If I Ran The Zoo: Bestiary 1 Humanoids

If I Ran the Zoo: Bestiary 1 Humanoids

Pathfinder 1e did a much better job keeping its monsters on an even level of balance between products than its progenitor, D&D 3.x, did. But even so, there was some room for improvement. One of the most notable gaps, I feel, is the power level of classic D&D humanoids compared to other monsters of their CR. The power discrepancy between a gnoll and an orc is a well known example, where the orc has a lower CR on paper but is a much nastier combatant. But compare across the same CR and you’ll notice similar patterns. Look at a boggard, a bugbear and a morlocks, for example, and it’s pretty clear that the bugbear is rather less powerful than its supposed peers. I suspect that’s for reasons of backwards compatibility.

I don’t care about backwards compatibility.

So here’s how I would alter and augment some of the classic D&D humanoids to be more in tune with their Pathfinder flavor text, and to be more challenging to your players. Many of these are just adjusting mental ability scores upwards, but there’s a few more complicated changes in store as well.

Bugbear Boo! (Ex) A bugbear can make an Intimidate check to demoralize a single target as a move action. If it takes a standard action instead, it gains a +2 bonus. Tools of the Trade (Ex) Bugbears count saps, light hammers, warhammers and earthbreakers as simple weapons, and treat one exotic weapon of their choice as a martial weapon for the purposes of proficiency (bolas, garrotes and lassos are popular choices).

Drow Fueled by Spite (Su) As a standard action once per day, a drow can grant itself temporary hit points equal to their Hit Dice plus Charisma modifier (minimum 1 temporary hit point). These hit points last for 1 hour, or until expended.

(Yes, I know that PF2e is writing the drow out as part of them continuing to cut ties with D&D. I have my own ideas of how to handle that).

Giants Greatclubs are simple weapons, so any giant with Martial Weapon Proficiency (greatclub) can trade it for a different feat. A suggested feat for hill giants is Dazzling Display or Toughness, and a suggested feat for stone giants is Combat Reflexes or Improved Initiative. Fire giants gain weapon familiarity with greatswords and longswords, treating them as simple weapons. Suggested replacements for Martial Weapon Proficiency for a fire giant include Greater Sunder, Greater Overrun, or Improved Critical (greatsword). Frost giants gain weapon familiarity with battleaxes and greataxes, treating them as simple weapons. Suggested replacements for Martial Weapon Proficiency for a frost giant include Improved Initiative, Iron Will, or Vital Strike.

Gnolls Bite Attack: All gnolls have a bite attack as a primary natural weapon that deals 1d4 points of damage. The Snapping Bite feat still exists; it increases the bite damage to 1d6, and allows the gnoll to make bite attacks while wielding weapons at a -2 penalty, as if it had the Multiattack feat. Weapon Familiarity (Ex) Gnolls treat flails and heavy flails as if they were simple weapons, and nunchaku and flindbars as martial weapons.

In addition, there are two subraces of gnolls, the Carrion Crewe and the Packmasters. Carrion Crewe gnolls tend to be chaotic evil in alignment, whereas Packmaster gnolls tend to be neutral. Each has an additional unique ability modifier, and its own racial ability.

Carrion Crewe Gnolls: +2 Con Plague Born (Ex) Carrion Crewe gnolls gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against disease, ingested poisons, and becoming nauseated or sickened.

Packmaster Gnolls: +2 Wis Hopeful (Ex) Packmaster gnolls gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against fear effects and emotion effects such as despair, grief or boredom. They do not gain this bonus against rage effects, or other types of emotion effects, such as an unnatural lust or overwhelming presence spell (GM’s discretion).

Goblin -2 Str, +4 Dex, -2 Wis: Goblins are fast, but physically weak and prone to foolishness

Hobgoblin Spurn Elf-Magic (Ex) Hobgoblins gain a +2 racial bonus to all saving throws against arcane spells.

Kobold -4 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Cha: Kobolds are physically very weak, but have agile muscles and strong personalities

Ogre +8 Str, -2 Dex, +4 Con, -4 Int. Ogres do not have a penalty to Charisma, as they are very good at jug playing, dancing, and terrifying their victims.

Orc +4 Str, -2 Int, -2 Cha. Orcs are in tune with their senses and surroundings, even if they do tend to fight first and think later.

Troll +10 Str, +4 Dex, +12 Con, -2 Int, +2 Wis, -2 Cha. Golarion’s trolls are not as stupid as their cohorts in other versions of reality. They are stubborn, and have the keen senses of a predator.

Vegepygmy A vegepygmy is as it appears in Pathfinder Bestiary 1, but is a CR 1/3 creature. Their endonym is a succession of short popping sounds. If you dislike the word “pygmy” in the name (which is fair, and I’ve had people discuss in my notes before), consider calling them “russetoids” or “stemons” (named after the brown slime mold genus Stemonitis)

Some idioms for fantasy races and classes shared by u/nagonjin on reddit. Follow her on instagram (@lyresforhire) for more D&D idioms.

My favorite one is the bard one “When I am song”

I just remembered the time I was running a game of Dark Heresy and I had one of the NPCs say 'Gotta scoot!' and everyone made fun of me.

Apparently that's not a normal thing to say in the grimdark fascist autocracy of the 40k universe

Pathfinder 1E Traits - Goblins

Art by Pathfinder artist Andrew Hou Considering that I never get to play Pathfinder 1E (since D&D 5E is just way simpler and way more popular), why am I still obsessed with the Traits system from that game?

They're basically just weaker version of Feats that you can only choose during character creation, to reflect your species/backstory. They have really strong flavor but give only a small gameplay benefit, which I like even more because it frees you from feeling like you have to choose the 'optimal' ones. And I just really like building a character where the backstory and the abilities sync up all nice. 'Ludonarrative synchronicity' I think the smart people call it. Anyway! To give you an idea of what I'm talking about, here are just some of the Traits you can pick if you decide to play a goblin:

Big Ears

Your massive ears are your pride and joy, and other goblins claim you can hear a flea scream as it falls off a goblin dog. Benefit: While this might not quite be the case, gain a +2 bonus on all Perception checks made to hear noises. Additionally, you can hear noises that normally only dogs or other animals can hear, like the sound of a dog whistle.

Rude Songs

The lyrics of your songs are incredibly personally insulting. Benefit: Providing an opponent can hear and understand you, you gain a +2 trait bonus on all Perform (song) checks. Perform is always a class skill for you.

Advantageous Distraction

Like most goblins, you’re easily distracted. Unlike most goblins, though, you have a knack for being distracted at the right time, especially when it comes to avoiding pain.

Benefit: Once per day as a swift action, you can be momentarily distracted in combat—ducking an axe swing to inspect a toadstool, or stooping behind a tree to lick some bark and accidentally avoiding an arrow, and so on. When you activate this ability, you gain a +2 dodge bonus to your AC for 1 round.

I just love how well these tiny abilities play into the idea that goblins are dubious little creatures, getting up to mischief ^_^

Tufani Titanszikra beast of the mountain and daughter of storm 💫🐗🌩️

New campaign new character time!! This is Tufani, my boar shifter storm herald barbarian!! I cannot tell much yet as a certain party member is around 👀👀👀 but she’s come down from her northern home to go to magic university! She’s a big sweetheart and is just really excited to see all the fancy thing at the school and to make friends! The whole actual ‘school’ part…she’s certainly gonna try her best!

Just had to make this piece REAL quick cause i’m so excited to play her but i’m still getting through coms! Finishing up the initial batch then it’s off to the waitlist soon!