d20 4e Expeditious Retreat Press Castoffs and Crossbreeds.pdf

Castoffs and Crossbreeds

B Y A NDREW H IND , WITH C HRIS H IND AND S TEPHEN E LLIOTT

A DDITIONAL C REDITS

C OVER A RT S COTT P URDY

I NTERNAL A RT D AVID E SBRI , J OAN G UARDIET ,

J EREMY M C H UGH , S COTT P URDY

E DITING J OSEPH B ROWNING

L AYOUT S UZI Y EE

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

Compatibility Logo, D&D, PLAYER’S HANDBOOK, DUNGEON

MASTER’S GUIDE, and MONSTER MANUAL are trademarks of

Wizards of the Coast, Inc. in the USA and other countries and are

used with permission. Certain materials, including 4E References in

this publication, D&D core rules mechanics, and all D&D characters

and their distinctive likenesses, are property of Wizards of the Coast,

Inc., and are used with permission under the Dungeons & Dragons 4th

Edition Game System License. All 4E References are listed in the 4E

System Reference Document, available at www.wizards.com/d20.

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 4th Edition PLAYER’S HANDBOOK, written by Rob Heinsoo, Andy Collins, and James Wyatt;

DUNGEON MASTER’S GUIDE, written by James Wyatt; and MONSTER MANUAL, written by Mike Mearls, Stephen

A UTHOR ’ S S PECIAL T HANKS

I’d like to thank Chris Hind and Stephen Elliott, gaming

companions for more than twenty years, for their assistance in

writing this book. In addition to coming up with numerous ideas

which I un-shamefully borrowed, they gave endless advice and

were always there to encourage and support. I’d also like give

a tip of the hat to Owen K.C. Stephens, who wrote the spiritual

predecessor to this project, Bastards and Bloodlines for d20 (Green

Ronin Publishing), and to those authors whose monster design-

work provided so much inspiration. It proves that writing a

roleplaying book, just like the act of playing, is an interactive

and communal experience.

individuals of unusual heritage. Shunned by society, these

bastards might take up the wandering life and seek homes

among adventuring parties. Perhaps even yours.

H OW TO U SE T HIS B OOK

Castoffs and Crossbreeds is arranged in four modular chapters.

Chapter One: Half-breeds in your Game

This chapter explores the opportunities that come with using

half-breeds in your campaign, and discusses general issues that

should be considered before introducing a half-breed.

I NTRODUCTION

I’ve always been drawn to the unusual. I remember making

up my irst character back in the days of AD&D. Why, I asked

myself, would I play a normal elf when a Wood Elf was so much

more distinctive? Thus was born Tanis Greenwood, and a love

affair with new and exotic player character races. I lapped up

each new half-breed or humanoid with relish. Eventually, it

became obvious to me that the possibilities were endless; just as

mythology was rich with monsters like chimera and sphinx that

were the amalgam of several animals, so too could a campaign

world boast any number of half-breeds based on standard races

blended with other creatures. Why stop at half-orcs and half-

elves, when you can have half-harpies and half-trolls?

Castoffs and Crossbreeds introduces 12 new half-races, and

gives you the tools to introduce countless others of your own

devising into your campaign. In a world with divine magic,

arcane lore, strange laws of probability, curses, gods and iends

that dabble in the realms of man, and natural shapeshifters it

seems perfectly natural that one might on occasion encounter

Chapter Two: Half-breeds

The meat of Castoffs and Crossbreeds is this expansive chapter in

which twelve new half-breeds are introduced, ready to play as a

PC race. The widest possible variation is provided, to demonstrate

the ways in which nearly any monster can be the genesis of a half-

breed with a little forethought and imagination.

Chapter Three: The Demiurge

This short chapter ties the book together by introducing an alien

race from beyond the stars with a mysterious agenda of abduction

and crossbreeding. The Demiurge, as these malevolent beings

are known, can be used the source for any number of half-breed

races in your campaign. In addition, they serve as powerful and

frighteningly sinister villains.

