Ursine
Oct 23, 2018 21:53:19 GMT -6
Post by Xornik on Oct 23, 2018 21:53:19 GMT -6
Homebrew Race: Ursine
”They're smarter than the average bear.”
Background
The stout and abrupt Ursine go by many names, but few of them are insults, for the Ursines are both honorable and incredibly strong (and intimidating). Sometimes known as bearfolk or mountainwalkers, ursine are bear-like humanoids with a thick coat of fur, clawed paws on their hands and feet, angular ears near the top of the head, and a massive bear’s mouth. Not easily hurt, the Ursine are a very honor-driven race, and do not tolerate deep and sincere slights, or outright disrespect—this lasting perception of them is most often perpetuated only by those who are guilty of disrespecting members of this wise and mostly peaceful race.
It is possible the Ursine descended from some form of bears, but the truth has long since been lost. The Ursine are known to be a reclusive race and often hard to find. Some even believe they are just legends. This belief is aided in that most groups do not have a distinct political structure. Ursine travel as small and tight knit family groups or remain out of sight in hidden communities. These groups will typically stay in one geographic area and be familiar with other groups living in nearby regions. Because tribal Ursine don’t have any large social groups they aren’t generally lawful. The family comes first and each family will have their own rules. They believe that right and wrong is something the family decides and laws are left for races that don’t have as strong a family connection as they do. Tribal Ursine are fiercely independent from other races but have been known to be subjugated on occasion.
There is of course an exception to every rule and that exception are the Nicassar. Originally a group of Ursine that embraced their latent psychic talents, the Nicassar broke away from traditional tribal Ursine lifestyle and set out to explore and traveled the stars. Building an advanced civilization as they traveled, they set out on small star-faring yachts known as Dhow primarily powered by the mental abilities of the ships Captain and Navigator. Fleets of Dhow would often moor together and be only manned by a small number of Ursine while the rest hibernated allowing for travel across long distances with centuries passing the slumbering crew by until they reached their destination. It was not long before the Nicassar began to encounter other advanced civilizations, which quickly hardened them to the reality of the Wheel. This drove them to accept the offer of membership extended by the fledgling Tau Empire, with the space-fairing Ursine believing the their cause. Now flotillas of Nicassar Dhow are often seen in the Armadas of the Tau empire, serving mainly as Scouts and Exploratory vessels, while fearsome Ursine infantry are deployed in their ground operations to further the greater good.
Physical Characteristics
Average Height: 1.8 - 2.8m
Average Weight: 300-500kg
Languages: Trade, Clawspeak
Common Personality Traits: Bestial, protective, reserved, proud, caring, likes picnics
Common Physical Traits: Large, thick shaggy fur, bear-like snout and teeth, large paws and claws,
Example Names: Yogi, Wicket, Voli, Kneesa, Teddy, Pooh, Paddington, Po
Racial Statistics
Characteristic Bonus: +1 to Wisdom or Strength
Skill Bonus: +1 to Animal Ken and Brawl
Power: Unbearable Swipe: You have a natural claw weapon (2k2,R,Melee,Brawling). Once per scene as a half action you can attack all enemies adjacent to you, making the attack roll once and comparing the result against each target's Static Defense. At Level 3 and 5 you gain an additional use of this power per scene.
Size: 5
Racial Feats
Quaggoth [Ursine]
After the Elven and Eldarin races intruded upon their natural habitat, many Ursine retreated to dwell in deep dark caves rather than the wild, gain Dark Sight and Hatred(Elves, Eldarin, Dark Eldarin).
Caremark [Ursine, Paragon]
You were born with a strange birth mark upon your belly that grants you a mysterious power. Choose a single Level 3 or lower spell, you may cast this spell using your Excellence in place of the Spell School.
Psychic Phenomena rolls for the chosen spell have -5 per dot of Excellence
Clawful [Ursine]
You know how to swipe and cleave with your claws to do the most damage and hit the most people. Your claw weapons now have Tearing and gain an additional +1k0 damage.
Pandawa [Ursine]
You have an affinity for the mystic ways of martial arts. Choose a Sword School that features Weapon (Brawl). You may purchase and advance this Sword School as though it were part of your class progression at any time.
Ewok [Ursine]
You're much smaller than other ursine, and much cuter. Lose two Size and gain a +1k1 bonus to all Charm tests.
Hibernate [Ursine]
Double the amount of hit points recovered while resting.
Astral Seer [Kor, Satori, Ursine]
Your homeworld is one where maps become useless as soon as they're finished, and landmarks disappear as often as they're memorized. You can clearly see much less impermanent landmarks in the Warp overlaid on the Materium, giving you an unerring sense of direction and allowing you to act as a Navigator without ranks in Divination.
Physical Qualities
The Ursine are a race of large mammalian bipeds, that are covered from head to toe in thick fur. The furs coloration and pattern largely depend on which tribe the ursine belongs to, usually ranging in shade of brown, black or grey. Pandawa ursine stand out from the rest of their kin with a distinctive combination of black and white fur, while the majority of the Nicassar have a thick white coat, but generally stubbier arms than their tribal kin.
