Races of Wild

CHAPTER 8CAMPAIGNS INTHE WILD186Table 8–8: Holidays and Game EffectsGameThemeDuration EffectSpring CelebrationsRenewal or rebirth 3 days +2 bonus to ChaCelebrate nature 1 week +1 bonus onHandle Animal andwild empathy checksSummer CelebrationsLearning, scholarship 2 days +1 competencebonus onKnowledge checksExploration, discovery 1 week +1 morale bonus onKnowledge checksAutumn CelebrationsFortune, luck 1 day +1 luck bonuson saving throwsHarvest 3 days +1 morale bonus onProfession checksWinter CelebrationsDeath, endings 1 night +1 morale bonus onsaves against fearRenewal, the coming year 1 week +1 morale bonus onSense Motive checksAny Time of YearFamous magic discovery 1 night+1 bonus tocaster levelWar, famous battle 1 day +2 bonus to ConWar memorial 1 day +1 morale bonuson savesamuse themselves and each other by storytelling, races,and other activities. One highlight of the festival is theFlight of the Lady (see page 77) at midnight. Many unattachedraptorans choose their season’s mate on this night.Eggs conceived during the Long Night are supposed to beparticularly blessed.During the Long Night, raptorans’ fly speed increases by5 feet.Wingsweep: A raptoran’s return from her Walk of theFour Winds is marked with a great ceremony celebratingher successful rite of passage. This event is always held ina cavern or chamber that can only be reached by flyingcreatures and presided over by a priest of Duthila (seepage 77). The returning raptoran is welcomed and thecommunity proclaims her entry into full adulthood. Itis during this ceremony that the raptoran announces heradult name, taking her place among them. She then plucksa feather from her wing and adds it to the community’scollection of feathers. The solemn rites conclude with theraptoran making an aerial circuit of the settlement. Onceshe returns to the cave, merriment and feasting replacethe earlier somber tone.During Wingsweep, all raptorans who can fly gain 3temporary hit points.OTHER HOLIDAYSCreating new holidays for your campaign is relatively simple.Although most holidays do not have game effects associatedwith them, those that do can quickly become importantevents in a campaign.Regardless of race, class, or cultural affiliation, nocharacter should have access to more than three majorholidays with game effects. In addition, be careful aboutgiving significant combat benefits to holidays that lastfor more than a day or two. Table 8–8 provides a list ofoccasions that might be celebrated with holidays, alongwith suggestions for how long the holiday would last andthe game effect associated with those who take part inthe celebration.FRIENDS OF THE WILDElves, halflings, raptorans, and other races of the wild typicallysee the creatures of their homelands as allies, ratherthan as prey or enemies. Here are a few potential friends foryour wild character.BRIXASHULTYMedium AnimalHit Dice: 2d8+6 (15 hp)Initiative: +3Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)Armor Class: 16 (+3 Dex, +3 natural), touch 13, flatfooted13Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+2Attack: Gore +2 melee (1d6+1)Full Attack: Gore +2 melee (1d6+1)Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.Special Attacks: KnockbackSpecial Qualities: Low-light vision, scentSaves: Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +2Abilities: Str 13, Dex 17, Con 16, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 4Skills: Balance +5, Jump +10, Listen +5, Spot +3Feats: EnduranceEnvironment: Warm plainsOrganization: DomesticatedChallenge Rating: 1Treasure: NoneAlignment: Always neutralAdvancement: —Level Adjustment: —This creature looks like a big, shaggy goat with a heavy body anda coat of long, wavy fl eece. It has curving horns like a ram’s andbig feet with cloven hooves.The brixashulty (brixa for short) is a goatlike creature thatthe halflings have bred to serve a beast of burden, guardanimal, and source of food and fiber for textiles. Halflingslike to boast that a brixashulty is a surefooted as a mule,