Chocobuddy

While it often comes as a surprise to some, many of the “higher breeds” of chocobo are actually highly intelligent, often possessing true sentience. As a result, it also often comes as a surprise for many to learn that a smaller subspecies of sentient chocobo exist. Nicknamed “chocobuddies” by the humanoid races (They consider themselves chocobos), these intelligent creatures are more than capable of existing within humanoid society, as not only are they are capable of speech, they also have defined phalanges (wing bones) which are capable of approximating fingers, albeit clumsy ones.

## Standard Racial Traits

* **Ability Score Racial Traits:** Chocobuddies are hardy and easy to get along with, but they tend to be rather clumsy. They gain +2 Constitution, +2 Charisma and -2 Dexterity.
* **Size:** Chocobuddies are medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size
* **Type:** Chocobuddies are Magical Beasts with the avian subtype. Being magical beasts, chocobuddies have Darkvision 60ft and low-light vision.
* **Base Speed:** Chocobuddies have a base speed of 30 feet.
* **Languages:** Chocobuddies begin play speaking Common and Chocobo. Chocobuddies with high intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aegyllan, Draconic, Moogle, Vanu, Vieran and Yagudo. Despite the name, Chocobo is *not* actually the language of regular chocobo, but is in fact unique to chocobuddies.

### Defense Racial Traits

* **Feather Coated:** A chocobuddy is covered in thick feathers and down which helps to cushion incoming blows, granting them a +1 bonus to natural armour.

### Feat and Skill Racial Traits

* **Plumage:** A chocobuddy’s plumage comes in all sorts of colours, each one granting them a different benefit. Depending on their plumage colour, the chocobuddy gains a bonus to a particular skill:

It should be noted that a chocobuddy’s plumage is not absolute. Some chocobuddies have splashes of other colours, primarily on the torso, crest (head feathers) or tail feathers.

### Magical Racial Traits

* **Choco Cure:** Once per day, a chocobuddy may cast choco cure as a spell-like ability.

### Movement Racial Traits

* **Flutter:** Though far from capable of true flight, many chocobuddies can flutter their wings as a sort of "enhanced jump". Provided they are not holding anything, wearing light or no armour and not carrying more than a light load, a chocobuddy can fly 15ft with clumsy maneuverability as a move action once per round. A chocobuddy must end their flight solidly supported or they fall. Additionally, as long as a chocobuddy is able to fly, they gain a +4 bonus on acrobatics checks.
* **Sprinter:** Chocobuddies gain a 10-foot racial bonus to their speed when using the charge, run, or withdraw actions.

### Offense Racial Traits

* **Natural Attacks:** Chocobuddies have three natural attacks: A bite that deals 1d4 points of damage and two talons that deal 1d4 points of damage each.
* **Talon-ted:** Whenever a chocobuddy would acquire a claw attack for any reason (Feat, class feature, spell, magic item, etc), the attack is instead a talon attack but otherwise functions as the claw-granting ability states. (The chocobuddy chooses which damage value to use when making the talon attack).

### Other Racial Traits

* **Chocobo Form:** Despite their non-humanoid bodyshape, armour specifically designed for a chocobuddy incurs no additional cost and can make use of the same magical items as humanoids and wonderous items will magically adjust themselves to fit, if necessary. Unfortunately, it is practically impossible to modify existing armour to fit a chocobuddy. Chocobuddies take a -1 penalty to attack rolls when using manufactured weapons. Masterwork weapons can be designed to be more suitable for their anatomy, negating the penalty (Which is in addition to the normal +1 bonus for using a masterwork weapon. “Weapons'' that don’t have a masterwork version, such as a chemist’s bombs, are exempt from the penalty). However non-chocobuddies using such a weapon take a -1 penalty.
* **Chocobo Kin:** Chocobuddies are an offshoot of chocobo, as such they can use magic items that are normally only usable by chocobo, but they are also subject to harmful effects that specifically affect chocobo. However chocobuddies do not, inherently, gain any benefit from consuming chocobo food, though they do consider them to be delicious.

### Senses Racial Traits

* **Scent:** In addition to darkvision and low-light vision, chocobuddies have the scent ability.

### Weakness Racial Traits

* **Clumsy Digits:** Though their phalanges (Wing bones) are developed enough to approximate fingers in most situations, they are nevertheless not as precise as mammalian digits at fine manipulation. Chocobuddies take a -2 penalty on Craft, Disable Device, Perform and Sleight of Hand checks as well as Linguistics checks to create a forgery.

## Alternate Racial Traits

The following alternate racial traits may be selected in place of one or more of the standard racial traits above.

##### Replaces Clumsy Digits, Plumage

* **Jailbird:** Sneaky and underhanded, these grey-plumed chocobuddies are often seen wearing a striped shirt and a mask. A chocobuddy with this racial trait does not take the usual -2 penalty on disable device or sleight of hand checks from their clumsy digits trait. This racial trait replaces plumage and modifies clumsy digits.

