PFRPG: Gangurru Race

by Tim Wallace and Chris Jackson

There is a fun story behind the gangurru race. My wife, Carolyn, and I met Chris and his wife, Ann, at the PaizoCon 2013 Meet and Eat. While talking, Chris mentioned that he wanted to try and sneak a race of sentient, aboriginal kangaroos into a Pathfinder Tales novel. That idea lodged itself into my brain, and I eventually contacted him on Facebook to see if he would mind if I designed the race. He said yes, and after several Facebook messages, the Gangurru are finally ready to be presented to the world! (P.S. A big thanks to Chris for writing the intro paragraphs.)

Gangurru are social aboriginal herbivores of the southern subcontinent.  They live in the semi-arid regions of savanna, in close nomadic mobs of 20 to 80 individuals.  They subsist as gatherers of the various plant life of the region, occasionally adding cooked grubs and insects to their diet.  Though technologically primitive, Gangurru are a highly spiritual and introspective people.  They harbor a firm belief that they are stewards of nature.  They do not believe in ownership of land, but rather that all living things are part of the whole planet’s interactive web of life.  While peaceful by nature, their beliefs often lead them to acts of violence against those whom they feel have harmed or defiled the planet.  Unfortunately, this includes the cutting of living trees, destructive mining for minerals, and the clearing of land for agriculture.

Gangurru carry their young in frontal pouches to an age of five or six years, and rarely give birth to additional offspring until the previous is fully weaned.  Gangurru are of marsupial stock, and their young are very small when born.  The young joeys reside their entire first year in the pouch, at which time they are approximately the size of a newborn human.  Bonded couples generally sire one child at a time, but twins are not unheard of.  Parental care is shared equally between the sexes, as are duties of gathering, cooking, and combat.  They are skilled artisans in stone and wood, and have a deep love of music.  Gangurru often enjoy competing in feats of speed and marksmanship.

Gangurru rarely top six and a half feet in height standing fully upright, and can weigh up to about two hundred pounds.  Females are slightly smaller.  They rarely live to greater than sixty years of age.

Gangurru Racial Traits (13 RP)

+2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, –2 Intelligence (1 RP): Gangurru are strong and fast, but not very mentally acute.

Gangurru: Gangurru are humanoids with the gangurru subtype.

Medium: Gangurru are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Fast Speed (1 RP): Gangurru have a base speed of 40 feet.

Bounder (1 RP): Gangurru gain a +2 racial bonus on Acrobatics checks made to jump and to move through a threatened square.

Leaper (2 RP): Gangurru are always considered to have a running start when making Acrobatics checks to jump.

Mobbing (1 RP): If two gangurru occupy any two squares that threaten the same foe, they are considered to be flanking that foe as if they were in two opposite squares.

Sociable (1 RP): When gangurru attempt to change a creature's attitude with a Diplomacy check and fail by 5 or more, they can try to influence the creature a second time even if 24 hours have not passed.

Sprinter (1 RP): Gangurru gain a 10-foot racial bonus to their speed when using the charge, run, or withdraw actions.

Slapping Tail (3 RP): Gangurru have a tail they can use to make attacks of opportunity with a reach of 5 feet. The tail is a natural attack that deals 1d6 points of damage plus their Strength modifier.

Weapon Familiarity (2 RP): Gangurru are proficient with boomerangs, spears (including shortspears and longspears), and woomera.

Languages: Gangurru begin play speaking Gangurru. Gangurru with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Common, Aquan, Auran, Ignan, Sylvan, and Terran.

Alternate Racial Traits

The following racial traits may be selected instead of existing gangurru racial traits.

Dreamspeaker: Gangurru with this racial trait add +1 to saving throw DCs for spells of the divination school and sleep effects they cast. In addition, gangurru with a Charisma of 15 or higher may use dream once per day as a spell-like ability (caster level is equal to the gangurru's character level). This trait replaces the bounder and sprinter racial traits.

Powerful Charge: When a gangurru charges with a spear, it deals twice the number of damage dice plus 1-1/2 times its Strength bonus. This trait replaces the leaper racial trait.

Tripping Tail: When a gangurru hits with its slapping tail, it can make a trip attack as a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. This trait replaces the mobbing and sociable racial traits.

Favored Class Options

The following options are available to all gangurru who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward.

Ranger: Add +1/3 bonus on wild empathy checks to influence animals and magical beasts that live in the ranger’s favored terrains.

Rogue: Add a +1/2 bonus on Bluff checks to feint and Diplomacy checks to gather information.

Witch: Add one spell from the witch spell list to the witch’s familiar. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level she can cast. If the witch ever replaces her familiar, the new familiar knows these bonus spells.

Class Options

The following class options are available to gangurru.

New Cleric Subdomain

A cleric who chooses a subdomain must have access to both the domain and its subdomain from her deity. If a cleric selects a subdomain, she cannot select its associated domain as her other domain choice (in effect, the subdomain replaces its associated domain). Subdomains are treated as equivalent to their associated domain for any effect or prerequisite based on domains. If a subdomain has two associated domains, the cleric can only select the subdomain for one of her domains. Subdomains can be selected by Druids (except the metal subdomain) and inquisitors (if their deity allows it).

