New Spacefaring Player Character Races

By Terry Hawk (tlhawk@hal-pc.org)

The Complete Spacefarer's Handbook presented nine new player character races for the Spelljammer setting. Presented here are five additional races to use as either PCs or NPCs. If these races are being used as Player Characters, it is strongly recommended their Monstrous Compendium entries be thoroughly read and understood by both the player and the DM. Also, keep in mind that individuals of these races that are PC's are outcasts from their respective race and have turned to the company of other species as a result. The outcast PC will be rejected by their own kind at best, hunted and killed on sight at worst. The psionicist class is offered here for DM's who wish to use psionics. If the DM does not use psionics in the campaign, ignore any references to the class. Other races such as the Arcane, Reigar and Vodoni were considered but their special abilities presented too much of a problem in the area of game balance.

 

Table 1: Racial Ability Requirements

Race

STR

DEX

CON

INT

WIS

CHA1

Base Movement

Dohwar

3/15

8/18

11/18

8/18

8/18

3/18

3, Sw 9

Grav

11/18

3/17

11/19

3/17

8/18

3/18

9

Insectare

3/18

6/18

7/18

8/18

3/18

8/18

9

Pirate of Gith

3/18

7/18

3/18

8/18

3/18

3/18

12

Rock Hopper

7/182

7/18

10/18

6/17

3/17

3/17

6

1 Charisma scores apply only to characters of the same race.

2 Fighters of this race do not roll for exceptional Strength.

 

Table 2: Racial Ability Adjustments

Race

Adjustment

Dohwar

-3 Strength, +1 Intelligence, +1 Wisdom, +2 Dexterity

Grav

+1 Strength, -2 Intelligence, +2 Constitution

Insectare

+1 Dexterity, -1 Constitution

Pirate of Gith

No adjustment

Rock Hopper

-2 Intelligence, +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution

 

Table 3: Racial Class and Level Limits

Race

Cleric

Fighter

Mage

Thief

Psionicist

Dohwar

6

9

6

12

9

Grav

-

12

9

-

-

Insectare

11

11

14

11

-

Pirate of Gith

11

11

11

-

11

Rock Hopper

-

9

-

12

-

 

Table 4: Average Height and Weight

Race

Height

Weight

Base

Modifier

Base

Modifier

Dohwar

32/30

2d6

50/46

4d6

Grav

46/40

1d12

210/180

3d8

Insectare

54/50

1d8

90/74

2d12

Pirate of Gith

62/60

2d10

120/90

3d10

Rock Hopper

40/36

1d8

70/66

5d4

 

Table 5: Age

Race

Base Age

Variable (Base + Variable)

Max. Age Range

Dohwar

16

3d4

90 + 1d100

Grav

30

3d6

180 + 1d100

Insectare

80

4d6

200 + 3d100

Pirate of Gith

30

2d8

250 + 1d100

Rock Hopper

20

3d12

80 + 2d20

 

Table 6: Aging Effects

Race

Middle Age1

Old Age2

Venerable3

Dohwar

45

60

90

Grav

90

120

180

Insectare

100

150

200

Pirate of Gith

125

164

250

Rock Hopper

40

60

80

1 -1 Str/Con; +1 Int/Wis

2 -2 Str/Dex; -1 Con; +1 Wis

3 -1Str/Dex/Con; +1 Int/Wis

 

Table 7: Thieving Skill Racial Adjustments

Race

PP

OL

F/RT

MS

HS

DN

CW

RL

Dohwar

+10%

+10%

+5%

+5%

0

+5%

-20%

-5%

Insectare

+5%

-5%

0

+5%

+5%

+10%

0

0

Rock Hopper

0

+5%

+5%

0

0

0

+10%

-10%

 

Dohwar (Monstrous Compendium 9)

The dohwar are penguin-like telepaths who are voracious traders. Player character dohwar are called Free Agents and have one of two backgrounds. They have lost their life partner and have abandoned traditional life to wander among the "client" races. Or, the other possibility is the dohwar has made a very bad business deal and has been blacklisted by the dohwar cartels. Dohwar may be fighters (called protectors), wizards, priests, and psionicists. They cannot be multi-classed or specialist mages. Dohwar protectors use a special weapon called a "weega" that attaches to the beak (treat it as a short sword). Dohwar feathers provide them with a natural armor class of 5. Only protectors can wear armor and then only plate armor with no shield. This grants them a base AC 0 but causes them to strike last in a round. Non-psionicist dohwar automatically have the psionic wild talents of ESP (in a non-psionic campaign, they have the spell-like ability of ESP three times per day). All dohwar have the bonus non-weapon proficiency: Survival, Arctic. Dohwar do not have infravision.

