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Gria

Racial TraitsRace Point Cost
TypeHumanoid (gria)0
SizeMedium0
Base SpeedNormal0
Base SpeedWeakened Flight1
Ability Score ModifiersStandard (+2 Str, +2 Cha, –2 Wis)0
LanguagesStandard0
DefenseFearless1
DefenseStubborn2
Feat and SkillSkill Bonus x3 (acrobatics, diplomacy, survival)6
Feat and SkillStatic Bonus Feat (Weapon Focus)2
OffenseDestructive1
OffenseWeapon Familiarity1
SensesLow-light Vision1
Total15

The Gria are a race of winged humanoids distinguished by draconic features and native to the region of Jylland. Despite their outward appearance, Gria are driven by a love for battle and many have fierce competitive spirits. Gria resemble Humes with draconic features. They have pointed ears, slender, upward pointed horns, short, thin tails, and draconic, scaly wings. Their draconic features are usually brown in color, but are sometimes green or red. They typically have red hair and yellow, slitted eyes. Although their limbs look to be slender, Gria possess powerful inner strength and athleticism. Male Gria have longer tails and larger horns and wings than their female counterparts. Gria have a somewhat matriarchal society in that females tend to be more active and outgoing than male members. While male Gria certainly exist, they prefer more peaceful and less dangerous jobs, this doesn’t mean that Males don’t go out and explore, of course, but a large majority of Gria seen questing are female. Most Gria are fine in the company of other races, their competitive and friendly spirit making them difficult to dislike, but their villages tend to host only members of their race.

Standard Racial Traits

  • Ability Score Racial Traits: Gria are strong-limbed and self-assured, but headstrong. They gain +2 Strength, +2 Charisma, and –2 Wisdom.
  • Size: Gria are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Type: Gria are Humanoid creatures with the gria subtype.
  • Base Speed: Gria have a base speed of 30 feet on land. While gria wings are too small to provide true flight, the same magic that empowers dragons allows gria to achieve limited flight for short periods of time while wearing light or no armor and carrying no more than a light load. A gria can fly with clumsy maneuverability a number of rounds at a time equal to her Constitution bonus. A gria can attempt to fly for longer durations by making Constitution check each additional round of flight (DC 10 + 2 per extra round). A gria’s natural fly speed is equal to her base land speed. After flying, a gria must rest a number of rounds equal to twice the number of rounds spent flying before flying again.
  • Languages: Gria begin play speaking Common and Draconic. Gria with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Banganese, Giant, Goblin, Ignan, Seeq, Terran. See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.

Defense Racial Traits

  • Fearless: Gria receive a +2 racial bonus on saves against fear spells and effects.
  • Stubborn: Gria gain a +2 racial bonus on Will saving throws to resist spells and spell-like abilities of the illusion school. In addition, if a gria fails such a save, it receives another save 1 round later to prematurely end the effect (assuming the spell or spell-like ability has a duration greater than 1 round). This second save is made at the same DC as the first. If the gria has a similar ability from another source, it can only use one of these abilities per round, but can try the other on the second round if the first reroll ability fails.

Feat and Skill Racial Traits

  • Athleticism: Gria are naturally fit and nimble. They receive a +2 racial bonus on Acrobatics checks.
  • Diplomatic: Gria receive a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy checks.
  • Survivalist: Gria receive a +2 racial bonus on Survival checks.
  • Martial Background: Gria receive the Weapon Focus feat for free at first level, and may apply it to any single weapon they are proficient in.

Offense Racial Traits

  • Destructive:  Gria receive a +2 racial bonus on sunder combat maneuver checks.
  • Weapon Familiarity: Gria are proficient with the knight sword and longbow (including composite).

Senses Racial Traits

  • Low-Light Vision: Gria can see twice as far as humes in conditions of dim light.

Alternate Racial Traits

The following alternate racial traits may be selected in place of one or more of the standard racial traits above. Consult your GM before selecting any of these new options.