Dream Subdomain

Associated Domain: Darkenss

Replacement Power: The following granted power replaces the touch of darkness power of the Darkness domain.

Dreamer’s Fortune (Su): When you activate this ability, you can touch any creature as a standard action to give it an insight bonus on all of its attack rolls, skill checks, ability checks, and saving throws equal to 1/2 your cleric level (minimum +1) for 1 round. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.

Replacement Domain Spells: 1st—restful sleep, 3rd—minor dream, 5th—dream, 6th—nightmare.

New Ranger Combat Style

At 2nd level, a ranger must select one of the two core combat styles or the following new combat style: hurler style. The ranger can choose feats from his selected combat style even if he does not have the normal prerequisites.

Hurler: If the ranger selects hurler style, he can choose from the following list whenever he gains a combat style feat: Charging Hurler, Precise Shot, Quick Draw, and Rapid Reload. At 6th level, he adds Improved Charging Hurler and Improved Precise Shot to the list. At 10th level, he adds Pinpoint Targeting and Shot on the Run to the list.

Gangurru Equipment

Gangurru have access to the following equipment.

Didgeridoo: This wind instrument appears to be made from a hollowed branch between 3 and 4 feet in length. It emits a deep resonating sound when played. A masterwork didgeridoo grants a +2 circumstance bonus on Perform (wind instrument) checks.

Woomera: A woomera is a simple yet versatile weapon. It is about 3 feet in length. One end is 3 inches wide, while the other is more pointed and has a hook. A woomera gives much greater range to a spear, but must be loaded like a projectile weapon. Your Strength modifier applies to damage rolls when you use a woomera, just as it does for thrown weapons. You can fire—but not load—a woomera with one hand. Loading a woomera is a move action that requires two hands and provokes attacks of opportunity. The Rapid Reload feat can be taken for woomeras, allowing you to load a spear as a free action. If caught in melee combat, you may treat it in all ways as if it was a light wooden shield. You may not use it as a launcher and a shield in the same round.

Woomera Spear: Is the equivalent of a shortspear. If wielded without a woomera, treat it in all ways as if it was a shortspear.

Gangurru Equipment

Item	Cost	Weight1	Craft DC
Didgeridoo, common	5 gp	3 lbs.	12
Didgeridoo, masterwork	100 gp	3 lbs.	20
1 These items weigh one-quarter this amount when made for Small characters.

Gangurru Weapons

Martial Weapons	Cost	Dmg (S)	Dmg (M)	Critical	Range	Weight1	Type	Special
Ranged Weapons
Woomera	2 gp	1d4	1d6	×2	60 ft.	3 lbs.	P	—
Woomera spear	1 gp	—	—	—	—	3 lbs.	—	—
1 Weight figures are for Medium weapons. A Small weapon weighs half as much.

Gangurru Armor

Armor	Cost	Shield Bonus	Maximum Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed
						30 ft.	20 ft.	Weight1
Shields
Woomera	2 gp	+1	—	–1	5%	—	—	3 lbs.
1 Weight figures are for armor sized to fit Medium characters. Armor fitted for Small characters weighs half as much.

Gangurru Feats

Gangurru have access to the following feats.

Dreamspeaker

Your ties to Dreamtime make your sleep spells more powerful.

Prerequisties: Cha 15, gangurru.

Benefit: You add +1 to saving throw DCs for spells of the divination school and sleep effects you cast. In addition, you may use dream once per day as a spell-like ability (caster level is equal to your character level).

Tripping Tail (Combat)

You use your tail to great effect in combat.

Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +1, slapping tail racial trait.

Benefit: When you hit with your slapping tail, you can make a trip attack as a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Woomera Mastery (Combat)

You are most versatile with spear launchers.

Prerequisites: Dex 15, Point-Blank Shot, Rapid Reload (woomera), Rapid Shot.

Benefit: Reloading a woomera no longer provokes attacks of opportunity. In addition, you may unload a woomera (and therefore be effectively wielding a shortspear and a light wooden shield) as an immediate action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Age, Height, & Weight

Random Starting Age

Race	Adulthood	Intuitive1	Self-Taught2	Trained3
Gangurru	12 years	+1d4	+1d6	+2d6
1 This category includes barbarians, oracles, rogues, and sorcerers.
2 This category includes bards, cavaliers, fighters, gunslingers, paladins, rangers, summoners, and witches.
3 This category includes alchemists, clerics, druids, inquisitors, magi, monks, and wizards.

Aging Effects

Race	Middle Age1	Old2	Venerable3	Maximum Age
Gangurru	20 years	30 years	40 years	40 + 1d20 years
1 At middle age, –1 to Str, Dex, and Con and +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.
2 At old age, –2 to Str, Dex, and Con and +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.
3 At venerable age, –3 to Str, Dex, and Con and +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

Random Height & Weight

Race	Base Height	Base Weight	Modifier	Weight Modifier
Gangurru, male	4 ft. 7 in.	105 lbs.	2d12	×4 lbs.
Gangurru, female	4 ft. 2 in.	70 lbs.	2d12	×4 lbs.