I had found the Skills & Powers rules on new races by Steve Bell (1998) on is Distant Paths site. It contained an incredible trove of options for Yuan-ti.
After reading the version of Nyt, I thought I'd post mine. It went something like this.
Somewhen after Rajaat was emprisonned for the first time, making the Pristinne Tower prone to creating the New Races, a man (or woman) was wounded in its vicinity and was changed. He now had the head of a snake. The knowledge of its existence spread like any other rumor and was picked-up by a group of cultists. They brought him in and made him their leader (wrong word ?). He reproduced with the women of the group and the children were fertile, and had all parts of snakes. Hence the Yuan-ti.
It would make the Yuan-ti race younger than others on the Boards have theorised. Being more recent, say the end of the Cleansing Wars onward, the threat is made more insidious due to lack of general knowledge on them.
Last note: the Yuan-ti Anathema from Fiend Folio is great for powerfull sect leaders, and there is also a Dragon Magazine article in a 300+ issue that is of high quality and generic (not world-specific). But I don't own that issue. Anyone ?
Originally posted by Mach2.5
The anethma is just too cool. I was working on making the yuan-ti on athas a PC race of some kind, but I still have yet to get it to work well without the hassles of the 101 different kinds of yuan-ti. I scrapped the original idea of having them be a prestige race since I couldn't get it to balance out. I'm still working on them currently, trying out a few different kinds of variants. If I ever get something that works and is still true to the yuan-ti, I'll post it. So far, they all either suck, or en up just as a stock lizard man with venom (and there's already enough lizard men style races of Athas). I'm also still working them into a new campaign region as major movers and shakers. Yuan-ti are just too cool not to have on Athas.
Could you explain to me why Athasian Yuhan-ti has to be different from dose in other worlds??(other than psionic capabilities and their god Who could be replaced by the anathema(fiend folio)
Does it matter? The yuan-ti are such a cool race that it really shouldn't matter where exactly they come from. Just make them a race of sun worshippers (they are reptiles, after all); the rest can stay unchanged.
--yuan-ti are wicked NB
Originally posted by Nero's Boot
Does it matter? The yuan-ti are such a cool race that it really shouldn't matter where exactly they come from. Just make them a race of sun worshippers (they are reptiles, after all); the rest can stay unchanged.
--yuan-ti are wicked NB
I think you will like to know that there's a trilogy (novel) comming out soon ( 1st book) of dose wicked serpent men but its in the FR setting.
Originally posted by Jihun-Nish
[...] and their god Who could be replaced by the anathema(fiend folio)
Super idea! Elements aside, humans worship SKs cause they are human-like in appearence. Since we can't import the concept of the Yuan-ti god to Athas, aldo an old Green-Age religion could be cooked-up, they could worship an epic version of their own, just like humans do.
Originally posted by Nero's Boot
Just make them a race of sun worshippers (they are reptiles, after all)
Quite right, more appropriate than earth worshipers.
Originally posted by Pennarin
Super idea! Elements aside, humans worship SKs cause they are human-like in appearence. Since we can't import the concept of the Yuan-ti god to Athas, aldo an old Green-Age religion could be cooked-up, they could worship an epic version of their own, just like humans do.
Quite right, more appropriate than earth worshipers.
I thought that only Sadira could tap the energy from the sun ( officialy)
Originally posted by Jihun-Nish
I thought that only Sadira could tap the energy from the sun ( officialy)
Not at all! Where do you think sun clerics get their spells?
--also, sun clerical elementals are in the same boat Sadira's in NB
And in other sources, if I recall, the Champions themselves were tied to the Sun, through the Dark Lens & Pristine Tower. The Pristine Tower uses the Sun, and is possibly the artifact most directly responsible for the sun changing colors & size.
The yuan-ti article describes: the three basic forms and the rivalries between them; the way yuan-ti act to get control of the outside world; the maturation process; society (gender roles, slavery, failed reptilian humanoids resulting from the creation process by their god that led to the yuan-ti race); a substance known as white resin that allows slaves to be rendered docile; a short description of nests and temporary nests in general.
A reiteration of what is found in Savage Species. Also three new feats, in short:
- Blessing of Merrshaulk: an auspicious marking was found on your egg, the result is better DCs and use of spell-like abilities one more time.
- Irresistible Embrace: genius for manipulation, get a +4 on opposed Cha checks
- Tightening Coils: superior will, get a +2 on DCs for the use of mind-affecting spells or spell-like abilities
Its not what I would have wanted to find in that long-sought issue, but its not bad. And Blessing of Merrshaulk is pretty good. It could be made into a sun mark instead.
Those who got an interest, check that article out.
And consider this : if for some reason they were/are underground inhabitants. Then there has to be a ecological system greater them we think under Athas's soil.
--it was a simple way to fit yuan-ti into Athas NB
Originally posted by xlorepdarkhelm
So your Yuan-Ti are pretty much restricted to being around the Last Sea area, since all other Lizardfolk were killed off by The Champion Formerly Known as Keltis (now known as Oronis)? Hehe.
What's more they're is a strong probability that a least some of your yuan-tis are amphibic from their lizerds lineage
D&D Yuan-ti are simple: their god tells them to hate human. Mind flayers eat humanoid brains. Vampires feal superior because they feed on humans and were once humans themselves but are now immortal.
The list goes on...
What motivates our athasian variety?
Or is it important? Does anyone know what motivated the mythological Medusa? Was it ever explained or did the gods of old made it her nature?
Food for thoughts.
Originally posted by Pennarin
Anyway, what would be the source of the evil motivations of athasian Yuan-ti?
D&D Yuan-ti are simple: their god tells them to hate human. Mind flayers eat humanoid brains. Vampires feal superior because they feed on humans and were once humans themselves but are now immortal.
The list goes on...
What motivates our athasian variety?
Or is it important? Does anyone know what motivated the mythological Medusa? Was it ever explained or did the gods of old made it her nature?
Food for thoughts.
I once introduced a medusa to my players and her motivation was the pure hatred she had for other's charismatic apearance.
The reason was the medusa was once, one of the most beautiful race to walk the heavens. For unknown reason they began to worship en evil demi-god which was strangely related to the Cobra. to make the story short The gods punished them by stripping them of their beauty by transforming them a we know them now and castout to the prime.
Originally posted by xlorepdarkhelm
So your Yuan-Ti are pretty much restricted to being around the Last Sea area, since all other Lizardfolk were killed off by The Champion Formerly Known as Keltis (now known as Oronis)? Hehe.
Nothing of the sort, dear chap; Athasian yuan-ti, thanks to their human heritage, do not depend on moisture to live. They're perfectly adapted to a wasteland environment.
And no, they're not located around Marnita. They don't even know the lizardfolk still exist; it might give them room for thought, if they discover that a trinity of the hated humans saved the lizardfolk race from total annihilation.
The lizardfolk of the Last Sea long ago stopped the practice of interbreeding with humans. They have no idea the Cleansing Wars are long since over, and thus have no desire to re-attract Keltis to the area by breeding half-lizardfolk. (Granted, if they knew Keltis had become Oronis, and sought to make amends for his atrocities, they might reconsider, but consider how isolated the Last Sea is from the rest of Athas.)
--the yuan-ti don't even know Marnita exists NB
Originally posted by Jihun-Nish
What's more they're is a strong probability that a least some of your yuan-tis are amphibic from their lizerds lineage
Not so; the yuan-ti's human heritage eliminated that weakness. They are now entirely a land-based race.
--see one post above for more information NB