 

Grav (Monstrous Compendium 9)

Some gravs have never accepted the strict worker class life that is expected of them by their communities. Most who feel this way are shipped off to the nearest home base for reconditioning. Some escape before hand and these are the player character gravs. They still harbor a deep hatred for Silatics, rust monsters and all other metal eaters. They also retain their ability to Affect Gravity on one target up to a range of 60', reducing the target’s weight by 25% per round. Once the target is at 0% gravity, a slight push will send the target tumbling unless they possess a means of flight. Gravs use this power on inanimate objects to lift objects that would normally be far to heavy to move. Player character gravs can only use this ability three times per day; there is no saving throw vs. the ability. Gravs may be fighters, mages or fighter/mages (called an elite). They may not be specialist mages. All gravs have the bonus non-weapon proficiency of Mining. Gravs have infravision but only to 30' due to poor eyesight.

 

Insectare (Monstrous Compendium 9)

Little is known of insectare society other than its goal of subjugation of other races. It is assumed that their home world is under the sway of a tyrannical rule that oppresses freethinking citizens. Some insectare who do not agree with the racial destiny to enslave all other races (i.e., those not of evil alignment) find this environment intolerable and leave. They wander among the other races looking for peace and avoiding their own kind. Due to the exploits of their race, they are feared and despised by other races, preventing them from settling in peace. Life is quite harsh for an insectare outcast. All insectares (except priests) have slightly multifaceted eyes like those of an insect. The insectares antennae to 1d2 points of damage each in a round (in addition to melee attacks, but not spell casting) and can be used to make an entangling attack against an opponent’s weapon limb (with an attack roll of 18 or better). An entangled limb cannot attack, but to disentangle the limb a character must make a Dexterity ability check (or a saving throw vs. Paralyzation for monsters). Insectare have a chitinous exoskeleton (which they often hide under robes) that grants them a base AC 3. They may not enhance this with other normal armor, but fighters and priests may use a shield. Insectare may be fighters, thieves, wizards, priests, fighter/wizards, thief/wizards or fighter/thief/wizards. Insectare may not be specialist mages, psionicists or have psionic wild talents. Insectare priests who become outcasts must choose a deity other than Klikral and thus lose their ability to summon and control insects. Insectare have infravision up to 60'. Insectare can only spelljam when using a special helm that operates only for their race (any class), other types of helm will not operate for them (with the exception of a lifejammer). All races familiar with insectare will have an encounter reaction in the Hostile column.

 

Pirate of Gith (Monstrous Compendium 7)

Pirates of Gith are similar to the planer Githzerai and Githyanki. They were once slaves of the Illithids also and harbor a deep hatred for that race to this day. Any PC Pirate of Gith that encounters an Illithid must either fight or flee. Illithids will always have an encounter reaction toward the PC on the hostile column. Most other races will do little better considering the reputation the Pirates of Gith have as looters and cannibals. Elves hate them in particular due to past thefts of their living ships. Any PC Pirate of Gith that even hints of acquiring an elven-made ship has just made himself an enemy of the EIN. Pirates of Gith who have left their people have been marked as outcasts by their race and are hunted for sport. They retain their special abilities of astral spell, plane shift, and ESP each usable three times per day. In a psionic campaign, replace these with ESP, Astral Projection, and Probability Travel. Non-psionicists would have them as wild talents and psionicists would be required to take them as soon as possible. Pirates of Gith may be fighters, mages, necromancers (single classed only), clerics, psionicists, fighter/mages, fighter/clerics, and fighter/psionicists. Pirates of Gith do not have infravision.

 

Rock Hopper (Monstrous Compendium 7)

Rock Hoppers are not well liked by other races to begin with. Most consider them vermin or at least a nuisance. Outcast rock hoppers who have either lost their clans or been exiled can expect little better. Rock Hoppers are not known for their bravery, adding to their poor reputation. Since they are in the Small size category, they use up only one fourth as much air as a human does. Creatures familiar with rock hoppers consider them cowards and ineffective in combat, attacking other more powerful enemies first. This often works to a PC rock hopper’s advantage. Rock Hoppers may be fighters, thieves and fighter/thieves. All rock hoppers have the bonus non-weapon proficiency of Jumping. Rock Hoppers have infravision up to 60'.

 

Reference/Source Material: The Complete Spacefarer's Handbook, Monstrous Manual, Monstrous Compendium 7, Monstrous Compendium 9, The Players Handbook, Players Options: Skills & Powers, The Planewalker's Handbook, The Complete Necromancers Handbook

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