A to Z of the Olden Lands

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[Vanth] Moth-Man Race and Racial Class

MOTH-MAN

Ability Requirements: Dexterity 9+, [Charisma 12+ (female only)]

R&C Racial Base XP: 1,500

Moth-Men are a race from an altogether different dimension. Even they do not know their ultimate origin, as their race has travelled the worlds, planes, and dimensions since time immemorial. They arrived in Vanth through the use of their Portal Power. They are found in small clan-based settlements (5d4 males, 5d4 females, and a number of children equal to both) in out-of-the-way places, usually in deep forests, jungles, mountains, or wastes, often near ruins, centered on a location where the boundaries in time and space are weak.

Male Moth-Men are regarded by other races as appearing quite hideous, being 6’ to 7’ tall humanoids (though appearing shorter due to their hunched posture) with scrawny, boney builds; hairless, cadaverous, bald skull-like heads with large bulbous eyes that glow like headlights; clawed three-fingered hands and feet; dark grayish powdery skin; and dull grayish-white tattered moth wings.

Female Moth-Men are, on the other hand, quite beautiful by human and elven standards, being 5’ to 6’ tall humanoids with slender but buxom build; possessing beautiful human heads with fair skin and luxurious hair; lovely almond-shaped eyes with glowing red irises; cute feathery antennae; clawed three-fingered hands and feet; and beautiful, colorful, glittering moth wings.

Male Moth-Men fear and loathe other, more handsome races of men, as they fear that their females will prefer them. However, they have little to fear as female Moth-Men find their own males most attractive, and believe “handsome” men of other races are quite ugly. If anything, male Moth-Men only have to fear from ugly men of other races, as they may more resemble male Moth-Men than their own race.

Most Moth-Men are distrustful of other races, as they are usually hunted as an aberrant or mutant species on many of the worlds, planes, and dimensions they have lived; ergo, their continual nomadic way of life. Thus, they tend to live in out-of-the-way places by preference as much as by necessity. Some clans trade or even deal more regularly with other races, but these are few and far between, and usually only found where many different races congregate and thus they are not considered unusual. If attacked, Moth-Men prefer to flee, either elsewhere on their world or to another.

Moth-Men subsist off of nectar, leafy vegetation, and small animals, preferring small insects, lizards, and mammals. They are usually fairly primitive in technology, requiring few tools as their claws are lethal weapons. They prefer to lair in tree-huts, tall ruined buildings, or in caves high on mountain peaks. The only product that they tend to make is silk; they raise silk-worms and the like, and weave fine silks, which are usually reserved for their females to wear. They trade silks for fine jewelry, which again, the females like to wear.

Female Moth-Men lay silky eggs in their lairs, which after six months hatch, opening to reveal a wingless Moth-Man child. The child rarely leaves their home lair for their first six years. At about six years, the child forms a cocoon, and after another six months emerges in a winged form. Moth-Men achieve full adult size and social adulthood at age 12.

Claw Attack: A Moth-Man can make two claw attacks per round, in a combination of hands or feet, each dealing 1d4 points of damage. These attacks may be made “on the fly,” in the midst of the Moth-Man’s full flying movement, though if the Moth-Man misses an attack by less than 4 he must stop and engage the target in melee.

Detect Portal: A Moth-Man can detect any rifts or weakness in the time-space continuum. If it merely passes by one, at a distance depending on the strength of the rift, the LM should make a d6 roll for the character. If the roll is less than or equal to 1 plus the Wisdom bonus of the Moth-Man, the Moth-Man detects it. He can always spend time actively searching for a rift or weakness, in which case discovery is automatic, but this requires one minute of searching for a 10’ by 10’ area.

Flight: A Moth-Man can fly at double its normal ground movement rate.

Hypnotic Eyes: A Moth-Man’s large, glowing red eyes are quite hypnotic to most races. If the Moth-Man has surprise, those within 30’ who look directly at the Moth-Man must make a saving throw versus Spells or become stunned and unable to move for 1d6 rounds. Those who fail the save with a Natural 1 are stunned for 1d6 minutes. The only race immune to this effect is the Klengon race; if they fail their save they become enraged and must attack the Moth-Man with a bonus of +2 to hit for 1d6 rounds.

Infravision: A Moth-Man has 60’ Infravision.

Open Portal: A Moth-Man can open an inactive rift in time and space; however, this requires much time and concentration. Every hour a Moth-Man concentrates on opening the portal it rolls a d6; if the roll is less than or equal to 1 plus the Intelligence bonus of the Moth-Man, the portal opens. Every hour it tries to open a portal, successful or not, the Moth-Man suffers 1d6 points of damage. Once the portal is open, it remains open as long as the Moth-Man concentrates, plus 1d6 rounds thereafter.

