Pooka Racial Write Up and Progression
by Jamie BatyThe pooka is a solitary animal spirit of the fairy kin, renowned for its extraordinary powers. It is said to be the kin of nightmares, and it carries bad dreams to those who offend it. It can be invisible, and the most powerful can change form and affect the passage of time.
Personality: Pookas are adventurous, inquisitive, and often impulsive. They occasionally befriend mortals; many delightful tales speak of persons who had a pooka as their drinking companion and accomplice in mischief, particularly love affairs. Pookas are the quintessential bon vivants- their soft spots are almost always for liquor and romance. Many are quite fond of music and magic tricks, while they rarely have much inclination to seriously pursue these interests.
Physical Description: Pookas always appear as medium-sized versions of normal animals. Encountered forms include horses, Shetland ponies, cats, mice, goats, asses, bulls, eagles, greyhounds, Irish elk, guinea pigs, and rabbits. Regardless of form, they are bipedal, and capable of wielding weapons and manipulating objects like any other humanoid. Those with forms that are quadrupeds may move as a biped or quadruped as desired. Forms that have natural attacks may use them and inflict damage as a medium creature, i.e. a bipedal mouse pooka would have a bite attack that inflicts 1d6 damage. Forms that are able to fly, allow the pooka to do so as well.
Pookas, if they wear clothes, dress very fashionably, and are often quite flashy as well. They prefer elegant weapons such as the rapier, and light armours.
Relations: Pookas generally bear no ill will to the larger humanoid races, although they enjoy pranking them. Of all the faerie races, pookas are most likely to be found in the company of mortals. Their pranks are meant to be mischievous rather than harmful, and pookas have a habit of looking after those that can laugh at themselves and take the pranks well. Indeed, a merry party may find that the pooka would be interested in joining them.
Alignment: Pookas are almost always chaotic, but they are often good-hearted, and rarely are malicious. Most are pranksters, but do not try to harm their victims. Pookas abhor evil.
Pooka Lands: Pookas are found throughout the Known World wherever the other faerie races can be found. The largest grouping is in the areas of Alfheim and Darokin known as the Dreamlands, although even there, their numbers are small.
Religion: Like most Faeries, pookas do not worship the Immortals. This doesn't mean they are not aware of them or are disrespectful of them, just they do not see them as something to worship.
Language: Pookas speak Fairy and the dominant local language, as well as may communicate with animals. Exceptional pookas may pick up Dryad, Giant, Sylvan, and other local languages.
Names: Pooka names are usually similar to the naming conventions of the region they are found in, although many seem to draw upon names from Averoigne in Glantri. Some prefer single names, while others prefer very elaborate names. Occasionally, a pooka that makes an impression on humans will acquire a nickname that tends to stick with them- the two of most famous being the Darokinian Pomeranian pooka dubbed "Mutt in Moccasins" by his enemies in the Tiger Clan of the Atruaghin and the Karameikan pig pooka dubbed "Piggy" by an unusual ogre he latched onto.
Male Names: Jean-Claude, Louis, Guilles
Female Names: Amie, Giselle, Henrietta
Adventurers: Pookas have a strong sense of adventure, and are likely to be well-travelled. They are often willing to go to great lengths to indulge their love of romance and liquor. Additionally, their love of pranking humanoids will often lead them into many adventures.
Pookas have a favoured class of bard. A pooka's life as a bon vivant and their penchant for liquor, romance, music and magic make them well-suited to the life of a bard. Pookas also do well as fighters and rogues. They also may pursue the arcane arts as sorcerers and wizards. Pookas are unable to use divine magic, and are never clerics, druids, paladins or other divine magic-based classes.
Pooka Racial Traits:
• +2 Dex, +2 Con, +4 Wis, +6 Cha
• Medium size.
• Space/Reach: 5'/5'
• Base move 40' (50' if quadruped); Flying if base form permits it.
• +2 Natural Armour.
• Natural attacks: Whatever base form possessed, doing damage appropriate to a medium size creature. Pookas cannot use natural attacks the same round they use a weapon.
• Lowlight Vision
• Racial Hit Dice: A pooka begins with two levels of fey, which provide 2d6 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +1, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +0, Ref +3, and Will +3.
• Racial Skills: A pooka's fey levels give it skill points equal to 5 × (6 + Int modifier). Its class skills are Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidate, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Use Magic Device.
