Feral Gargun

ally, dream dwarves form small, secluded monasteries high up on a mountainside in an effort to become closer to the earth dream.

Religion: Although dream dwarves pay homage to Moradin and the rest of the dwarf pantheon, their primary deity is the earth itself, as expressed by the collective experience that dream dwarves call the earth dream.

Language: Dream dwarves speak Dwarven.

Names: Dream dwarves place great significance on their names, believing that even the most common version of a name carries power. Their names are likely to change over time, as they incorporate new syllables or words into their names. Dream dwarves believe that they find these words and syllables within the depths of the earth dream, and they incorporate them into their identities out of reverence and to show that they understand the power of the earth. It is quite likely for a dream dwarf’s name to change or grow longer after he goes through a particularly harrowing or dangerous experience; as such, it’s usually true that an accomplished dream dwarf adventurer has a long, intricate name that recalls his greatest exploits.

Male Names: Bren-Iol, Bollinak, Car-Innul, Derinar, Harar, Malanath.

Female Names: Allalia, Assanae, Giallin, Kula-Tai, Mala, Shelbath.

Clan Names: Brekaran, Esstranak, Penathan, Quwerthena, Skarnath.

Adventurers: Dream dwarf adventurers seek the wisdom that comes from personal experience. Some, driven by the earth dream’s urgings, wander to fi nd more of what they’ve seen in the dream. Others seek to escape the dream and their people’s involvement in it, traveling to other lands to be rid of its pull. Most however, travel and adventure to better understand the parts of the earth dream that they can sense, to experience the dream in other places, and to broaden their own understanding of the world.

DREAM DWARF RACIAL TRAITS

• +2 Constitution, –2 Dexterity: Dream dwarves are as tough as other dwarves (and stronger of personality), but they are a bit clumsy and slow to react. • Medium: As Medium creatures, dream dwarves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. • Dream dwarf base land speed is 20 feet. However, dream dwarves can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load (unlike other creatures, whose speed is reduced in such situations). • Darkvision: Dream dwarves can see in the dark out to 90 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and dream dwarves can function just fi ne with no light at all. • Stonecunning: Dream dwarves have the same knack for finding unusual stonework that dwarves do. This ability grants a dream dwarf a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding

walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn’t stone but that is disguised like stone also counts as unusual stonework. A dream dwarf who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as if he were actively searching, and a dream dwarf can use Search to find stonework traps as a rogue can. A dream dwarf can also intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up. Dream dwarves have a sixth sense about stonework, an innate ability that they get plenty of opportunity to practice and hone in their underground homes. • Weapon Familiarity: Dream dwarves treat dwarven waraxes and dwarven urgroshes as martial weapons rather than exotic weapons. • Stability: Dream dwarves are exceptionally stable on their feet. A dream dwarf gains a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground). • +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy checks made with creatures of the earth subtype: Dream dwarves get along well with earth elementals and similar creatures. • Dream Sight (Su): A dream dwarf can see ethereal creatures as easily as she sees material creatures and objects.

A dream dwarf can easily distinguish between ethereal creatures and material ones, because ethereal creatures appear translucent and indistinct. • Spell Power: When in contact with the ground, a dream dwarf’s effective caster level when casting divination spells or spells with the earth descriptor increases by 1.

This increase applies when determining level-dependent spell variables and on caster level checks. This increase stacks with other spell power abilities, such as from the hierophant prestige class. • Automatic Languages: Common and Dwarven. Bonus

Languages: Draconic, Elven, Gnome, Terran, Undercommon. • Favored Class: Druid. A multiclass dream dwarf’s druid class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.

FERAL GARGUN

A small offshoot of the goliath race, feral garguns tear their livelihood out of the frigid northern regions with tooth and claw. Feral garguns derive from goliath and giant parentage. These large, savage humanoids fi ght in quick, furious bursts of energy. In the barren areas of the north, there is little room for mercy, and the feral garguns have had to learn to be aggressive just to survive. Even more than their goliath kindred, feral garguns fi nd cities and the trappings of civilization confusing and intimidating. Although individual feral garguns have found ways to adapt to the cities and villages of other

Illus. by T. Baxa

races, the majority prefers the simple, nomadic lifestyle of the far north.

Personality: Fierce, quick-tempered warriors, feral garguns usually assume that the strongest individual is the leader, and they usually settle disagreements with some nonlethal test of strength. Despite this outward ferocity, feral garguns have a deep sense of personal honor and place a great deal of importance on self-reliance.

Physical Description: A typical feral gargun is as big as a goliath and larger than the largest half-orc. Most stand between 7 and 8 feet tall and weigh between 280 and 340 pounds. As with their goliath kindred, there is no appreciable difference in height or weight between male and female feral garguns. Feral garguns are covered in smooth, thick fur. This fur ranges in color from white to light gray to dark brown. Although their bodies are humanoid in shape, the faces of feral garguns are similar to those of bears, and they have longer, narrower faces than other humanoids.

Relations: Most feral garguns have little to no interaction with other humanoid races, so when they do interact, they remain curious and polite, at least by their standards. They get along well with goliaths, who trade the feral garguns metal weapons and armor when they have them to spare. Feral garguns also enjoy the company of halflings, valuing their success at maintaining a nomadic lifestyle. Feral garguns some times see halfl ings as mentor fi gures because of this attitude—a role that most halfl ings fi nd both amusing and appealing. Feral garguns hate giants. Bigger and better equipped than the feral garguns, a tribe of giants can usually drive a group of feral garguns from an area, or worse, capture and enslave them. Feral garguns attack and kill giants whenever they have the opportunity.

