Starborn

There is a darkness outside reality, and in this darkness lie the Outer Gods and Great Old Ones. Aberrant beings of divine power, their attentions are normally and mercifully directed elsewhere. Yet even on worlds far from these monsters, there remain those who would worship them and court these strange entities. A few, chosen by forces beyond their comprehension, give birth to scions of these beings. These aberrant offspring are the starborn.

Physical Description: Starborn are similar to aasimars, tieflings, dhampirs and similar creatures, being human-born descendants of powers from beyond their world. Starborn show their aberrant heritage in many ways, the most obvious being a stray tentacle or two somewhere on their bodies. However, due to their ancestry, starborn have a near-infinite number of appearances, often with misshapen limbs, extra facial features or scrambled internal organs.

Society: While starborn are typically born to humans, the fact that their parents are often cultists of dark gods distorts their perception of the world. While often better accepted by neighbors than tieflings (since starborn births are usually intended), starborn are regarded with suspicion by most members of sane society.

Relations: Starborn are unpredictable and inscrutable, and often cannot understand other creatures. As such, their relations with other races are poor. The only race they can consistently empathize with are tieflings, particularly motherless, as the fiendish outcasts represent to them what they could have been in worse circumstances. Tieflings, in turn, often envy starborn, as the aberrant folk have a loving (if insane) family that most tieflings were never given a chance to have.

Alignment and Religion: Starborn are overwhelmingly chaotic creatures, with the vastest majority being either chaotic neutral or chaotic evil. Chaotic good starborn are less common, but the rarest of all are those of lawful alignments. The starborn are almost always raised by cultists, leading them to be devout worshippers of the Great Old Ones and the Outer Gods.

Adventurers: Starborn are often sent to spread their parent's faith, and when resisted, they usually find that they like the wandering life. Starborn adventurers often favor classes that can associate them with their alien ancestors, often being barbarians, sorcerers with the aberrant bloodline, oracles with the Dark Tapestry mystery, and clerics of their patrons. Evil starborn become terrifying antipaladins.

Racial Traits (14 RP)

+2 Con, +2 Cha, -2 Int: Starborn are tough and have a mysterious allure, but aren't very bright.

Medium: Starborn are Medium creatures and receive no bonuses or penalties based on size.

Aberration (3 RP): Starborn are aberrations with the chaotic subtype.

Normal Speed (2 RP): Starborn have a base speed of 30 feet, as well as a swim speed of 30 feet.

Amphibious (2 RP) Starborn can breathe both air and water.

Tentacle (2 RP): Most starborn possess a tentacle that cannot wield weapons, but can be used to retrieve stowed objects as a swift action, and grants a slam attack appropriate for its size (1d4). This slam is a primary natural attack. Most starborn disguise this tentacle as a scarf, belt or sash.

Chaotic Resistance (2 RP) Starborn gain a +2 bonus to saves against spells with the lawful descriptor.

Spell-Like Ability (3 RP): Starborn can use alter self as a spell-like ability usable once per day. The caster level is equal to the starborn's Hit Dice.

Languages: Starborn begin play speaking Common and Aklo. Starborn with high Intelligence scores can learn Draconic, Undercommon, Dwarven, Goblin, Draconic, Abyssal and Orc.

Racial Feats

Chaotic Aspect

Prerequisites: starborn

Benefit: You gain +8 racial bonus on Intimidate checks against lawful creatures.

Chaotic Durability

Prerequisites: Chaotic Aspect, character level 9th

Benefit: You gain DR 5/lawful.

Chaotic Healing

Prerequisites: Chaotic Durability, character level 13th

Benefit: You gain regeneration 5 (lawful weapons).

Aberrant Whip

Prerequisites: Chaotic Aspect, Weapon Focus (slam)

Benefit: Your slam attack is considered chaotic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Aberrant Might

Prerequisites: Aberrant Whip, character level 11th

Benefit: Your slam attack is considered a +1 anarchic weapon.

Scion of Madness

Prerequisites: Aberrant Might, Chaotic Healing, character level 17th

Benefit: Your regeneration and DR increase to 10, your slam's enhancement increases to +4, and your slam deals additional damage equal to ½ your character level.

Alternate Heritages

The starborn presented above is the most common form, with uncertain ancestry that could be anything. However, some are born with aberrant features that specifically link them to one specific being. The various starborn heritages possess different chaotic resistances and abilities.

