Planetouched

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Amalthea’s cosmology differs significantly from Golarion’s, as well as the traditional Great Wheel model. Hence, vanilla planar races such as aasimar or tieflings are not appropriate for the setting, although such terms may be used colloquially in universe to refer to planetouched characters. The planetouched race presented here offers a lore-friendly alternative, and covers similar mechanical niches.
Strictly speaking, Amalthean planetouched are not truly descended from outsiders, as outsiders from Amalthea’s planes are pure souls without any reproductive biology to speak of. Half-outsiders in Amalthea are instead created through prolonged spiritual possession or direct blessing (or curse) by a powerful outsider. Some Planetouched treat the being who altered their bloodline as an ancestor, while others see it as a spiritual patron to their family. Some Planetouched can also be born spontaneously if conceived in planar manifest zones, that is, regions of Amalthea with close ties to the energies of one plane or another.
Physical Description: Planetouched appear as members of their humanoid parents’ race, although bearing minor physical traits that reveal their unusual lineage. However, a minority of planetouched exhibit far more exotic outsider traits, such as horns, wings, tails, or an unusual skin color like blood red or icy blue. Such Planar Exemplars can appear spontaneously as the child of two outwardly ordinary parents.
Society: Planetouched are born from most humanoid communities, and therefore rarely form societies of their own kind. Most planetouched are born of humans, although they also make up a significant minority among dwarves, elves, halflings, and orcs. As fey and dragon lineages are almost always dominant over extraplanar ones, planetouched are rare among gnomes, goblins, and kobolds, and nonexistent among beastfolk and dragonkin.
Relations: Planetouched live more or less harmoniously among common mortals of their parental races, where they exercise their unusual talents for good or for ill. However, Exemplars are sometimes viewed as either unique blessings or aberrant curses among less cosmopolitan communities, based on the types of outsider they resemble. Far too often, such unique Planetouched find themselves climbing the ranks in powerful organizations, or alternatively, driven to the fringes of society.
Alignment and Religion: Planetouched can be any alignment, although they lean towards the alignment of their extraplanar lineage. While some planetouched are found amidst mystery cults devoted to the deity of their planar origin, the polytheistic nature of most of Amalthea’s organized religions means that planetouched tend not to see matters of faith too differently from ordinary humanoids.
Adventurers: Planetouched, especially Exemplars, tend to see themselves as divinely chosen in some way, and pulled towards some kind of greater destiny. Alternatively, planetouched excluded from their host communities may seek adventure as a means of escape, and to gain power over a world that rejected them.
Names: As parental culture.

Standard Racial Traits

• Ability Score Modifiers: Planetouched characters gain a +2 racial bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature.
• Type: Planetouched are humanoids with the same subtype as their humanoid parents. However, for the purposes of effects targeting creatures by type (such as a ranger’s favored enemy and bane weapons), planetouched count as both humanoids and native outsiders.
• Size: Planetouched can be Medium or Small.
  • Medium planetouched receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Small planetouched 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: Planetouched have a base speed of 30 feet.
• Darkvision: Planetouched can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
• Humanoid Ancestry: Planetouched gain a racial trait from their parental race, as follows:
  • Dwarf: Hardy
  • Elf: Elven Immunities
  • Gnome: Bond to the Land
  • Goblin: Skilled
  • Orc: Orc Ferocity (as Half-Orc)
  • Halfling: Lucky
  • Human: Heart of the Region
  • Kobold: Prehensile Tail
• Planar Resilience: Planetouched are resistant to specific types of damage or effects, as determined by their variant racial heritage.
• Planar Affinity: Planetouched gain Basic Magic Training or Extra Combat Talent as a bonus feat. The talent they receive from this feat is determined by their variant racial heritage.
• Skilled: Planetouched gain +2 racial bonus to a skill of their choice.
• Languages: Planetouched begin play speaking two languages of their choice (except secret languages, such as Druidic).

