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| Kent Hamilton Concepts |
Alright, this may require some explanation. My supremely-talented friend Kent Hamilton is a concept artist. For his final project at Art Center, he is looking back on some very old drawings he made when he and I used to run around in the back yard fighting orcs and dragons, and he's redesigning them with his honed and practiced skills. Here at d20 Despot, I'll be bringing you two of these creatures statted up as playable PC races. Today, we have the hardy, tortoise-like togbins. Next week, we'll have the clever, hare-like perinin.
So what are togbins?
The following text in gold is available as Open Game Content under the OGL. Open Game Content is (C)2014 Jonah Bomgaars.
TOGBINS (10 RP)
Togbins are a lumbering, testudinate race of armored reptilians who, through fierce determination and sheer physical prowess, have adapted to life in cold northern climates. They are slow but tenacious, to the point of being viewed as bloodthirsty. To the outside world, togbins are a race of slavers and fur-trappers, eking out a savage existence in the cold mountains and northern wilderness. But Togbins have their own values and morality; they see themselves as an enterprising and practical people who have earned their civilization, and they see their slaves in the same light humans might see a horse or a dog.
Physical Description: Togbins stand about 7 feet tall with broad, stocky bodies, long arms, and short legs. Their bodies are covered with thick, scaly hide, with a bony tortoise-like shell on their backs. The hide on their bellies is soft, which has led to their distinctive styles of armor; one can tell the social status of a togbin by the quality of their belly armor, ranging from the re-purposed shields of their enemies to custom-forged pieces adorned with furs and trophies. Their heads hang forward on thick necks, ending in beady eyes and a bony beak. Togbins often appear even larger than they actually are, wrapped in warm furs and bearing heavy loads on their strong backs.
Society: Togbin society is organized around clans and petty kingdoms. They tend toward a nomadic lifestyle, ranging from high mountains to forested taiga and open bogs. They earn their livelihood trapping animals for furs to wear or trade, and most togbin tribes at least dally in capturing live humanoids to sell as slaves, typically perinin, gnomes, halflings, goblins, kobolds, and others they deem to be 'lesser'. Togbins value meat and furs; they have no native money and prefer to trade for practical items. Although togbin are able craftsmen, they often lack raw materials like metal, which they must trade for. Togbins of high status often have their shells inlaid with precious metals. Togbins take great pride in their hunting abilities, and they often adorn themselves with trophies of their finest kills, usually in the form of hides, but many togbins are particularly fond of collecting perinin ears.
Relations: Due to their reputation as slavers, many civilized races take an uncharitable view of togbins, but more mercenary individuals value them as trade partners. Of all the races, the hare-like perinin are most hunted by togbins, for slaves and fur. As such, there is great enmity between perinin and togbins. Elves don't think much of togbins, if they think of them at all. Halflings and gnomes dislike togbins. Orcs tend to view the togbins with wary respect, and are generally the most likely to buy slaves from them. Dwarves and humans will gladly trade with them for valuable furs. Togbins respect humans, dwarves, and orcs, seeing them as 'worthy' and civilized. Togbins tend to judge other races by how willing they are to trade and how easy they are to catch.
Alignment and Religion: Togbins tend to see morality in shades of grey, and seek out a niche where they can gain the greatest advantages for themselves. They don't view the life or freedom of others as having any inherent value. Nevertheless, once they have developed a bond of friendship, they are loathe to abandon it. Togbins are generally neutral, with more tending toward neutral evil than neutral good. They prefer simple deities related to nature or fundamental concepts, and togbin religious practice is shamanistic.
Adventurers: As togbins are a nomadic and hardy folk, they excel at a life of adventure. Many togbins can be found wandering the world in search of new hunting grounds or new companions worthy of being called his clan. Other togbins may have left their clan for the life of a mercenary; such individuals have learned to embrace money as a concept because of the many fine things that can be purchased with it. Most togbins tend toward classes like ranger and barbarian, with spellcasters usually being druids or sorcerers.
Male Names: Gurat, Jantu, Trodan, Troerjo, Troja, Wiejum
Female Names: Bindaj, Bintolga, Binpun, Binrujah, Ojana, Tarnja
TOGBIN RACIAL TRAITS
+2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, -2 Dexterity: Togbins are hearty and wise, but lack finesse.
Medium: Togbins are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Slow and Steady: Togbins have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
Antifreeze Blood: Togbins are naturally resistant to freezing temperatures, and have cold resistance 5.
Natural Armor: Togbins have thick, scaly hide and a bony shell, granting them a +2 natural armor bonus
Poor Eyesight: Togbins have poor eyesight and suffer a -2 penalty on sight-based Perception checks.
Trapper: Togbins gain a +2 racial bonus to Survival checks and a +1 bonus to Craft (trapmaking) and Profession (tanner) checks. Survival is always a class skill for a togbin.
Wrestler: Togbins gain a +2 bonus on combat maneuver checks made to begin or maintain a grapple.
Languages: Togbins begin play speaking Common and Trojum. Togbins with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Draconic, Dwarven, Giant, Goblin, Orcish, Perinin, Sylvan.
Togbin CR 1/2
XP 200
Togbin
ranger 1
NE Medium humanoid
(togbin)
Init +0; Senses Perception +6 (+4 sight-based)
DEFENSE
AC 17, touch 10, flat-footed 16 (+4
armor, +1 shield, +2 natural)
hp 9 (1d10+4)
Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +2
Resist cold 5
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft.
Melee battleaxe +4 (1d8+2/x3)
Ranged javelin +1 (1d6+2) 30ft.
Special Attacks favored enemy (animals
+2)
STATISTICS
Str 15, Dex 11, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8
Base Atk +1; CMB +3 (+5 grapple); CMD
13
Feats Weapon Focus (battleaxe)
Skills Craft (trapmaking) +5, Intimidate
+3, Knowledge (nature) +4,
Perception +6 (+4 sight-based), Profession (tanner) +7, Survival +8;
Racial Modifiers +1 Craft (trapmaking),
+1 Profession (tanner), +2 Survival
Languages Togbin and Common
SQ track +1, wild empathy +0
ECOLOGY
Environment any cold
Organization solitary, hunting band
(3-8), warband (10-24), clan (25+
plus 50% noncombatants, 1 clanguard of 3rd
level per 20 adults,
1 or 2 champions of 4th or 5th level, and 1 patriarch of
6th-8th level)
Treasure NPC gear (bear trap, battleaxe,
hide armor, 3 javelins,
light wooden shield, other treasure)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Togbins make great villains, but they aren't necessarily evil. After all, they don't see themselves as evil. Well-traveled togbin adventurers may even come to respect those races that togbins in general see as unworthy. In any case, their +2 natural armor bonus and other natural defenses make togbins a desirable race to play as. And I wouldn't rule out the possibility of future alternate race traits for desert togbins or aquatic swamp togbins. Probably not sewer-dwelling, pizza-loving ninja togbins...
Don't forget to tune in next week for the hare-like perinin race, and expect a few more homebrewed races here at d20 Despot in the future.
-your testudinate d20 despot
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