Ignian
- Details
- Category: Races
- Published on Wednesday, 09 May 2012 19:10
- Written by Marty
A fiery Dwarf sub-race based on the Ifrit. A member of a world dominated primarily by different kinds of Dwarves.
The Ignian are a sub-race of Dwarf that became more prominent during the Dwarven Ice Age. One group of Dwarves took to worshiping greater fire elementals, and eventually, the fire elementals' essence became infused within these Dwarves. Ignian have the basic appearance of a dwarf, but they are less stout. They have skin tones ranging from light orange to dark red, and their hair and beard always seem to flow as if brought to life from their own inner heat. It is unusual for an Ignian to wear jewelry in their hair or beards, and they would rather let their hair flow loosely than braid it.
The Ignians became key members of the Troll Wars, where their flame abilities and massive burning Wood Golems helped the united Dwarf armies defeat the terrible Giant Trolls that were used as siege beasts.
The Ignians are a large sub-race, and contain many different clans with different ideologies, but they all have the stats and abilities based on Ignians.
Ignian Racial Traits
+2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, –2 Wisdom: Ignians are charming and nimble for Dwarves, but they lack the common sense of most Dwarves, and suffer from innate pyromania.
Quick Footed: Ignians are quicker then most Dwarves, and have a base speed of 30 ft, but they are affected by encumbrance.
Darkvision: 60ft
Defensive Training: Ignians get a +4 dodge bonus to AC against Large or bigger humanoid creatures with the Troll subtype.
Elemental Resistance: Ignians have fire resistance 5
Elemental Affinity: Ignian sorcerers with the elemental (fire) bloodline treat their Charisma score as 2 points higher for all sorcerer spells and class abilities. Ignian spellcasters with the Fire domain use their domain powers and spells at +1 caster level.
Spell-Like Ability: Burning hands 1/day (caster level equals the Ignian’s total Hit Dice
Dwarven Weapon Familiarity: Ignians, like all their Dwarven cousins, are proficient with battleaxes, heavy picks, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon.
Outsider: Ignians are considered both dwarves and outsiders for the purposes of abilities or effects.
Fire Subtype: Ignians have the fire subtype for the purposes of abilities or effects.
Religion
All Ignians venerate fire elementals, and many specifically worship Pyrox, a massive elemental that ascended to godhood. Pyrox is a powerful and unpredictable, but an ultimately benevolent being. The physical appearance of Pyrox is much different than the other Dwarf gods; instead of appearing as a dwarf, he takes the form of a giant burning manta-like creature. Although clerics of Pyrox are somewhat rare, temples dedicated to the deity are always centered around massive hearths and are always attended by priests meditating around a sacred flame. Azers that serve Pyrox in the Plane of Fire act as the Outsiders of other religions who aid mortals in important matters.
Pyrox's preferred weapons is the Longbow.
His Domains include Fire, Glory, Healing, Liberation, and War.
Pyrox is Neutral Good, and his worshipers vary greatly in alignment, which is an unimportant matter to Pyrox himself.
Cultures
Ignians are very populous, and there are a few different cultures and factions within their own sub-race.
Red Fletchers: These skilled archers hail from the northern tundras. Many Fletchers are Rangers, and Fighters and Rogues who specialize in archery. They are a religious lot, and all of them venerate Pyrox, and so all of them are trained to use the Longbow. Clerics of Pyrox are much more common among the semi-nomadic Red Fletchers, who are so called that do to their arrows notched with bright red feathers as well as the red-dyed hides they wear into battle. Red Fletchers tend to be slightly more serious than their spirited brothers. The Red Fletchers are know to use flaming arrows in combat. The Red Fletchers hunt a variety of creatures, but their favorite game is the large Horned Trolls who sometimes stalk the Red Fletchers herd animals. Horned Trolls are white and shaggy, and they have a devastating pair of rhinoceros-like horns jutting from their thick skull. These horns are prized by Red Fletcher bards who use these horns as instruments that bolster their inspire courage ability by 1 point. A Troll Horn Trumpet is always a masterwork instrument, and provides the usual +2 bonus to performance checks involving the trumpet. These Troll Horn Trumpets are always intricately carved and have an exquisite sound, and are generally worth 200 GP.
The Ashlanders: This group of Ignian Dwarves hail from the Ash Lands, which was a once a massive forest that was burnt down during the Troll Wars. The Ashlanders have used druidic magic to help the forest return. Ashland Ignians tend to wear dark forest colors, and theu hide the redness of their skin with gray ash. These forest dwelling Dwarves are secluded and sometimes hostile to outsiders, especially other Ignians who abuse their gift of fire. Ashlanders have given up their burning hands ability to be able to use the spell-like ability to speak with plants 1/day. There is a cult present in the Ashlander culture who revere a single massive tree that was not completely burned down, and it still grows and blooms despite the heavy burns. There are no clerics yet of the mystical tree known as Yargdras, but their are rumors that the tree's sap has healing properties. Ashlanders are known for their woodwork, and may have the alternate racial ability Woodworking: Ashland Ignians are known for their superior craftsmanship when it comes to wooden weapons, constructs, and items. Ignians with this racial trait receive a +2 racial bonus on all Craft or Profession checks that create objects from wood. Ashland Ignians are the decedents of the forest dwelling Ignians that built the massive wood golems made to fight the equally huge Giant Trolls.
Blood Markers: They are nomadic Ignians from the central plains, and travel following large herds of strange tusked herbivores. They work the bones and ivory of these beasts into the structure of their tents, as decoration, as weapons, and needles for their ritual scarring and tattoo celebrations. Although seen as barbaric and crude to other Dwarves, to other cultures of Ignian, Blood Markers are seen as being especially spirited. Blood Markers are to active to stay in anyplace to long and are excited and enthused with physical and spiritual sensations. Although they worship Pyrox and the Sun Goddess Solgea, they are too impatient to spend time in meditation. Blood Markers celebrate everything from birth and death to pain and anger. Although they are defensively violent, Blood Markers are strangely optimistic for wandering nomads. Of all the Ignian, Blood Markers are the ones who hate Trolls the most, and they may replace their Defensive Training racial trait with a Hatred of Trolls Blood Marker Ignians receive a +1 bonus on attack rolls against humanoid creatures of the Troll subtypes due to special training against these hated foes.
Author's Note: Ignians are one of the races of dwarf I have for my setting Barradune AKA Realm of the Dwarf Lords.
Additional Ratings  |
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| Balance: | 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Rating 4.75 (4 Votes) |
| Utility: | 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Rating 5.00 (3 Votes) |
| Clarity: | 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Rating 5.00 (3 Votes) |