Orochi (O-roe-chee)
Humanoids with an elongated neck that ends in a serpent's head, the Orochi are as tribal as they come. Distrustful of the outsider world, they are likely to strike at any that enter their territory.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Some orochi develop a mutation where they grow an extra set of arms instead of an elongated neck. Such orochi are believed to be blessed by Yig, and great pressure is placed on them to succeed in their clan.
Genetics and Reproduction
The orochi lay large clusters of eggs which they pile together in hidden groves known as hatcheries.
Growth Rate & Stages
An orochi reaches adulthood at 20 years of age. While growing, a orochi young is likely to molt several times a year rather than just the annual molting of an adulthood.
Dietary Needs and Habits
The orochi are carnivorous, mostly consuming rodents, but are known to prey on any surrounding tribes. In times of food scarcity, desperate orochi will even raid the hatcheries of rival orochi tribes and consume their eggs.
Biological Cycle
An orochi molts the outer layer of its skin once a year. The time one molts varies by individual, but generally occurs in the early spring. With practice, an orochi can molt its skin immediately in a time of stress as an escape method, but doing so repeatedly can have lasting health consequences for the orochi.
Additional Information
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Orochi venom is a muscle relaxant, and is sought out both by poachers and hedonists alike. Few orochi are willing to share their venom, and thus most ventures into orochi territory ends with the trespassers cooked and eaten.
Facial characteristics
The orochis most defining feature is their snake-like neck and heads. The orochi have mighty jaws that are capable of quickly clamping onto an opponent, and many orochi are venomous. An orochis venom is often paralytic in nature, slowing down the movements of its enemies so that they can be more easily finished off.
Average Intelligence
While they place little value in formal education, the orochi are innately sly, and are well versed at speaking. Orochi society places heavy emphasis on perfecting one skill to its maximum, rather than learning the basics of many.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
The orochi can see in low-light conditions, and can see thermal heat rising from creatures, allowing them to see creatures in the dark.
Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms
Many orochi breed snakes to keep as pets, and often line their territories with pit traps filled to the brim with deadly serpents.
Civilization and Culture
Beauty Ideals
The orochi care less about beauty and more about ones worth, accomplishments to the clan, and the amount of children birthed.
Gender Ideals
Orochi society is tribally layered and gender split, with males mostly becoming warriors and hunters, while the females become healers and shamans. Orochi males are given much more power in the orochi society, however no orochi question the wisdom of the shamans.
Courtship Ideals
The orochi place a heavy value on procreation, the more mates and children one has, the greater their social standing. Most pairings are arranged by either the elders of the family or of tribal leaders based on the males performance as a warrior. When an orochi warrior dies, his closest male relative of his generation gains the right to his mates. Additionally, a warrior whose has constantly failed the tribe may have his mate taken from him and gifted to another warrior who is in better standings.
Relationship Ideals
The orochi often form lifelong groups, be it a warrior band or a shaman conclave, and are very close to the members of that group. They are often more at ease with members of this group then their wives or children.
Average Technological Level
The orochi prefer more simple technology, as they are suspicious of outsider ideals. They are well crafted in the advancements of poisons.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Most orochi speak Orochi, with a rudimentary knowledge of Ixiwian Common. Many don't pick up other languages, but those that do can often be found speaking Anuri, Astyr, Dylia, Goblin, Ignan, Ishka, or Sylvan.
Common Etiquette Rules
One must speak carefully went attempting to enter orochi territory, as the orochi are quick to offend and quicker to slay trespassers.
Common Dress Code
Many orochi wear little clothing, as their homes are hot and their bodies are not well-regulated. They often wear climbing gear to easily be able to scale the jungle trees.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
When an orochi warrior dies, it is common to bury their body with a tree sapling, so that they may rejoin the forest in death. Such trees are upkept by the orochis family, and large groves are visited like cemeteries.
Common Taboos
Any orochi that consistently fails to live up to the standards of the tribe is likely to be banished or sacrificed to Yigg. Additionally, actively harming a serpent is a capital crime, regardless of the offenders race or knowledge of orochi law. The offender is rarely killed, and is often subjected to torturous rituals that transform its body in hideous ways that often leave the offender wishing for death.
Historical Figures
One of the members of the Nenu-Lan guild, The Court of Misfits, was Iku, a disgraced orochi warrior turned-skeleton.
Common Myths and Legends
The orochi are one of the few races to openly worship a Dark Tapestry god, Yigg, the Father of Serpents.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
The orochi have few good relations with other races of the world due to their reclusive nature. Many races distrust their reliance on poison and believe that they often speak only lies. They have a special dislike for Goblins, as their territory is often plagued by the creatures, who love burning down their wooded homes. They get along well with the Stinglings, who also have a respect for poison.
