MYRRINEN
The myrrinen are a mysterious, amphibious race from the oceans far east of the Dawnforge Mountains
RACIAL TRAITS
- Average Height: 5′ – 5’10″
- Average Weight: 125 – 175 lb.
- Ability Scores: +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence or +2 Constitution
- Size: Medium
- Speed: 5; Swim 7
- Vision: Low-light
- Languages: Common, Myrrinen
- Skill Bonuses: +2 Perception, +2 Dungeoneering
- Myrrinen Respiration: You can breathe underwater.
- Hadal Density: When wearing light or no armor, you gain +1 AC and +2 Fortitude.
- Tidal Accuracy: When using a weapon from the spear group, you add +1 to attack rolls and +1 to damage rolls.
Sonar Sense (Myrrinen Racial Trait)
Aura 3
When an enemy in your aura makes an attack that does not include you, you may shift up to 2 squares and make a melee basic attack against that enemy as a free action. You may use this power twice per encounter, but no more than once per round. Increase to 3 times per encounter at 11th level, 4 times per encounter at 21st level.
Having only recently revealed themselves to the peoples of the Nentir Vale, the myrrinen are an exotic, amphibious race from the depths of the oceans east of the Dawnforge Mountains. Although little is currently known of the specifics of their lifestyles, they are believed to be a matriarchal society run by an empress.
Play a Myrrinen if you want…
- to be an enigma to your allies and the world around you
- to be adept at exploring the vast ocean frontiers of the world
- to play a race that leans towards being strikers or controllers
PHYSICAL QUALITIES
Myrrinen appear basically human in physical form, yet they have deep blue skin and solid black eyes. Their hair ranges from any shade of blue to dark green or deep purple. They are hairless other than their heads, but they are also incapable of growing facial hair. Myrrinen wear their hair free-flowing, never braided or bound in any way.
Myrrinen have webbed, five-fingered hands and feet. They are also double jointed and ambidextrous. While they are more than competent as adventurers on land, they truly flourish in water environments and make excellent aquatic guides.
Myrrinen have life spans of up to 170 years.
PLAYING A MYRRINEN
Most myrrinen are experiencing extended adventures on land for the first time in their lives, so they see each new town and landscape with the wonderment of fresh eyes. Myrrinen revel in new experiences, from exploring a wooded glade to sampling a local cuisine for the first time.
However, their almost child-like enthusiasm belies their cunning and tactical prowess as warriors. Myrrinen are battle trained and tested in some of the most extreme conditions in the world, able to withstand battles against vicious creatures in the darkness and pressures of the ocean depths. They also use their innate sonar abilities to fight in complete darkness, relying on sound instead of sight.
Myrrinen make more deference to females than males, as they are a matriarchal society. They are lead by an elected empress and governed by her as well as localized regents. The most recent empresses have been mostly benevolent, yet have dealt with internal power struggles and a malevolent movement of males seeking absolute authority. However, not even the myrrinen are certain why the current empress has recently sent forth so many explorers and revealed their society to the surface world.
Myrrinen have a tendency of being strikers or controllers, with an occasional battlemind surfacing from time to time. Many myrrinen also have a proclivity for psionics, so psionic themes serve them well.
Myrrinen Characteristics: Exuberant, inquisitive, dedicated, mysterious, nimble, sinuous, introspective
Female Names: Elayin, Halosin, Irsin, Onnis, Seris.
Male Names: Aynin, Cearin, Neris, Perinis, Resalnin.
Well done! I like these guys. I always found aquatic elves fascinating back in 2nd Edition AD&D, but never wanted to play one due to all the ridiculous drawbacks associated with them. You do a good job here of communicating a sea race while still making them viable on land; Speed 5 is a great way to emphasize a certain lack of land legs while not making them useless in combat.
One small issue with the write-up: in the final paragraph you say psionic themes serve them well, yet in the sentence before that you say “with an occasional battlemind surfacing from time to time.” It seems like battleminds would be a bit more prevalent in a psionic race. Anyway, not a huge deal, just wanted to draw attention to it.
Great work!
One other thing! You may have done so already, but have you considered creating Monster Manual-style writeups for your races as well? That way anyone who wants to use your races in their own campaign will also have access to them as potential encounters. Food for thought.
@Rosthorn – I’ll jump in here ahead of Adam and just say “YES” to your second question. Actually, we’re planning on a series of eBook/PDFs for a series of new races that will include both the playable race and monster manual style write ups for a couple or three stock NPCs, along with race specific spells, rituals, magic items, etc. It’s in the works – a few weeks off at best.
Thanks for the feedback and, as Jonathan said, full work ups are on the way!