Beastfolk

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Considered a type of yokai in Cerlania, beastfolk are shapeshifting humanoids commonly found in Amalthea’s wilds. Once rare in civilized society, the onset of the Scourge has driven plenty of them to seek safety behind city walls, where their wild nature draws suspicion from native citizens.
The origin of the beastfolk is lost to time, as beastfolk favor oral traditions to the written word. Anthropological records of some beastfolk breeds have existed since prehistory, yet others simply appeared one day in the past few millennia. Nevertheless, all beastfolk share a common creation myth. According to legend, they were once fey spirits that could take whatever form they liked, but found a deep fascination with certain animals. Here the myths diverge: some claim the fey spirits were tricked into taking animal form, and found themselves unable to achieve the full range of their original shifting ability. Others claim that the fey spirits possessed the animals, merging with their souls and mutating their bodies into shapeshifters.
Only vertebrate animals have beastfolk analogs, and they’re overwhelmingly terrestrial and air-breathing. The most common beastfolk resemble felines and canines, followed by rodents, mustelids, bears, and hyenas. Herbivorous, avian, and reptilian beastfolk tend to be more reclusive. Aquatic beastfolk are rare, with the most well known breed taking the forms of sharks.

Beastfolk and Lycanthropy

Beastfolk are immune to lycanthropy, thanks to their shared origin with lycanthropes. Lycanthropy is believed to occur when a wild fey spirit possesses a humanoid who is out of tune with nature, thus making it impossible for that spirit to merge with the humanoid’s soul. The resulting spiritual dissonance inflicts a viral curse and marks the entire bloodline of the afflicted, forever turning their descendants into lycanthropes.
Lycanthropy in Amalthea does not change an individual's alignment, although afflicted lycanthropes still experience a bestial loss of control under the full moon. Not every culture rejects lycanthropy. Orcs and wood elves revere lycanthropy as a blessing, embracing lycanthropes among them as cultural heroes as long as they keep their violent urges under control.
Physical Description: A beastfolk has three forms: a humanoid form, a beast form, and a hybrid form. A beastfolk’s humanoid form is superficially similar to a human or a halfling, although with minor animalistic traits. They might have a tail, or their ears might be bestial instead of human-like. Some also have horns, antlers, patches of fur or feathers, or simply a facial and body structure strongly reminiscent of an animal. Their beast form appears as a regular vertebrate animal with no distinguishing markers, and their hybrid form is an anthropomorphic, bipedal version of their beast form. All beastfolk can reproduce with each other, with the children taking the animal forms of one parent at random, although with traits of the other parent if they can be shared across animal species (such as fur pattern). Beastfolk are usually, but not always, the same sex in their different forms. Most beastfolk are uncomfortable staying in the same form for too long, feeling an “itch” under their skin that can only be scratched by changing shape.
Society: Carnivorous beastfolk are typically nomadic hunter gatherers that practice some degree of herding, while herbivorous beastfolk live in settled agricultural communities. Either way, traditional beastfolk societies are pre-industrial, and any lasting structures they build specifically accommodate for shapeshifting. For example, an avian tribe may build treehouses with no ladders, relying solely on flight for access.
Relations: Beastfolk get along well with races that live in harmony with nature, such as orcs, wood elves, and “barbaric” humans. Many beastfolk tribes are also on good terms with lycanthropes, sometimes interbreeding with them until they are no longer recognizable as distinct races. However, beastfolk are distrusted in industrialized society, where they are stereotyped as barbarians or tricksters. Some urban beastfolk may try to hide their true nature by disguising themselves as humans or halflings. Others gather in racial quarters or druidic communes that welcome their kind, and display their animalistic forms proudly. Occasionally, a beastfolk can impress industrialized races well enough to be truly accepted as one of their own, and even rise to high places in society; however, doing so often means distancing themselves from their wild roots, and can result in their rejection by their own kin.
Alignment and Religion: Beastfolk tend towards neutral and chaotic alignments. Most beastfolk reject the organized religions that dominate humanoid society, choosing instead to venerate fey, ancestors, or nature spirits. Beastfolk that worship the Elder Gods tend to view them as equal, rather than superior, to the Archfey, and depict them in animalistic rather than humanoid forms.
Adventurers: Beastfolk make for excellent adventurers out in the wilderness, and their closeness to nature draws them to primal classes like druids, hunters, or rangers. Once they become comfortable with a group, beastfolk tend to view their adventuring companions as a pack or a herd.
Names: Beastfolk names tend to be descriptors of their natural environment, physical traits, important deeds, or recognizable habits. As each beastfolk tribe has its own language or dialect, some beastfolk translate their names to other languages for ease of communication. Examples of such names are Rosebriar, Eclipse, Longmaw, Big Strong One, Drake-Slayer, and Dances-in-the-Morning. Urban beastfolk may also take names originating from other humanoid languages. Beastfolk names are usually gender neutral.

