Unearthed Errata: Verrik Race

by Tim Wallace and Adam Frank

Verrik

Verrik (singular and plural) are a red skinned race with a unique view of the world. They look at individual events in relation to past, present and future. This viewpoint commonly causes the verrik to come into conflict with other races. Often seen as introspective, standoffish, and rude the verrik are consistently bullied, belittled, or spurned at every opportunity. This has caused the verrik to group together in tight knit communities and live amongst themselves. The rare verrik who interacts with the outside world work very hard to break these stereotypes and fit into society.

Physical Description: The verrik are humanoid and all have some form of red skin ranging from slightly pinkish to so dark as to be almost ebony. Their hair and eyes are always black as pitch as are their nails. They stand, on average, between five and five and a half feet tall are unusually agile. Due to their singular mind they rarely show emotion on their faces as they are consistently feeling a variety of them.

Society: While the verrik do not often mingle with other races they are far from loners. The verrik are a nomadic people living in large wandering clans. They have intricate familial ties and tend to know who is related to who as far back as eight or nine generations. They live in large ornate tents big enough to fit several families as they tend to live together in familial groupings.

A verrik wedding is the one of the only times they tend to hold a big celebration as several family groups gather together to witness and celebrate the joining of the two families. These celebrations are, as very few outsiders have discovered, far from the normal verrik fare. Treating this joining as a celebration as holy and high as any high holiday in another culture, here they break loose and have fun living, if only briefly, in-the-moment.

Outside of their weddings their society is highly structured and organized with a sort of caste system based on age, rather than family name. The oldest rule, followed by the teachers, merchants, warriors, and finally the servants. Children, until the age of 25, are being instructed in the world and history at which point they begin to serve and learn. As they age they will grow within the eyes of the society and gain rank in the system.

Alignment and Religion: The verrik tend to be neutral alignment, rather than good or evil, as they always keep in mind all future possibilities as well as how the past has, is, and will affect any given event. They do, although, tend to vary wildly as to whether they are of chaotic or lawful alignment depending on their personality though most are able to control their emotions, reactions and feelings enough to at least appear of lawful alignment.

No particular gods hold sway for the verrik. While they see that the gods are active and work within the world they have a live and let live attitude towards the deities. Those that do worship any deity tend to gravitate towards the more neutral gods.

Some verrik practice a form of ancestor worship and veneration. This belief is seen largely in specific verrik clans where most if not all the citizens will follow the religion. As an ancestor passes on all the family will get together for a feast and a somber celebration. This is not only to send the ancestor on in their next life but to extoll their virtues and learn from their downfalls. These verrik tend to pass on family names and often have large shrines with the ashes of loved ones displayed in special glass urns with the greatest deed or most famous quote of that ancestor inscribed upon it.

Adventurers: The rare verrik adventurer will oftentimes be part of the warrior, or merchant caste. Occasionally a child of less than 25 will venture out as well wanting to experience the world. The verrik tend to gravitate towards the paths of the Ranger, and some even to Cleric, venerating an aspect of life or nature rather than a specific god.

These verrik are commonly seen as unusual or eccentric by other verrik as the most races tend to shy away from them. Most adventuring verrik will try very hard to “fit in” oftentimes even going to extremes and consistently acting out or being seen as too loud or showy.

Verrik Names: Verrik names are passed down, males on the father's side and females on the mother's. When a family is joined they take the family name and add a bit to it. As such verrik surnames tend to be very long. Some examples of surnames include: Go'than'to'ro'mana'fe'lor'ran'ta or Eela'na'fen'tor'go'than'fee. Conversely their given names are much more simple and given to express a feeling. For example: Penda, Shalon, Fearilen or Yosteth for females; and Karo, Malnor, Edgan or Krisen for males.

Verrik Racial Traits (10 RP)

+2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, –2 Charisma: Verrik are fast and deep thinkers, but not don’t always get along with other races.

Humanoid (verrik): Verrik are humanoids with the verrik subtype.

