Strahki

Source: Elaris: Sea of Stars

Ability Modifiers +2 Str, +2 Con, -2 Dex, +2 Dex, +2 Con, -2 Str, or +2 Cha, +2 Con, -2 Int

Hit Points 6

Size and Type

Strahki are Large magical beasts with the aquatic. They take up a space and have a reach of 10 feet.

Amphibious

Strahki can breathe underwater (thanks to the aquatic subtype), but they can also breathe air and survive on land.

Natural Weapons

Clubber and Piercer strahki bear powerful appendages and are always considered armed. They deal 1d6 lethal damage with unarmed strikes, which is bludgeoning for clubber strahki and piercing for piercer strahki. The attack does not count as archaic. Strahki gain a special version of the Weapon Specialization feat with this unarmed strike at 3rd level, allowing them to add 1-1/2 x their character level to their damage rolls for this unarmed strike (instead of just adding their character level, as usual).

Shimmer Shell

Shifter strahki have special pigmentation and chromatophores in their shell that allow them to create striking colors and patterns on their shell, changing coloration at will. Once per day as a standard action, they can flare all of their chromatophores to create several specific overwhelming patterns. Each creature within 15 feet of them that can see them must make a Fortitude save. Each creature that fails is afflicted with a condition of the strahki’s choice from among Blinded, Dazzled, or Fascinated for 1 minute or until they take damage, or they can choose to afflict the target with Confused, Dazed, or Nauseated for 1 round. Each creature must be afflicted with the same condition.

Specialization

All strahki gain +2 Constitution at character creation. Clubber strahki are exceptionally strong, bearing heavy club-like appendages (+2 Strength at character creation) but are less agile (-2 Dexterity at character creation). Piercer strahki bear sharp spear-like appendages instead and use it in quick strikes (+2 Dexterity at character creation) but are less physically impressive (-2 Strength at character creation). Lastly, shifter strahki lack the highly specialized appendages of their companions, but can shift the colors of their shell to make visually striking combinations (+2 Charisma at character creation), but overreliance on this technique has lowered their need to learn and adapt (-2 Intelligence at character creation).

Strahki Movement

Strahki have a base speed of 35 feet and a swim speed of 25 feet.

Strahki Senses

Strahki have darkvision to a range of 60 feet, and can see in dim light as if it were normal light. Additionally, they can visibly see radiation as if it were colored light.

Zealous

Strahki gain a +2 racial bonus to Athletics and Mysticism skill checks.

Alternate Ability Adjustments

Some strahki fall outside the norms of their race. These variations can occur in any type of strahki, and they grant the listed ability adjustments instead of the adjustments presented above.

Mystical

While the strahki are primarily physical in their pursuit of perfection and protection, there are those among their ranks that seek out the strength of the gods or other powers in order to achieve their goals. These are the mystical strahki. A mystical clubber strahki’s ability adjustments are +2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, -2 Dexterity. A mystical piercer strahki’s ability adjustments are +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -2 Strength. Lastly, a mystical shifter strahki’s ability adjustments are +2 Charisma, +2 Wisdom, -2 Intelligence.

Alternate Racial Traits

Some strahki develop specialized traits due to the needs they have for their empire, though these are not especially common, as represented in the following traits.

Far Traveler

Many strahki find they must travel far from their home and must be physically tough in order to uphold the will and law of the empire. They tend to put their endurance above their speed, as getting there at a later date is more important than never arriving. A strahki who has this trait gains Toughness as a bonus feat and have a swim speed of 20 feet.
This replaces Strahki Movement and Zealous.

Undersea Conqueror

Strahki that are permanently stationed on some of the deepest oceanic worlds rarely if ever return to the land. Over time and generations, these strahki develop better underwater movement, gaining a swim speed of 40 feet but having a base speed of only 20 feet. In addition to this, they gain a +5 racial bonus to Athletics checks made to swim.
This replaces Amphibious and Strahki Movement.

[Basic Description]

Playing This Race

You Likely...

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Other Races Probably...

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Physical Description

The odd shrimp-like strahki are colorful ad bear two sets of eyes, both a set of large compound eyes, and a much smaller set of bright white simple eyes. These people bear a hard, brightly colored chitinous exoskeleton and some are able to alter the coloration of their shell to confuse or distract others. A vast majority of strahki have a pair of odd appendages, either club-like or spear-like. These appendages can be propelled at high speeds in a form of attack. The strahki have a large tail that they can use to propel themselves backwards in the water, as well as numerous sets of legs to help them move around on land at high speeds.

Home World

The strahki dwell deep within the oceans of the moon Thinos. They tend to avoid the contact of the siasi and dur’yeng whom they share the planet with, and their warlike culture often leads them to conflict when they do inevitably meet. While the strahki can breath above water, they often find it uncomfortable and so the times they do go above the waves is during the rainy season. Unfortunately for them, this happens to coincide with the migrations of the siasi people.

Society and Alignment

The strahki have a tough and warlike culture, similar to that of the vesk. They see others as weaker and seek to conquer them, but not out of malice. They believe themselves to be protectors of those who cannot protect themselves, believing what they do is simply for the good of all. Their culture is heavily regimented and strict on those who do not conform—though only among their own people. So long as those they have conquered do not commit grievous sins against their empire, they are content with letting them live and continue their own governing, albeit subservient to them. Almost all strahki are lawful, and tend toward neutrality for morality, though both good and evil are found among them at a rather high rate.

Relations

Many other races fear or even loath the strahki, seeing them as heartless conquerors. Despite this, they rarely if ever commit slaughters and instead prefer to protect as much life as possible. Despite this desire, they will cut down any who do not go along with their governing, seeing them as harmful malcontents that disrupt order. Due to this, they are often seen as potential companions by other highly lawful races so long as those races not also conquerors such as the vesk, but are entirely despised by the more chaotic races.

Adventurers

Strahki adventurers are relatively common, their attitude and culture urging them to better themselves in combat to better uphold the empire’s law throughout the galaxies. Despite their relative rarity among their own people, shifter strahki are very common as adventurers due to them being generally worse in combat, and thus discriminated against among their own people. Other strahki may still become adventurers in an attempt to escape the aggressive will of their empire, wanting to stand on their own six legs without needing to worry about the extremist laws of their home.

Names

Strahki do not have names in the general sense, instead being distinguished by the colors they bear on their body. While shifter strahki are able to flash these colors much more powerfully, all strahki can subtly change their coloration in order to communicate. The specialized eyes of the strahki can see more colors than more races, allowing them to have a rich language in this way. When they must deal with other races, they prefer to take titles given to them by conquered people and so they often see as though they are insulting each other if they speak outwardly, referring to each other as “Bastard”, “Slayer”, or similar terms. The strahki, however, take these names as badges of honor. If they have not conquered any, they will often take names given to them by other people they often spend time with.

Vital Stats

Average Height 7-8 ft.
Average Weight 600-800 lbs.
Age of Maturity 20 years
Maximum Age 250 + 1d% years