Skyforged

## **Physical Description**

Physically, skyforged are humanoids, with a plates of steel covering most of the surfaces of their bodies. Their eyes are usually faceted gemstones of any number of colors and while there is a mouth joint, providing skyforged the capability of speech, there is no visible nose or ears (although skyforged can smell, taste and hear just fine). Their solid, reinforced arms end in hands with only two fingers and a thumb. Likewise, their feet end in only two toes. When standing still, skyforged can easily pass for metal statues or some of the smaller sized golems. It is only at their joints that one can find evidence of their true nature. The muscular structure that lies underneath their metal plates is made of thousands of tightly woven fibrous strands that flex and stretch, much in the same way organic muscle tissue does. Likewise, the mechanisms within a skyforged do rely on some form of slightly viscous liquid to power these strands

and massive damage can cause 'fluid loss', which is just as dangerous as blood loss to living beings.

It is important to note that while skyforged do not truly have a gender, their creators do and thus all skyforged are crafted under the guise of either a male or female persona. As time goes on, this artificial emotional imprint may wear off, but for the foreseeable future, all skyforged refer themselves as either 'himself' or 'herself', never 'itself'.

While skyforged often show dents, dings and other signs of battle on their frame, the only universal sign of identification is their *ghulra*, or mark of life. Each one is unique and thus can be used to identify one skyforged from another. Given that a *ghulra* is always located on the forehead, it is very rare for a skyforged to cover this and instantly a sign among other skyforged that something is very wrong with that individual.

### **Society**

Skyforged were made for the Last War and were, first and foremost, soldiers. Raised from the moment of their creation to follow orders and perfect military tactics, skyforged fit better, culturally, in a wartime barracks than in a peacetime tavern. Given their youth and lack of common social norms, it is typical for a skyforged to refer to things, people and ideas with military equivalents rather than regular expressions. Living children are often referred as cadets; shop owners and employers are referred to as commanders and what should be friendly competitions can easily be seen as enemy engagements if skyforged are not specifically told it is a training exercise.

However, it is important to know that the freedom granted all skyforged since the end of the war has not escaped the mind of the skyforged. It is just a concept so new, so alien, that many are having a hard time understanding what to do with it. It is from this confusion that many skyforged become adventurers, seeking danger and combat that is more familiar, more comfortable, than spending days on end, doing the same job with the same group of people working with the same set of laws and rules that everyone, but the skyforged, seems to automatically know.

### **Relations**

Skyforged are often solitary and extremely patient, which leads for very lonely existences for most. Occasionally, skyforged will form strong friendships (literally brothers-in-arms) with members of other races, but that is on a case-by-case basis. Far more important than how skyforged feel about others is how the outside world feels about them. Given that their very presence is a reminder of a conflict many are trying to forget, most people do not like the skyforged. Worse still, while the end of the Last War did declare skyforged free, many lands subsequently ruled that skyforged are indentured servants until the cost of their manufacture is paid for with hard labor. In both cases, skyforged are usually content to simply toil away at some project, so long as doing so does not put themselves in immediate harm.

## **Alignment and Religion**

Skyforged are usually neutral or lawful neutral. While skyforged can, and sometimes do, wrestle with matters of morality, most choose not to. Many will follow another's lead or take the path that is most likely to ensure their continued survival. Likewise, skyforged are not often followers of any of the deities or churches.

## **Adventurers**

Skyforged make great adventurers and easily more than half their remaining population can call themselves some kind of hero or another. Given their stoic, steadfast nature, skyforged are quick to trust those that treat them the same way, but conversely are just as dedicated in pursuing those that might betray them.

## **Names**

**Male and Female Names:**Skyforged are a new enough race that they do not have a list of common names. For the most part, skyforged take names that reflect the first thing that they are good at or the first skill they mastered.

* **Ability Score Racial Traits:**+2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma
* **Size:**Medium Size or Small Size. Once chosen, this size cannot be changed.
	+ Those that choose to be Small Size get the standard +1 size bonus to hit and armor class and -1 penalty to CMB and CMD.
	+ Those that choose to be Medium Size do not get any size bonuses or penalties.

