Neshezu
by Jamie BatySCMC
1st Level Warrior
Medium Humanoid (Neshezu)
Hit Dice: 1d8+1 (5 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares); climb 40 ft.
Armour Class: 13 (+2 natural, +1 Dex), touch 11, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+3
Attack: Scimitar +3 melee (1d6 +2)
Full Attack: Scimitar +3 melee (1d6 +2) or Dagger +3 melee (1d4 +2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. /5 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison Use
Special Qualities: Brachiation, Forest Cover, Light Sensitivity
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +1, Will -1
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 7
Skills: Balance +3, Climb +11, Craft (Poison) +1*, Hide +1 (+5), Jump +3, Listen +1, Spot +1
* Female Only
Feats: Alertness
Environment: Temperate and Warm Forests
Organisation: Solitary, Pair, Hunting Party (6-24 plus one 3rd level leader and 3 elite 1st level fighter assistants), War Party (25-150 plus 1-6 3rd level leaders, 3-18 elite 1st level fighters, 6 elite 2nd level fighter bodyguards and one 5th level chieftain), or Tribal Clan (150-300 6-12 3rd level leaders, 18-36 elite 1st level fighters, 6 elite 2nd level fighter bodyguards, one 5th level chieftain, one 8th level cleric shaman and 100-200% non-combatants.)
Challenge Rating: 1/2
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually chaotic evil
Advancement: by character level
Level Adjustment: +1
Neshezues resemble large orang-utans, with slight orc and goblin features. An adult male attains a height of about 5 feet and a weight of about 175 pounds. Females are about three-quarters of this size. All neshezues have thick reddish-brown hair and an orc-like facial structure. Neshezues are almost exclusively arboreal, with limbs adapted to swinging through trees; their extremely long arms can have a span exceeding 7 feet. Their legs are short and ill-suited for walking or running. Neshezues are evil, and can be cunning and intelligent enemies.
Neshezues speak Common and their own tongue. They may also speak Herathian, Sylvan, and other local languages.
The neshezu warrior presented here had the following ability scores before racial adjustments: Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 9.
Combat
Neshezues favour scimitars, daggers, and other traditional pirate weapons. Neshezu warriors coat their weapons with poison as a matter of course. Although usually proficient with armour and shields, most neshezues do not use them.
Neshezues favour ambushes in combat, using a variety of vines and nets to entangle their enemies. They prefer to strike from cover with hit-and-run tactics.
Poison Use (Ex): Neshezues are trained in the use of poison and never risk accidentally poisoning themselves when applying poison to a blade.
In addition, female neshezues always treat Craft (Poison) as a class skill and gain a +2 racial bonus to the skill.
Brachiation (Ex): Neshezues can move through wooded areas at their climb speed, ignoring any effects on movement due to terrain. They must be at least 20 feet from the ground to use this ability. This ability works only in medium and dense forests.
Forest Cover (Ex): When neshezues are in medium and dense forests, they receive a +4 bonus to all Hide checks and receive a +4 bonus to AC from cover. The AC bonus is only granted when the neshezu is not taking any attack actions.
Light Sensitivity (Ex): Neshezues are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
Skills: Neshezues receive a +2 racial bonus to all Balance checks. They also have a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened.
Society
Neshezues form loose clans in the western Herathian forest, and the Herathians have tried unsuccessfully to rid their forests of these hairy beasts. The neshezu organisation resembles that traditionally found among seagoing pirates. Leadership in the clans is based upon brute strength, cruelty, deceit, and betrayal.
Neshezu villages are built high in the treetops on platforms of wood and woven vines. Travel requires swinging on vines, balancing on narrow branches, and gripping "safe" points that are too far apart for most humanoids to reach.
The ancestors of neshezues had a patriarchal society with little use for females other than bearing children and doing hard work. This has changed for the neshezu, since the female neshezues possess the deadly poison lore. Female neshezues are particularly fond of subtle, multi-part ingested poisons. Victims will be unaware that they have been poisoned until it is far too late. The poison lore preserves a respectful truce between the two sexes. Many a neshezu leader has earned (and kept) his position because his wife was particularly skilled with poisons.
The Red Curse
Neshezues do not normally live in regions subjected to the Red Curse. Should they enter those regions, they are affected normally by the Curse and will require cinnabryl.
Neshezues as Characters
Most neshezu leaders are fighters or barbarians. A neshezu cleric has access to two of the following domains: Evil, Strength, or War.
Neshezu characters possess the following racial traits:
• +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma.
• Medium size
• A neshezu's base land speed is 30 feet. It has a Climb speed of 40ft.
• +2 natural armour class bonus.
• +2 racial bonus to Balance checks.
• +8 racial bonus to Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened.
• Poison Use (Ex).
• Brachiation (Ex)
• Light Sensitivity (Ex)
• Forest Cover (Ex)
• Automatic Languages: Neshezu, Common. Bonus Languages: Herathian, Sylvan, Other Local Languages.
• Favoured Class: Male: Fighter, Female: Expert.
• Level Adjustment: +1