Krang

Krang come from a lush, forested homeworld, where their forebears first gathered in small tribes of arboreal apes. Fighting one another for centuries over territory and resources, the krang eventually evolved and merged into industrialized nation-states, causing their skirmishes to blossom into full-fledged wars for control of their entire planet. During this upheaval, agents of the hegemony approached the krang with an opportunity to test themselves against far greater enemies in a war of epic conquest across the multiverse. Amused by promises of glory from such a perceived ‘lesser’ species, the krang instead challenged diplomats to single combat, offering to demonstrate the true superiority of krang culture and savagery for their guests. But the mindmasters defeated every opponent arrayed before them, thereby earning the respect and admiration of the krang.

Thereafter, krang mercenaries set aside their tribal and national identities, unifying for the first time and quickly earning a powerful position in the Hegemony.

The greatest sign of dishonor for a krang is the shaving of its fur. This strong aversion to hairlessness also explains their initially negative reactions to most smooth-skinned humanoids. Since joining the Accord, they’ve relaxed this stance, especially as more species ally with them against the Hegemony. Still, they have an inherent distrust towards elves and often seek the advice of dwarves, catfolk, and other hirsute species above all others.

Many who meet krang for the first time view them as humorless apes with a fixation on combat and skill-at-arms.

After spending time together, they soon realize the krang cling to their honor as a bastion against the painful memories of their association with the ultari. While krang possess a modicum of humor, they generally fail to recognize sarcasm and deceptive word play to deliver a punch line. Gnomish pranks typically frustrate the krang a great deal.

Krang initially had no deities of their own, practicing a rudimentary form of ancestor worship. Funerary rites are always simple affairs for the krang, and usually involve a recitation of the deceased’s achievements and an entreaty for ancestors to accept the worthy krang into their embrace. A krang who committed a spectacularly commendable deed (e.g., giving her life to single-handedly save innocent tribemates) immediately enters into the register of krang ancestors, and the krang’s name may be invoked in combat by those familiar with them. As a result, many strive for this coveted, eternal recognition.

Krang devote themselves to their children, alternately raising them as one parent goes to war while the other stays behind. At-home parents spend much of their time sparring with their children to teach them the principles of honorable combat. As a result, krang offspring mature quickly and demonstrate their martial prowess as a rite of passage on their tenth birthdays. The resulting celebration often precedes a child’s first participation in communal hunts or patrols.

Despite their strong familial bonds, a krang judges another krang on individual merit rather than lineage. Thus, a krang from a shamed tribe or family has an equal chance to impress other krang as any other. A krang meeting an outsider typically asks for an accounting of the outsider’s proficiency with weapons or a demonstration of bravery. A single tale, truthful or not, impresses a krang, but they always seek visual evidence of another’s skill in battle. Displays of cowardice inevitably cast shadows over all future dealings with a krang, with many refusing to fight alongside such individuals.

A long-used method of gaining a krang’s acceptance is to engage in a trial by combat loosely translated as “stand or fall.” This consists of each combatant head-butting the other until one falls to the ground, either due to unconsciousness or as a means of surrender. Regardless of the outcome, krang view any outsider more favorably for participating in this ritual—especially if they remain standing for more than one strike.

Krang average 6-and-a-half feet in height, but their long arms give them the appearance of being taller. They weigh between 200 and 300 pounds.

Krang Racial Traits

Ordinary krang have racial Hit Dice and add their class levels on top of those. Players wishing to use the krang as a playable race can use the following abilities, which approximate but do not precisely match those of a standard krang’s monstrous statistics.

  • Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence: Krang are exceptionally strong and athletic, but their studies of war leave little time or interest for other forms of learning.
  • Type: Krang are humanoids with the krang subtype.
  • Size: Krang are Medium creatures and receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Speed: Krang have a base speed of 30 feet.
  • Climbing Reach: Krang use their long arms deftly to aid in climbing, granting them 10-foot natural reach whenever they are climbing.
  • Combat Training: Krang culture celebrates combat prowess above all else, and all krang receive a bonus Martial Weapon Proficiency feat with one martial weapon of their choice—a skill they’re expected to demonstrate at their coming of age ceremony.
  • Head-butt: Krang can use their massive bony skulls and stubby horns to make a gore attack that deals bludgeoning damage (1d3 for Small krang, 1d4 for Medium). This is a secondary natural weapon.
  • Natural Climber: Krang have a climb speed of 20 feet and gain a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks.
  • Relentless: Krang gain a +2 racial bonus on combat maneuver checks to bull rush or overrun an opponent. This bonus only applies while both a krang and its opponent are standing on the ground.

Alternate Racial Traits

Krang can select any of the following alternate racial traits.

  • Longarm: Some krang have exceptionally long arms and favor unarmed combat over weapons training. Such krang have a 10-foot natural reach at all times with unarmed strikes, not only when climbing. This racial trait replaces climbing reach and combat training.
  • Skull Smash: Some krang truly relish using their heads in battle. Their head-butt is considered a primary natural weapon (unless it is used as part of a full-attack action in combination with another weapon, in which case it remains a secondary natural weapon). In addition, three times per day when the krang uses the attack action or charge action to attack with its head-butt, an opponent damaged by that attack must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the krang’s Hit Dice + its Constitution modifier) or be dazed for 1 round. If the attack is a critical hit, a failed save causes the target to be stunned for 1 round instead and dazed for another round thereafter. The krang must choose whether to use this ability prior to making its attack roll. This racial trait replaces climbing reach.
  • Tripping Grasp: Some krang specialize in sweeping their long arms about the battlefield to knock down their foes. These krang gain a +2 racial bonus on combat maneuver checks to trip and are treated as having 10-foot natural reach when making trip combat maneuvers. This includes increasing its threatened area, but only for the purpose of making trip maneuvers in place of normal attacks of opportunity through its threatened area. The krang must have at least one hand free to gain this increased reach on trip maneuvers. This racial trait replaces climbing reach and relentless.
Section 15: Copyright Notice

Alien Codex © 2018, Legendary Games; Lead Designer: Jason Nelson. Authors: Anthony Adam, Kate Baker, John Bennet, Eytan Bernstein, Robert Brookes, Russ Brown, Duan Byrd, Paris Crenshaw, Jeff Dahl, Robyn Fields, Joel Flank, Matt Goodall, Robert J. Grady, Jim Groves, Steven T. Helt, Thurston Hillman, Tim Hitchcock, Nick Hite, Daniel Hunt, Mike Kimmel Marshall, Isabelle Lee, Jeff Lee, Lyz Liddell, Jason Nelson, Richard Pett, Tom Phillips, Jeff Provine, Alistair J. Rigg, Alex Riggs, Wendall Roy, Mike Shel, Neil Spicer, Todd Stewart, Russ Taylor, Rachel Ventura, Mike Welham, George Loki Williams, Scott Young.

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