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Reaves are a race of mercenaries and terrorists who's history on the planes places them in Acheron, originally. Currently, their innate planewalking abilities and unwillingness to go against their word makes them the preferred crack aggressors or interplanar wars or subterfuge for those with a total lack of scruples. Reaves are often hired as bodyguards, as well. There are a few reaves, however, who have lost their innate planewalking ability, through chance, magical accident, or curse. These select few are immediately outcast from their war-bands, as they are incapable of doing that which is most valued in reaves: fading into and out of the Astral plane. These solitary reaves often become adventurers in their own right, though just as many become notorious rogues and fences. A select few become priests for military-orientated powers, to gain a new sense of family and duty. Reaves are strong, bulky humanoids with pebbly leather hides. They have four arms, two attached on each shoulder, with one pair in front of the other. They have only three fingers on each hand, but are quite dextrous with these digits. They have no head or body hair, but a series of convoluted ridges, unique to each individual, covers the scalp. Their faces are normal, except they have four eyes spaced evenly across the front of the head. As a race, they favour garish plate mail with a chain skirt and flaring shoulder-plates. While the reaves have a strong code of conduct, there is nothing more sacred to a reave than its face. It is taboo for a reave to allow another, even another reave, to see its face. As such, they usually wear closed-face helmets, heavy cowls, or opaque veils. While many people see a reave's eyes, very few ever see any more. SPECIAL ABILITIES: Reaves have a number of special properties, which aid them in their combative lifestyles. First and foremost, their leathery skin grants them a natural AC of 8. On top of that, up to two of its arms can use shields, decreasing its AC by 2 (for those who use shield proficiency rules, proficiency with a second shield increases AC only by half as much as the first, round down. Thus, a reave using two medium shields gets a mere +4, not a +6). Also, a reave can wield multiple weapons at once. All reaves are ambidextrous and capable of wielding two weapons of equal size (with a -2 to both unless they can use two weapons), and all but a small minority purchase two-weapon style specialisation with their weapon proficiencies. Because the arms tend to get in one another's way, reaves can use a maximum of two weapons at once. Still, these can be any weapons allowable by size, including two two-handed swords or two polearms. A common tactic is to use two shields and two one-handed weapons to maximise defence and offence. Reave eyes and arms are well positioned to defend. As such, they receive no penalty to AC against attacks from the flank and only a -1 penalty against rear attacks. Their increased range of vision gives them a +1 to all surprise checks. An odd capability of the reaves is gorging. Purely carnivorous, reaves are capable, like some predators, of gorging themselves, then fasting comfortably for days or weeks. A reave can eat three to four times as much as they normally can digest, and it is paced over that much time (two times as much keeps them from getting hungry for twice as long). However, if more than three times the normal capacity is consumed, the reave suffers a -1 to Dexterity and THAC0 rolls (for checks, attacks, AC, and any other affected abilities) until they have only three times as much food as normal in their stomachs. This unwieldy aspect is rarely a problem, as the reaves tend to gorge before long trips, to keep supplies light. Thus, when they reach their objective, they have already digested most of their food. SPECIAL HINDRANCES: Reaves are normally a violent and war-loving race. Because of their strong alignment, nearly all reave PCs are lawful. Though this is not a requirement, it is a suggestion. Similarly, most become warriors or warrior priests, with few non-combative rogues. A reave, regardless of alignment, will carefully listen for insults, and challenge the honour of those who offend them. Given a reave's WIS penalty, there are a large number of misunderstandings between reaves and non-reaves. Reaves get a -2 reaction modifier due to their surly reputation, and an additional -2 from anyone who has either worked with a reave or been attacked by one. If that isn't enough, PC reaves are pariahs, hunted by their own kind (who still have their fading ability...) And remember that even the best of helmets restrict eyesight, making them vulnerable to attacks from their flanks (the reave suffers a -2 AC pentalty from side attacks). |
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Vital Statistics ABILITY REQUIREMENTS (before ability adjustments are added or subtracted):
ABILITY ADJUSTMENTS
AVERAGE HEIGHT AND WEIGHT
AGE
AGING EFFECTS
( * -1 Str/Con; +1 Int/Wis, ** -2 Str/Dex, -1 Con; +1 Wis, *** -1 Str/Dex/Con; +1 Int/Wis) LEVEL LIMITS
RACIAL ADJUSTMENTS FOR THIEVES
REAVE
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