  • Bestial: The draconic blood of some gria manifests in the form of particularly prominent gria features, exacerbating their bestial appearances but improving their already keen senses. They gain a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks. This racial trait replaces diplomatic.
  • Desert Runner: Some gria thrive in the deepest deserts, forever roaming across burned and parched lands. Gria with this racial trait receive a +4 racial bonus on Constitution checks and Fortitude saves to avoid fatigue, exhaustion, or ill effects from running, forced marches, starvation, thirst, or hot or cold environments. This racial trait replaces weapon familiarity.
  • Dual Minded: The draconic ancestry of some gria makes them resistant to mental attacks. Gria with this racial trait gain a +2 bonus on all Will saving throws. This racial trait replaces fearless and weapon familiarity.
  • Erdane Guardian: Bending the earth to their will was the calling of the ancient gria earth mages. A gria who follows the calling of her ancestors gains a +2 bonus to Knowledge (nature) and Knowledge (geography) checks. These are considered class skills for the gria with this racial trait. This racial trait replaces athleticism and survivalist.
  • Ferocity: Some gria give themselves over completely to their race’s aggressive tendencies, channeling their competitive spirit into a bloodlust. Once per day, when brought below 0 hit points but not killed, a gria can fight on for 1 more round as if disabled. At the end of her next turn, unless brought to above 0 hit points, she immediately falls unconscious and begins dying. This racial trait replaces weapon familiarity.
  • Fleet-Footed: While all gria are naturally lithe and agile, some also are naturally speedy and have a strong desire to rush into situations rather than worrying about looking ahead. Gria with this racial trait receive Run as a bonus feat and a +2 racial bonus on initiative checks. This racial trait replaces survivalist and martial background.
  • Skymaster: Some gria defy their conflicted nature and take to the skies, avoiding war, peace, and civilization all together. A gria with this racial trait gains a +2 bonus to Fly and Pilot skill checks. This racial trait replaces athleticism and survivalist.

Variant Gria Heritages

Although many grias follow the general model of the gria, many more do not. Those of different lineages may evince dramatically different manifestations of their heritage, both in appearance and in ability. Here are 4 different potential heritages for gria PCs. If you choose to use a specific bloodline instead of the general rules for creating a gria, you should work with your GM to ensure that your character’s appearance reflects that bloodline.

  • Alternate Movement: While most grias have a Fly movement speed, those of the variant heritages listed below have an alternate racial movement ability.

Table: Variant Gria Heritages

HeritageAbility ModifiersAlternate MovementDescription
Cave Wyrm+2 CON, +2 WIS, -2 CHALoses the ability to fly, but gains a Climb Speed equal to half movement speed and can glide.These gria live in subterranean environments and are used to climbing walls and gliding through the air on their weakened wings.
Draconic+2 STR, +2 WIS, -2 DEXFlight maneuverability increases from clumsy to poor.Some gria were chosen and raised by dragons that they resemble.
Ocean Wyrm+2 DEX, +2 CHA, -2 WISLoses the ability to fly, but gains a Swim Speed equal to movement speed and the Amphibious trait.These gria were born and raised by the ocean, having long forsaken their ability to fly, and instead, using their wings to swim and glide through the water.
Sand Wyrm+2 DEX, +2 WIS, -2 STRLoses the ability to fly, but has a base move speed of 35 feet.These gria were raised in the desert, adopting a desert nomad life.

Racial Feats

The following feats are available to a gria character who meets the prerequisites.

Racial Archetypes

The following racial archetypes are available to grias:

Favored Class Options

The following favored class options are available to all characters of this race who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward.

  • Bard: Add +1 to the bard’s CMD when resisting a disarm or sunder attempt.
  • Beastmaster: Add +1 hit point or +1 skill rank to the beastmaster’s animal companion. If the beastmaster ever replaces his companion, the new companion gains these bonus hit points or skill ranks.
  • Berserker: Add +1 to the berserker’s total number of rage rounds per day.
  • Black Belt: Add +1/6 to gain a new master technique.
  • Gambler: Add +1/6 for a new gambler gambit.
  • Geomancer: Add +1/4 to the number of times the geomancer can use the Geomancy ability.
  • Knight: Add +1 to the knight’s total number of defensive stance rounds per day.
  • Monk: Add +1/3 to the monk’s CMD.
  • Paladin: Add +1/2 hp to the paladin’s lay on hands ability (whether using it to heal or harm).
  • Thief: Add +1 to the number of times per day the thief can cast a 1st-level spell gained from the major magic talent. The thief must possess the associated thief talent to select this option.
  • Warrior: Add +1 to the warrior’s CMD when resisting a disarm or sunder attempt.

Gria