Alternate information on Humanoid Races
by Leroy Van Camp IIIThe following are the write ups for some of the other races I use for my AD&D Mystara campaigns.
Most of these have abilities not outlined in their respective monster descriptions. This is because I... a) like them better this way, or... b) tried to balance them as player character races.
A few notes...
1) The rakasta here is based on the monster description, not the Princess Ark version. I'm not big on the idea of oriental rakasta.
2) I know there is stuff on the lupin in the Red Steele boxed set, but I don't own it. So, I made up my own.
Feel free to delete the few Spelljammer references in some of the descriptions. As always, feedback is welcome.
Cay-Men (DMR2, pg. 20)
Attributes
Cay-men receive a +2 bonus on Dexterity, maximum of 19. Because of their size, they roll Strength on 2d2+2, but do not suffer the normal THAC0 penalties for low Strength. Instead, their penalties are -3 for a Strength of 1, -2 for Strength 3, and -1 for Strength 4. They do suffer the normal damage penalties, but their attacks always do at least 1 point of damage.
Only cay-men warriors receive a Hit Point bonus do to high Constitution, and then only as non-warriors. They also have a maximum Intelligence of 16.
Advantages
Because of their size and skin, Cay-men have a natural AC of 5, plus Dexterity bonus. All armour uses this as a base. Any creature larger than man size receives a -4 to hit a cay-man. All cay-men have infravision at a range of 90 feet and can Move Silently and Hide in Shadows with a 40% chance of success. The exception to this is thieves, whose chances are based on allocation of points.
On spelljamming ships it takes ten Cay-men to equal one person, in terms of air consumption. They require one-fourth the food and water of a normal man.
Disadvantages
Cay-men are unable to wield any weapon larger than Small. For them, knives equate to short swords, daggers to long swords, and short swords to two-handed swords. They are unable to use short or long bows, and can only use hand crossbows. They have their own size bow, which does 1d4 damage and has a range of 3/6/12.
Cay-men roll different dice for hit points than other races. Thieves and priests roll 1d4 and warriors roll 1d6.
Most Cay-men prefer leather armour, at best. Although armour for them uses less material, it all has to be specially made, so cost is normal.
On spelljamming ships it takes six Cay-men to do the job of one man when doing weaponeer and rigging jobs.
Classes
The cay-men can be warriors, thieves, and priests.
Hutaakan (Mystara Monstrous Compendium, pg. 64)
Attributes
The hutaakan are more an intellectual race rather than physical. They receive a bonus of 1 on their Intelligence and Wisdom, but also have a penalty of 1 on Strength and Constitution.
Advantages
All Hutaakans have infravision to a sixty foot range.
Classes
Hutaakan can be warriors, wizards, priests, thieves and bards.
Lupin (Mystara Monstrous Compendium, pg. 74)
Advantages
All lupins have infravision at a sixty foot range. They can detect a werewolf in it's human form with a 90% chance of success. They detect all other lycanthropes at 15%. This check is made at each encounter of the were.
Lupin claws are ineffectual as weapons. They can, though, use their jaws to deliver a powerful bite, doing 1d6+1 points of damage.
Classes
Lupins can be warriors, wizards, priests and thieves.
Rakasta (Mystara Monstrous Compendium, pg. 91)
Attributes
Rakasta have a bonus of 1 on their Dexterity, with a maximum of 18. Rakasta are often distant and non-talkative amongst other races. They have a - -1 on Charisma.
Advantages
Rakasta have an empathic rapport with all types of felines, including magical cats. These will not attack the rakasta or his party unless magically impelled, or the rakasta attacks. If the rakasta's friends attacked the animal, but the rakasta didn't, the feline will attack only his friends. If the party entered the beasts lair, it might be inclined to attack the rest of the party, excluding the rakasta, depending on how they acted.
If the rakasta has Animal Training, he gets a +4 to train felines. He can train any cat to be his companion, or even mount, if large enough, and if the DM allows it. The animal will even fight for it's master. If the animal is mistreated, it will leave at the first opportunity. Using the animal as a damage absorber in combat is an example of mistreatment.
Rakasta are natural leapers. They can leap up to 10 feet forward or 6 feet up or back. If the Rakasta is carrying more than 40 lbs in encumbrance, these values are halved, and at 80 lbs they are quartered.
A Rakasta can attack with each of it's claws, for 1d2 points of damage each. They can also bite for 1d4, although rarely do against dirty or armoured opponents. A rakasta who forgoes any weapon attacks can attack with both claws and a bite in a single round. Many rakasta also wear kasas on their hands, which are metal war claws. These do 1d6 points and require their own proficiency. A rakasta using kasas on both hands can use both in the same round, as well as bite, at no penalty.
Disadvantage
Because of their fur, wearing most armour is quite uncomfortable. Most choose to wear nothing heavier than leather, if that. Anything heavier starts to wear on the rakasta; for every two hours of constant use of heavy armour, they receive a penalty of 1 to their AC, to hit rolls, Dodge saving throws and Dexterity based skills. This tops out at eight hours. These penalties disappear after an hour of rest without the armour.
Classes
Rakasta can be warriors, wizards, priests and thieves.
Thieving Skill Racial Adjustment
| Skill | Cay-Man | Hutaakan | Lupin | Rakasta |
| Pick Pockets | -15%* | - | -5% | - |
| Open Locks | - | - | - | -5% |
| F/R Traps | - | -5% | - | -5% |
| Move Silently | +25% | - | +5% | +10% |
| Hide in Shadows | +30% | - | - | +5% |
| Detect Noise | +10% | +5% | +10% | +5% |
| Climb Walls | -20% | - | - | - |
| Read Languages | -10% | +10% | - | - |