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

Normal Speed: Verrik have a base speed of 30 feet.

Resistant (2 RP): Verrik gain +2 racial bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting effects and poison.

Sensory Control (5 RP): Verrik can selectively shut off their senses. This means they can willingly blind themselves (taking the appropriate penalties) to become immune to gaze attacks and similar visual dangers. They can willingly go deaf and make themselves impervious to language-based or similar effects. They can shut off their sense of touch and become immune to pain effects but suffer a –2 circumstance penalty to attack rolls, Disable Device or Sleight of Hand attempts, or any other action the GM rules to be touch-dependent. Shutting off or reactivating a sense is a standard action.

Verrik Magic (1 RP): Verrik with Wisdom scores of 10 or higher gain the following spell-like abilities: 1/day—detect magic, mage hand, message. The caster level for these effects is equal to the verrik’s level. The DC for these spells is equal to 10 + the spell's level + the verrik’s Wisdom modifier.

Weapon Familiarity (1 RP): Verrik are proficient with crossbows (including hand crossbows, heavy crossbows, and light crossbows).

Languages (1 RP): Verrik begin play speaking Common and Verrik, though Verrik is kept secret and not spoken around outsiders. Verrik with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic).

Alternate Verrik Racial Traits

The following racial traits may be selected instead of existing verrik racial traits. Consult your GM before selecting any of these new options.

Blindsense: Using nonvisual senses such as acute smell and hearing, verrik notice things they cannot see. Verrik usually do not need to make Perception checks to pinpoint the location of a creature within 30 feet, provided they have line of effect to that creature. Creatures that verrik cannot see still have total concealment against verrik with blindsense, and verrik still have the normal miss chance when attacking creatures that have concealment. Visibility still affects the movement of verrik. Verrik are still denied their Dexterity bonus to AC against attacks from creatures they cannot see. This trait replaces sensory control.

Shards of the Past: A verrik's past lives grant her bonuses on two particular skills. A verrik chooses two skills, gains a +2 racial bonus on both of these skills, and they are treated as class skills regardless of what class they actually take. This trait replaces the resistant and verrik magic traits, and the verrik’s weapon familiarity.

Third Eye: A small percentage of verrik are born with a third eye in the center of their forehead. At 1st level, a verrik with this trait gains the following spell-like ability: At will—detect magic. At 9th level, the verrik gains the following spell-like ability: 1/day—arcane eye. At 13th level, the verrik gains the following spell-like ability: 1/day—true seeing. The caster level for these effects is equal to the verrik’s character level. This trait replaces sensory control.

Verrik Luck: Once per day, when a verrik makes a Reflex saving throw, she can roll the saving throw twice and take the better result. It must decide to use this ability before attempting the saving throw. This trait replaces verrik magic.

Favored Class Options

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

Akashic: Increase total number of points in the akashic’s akashic pool by 1.

Arcanist: Increase total number of points in the arcanist's arcane reservoir by 1.

Investigator: Increase the total number of points in the investigator's inspiration pool by 1/3.

Magus: Add +1/4 point to the magus’s arcane pool.

Monk: Add +1/4 point to the monk's ki pool.

Oracle: Add one spell known from the oracle spell list. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level the oracle can cast.

Shaman: The shaman gains 1/6 of a new shaman hex.

Witch: The witch gains 1/6 of a new witch hex.

Racial Class Options

The following racial arcanist and monk archetypes are available to verrik.

Hex Adept (Arcanist)

The hex adept has learned how to use his arcane reservoir to fuel hexes and become a master of curses.

Hex Arcanist (Su): At 3rd level, the hex adept gains access to a small number of witch's hexes. The hex adept picks one hex from the witch's hex class feature. She gains the benefit of or uses that hex as if she were a witch of a level equal to her arcanist level. This ability replaces the arcanist exploit gained at 3rd level.

