Duanalas (12 RP)

The Duanala is an ancient, spider-like being feared by celestials because of its ability to capture and consume their divine power. Untold deities have been lost to the Duanala before they could even develop their gifts or grow religious followings.

But the Duanala is not an evil creature. It is recognized by some as a bringer of balance—keeping the numbers of divine entities in check so that they don’t rip the cosmos apart with their infighting. It is not known if the Duanala is one undying beast or thousands who repopulate like the arachnids they resemble, but it is believed that the Duanala will remain to the end of days, feasting on godlings and growing fatter still.

Over the eons, knowledge of the Duanala has found its way into mortal minds. Worshiped under as many names as it supposedly has children, the Duanala is always depicted as a counter to the demonic gods who use spiders to evoke fear. Some worship the Duanala, taking its name as their own and practicing ritualistic transformation of their own children into the semblance of the God-Eater. Those who take the magic in stride are viewed by their people as living gods themselves, to be devoured by the Duanala when they pass to the realm beyond life. It is an honor some seek to avoid for as long as possible.

Not all members of this race take on the aspects of their patron. Some who have been blessed by the Duanala appear to be human in every way, and only by using their gifts do they reveal themselves as anything more.

Physical Description: Fully transformed duanalas have the features of arachnids, including multiple eyes and a pair of vestigial arms. They are often covered in a very light coating of hair that makes them extra sensitive to the vibration of the air around them.

Society: Duanala society focuses on individual comfort while protecting the group. Most duanalas prefer to live secluded from others of their kind, but stay close by in case they need to band together to fight off invaders or other threats.

Relations: Duanalas hold firm to their beliefs in individuality, and they try not to push their agendas on others for that reason. They get along equally well with barbarians, monks, paladins, and rogues, and most remain cautious of others while trying not to judge anybody for their past.

Alignment and Religion: By its nature, the Duanala entity is chaotic, but paladins seeking a balance to the divine still draw power from it as equally as invokers whose pacts ultimately lead them to perform the ritual and become duanala themselves.

Adventures: The duanalas’ natural agility and strong personalities make them great bards, rogues, and sorcerers, but their own specialized training as makari suits the spider-like race best.

Names: Duanalas who live as humans and other races often keep their own birth names, while those who undergo the ritual of transformation use it as an opportunity to adopt a new, more accurate name to portray their chosen heritage. Such names might seem campy to other races, like Arachnida or Taran Tula, but the duanala take them seriously and greatly appreciate anybody who can do the same.

Table: Random Starting Ages

Adulthood	Intuitive1	Self-Taught2	Trained3
30 years	+3d6 years (33 – 48 years)	+5d6 years (35 – 60 years)	+7d6 years (37 – 72 years)

¹ This category includes barbarians, oracles, rogues, and sorcerers.
² This category includes bards, cavaliers, fighters, gunslingers, paladins, rangers, summoners, and witches.
³ This category includes alchemists, clerics, druids, inquisitors, magi, monks, and wizards.

Table: Random Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	5 ft. 6 in.	+3d6 in. (5 ft. 8 in. – 7 ft. 0 in.)	130 lbs.	+(3d6x5 lbs.) (145 – 220 lbs.)
Female	5 ft. 5 in.	+2d6 in. (5 ft. 7 in. – 6 ft. 11 in.)	125 lbs.	+(3d6x5 lbs.) (140 – 215 lbs.)

Standard Racial Traits

• Ability Score Modifiers (0 RP): The blessings of the Duanala make its people agile and gives them strong personalities, but the physical changes of the ritual can be taxing. They gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, and –2 Strength.
• Size (0 RP): Duanalas are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Type (0 RP): Duanalas are humanoids with the spiderfolk subtype.
• Base Speed (0 RP): Duanalas have a base speed of 30 feet.
• Vestigial Limbs (4 RP): Duanalas have a pair of extra arms that they can use for menial tasks like carrying sacks, opening unlocked doors, and other simple things. When all four of their arms are otherwise free, a duanala can ignore their penalty to Strength for the purpose of determining their carrying capacity.
• Languages (0 RP): Duanalas begin play speaking Common and Aklo. Duanalas with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Draconic, Dwarven, Orc, Terran, and Undercommon. See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.