• Racial Feats: A pooka's fey levels give it one feat.
• Proficient with simple weapons and the rapier.
• Proficient with light armour (pookas are consider non-humanoid for the purposes of determining armour cost and weight).
• Special Attacks : Age Inanimate Object (Su): As a standard action, the pooka may touch and age an object by accelerating natural processes- food will spoil and rot, iron and steel will rust, wood will rot, cloth will fray and rot, etc... The pooka can control the amount of aging (useful for brewing and winemaking) but often the end result is the item is destroyed beyond repair.
Unattended items receive no save. A pooka attempting to use this ability on a carried item must make a touch attack against the victim, and the victim is allowed a Fortitude save to prevent the aging (Save DC= 10+ 1/2 HD + Cha Modifier). Magic items receive a bonus to the save equal to its (+) value.
Nightmare (Su): As a full round action, the pooka may send a sleeping or unconscious creature a powerful and vivid nightmare. The victim may make a Will Save vs. DC 14 (Cha based). If failed, the victim awakens shaken for the next 24 hours. If succeeded, the victim still experiences the nightmare, but otherwise suffers no ill effects. However, the victim may still interpret the nightmare as a supernatural message or portent of some kind.
• Special Qualities: Communicate with Animals (Ex): A pooka may communicate with animals as if he were permanently under the effect of a speak with animals spell.
Faerie Traits: As a Faerie, pookas have the following traits:
• Invisibility to Mortals (Sp): All faeries may become invisible to mortals at will as a standard action. This is the same as the invisibility spell except that creatures with second sight can see the subject normally.
• Second Sight (Ex): This is the ability common to all faeries and some mortals to be able to recognise a fey creature's true form even when invisible to mortals, polymorphed or shapechanged.
• Immunity to Normal Disease (Ex): Faeries are immune to all normal diseases but may still be affected by magical diseases such as mummy rot.
• Immortality (Ex): Faeries do not grow old. Death is merely a change in the cycle of their existence in which they become reborn as another faerie (in 0-999 years time).
• Holy Aversion (Ex): Faeries take 1d4 damage from Holy Water (no splash damage) and are made uncomfortable and tend to avoid Holy Symbols, Prayers or the names of the Immortals.
• Faeries cannot normally cast divine magic but, in the unlikely event that they would look for and find an immortal willing to accept them, they could trade all of the above traits for the opportunity to become a follower of that immortal.
• Pookas always treat Use Magic Device as a class skill.
• Automatic Languages: Fairy, local language, communicate with animals. Bonus Languages: Dryad, Giant, Sylvan, and other local languages.
• Favoured Class: Bard.
• Level Adjustment: +3.
Pooka Racial Progression
The table below gives an optional level progression for pooka players. In this system, starting ability score modifiers and other abilities are granted later or partially granted. At the end of the base progression, the pooka will be the same as if created normally. The optional advanced progression continues to develop pooka abilities rather than class abilities.
Table: Pooka Racial Progression
| Class Level | HD | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Skills | Special |
| 1st | 1d6 | +0 | +0 | +2 | +2 | (6+ Int Mod) x4 | +2 Dex, +2 Cha; Fairie Traits; Communicate with Animals; Starting Feat. |
| 2nd | 1d6 | +0 | +0 | +2 | +2 | --- | +2 Con, +2 Wis; +1 Natural Armour |
| 3rd | 2d6 | +1 | +0 | +3 | +3 | 6+ Int Mod | +2 Cha; Age Inanimate Object |
| 4th | 2d6 | +1 | +0 | +3 | +3 | --- | +2 Wis; +2 Natural Armour |
| 5th | 2d6 | +1 | +0 | +3 | +3 | --- | +2 Cha; Nightmare |
| Below are levels for advanced progression | |||||||
| 6th | 3d6 | +1 | +1 | +3 | +3 | 6+ Int Mod | Haste (Self Only); Feat |