Hex Exploits: A hex adept gains access to the following arcanist exploits, or may select any witch hex in place of an arcanist exploit. At 11th level, the hex adept may select a hex or major hex in place of an arcanist exploit. At 19th level, a hex adept can select a hex, major hex, or grand hex in place of a arcanist exploit. She cannot select any hex or exploit more than once.

Accursed Strike (Su): A hex adept who can cast bestow curse, major curse, or any spell with the curse descriptor can deliver these prepared spells using the spellstrike ability, even if the spells are not touch attack spells.

Spellstrike (Su): The hex adept can deliver touch spells with through any weapon she is wielding as part of a melee attack. This works as the magus ability of the same name.

Spells: A hex adept adds all spells that have the curse descriptor to her arcanist spell list. In addition, a hex adept casts all spells that have the curse descriptor at the lowest spell level.  For instance, bestow curse is a 3rd-level cleric spell and a 4th-level sorcerer/wizard spell, making it a 3rd-level hex adept spell.

Arcanist Exploits: The following arcanist exploits complement the hex adept archetype: arcane weapon, consume magic items, quick study, and swift consume.

Monastic Theurge (Monk)

Through contemplation and the study of magic, the monastic theurge learns how to blend the deadly skill of the open hand with arcane might.

Ki Pool (Su): At 3rd level, a monastic theurge gains a pool of ki points equal to her Charisma modifier. At 4th level, the pool increases to 1/2 her monk level + her Charisma modifier. This ability works in all other ways like the monk's ki pool class feature.

Spells: Beginning at 4th level, the monastic theurge gains the ability to cast a small number of arcane spells drawn from the bloodrager spell list. To learn or cast a spell, a monastic theurge must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. She can cast spells she knows without preparing them ahead of time. The saving throw DC against a monastic theurge's spell is 10 + the spell level + the monastic theurge's Charisma modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a monastic theurge can cast only a certain number of spells of each level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on the table below. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score. The monastic theurge does not need to prepare these spells in advance; she can cast any spell she knows at any time, assuming she hasn't yet used up her allotment of spells per day for the spell's level.

The monastic theurge's selection of spells is limited. At 4th level, a monastic theurge knows two 1st-level spells of her choice. A monastic theurge gains more spells as she increases in level, as indicated on the table below. Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a monastic theurge knows is not affected by her Charisma score.

This ability replaces stunning fist, slow fall, and the bonus feats gained at 6th and 14th level.

Monastic Theurge Spells per Day
Level	1st	2nd	3rd	4th
1st	—	—	—	—
2nd	—	—	—	—
3rd	—	—	—	—
4th	1	—	—	—
5th	1	—	—	—
6th	1	—	—	—
7th	1	1	—	—
8th	1	1	—	—
9th	2	1	—	—
10th	2	1	1	—
11th	2	1	1	—
12th	2	2	1	—
13th	3	2	1	1
14th	3	2	1	1
15th	3	2	2	1
16th	3	3	2	1
17th	4	3	2	1
18th	4	3	2	2
19th	4	3	3	2
20th	4	4	3	2

Monastic Theurge Spells Known
Level	1st	2nd	3rd	4th
1st	—	—	—	—
2nd	—	—	—	—
3rd	—	—	—	—
4th	2	—	—	—
5th	3	—	—	—
6th	4	—	—	—
7th	4	2	—	—
8th	4	3	—	—
9th	5	4	—	—
10th	5	4	2	—
11th	5	4	3	—
12th	6	5	4	—
13th	6	5	4	2
14th	6	5	4	3
15th	6	6	5	4
16th	6	6	5	4
17th	6	6	5	4
18th	6	6	6	5
19th	6	6	6	5
20th	6	6	6	5

Spellstrike (Su): At 5th level, a monastic theurge can deliver touch spells with through an unarmed strike or a weapon she is wielding as part of a melee attack. This works as the magus ability of the same name. This ability replaces high jump.