FEAT AND SKILL RACIAL TRAITS

• Horripilation (2 RP): Duanalas gain a +2 racial bonus on all Sense Motive checks as the hair on their body stands up when they become aware of a misdirection or potential threat.

SENSES RACIAL TRAITS

• Darkvision (2 RP): Duanalas can see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet.

MOVEMENT RACIAL TRAITS

• Expert Climbers (4 RP): Duanalas can cling to cave walls and even ceilings as long as the surface has hand- and footholds. In effect, members of this race are treated as being constantly under the effects of a non-magical spider climb spell, save that members of this race cannot cling to smooth surfaces. This trait doubles the normal +8 racial bonus on Climb checks normally granted to creatures with a climb speed (to a total +16 bonus).

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.

• Expert Trapper: Trappers are duanalas who make up for their reduced ability to climb with expert knowledge of traps, including how to make them and how to avoid them. They gain a +1 racial bonus on Reflex saves and the AC against traps. This bonus stacks with lucky. The trapper also gets a +2 racial bonus on all Craft (trap) checks, and on Perception checks to notice hidden traps or doors. They can use spider climb for a total number of rounds each day equal to their character level. These rounds need not be consecutive, and only count down while the duanala is climbing on a surface where they would benefit from spider climb. This alters and replaces expert climber.
• Goliath Duanala: Some duanalas are much more powerful than others, gaining the traits of goliath spiders. They supplement this strength by training with weapons that function similar to a spider’s bite or other attacks. Goliath duanalas have +2 Strength, +2 Charisma, –2 Dexterity. They also gain proficiency with up to 3 of the weapons listed under the makari class weapon and armor proficiencies and they treat the duanala web shooter as a makari weapon for this purpose. This alters the duanala’s ability scores and replaces darkvision.
• Human-Like: A human-like duanala has either not yet undergone the ritual transformation, was unable to participate for some reason, or was born with the blessings of the Duanala already a part of their being. They do not suffer a penalty to Strength and are treated as both humans and duanalas for the purpose of effects that would target them. Perception and Sense Motive are always class skills for human-like duanalas, and they gain a +1 luck bonus on all saving throws. This alters the duanala’s ability scores and replaces darkvision and vestigial limbs.
• Mandibles: Duanalas sometimes grow large mandibles that they can use against enemies. They are monstrous humanoids with a bite attack that deals 1d4 piercing and slashing damage. This alters the duanala’s type and replaces horripilation.

Favored Class Bonuses

Cleric: The cleric adds +1/2 to the number of uses per day of the exoskeleton domain power. At 1 use, the cleric gains this power and can also use it in place of another domain power that is normally usable for a number of times per day equal to 3 + the cleric’s Wisdom modifier.

Druid: Add a +1/4 luck bonus on the saving throws of the druid’s animal companion.

Makari: Increase the number of times per day the makari can use arachnid physiology by 1/4.

Otherworlder: Choose Dexterity or Charisma. Add a +1/3 enhancement bonus to the otherworlder’s chosen ability score. This bonus stacks with itself, but not other enhancement bonuses, such as from a belt of incredible dexterity or headband of alluring charisma.

Paladin: Add +1 to the paladin’s energy resistance to one kind of energy (maximum +10).

Ranger: Add a +1/4 luck bonus on the saving throws of the ranger’s animal companion.

Rogue: Gain +1/4 on all Acrobatics, Climb, and Stealth checks.

Sorcerer: Add one divination spell from the sorcerer/wizard spell list to the sorcerer’s spells known. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level the sorcerer can cast.

Symbiant: The symbiant gains a +1/5 bonus to its savagery damage. This full bonus also applies to the symbiant’s average savagery damage.

Vigilante: Gain +1/4 on all Acrobatics, Climb, and Stealth checks.

Witch: Add one divination spell from the sorcerer/wizard 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.