Alignment: Feral garguns tend toward chaotic alignments, valuing freedom and personal choice very highly. Even the most organized group of feral garguns is really just a collection of self-suffi cient individuals traveling together for safety.

Feral Gargun Lands: Feral garguns roam the plains and tundra of the far north, covering huge areas in the search for food, shelter, and tools. Small bands of feral garguns join together once or twice a season to share stories, trade tools and goods, and discuss the dangers of the coming season. Feral gargun lands face constant pressure from groups of giants, orcs, and goblinoids, as well as from powerful individual creatures such as dragons. When such foes appear, the feral garguns meet and decide as a group whether to move on or to fi ght.

Religion: Feral garguns pay homage to their own deities, chief among them Galtha, the Mother of Winter. Galtha teaches her people to survive even in the harshest cold and when food is scarces. “When you can thrive where others cannot even eke out an existence,” says the teachings of Galtha, “then survival and success are assured.”

Language: Feral garguns speak the goliath language of Gol-Kaa. Gol-Kaa has only recently been put down in written form using the Dwarven alphabet, and no feral gargun tribe has yet warmed to the concept of a written language. Individual feral garguns who have moved away from their homelands and adventured among other races have learned to read and write in other languages, but they remain the exceptional few.

Feral gargun

Table 4–4: The Feral Gargun Hit Base Attack Fort Ref Will Skill

Level Dice Bonus Save Save Save Points CR Special

1st 1d8 +1 +0 +2 +2 (2 + Int mod) × 4 1 Feat, 2 claws 1d4 2nd 1d8 +1 +0 +2 +2 1 +1 natural armor, acclimated, +2 Str, +2 Con 3rd 2d8 +2 +0 +3 +3 (2 + Int mod) 2 Powerful build, 2 claws 1d6 4th 2d8 +2 +0 +3 +3 2 +2 Con, +2 Dex, +2 natural armor

Names: All feral garguns remain unnamed until their second birthday. The infant mortality rate is high in the cold northlands, and leaving infants unnamed makes it easier for the tribe to accept the death of a young feral gargun when it occurs. On his or her second birthday, a feral gargun is given two names: a fi rst name, and a last name taken from his mother’s name. The last name translates roughly into “son/daughter of [the mother’s name].” A feral gargun can earn the right to adopt his father’s name by performing some great deed. This deed is never specifi ed beforehand, and only a council of elder feral garguns can make this award. Few feral garguns actually earn their father’s name, and not failing to do so carries no shame or stigma.

Male Names: Agam, Agath, Gethik, Gothan, Thokan.

Female Names: Evva, Maka, Makin, Prenna, Vulla.

Adventurers: Feral gargun adventurers seek to explore the world. They often wish to learn from other races and cultures, seeking to return to their people with treasure, tools, and knowledge that will make life in the northern reaches easier. Some feral garguns leave their tribe hoping to perform some deed great enough for them to earn their father’s name. Because of their size and ferocity, feral gargun barbarians easily fi nd a place in adventuring groups, mercenary squads, or other martial organizations. Feral garguns find the sea fascinating, and the few who learn to make their way as sailors seldom abandon that profession.

FERAL GARGUN RACIAL TRAITS

• +4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +4 Constitution, –2 Intelligence, –2 Charisma: Feral garguns are strong, tough, and agile, but they are not as smart or personable as their goliath kindred. • Medium: As Medium creatures, feral garguns have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. • Feral gargun base land speed is 30 feet. • Darkvision: Feral garguns can see in the dark out to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and feral garguns can function just fi ne with no light at all. • Powerful Build: The physical stature of a feral gargun lets him function in many ways as if he were one size category larger. Whenever a feral gargun is subject to a size modifi er or special size modifi er for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the feral gargun is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. A feral gargun is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can

affect him. A feral gargun can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefi ts of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size category. • Racial Hit Dice: A feral gargun begins with two levels of monstrous humanoid, which provide 2d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +2, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +0, Ref +3, and Will +3. • Racial Skills: A feral gargun’s monstrous humanoid levels give him skill points equal to 5 × (2 + Int modifi er). A feral gargun’s class skills are Climb, Hide, Jump, Listen,

Search, Spot, and Survival. • Racial Feats: A feral gargun’s monstrous humanoid levels give him one feat. • Mountain Movement: Because feral garguns practically live on the ledges and cliffs of the most forbidding mountains, they are particularly adept at negotiating mountain hazards. A feral gargun can make standing long jumps and high jumps as if they were running long jumps and high jumps. He can engage in accelerated climbing (climbing half his speed as a move action) without taking the –5 penalty on the Climb check. • Acclimated: Feral garguns are automatically acclimated to life at high altitudes. They don’t take the penalties for altitude described in the Mountain Travel section on page 90 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Unlike other denizens of the mountains, feral garguns don’t lose their acclimation to high altitude even if they spend months or years at lower elevations. • Resistance to Cold 5 (Ex): Feral garguns have adapted to the harsh conditions of their homelands, growing a tough hide and thick fur to protect them from low temperatures.

They can ignore the fi rst 5 points of cold damage dealt by any attack, whether mundane or magical. • Natural Armor: A feral gargun’s tough hide and thick fur protect him from harm, giving him a +2 natural armor bonus to AC.

Illus. by D. Day