New Race: Ker'shaa

Note, no updated for current rule sets.

Ker'shaa (singular ker'shan) are known for their catlike grace and animalistic warfare. Their nature has become savage amongst the tribes towards humans, due to the time their race had spent in slavery. Those who live among humans may or may not be biased against humans, but for the most part the “human diplomat” gets ignored. (Tribal ker'shaa are treated as monsters for the most part, though exceptions can always be made; omit from player copies. All DM’s notes will have similar properties.) 

  Personality: Ker'shaa are easily amused, due to a curious nature. Without a solid reason to focus, this can easily lead to going off on wild tangents, though most ker'shaa can rein this in. They have a keen eye for glimmering objects, especially objects that have any value. Naturally, this would include gems. Because they have physical claws, more often than not a ker'shan will opt to fight an opponent barehanded. 

  Physical Description: Ker'shaa are covered from head to toe in fur, with a semi-prehensile tail extending down as far as their calves. Ker'shaa stand at roughly the same height as humans. However, due to their leg structure, they can actually extend their legs almost a foot further, much like a man standing on his toes. As with men, this can be quite painful; so a ker'shan's legs will always look partially “bent,” like they are about to spring into action. (DM’s notes: This does not actually affect the ker'shan's capabilities.) Though ker'shaa are slightly weaker than men, this does not diminish their hardiness, so they are just as capable as men are. Fur can vary between short to long, with longer fur trimmed back or covered over to allow for armors. (DM’s notes: That’s right, they don’t get natural armor. Tell players to deal with it.) 

 A ker'shan's femur is slightly shorter, and their height is made up for it by an extended foot/ankle. Only the front of the foot makes contact with the ground and is padded so shoes are not necessary. Because of the foot and ankle’s anatomy, this makes wearing normal shoes or boots difficult, if not impossible. Shoes and boots must be custom-made. A ker'shan's ears are on top of their head, making normal helmets difficult to wear, even painfully discomforting. (DM’s notes: Ker'shaa tend towards modesty, like humans. This accounts for why they wear clothes.) Ker'shaa have the same lifespan as humans. Also, ker'shaa have pupils that narrow down to vertical slits, like a cat’s eyes. Their eye color can vary greatly. 

Relations: Ker'shaa always seem to rub humans the wrong way, due to the fact they were once kept as slaves. Though slavery has been abolished amongst humans with the founding of the New Empire, some still remember this though oral traditions. With respect to the forests, ker'shaa and elves get along rather well. Gnomes, half-elves, dwarves, and halflings are respected based on actions, but until they have proven themselves, they are treated with caution. Half-orcs receive a cautionary treatment, but orcs are always at odds with ker'shaa due to their territorial nature. 

Alignment: Ker'shaa run the gamut for alignment due to their living with humans more than other races. As such, they do not tend toward one particular alignment. The best and the worst can be found among their kind. 

Ker'shan Lands: For the most part, ker'shaa consider the lands of men as their own; because they were once slaves, though, they know that ker'shaa HAD to have come from somewhere. This leaves some ker'shaa with a drive to find their true homes.  

Religion: If the ker'shaa live in nature, Obad-Hai is the god of choice; for the most part, they can worship any god or no god, as with humans. (DM’s notes: ker'shaa will be added to his portfolio to suit. A god may be made at my discretion.) 

Language: Ker'shaa do not have a language of their own, given how long their enslavement had lasted. However, they can learn any language, including those of friends as well as enemies. With some cases, a ker'shan's voice can sound broken up with various grunts and growls. Amongst their own kind, this is not considered a problem. 

Names: Names generally are pronounced with something of a slur, though for the most part they adopt the names found in their environment as their own. Names are usually unique enough that a surname is not a problem, but if that case arises, they use the name of one of their parents to help identify themselves: Males use their father’s names; females use their mother’s. 

Adventurers: Ker'shaa are just as aware as their own mortality as humans are, brought about from being with humans for as long as they have. (DM’s notes: Have ker'shaa use the same age bracket as that of humans.) As such, they often travel abroad, sticking to the woods as a second home. That being the case, they will often champion themselves as defenders of the forest along with the elves. 

  KER'SHAN RACIAL TRAITS

• +2 Dexterity, -1 Strength, -1 Intelligence, -1 Wisdom. Ker'shaa aren’t quite as physically daunting as humans, nor are they quite as mentally powerful, which partially explains how they were enslaved. Due to their feline graces, however, they are more agile than humans.
• Medium: As medium creatures, ker'shaa have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Ker'shan base land speed is 30 feet.
• Low-Light Vision: A ker'shan can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
• Weapon Proficiency: None. However, a ker'shan can make their unarmed strikes deal lethal damage at will, due to their claws, causing slashing and piercing damage. The claws are somewhat small, though, and can only deal damage equal to their normal unarmed strike damage. These can be extended or retracted as a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. They are still treated as unarmed, however, and will provoke attacks of opportunity under normal circumstances.
• +1 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. A ker'shan’s wild instincts have improved their ability to sense prey, even though such instincts have remained virtually unused for many generations.
• +2 racial bonus on Move Silently checks when barefoot. A ker'shan has naturally softer feet that enable him to move more quickly, making less noise. However, this bonus is lost if he puts on a pair of shoes or boots, or otherwise carries more than a light load.
• Keen Eyes: Given their penchant for shiny items, ker'shaa gain a +1 confidence bonus to Appraisal checks. (DM's note: This can be both a good thing, or bad, so it is up to the DM to make such a bonus apply how they see fit.)
• Scent. A ker'shan is able to sniff out a trail when tracking. DC 10 for fresh trails, +2 for every hour the trail goes cold.
• Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: Any. A ker'shan receives much of the same exposure to the world as humans do, and as such, are able to learn the languages of others.
• Favored Class: Ranger. A multiclass ker'shan’s ranger class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing. Ker'shaa believe that to be wood wise is to have the advantage on humans, for their natural agility lets them into parts of the woods humans need to spend time to get to, if they get there at all.