Touch of the Inhuman: Chaos

## Introduction

Chaos spirits are, by their very nature, unpredictable. No two are identical, and what they use in place of logic tends to make what they do and why they do it almost entirely unknowable. Spirits of chaos seem to take special glee in disrupting order, and may try to use chaos touched as their means to do so, both is how they come to the world and in their actions later in life. Chaos spirits may create touched as a sort of reward to the children of rebels and madmen, but they are just as likely to touch the child of a family that prides itself on purity, or a particularly orderly ruler.

## Description

**Physical Description:** Chaos touched vary very widely in appearance, but most of their supernatural traits aren’t obvious and are easy enough to conceal. Many have skin, eyes, or hair colors that are extremely unusual for their parent’s ethnicities, or in more extreme cases are entirely impossible in normal humans. Many only reveal their inhuman traits when they shift their body in some unnatural fashion, or work some supernatural ability.

**Personality:** Chaos touched are often as chaotic as their spiritual source, or at least influenced in that direction. They are often fickle, and rarely remained unchanged for long. Most are open to new ideas and changes, rarely holding a belief or idea so deeply and so tightly it is entirely unalterable. They can let go of those things that are no longer useful with relative ease, be it an old grudge or an ally. Many are extremely fond of music and art, and some even create works of great beauty and emotional power. Chaos touched are also more likely to break from cultural traditions when the need arises.

**In the World:** chaos touched appear in almost every society, and their relatively subtle otherworldliness allows them to pass as perfectly normal individuals in most places. The revelation of one’s true nature may cause quite a stir, as most human cultures are centered around order. The chaos touched may be seen as a threat to that delicate balance, and many are. Many people may be uncomfortable around them, as they often have little respect for cultural norms. Chaos touched rarely become priests, the order of most organized religions being somewhat stifling to their need for freedom. They often take on professions and roles that allows them this freedom, such as hunters, Chosen Ones, Warriors, and Gunslingers. Some possess arcane talents in their bloodlines, becoming warlocks as these powers manifest with time.

## Ability Modifiers

* **+2 Charisma, -2 Wisdom** Chaos touched have forceful personalities and can be quite persuasive, but they are often somewhat out of touch with reality.

## Universal Abilities

* **Freedom** Chaos touched are difficult to restrain or contain. They gain a +2 racial bonus to escape artist checks, a +2 racial bonus to CMD against grapple attempts and on CMB checks to escape from a grapple, and a +2 racial bonus to saves against paralysis or other effects that slow or impede movement, such as web or slow.
* **Sow Chaos** Chaos touched are masters of chaos, always glad to stir a bit of unpredictability into the everyday. As an immediate action, they can force a creature within 30 feet to reroll a single d20 roll. This ability must be used before the result of the roll is declared, and the new roll must be used, regardless of the result. It cannot be used on themself.