Bokrug (Dreamscale)

While Bokrug slumbers in the Dimension of Dreams, he occasionally wakes long enough to see to the birth of a few starborn.

Alternate ability score modifiers: +2 Str, +2 Wis, -2 Dex: Dreamscales are strong and perceptive, but sleepy and sluggish.

Alternate chaotic resistance: Dreamscales gain a +2 racial bonus to saves against disease and poison.

Alternate spell-like ability: deep slumber 1/day

Cthulhu (Starspawn)

The Great Old One's high priest may be sleeping, but his power still manifests to the exclusion of all others in a few starborn.

Alternate ability score modifiers: +2 Con, +2 Wis, -2 Cha: Starspawn are durable and thoughtful, but inherently disturbing.

Alternate chaotic resistance: Dreamspawn possess a +2 racial bonus to saves against fear and emotion effects.

Alternate spell-like ability: confusion 1/day

Hastur (Robewright)

The King in Yellow often sends his worshippers into frenzies of decadence and debauchery. The inevitable result is a unique breed of starborn.

Alternate ability score modifiers: +2 Int, +2 Cha, -2 Con: Robewrights are bright and beautiful, but quite frail.

Alternate chaotic resistance: Robewrights gain a +2 bonus to saves against sonic effects.

Alternate spell-like ability: charm monster 1/day

Nyarlathotep (Sandcrawler)

The emissary of the Outer Gods takes a particular interest in mortals, and often creates starborn as his servants.

Alternate ability score modifiers: +2 Str, +2 Int, -2 Wis: Sandcrawlers are brutally strong in mind and body, but lack sense.

Alternate chaotic resistance: Sandcrawlers gain a +2 bonus to saves against polymorph effects.

Alternate spell-like ability: charm monster 1/day

(note from the author: ONE of these two needs a different spell-like.)

Shub-niggurath (Goatborn)

The Black Goat of the Woods breeds a large number of monsters without the help of mortals, but she does birth her own humanoid progeny.

Alternate ability score modifiers: +2 Con, +2 Wis, -2 Int: Goatborn are durable and insightful, but fairly dim-witted.

Alternate chaotic resistance: Goatborn gain a +2 racial bonus to saves against the abilities of extraplanar creatures.

Alternate spell-like ability: summon monster III 1/day

Sample Starborn

A tentacle and an extra eye, both at the waist, mar the grace of this otherwise beautiful woman.

Hassa Riiya

Female starborn cleric of Hastur 15

CN Medium aberration (chaotic)

Aura: chaos

Init +6

|-Defense-|

AC 21 (+2 Dex, +9 armor)

hp 131 (15d8+60)

Fort +12, Ref +7, Will +13

|-Offense-|

Speed 30 ft

Melee: mwk +1 anarchic rapier +16 (1d6+1), slam +14 (1d6+2)

Special attacks: channel energy (8d6 negative energy), part the veil, touch of chaos, chaos blade

Cleric spells prepared (CL 15th, concentration +4)

8th (1/day)—cloak of chaos (D), mass cure critical wounds

7th (2/day)—destruction, summon monster VII, word of chaos (D)

6th (3/day)—animate objects(D), harm, heal, word of recall

5th (4/day)—flame strike, overland flight (D), slay living, summon monster V (x2)

4th (5/day)—chaos hammer (D), fleshworm infestation, freedom of movement (x3), greater infernal healing

3rd (5/day)—animate dead, invisibility purge, magic circle against law (D), nap stack, prayer (x2)

2nd (5/day)—boiling blood, bull's strength (x3), levitate (D), weapon of awe

1st (5/day)—detect law (x4), protection from law (D), tap inner beauty

0 (at will)—detect magic, stabilize, bleed, create water

D: Domain spell

Domains: Void, Chaos

|-Statistics-|

Str 13, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 9, Wis 19, Cha 15

BAB +11, CMB +12, CMD 25

Feats: Weapon Finesse, Toughness, Spell Focus (conjuration), Augment Summoning, Improved Initiative, Eldritch Claws, Improved Natural Attack (slam)

Skills:

Gear: Tattoo (unholy symbol), mwk +1 anarchic rapier, mithral full plate of speed, greater metamagic rod (quicken)