Since I’m now definitely running a session in Aurikesh for my Christmas one-shot, I’ll be posting about this hack of the SIFRP rules even more frequently. If I have time, I will also post a bit about the setting beyond what is stated or implied in the original posts on these races.
Nonhuman Races
I’ve decided to offer my nonhuman races a much more extensive package of racial abilities than Wombat Warlord went with; as much as anything I’ve made this decision to allow me to keep these races a little closer to their original conceptions. Selecting a nonhuman race costs one of a character’s starting Destiny Points (with the exception of the Parthé; see below), but grants full access to the listed racial abilities.
Veytikka:
- When bearing no more than 2 points of Bulk, veytikka can travel on all fours (with empty hands), increasing their speed by 33%. (Round fractions of a yard down.)
- Claws: Veytikka deal Athletics -1 damage with their fists, rather than Athletics -3.
- Keen Scent: Veytikka can purchase levels of Scent as bonus dice of Awareness.
- Voice Across the Veil: Veytikka gain +2 bonus dice in all Intrigues or social rolls against ghosts and intelligent undead.
- Lore of the Dead: Veytikka can roll Persuasion (Bargain) in graveyards or crypts to communicate with those buried there, typically for the sake of gaining information.
- Veytikka cannot start with more than two dice in Status. (This relates to Status across all of Aurikesh society; this value does not represent their standing in all-veytikka communities.)
- Beruch have a natural point of armor value that stacks with armor that they wear. This armor carries no armor penalty or bulk.
- Beruch have an additional 2 points of Intrigue Defense and Combat Defense against hostile magic.
- When a beruch is affected by a damaging spell that deals fire, cold, storm, or force damage, her melee attacks (armed or unarmed) are empowered. She gains her bonus dice in Resilience as bonus dice to her melee attacks for the following round.
- Beruch cannot start with fewer than three dice in Knowledge.
- Beruch are difficult to heal with magic, thanks to the same mystical properties of their crystal growths that protect them from harmful magic. When targeted with any spell that would heal Health, Injuries, Wounds, Composure, Strain, or Curses, the spell’s Difficulty increases by 2.
- Kagandi are dependent upon fish or replacement alchemical compounds in their diet, at least once a week. Every full week without this nutrient inflicts an Injury and a Strain upon a kagandi.
- Kagandi have excellent night vision, and suffer no penalties in Shadowy conditions. In full Darkness, they take penalties as per Shadowy conditions.
- Sorcery of the Fen: When a kagandi consumes ulishau root poison, she gains three dice in Wizardry (if she has none) or 2 dice in Wizardry (if she has at least one but not more than seven). Kagandi who already have eight dice of Wizardry gain one die in Will instead. This benefit lasts for three days. The kagandi must suffer the full effect of ulishau root poison to receive this benefit.
- Poison Resistance: Kagandi resist all kinds of poisons other than ulishau root poison with two bonus dice to their roll (whether it is Endurance, Heal, or Piety).
- Kagandi may not start with fewer than two dice in Athletics or Agility.
- Once per combat, a kagandi gains +1D to a Fighting roll.
- When in or on the water, kagandi may reroll 1s that come up in Athletics tests. They may do this a number of times per test equal to their current Destiny point total (including spent Destiny).
- Spend (not burn) Destiny to gain +2D to Athletics and Endurance. While thus enhanced, they take two points of Composure damage per round; this may not be reduced through any means. Parthé can take Strain or Curses to mitigate this damage. If they cannot or decline to sustain further Composure damage, the enhancement ends on the following round.
- Parthé may not start play with fewer than 3 Endurance or more than 4 Agility. This rule overrides any existing racial restrictions.
- Parthé are vulnerable to force damage, suffering +1 damage (multiplied normally with additional degrees of success).
- Parthé begin play with one bonus die in Intimidate (a specialty of Persuasion).
- Parthé may be of any race. Being one of the Parthé does not cost additional Destiny.