space and reach of a creature of his actual size. In addition, a Rat-kin he takes a -2 to his Dexterity score as his increased muscle mass limits his agility. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size category.
  • Improved Prehensile Tail: Rat-kin may use their tail as a third arm and hand, including being able to make attacks with a light weapon. Attacks made this way are subject to a -5 penalty to attack rolls, and add only half Strength to damage
• Languages: A Rat-kin begins play knowing Common and Esparatu. A Rat-kin with a high Intelligence can learn the following bonus languages: Shell-dancing, Meowori, Roarish, Yipyap, and Bleat-Speak.

Favored Class Bonuses

• Alchemist: Add +1/4 to the alchemist’s natural armor bonus when using his mutagen
• Barbarian: Add +1 to the barbarian’s total number of rage rounds per day.
• Fighter: Add +1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting a dirty trick or steal attempt.
• Rogue: Add +1 to the number of times per day the rogue can cast a can trip or 1st-level spell gained from the minor magic or major magic talent. The number of times this bonus is selected for the major magic talent cannot exceed the number of times it is selected for the minor magic talent. The rogue must possess the associated rogue talent to select these options.
• Wizard: Select one arcane school power at 1st level that is normally usable a number of times per day equal to 3 + the wizard’s Intelligence modifier. The wizard adds +1/2 to the number of uses per day of that arcane school power.