Radioactive Eyes: A Moth-Man can loose a pulse of radiation from its glowing red eyes, This burst is instant, the radiation very short lived and such that remains being noted on a Geiger counter but not of any real consequence. However, any being within 10’ of the Moth-Man, within a 90’ arc from its eyes, suffers a Radiation attack; roll the Radiation Class randomly for each attack (d6): 1-3 Class 1, 4+5 Class 2, 6 Class 3. The Moth-Man can perform this attack once per day, plus one time per day per point of Constitution bonus. Moth-Men are immune to their own personal radiation, if it is somehow reflected back on them, but have no immunity to other forms of radiation. 

MOTH-MAN PROPHET RACIAL CLASS

Racial Class Base XP: 3,000

Hit Dice: d6

Fight As: Rank III

Strong Saving Throws: 5, 6

Weak Saving Throws: 2, 3

Prohibited Multiclass: None

Moth-Men Prophets are the natural-born leaders of the Moth-Men clans. It is they who lead their clans to new worlds, planes, and dimensions, seeking a new home. Both males and females may be Prophets. Other than in time of migrations, Prophets only lead their clans in major, long-term decisions; more martial Moth-Men are usually elected as war chiefs, and more earthly chiefs are elected for day-to-day issues, though both usually defer to their Prophet should he or she choose to intervene. Clan Prophets also train the new, young Prophets who are destined to lead new clans to new lands.

Augury: A Moth-Man Prophet may use the augury spell three times per day, plus once per day per level above 1st.

Charming Eyes: If a victim is stunned by the Moth-Man Prophet’s Hypnotic Eyes, the Moth-Man Prophet may attempt to charm the victim, as per the charm person spell. It may do so no more than once per day, plus once per day per level above 1st.

Contact Other Plane: A 5th level Moth-Man Prophet, if near a rift or weakness in the time-space continuum, may contact other plane as per the spell. Use of this ability more than once a week is dangerous; each use after the first in a 7-day period adds 5% to the Moth-Man Prophet’s chance of going insane.

Exodus: At 9th level and thereafter, a young Moth-Man Prophet has the ability to lead an exodus of his people, gathering followers from his home clan and other nearby clans to travel to and settle in a new world, plane, or dimension. The Prophet attracts 1d4 Moth-Men, equally divided among males and females, to his new clan per point of Charisma. Once the clan is settled in its new land, as long as the clan thrives, a new Prophet shall be born to the clan every few years, to continue the process of migration and colonization anew.

Moth Dust: A Moth-Man Prophet is covered in a fine, glittering dust or powder. It can release this powder by shaking, distributing it in a cloud in a 5’ radius around itself. Those caught in the cloud must make a saving throw versus Poison or become confused, as per the spell, for 1d6 rounds plus one round per level of the Moth-Man Prophet. The Moth-Man Prophet can release this dust once per day, plus one time per day per point of Charisma bonus.

Improved Open Portal: A Moth-Man Prophet can open any local inactive rift or weakness in the time-space continuum after one round of concentration and making a successful saving throw versus Spells. If the attempt fails, he may attempt to do so every round. Once the portal is open, it remains open as long as the Moth-Man Prophet wills it to remain open.

Improved Radioactive Eyes: A Moth-Man Prophet’s radioactive eye attack has a range of 20’ and deals Class 1d6 Radiation damage.

Terrifying Shriek: A Moth-Man Prophet can let loose with a terrifying shriek. All non-Moth-Men within 60’ must make a saving throw versus Spells or be affected as though by a cause fear spell. The Moth-Man Prophet may perform this shriek once per day, plus once per day every three levels (twice at 3rd, three times at 6th, etc.)

[Vanth] Dwarf Race and Racial Class

DWARF

Ability Requirements: Strength 9+, Constitution 12+, Charisma 16-

R&C Racial Base XP: 1,250

Dwarfs are stout, short, bearded demi-humans who average a height of approximately 4 feet and weigh about 150 pounds. Their skin, hair, and eye color ranges in all varieties of the Human norm, and they may exhibit physical characteristics of varying human ethnic types. Dwarfs spend much of their time underground, in their mines, singing and mining gems, metals, and minerals. They usually live above ground, often in a cottage or barracks with their brothers and cousins. The Dwarfs of Fantasia have the duty of mining the special diamonds found in that realm in order to provide magic dust for the Faeries.

All dwarfs are male; there are no female Dwarfs. Dwarfs reproduce in one of two ways. Most Dwarfs are hatched from eggs. These eggs are found in rich veins of minerals, metals, and gems; thus, Dwarfs mine not merely for the joy of gathering the metals, but also to find their children! All Dwarf eggs are found in clutches of 2d6 eggs; all Dwarfs from the same clutch are considered to be brothers. All Dwarfs hatched from eggs from the same mine shaft are cousins. Dwarfs can also reproduce, after a fashion, by adopting a human child and raising it on Dwarf food; the child so raised grows up to become a Dwarf. Usually, only outcast Dwarfs raise such children, but it is not unknown for kindly Dwarfs to adopt a lost child or orphan.

Darkvision: Dwarfs have the ability to see in the dark up to 60 feet.

