Burrowling

Burrowling

12 RP

A
burrowling, looks like a 3-ft.-tall anthropomorphic prairie dog. Burrowlings
work together at every task: including digging tunnels, foraging, and rearing
of young. The creatures are omnivorous, eating roots, berries, insects, and
reptiles—with snakes being a particular delicacy. However, the creatures shun
mammals as a food source due to a very broad definition of cannibalism. More
sophisticated burrowling towns that remain sheltered from depredation set up
rudimentary farms, where they grow the fruits and vegetables they usually find
in the wild. Some towns have domesticated prairie dogs, which burrowlings train
to stand watch alongside their masters. Pairs of adults stand watch around the
perimeter of the town and sound a warning when they spot a foe. An alerted town
retreats to the relative safety of previously clawed-out warrens, while the
strongest creatures add more tunnels if necessary, and close off access from
the surface until the threat has passed. If combat becomes necessary, the creatures
stand together in defense of the helpless young and fight with crude slings or
their sharp teeth and claws.

If
abduction or other mishap separates a burrowling from its coterie or town, the
creature becomes despondent, crying plaintively for others of its kind. A
burrowling town never considers exile, seeing execution as more humane for a
criminal, but a town rarely sends out a search party for its missing comrade
since it requires all able-bodied creatures to remain behind to protect and
forage for the community. Therefore, a lone burrowling usually dies within a
week, unless it can find its way back to its town or discover another
burrowling town. Very rarely, a solitary creature makes its way to a
non-burrowling settlement where it attempts to fit in with and assist its new
community. This leads to frustration for the creature and those it interacts
with as it tries, and fails, to anticipate what its erstwhile companions want.
Eventually, the creature joins an adventuring party in the hope the party can
lead it to a settlement. After spending at least 6 months with a party, the
burrowling can use its *greater than the sum* ability with its
new allies. Communication with a burrowling proves difficult since the creature
regularly intersperses barks and “pips” into its Common.

Burrowlings
live up to 15 years, assuming they reach their natural lifespan. Twice a year,
a burrowling female bears a litter of up to three pups, but in especially
dangerous regions, the creatures breed prodigiously in an attempt to keep their
overall population ahead of massive attrition. In cases like this, a female has
a litter of five pups once a month. A burrowling pup reaches adulthood in a
year, having learned from its caretakers and through interactions with its
siblings how to integrate into burrowling society.

**Standard**
Racial Traits (7RP)

**Ability Score Racial**
Traits: **Str**
-4, Dex +4, W +2, I -2, Ch +2

**Size:** Small - Small races gain a +1 size
bonus to their AC, a +1 size
bonus on attack
rolls, a –1 penalty on combat
maneuverchecks and to their CMD, and a +4 size
bonus on Stealth checks. Small
races have a space of 5 feet by 5 feet and a reach of 5 feet.

**Type:**  Humanoid

**Base**
**Speed** 30ft **Burrow** 20ft

**Languages:** Common, and
Sylvan. Furthermore, members of this race with high Intelligence scores can
learn any languages they want (except Druidic and other secret languages).

**Special Abilities (3RP)**

Greater than the Sum (Ex)

Burrowlings gain bonuses and teamwork feats when
they work with other burrowlings. If a burrowling succeeds at an aid
another attempt, it grants a +3 bonus (instead of the usual +2). A
burrowling who flanks with another provides an additional +1 bonus to its
ally’s attack
roll. Finally, two adjacent burrowlings are considered to have the Coordinated
Defense and the Duck
and Cover teamwork feats.

Agile Maneuvers (Ex)

**ManeuverAgile s (Feat):** You add your dexterity bonus to your BAB and Size bonus when
determining your  CMB instead of your strength
bonus.

**Offense**
Racial Traits: (2 RP)

2 claws (1d3), bite (1d4)

### Subraces:

Otterlings

Otterlings typically hail from the shores of the Indicara Jungle. They operate in small hunting communities called "eddy's" consisting of up to 15-20 Otterlings. These "eddy's" roam far and near the main cultural center of the Otterlings "Fort Flotsam", that is a vast market and very hospitable to outsiders. Otterlings revere nature and trade in a remarkably intertwined way, Otterling crafters are typically skilled with working with Organic materials in crafting arms, armor and even mundane items, making them popular among druidic circles, with whom they trade fairly. Given the races penchant for goodness and holding true to their word, "Fort Flotsam" is widely considered a neutral zone for trading and commiserating for any intelligent creature. Considering the Otterlings close alliance with the Indicarans and Sativans they rarely face large scale threats alone. Typically known for their curious but serious nature, they strike bargains and deals on a whim and follow through with as much gusto, though it is rarely visible on their whiskered muzzles. Their friendly and reliable nature has led many sailors, fishermen and other tradesman of the waters to say "that there is no better sight to see, danger or otherwise, than an eddy of Otterlings".

**Typical Alignment** Any Good

**Ability Modifiers** -2 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Wis

**Size:** Small - Small races gain a +1 size
bonus to their AC, a +1 size
bonus on attack
rolls, a –1 penalty on combat
maneuverchecks and to their CMD, and a +4 size
bonus on Stealth checks. Small
races have a space of 5 feet by 5 feet and a reach of 5 feet.

**Type:**  Humanoid

**Base**
**Speed** 20ft **Swim** 30ft(can move in water without making Swim checks, and always treat Swim as a class skill)

**Languages** Common, and Aquan. Furthermore, members of this race with high Intelligence scores can
learn any languages they want (except Druidic and other secret languages).

**Lucky (2RP)** +1 to all saving throws, Otterlings are known to be good luck among the seafaring community.

**Hold Breath (Ex)(1RP)** Otterlings can hold their breath for a number of rounds equal to four times their Constitution score before risking drowning or suffocating.

**Slippery Tongue(1RP)** Otterlings are no strangers to winning over and deceiving others. They receive a +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy skill checks.

**Graceful Athlete (Feat)(2RP)** Add your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength bonus to Climb and Swim checks. If you have a Strength penalty, you must apply both your Strength penalty and your Dexterity modifier. This feat grants no benefit to creatures that already add their Dexterity modifier to Climb and Swim checks (such as all Tiny or smaller creatures).

**Offense**
**Racial Traits** **(2 RP)**

2 claws (1d3), bite (1d4)