Taer
by Cab DavidsonSavage snow apes are found on many mountains across Skothar and Davania, but it is only on the slopes of the mountains of Tangor that they have gained a higher level of sentience.
The taer are essentially baboons, white furred and savage, but larger, rather more upright, and far more intelligent. They can reach 5’ tall, with dense white fur and heavily muscled bodies. Most are little more than brutes, driven only by physical desires and the need to feed, eking out a meagre existence on the snow capped mountains. But a few hundred around the Monastery of Entropy have become educated in martial ways, and have risen to prominence in their region. They often battle against the changyi for dominance over the mountainous region, and consider those creatures to be their enemies. In their hunts, in the valleys below, they seek kill the gibbons who may become changyi, creating a never ending contention between the two races.
While above the white apes in terms of intellect, they are otherwise very similar – brutish, violent, angry and dangerous.
Advancement and physical attributes: Characters require 15% more experience points per level of experience. They are generated with the following stat modifiers: Str: +3, Int: -3, Wis: -3, Dex: +0, Con: +3, Cha: -1
Special Abilities: Taer can attack with their fists (see below under character class) or can instead choose to grab an opponent and squeeze. If, in a round, they hit with two hand attacks they may choose to hug a man sized or smaller opponent, inflicting 2d6 damage per round until they choose to release that foe or lose a standard round of wrestling. They can, in addition to other attacks, bite for 1d4 damage per round.
They are poor tree climbers but excellent rock and cliff climbers. All taer can move up and down natural rock faces at their full normal movement rate.
A great rage can fall upon taer, and they may at any time choose to enter a death frenzy. This imparts a +1 bonus to hit and damage and allows them to continue fighting after being reduced to 0hp. They will continue to attack until they are reduced to a negative number of hit points equal to their constitution score, at which point they will fall to the ground dead. If the fight ends before this, they may be revived by a cleric casting any healing spell, which will restore them to 1hp, within 5 rounds.
Character Class: The only adventuring taer are members of the Monastery of Entropy, and as such are mystics.
Hit Dice: Taer use the next largest HD, being 1d8hp for a mystic (or 1d10 if the optional rules for mystics to reach higher levels with 1d8hp to level 9 are used).
Movement and Encumbrance: Taer have a movement rate of 120’(40’), and normal encumbrance limits.
Languages: Their own language is one of wild and violent sounding whoops and screams. They can also understand (but not speak) the language of the Changyi. Some Taer learn the local human language (typically Tanogoro) but must have sufficient intelligence to learn an extra language to do so.
Weapons and Armour: They may use any items permissible to mystics.
