The Thosar

another race that could be used for the creature challenge, maybe for the
business challenge also (though they only trade rarely and for things they
cannot make themselves).

enjoy

comments and criticism as always please :) havent got much of any so far. :(

Thosar

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: any
FREQUENCY: very rare
ORGANIZATION: clan
ACTIVITY CYCLE: day
DIET: vegetables
INTELLIGENCE: 8-12
TREASURE: U
ALIGNMENT: LN
NO. APPEARING: 1-30
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVEMENT: 6
HIT DICE: 4+2
THAC0: 18
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d8+2
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Shriek
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Camoflague
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 0%
SIZE: H (15')
MORALE: 8
XP VALUE:

Description:  Standing fifteen feet tall, and only about two feet wide, the
immense Thosar are known as the gentle thin giants of space.  Their bodies
are made of a strange, chitionous substance, covering every part of them.
Their eyes are large, black portals, showing no emotion or intelligence.
They move with a slow, almost flowing, gait, and weigh very little.  Their
limbs are long, with an almost body appearance, though they are covered in
the same hard exoskeleton.  Their hands consist of a claw, basically having
only two fingers.  Their feet are simply large slabs of the same exoskeleton
found elsewhere on their bodies.  Their heads stick out from their bodies on
long necks, about a foot from the shoulders horizontally.

Despite this alien appearance, they are farmers, builders, miners, and
craftsman.  Some are artists, and a few select are bards, though they differ
from any human, or elven bard.

 Thosar do not speak, instead people are simply aware (through a
psionic-like ability) of whatever the Thosar wishes to convey.  Typically, a
Thosar will "speak" in few syllables, and give over more of a mood than
anything.  One may feel curiosity when meeting their first Thosar, or anger
when found burning the Thosars crops.  Only when words are necessary do the
Thosar use them.  How they speak to each other is unknown, but it is very
clear that they hear just as normal races do.  On occasions they use speech
organs, but not for normal use.

Combat: Thosar are peaceful, benevolent, and caring.  They will not attack
someone unless the need is apparent (ie someone is about to slay a child or
another innocent).  When attacking they swing their longer, thing arms, for
only one attack a round.

 A Thosars typical act in combat is a shriek-like sound, which the Thosar
produces through its limited speech glands.  This Shriek causes 6d6 poitns
of damage to all those opposing the Thosar (allies are undamaged for some
reason), and causes their ears and noses to bleed (save vs death magic to
avoid bleeding).  Deaf opponents are unnafected by this attack, as are those
within a silence bubble or other similar protection.  This attack is in no
way magical, in fact it more-so resembles psionics, in the concentration
that seems to come over a Thosar as it shrieks, but is actually not psionic
either.  This attack may be performed any number of times per day, and seems
not to require pause for breath at any stage.  Regardless of alliance, any
hearing this cannot cast spells (priestly or wizardly) or use psionic
powers.  It seems to disrupt them all.  The shriek has a range of 60 yards.

 The Thosar's main defense is simply standing still.  In a natural, woodland
setting, a Thosar can stand as to make itself look like a tree.  Its "skin"
blends in with the surroundings, and it sways with the breeze with the rest
of the plant-life.  It does not, of course, have any leaves, but usually
stands where this is not a problem (ie where the leaves of other trees will
conceal this).

Habitat/Society:  Thosar live in clans, usually dividing various tasks
within their society to the most appropriate individuals.  Those with
greater strength are used for construction or farming, whereas those with
other talents may be used for crafts, designing villages, tending to the
sick, or other such things.

 Thosar live within tall dwellings on asteroids where they can farm.  They
possess limited spelljamming technology, usually hiring another race to fly
them where they need to go when supplies are needed.  For this reason,
Thosar usually live within close proximity of humans or elves.  They use
strange, semi-psionic stones, which radiate a low pulsing, and high-pitched
humming sound, caused by a Thosar wearing a special amulet tuned to the
stone.  This is a signal for whoever they usually hier to approach the
colony.  Those approaching the colony at other times are usually ignored, in
the hope they will go away and leave the Thosar alone.