Pool Strike (Su): At 7th level, a monastic theurge can expend 1 point from her ki pool as a standard action to charge her free hand with energy. She can make a melee touch attack with that hand as a free action as part of activating this ability. If the touch attack hits, it releases the charge and deals 2d6 points of energy damage (acid, cold, electricity, or fire, chosen when she spends the arcane pool point to activate this ability). She can use this ability with the spellstrike class feature. If she misses with this attack, she can hold the charge for up to 1 minute before it dissipates. At 10th level, and every three levels thereafter, the amount of damage dealt by this attack increases by 1d6. This ability replaces wholeness of body.

New Racial Rules

The following options are available to verrik. At the GM's discretion, other appropriate races may also make use of some of these.

Verrik Feats

Verrik have access to the following feats.

Heightened Senses

Your superior senses allow you to notice things with more than your eyes.

Prerequisites: Blind-Fight, Skill Focus (Perception), character level 3rd.

Benefit: You gain blindsense out to a range of 15 feet. At 7th level, this range increases to 30 feet.

Third Eye

You are sensitive to the supernatural world as well as the physical world.

Prerequisites: Able to use verrik spell-like abilities, verrik.

Benefit: You may use detect magic as a spell-like ability at will. At 9th level, you gain the following spell-like ability: 1/day—arcane eye. At 13th level, you gain the following spell-like ability: 1/day—true seeing. Your caster level is equal to your character level.

Verrik Spells

Verrik have access to the following spells.

DIVINATORY EXPUNGEMENT

School abjuration; Level alchemist 5, bard 5, inquisitor 6, ranger 4, shaman 5, sorcerer/wizard 5, witch 5

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S, M (a miniature veil)

Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)

Target up to one 10-foot cube per level

Duration 1 day/level

Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

You designate a specific area and a time in the immediate past (within one minute per level) during which activities are resistant to detection by divination effects. Anyone attempting to use a divination spell to determine events taking place in the warded area during the time you designated must succeed on an caster level check (DC = 11 + the spell's caster level), or the divination spell fails.

For example, if an inquisitor were to break into a tower then cast this spell after leaving, he would hinder the effectiveness of divination spells seeking to reveal the break-in, the party responsible, or exactly what occurred. Unless their casters succeed on a caster level check, spells such as location loresight (see below) will not register his activities.

Since this spell only affects the past, however, his actions might still have been detected via scrying while they were ongoing. Actions concealed by this spell are very difficult to sense using the akashic memory. Such attempts add +5 to the DC of an akashic’s attempt to delve into the collective memory.

LOCATION LORESIGHT

School divination; Level alchemist 2, bard 2, cleric/oracle 2, inquisitor 2, ranger 1, shaman 2, sorcerer/wizard 2, witch 2

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S, M (powdered glass)

Range 30 ft.

Area 30-ft.-radius spread, centered on you

Duration Instantaneous

Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

You learn something significant about an area in which you stand. Although the area is a 30-foot spread, if indoors, the spell basically affects one room (the room where you stand). Go through this list, in order; the first bit of lore you do not know, you learn through this spell:

1. When the location was created (if man-made, otherwise skip).

2. Name of last creature to pass through location, if any (other than you).

3. Race of last creature to pass through location, if any (other than you).

4. Name of the location’s creator (a natural location, like a glen, was created by nature).

5. Race of the location’s creator, if any.

6. Name of the location’s longest occupant, if any.

7. Race of the location’s longest occupant, if any.

8. Name and race of the current owner or master of the location, if any.

9. Brief description of the most significant event to happen in the location.

10. Magical ability or property of the location, if any (random if more than one).

Multiple castings allow you to gain multiple bits of information. If you know all of the above information, this spell teaches you nothing.

Age, Height, & Weight

Random Starting Age

Race	Adulthood	Intuitive1	Self-Taught2	Trained3
Verrik	20 years	+1d6	+2d6	+3d6

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
Verrik	40 years	70 years	100 years	100 +2d20 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
Verrik, male	4 ft. 10 in.	120 lbs.	2d10	×5 lbs.
Verrik, female	4 ft. 5 in.	85 lbs.	2d10	×5 lbs.