* **Type:**Humanoid (Living Construct Subtype)

* **Base Speed:** 30' for both Medium and Small
* **Languages:** Common. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Goblin, Gnome, Halfling and Orc
* **Construction Metabolism:**Skyforged have the following alterations to a normal humanoid's natural processes
	+ Skyforged do not need to eat, breathe or sleep, but do need to rest for 8 hours to regain spells or similar abilities.
	+ All applications of the Heal skill while used on a skyforged are replaced with an appropriate Craft skill.
	+ Skyforged are not capable of procreation, having to rely on a *Lifeforge* to create new skyforged.
	+ Skyforged do not change size or appearance naturally over time.

* **Construct Mind:**Skyforged get a +2 racial bonus to resist mind-affecting and stunning effects and are immune to paralysis and sleep effects.
* **Construct Resistance:**Skyforged get a +2 racial bonus to resist disease, death effects, energy drain, exhaustion, fatigue, nausea, poison and sicken effects as well as stabilization checks and checks to remove negative levels.
* **Natural Plating:**Skyforged have a metal plating that provides them with a +2 natural armor bonus to AC. Skyforged can still wear normal armor as can other races, however this plating also counts as metal for the purposes of a druid's armor limitation. Skyforged can be targeted by spells, powers and effects that affect objects made from metal, stone and wood.
* **Slam:**Skyforged have a single slam attack: Medium (1d4) or Small (1d3). This follows the normal rules for natural attacks.
* **Age:**
	+ Adulthood: 0 years
	+ Intuitive: +1d12 / Self-Taught: +1d6 / Trained: +1d4
	+ Middle Age: 150, Maximum 300 years

* **Base Height & Weight:**
	+ Height: 5' 10" (Medium) or 2' 10" (Small)
	+ Weight: 270 lbs (Medium) or 50 lbs (Small)
	+ Modifier: 2d4 / Weight Modifier: x4

## Alternate Racial Traits

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

* **Adamantine Plating:** The composite plating of the skyforged was made with adamantine, granting you a +2 natural armor bonus and damage reduction of 1 / -, as well as making your slam attack, or any other natural weapons you possess, count as adamantine, in addition with other material types. However, you are always considered to be wearing metal armor and your base movement is reduced to 20'. This damage reduction does not stack with other sources of damage reduction, except with the Improved Damage Reduction Feat. Skyforged with this alternate racial ability weigh eight times as much as a normal skyforged for their size and can be targeted by spells, powers and effects that affect metal, stone and wood. This racial trait replaces the normal movement rate and natural plating.
* **Elemental Redundancy:**The internal workings of these skyforged are protected against common elemental damage, but at the cost of a redundant neural matrix. They still get a +2 racial bonus to resist mind-affecting and stunning effects, but have fire resistance 5, cold resistance 5 and electricity resistance 5. This racial trait replaces construct mind.
* **Darkwood Plating:**The skyforged still has a +2 natural armor bonus to AC and their plating is made of darkwood, which satisfies the metal requirement for druids. Skyforged with this alternate racial ability can be targeted by spells, powers and effects that affect stone and wood, but not metal. Only Craft: Woodworking can be used to repair skyforged with this alternate racial trait. This racial trait replaces natural plating
* **Psiforged Plating:** The composite plating of the skyforged was made with dozens of crystals. These crystals act as a *cognizance crystal*, allowing you store 1 psionic power point within them at 1st level. Every odd level thereafter, you can store 1 additional power point into the crystals of your body. These crystals cannot be targeted separately from you and cannot be disenchanted or suppressed. In all other ways, these crystals act as a single *cognizance crystal*. Skyforged with this alternate racial ability can be targeted by spells, powers and effects that affect crystal, glass, wood and metal, but not stone. This racial trait replaces natural plating.

## 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.

* **Machinesmith:** Add +1/4 to the caster level of any prototype used that only targets yourself.
* **Fighter:** Add +1 to the fighter's CMD when resisting bull rush or disarm attempts
* **Paladin:** Add +1/3 on critical hit confirmation rolls made while using smite evil (maximum bonus of +5). This bonus does not stack with Critical Focus.
* **Ranger:** Add +1/2 round to the duration when using Hunter's Bond to grant his companions a bonus.
* **Rogue:** Reduce the penalty for not being proficient with one weapon by 1. When the nonproficency penalty for a weapon becomes 0 because of this ability, the rogue is treated as having the appropriate Martial or Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat for that weapon.
* **Wizard:** Add 1 spell from the wizard / sorcerer spell list to the wizard's spellbook. This spell must be at least one level lower than the highest-level spell he can cast.