Xendauni (12 RP)

Over 400 years ago, a race of shapechangers known as xendauni were banished from the world by their elemental foes at the end of a great war. At the end of that period, they were freed by one of their own and a mixed group of races calling themselves the Children of Destiny. Now that they are back in our reality, the xendauni have cautiously begun leaving their ancient home in search of more.

The xendauni have developed a natural way of hiding themselves that they call face-blending. This technique allows a xendauni to change its appearance rapidly to distract and avoid enemies. Living amongst giant spiders and poisonous flora, xendauni have also learned how to better resist toxins and other effects which would harm them from the inside.

Physical Description: Xendauni are trim, athletic humanoids with glossy black skin and eyes of a singular shade of blue or purple. Male xendauni have no body hair of their own, while females often have hair to match their eyes, which on occasion can also be green. When excited or worried, a xendauni’s eyes trail color as they move.

Xendauni children age at the same rate as humans and reach maturity between 12 and 15 years of age, at which time, the xendauni’s appearance, scars and all, remain. Only after the first century of life does a xendauni show any other signs of aging; at which point their skin grows duller over time.

Society: In their homeland, xendauni often dress to suit. Leathers of dyed black and cloths of gray are traditional garb for warriors and officials. Common folk and the eccentric dress in tones befitting their eyes. On special occasions, all xendauni have a preferred suit or dress adorned with bark jewelry crafted from the blackened trees which surround them.

Relations: The xendauni of pnumadesi are hermitic in nature and prefer to stay in the black forest unless provoked. In the fight against the elementals, some xendauni would rather know their enemy better; while others choose to strike first and ask questions later. Xendauni will usually have some eventual goal to complete and return home. While on a mission, a xendauni will work with whomever helps, but remain hesitant or quiet for long periods of time. Only in close company is a xendauni truly able to open up and look past his own ingrained fears of others.

Alignment and Religion: Xendauni without the faith (natural-born divine power) are rarely religious, preferring to trust their own ability over an absent god. Outside of its elder-run society, a xendauni can come off as chaotic, but most are just trying to adapt to the outside world.

Adventurers: Rogues appreciate the naturally subtle ways of the xendauni. Intellectuals find common ground when working with any xendauni, since most would love to learn something about the elusive race and their dangerous home. Most other classes accept the xendauni race as they would rogues; which often amounts to a general distrust of something unknown.

Male Names: Arawn, Briac, Caalan, Darinshea, Deverell, Kearne, Kieran, Laan, Nahma, Shea

Female Names: Aithne, Brina, Caiimhe, Carah, Dierdre, Kaie, Saia

Highborn Family Names: Anomo, Belena, Daono, Diona, Elatha, Niada, Roada, Segomo, Setanto, Tatito, Toatha

Middleborn Family Names: Ano, Bela, Dano, Dina, Ela, Nia, Roa, Sego, Seto, Tato, Toa

Lowborn Family Names: Commoners and eccentrics seldom, if ever, have a last name of any pronounceable value.

Random Starting Ages
Adulthood Intuitive1 Self-Taught2 Trained3
13 years +1d6 years
(14 – 19 years)
+2d6 years
(15 – 25 years)
+5d6 years
(18 – 43 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 5 ft. 0 in. +2d6 in. 133 lbs. +(2d6×5 lbs.)
Female 4 ft. 6 in. +2d6 in. 129 lbs. +(2d6×5 lbs.)

Standard Racial Traits

Xendauni usually have the following racial traits.

  • Ability Score Modifiers: Xendauni are cunning and quick, but their ambition can get the better of them.. They gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence.
  • Type: Xendauni are humanoids with the shapechanger subtype.
  • Size: Xendauni are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Base Speed: Xendauni have a base speed of 30 feet.
  • Languages: Xendauni begin play speaking Common and Xendauni. Xendauni with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aquan, Auran, Draconic, Elven, Ignan, Terran.

Defense Racial Traits

  • Poison Resistance: Xendauni gain a racial bonus on saving throws against poison effects equal to their Hit Dice.