Hardy: Dwarfs are a hardy race, and gain the following bonuses to saving throws:

+2 save versus Breath Attacks

+4 save versus Poison

+4 save versus Petrify or Paralyze

+3 save versus Wands

+4 save versus Spells or Spell-Like Devices

Short: Due to their short height, Dwarfs cannot use two-handed swords or longbows.

Stonecraft: From their experience underground, Dwarfs have a 30% chance of detecting traps, false walls, hidden construction, or noticing if passages are sloped. Dwarfs must be actively searching for these abilities to function.

DWARF FOREMAN RACIAL CLASS

Racial Class Base XP: 2,250

Hit Dice: d8

Fight As: Rank II

Strong Saving Throws: 2, 4

Weak Saving Throws: 1, 5

Prohibited Multiclass: Fighter

Bossy: A Dwarf Foreman is born, not made; his name naturally reflects his leadership status, and as such, together with his earth-born allure, he has the ability to charm Dwarf once per day per level. This ability operates as per the charm person spell cast at the Dwarf Foreman’s level, though it only works on Dwarfs. At 9th level he gains the ability to mass charm Dwarfs, as per the mass charm spell, once per day, and gains an additional use per day for every two levels above 9th (twice at 11th, three times at 13th, and so forth).

Craftsman: In addition to a random Secondary Skill, a Dwarf Foreman may choose one of the following Secondary Skills as his Primary Profession.  The Dwarf Foreman’s skill in his Primary Profession begins at 50% and increases 5% per level after 1st level. Choose one: Armorer, Blacksmith, Engineer, Jeweler, Miner, Prospector, Stonemason, Tinker, or Tunnel Runner. If he is multi-classed as a Warlock, he can instead choose from Alchemist, Dirge Singer, Lorekeeper, or Runecaster.

Pick Specialist: A Dwarf Foreman gains a bonus to hit and to damage with a club as per the weapon specialization of the Fighter class. The bonuses apply to both light and heavy picks. He does not gain the ability to choose other weapons for specialization at higher levels, and may only improve his ability with the pick.

Improved Stonecraft: From their experience underground, a Dwarf Foreman has a 50% chance of detecting traps, false walls, hidden construction, or noticing if passages are sloped. This ability can also be used to identify raw minerals, metals, and gems, and evaluate them. This chance improves by 5% every level after 1st level. A Dwarf Foreman must be actively searching for these abilities to function.

Thane: At 9th level a Dwarf Foreman is eligible to found his own Dwarf mine and settlement and settled down as Thane (Lord) of that settlement. If it is in lands already inhabited by Dwarfs, he must get the permission of other Dwarf Thanes in the area before he digs his mine and builds his settlement. As long as he has been a successful Foreman and is well-liked by the other Dwarfs of the community, he will be able to attract 5d8 Dwarfs to his banner who will be the founding core of his settlement.

[Vanth] Tentative Races and Classes List

RACES OF VANTH

Alien: Grey

Alien: [Various, including alien races from Starships & Spacemen]

Amazon

Bone-Man

Cave-Man

Clonoid: Legionnaire

Clonoid: Lincoln

Clownoid

Cyborg [Robodroid ]

Demonoid

Dreenoi

Dwarf

Elf

Fairy

Felinoid

Frankenstein

Gnome

Goblin

Hamster-Man

Hobling

Human: Earthican

Human: Fantasian

Human: Gorean

Human: Horse Tamer

Human: Numerikahn

Human: Pirate

Human: Terran Time Traveler

Human: Tribesman

Human: Vanthian

Human: Viking

Human: Underlander

Hutt

Klengon

Liger-Man

Luchadorian

Macabre

Magical Animal

Manimal: Fantasian

Manimal: Underlander

Manimal: Wonderlander

Mok

Morlock

Moth-Man

Mutant [Mutant ]

Mutoid [Mutant Race from Mutant Future]

Octopoid

Orc

Planetary Ape: Chimpanzee

Planetary Ape: Gorilla

Planetary Ape: Orangutan

Remulan

Robodroid

Sasquatch

Sleestak

Vulkin

Wolfoid

Wooky

Zomboid [Zomboid ]

CLASSES OF VANTH

Acrobat

Alchemist

Amazon

Animal Trainer

Archer

Armorer

Anti-Paladin

Assassin

Astronaut

Barbarian

Bard

Beastmaster

Beggar

Berserker

Biker

Bounty Hunter

Doxy

Druid

Duelist

Fighter

Gunslinger

Healer

Illusionist

Jester

Knight

Luchador

Lycanthrope

Mechanic

Monk

Mountebank

Mutant Master

Mystic

Paladin

Pirate

Priest

Princess

Pugilist

Psychic

Ranger

Road Warrior

Rocketeer

Sage

Scientist

Scout

Shaman

Slaver

Soldier

Space Fleet Officer: Military Branch

Space Fleet Officer: Science Branch

Space Fleet Officer: Technical Branch

Summoner

Tattoo Mage

Thief

Valkyrie

Viking

Warlock

Witch

Witch-Hunter