Alternate Racial Traits

• Crossblooded Resistance: Planetouched mixed planar heritage are resilient to different types of energy. Choose two of acid, cold, electric, or fire damage. A planetouched with this trait have resistance 5 to those damage types. This trait replaces Planar Resilience.
• Planar Body: Some Planetouched can channel the power of their lineage to physically transform. They gain Basic Magic Training in the Alteration sphere as a bonus feat with the Lycanthropic drawback, gaining Elemental Transformation or Outsider Body as the bonus talent for that drawback. This trait replaces Planar Affinity.
• Planar Mutation: Some planetouched gain a feature from the table of tiefling or aasimar variant racial abilities, excluding any option that grants them Vancian spell-like abilities, see in darkness, tremorsense, or increases their ability scores. This feature is chosen at character creation and replaces Planar Affinity.
• Planar Exemplar: Extraplanar heritage manifests exceptionally strongly for some planetouched, giving them a distinctively supernatural appearance. Their type changes to native outsider, and they don’t count as a humanoid. They gain the Witchwarped feat for free, choosing from any trait granted by Blank Form, or one of the following traits:
  • Prehensile Tail
  • Powerful Arms
  • Powerful Legs
  • Amphibious, as granted by Aquan Transformation
  • Two wings and its flight speed as granted by Avian Transformation.
This trait replaces Humanoid Ancestry and Skilled.

Variant Racial Heritages

In addition to the standard traits above, planetouched characters must choose their planar heritage, which grants them additional racial traits.

Ashsoul

• Planar Ancestry: Valkyon, the Ashen Battleground
• Typical Alignment: Any Evil
• Ashen Resilience: Ashsouls have fire resistance 5, and can breathe air that is contaminated with ash, spores, smoke, dust, or the like. In addition, an ashsoul can see through non-magical obscuring effects caused by dense ash, smoke, fog, or similar concealment up to a distance of 60 feet.
• Ash Affinity: Ashsouls gain one of the following as a bonus talent:
  • Destruction Sphere with the Energy Focus drawback, gaining a (fire) blast as the bonus talent
  • War Sphere
  • Berserker Sphere
  • Gladiator Sphere.

When the fiends of the Ashen Battleground wage their eternal war, mortals are sometimes drawn in as pawns, leaving a mark on their body and soul. Ashsouls tend to have harsh, intimidating features and scar easily, while Ashsoul Exemplars resemble stereotypical tieflings: red or gray skin, wicked horns, and a fiendish tail. Some Ashsouls claim an innate urge for manipulation or violence, although others believe that’s instead caused by the prejudice they face more often than other planetouched.

Flamesoul

• Planar Ancestry: Imrath, the Eternal Conflagration
• Typical Alignment: Chaotic Good
• Fiery Resilience: Flamesouls have fire resistance 5, and gain fast healing 2 for 1 round anytime they take fire damage (whether or not this fire damage gets through their fire resistance). The Flamesoul can heal up to 2 hit points per level per day with this ability, after which it ceases to function.
• Fire Affinity: Flamesouls gain one of the following as a bonus talent:
• Destruction Sphere with the Energy Focus drawback, gaining a (fire) blast as the bonus talent
• Nature Sphere with the (fire) package
• Fencing Sphere
• Gladiator Sphere.

Those blessed by the Eternal Conflagration possess exceptional beauty, with bronzed skin, flaming hair, brilliantly colored eyes, and toned but not bulky bodies. Flamesoul Exemplars additionally have red or orange skin with flame-like markings. Flamesouls are typically confident, yet reckless, driven by whims or desires for glory more than reason. Flamesouls have a knack for sports, combat and performance, and tend to pursue careers that put them in the spotlight.

Greensoul

• Planar Ancestry: Vardath, the Verdant Idyll
• Typical Alignment: Neutral Good
• Verdant Resilience: Greensouls have +1 racial bonus to natural armor, and a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against disease, paralysis, and poison.
• Verdant Affinity: Greensouls gain one of the following as a bonus talent:
  • Life Sphere
  • Nature Sphere with the (plant) package
  • Alchemy Sphere
  • Beastmastery Sphere.

The Verdant Idyll blesses its chosen with resilience against nature’s ravages, and this is physically apparent with the strong, healthy builds typical of Greensouls. While most Greensouls are almost indistinguishable from others of their mortal heritage, Greensoul Exemplars often take on traits of plants or animals. Their skin might be some shade of green, or they may have antlers, horns, claws, or a tail. Such Greensouls may be mistaken for beastfolk and treated with suspicion in places where beastfolk are not welcome. Regardless of origin, Greensouls are known for their patience and gentle compassion, although those who had their kindness exploited too often can easily turn into bitter villains.

