Neshezu
by Andrew TheisenSpeaking of all the PC available races that Mystara has on it, I've been doing a bit of work with Savage Coast materials recently, and thought I'd post a conversion I did of a PC-suitable race for everyone to take a look at. This guy originally appeared in the Savage Coast Monstrous Compendium. I've just got his monster entry here- I'll try and do a more comprehensive workup of him in the next day or so, to make him stand out a little more from some other races out there (at the moment, he looks a lot like the Orc, mechanics wise).
Neshezu
Neshezu, 1st-Level Warrior
Medium Humanoid (Neshezu)
Hit Dice: 1d8 (5 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 30 ft.
Armour Class: 14 (+1 Dex, +3 hide armour), touch 10, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+3
Attack: Scimitar +3 melee (1d6+2/18-20 plus poison) or pistol +3 ranged
(1d10/x3)
Full Attack: Scimitar +3 melee (1d6+2/18-20 plus poison) or pistol +3
ranged (1d10/x3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Light sensitivity, low-light vision
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +1, Will -2
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 12, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 7, Cha 6
Skills: Climb +10, Hide +3, Jump+4, Use Rope +2
Feats: Point Blank Shot
Environment: Warm forests
Organisation: Gang (2-4), crew (11-20 plus 1 leader of 3rd-level), or
tribe (30-100 plus 200% non-combatants, plus 1 3rd-level sergeant per 25 adults,
6 4th-level lieutenants, one 5th level captain, and a 5th-level cleric).
Challenge Rating: 1/2
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually chaotic evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +0
This humanoid figure resembles a large orang-utan, with slight orcish or goblinish features. It has extremely long and well muscled arms, and short legs.
An adult male neshezu attains a height of about 4 - 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, cunning, and
intelligent.
Neshezues speak Common and their own language, Neshezu, which is distantly
related to Orcish.
THE RED CURSE
Neshezues do not acquire Legacies or require cinnabryl.
COMBAT
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.
Some neshezu warriors carry wheellock pistols in addition to more conventional
armaments. Neshezues favour scimitars, daggers, and other traditional pirate
weapons. Neshezu warriors coat their weapons with various types of poison as a
matter of course, usually spider venom.
Poison (Ex): An opponent hit by a neshezu's poisoned weapon must succeed
on a DC 14 Fortitude save or take an initial 1d4 points of Str damage, and 1d4
Str points of secondary damage. A typical neshezu carries 1d4-1 doses of spider
venom, though other types of poison are not uncommon.
Light Sensitivity (Ex): Neshezues are night creatures of the deep,
shadowy forest. They are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a
daylight spell.
Skills: Neshezu have a +8 racial bonus to Climb checks, and can always
choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. They are also
adept at camouflaging themselves in the trees, and get a +4 racial bonus to
Hide checks within forest settings.
NESHEZU 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.
Neshezues have an average life span of about 30 years. Although they prefer to
eat raw, fresh meat, neshezues will eat just about anything.
Neshezu worship Leptar.
NESHEZU AS CHARACTERS
Most neshezues are rogues or fighters. Neshezu clerics worship Leptar, and have
access to the following domains: Chaos, Evil, Strength. Most neshezu
spellcasters are adepts. They tend to favour spells that are useful in evading
detection.
Neshezu characters possess the following racial traits:
• Strength +2, Wisdom -2, Charisma -2
• Size Medium.
• A neshezues base land speed is 20 feet.
• Neshezues have a base climb speed of 30 feet. They gain a +8 racial bonus on
all Climb checks, and can always choose to take 10, even if rushed or
threatened when climbing.
• Low-light vision.
• +4 racial bonus to Hide checks in forested terrain.
• Light Sensitivity: Neshezu are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the
radius of a daylight spell.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Neshezu. Bonus Languages: Orc, Sylvan.
• Favoured Class: Rogue.
The neshezu warrior presented here had the following ability scores before
racial adjustments: Str 13, Dex 12, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8.