Locum

## **Physical Description**

Locums are shapeshifting race, rumored to be descended from humans and doppelgangers. Known for their ability to change their appearance at will, locums are naturally between 5 to 6 feet tall, thin with pale gray skin, wispy white hair and milky white eyes that lack any visible pupils. Their limbs are somewhat elongated beyond what is normal for a humanoid, as are their fingers and toes. Conversely, their nose and ears appear to be significantly less pronounced in their natural form. Despite all of this, it is rare to see a locum in it's natural form since they spend most of their time hiding in plain sight, looking like other races. Locums are separated by gender, male and female. When they breed with other races, the result is usually an offspring of that other race. Only when locums bred true is the offspring guaranteed to be a locum. Female locums that are pregnant can still shapeshift between forms, but usually do not for fear of shock to unborn, staying in whatever form they were when they become pregnant. Locums can *appear* to be the opposite gender, but a full strip search will reveal the true gender.

## **Society**

Locums do not have a society of their own, rather they thoroughly integrate themselves into the societies of others. As such, they are found in any large population where it is likely to regularly encounter people that you don't know. While they are known to have had a long standing relationship with various underworld organizations, locums do find legitimate work as entertainers, spies and adventurers.

## **Relations**

As locums are inherently deceitful, having to live their entire lives posing as members of other races, they often look at 'normal' people around them with equal parts resentment and an unrequited yearning for acceptance. Conversely, when members of other races discover that they are dealing with a locum, they react with fear and anger for being betrayed or, at the very least, being fooled. Thus, it is quite rare for a locum to reveal their true natures to those not of their own race.

## **Alignment and Religion**

Locums are not bound to any particular moral or ethical outlook. But many of them do develop a somewhat self-serving or self-oriented outlook, placing the majority of locums as Neutral. Many will have very strong personal codes of honor, but those codes do not necessarily apply to other people they manipulate, even other locums. While almost all locums have some practice in providing lip service to many different faiths, the Count Ranalc has always been a part of locum history. Many locums see his enigmatic nature as the ideal to which they should strive.

## **Adventurers**

Locums often adventure out of necessity and a desire for the power and respect that money can buy. They make natural thieves and other sneaky characters, but their adaptability can be well suited for any kind of character. Occasionally, a locum will step forward, determined to stay true to his 'real face' and choose a path that prevents any form of deception, such as a paladin or devote cleric. Ultimately, locums are as varied as any other race.

* **Ability Score Racial Traits:** +2 to any single ability score, chosen at character creation.
* **Size:** Medium Size
* **Type:** Humanoid Type (Shapechanger Subtype)
* **Base Speed:** 30'
* **Languages:**Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: Auran, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Gnome, Halfling and Terran.
* **Mutable Mind and Body:**+2 racial bonus to saving throws vs. mind-affecting effects and poisons.
* **Naturally Social:**+2 racial bonus on Bluff, Intimidate and Sense Motive
* **Blend In:** Disguise and Linguistics are class skills
* **Minor Shape Change:** All changelings have the ability to transform themselves at will. This ability is similar to *Alter Self*with the following exceptions.
	+ This ability is a supernatural ability, akin to a lycanthrope's shapechange, and thus, it is not subject to dispelling.
	+ The statistic bonuses from *Alter Self* are not applied to the locum while under the effects of minor shape change.
	+ Using this ability is a full round action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
	+ While this ability does not affect clothing or gear, it does effect the tactile, olfactory and audible aspects the new form, thus granting a +10 circumstance bonus to Disguise checks.
	+ This ability does allow changelings to appear as specific people, including those of other genders.
	+ This ability does not grant any new abilities or movement rates. Likewise, this ability does not allow the changeling to change its size category.
	+ It lasts for as long as the changeling desires, even if unconscious or sleeping (although changelings do revert back to their natural form upon death)
	+ Anything that can see through or acts on a shapechanger's alternate forms applies to a changeling in the same manner.
	+ Changelings with grievous physical wounds (lost eye, severed hand, etc) cannot disguise that injury regardless of their form, nor can a changeling mimic such an injury intentionally.

* **Age:**
	+ Adulthood:15 years
	+ Intuitive: +1d4 / Self-Taught: +1d6 / Trained: +2d6
	+ Middle Age: 35 / Old: 53 / Venerable: 70 / Maximum +2d20

* **Base Height and Weight:**
	+ Height: 5' 1" (male and female)
	+ Weight: 115 lbs (male and female)
	+ Modifier: 2d4 / Weight Modifier: x2d4

## Alternate Racial Traits

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

* **Can't Catch Me:**Living a life on the run, changelings learn it is better to run than to hide. For them, Disguise and Escape Artist are always class skills and they get a +2 racial bonus to Climb, Escape Artist and Swim. This racial trait replaces naturally social and blend in.
* **Flexible Anatomy:**Some changelings have learned how to adopt different natural resistances of the races they mimic. They gain a +2 racial bonus to saving throws against poisons and diseases. This racial trait replaces mutable mind and body.
* **Man-Made Monster:**Rather that learning how to blend in, some changelings revel in their ability to scare and unnerve others. They gain a +2 racial bonus to Intimidate and Sense Motive and a +1 racial bonus to the saving throw DCs of any effect with the fear descriptor. This racial trait replaces naturally social.
* **I am Me:** Rare among changelings, some prefer to show their true form at all times. While they will always have the ability to change shape, these changelings get a +2 racial bonus to Will saves against fear, charm and compulsions and increase the DC for other's Intimidate checks by +10. Changelings with this racial trait are assumed to drop any disguise the moment they are not actively concentrating on it, but otherwise their minor shape change ability remains the same. This racial trait replaces naturally social and blend in and modifies minor shape change.

## 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.

* **Bard:** Add one spell known from the bard spell list. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level the bard can cast.
* **Fighter:** +5% chance to negate a critical hit or sneak attack. This bonus does not stack with any method of negating a critical hit or sneak attack, although all options are checked separately. Using the ability requires the changeling to already be disguised at the time of the attack and revert back it's natural form as an immediate action.
* **Inquisitor:** Add a +1/2 bonus to Disguise checks.
* **Psion:** Add one psionic power from the egoist power list or psion / wilder power list to the list of powers known. This power must be at least one level lower than the highest-level power she can manifest. This option cannot be taken until the psion is capable of manifesting 2nd level powers.
* **Rogue:** Add a +1/2 bonus on Bluff checks and Diplomacy checks to gather information.
* **Sorcerer:** When casting wizard / sorcerer transmutation spells, add +1/3 to the effective caster level of the spell, but only to determine the spell's duration.