Phanaton
by Cab DavidsonPhanatons are small (dwarf sized) primates, rather similar to ring tailed lemurs, but having long flaps of downy skin connecting their arms to their legs. These are used to glide between branches of the great trees their home lands.
Most phanaton are savage creatures, living in the jungles of Davania and the Thanegioth Archipelago, but some populations are also found to the West of the Savage Coast where a more civilised culture has emerged, centred around the nation of Jibaru.
They are nervous creatures, well aware that their small size (no phanaton has ever stood taller than 3’) and slender build make them appear to be easy prey to most predators in their forests, but they are not unsociable, enjoying the company of other phanaton and visitors of other species who approach them peacefully. To outsiders, there is little to choose between male and female phanaton, but they are essentially a matriarchal society, with females simply being better at cooperating than males and able to form alliance among themselves to dictate how groups are run. They travel far and wide in small groups of 5-20 individuals, finding fruit, leaves, and small game to eat, but they return to central villages which may house hundreds of phanaton, in tree houses high above the forest floor. They live, on average, around 35 years.
Advancement and physical attributes: Characters require 10% more experience points per level of experience. They are generated with the following stat modifiers: Str: 0, Int: -2, Wis: +2, Dex: +1, Con: 0. Cha: -1
Character Class: They may choose to be fighters or thieves, but they have so far shown limited spellcasting capability, only being able to take up the medicine man class (which they refer to as mpisorona).
Hit Dice: Phanaton use the next smaller dice to determine hit points. So, for example, a fighter phanaton gains 1d6 hp per level rather than 1d8. Note that hit dice cannot be reduced below 1d4.
Movement and Encumbrance: Phanaton may move on the ground at normal speed (120’) and may also glide. Phanaton may glide up to a distance of three times the height they begin. They are also as at home in trees as they are on the ground, and can use their tail and feet to hold on to and steady themselves arboreally, allowing them to use their hands to fight, hold items, etc. while in trees. Their arboreal movement rate is 120’ (40’).
All phanaton can climb as a thief equal to their own level of experience, and phanaton thieves receive a +20% bonus to climb walls.
From fourth level onwards phanaton gain a limited capacity to fly but can only gain 10’ of altitude per 60’ of forward motion. From level 7 a phanaton may, once per day, pass plant as per the druid spell. From level 18 a phanaton may transport through plants, also as the druid spell, once per day.
While a phanaton may carry up to 2,400cn in weight, a medium or heavily encumbered phanaton carrying more than 900cn loses the capacity to glide.
Languages: Phanaton speak their own tongue, Jibari, and that of the local human population (typicaly Verdan). They may also communicate with lemurs and monkeys (but not apes) in the unlikely event that those creatures are interested and have something worth hearing.
Weapons and Armour: Phanaton cannot wear armour or use shields, their motion and capacity to glide are completely impaired by such constriction. Their base armour class is 8. They may use any small or medium weapons, but they invariably begin their careers with weapon mastery in primitive weapons such as short bows, spears, clubs and javelins.