Racial Table - Orochi: Hit Dice: D10; Class Skills: Intimidate, Knowledge (Nature), Perception, Stealth, Survival; Skill Ranks Per Level: 4 + Intelligence modifier per level; Weapon Proficiency: Simple, plus natural attacks; Armor Proficiency: Light
| Level | BAB | Fort | Reflex | Will | Abilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +1 | +0 | +2 | +2 | Animal Minded, Bite, Poison Use, Resistant |
| 2nd | +2 | +0 | +3 | +3 | Natural Armor, Paralytic Venom |
| 3rd | +3 | +1 | +3 | +3 | Bite Increase, Spit Venom |
| 4th | +4 | +1 | +4 | +4 | Natural Armor Increase, +1 Strength, +1 Charisma |
| 5th | +5 | +1 | +4 | +4 | Bite Increase, Shed Skin |
Random Starting Ages
| Adulthood | Intuitive1 | Self-Taught2 | Trained3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 years | +1d6 years (21 - 26) | +2d6 years (22 - 32) | +3d6 years (23 - 38) |
Random Height and Weight
| Gender | Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 5 ft. 9 in. | +2d10 in. (5 ft. 11 in. - 7 ft. 5 in.) | 180 lbs. | +(2d10x7 lbs.) (194 - 320 lbs.) |
| Female | 5 ft. 6 in. | +2d10 in. (5 ft. 8 in. - 7 ft. 2 in.) | 160 lbs. | +(2d10x7 lbs.) (174 - 300 lbs.) |
Orochi Aging Table
| Middle Age (-1 to Str, Dex, and Con, +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha) | Old (-2 to Str, Dex, and Con, +2 to Int, Wis, and Cha) | Venerable (-3 to Str, Dex, and Con, +3 to Int, Wis, and Cha) | Maximum Age (GM secretly decides maximum age) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 years | 90 years | 120 years | 120 + 3d10 years (123 - 150 years) |
Random Orochi Homelands
| % Rolled | Homeland | Trait Gained |
|---|---|---|
| 01-60 | Jungle | Natural Climber |
| 61-85 | Non-orochi Settlement | Adopted or Warrior of Old |
| 86-00 | Unusual Homeland | (Roll on Unusual Homeland table) |
Random Orochi Families
| % Rolled | Parental Status |
|---|---|
| 01-50 | Both of your parents are alive |
| 51-70 | Only Father is alive |
| 71-90 | Only Mother is alive |
| 91-00 | Both of your parents are dead |
| % Rolled | # of Siblings |
|---|---|
| 01-50 | 1d4 Siblings |
| 51-80 | 1d6+1 Siblings |
| 81-00 | No siblings |
Lifespan
123 - 150 years; although as a warrior based race few orochi live to such lengths.
Average Height
5 ft. 7 in. - 7 ft. 5 in. (including for the length of neck)
Average Weight
174 - 320 lbs
Average Physique
Orochis' have heavy builds to support their long necks, and thus are quite strong. Due to many being venomous, the orochi have a innate resistance to poisons.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
The orochi span a large variety of color, mostly based on tribe. They range from dark black to bright green
Geographic Distribution
Orochi
Type
Monstrous Humanoid (Orochi)
Ability Score Modifier
+2 Strength, +2 Charisma, -2 Intelligence. Orochi are strong and forked-tongued, but lack proper education.
Size
medium
Speed
Orochis have a base speed of 30 feet.
Language
An Orochi begins play speaking Orochi and Common (Ixiwian). An orochi with a high intelligence score can pick from any of the following languages: Astyr, Dylia, Goblin, Anuri, Ignan, Ishka or Sylvan.
- Materil: Orochis are intrinsically tied to the Fire Materil, and must become Firedancers.
- Low-light Vision: Orochi can see twice as far as humans in low-light conditions.
- Thermal Vision (Ex): Thermal vision allows an orochi to see creatures in the dark as if they had darkvision of 30 feet, but only to notice a creature's presence, and not make out other details.
- Animal Minded: Orochi gain a +2 racial bonus to Handle Animal and wild empathy checks against snake-like creatures. This bonus increases by 1 for every two hit dice beyond the 1st the orochi possesses.
- Bite: Orochi have a bite attack that deals 1d4 points of damage. This damage increases to 1d6 at 3rd racial level and 1d8 at 5th racial level.
- Poison Use: Orochis are skilled with poison and never risk accidentally poisoning themselves when applying poison to their weapons.
- Resistant: An Orochi receives a +2 racial bonus on saves against mind-affecting effects and poisons. This bonus increases by 1 for every four hit dice beyond the 1st the orochi possesses.
- Natural Armor: Starting at 2nd racial level, an orochi's hard scales grant it a +1 natural armor bonus to AC. This bonus increases by one at 4th racial level.
- Paralytic Venom (Ex): Starting at 2nd racial level, a number of times per day equal to its Constitution modifier, an orochi can envenom a weapon it wields with some of its blood or saliva as a swift action. If the Orochi successfully hits with a creature with a venom coated weapon, that creature must make a Fortitude save (DC = 10 + ½ the Orochis Hit Dice + the Orochis Constitution modifier) or take 1d2 points of Dexterity damage for 6 rounds. Each round, that creature gets a new save to resist the effect. An orochi can apply this to their bite attack as a free action when making a successful bite attack.
- Spit Venom (Ex): Starting at 3rd racial level, once per day, an orochi can duplicate the effects of the spit venom spell as a extraordinary ability, save that the target is affected by the Orochi Paralytic Venom instead of Black Adder Venom and using its total hit dice as its caster level.
- Shed Skin (Ex): Starting at 5th racial level, 1/week as a full round action, an orochi can shed its skin, allowing it to renew itself. A orochi that sheds its skin immediately removes all harmful physical conditions, such as paralyzed or exhausted, recovers all damage to its physical ability scores, and immediately frees itself from any binding effects, such as entanglement or a grapple. This ability only recovers physical traits; a penalty from an ongoing magical effect (such as a curse) or a mental effect, such as being shaken, remains. An orochi can shed its skin even if it would be otherwise prevented from taking actions.
Alternate Racial Traits
- Constrictor: Some orochi specialize in grapples and constrictions instead of deadly bites. These orochoi gain Improved Grapple as a bonus feat at 1st racial level, Deadly Grappler at 3rd racial level, and Greater Grapple at 5th racial level. This trait replaces the Bite trait.
- Mutation: Some Orochi are born with an extra set of arms. They can wield multiple weapons, but only one hand is its primary hand, and all others are off hands. This trait replaces the Resistant trait.
- Serpent Affinity: Orochi clerics with the Scalykind domain and this trait use their domain powers and spells a +1 caster level. This trait replaces the Poison Use trait.
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