Miresoul

• Planar Ancestry: Khiritan, the Swamps of Oblivion
• Typical Alignment: Neutral Evil
• Mired Resilience: Miresouls have acid resistance 5, and gain fast healing 2 for 1 round anytime they are subject to acid damage (whether or not this damage gets through their acid resistance). The Miresoul can heal up to 2 hit points per level per day with this ability, after which it ceases to function.
• Mire Affinity: Miresouls gain one of the following as a bonus talent:
• Destruction Sphere with the Energy Focus drawback, gaining an (acid) blast as the bonus talent
• Nature Sphere with the (earth) or (plant) package
• Duelist Sphere
• Trap Sphere.

Those touched by the Swamps of Oblivion appear gaunt and sickly, with pallid or sallow complexions and dark bags under their eyes. Miresoul Exemplars often grow asymmetrical horns that resemble decaying branches, as well as vitiligo-like patterning on their skin. Miresouls tend to be introverted with a penchant for pessimism and callousness, but this gloomy disposition comes equally from their nature as from the common stigma against them for being odd or unpleasant individuals.

Mistsoul

• Planar Ancestry: Saphril, the Pearlescent Mirage
• Typical Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
• Misty Resilience: Mistsouls have +2 racial bonus on saving throws against emotion and sleep effects. In addition, whenever a Mistsoul is subject to an effect that bestows a miss chance on attack rolls against them, that miss chance increases by 10%, to a maximum of 50%.
• Mist Affinity: Mistsouls gain one of the following as a bonus talent:
  • Illusion Sphere
  • Nature Sphere with the (water) package
  • Fencing Sphere
  • Scoundrel Sphere.

Those blessed by the Pearlescent Mirage have soft, attractive features, with bright, watery eyes, unblemished skin, and luscious hair. Mistsoul Exemplars can even have hair with the color and texture of mother-of-pearl and skin that refract light into a rainbow shimmer. Mistsouls are commonly artistic, emotional, and seductive, driven by strong passions and romantic dreams, although their tempestuous loves and lusts are frequently tempered by a penchant for the mystical.

Rimesoul

• Planar Ancestry: Zugora, the Mirror of Truth
• Typical Alignment: Lawful Neutral
• Rimetouched Resilience: Rimesouls have cold resistance 5, and gain fast healing 2 for 1 round anytime they are subject to cold damage (whether or not this damage gets through their cold resistance). The Rimesoul can heal up to 2 hit points per level per day with this ability, after which it ceases to function.
• Rime Affinity: Rimesouls gain one of the following as a bonus talent:
  • Destruction Sphere with the Energy Focus Drawback, gaining a (cold) blast as the bonus talent
  • Divination Sphere
  • Mind Sphere with the Inward Focus drawback
  • Scout Sphere.

The icy progeny of the Mirror of Truth display their heritage through pale blue eyes, white hair, and pale skin that’s cool to the touch. Rimesoul Exemplars can additionally have hair and skin in icy shades of blue. Rimesouls are known to be disciplined and austere, possessing a strong intellectual bent which makes them favor rationality over emotion when making decisions. Their coldly logical approach can make them seem aloof to others, but once they “warm up” to someone they make for extremely loyal friends.

Stonesoul

• Planar Ancestry: Kalamil, the First Foundation
• Typical Alignment: Any Lawful
• Stonetouched Resilience: Stonesouls have acid resistance 5, and +1 racial bonus to natural armor.
• Stone Affinity: Stonesouls gain one of the following as a bonus talent:
  • Enhancement Sphere
  • Nature Sphere with the (earth) or (metal) package
  • Protection Sphere
  • Guardian Sphere.

Those blessed by the First Foundation tend to be stout of build, with thick arms and legs, rough skin, and gem-colored or metallic eyes, and they tend to exhibit perfect bodily symmetry. Stonesoul Exemplars have skin the color of stone or metal, and some even have crystals jutting out of their bodies. Stonesouls are typically stoic, cautious, and stubborn, with a great sense of determination but rather set in their ways. They are capable of innovation and creativity as long as they spend years (or even decades) perfecting traditional techniques first.

Stormsoul

• Planar Ancestry: Surocael, the Tempest of Creation
• Typical Alignment: Any Chaotic
• Stormtouched Resilience: Stormsouls have electricity resistance 5, and gain fast healing 2 for 1 round anytime they take electric damage (whether or not this electric damage gets through their electric resistance). The Stormsoul can heal up to 2 hit points per level per day with this ability, after which it ceases to function.
• Storm Affinity: Stormsouls gain one of the following as a bonus talent:
• Destruction Sphere with the Energy Focus Drawback, gaining an (electric) blast as the bonus talent
• Weather Sphere
• Barrage Sphere
• Dual Wielding Sphere.