 Thosar do not like contact with other races except when necessary.  They
typically build up several thousand gold pieces worth of items for trade,
and send only one Thosar out with a group of spelljamming humans to trade
somewhere.  They also mine gold and other ores, and sell what they do not
use themselves.

Ecology:  Thosar usually live for about 60 years.  They take about 5 years
to mature, mating every 10 years to produce 1 or 2 offspring.  Thosar
children are as graceful, and peaceful as are their parents.  They shy from
strangers, however, usually hiding when they are present.

 Thosar eat vegetables, which they grow themselves.  A guest in a Thosar
village is expected to eat these, and only these, while in prescence of
Thosar.  The vegetables Thosar grow are actually quite tastier than normal
vegetables, and they frequently make salads and other such things with them.
Those who are accepted into a Thosar village as guests often tell tales of
the wondorous food therein, even fi it contains no meat of any knid.  Anyone
eating any meat in a Thosar village is sent a "disgust" message and a
feeling giving across ther ough meaning of not doing it again.  Those who do
are removed from the village.

 Thosar have an instant hatred toward Beholders, Illithids, Neogi, and other
races that refuse to eat natural foods, but instead prefer slaves as walking
snacks.  They attack these on sight, usually by shrieking at them.  Even the
mightiest beholder is quickly destroyed by a group of Thosar constantly
shrieking at it.

 Sometimes Thosar show talent in the shriek more than normal.  These Thosar
are actually known as Thosar Bard's, detailed in a separate entry.

Thosar, Bard

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: any
FREQUENCY: very rare
ORGANIZATION: clan
ACTIVITY CYCLE: day
DIET: vegetables
INTELLIGENCE: 12-14
TREASURE: U
ALIGNMENT: LN
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVEMENT: 6
HIT DICE: 6+6
THAC0: 19
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d6+2
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Shriek, Spells & Psionics.
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Camoflague, Spells & Psionics.
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 0%
SIZE: H (15')
MORALE: 8
XP VALUE:

Description:  Bardic Thosar appear to be the same as normal Thosar, except
that their necks are ringed wih small, white dots of paint.  They speak more
than a normal Thosar (still telepathically however), and have a few more
abilities.

Combat:  A bardic Thosar can cast spells of the enchantment/charm and
illusion/phantasm schools, as a lv 6 bard.  They prefer spells like sleep,
hypnotism, color spray, and those of a similar, non-damaging nature.  Bardic
Thosar spells do not use verbal components, but instead the Thosar emits a
low or high pitched whistle.  They may also employ psionics of the telepathy
discipline, choosing those with similar effects to their spells.

 Bardic Thosar can also shriek for 8d6 damage, and automatically cause nose
and ear bleeds in opponents.  A bardic shriek also has a range of 80 yards,
and has an initiative modifier of only 1, unlike the normal innate ability
modifier of three.  This is because it is a very easy thing for Bardic
Thosar to do.  They also sing songs in this high-pitched voice, which
usually move good or neutral aligned people to tears with their beauty, and
conveyance of emotions.  This is how bardic Thosar tell their stories, and
spread their culture throughout the universe.  Bardic Thosar on trading
missions typically "sing" at bars.

Habitat/Society:  Thosar Bards are the story tellers, and usually the
traders, of their clan.  They are more intelligent than the normal Thosar,
and live about another 15 years beyond normal aswell.

 Bardic Thosar are more tolerant of other races, and even meat eaters, than
are normal Thosar.  This is due to being desensitised through trading runs
etc.

Ecology:  Thosar Bard's eat the same vegetables as normal Thosar.


Tilaurin
"Because by fate even the Gods are cast downWeep ye all with me"
tilaurin@??????.???.au
or tilaurin@???????.com as reserve