## Optional Abilities

* **Arcane Babble** The chaos touched possesses a mind swimming with random bits of arcane knowledge. They can choose to let this flow out their mouth, babbling a distracting mashup of arcane terms and spell fragments. Any creature within 30 feet trying to identify a spell being cast takes a -10 penalty to the spellcraft check. In addition, other casters within 30 feet are distracted by their babbling, and any spellcaster attempting to cast a spell must make a concentration check (DC 15 + chaos touched’s hit die) or lose the spell as though they had cast it to no effect.
* **Destructive Warp** The chaos touched can introduce chaos to the delicately balanced structures of a creature or object. They can bring chaos upon on a single creature or object within 30 feet as a standard action, warping flesh and bone and shattering fragile items. The target takes 1d12 points of damage, plus 1d12 for every 5 hit die the chaos touched possesses, unless they succeed on a fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the chaos touched’s hit die + their charisma modifier) to resist it. This damage ignores the hardness of objects.
* **Favored by Chaos** The chaos touched can direct chaos in their favor. When they use their sow chaos ability, they can choose to allow the target to use the first roll or the new roll.
* **Maddening** A chaos touched can inflict their untamable thoughts onto other creatures. They can focus on a creature within 30 feet as a standard action. The target must make a will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the chaos touched’s hit die + their charisma modifier) or become confused for one round. A successful save grants immunity to this ability for one hour.
* **Master of Chaos** The chaos touched can use chaos to their advantage. As an immediate action before making a d20 roll, the chaos touched can choose to roll twice and choose the result they desire.
* **Master of Mutation** The chaos touched can harness its power over chaos to reshape others. They gain a +1 bonus to caster level when casting a spell of from the transmutation school.
* **Morphic Warrior** The chaos touched can partially shift their body into a battle form, becoming more dangerous. They gain one of the following traits, selected when this ability is used. The transformation lasts up to one hour.
	+ **Natural Weapon** The chaos touched gains a primary natural weapon, chosen when this trait is selected. They can gain a bite or gore attack that deals 1d6 points of damage, or a pair of claw attacks or slam attacks that deal 1d4 points of damage each. You must have free hands to use the claw or slam attacks.
	+ **Natural Armor** The chaos touched gain armored hide, granting a +1 natural armor bonus to AC.
	+ **Damage Reduction** The chaos touched’s body shifts to resist injuries. They gain damage reduction two, which is overcome by their choice of bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, chosen when this trait is selected.
	+ **Energy Resistance** The chaos touched becomes resistant to energy. They gain energy resistance 5, which applies against their choice of Acid, Cold, Electricity, Fire, or Sonic damage, chosen when this trait is selected.
* Music of the Spheres The chaos touched is gifted with a supernatural gift for music. Perform is always treated as a class skill for them, and they can use it to create mystical, otherworldly music, one of the following tunes, selected with each use. These are sonic, mind-affecting effects.
	+ **Fear The chaos** touched creates a fearful melody that unnerves those nearby. As a standard action, they make a perform check. They can use the result of this check in place of an intimidate check to demoralize an opponent, which applies to all creatures within 30 feet.
	+ **Charm The chaos** touched creates a cheerful, luring melody that makes those who hear it more friendly. With one minute of playing or singing, they make a perform check. They can use the result of this check in place of a diplomacy check to improve the attitude of the listener, which applies to all creatures within 30 feet.
	+ **Inspire The chaos** touched creates a thrilling, soaring melody that inspires those who hear it to new heights. As a standard action, they make a perform check with a DC of 15. If they succeed, they can inspire those nearby, granting a +1 morale bonus to attack rolls and armor class for one round. For every 10 points they beat the DC by, this bonus increases by +1.
* **Reformation** The chaos touched has a body that constantly seeks to return to its natural state, allowing it to avoid the effects of some shape-changing spells. When they fail a save against an ongoing transmutation effect, such as a polymorph spell, petrification, or any ability that physically alters their body, they can roll a new save on the following round. If this save is successful, the effect ends. They can attempt this save even in they could not normally take actions.
* **Semi-amorphous** The chaos touched is a bit less solid than they appear. When a critical hit or sneak attack is scored against them, there is a 25% chance the extra damage is negated and damage is instead rolled normally. In addition, they can squeeze through tight spaces as though they were one size category smaller.
* **Unpredictable** The chaos touched has a knack for zigging when their foe was expecting a zag. They can tap that unpredictable nature as a swift action, making a sudden change in stance or movements. Their next attack roll before the end of their turn comes from an unexpected direction, and their target is treated as flat-footed against that attack. If the attack misses, the attempt is wasted.
* **Warped Mind** The chaos touched’s untamed mind makes them difficult to read and control. They gain a +2 racial bonus to saves against mind-affecting effects. Sense motive checks against them automatically fail. In addition, they are immune to mind-reading or thought detection effects. Attempts to read their minds or thoughts backlash, dealing 1d4 wisdom damage to anyone one receiving the information.
* **Warp Space** The chaos touched can warp space around them to escape confinement. As a move action, they can teleport themselves and their equipment up to 5 feet. They must have a line of effect to their destination. Though limited, this ability can allow them to warp their way out of cages, bindings, or even out of a grapple.
* **Warp Spasm** The chaos touched can warp their own body to unleash great power, but harming themselves in the process. As a full-round action, they can enter a warp spasm, twisting their body in a grotesque fashion and taking one point of constitution damage. While in warp spasm, they gain a +4 racial bonus to strength, and a +2 circumstance bonus to intimidate checks, but they take nonlethal damage equal to their hit die each round at the start of their turn. The nonlethal damage cannot be reduced by any means. They can end the warp spasm as a swift action.
* **Warp Touch** The chaos touched can warp flesh with a touch. When they make a successful unarmed strike, natural weapon attack, or melee touch attack, they deal 1 point of charisma damage and 1d2 points of ability damage to a random physical ability score, in addition to their normal damage. Roll 1d6 to determine the physical ability that is damaged (1-2; strength, 3-4; Dexterity, 5-6; Constitution).