Poladar (3.5e Race)
Poladar — Polar Bear Men
Poladars are an ancient race of hunters and fishermen who were isolated from the world for a long time. They have recently reunited with it, although this unique race still does not like to be disturbed by foreigners. Many ancient sages and knowledgeable men will advise all human travelers to stay far away from poladar's lands.
Personality
Poladar are not particularly mean, but do not like to be bothered. This causes them to be hard to talk to because they usually just ignore you, except in cases where you give them something they really enjoy. If you give them horns of the mammoth fish or the blood of a ogre they talk to you all you want. A poladar will attack any orc, goblinoid or ogre, they will attack trespassers in their grave yards or spiritual grounds, or those who have killed a fellow poladar.
Physical Description
A typical male Poladar stands from between nine and a half feet to ten feet tall and weighs between 700 and 1200 pounds. The females, however, are quite a bit smaller, standing from nine feet to nine and half, and weighing from 350 to 560 pounds. Though poladars maybe plump they still have very strong legs which makes them capable to outrun most races Poladars normally have white and gray fur, although there are a few poladars with black fur. Most all have blue eyes, with a few green eyed exceptions. Poladars are large animals, many people will consider them to be plump. A healthy poladar will live to be 120 years old.
As poladars live, they acquire many scars from battles. Their skin develops scar tissue easily, so it is very common to see a poladar covered with battle scars, and where they have scars their fur does not grow back. Poladars have human like features, standing upright and in place of front paws Poladars have hands.
Like a typical polar bear, a poladar's fur is very thick. This allows them to stay warm in some of the harshest blizzards. Under extreme conditions, a poladar can use its hands to walk on the ground with four limbs, increasing its stability.
Poladars wear animal skins for clothing, and jewel fish scales, teeth, beads, or jolhu stones for jewelery. For armor they wear chain mail covered by tribal symbols made out of leather and cloth. Weaponry consists of tomahawks, axes, spears, maces, broad swords, staves, and bows and arrows. Their diet consists of fish (cooked or raw), seasoned frost cat meat (cooked), beer (watery), grog, hard bread, ice fruit, and on special occasions, imported pork.
Relations
Poladars are very trustful of most everyone, but they can not stand trolls, ogres, and goblins.
Alignment
Either Lawful Neutral or True Neutral.
Lands
Poladars live in snowy places, mostly by the coast. Some smaller tribes are nomadic, but larger tribes set up villages near water so they can fish (fishing is something poladars enjoy especially if the fish are mammoth fish). The villages frequently have 6-20 warriors defending it, depending how large the town is. In war time all males of age and some females are called to arms. Poladars can farm only one food source in their lands, ice fruit. This fruit is unique because when it is bitten into it tastes bitter and cold, but after a few seconds pass it becomes sweet and warm. Poladar huts are made from animal skins and sticks. A Chief's tent and other important buildings will sometimes have wooden walls.
Religion
Poladar believe in Five Spirits:
- The Spirit of the Sea (the fishermen)
- The Spirit of the Snow (the frostwalker)
- The Spirit of Battle (the warrior)
- The Spirit of the Hunt (the huntress)
- The Elder Spirit (the wise)
Language
Poladars speak Snolko, also known as Winter speak.
Names
Poladar names are chosen for children after they have completed one honorable task. The males must kill a mammoth fish or a frost cat, whereas females must meditate at the altar of the Five Spirits until the spirits speak to them. Poladar names sound like Native American names (but they are in winter speak).
Racial Traits
- +6 Strength, +4 Constitution, −2 Charisma, +2 Wisdom: Poladars have great strength and modest cunning, but lack interpersonal skills.
- Humanoid (Ursine)
- Large: –1 penalty to Armor Class, –1 penalty on attack rolls, –4 penalty on Hide checks, +4 bonus on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits double those of Medium characters.
- Space/Reach: 10 feet/10 feet.
- Poladar base land speed is 30 feet: Poladars can swim and climb at 20 feet. A poladar can Rush (see below) at 50 feet.
- Resistance to Cold (Ex): As they live in a world of ice and snow, a poladar suffers no harm from being in a cold environment and have cold resistance 10.
- Fire Vulnerability (Ex): A poladar takes a -2 penalty to AC and saves against fire effects.
- +2 natural armor bonus. Poladars have thick skin and fur that protects them.
- Natural Attack: A poladar may use his massive fists as natural weapons to slam his opponents, dealing 1d10 points of bludgeoning damage + his Strength bonus. Optionally, if he attacks with a weapon as his primary attack, he may make a slam attack as a secondary attack (-5 penalty on the attack roll, ½ Strength bonus to damage).
- Instinctual Skill: Poladars gain a +2 racial bonus on all Climb, Listen, Profession (fisherman) skill checks, as they have an innate talent bred into them from generations of necessity. These skills are always treated as class skills.
- Rush (Ex): A poladar can increase his speed by 20 feet for a short time, at the risk of taking nonlethal damage damage as he overheats. Every round he uses his Rush ability, he must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10, +1 for each previous check) taking 1 point of nonlethal damage. Characters carrying a heavy load or wearing heavy armor take a -4 penalty on their saves. As soon as he fails a save, he can no longer Rush, and becomes fatigued. He cannot Rush again until he is no longer fatigued.
- Overheat (Ex): A poladar takes a -4 penalty to avoid environmental heat dangers.
- Automatic Languages: Snolko. Bonus Languages: Common, Dwarven, Gnomish.
- Favored Class: Barbarian
- Level Adjustment: +2.
