Skaven - Rats
Aug 9, 2018 1:34:12 GMT -6
Post by Amanojyaku on Aug 9, 2018 1:34:12 GMT -6
Skaven are slight, humanoid rodents, originally native to subterranean areas of certain crystal spheres. Now, like the rats they resemble, they can be found pretty much everywhere, scrabbling about in swamps, undercities, and run-down apartments. Many are shrewd merchants, who deftly navigate bazaars and black markets alike with the same ease that they dive into air ducts and sewer grates at the first sign of trouble.
For every Skaven that manages to hold a respectable career, there are unfortunately two more that murder babies in order to use their entrails to summon some daemon or another, and two more for each of those who delight in spreading plagues and misery. And all of them have a penchant for lying and for less than honorable behavior, so good luck figuring out who's which. Skaven tend to be on good terms with halflings, who share their shiftier tendencies.
Physical Characteristics
Average Height: 1.2-1.5m
Average Weight: 45-60kg
Languages: Trade, Skaven
Common Personality Traits: Pragmatic, untrustworthy, sneaky, ambitious, insane
Common Physical Traits: Nimble, long incisors, grimy fur, scaly tail, beady eyes
Example Names: Ink-Eyes, Stab-Whisker, Marrow-Gnawer, Iron-Scratch, Bone-Cracker
Racial Statistics
Characteristic Bonus: +1 to Dexterity or Intelligence
Skill Bonus: +1 to Stealth and Larceny
Power: Rat Race: Your attacks have the Ambushing special quality, and you add your Level as a static bonus to opposed tests.
Size: 3
Racial Feats
Grey Seer [Paragon, Skaven]
Knowledge is a surer path to power among Skaven than strength. Gain one rank of Divination magical power. You may purchase this power as if it was part of any class you belong to. Get +1k1 on Focus Power tests to cast Divination spells.
Mark of Rakdos [Skaven]
The Skaven's resemblance to Rakdos's sacred animal is enough to win them favor within his cult. Gain the feats Peer (Cult of Rakdos) and Good Reputation (Cult of Rakdos).
Skulk [Skaven]
You're a bit better at creeping around in the dark than other berks. Gain the Blind-Fighting feat, as your nose and ears work in concert to give you information that your eyes won't, and a +1k1 bonus to Stealth tests.
Tunnel Rat [Skaven]
You're really good with small spaces. You can easily squeeze past other creatures with no penalty to either of you, and you can even occupy the same space as another creature who has this feat. Yes, the definition of "creature" includes both allies and enemies, but take note that an enemy may tend to stab you in the face because you're violating his personal space, rather than stop doing so for the same reason.
Verminous Valor [Skaven]
Winning is paramount, but if survival's at stake it's probably better to let your buddy have first place for a moment. Gain the Meat Shield feat.
Physical Qualities
Skaven are nothing less than bipedal rats, roughly the size of a Squat but much leaner. Their bodies are covered in fur that ranges from white through most shades of brown or grey to black in color, though their hands, feet, and tail are bare, covered in tough, leathery skin instead. The easiest way to tell whether a Skaven lives among its own kind is the state of its fur... Skaven raised among other races have fur that appears sleek and well cared-for, while among other Skaven it falls out in patches. Skaven eyes are generally small and uniform in color, usually black.
Skaven, like Squats, are burrowing creatures, comfortable in enclosed spaces. Unlike Squats, they're... well, they're rats. The Skaven's lighter and leaner build allows them to crawl over each other and into narrower spaces without harm.
Skaven wear clothing almost exclusively on the basis of pragmatism; cloth that trails constantly in feces is nasty, even by their standards. As a result, most wear little more than enough to barely be considered decent by anyone else, and if they do wear more it's almost always cut to leave arms, legs, and tail completely bare. Skaven armor is usually piecemeal, salvaged from other races.
Playing a Skaven
Skaven are among the most mercenary race on the Wheel; they do practically nothing that isn't ultimately for their own benefit. They think of themselves first, their friends and family second, and everyone else can go take a long walk through a short airlock. And that's assuming they didn't exclusively have contact with other Skaven growing up, because otherwise they'll be the first in line to shove their own mother out of that airlock.
They are a social species, desiring the company of others but also to be the most noticed and celebrated among their peers. Coupled with their slight builds, this often means they must be smarter and faster than everyone else, developing guile rather than strength. Skaven are nothing if not pragmatic; victory is victory, no matter how ugly. This can lead to friction with more "honorable" races, who tend to find the rat folk's skulduggery detestable.
The daemon prince known as Rakdos is thought to have been a Skaven before his ascension, due to rats being his sacred animal. Most Skaven are quick to deny this, though some particularly hedonistic individuals proudly dye their fur in red and black and join the Circus of Horrors for the thrill of it.
Skaven Heroes
Since she was a whelp, Ink-Eyes served a twisted Goliath cultist, her resentment growing with the years as her master mistreated her, until finally, it boiled over, and she killed him in his sleep to win the favor of his daemonic master. The necromantic power she won as a result now leaks out of her eyes like red mist, as she seeks out the descendants of the ninety-nine monks who sealed her new master away to complete her part of the deal.
White-Mind and his minion Pink-Toe have a routine... every night, they try to use one of White-Mind's increasingly more insane inventions to take over a crystal sphere. So far, the score is overwhelmingly in favor of the crystal sphere, to White-Mind's ire. Not to worry, though, because he has another idea...
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