Otterlings (12 RP)

Otterlings are a curious, fun-loving people who call the river shores of the world home. A typically quiet, peaceful race, they rarely wander beyond the borders of their tiny settlements. When danger threatens, however, heroic otterlings are quick to respond, so that their families can continue to live the easy life to which they have all grown accustomed.

Physical Description: Otterlings stand between three and four feet tall. Their hair color includes a spectrum of reds, browns, grays, and whites. Their underside tends to be lighter. Their skin has oil which repels water and they have webbed paws, making them exceptional swimmers. They have thick tails and fast-moving eyes. Despite their love of fish, otterlings are clean creatures and rarely smell. Aware of how their appearances might influence others, they are sure to freshen up before a social event.

Society: Otterlings care very much for their families. Most otterlings grow up looking after their grandparents and great-grandparents. For otterlings born into families that craft items, they’ll spend their early years learning the family’s trade. Many otterlings aspire to craft stunning jewelry. The mark of success for an otterling craftsman is for royalty or other person of prestige to don their work.

Relations: Otterlings are a joy to be around because they’re so energetic and no stranger to bending the rules. They make fast friends with half-orcs and halflings, finding their passionate temperaments exciting. Otterlings don’t quite understand gnomes. They see them as confusing, cryptic, and airy. Similarly, they can respect elven crafts, but find the race to be arrogant at times..

Alignment and Religion: Friends of otterlings see them as exceptional, cunning allies who can find a solution to any debacle and are always ready to make tough decisions.
Otterlings who value their allies rarely steal from or betray them, believing friendship to be more valuable than coin. Otterlings typically subscribe to gods of prosperity, glory, and nobility.

Adventurers: Otterlings’ love of fame and fortune make them excellent adventurers, and their resourcefulness on and off the battlefield make them powerful allies. An otterling’s openness to all available options means it can strike at a problem or enemy from different angles. Otterlings are often rogues or wizards.

Names: Otterlings prefer pitchy, sharp names. An otterling’s surname is based on their family’s trade. Such surnames can be literal, such as ‘Fish’ for a family of fishermen, or more playful, like ‘Handsies’ for craftsmen.

Random Starting Ages
Adulthood Intuitive1 Self-Taught2 Trained3
7 years +1d4 years
(8 – 11 years)
+1d6 years
(8 – 13 years)
+2d6 years
(9 – 19 years)

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

Random Height and Weight
Gender Base Height Height Modifier Base Weight Weight Modifier
Male 2 ft. 8 in. +2d4 in. 33 lbs. +(2d4×1 lbs.)
Female 2 ft. 6 in. +2d4 in. 28 lbs. +(2d4×1 lbs.)

Standard Racial Traits

Otterlings usually have the following racial traits.

  • Ability Score Modifiers: Otterlings are cunning and quick, but their ambition can get the better of them. They gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom.
  • Type: Otterling are humanoids creatures with the otterling subtype.
  • Small: Otterlings are Small creatures 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.
  • Base Speed: Otterlings have a base speed of 20 feet. They also have a swim speed of 30 feet, can move in water without making Swim checks, and always treat Swim as a class skill.
  • Hold Breath: Otterlings can hold their breath for a number of rounds equal to four times their Constitution score before risking drowning or suffocating.
  • Languages: Common. Otterlings with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Dwarven, Goblin, Halfling, and Orc.

Defense Racial Traits

  • Slippery Hide: Otterlings gain a +2 racial bonus on Escape Artist checks and a +2 racial bonus to CMD against grapples and on combat maneuver checks to escape a grapple.

Feats and Skills Racial Traits

  • Slippery Tongue: Otterlings are no strangers to winning over and deceiving others. They receive a +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy skill checks.
  • Tiny Pockets: Otterlings have one small pouch of skin under each of their armpits, allowing them to hide up to one potion-size or smaller object in each with ease. Otterlings receive a +2 racial bonus on Sleight of Hand skill checks when hiding an object in their armpits.

Racial Subtypes

Otterlings are but one of a group of small (or tiny), furred races. Each of these races share very similar traits, while trading others between them.

Ferret: Ferrets are the bardic cousins of otterlings. They enjoy dancing and games of chance over swimming. A ferret does not gain hold breath, slippery hide, or swim. Instead, once per day, when a ferret makes a Reflex saving throw, it can roll twice and take the better result. It must decide to use this ability before attempting the saving throw. The ferret also gains a +4 racial bonus on Stealth checks and has a normal movement speed of 30 feet.

Fisher Cat: Fisher cat otterlings live away from rivers, preferring the forest. They are expert climbers, strong and fierce. They gain +2 Strength instead of +2 Dexterity, climb speed 20 feet and a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks instead of Swim. They also lose hold breath. Starting at 5th level, a fisher cat can cast screech once per day as a spell-like ability. The saving throw DC for this ability is 13 + the fisher cat’s Strength modifier.

Hedgehog: Hedgehogs are ferrets with +2 Charisma in place of Intelligence, and a base speed of 40 feet instead of the +4 racial bonus on Stealth checks. Instead of having tiny pockets, they deal 1 point of piercing damage to creatures that grab them or hit them with a natural attack. This damage can be increased by +1/3 in lieu of a favored class bonus.

Mink: Minks are otterlings who use their beauty over their cunning to get their way. They gain +2 Charisma instead of Intelligence. They also trade slippery tongue for a +2 on Diplomacy checks, and they always treat Diplomacy as a class skill.

Mouse: Mice are tiny otterlings who lack swim, hold breath, tiny pockets and the +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks. Their base speed is 40 feet. Being tiny, they gain an additional +2 Dexterity, but suffer a -2 Strength. Finally, they gain Agile Maneuvers as a bonus feat at 1st level, but the feat goes away if their size becomes Small or larger.

Favored Class Options

The following options are available to all otterling characters who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward. In addition, an otterling can pick any elf or halfling favored class bonus.

  • Accelerist: Add +1 damage to the accelerist’s attacks made after moving, to a maximum of twice the accelerist’s Strength or Dexterity bonus.
    Alchemist: Add +1/2 to the number of bombs per day the alchemist can create.
    Darkseeker: Gain 1/6 of a new darkseeker talent.
    Dúlra: Gain +1/6 use of fae entreaty.
    Gunslinger: Add +1/2 to the bonus on initiative checks the gunslinger makes while using her gunslinger initiative deed.
    Invoker: Gain 1/6 of a new invocation.
    Monk: Add +1 to the monk’s CMD when resisting a grapple and +1/3 to the number of stunning attack attempts per day.
    Rogue: Gain 1/6 of a new rogue talent.
    Wizard: Add a +1/2 bonus to a Craft or Profession skill.

Racial Archetype

The following racial archetype is available to otterlings:

Racial Feats

The following feats are available to an otterling character who meets the prerequisites.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

The Book of Many Things, © 2018, Samurai Sheepdog; author Kevin Glusing.

Otterling Race, © 2017, Sage Owl Press; author Michael Ralston Galvis.

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