Standard Racial Traits

• Ability Score Modifiers: Beastfolk characters gain a +2 racial bonus to one mental ability score, a +2 racial bonus to one physical ability score, and a -2 penalty to a different ability score.
• Type: Beastfolk are humanoids with the beastfolk and shapechanger subtypes.
• Size: Beastfolk can be Medium or Small.
  • Medium beastfolk receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Small beastfolk gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
• Speed: Beastfolk have a base speed of 30 feet.
• Scent: Beastfolk have scent to a range of 30 feet.
• Low Light Vision: Beastfolk can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
• Change Shape (Su): A beastfolk has three natural forms: a humanoid form, an animal form, and a hybrid form. Each of these forms is a specific form that the beastfolk always takes when assuming it, and the appearance of each form is chosen at character creation. Changing shape is a standard action.
  • A beastfolk in humanoid form has no additional abilities.
  • A beastfolk can shift into their animal form as if using the Transformation feat, although they may only choose Animalistic Transformation, Aquan Transformation, Avian Transformation, Serpentine Transformation, or Subterranean Transformation. This counts as having the Transformation feat for the purposes of prerequisites.
  • A beastfolk in hybrid form gains a natural attack (as if bestowed by the Alteration sphere’s Shapeshift ability) if their animal form possesses this attack, plus a second trait possessed by their animal form. This second trait may also be another thematically appropriate Alteration trait that costs 0 SP, at the GM's discretion.
• Beast Empathy: Beastfolk gain +2 racial bonus to Handle Animal and wild empathy checks.
• Lycanthropy Immunity: Beastfolk can’t contract lycanthropy by any means.
• Languages: Beastfolk begin play speaking two languages of their choice (except secret languages, such as Druidic).

Alternate Racial Traits

• Beast Heart: Beastfolk from tribal or rural communities made up entirely of their own kind often don't have a humanoid form, defaulting instead to a hybrid form. Such beastfolk can speak with animals of the same kind as their animal form. This trait replaces humanoid form, and is not compatible with half-breed.
• Fey Atavism: Fey lineage manifests more strongly in some beastfolk. They gain the Basic Magic Training feat for the Fallen Fey sphere as a bonus feat. This trait replaces beast empathy.
• Half-breed: Beastfolk hybrids can pass perfectly for their non-beastfolk parent’s race, at the cost of diminished shapeshifting abilities. While in humanoid form, such beastfolk gain a +10 bonus on disguise checks to pass for a dwarf, elf, gnome, goblin, halfling, human, or orc, and their shapechanger aura is always dim. This trait replaces animal form, and is not compatible with beast heart.
• Strong Wings: Beastfolk with winged animal forms are often trained from a young age to fly. When using Avian Transformation, such beastfolk gain a 30ft fly speed with clumsy maneuverability in addition to a glide speed. This trait can be freely taken.
• Unusual Size: Some beastfolk have a Large or Tiny animal form. Transforming into a Large or Tiny animal takes a full round action, rather than a standard action. This trait modifies animal form.