- Base Effective Character Level: 3rd.
Humanoid HD Variant Racial Traits
The following version uses 4 HD of humanoid to compensate for Level Adjustment. Apply the following additions/modifications to the racial traits from above:
- Racial Hit Dice: A poladar begins with four levels of humanoid, which provide 4d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +3, and base saving throw bonuses of Fortitude +4, Reflex +1, and Will +1.
- Racial Skills: A poladar’s 4 humanoid levels give it skill points equal to 7 x (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1). Poladar class skills are Climb, Listen, Profession (fisherman), Survival and Swim.
- Racial Feats: A poladar’s humanoid levels give it two feats.
- Upon reaching 4 HD, the poladar earns a +1 bonus to an ability score of his choice.
- A poladar is proficient with simple weapons, light armor, medium armor and shields.
- Level Adjustment: +0.
- Base Effective Character Level: 4th.
Vital Statistics
| Adulthood | Simple | Moderate | Complex |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 years | +2d4 | +3d6 | +4d6 |
| Middle Age1 | Old2 | Venerable3 | Maximum Age | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 years | 75 years | 100 years | +5d20 years | |
| ||||
| Gender | Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 9' 0" | +2d6 | 700 lb. | × (6d6) lb. |
| Female | 9' 0" | +1d6 | 350 lb. | × (3d6) lb. |
Culture
This information may vary from setting to setting. Contact your DM for specifics.
Poladar Tribes
Makio tribe: A smaller nomadic tribe that have some of the greatest poladar hunters.
Holk Tribe: A medium sedentary tribe that has many skilled warriors.
Marigh Tribe: A larger tribe with many expert fishermen.
Gorfi Tribe: A medium sized tribe with great blacksmiths and farmers.
Hitof Tribe: A medium sized tribe that specializes in mining.
Baiog Tribe: A small, sedentary tribe that is home to master mountaineers.
Huiogk Tribe: A medium sized tribe that has many intelligent poladar scholars, and priests.
Jokil Tribe: A small nomadic tribe made up of druids and skilled archers.
Daoilmik Tribe: A larger tribe that specializes in trading and has many traveling merchants.
Dafok Tribe: A medium sized tribe of renegade poladar who attack and pillage smaller tribes.
Axe of the Arctic Defender
Poladar Druids know the location of the Axe of the Arctic Defender, forged by master dwarven and poladar blacksmiths, and was blessed by a great sorcerer, it was made for Gotyl Fagoir so that he may defend his people from any invader, but the ax was to powerful for any mortal so they hidden it some were in the lands of the poladar. Many have tried to find it but all have failed. Only a true hero can wield such a weapon.
Famous Poladar Adventurers
| Name | Primary Role |
|---|---|
| Kazikl Goribok | Fought a band of invading orcs. |
| Horkl Adir | Traveled the world and had many exciting adventures. |
| Gotyl Fagoir | The greatest chief and warrior of the poladar. |
| Boiuy Noguis | A wise and cunning spiritual advisor. |
| Cofhil Wuyq | A great fisherman. |
Gotyl Fagoir
Gotyl Fagoir was the Poladar's greatest chief and warrior and from a poor family in the Holk Tribe. He has a wife and two sons and two daughters.
Adventures
His first adventure was when he was about 20 years old. He and a Holk warband defended their village from a savage raid by the Dafok tribe
THe second adventure he took part in was when he was 28. he and a couple of other holk warriors had to escourt druids from the Jokil tribe (which was allied with the Holk Tribe)to the hall of Haiop
His Third Adventure took place when he was 34. By this time Gotyl had advance far into the military ranks of the Holk tribe and lead 6 of the tribes best druids, warriors, and rangers into Mount Kinglath to slay the great Frost Giant Hazir
His fourth adventure was when he was 43 when he was ordered to travel to the human kingdom of Anzith and establish peace between the two races but the kingdom of Anzith was a corrupt place and in the end this adventure caused war between the Holk tribe and Anzith
His Fifth and Greatest Adventure was when he was of the age of 59. By this time Gotyl had become Chief of the Holk tribe and unfied all the tribes together to fight against the Anzith armies in one last epic battle
His Sixth and final adventure was to rejoin his ancestors in the next world. He took part in this adventure at the age of 100.
Weapons/Armor
As a soldier of the Holk Tribe he wore a battlehardened chainmail shirt, battle hardened chain mail pants,frost cat fur belt Rugged leather foot wrappings, with a frostcat skin tunic (with holk tribe insignia on it) and a frost cat leather mantle, and a wooden shield. He Wielded a stone tomahawk and a iron broad sword. He also had a short bow with frost cat fang arrows .
Jewel Fish
A jewel fish is a fish about the size of a fresh water salmon but is scales are made of a precious gem. Jewel fish live all over the world but the rarest and most valueable type live in artic waters. These are extremely hard to find.
Jolhu Stones
Jolhu stones are found in mountain caves in snowy climates. at first glance it is a bluish color but as you keep staring it states to change into a purple color. it is a very valuable and beautiful gem.
Frost Cat
A frost cat is a wild cat that is about the size of a tiger. Their fur is white with blue stripes and they have two long fangs as well as other razor sharp teeth. Live in the snow.
Mammoth Fish
A Mammoth fish is a huge whale looking haired fish with huge horns that lives in artic waters.
Ice Fruit
Ice fruit is a fruit found and farmed in snowy regions. At first bite its taste is bitter and cold but after a couple seconds of chewing the taste becomes warm and sweet.
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