Races of Wild

CHAPTER 4OTHERRACES92a humanlike race of fey introduced in this chapter, are anexample of a newly emerging race.MONSTER CLASSESSeveral of the races described here use the monster classrules detailed in Savage Species. The centaur monster classpresented in this chapter was first detailed in that book. Itis not necessary that you have Savage Species in order to usethese classes. Monster classes work just like other classes,with the following exceptions:• When using monster classes to create a character, you canignore level adjustment. This is replaced by the character’smonster class level. (The level adjustment is, in effect, builtinto the monster class’s level progression.)• The only way to take a level of a monster class is to bethat monster. A centaur cannot multiclass as a gnoll,nor can a human fighter multiclass to take levels as acentaur. She must begin taking levels in the monsterclass at 1st level.• Monster classes do not grant a character skill points orHit Dice at every level, nor do they grant a feat every threelevels. When a level grants skill points, a Hit Die, or a feat,the gain is noted on the class table.• Each monster class has a CR (Challenge Rating) entry. Thishas no meaning for players or PCs and is given only as anaid to DMs who want to adjust monster CRs by regressingexisting creatures.• A monster character using a monster class cannot multiclassuntil she completes the full progression in hermonster class. This rule keeps characters from gaining thebenefits of a monster’s type and then quickly switching toa standard class. However, a DM may explicitly waive thisrule (officially declaring a variant ruling) if he desires aslightly higher-powered campaign.• A monster class does not impose an experience penaltyfor multiclassing, as other classes do.CATFOLK“Wherever the plains take me, that is where I will wander.”—Marrash of the Flying Eagle Tribe, catfolk scoutThe great tribes of the catfolk roam where they will, puttingpassion into every day of their varied lives.Catfolk nomads roam the grassy plains, living in tribessegregated by their visual differences. Catfolk tribes rangefrom friendly to hostile; encounters with catfolk depend moreon an individual catfolk’s mood and the circumstance morethan any tribal mind-set. Quick in movement and thought,the catfolk rely on short bursts of energy to accomplishnearly every task, making the other races seem plodding anddedicated in comparison.CATFOLK RACIAL TRAITSCatfolk resemble a cross between a large predatory cat anda human, with a sleekly muscled humanoid body and thehead and mane of a feline. Most male catfolk wear theirthick hair in braids, while females keep theirs short andsleek. The most common catfolk have feline characteristicsreminiscent of lions, including thick manes for themales. Other groups have the characteristic markings andappearance of leopards, tigers, or cheetahs. Catfolk havethicker nails than other humanoids, but not the powerfulclaws of their feline counterparts, and they make unarmedattacks just like humans. Many catfolk favor the use ofcharms and totems that they braid into their hair for luckin battle, success on the hunt, and good fortune in othersuch endeavors.Catfolk speak Common and a language called Feline (eachtribe speaking a dialect). Brighter catfolk often learn thelanguages of gnolls and halflings.Catfolk characters possess the following racial traits:• +4 Dexterity, +2 Charisma.• A catfolk’s base land speed is 40 feet.• Low-Light Vision: Catfolk can see twice as far as a humanin starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditionsof poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguishcolor and detail under these conditions.• Racial Skills: Catfolk have a +2 racial bonus on Listen andMove Silently checks.• +1 natural armor bonus.• Automatic Languages: Common, Feline. Bonus Languages:Draconic, Gnoll, Halfling, Sylvan.• Favored Class: Ranger.• Level adjustment +1.CATFOLK SOCIETYCatfolk maintain a tribal society similar to that of manynomadic human cultures.Lands: Catfolk roam the open grasslands in temperateand tropical regions, shunning the colder lands evenin the heights of summer. Wandering tribes of catfolkrarely come close to the large cities of other races, butthey occasionally camp within sight of a smaller townor village in order to trade. Catfolk roam great distancesin their travels and do not become attached to a specificrange or territory the way that nomadic tribes of humanssometimes do.Settlements: Catfolk encampments balance defensibilitywith ease of escape from a dangerous area. Generally circularin nature, catfolk encampments center on a communal areawhere children play and the elders care for them and practicetheir crafts. The tents and lean-tos of individual families rangeout from this center, with the most able warriors occupyingtents on the perimeter of the encampment.Power Groups: With no large nations or powerful allianceof tribes to bind them together, catfolk experience