Nagaji

The nagaji are a race of ophidian humanoids with scaled skin that mimics the dramatic appearance of true nagas.

Like serpents, they have forked tongues and lidless eyes, giving them an unblinking gaze that most other races find unnerving. Their physical forms are otherwise humanlike, raising wary speculation about their origins. It is widely believed that true nagas created them as a servitor race, through crossbreeding, magic, or both, and indeed nagaji revere nagas as living gods. Nagaji often inspire awe and fear among other humanoids, as much for their mysterious ancestry as for their talent for both swords and sorcery.

Bred in the ancient past by nagas seeking a servitor race that combined the loyalty of a slave with the versatility of the human form, the nagaji have long since developed into a vibrant and proud race.

Physical Description: Most nagaji have scaly reptilian flesh—these scales are typically green, gray, or brown in hue, with colorful ridges of red, blue, or orange on their skulls or backs. Their ears and noses are flat, almost to the point of being nonexistent, while their eyes are those of serpents, ranging widely in color but tending toward golds, reds, yellows, and other warm hues. There are some nagaji who look much more human, with fine scales and even able to grow hair, usually braided to appear more human.

Society: Nagaji society places honor, devotion, and dedication above all else. Less charitable observers from outside such societies might call the nagaji “born slaves,” but the nagaji do not think of themselves as slaves to their naga overlords and point to the fact that they are free to make their own life decisions. Furthermore, when a naga oversteps its bounds as ruler of its people, the nagaji are no strangers to resistance or outright rebellion.

Relations: For their part, nagaji regard many humanoid races as violent expansionists not to be trusted as political neighbors or allies. They tend to mistrust those without a strong national or cultural heritage.

Alignment and Religion: Most nagaji are lawful neutral, but nagaji of any alignment are possible. While many nonnagaji believe they worship their naga lords as gods, this is not true—yet religion does play a secondary role in nagaji society to civic obedience.

Adventurers: Nagaji are often drawn to lives of adventure out of a desire to prove themselves to their naga masters, or to prove their own worth outside of this racial obligation. Strong of body and personality, nagaji excel as sorcerers, fighters, and for the right personality, serve exceptionally well as paladins.

Female Names: Hskori, Korovati, Reomava, Resavati, Sellaweti, Yesmava, Zehameti

Male Names: Hskoro, Iltame, Nagagorjo, Rasamoro, Seme, Sulmavate, Yesmoro

Racial Traits

  • Ability Score Modifiers +2 Strength, +2 Charisma, and –2 Intelligence: Nagaji are strong and have forceful personalities but tend to ignore logic and mock scholastic pursuits.
  • Size: Nagaji are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Type: Nagaji are humanoids with the reptilian subtype.
  • Speed: Nagaji have a base speed of 30 feet.
  • Senses: Nagaji have low-light vision allowing them to see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
  • Armored Scales: Nagaji have a +1 natural armor bonus from their scaly flesh.

Resistant (Ex)

Nagaji receive a +2 racial saving throw bonus against mind-affecting effects and poison.

Serpent’s Sense (Ex)

Nagaji receive a +2 racial bonus on Handle Animal checks against reptiles, and a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks.

  • Languages: Nagaji begin play speaking Common and Draconic. Nagaji with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: any human tongue, Abyssal, Aklo, Celestial, Draconic, Giant, Infernal, and Sylvan. See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.

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.

  • Hypnotic Gaze (Sp) The nagaji’s gaze is so intense it stops others in their tracks. Once per day, it can attempt to hypnotize a single target, as per the spell hypnotism (caster level equal to the nagaji’s Hit Dice). The DC of this effect is equal to 11 + the nagaji’s Charisma modifier. The effects of the hypnotic gaze only last a single round. This racial trait replaces serpent’s sense.
  • Secret Serpent: Some nagaji have little outward sign of their reptilian heritage, infiltrating and living among humans and adopted into their families. They gain the 1 additional skill point per level, and in addition gain a +4 bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks to impersonate a human. This racial trait replaces armored scales.
  • Serpent Affinity: Nagaji spellcasters with this racial trait and the Scalykind domain use their domain powers and spells at +1 caster level. This also applies to bloodline powers and bloodline bonus spells of the Serpentine bloodline. This increase is a racial bonus. This racial trait replaces resistant.
  • Sibilant Spellcaster: Nagaji channel their reptilian calm into mystical terror, increasing the save DC of spells they cast with the fear or pain descriptor by 1. This racial trait replaces serpent’s sense.

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.

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.

scroll to top