Feats and Skills Racial Traits

  • Shadowy Skin: Xendauni gain a +2 racial bonus on Stealth checks. They always treat Stealth as a class skill. When the xendauni is in its natural form, this bonus increases to +4 in conditions of dim light.

Magical Racial Traits

  • Change Shape (Su): A xendauni can assume the appearance of any Small or Medium humanoid as the alter self spell, save that it does not adjust its ability scores.

Offense Racial Traits

  • Elemental Foe: Xendauni gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls and a +2 dodge bonus to AC and on saving throws against the extraordinary, supernatural, and spell-like abilities of elementals. In addition, they gain a +2 racial bonus on Knowledge (planes) checks to identify elementals and can make such checks untrained.

Senses Racial Traits

  • Low-Light Vision: Xendauni can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

Weakness Racial Traits

  • Emotional: Xendauni take a -5 penalty to Bluff and Disguise checks to pretend to be another race when excited, angry, or otherwise emotional. This becomes a -10 penalty when the xendauni is around an elemental enemy.

Alternate Racial Traits

Xendauni can select the following racial traits.

  • Arcane Tradition: Trained by the magelords of their homeland, these xendauni gain a +2 racial bonus on Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft checks, and they always treat Knowledge (arcana) as a class skill. This racial trait replaces shadowy skin.
  • Face-Blending (Su): When fighting defensively, the xendauni gains a +4 Dodge bonus to AC instead of a +2. If the xendauni has Combat Expertise, this bonus increases to +6 before applying any additional penalties. A xendauni that can’t change shape can’t benefit from this ability. This racial trait replaces poison resistance.
  • Mockery: Some xendauni adopt the form of another race and live as it does. The xendauni chooses a race and gains both a defense racial trait and a skill racial trait gained by that race. If the race has darkvision, the xendauni can choose that instead. This racial trait replaces change shape.

Favored Class Options

The following options are available to all xendauni characters who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward.

  • Any Class: Gain a +1/2 bonus on damage dealt to elementals.
  • Accelerist: Add +1/2 on Escape Artist checks and +1 to the accelerist’s CMD when resisting a grapple.
  • Arcanist: When casting arcanist transmutation spells, add +1/3 to the effective caster level, but only for the purpose of determining duration.
  • Battle Augur: Add +1/3 to the maximum number of abilities the battle augur can pattern with echoes of battle.
  • Brawler: Gain a +1/2 bonus on damage dealt to elementals.
  • Cavalier: Add +1 hour of actual travel time per day to the cavalier’s mounted overland movement. This time can be divided between the cavalier’s mount and his allies’ mounts.
  • Hunter: Add +1/6 to the hunter’s enhancement bonus to Dexterity when using animal focus to emulate a tiger.
  • Inquisitor: Gain a +1/2 bonus on damage dealt to elementals.
  • Magus: Add elemental bane to the magus’ list of arcane pool weapon special abilities. If selected again, increase the effective enhancement against elementals by +1/4.
  • Nature Warden: Add +1 to the nature warden’s CMD when resisting two combat maneuvers of the character’s choice.
  • Ranger: Add +1 hour of actual travel time per day to the ranger’s mounted overland movement. This time can be divided between the ranger’s mount and his allies’ mounts.
  • Rogue: Gain a +1/2 bonus on Bluff checks to feint in combat.
  • Shaman: Add 1/2 to the shaman’s effective class level for the purpose of determining his spirit animal‘s natural armor adjustment, Intelligence, and special abilities.
  • Shifter: Add +1/6 to the shifter’s enhancement bonus to Dexterity when using shifter aspect to emulate a tiger.
  • Slayer: Gain a +1/2 bonus on Bluff checks to feint in combat.
  • Sorcerer: Add +1/2 to cold and water spell or spell-like ability damage.
  • Swashbuckler: Increase the number of times per day the swashbuckler can use charmed life by 1/4.
  • Vigilante: Gain +1/2 on Bluff checks when attempting to tell a lie that would be true from the point of view of the vigilante’s current identity.
  • Wizard: When casting wizard transmutation spells, add +1/3 to the effective caster level, but only for the purpose of determining duration.

Racial Archetype

The following racial archetype is available to xendauni:

Racial Feats

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

Section 15: Copyright Notice

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

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