Chapter Four: New Monsters

In this chapter we ind two new monsters upon which a two of

the half-breeds are based. The gorilla and the giant cockroach

are creatures that will ind a fast home in most games. They’re

presented here.

C HAPTER O NE : H ALF -B REEDS IN YOUR G AME

P ROBLEMS WITH H ALF -B REEDS

Just as a GM should carefully weigh the advantages and

disadvantages of introducing a new character class, spell, or

magic item into his game, he must also consider which half-

breeds to allow in his game world. Any new crossbreed that’s

adopted will have repercussions on the game that, like opening

Pandora’s Box, may be dificult to undo once that step is taken.

As a result, when a player approaches the GM with an idea for a

unique crossbreed, the matter should be carefully weighed.

Are they slaves or relegated to eking out an existence in ghettos?

Or maybe just the opposite, their uniqueness resulting in

wonderment and awe that translates into privileged status.

In any event, it’s clear that the introduction of a half-breed

race that exists in any signiicant number results in more work

for the GM as he tries to present a believable and exciting world

for his gaming group. Of course, handled deftly, it could also

result in opportunities for adventure and role-play, and a

uniquely textured world.

W ORLD D ESIGN

In some cases, the introduction of a half-breed may have an

effect on world design. Depending upon how common the half-

breed race is, there might by necessity need to be communities

or even homelands for them. In a home-brew setting this might

be accommodated fairly easily, but it does impose itself upon

the GM and his creation. In a publishing game setting this can

be a bit more problematic, perhaps even requiring substantive

changes. Even then, the GM must determine how a half-breed

community or homeland affects the dynamics of the region. Are

they persecuted? What are their relations with neighbors? What

is their collective relationship vis-à-vis the relevant parent races?

Even if a half-breed race doesn’t exist in numbers requiring

they have their own community or homeland, they may be

common enough---even in a speciic locality---to form a minority

population in a town or province. How have they integrated

themselves into society? What strata of society do they inhabit?

S USPENSION OF D ISBELIEF

Half-breeds typically appear as exceptions to the norm, and yet

even in a high fantasy setting with prevalent magic, dungeons

underfoot, dragons and other monsters lurking around every

corner, and epic quests that determine the fate of the world,

players have a threshold for what they consider plausible and

realistic. Some players have little trouble accepting anything in

a fantasy setting. Others, however, like to be grounded by some

sense of continuity and for them the suspension of disbelief

may be strained by the appearance of half-breeds in any large

number. If players ind it dificult to accept the concept of half-

trolls existing in urban ghettoes and half-wight reavers doomed

to continue their pillaging ways for all eternity, then you should

probably limit the number and frequency in which crossbreeds

appear in your campaign. Save them for important NPCs or

dramatic moments.

It’s important to establish a tone and lavor for your

campaign vis-à-vis half-breeds, and maintain it consistently.

This will help characters believe in the setting and enable you

to predict what players will accept and what they will balk at. If

you think introducing a particular half-breed will compromise

the tone of the game, resist the temptation to use it; once a

players suspension of disbelief is undermined, it’s extremely

dificult to restore.

R OLE -P LAYING P OTENTIAL

Half-breeds tend to be illed with angst, and from that springs

great drama and exciting role-playing opportunities. This is

particularly true if the individual is unique or part of a very,

very rare species. The Golem from Eastern European lore and

Frankenstein’s Monster are memorable characters were shaped

by the notion that they were singular beings who wanted

nothing more than to it in with humans. There’s a lot storylines

can be based upon such emotions.

Answering the question, ‘where did I come from’, is more

dificult for half-breed characters than those of a standard race,

and potentially more rewarding. Was the character the product

of rape, magical experimentation, or a powerful love spell that

brought beings of two disparate races together? Perhaps some

half-breeds are the result of a familial curse laid upon the

bloodline by a bitter priest, or worse yet, a demon or evil deity.

