Gerudo

Gerudo as seen in Ocarina of Time

The Gerudo are masters of the deserts. They often go to markets to either sell rare objects or to find a lover. They reside in the deserts to the West but many travel the world to escape the deserts. The Gerudo are an extremely versatile race with many rogues, witches, oracles, and even pirates in their ranks. The Gerudo army is also well known for its powerful warriors and fighters. Gerudo Town is known to have a rule against any males from entering their city gates. They are only found in the Z-Verse currently.

**Physical Description:** The Gerudo are often described as amazonian because of their large height and great builds. Hylians often find them intimidating, especially their men, and for this reason go through schooling to work on their social skills. As they live in the desert their skin tones are various shades of tan ranging from a light tan to a deep, dark brown. Their hair colors are typically various shades of purple, pink, red, orange, and even sometimes white or grey. Their eyes are usually light brown or bright green or yellow. So called full-blooded Gerudo have round ears but many have pointed ears because of their mixed blood with Hylians or Sheikah although this is only true in Gerudo whose father's traits are dominant.

**Society:** As a dominantly female race their government is usually matriarchal but in the rare cases that a male Gerudo is born, that male is destined to be the ruler if not at least the figure head. However, whole centuries can go by without a single male being born so this does not happen often and therefore the Chieftess is often in charge. This title is typically passed on via blood especially if they are descended from a male Gerudo. As a whole the Gerudo are very unfriendly towards outsiders and tradition holds that males are forbidden from entering Gerudo Town and holy sites with the only exceptions being male Gerudo and Gorons since they can only be males. Gerudo are tolerant of other females but believe they waste their potential when they give over to the rules of men. Many Gerudo travel the world in order to leave the desert or to find a lover to settle with but will often find the men intolerable and return to Gerudo Town to raise their children among their own people. Gerudo architecture is very Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean in style and their towns and settlements are based around the occasional oasis found in the Gerudo Desert. Gerudo culture is less than modest being focused on personal preservation and survival and care little for manners in he face of outsiders. Unlike the other races, joining the military is actually mandatory for Gerudo between the ages of 17 and 20 although some stay in the military and make a career of it. As such, all Gerudo have military training and can defend their people or called back into the service if need be.

**Gender:** Gerudo are made up of only women except for the very rare male who is born among them every 100 years or so.

**Alignment and Religion:** Gerduo can be be of any alignment. Lawful Gerudo are very traditional and strict when it comes to the laws and ways of the Gerudo and will defend her ancient traditions to the end. Others wil be more lax on the old traditions. As extremes, Lawful Evil Gerudo believe in preserving their peoples laws and traditions at the cost of all other races, and especially men. They want to shut access to the Deserts off from others and keep their people from ever leaving, preferring to steal their mates rather than find them. Neutral Evil Gerudo believe in advancing their people across all of Hyrule and believe that they should rule all the world and not just the Desert at the cost of all others. Chaotic Good Gerudo believe that the traditions of the Gerudo should be abolished as outdated and the towns opened to all people regardless of gender for the greater good of all. Religiously, the Gerudo have been known to be very devout and adept in the magical arts, especially in sorcery and witchcraft. The primary deity of the Gerudo is known as the Goddess of the Sand and strict religious ceremonies surround her. Snakes are considered especially sacred to the Gerudo as is water. It is actually a crime to kill snakes or to waste water in Gerudo Town. The Gerudo are associated with the element of Spirit and their sage representative is the Spirit Sage.

## Standard Racial Traits

* A**bility Score Racial Traits:** The Gerudo are hardened from the harsh environment of the Desert and are found naturally beautiful and alluring by all. They have a +1 to Constitution and a +1 to Charisma.
* **Size:** Gerudo are Large sized creatures.
* **Type:** Gerudo are Humanoids.
* **Base Speed:** Gerudo have a base speed of 30 feet.
* **Languages:** Gerudo begin play speaking Hylian and Gerudo.

### Defensive Racial Traits

* **Desert Runner:** Gerudo receive a +4 racial bonus on Constitution checks and Fortitude saves to avoid fatigue and exhaustion, as well as any other ill effects from running, forced marches, starvation, thirst, and hot or cold environments.
* **Stubborn:** Gerudo gain a +2 racial bonus on Will saving throws to resist spells and spell-like abilities of the enchantment (charm) and enchantment (compulsion) subschools. In addition, if they fail such a save, they receive another save 1 round later to prematurely end the effect (assuming the spell or spell-like ability has a duration greater than 1 round). This second save is made at the same DC as the first. If the Gerudo has a similar ability from another source (such as a rogue’s slippery mind class feature), they can only use one of these abilities per round, but can try the other on the second round if the first reroll ability fails.

### Feat and Skill Racial Traits

* **Greed:** Gerudo gain a +2 bonus on Appraise checks to determine the price of non-magical goods that contain precious metals or gemstones.

### Movement Racial Traits

* **Terrain Stride:** Gerudo can move through natural difficult terrain at their normal speed while in the Desert terrain. Magically altered terrain affects them normally.

### Alternate Racial Feats

* **Battle-Hardened:** Some Gerudo made a career out of their time in the military and have faced many battles and as such have gained military skill over other Gerudo. They gain a +1 bonus to CMD. This replaces Greed.
* **Cornered Fury:** The Gerdo that have chosen the military life have focused their stubbornness into pure fury. Whenever the Gerudo is reduced to half its hit points or fewer and has no conscious ally within 30 feet, it gains a +2 racial bonus on melee attack rolls and to Armor Class. This replaces Stubborn.
* **Integrated:** Other Gerudo were not raised in the Desert or perhaps raised by their fathers instead of mother and have been integrated into society outside of the Desert. They gain a +1 bonus on Bluff, Disguise, and Knowledge (local) checks. This replaces Terrain Stride.

### Magical Racial Traits

* **Object of Desire:** Gerudo gain a +1 to their caster level when casting charm person and charm monster.
* **Seducer:** Gerudo add +1 to the saving throw DCs for their spells and spell-like abilities of the enchantment school. In addition, members of this race with a Wisdom score of 15 or higher gain the following spell-like ability (the caster level is equal to the user’s character level): 1/day Charm Person.