HQ, PQ, AC - Races

Vellus
	A diverse race of bipedal mammals spread throughout the world. They range from one to seven feet in height. Their shared characteristics with many non-sapient mammals has earned them the nickname "beastfolk," a term they accepted without offense. Many subgroups called "tribes" exist, and by their own reckoning, diamond dogs (Canos), satyrs (Caprinos) and minotaurs (Bovinos) are all members of the Vellus race. Biologically this may be true, though culturally those three groups often consider themselves distinct from other Vellus. The -os of their tribal names comes from the name Mythos, the land of their origin, according to their historical traditions. The plural of Vellus is Vellae, and the plural of any given tribal name is made by substituting the "s" at the end for an "a" (ie, Puroa, Primatoa, Rodoa, etc).
	All Vellus have the universal racial skill, and can pick from the following based on their specific tribe.
	Dexterity: Passive; Because of your opposable thumbs, you have fine control with your hands. Pick a single, specific, non-combat action that requires fine movement, such as lockpicking, coin tricks, repairing things, and so on. Once per session, you can reroll a failed attempt at that action.

	Tribe: Puros (cat-like)
		-Leap: Passive; Owing to your cat's sense of balance, you have DC-2 to landing safely from great heights, and whether you pass or fail, you take 2 fewer Hits of damage from every fall. You also land silently from all but the highest falls, regardless of result. This can also be rolled (DC-2) to jump great distances and heights, even from a standing position.
		-Pounce: Passive; If you are the one to initiate combat, your first actions taken will autocrit. If you are attacking from stealth, you get to make an additional action that turn.
		-Alleycat: Instant; DC 4; Every alleycat develops a keen sense of where he or she should look for potential attackers. You can roll this to identify places in your immediate surroundings that would be relevant in combat, such as ambush spots, choke points, and good escape routes. Higher rolls can even anticipate incoming attacks.
		-Ninth Life: Automatic Instant; Free Action; once per session; Nine times through the course of a campaign; You've survived this long through great skill, but a little luck is always helpful. You can spend one of this skill's nine uses to negate a critfail, turning it into a standard failure with the result of whatever roll would be 1 below the DC (ex: a result of 5 if the DC was 6, a result of 8 if the DC was 9, etc).


	Tribe: Primatos (primate-like)
		-See, Hear, Do: Recharge 3; Use this to attempt to imitate a skill used either by your ally, or by an enemy. If that action requires a specific item or a power you don't have (such as a catalyst for magic, a great weapon, or access to a power system such as Aura), you cannot use this skill. Benefits from any bonus you get to Recursion.
		-Monkey Bars: Passive; Though all Vellus have opposable thumbs, Primos are the most adept at dexterous, graceful movement and maneuvering with theirs. You have a +1 to rolls that involve climbing or swinging in mid-air. Per DM's discretion and the appropriate surroundings, this can also be applied to dodging or setting up attacks from above.
		-Troupe: Automatic; Recharge 2 after fulfilling an order; Primatos know that they need teamwork and leadership to get the job done. Designate a troupe leader at the start of combat. When they give you an order to do a specific task with a concrete end goal ("Help me up," "Knock that guy down," "Steal that guy's weapon," etc), you gain a +1 to your attempts to get that task done.
		-Monkey King: Recharge 3; Instant; Make a sudden, overwhelming show of aggression and power against a specific foe. On success, that foe can't make an action against you next turn, and is more likely to surrender or run away. On a critical success, this affects all enemies within your melee range. Benefits from any bonuses you get to intimidation. Outside of combat, this can be used to intimidate a large crowd of targets. Civilians and those with weak wills may even obey an order on a high enough roll. Might not affect non-sentient targets such as robots, or enemies with high willpower.