Ursine Paws are very large and intimidating up close, each paw has several large claws at the end of each digit, including their opposable thumbs. If you were to shave an Ursine (which nobody in their right mind would recommend) you would find thick hardy skin over a large muscular frame. Each Ursine has a snout-like face featuring a maw filled with sharp teeth, however few Ursine use their jaws as a primary offensive weapon as their claws are easily much more deadly.
Tribal Ursine typically make their clothes from materials they gather from their immediate area, usually made from animal skins and dead plant-life, though they are not opposed to wearing fabrics, armor and textiles taken from or traded with other species. It is not uncommon for Ursine to be seen wearing necklaces, or other ornamental decorations with each piece signifying or representing something important to the ursine or it's community. A token of their god, a family heirloom, or a trophy taken while defending the tribe. Some of these are sacred prized possessions that have been past down for generations, damaging or destroying one would be very unwise. The Nicassar wear much more modern clothing, a mixture of armor and uniforms from their Tau allies and original patterns and designs they created themselves, some still keep ornaments from their past with them, but they are often not displayed or valued as highly as those of the tribal Ursine.
Playing an Ursine
Ursine are hulking bestial beings covered in fur and can be a force of nature in their own right, playing one should make you feel as such. Though deadly when aggravated, the majority of Ursine prefer to stay off the political center stage, building family based communities or operating small trading convoys on the outskirts of crystal spheres and generally keeping to themselves. The majority of these Ursine are peaceful and friendly, if you respect their homes and traditions they'll show you hospitality or leave you alone. However should you prove yourself to be a threat to their way of life you'll quickly learn just how savage the former gentle giants can be. Depending on the tribe, you'll find that these Ursine will typically worship a differently named aspect of a member of the Grey Council - usually Luna, or less commonly one the Blessed Order.
Unfortunately with so many hostile factions and corporations looking to make their mark on the wheel these tribal communities of Ursine rarely see peace for longer than a generation or two. Thankfully usual friendly nature also plays in their favor - as many would-be invaders or attackers have often made the mistake of writing off the ursine as 'harmless' local fauna or primitive savages, only to find themselves woefully unprepared for the brutality and ingenuity of the Ursine. Unfortunately, given the number of Ursine that live in the small communities they are usually outnumbered eventually and the few survivors will retreat after inflicting as many casualties on their enemies. It is the survivors of these attacks that are often encountered as Adventurers - with family and community lost they have little choice but to roam in search of a new purpose. Usually this purpose ends up being vengeance against those who had destroyed their former life, with Ursine's often eventually becoming rebels and freedom fighters against the large empires and corporations seeking to end oppression wherever they found it. Other times these purposeless and angry Ursine take a darker path and give themselves to worship of the Ruinous Pantheon seeking to destroy civilization and order wherever it may be.
The Ursine can be surprisingly adept in psyker abilities as a species, with very few recorded occasions of of Daemonic Possession. They are aware of the denizens of the Warp, warning any allies or neighboring species to steer clear of them - referring to them as dangerous predators. In tribal groups, it is usual for only the Thotnot or chief to possess psychic abilities, which they use to benefit their tribe through divination and shamanistic rituals. However in the Tau-aligned Ursine civilization known as the Nicassar, it is not uncommon for every inhabitant member on a Ursine crew to possess psychic abilities at some level. If this is the result of increase exposure to the warp or simply due to embracing advancement is not known. Their powerful mental abilities have allowed them to become one of the more prestigious species within the Tau Empire, perhaps just beneath the Kroot. Despite this members of the Nicassar are still rarely encountered just like their reclusive tribal kin, as the Tau see their contributions as an valuable asset they cannot afford to lose.
Ursine Heroes:
Yogee had grown up in the forest on the edge of a peaceful glade and had become a defender of it's serenity. Each day when visitors would appear carrying baskets of food to devour, he'd scare them away and take the food for himself. Everything changed the day he was bitten, he could no longer chase away the visitors during the day time, but those who lingered after sunset would provide him with a much larger meal.
Nobody took Warrick seriously due to his small stature and cuddlable exterior, of course he used this to his advantage. With his inner spark of genius he created several dangerous inventions to prove his superiority over his rivals at the Academy. He could only laugh with glee as his fellow classmates were tragically crushed in an accident involving a series of elaborate Ironwood Log traps, leaving him as the only candidate for the research grant.
Jacc was a bumbling pandawa ursine who aspired to be a master of martial arts, but couldn't amount to much other than working in his fathers noodle shop. When ancient evil warrior escaped after twenty years in prison, Jacc is unwittingly named the chosen one destined to defeat him and bring peace to the crystal sphere, a task he is somehow able to bumble his way through despite the odds.
Inspirations:
Ursine (Various)
Nicassar (40k)
Furbolgs + Pandaren (Warcraft)
Quaggoths (DnD)
Ewoks (Star Wars)
Volibear (LoL)
Padawa (Wakfu)
Care, Yogi, Paddington, Pooh (Pop culture)