The reclusive drelanni are an intelligent race of tree-dwelling simians. The average drelanni stands a little bit shorter than a dwarf and bears a wiry build. Most of a drelanni's body is covered with short, fine fur, which is usually black or brown at birth, but due to the way they metabolize their plant-rich diet, the fur tends to take on a green or blue-green hue as they age. Community leaders typically dye rings and stripes in their fur to designate rank. Shaving the hair falls in and out of fashion, and it is not unusual to see a handful of shorn drelanni in any given community. Drelanni possess a slender, wiry tail, and large hands and feet. The facial appearance of a drelanni is more human than ape-like, with large, inquisitive eyes and flat noses. A drelanni's ears are a little higher on the head than a human's. Drelanni are mostly found (if they are found at all) in the canopies of tropical rainforests, typically living in well camouflaged treetop villages. There can be several of these communities any a given forest, and different communities have been known to skirmish between communities other for food and resources, but a prolonged war between villages has never been recorded.

Drelanni Racial Traits

+2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -2 Strength: Drelannis are agile and cautious, but are lightly built.

Medium Size: Drelannis are medium sized creatures and have no special bonuses based on size.

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

Low-Light Vision: A drelanni can see twice as far as a human in dim light.

Prehensile Tail: Drelannis possess a prehensile tail which can be used to grab and hold small objects. The tail is able to reach into an adjacent square to grab an object. A drelanni is able to carry a single object with his tail weighing up to one fifth of his maximum light load (any object carried by his tail counts towards his encumbrance). He can also wield - and use in combat - a light weapon (provided it meets the weight requirements). He can make an extra attack per round using the weapon held in the tail, but at a -5 penalty from his highest attack bonus. If a drelanni wears normal armor, the tail cannot be used in this fashion; he must use armor specially made to accommodate the appendage, or get existing armor fitted for his tail (Craft (Armorsmith) check DC 20, failure means the armor bonus is reduced by 1). The drelanni can also use his tail to hang from branches, overhead beams, etc., with a successful Strength check. If the drelanni’s load is light, or he is wearing light or no armor, no check is needed. A medium load or wearing medium armor must succeed a Strength check DC 10. A heavy load, or wearing heavy armor needs a Strength check DC of 15 to succeed.

Lean Build: Drelanni are big enough to classified as considered Medium, but their stature is so small that they actually get many of the benefits of being one size smaller. They receive a +1 size bonus to Armor Class and Attack Bonus, a +4 size bonus to Hide checks, but they keep their 30 ft speed, they can use either Small or Medium sized weapons without penalty, and their carrying capacity stays the same. Drelanni wear medium sized armor. Drelanni are also able to take feats which are only accessible to Small creatures.

Illiterate: Drelanni culture has not yet adapted to the written word, and they are not able to read or write, no matter what class they advance in, unless they take ranks in the Linguistics skill. If a drelanni takes one rank on Linguistics, he is able to read and write in every language he knows (except Drelanni, which has no written form).

Weapon Familiarity: Drelanni treat bolas as martial weapons instead of exotic weapons.

Venom Virulence: A drelanni receives a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against natural poisons, such as animal and vermin venom, poisonous plants, and naturally occuring poisonous gases.

Death From Above: A drelanni receives a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls made from ground higher than his opponent.

Brachiation: Drelannis receive a +2 racial bonus on Acrobatics and Climb checks when not carrying anything with their tails.

Oral Tradition: Drelannis receive a +2 racial bonus to Perform (oratory) checks. This skill is always considered a class skill for Drelanni characters.

Drelanni Bonus Languages: Common, Elf, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling, and Sylvan. The Drelanni language has never been written down, and hence has no alphabet.

Additional Ratings
Balance:	1 2 3 4 5 ( 12 Votes )
Utility:	1 2 3 4 5 ( 12 Votes )
Clarity:	1 2 3 4 5 ( 12 Votes )