	Tribe: Rodos (rodent-like)
		-Pipsqueak: Passive; You are tiny, even among the smallest tribe of the Vellus, but you have turned this into an advantage. You cannot use or wear most things unless they are specifically designed for you, and you are often at risk of being stepped upon. You take an additional Hit of damage from all damage sources and deal 1 fewer Hit with any damage source, down to a minimum of 1. However, when you are acting from stealth, you can take a second action without breaking that stealth.
		-City Mouse, Country Mouse: Passive; Even if you aren't, strictly speaking, a mouse, the fable holds true. Pick city mouse or country mouse. City mice get +1 to navigating and stealth while in a metropolitan or urban environment, and can roll this to find where back alleys, crawl spaces, hidden passageways, and the like may be. Country mice get these bonuses while they are in a rural or wilderness environment.
		-Gnaw: Passive; Weapon; Recharge 3 after effect ends; Despite their size, Rodos can be dreadful opponents in combat, owing to their seemingly unbreakable incisors. Your teeth count as a natural weapon, and can chew through a number of surfaces. In combat, you can bite down on an opponent and hold on until you voluntarily let go or are shaken off. Each turn that you hold on after the first attack, you automatically deal the same amount of damage that you dealt on your initial attack, -1 for each turn that you have held on (ex. On a roll of 9, the first attack deals 4 damage; you hold on for one turn, automatically dealing 3; you hold on for a second turn, automatically dealing 2; the enemy rolls 6 to shake you off, you stop dealing damage). While you are holding on, you can't take other normal actions, only a single instant one per turn.
		-Bolt: Passive; You have a +1 to dodge, and after a successful dodge, the DC to hit you next turn raises by 1, or 2 on a critical Hit. You can also evade capture or attack by slipping away into hiding spaces like cracks in a wall, crawlspaces, and the like, without fear of pursuit (unless your attacker is of a similar statue).


	Tribe: Mustelos (mustelid-like)
		-Swift Hunter: Passive; Mustelos folklore holds many tales of legendary hunters for their ability to track down just about anything. You have a +1 to all tracking and navigation rolls, and owing to your enhanced sense of smell, you are not deterred by obstacles such as low light, visual illusions, or large crowds.
		-Semiaquatic: Passive; You are of a species that settled near water, and as such, you are naturally an expert swimmer. In all but the choppiest conditions, you can automatically navigate a body of water for an extended period without getting tired, and can hold your breath for a much longer time than others, which can be applied in other situations per DM discretion. Entering a body of water puts you in stealth.
		-Tunneling: Like their cousins the Canos or Diamond Dogs, Musteloa share an affinity for digging tunnels in a hurry. Because you are smaller than Diamond Dogs, your tunnels are not big enough for most others to enter, meaning your allies cannot use them. However, enemies cannot pursue you into your tunnels, unless they are Musteloa, Rodoa or other beings smaller than or equal to your size, which puts you out of harm's way in most cases.
		-Colossus-Killer: Passive; Although the Mustelos may be smaller than most other races, this is not an indication of weakness, as many learn the hard way. Although you take 1 more Hit of damage from all opponents that are larger than you (which is most), you gain a +1 to attacking opponents that are larger than you (which is most). If they are significantly larger than both you and others (such as buffalo and minotaur) you gain a +2 to attacking them, but suffer 2 more Hits of damage from them.

	Tribe: Lagomos (lagomorph-like)
		-Bunny Hop: Passive; Instant; Recharge 3; You have DC - 1 to agility checks that you can reasonably pass by making some kind of jump. In combat, you can use this to stun an enemy for a single turn by jumping on their head. On a critical hit, this can incapacitate a weaker target for the rest of combat. Stronger targets, such as minibosses and bosses, may be resistant or even immune to this effect, especially if their heads and necks are armored.
		-Prey's Anxiety: Passive; Among the traits you share with the unfortunate rabbit is a sense of perpetual dread about what might come next. If an enemy initiates combat, you get one free roll before the battle begins to make a run for cover, because you saw this coming a mile away. If it succeeds, you are counted as stealthed. On a critical hit, this stealth is not broken until the second action that you make from stealth.
		-Bunny Ears: Passive; You generally look innocuous and goofy with those big things on your head, but they have their uses. In combat, enemies are less likely to target you until you draw their ire, and outside combat, you are less likely to be regarded as suspicious or threatening until you do something seriously over the line.
		-Lucky Moon Rabbit: Passive; If you are keeping watch over your party at night, you have DC - 2 to spotting or hearing any potential threats before they can begin an ambush.