Those touched by the Tempest of Creation generate static with their movements. They tend to be thin and delicate, and their hair and eyes tend towards pale, electric colors. Stormsoul Exemplars have pale blue or violet skin, sometimes swirling with pale markings reminiscent of the lightning inside a storm cloud. Stormsouls are typically nervously energetic, prone to bouts of anxiety and short attention spans, but when they can calm down enough to focus they exhibit exceptional creativity, with a knack for finesse and complex systems.

Sunsoul

• Planar Ancestry: Ilion, the Everlight Citadel
• Typical Alignment: Lawful Good
• Solar Resilience: Sunsouls have fire resistance 5, and a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against effects with the light descriptor and effects that cause blindness.
• Solar Affinity: Sunsouls gain one of the following as a bonus talent:
• Destruction Sphere with the Energy Focus Drawback, gaining a (light) blast as the bonus talent
• Light Sphere
• Guardian Sphere
• Warleader Sphere.

The celestials of the Everlight Citadel bless their descendents with a striking appearance, with fair hair, eyes that glow in the dark, and a statuesque build regardless of gender. Sunsoul Exemplars quite literally glow from within, as if lit by an internal light, which can be a little disconcerting to see. Sunsouls tend to be extroverts with bright, optimistic dispositions and a strong sense of moral righteousness, although this can lead them down a path of crusading extremism as much as one of kindness and justice.

Voidsoul

• Planar Ancestry: Vethuna, the Ebon Expanse
• Typical Alignment: True Neutral
• Voidtouched Resilience: Voidsouls have cold resistance 5, and a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against negative energy and death effects.
• Void Affinity: Voidsouls gain one of the following as a bonus talent:
  • Dark Sphere
  • Warp Sphere
  • Scout Sphere
  • Sniper Sphere.

Those touched by the Ebon Expanse tend to have an ashen complexion, which can lead those unfamiliar with their origin to mistake them for half-undead. However, the difference is in their eyes: Voidsouls have black sclera with bright, starry-colored irises that glow faintly in the dark. Voidsoul Exemplars have completely grayscale skin and hair, from stark white to deep black, sometimes in a gradient with a pale face and torso that transition into darker extremities that glimmer faintly with starlight. Voidsouls are typically withdrawn and pensive, drawn to intellectual or philosophical pursuits as well as the darker mysteries of the world that others shun.

Wavesoul

• Planar Ancestry: Acamari, the Sea of Eventualities
• Typical Alignment: True Neutral
• Wavetouched Resilience: Wavetouched have cold and acid resistance 5.
• Wave Affinity: Wavetouched gain one of the following as a bonus talent:
  • Creation sphere with the Water Wizard drawback
  • Nature Sphere with the (water) package
  • Time Sphere
  • Athletics Sphere with the (swim) package

The Sea of Eventualities blesses its chosen with a wise and ancient countenance. Wavesouls have large eyes, graceful bodies, and they seem not to be affected by the ravages of old age despite sharing the same lifespan as their parental race. Wavesoul Exemplars have deep blue skin and hair, and some grow fishlike scales, webbed hands and feet, fins, or other piscine features. Wavesouls are typically easy going and wise beyond their years, although they tend to be more concerned with their memories of the past and their predictions of the future, than what’s going on in the present.

Windsoul

• Planar Ancestry: Alleras, the Endless Sky
• Typical Alignment: True Neutral
• Windtouched Resilience: Windsouls have electricity resistance 5, and a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against effects with the sonic descriptor.
• Wind Affinity: Windsouls gain one of the following as a bonus talent:
  • Destruction Sphere with the Energy Focus Drawback, gaining an (air) or (sonic) blast as the bonus talent
  • Nature Sphere with the (air) package
  • Weather Sphere
  • Athletics Sphere with the (fly) or (leap) package

Those touched by the Endless Sky have a pale and fragile appearance, and a swiftness to their movement reminescent of birds. Windsoul Exemplars often display even more obvious traits of birds: feathers for hair or a pair of vestigial wings, making them resemble avian beastfolk at a glance. Windsouls are explorers and free spirits at heart, often feeling a strong sense of wanderlust when they come of age, and are uncomfortable doing the same thing for long periods of time.