What if Thules are a naturally occurring though extremely rare

and deeply embarrassing genetic mutation amongst dwarves

that reminds them of a joint ancestry between them and trolls?

Would these unwanted mutants be killed at birth or cast into

slavery? Answering these questions opens up a rich and varied

background for any new player character.

In addition to being saddled with origins laden with drama,

half-breeds must exist in a world where they are a distinct

minority. Even if Thules were relatively numerous and not

instinctually hated, they would still be grossly outnumbered

by elves and dwarves, to say nothing of humans, and therefore

likely be the subject of prejudice or bias. Does the character

struggle to it in, or accept being marginalized by society and

embrace the life of a vagabond or even an outlaw? Of course,

keep in mind that not all bias are negative, but they still come

with a burden. Moon Maidens are viewed as the offspring of

celestial beings and are almost revered by elves. Living up

to vaunted expectations and existing under the microscope

that comes with hero worship can be just as dificult as being

dismissed by society at large.

G AME B ALANCE

In Castoffs and Crossbreeds , we’ve attempted to provide the

broadest range of potential half breeds, and have in fact

stretched the traditional deinition in many ways. This was

an intentional design decision. We wanted to demonstrate the

ininite possibilities that arise with the application of a little

creativity, and hope to inspire GMs to try their hand at creating

their own unique half-breed races.

When introducing a half-breed, every effort must be made

to ensure they balanced mechanically with the core D&D player

character races. It’s inevitable that some races will be better in

certain aspects of the game than others, but you must carefully

examine half-breeds to ensure they do not unbalance the game.

Nothing could disrupt a party and sow dissention among

the players faster than a PC who is more powerful than his

companions simply because his player had the good-fortune of

convincing the game master to allow him to play a half-demon

lord or some other ludicrously powerful crossbreed.

B ENEFITS OF H ALF -B REEDS

Half-breeds offer great opportunities in a role-playing game.

While the standard races are a long-standing staple of fantasy

gaming and literature with good reason (they tend to be

archetypal, and because elves and dwarves appear, in one

form or another, in most cultures are readily identiiable), the

introduction of new races can add a dramatic new spark that sets

the campaign setting apart.

P LAYER A ID

Each of the half-breeds presented herein comes complete with a

suggested background and detailed notes regarding the race’s

personality, possible motivation for adventuring, and views

towards other races and classes. This information can be an

invaluable aid in leshing out a player character (or, for GMs,

non-player characters). Within minutes and with little thought,

a fully realized and nuanced character can be created and ready

for use at the gaming table. While most players would ind this

character-creation crutch of value when time is of the essence,

and perhaps also ind inspiration in the half-breeds themselves,

novice gamers in particular will appreciate the assistance and

reap the greatest rewards.

C HAPTER T WO : H ALF -B REEDS

Each half-breed is described in the following easy-to-use format.

A PPEARANCE

This section details the physical characteristics of the half-

breed. Where applicable, the entry touches upon physiology

as well. Finally, we might ind here information on preferred

style of dress or other ornamentation relevant to a characters

appearance.

N AME

Just as in the real world people of mixed black and white heritage

(by way of example) are known as mulatto or creole, few beings

in a fantasy world would identify themselves as “half-elven” or

“half-orc”. Instead, they would likely have a distinctive racial

name. In some cases, these names are insults or slurs given to

then by bigoted individuals. In others, they are embraced by the

half-breed as a sign of their lineage.

D EMEANOR

Here we discover prominent personality traits typical of members

of the half-breed race in question, as well as delve briely into

collective psychology to learn what makes them tick.

V ARIETY

Half-breeds are invaluable for adding variety into your game,

allowing players a wider range of options upon which to base

their character concept. The beneit of a half-breed as opposed to

simply introducing a new PC race is that it doesn’t, by deinition,

alter the game setting in any fundamental way. If a player

decides he wants to make up a half-troll character (in this book,

named Thule), it doesn’t by deinition follow that the world

must feature half-trolls in any signiicant number. Instead, the

half-troll PC may be unique. In short, half-breeds allow greater

variety while keeping the number of sentient races in a game

world to a believable number.