| 7th | 4d6 | +2 | +1 | +4 | +4 | 6+ Int Mod | Chaotic Aura (+4 bonus to Save DC, 20ft range); Fumbling Foes (-1 penalty, +4 bonus to save DC); Unwieldy magic (30%); Hide bonus +6; Leg Whip. |
| 8th | 5d6 | +2 | +1 | +4 | +4 | 6+ Int Mod | Chaotic Aura (+4 bonus to Save DC, 25ft range); Mental Resistance +4; Unwieldy magic (40%); Hide bonus +; +4 racial bonus on Jump and Tumble checks; Side-Splitter |
| 9th | 6d6 | +3 | +2 | +5 | +5 | 6+ Int Mod | Haste; Feat |
| 10th | 7d6 | +3 | +2 | +5 | +5 | 6+ Int Mod | --- |
| 11th | 8d6 | +4 | +2 | +6 | +6 | 6+ Int Mod | Heal |
| 12th | 9d6 | +4 | +3 | +6 | +6 | 6+ Int Mod | Feat |
| 13th | 10d6 | +5 | +3 | +7 | +7 | 6+ Int Mod | Dodge |
| 14th | 11d6 | +5 | +3 | +7 | +7 | 6+ Int Mod | Shapechange |
| 15th | 12d6 | +6 | +4 | +8 | +8 | 6+ Int Mod | Feat |
| 16th | 13d6 | +6 | +4 | +8 | +8 | 6+ Int Mod | Withering |
| 17th | 14d6 | +7 | +4 | +9 | +9 | 6+ Int Mod | --- |
| 18th | 15d6 | +7 | +5 | +9 | +9 | 6+ Int Mod | Feat |
| 19th | 16d6 | +8 | +5 | +10 | +10 | 6+ Int Mod | Timestop |
| 20th | 17d6 | +8 | +5 | +10 | +10 | 6+ Int Mod | --- |
| 21st | 18d6 | +9 | +6 | +11 | +11 | 6+ Int Mod | Temporal Stasis; Feat |
Advanced Pooka Abilities
Haste (Self Only) (Sp): At 4 HD, a pooka may hasten himself at will. At 4HD, he may be hastened a total of 10 rounds per day. For each HD beyond 4 HD, he may hasten himself an additional 2 rounds (i.e. an 8 HD pooka can haste himself 18 rounds per day).
Haste (Sp): At 6 HD, the pooka may haste other creatures, as per the haste spell. The pooka may use this ability 1/day for every 3 HD it possess.
Heal (Su): At 8 HD, the pooka may accelerate the healing process in himself and other creatures. As a full round action, he may heal 2 hp damage on himself or another creature he is touching. A pooka may heal up to 2x his HD in damage per day.
Dodge (Su): At 10 HD, a pooka may warp time to dodge incoming attacks and spells as a standard action. The pooka is allowed a Reflex save against the attack or spell (Save DC is the attack roll (for weapons) or 10 + spell level + spellcasting ability modifier (for spells)). If successful, the pooka is unharmed and unaffected by the weapon or spell. He is affected normally if the save is failed, although he still receives any saves allowed by the attacks. The pooka may only dodge weapon attacks and spells that specifically target the pooka. It may only dodge one attack or spell per round. The pooka may dodge 1/day per HD.
Shapechange (Sp): At 11 HD, a pooka may shapechange, as per the spell, into any normal animal form. It may do this 1/day per 3 HD it possesses.
Withering (Su): At 13HD, the pooka may make a touch attack against a foe. If successful, the victim ages 10 years unless a Fortitude save vs. (DC 10+1/2 HD+ Cha modifier) is successful. This ability may be used once per day.
Timestop (Sp): At 16HD, the pooka may cast timestop 1/day per 3 HD he possess. This is identical to the spell with the following exceptions:
- The duration is equal to the pooka's HD.
- At 18 HD, a pooka may bring another creature with him into the timestop.
Temporal Stasis (Sp): At 18HD, the pooka can place himself or another individual outside the flow of time. The pooka must make a touch attack against an unwilling creature and the creature if hit gains a Will save vs. DC 10 +1/2 HD+ Cha mod to avoid the effect. The pooka sets the duration of time the creature is placed outside of time- up to 1 year per HD of the pooka.
Additionally, the pooka may make the victim invisible to mortals if he so desires.
While in stasis, the victim does not age, heal or require food and drink. The victim cannot be communicated with and cannot perform any actions. The victim is unaware of the passage of time while in stasis (i.e. to a victim, it will appear only a second has passed, while many years may have actually passed).
The stasis can be broken by dispel magic, miracle, limited wish, or wish. Otherwise it will last the duration the pooka specified.
The pooka may use Temporal Stasis 1/day.