	Tribe: Caprinos (goat-like)
		-Headbutt: Instant; Recharge 2; You are highly adept at the Caprinos' art of quick attacks with your horns, and can bash an opponent with your head while incurring minimal risk to yourself. In addition to its use in combat, this skill can be used outside of combat, benefiting from any bonuses to agility or running that you have, to make quick, short-distance dashes, or to clear environmental obstacles.
		-Da Capo al Fine: Automatic; Once per combat or scene; Caprinos abide by a strict social hierarchy, and you are of the rare kind best suited to climb the hierarchy and take leadership for yourself -- by knocking down the guy currently in charge. In both combat and social situations, you can use this to identify the strongest opponent or most influential figure around. In combat, you gain a +1 to all attacks and rolls made against that strongest opponent and deal an additional Hit of damage with each attack against them, but if you attack another opponent, you lose Da Capo al Fine's bonus for the rest of that combat. Outside combat, you gain +1 to any attempt made to asserting yourself as the center of attention and taking away social influence from the leader.
		-Child of Pan: Once per combat or scene; This skill benefits from the single highest bonus that you get to any other skill or roll involving performance or persuasion. You can use this skill to put on an impromptu speech or a musical or theatrical performance, drawing the attention of just about everyone nearby. This can be used to persuade, distract or simply entertain on a wide scale.
		-The Good Shepherd; Recharge 3; This skill benefits from any bonuses you get to Inspire. Every leader must learn the art of the pep talk to rouse a follower's spirits when they are discouraged. On success, the target of this skill gets to reroll the first failure they make after this skill succeeds, taking the better result between the initial roll and the reroll.



Krikral
	A race of sapient arthropods, ranging from one to four feet in height. Their industrious natures, many limbs and advanced senses give them a natural inclination for tinkering with mechanics both magical and mundane. Others, endowed with natural claws and horns in addition to their exoskeleton, will pursue a life of martial discipline, becoming great warriors and performers. Their hive-centric instincts keep them from pursuing long bouts of exploration; most are content to live among their kin and kind, and those who do venture out from their hives find themselves prone to homesickness. In any case, this gives them an unparalleled ability to protect their allies. The plural of Krikral is Krikrals.
	Exoskeleton: By default, all Krikrals have an additional +3 Hits as a result of their powerful exoskeleton, but take an additional Hit of damage from all blunt weapons and crushing attacks.
		-Natural Weapons: Passive; Be it claws, a horn or crushing mandibles, your body is naturally suited for combat. When completely unarmed and using this natural weapon, you deal an additional Hit of damage.
		-Krikral Flight: Passive; You are of a kind of Krikral that can fly, and have +1 to observation rolls made in midair. This is about as taxing as running at full speed.
		-Craftsbug: Automatic Instant, Recharge 2; You are gifted in your race's natural inclination for construction. When attempting to study, repair or improve some kind of mechanism, you can roll twice and take the better result of the two.
		-Hive Mentality: Passive: Designate a single ally at the start of combat. When you attempt to get them up from helplessness, or they attempt the same for you, the roll has +1. This applies also to effects that remove helplessness by their nature, such as healing. Per DM's discretion, this can also apply to cooperative actions taken, such as complex combat maneuvers, climbing a ledge by giving your ally a boost, cooking a meal, etc.



Vola
	A race of bipedal avians, distant cousins of the griffons, ranging from two to six feet in height. They have arms with opposable thumbs, much like the Vellus, but Vola are entirely bird-like in both body and temperament, which means they are talkative and prone to dramatic outbursts and fights. They are keen hunters and explorers, and rarely in any place for long, as they have a number of colonies around the world. Vola societies will often migrate within and between a number of territories, in keeping with the seasons and the amount of prey within the territory. The plural of Vola is Volas.
	Vola Flight: Volas can fly, and have a +1 to ranged attacks made from midair. This is about as taxing as running at full speed.
		-Flight of Fancy: Automatic Instant, once per scene; Volas are known for being mercurial and volatile, with good reason. If you take an action that would be shocking and unexpected given the context (such as an outburst rant at a polite dinner, a surprise attack in a peaceful situation, etc) the critical hit range is increased by 2. If you fail that roll, you will suffer greatly reduced negative consequences (little-to-no counterattack damage, no loss of reputation with others), at DM's discretion.
		-First Impression: Passive; The first time that you meet another character, you will have an easier time than others with getting on their good side. The first social roll you use on any character has DC - 2.
		-Aerial Bombardment: Requires being airborne; Requires Ranged weapon; Weapon; Recharge 4; Target up to 3 grounded targets, and open fire. If they have no way of retaliating (such as by having no ranged weapons), this skill autocrits.
		-Peacock: Passive; Vola come in every color of the rainbow, and some stand head and shoulders above the rest in beauty. Regardless of the situation, you always look clean, prim and fashionable, and you can impart this to others with a roll of DC 4, helping them to get decked out for whatever social occasion awaits them. This can have a variety of favorable effects, such as by getting you into places that have a dress code, or helping you blend in with others, or standing out from the pack to make a lasting impression.