Table 2.1 Half-Breed Lifespans

Half-Breed Adulthood Middle Age Old Venerable Maximum Age

Ashwing

140 +4d10 years

Brimstone Beard 40

135 240

360 +3d100 years

Dragonlings

70 +2d20 years

Eldor

300

—

— +5d100 years

Gutterling

50 +1d8 years

Half-Gnolls

40 +1d10 years

Lagoon Elf

100 150

200 +4d10 years

Moon Maiden 16

200 500 1000 +20d20 years

Ophidian

200

400 +8d20 years

Thule

115 150

200 +2d20 years

Wicht

—

— +10d100 years

Yeren

68 +3d810 years

B ACKGROUND

In this section we gain insight into the background of the races,

focusing on the formative years that explain the circumstances

under which the half-breeds are created. We also see how they

interact with society, and the role this relationship plays on the

development of a half-breed character.

Though ashwings are born of either sex with equal

frequency, few female ashwings reach adulthood; harpies

traditionally kill newborn ashwing girls. One reason for such

cold-blooded murder is because females are seen as less useful

slaves, being capable of less physical labor and not nearly as

interesting playthings. There’s another reason young ashwing

females are put to death: to prevent any from coming to power

within the harpy’s matriarchal society.

As a result of their paucity of numbers, among escaped

ashwings females of the species are cherished as rare treasures.

A DVENTURERS

This section describes a half-breed’s views on various races and

classes, and what might motivate them to take up the uncertain

and dangerous life of an adventurer. We also gain valuable

insight into what kind of adventurer a typical member of this

half-breed race might become.

A PPEARANCE

Ashwings are often mistaken at a distance for harpies. They have

the small bodies and lithe frames of hallings or shorter elves,

but appear much larger when their wide, feathered wings are

fully expanded. These wings are fully 8-feet in span, are coal-

black in coloration, and allow clumsy light. When beating, these

wings shed a cloud of ine dander that looks like ash. Wings are

a double-edged sword; while they offer mobility and the ability

to escape many enemies, they also require the ashwing to wear

clothing and armor speciically tailored for them.

If ashwings are ungraceful in the air they are little better on

land, the result of legs that are slightly crooked and of taloned

feet more suited to gripping tree limbs and rocky outcroppings

than to walking. These talons, resembling those of a raptor,

allow ashwings to make claw attacks while in light.

Instead of hair, these half-breeds have a thick mane of

feathers, typically red-gold in coloration, but occasionally yellow

or tan. Their skin is covered in an irritated-looked red rash, and

facial features are sharp and predatory, though not unattractive.

Indeed, many ashwing are statuesque and alluring, with melodic

voices. They favor elaborate facial tattoos, a throwback to their

time as slaves to harpies when they were branded to indicate

ownership and status.

R ACIAL T RAITS

This section includes all the gaming rules required for the half-

breed to be played in game as a PC race.

A SHWING

Ashwings are tragic individuals, the result of a forced union

between a bloodire harpy and either a halling or an elf. They

are most often found in rocky deserts or arid hill regions, where

bloodire harpies prey upon the hardy Halling and elf tribes

that huddle around watering holes eking an existence out of the

harsh wilderness. These tribes, impoverished, small in numbers,

and with only primitive weapons, are ill-suited to defend

themselves against predation by harpy locks. Some tribes are

essentially held hostage; unless they willingly sacriice healthy

males to captivity, the harpies threaten to use their horrifying

abilities against the tribe’s helpless women and children.

Regardless how they enter captivity, prisoners normally

end up as slaves and victims of horrid torment for the harpies’

sick amusement. Sometimes unwanted children result from

the abuse. Other times, harpies purposefully mate with their

captives in order to increase their slave stock. In either event, the

offspring is an ashwing.

D EMEANOR

Ashwings offer a jarring contrast to conventional civilized

culture. They value personal freedom above all else, and treat

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