##### Replaces Plumage

* **Ridable:** Though somewhat rare, there are chocobuddies who are trained to function as a mount. A chocobuddy with this racial trait provides its rider with a +2 circumstance bonus on Ride checks and may always attempt to use Aid Another to assist its rider. This racial trait replaces the skill bonus from plumage (They still choose a colour for their plumage, but it possesses no mechanical benefit.)

##### Replaces Size

* **Small Build:** While most chocobuddies stand close to hume height, there are many chocobuddies who stand much shorter. A chocobuddy with this racial trait is a small creature (+1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks. Their bite and talon attacks drop to 1d3s) and has a base speed of 20 feet, not 30. This racial trait modifies their size and base speed. (Small chocobuddies are equal to male mandragora in size and weight, as noted in the Height and Weight table).

##### Replaces Sprinter

* **Climber:** Some chocobuddies are excellent climbers, able to scramble up the side of a tree without issue. Chocobuddies with this racial trait possess a climb speed of 20 feet (along with the +8 racial bonus on Climb checks a climb speed affords). This racial trait replaces sprinter.
* **Fat Chocobo:** Some chocobuddies are… bulkier than others. For some reason. This often makes them much harder to move. Chocobuddies with this racial trait weigh twice as much and gain a +4 racial bonus to their CMD when resisting Bull Rush, Drag, Reposition and Trip attempts while standing on the ground. This racial trait replaces sprinter.
* **Water Runner:** Instead of possessing great speed, some chocobuddies can run along the surface of water for a brief moment. Whenever a chocobuddy with this racial trait uses the charge or run actions, they can move on water as though it were a solid surface. They must end their movement solidly supported or they fall into the water and must start swimming. This racial trait replaces sprinter.

## Age, Height and Weight

Table: Chocobuddy Starting Ages:

 20

Table: Aging Effects:

 40 years

Table: Height and Weight

 Both
(5 ft. 0 in.–6 ft. 4 in.)
 Both (Small Build)
(3 ft. 10 in.–4 ft. 4 in.)
(47 - 53 lbs.)

## Racial Feats

The following feats are available to a chocobuddy character who meets the prerequisites.

* **ChocoMagic (Racial)**
	+ *Your understanding of magic allows you to cast the spells of your ancestors!*
	+ **Prerequisite(s):** Ability to cast 2nd level spells, chocobuddy
	+ **BENEFIT**: Choose one spellcasting class you possess. You treat all the “Choco” spells from the blue mage spell list as though they were on that class’ spell list at the same spell level as a blue mage. Chocobuddies can learn these spells by taking them on level-up, from other chocobuddies with this feat or from blue mages, regardless of what spellcasting class the chocobuddy is.
	+ **Special:** You can take this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take it, it applies to a different spellcasting class.
* **ChocoParagon (Racial)**
	+ *Your chocobo blood is strong, granting you extra uses of choco cure.*
	+ **Prerequisite:** Character level 5th, chocobuddy
	+ **Benefit:** You may use your choco cure spell-like two additional times per day.
* **ChocoGastronomy:**
	+ *Through intense training and a little bit of luck, you know how to make chocobo food work for you.*
	+ **Prerequisite:** Character level 7th, chocobuddy
	+ **Effect:** You may benefit from any “immediate application” chocobo food, such as gysahl greens or a krakka root, as if you were a chocobo. However, any chocobo food that would last an hour instead lasts only a minute.
	+ **Normal:** Chocobuddies gain no benefit from consuming chocobo food.

## Favored Class Options

The following favored class options are available to all characters of this race who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward.

* **Beastmaster:** Add +1/2 to the damage dealt by the beastmaster’s animal companion’s natural attacks.
* **Berserker:** Add +1 to the berserker’s total number of rage rounds per day.
* **Black Mage:** Choose an element other than holy. Add +1/2 point of the chosen element’s damage to spells that deal damage of the chosen element cast by the black mage.
* **Blue Mage:** Add +1/6 bonus to Knowledge (all) skill checks.
* **Dancer:** Add +1/4 point to the dancer’s ki pool.
* **Dark Knight:** Add +1/6 on attack and damage rolls for Darkside.
* **Dragoon:** Add +1/2 bonus to Acrobatic skill checks for jumping.
* **Engineer:** Add +1/4 to the number of Repair daily uses.
* **Freelancer:** Add +1/2 of an insight point. The first and tenth time you take this reward, add +1 insight point instead.
* **Gunner:** Add +1/4 point to the gunner’s grit points.
* **Holy Knight:** Add +1/4 deflection bonus to AC while in Shield Oath or +1/4 bonus to attack rolls while in Sword Oath.
* **Knight:** Add +1 to the knight’s total number of defensive stance rounds per day.
* **Medic:** The medic gains +1/6 of a new medical practice.
* **Ninja:** Add +1/4 point to the ninja’s ki pool.
* **Red Mage:** The red mage gains 1/6 of a new ruby arcana.
* **Scholar:** Increase total number of points in the scholar’s arcane reservoir by 1.
* **Thief:** Add a +1/2 bonus on Stealth checks.
* **White Mage:** Add +1/4 to the number of uses per day of the white mage’s lay on hands class feature.

This race designed by Sgt. Cookie. Do not repost or copy this content without permission of the creators. All images owned by Square Enix and their respective owners.