Elemen
	Elemen are solitary, nomadic and genderless magical constructs, looking mostly like floating gaseous or aqueous humanoids without any distinct features, besides their striking colors. They are highly intelligent and gifted in magic, specializing in one particular element which also comprises their body. Because of their lack of numbers and physical forms, they have little to no social influence or territories, remaining at the fringes of any society into which they wander. Nobody's really sure about the plural of Elemen because it's rare enough that you'll see one, let alone two.
	Of the Elements: Passive; Pick a single Element (see expanded list here: https://pastebin.com/W3Ggk1uU ) for free. All your attacks naturally deal that Element, and when an enemy fails a melee attack against you, the counterattack damage they take also has that Element and its effects. You passively Absorb that Element, meaning that if you are hit by an attack of that Element or come into contact with it in the world, you regain Hits equal to the damage you would have taken.
	Natural Catalyst: Passive; Elemen can use magic without the use of an external catalyst.
		-By Which all is Revealed: Automatic Instant; Recharge 2; As a being of near-pure magic, there are few secrets of the arcane which escape you. When making a knowledge check or rolling to identify some magical effect, construct or device, you can roll twice and take the better result of the two.
		-Crystallize: Automatic; Once per session; Cannot be used during combat; A few gifted Elemen can siphon off a portion of their power, producing an aether crystal at the cost of temporarily weakening themselves. Choose a number X between 1 and 3. The aether crystal you produce using this skill will give the recipient +1 and your chosen Element to all their spells for X turns, but you have -1 to all your spells until that duration is up. You can only produce one crystal at a time, and the crystal produced must be used before you can produce another one. Outside combat, aether crystals can be used as a small source of magical power for rituals and charging magical technology.
		-Become Incorporeal: Recharge 3 after effect ends; Spell; On success, you lose your physicality, becoming an intangible, translucent spirit. All belongings on your person come with you, and you can use this on one person you can touch as well. You lose the ability to interact with the physical world, but you can move through physical objects, and become immune to all attacks except magical attacks and physical attacks made with magical weapons. Lasts until dispelled, either voluntarily (automatic) or through another person's antimagic effect.
		-Soul Charge: Automatic Instant, Recharge X+3; Give up X Hits in order to empower all spells that you use this turn, choosing bonuses from among the following options. Each option can only be applied once per use of this skill:
				-Add +1: 1 Hit
				-Add 2 extra Hits of damage: 1 Hit
				-Add Autocrit: 3 Hits



Zawatil
	A loose grouping of sapient amphibians and reptiles, characterized by their ability to adapt to a number of climates and conditions, both on an individual level in real time, and over the course of generations, an ability some consider to be a kind of magical evolution. The Zawatil are traditionally very insular, and despite their own myriad internal differences, have historically stuck with their shared identity. Individuals can, with concentration, change many features of their own body, such as growing or removing webbing between their digits, molting scaled skin in favor of glandular skin, growing or shrinking their own tail, and so on. Culturally, they are known for being laconic, reclusive and secretive, and being adept at a variety of hunting skills. The plural of Zawatil is Zawatili.
	Instant Evolution: Because Zawatili often go between wet land and dry land in their homelands, they require the capacity to adapt their bodies to this change. You can use this skill to make changes to your own body that will help you navigate a number of different natural obstacles -- webbed digits and gills for swimming, small hooked barbs for climbing trees and rocks, a longer tail for grabbing ledges, and so on. This cannot be used to give yourself body parts you don't already have, only modify those you do. This cannot change your appearance to the same degree as Disguise, as you will always retain your usual appearance and proportions.
		-Regeneration: Always succeeds; Recharge 2; You cannot take any other actions at all during the turn that you use this skill. If you get any result other than a natural crit, you regain 1 Hit. On a natural crit, you regain 1 Hit and 1 Wound. If you lose a limb, you can regenerate it using this skill, but it requires at least a few hours of continuous use over the course of about a week.
		-Scales and Spikes: Passive; Every time that you take damage from a melee attack, your attacker takes 1 Hit of damage themselves, owing to your dangerous hide. If an attacker fails a melee attack against you, they take 2 additional Hits of counterattack damage.
		-Molting: Instant; Recharge 4; Benefits from bonuses to healing skills; By shedding the outermost layer of your skin, you can remove a status condition that affected your body by touching the skin. This can also be used to remove markings, brands, scars and even make yourself slightly smaller, such as for getting out of chains or ropes.
		-Toxic Mucus: Passive; Your body is always covered in an irritating, repulsive slime (though you can adapt this away using IE). In combat, enemies will be less likely to attack you until you draw their ire, and you gain +1 to Intimidation rolls when your target can see your slime. You can take one turn in combat to concentrate this slime onto a weapon, giving it the Poisoned quality for a single turn.