Unapproachable East.pdf - The Forgotten Realms

Adventurers: Adventuring taer are almost always outcasts
from their clan, who were defeated in (or failed to pursue correctly)
the endless taer measurement of fitness. They are more
comfortable joining a small band they can think of as a new
clan than living among the folk of a large settlement. Most
taer adventurers are simple brigands, but some become mercenaries
who sell their strength and ferocity, and a few rare individuals
attach their loyalties to a band of good-hearted heroes.
Regions: Almost all taers choose the taer region, which describes
an individual driven from his clan and sent into exile
in human lands. See Chapter 3: Regions and Feats.
Taer Racial Traits
Taers have the following racial abilities and characteristics.
• +4 Strength, +2 Constitution, –4 Intelligence (to a minimum
of 3), –2 Charisma: Taers are tough and tremendously
strong, but are insular and do not have the reasoning capacities
of other races.
• Medium-size.
• Land speed 30 feet, climb speed 30 feet. Taers gain a +8
racial bonus on all Climb checks. A taer must make a Climb
check to climb a wall or slope with a DC of more than 0 but
can always choose to take 10, even if rushed or threatened
while climbing. A taer who chooses an accelerated climb
moves at double the listed climb speed and makes a single
Climb check at a –5 penalty. Taers cannot use the run
action while climbing. They retain their Dexterity bonus to
Armor Class (if any) while climbing, and opponents get no
special bonus to their attacks against climbing taers.
• Racial Hit Dice: A taer begins with two levels of giant. This
provides 2d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +1, and base
saving throws of Fort +3, Ref +0, and Will +0.
• Racial Skills: A taer character’s giant levels give him skill
points equal to 5 × (2 + Intelligence modifier). Taer class
skills are Climb, Hide, and Spot. A taer’s pelt blends in with
snowy backgrounds, conferring a +4 racial bonus on Hide
checks in snow-covered locales.
• Racial Feats: A taer’s giant levels give him one feat.
• Weapon Familiarity: Taers treat greatclubs and longspears
as simple weapons.
• Giant: Taers are not subject to spells or effects that affect
only humanoids, such as charm person or dominate person.
• Darkvision: Taers can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
• Natural Armor: +2 natural armor bonus.
• Natural Attacks: An unarmed taer can make two slam attacks
at his normal attack bonus and a bite attack at a –5 penalty
on his normal attack bonus. The taer’s slam attacks deal 1d3
points of damage, and the bite deals 1d4 points of damage.
• Cold Subtype (Ex): Taers are immune to cold damage but are
vulnerable to fire attacks. They take half again as much
(+50%) damage as normal from fire, regardless of whether a
saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or failure.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Giant. Bonus Languages:
By character region.
RACES OF THE EAST
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• Level Adjustment: +1. A taer has an effective character level
(ECL) of 3 plus class levels, so a 1st-level taer barbarian
would have an ECL of 4. See the Powerful Races sidebar.
• Favored Class: Barbarian. A multiclassed taer’s barbarian
class does not count when determining whether he suffers
an XP penalty.
Volodni
More than a thousand years ago, at the end of the terrible
wars that racked Narfell and Raumathar, a proud Nar lord led
a host of his people into the great forests of the ancient
empire, seeking to escape the roaming demons and magical
plagues that ravaged his lands. Some power of the old woods—
perhaps an elder treant, or even the Oakfather himself—confronted
the Nar refugees to deny them refuge unless they
forswore their demon-summoning ways and agreed to take the
forest’s blood for their own. The lord agreed on the spot, convinced
that any bargain was better than returning to certain
destruction, but the price was greater than he could imagine:
He and his followers surrendered their humanity in exchange
for sanctuary. Thus the volodnis, the pine folk, were born.
The volodnis are a humanlike race of treefolk who defend
their forest homes with iron resolve. Unlike other sylvan
beings, volodnis aggressively seek to expand into new forests
and grow the borders of old ones, regardless of who gets in the
way. Many feel that only the fall of “warm folk” civilization
can preserve Faerûn’s forests, but others hope to peacefully
persuade humans to allow the return of the ancient forests.
Personality: Volodnis are cold and dispassionate, remorseless
in pursuit of any tactic that serves their ends. They remember
every injury but have the patience of the forest itself
when exacting vengeance. They are not acquisitive, as they
have little need for material possessions. Some volodnis feel
the blood of their human ancestors more deeply than others
and are capable of benevolence—or spitefulness and crime.
Physical Description: Volodnis resemble their human forebears,
but their skin is the deep olive-green of a pine needle,
and their flesh is woody and tough. Clear sap runs through
their veins instead of blood, and their hair grows in long, thick
locks scaled like the bark of a young tree. Their eyes are gleaming
black, and they tend to be tall and lean, with wide shoulders
and long arms. The pine folk favor weapons and armor
made from leather and wood, dyed in green and brown to
blend in with the terrain of their forest home.
Relations: Volodnis get along reasonably well with other
sylvan creatures such as centaurs and satyrs and usually work
toward the same ends as elves. They revere treants and are
warm to druids of any race, but they do not care for people who
see a forest only as uncut firewood and unbuilt homes. Those
who despoil natural settings out of spite rather than necessity
wake a volodni’s latent hostility into pure, cold rage (the most
militant volodnis see no difference between the two actions).
Consequently, volodnis harbor a stronger dislike for goblins,
orcs, and such creatures than they do for dwarves or humans.