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Sunday, March 24, 2013

B/X Selkie Class


I've seen a lot of monster classes including a lot of caveman types, a lot of mermaids, and a lot of werewolves. I don't see why we can't have all three at once, so I made this.
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Sea Monster!
HD: d6
Saves: as Halfling
Attacks: as Halfling
Advances: as Halfling
Requirements: Constitution 9, Dexterity 9
Prime Requisite: Strength; Selkies with Strength 13 or better gain 5% bonus xp, Selkies who also have Charisma 13 or better gain 10% bonus xp.
  • Selkies can wear leather or fur armor in human form but find anything else too constricting. They cannot use shields. They can use spears, staffs, javelins, daggers, or clubs. They get +1 irony bonus to hit and damage with clubs.
  • Selkies can communicate with other Selkies in either form.
  • Selkies who die in their human form turn to seafoam, and can only be resurrected using their seal skin.
  • Selkies can advance to 12th level.

Selkies are a kind of leopard seal which hunts in packs and can transform into a beautiful if fearsome human form by removing their skin. Removing the skin takes a Turn followed by Save vs Petrification to avoid muscle fatigue from the transformation; a failed save means the Selkie will be unable to act for another Turn. In human form, the Selkie is an outsider, excited by new experiences and sensations. Becoming a seal again requires going back to their skin, re-dressing in it, and spending some time acclimating their muscles to the new form, processes which also take a Turn and a Saving Throw..

A Selkie can carry her skin with her at no encumbrance penalty but can only carry half the load a character of their strength normally could; their backs are not accustomed to that particular strain. A Selkie never wears her skin as armor in human form for reasons that we'll get to in a second.

In leopard seal form, the Selkie attacks as a 5HD monster (+4 to hit basically) at first level but can use the Selkie's to-hit-by-level if that is higher. She has an AC of 4 (15 ascending, 17 LotFP), and can attack twice per round, knocking their enemies prone or doing bite damage for 1d8 damage. Their land speed is 45'(15') and their swim speed is 180'(60'). Actually, even in human form they can swim at a full movement speed, rather than a reduced speed normal humans do. They do not take extra damage from silver weapons.

A Selkie's appetite is always enormous, and they prefer their food raw.

raw? more like RAWR! What were we talking about again?

If a Selkie's skin is lost, or seriously damaged, or tampered with in any way, only a powerful blessing or Heal spell can change them back to leopard seal form. The Selkie does not respond well to being trapped in human form, and their body distorts. Their eyes become all-black and they gain their seal form's bite attack, their unsettling jaws tipping off their inhuman nature. They never kill a living creature any more without eating part of it, and must lean on their weapon for support between fights. A Selkie will remain feral like this for another two levels before they pass away.

Selkies reaching 10th level with access to a sea can collect a harem of seals. Seriously it's called a harem. Anyway, they attract 3d10 seals a year, with each seal having a 15% chance of being a Level 1 Selkie.

Selkies can smell the sea on a person, and can identify anyone who has traveled by sea in the last month. They can also smell out fish at 500 yards.