Padelong, Venturers into the Unknown

“No priestly dogmas, invented on purpose to tame and subdue the rebellious reason of mankind, ever shocked common sense more than the doctrine of the infinitive divisibility of extension, with its consequences; as they are pompously displayed by all geometricians and metaphysicians, with a kind of triumph and exultation. A real quantity, infinitely less than any finite quantity, containing quantities infinitely less than itself, and so on in infinitum; this is an edifice so bold and prodigious, that it is too weighty for any pretended demonstration to support, because it shocks the clearest and most natural principles of human reason.”
-David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

Playtest Version

This material is still in the process of being playtested. It is fully usable as written, but may be refined or changed in later versions. As always, this content should only be used with GM permission.

The Padelong

The padelong are powerfully muscled humanoids with large feet and thick tails. Their features resemble the kangaroos that live in the same region, but they are intelligent and stand more upright. They build curious land vehicles that resemble large wheeled canoes with sails that struggle with rough terrain but can reach excellent speeds without a steed on roads or smooth ground with a fair wind. Wizards and other seekers after mysterious objects often seek them out to trade for bizarre curios and materials they procure from strange sources.

Outback Explorers

Bordering the lands the padelong have settled is a strange back country they refer to simply as “Out,” referring to both the place and the direction. They range this land, using its plentiful but far-spread resources to support their homes. It can be traversed by conventional means and navigation or by wheeled contraptions akin to huge outrigger sailing canoes, but its incredible expanses of largely flat, empty, mostly-dry land and huge, uncanny skies seems far too vast for the actual geographical region it ought to encompass based on surrounding kingdoms. The padelong merely scoff when asked how far across it is, as if they find absurd the very idea of reaching somewhere other than Out by traveling Out.

Giant Friend

In the eerily empty distant reaches of the vast back range of padelong territory, communities of hill and rock giants dwell. Contact between padelong explorers, prospectors, and trappers with these giants is not frequent, since the distances seem more scaled to the giants than to humanoids. However, when meetings occur they are friendly and produce great wealth in trade as the giants possess mysterious and powerful objects in abundance, from sources far too distant for short-legged folk to seek easily, and immense hands are not so suited for fine tasks and small prey that the padelong can provide.

Padelong Names

Padelong typically have only one name. If they need to specify an individual with a particular name, they give the name of that padelong’s spouse or parent.

Androgynous Names: Ariki, Babawar, Backo, Bindal, Bunji, Huriata, Kahurangi, Killara, Kimiora, Mirri, Manaia, Paikea, Tereapi’i, Tidam, Upoko’ina

Feminine Names: Alira, Hine, Inyuwa, Jannali, Mauika, Makinti, Ngoia, Orana, Papalya, Puretu, Roimata, Siola’a, Tarni, Walangkura, Yalamay

Masculine Names: Akatauira, Beangagarrie, Daku, Gurumarra, Haunui, Jarli, Koloa, Kuparr, Mangana, Ngatokorua, Ranginui, Tane, Toa, Umbarra, Yileen

Padelong Traits

Your padelong character has a number of natural traits.
    Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2 and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
    Age. Padelong mature and age at the same rate as humans.
Alignment. Padelong tend toward neutral alignments, combining formal orderly skill with intuition and a love for freedom, and valuing both individual power and support for communities both.
Size. An average padelong is over 6 feet tall and weighs nearly 200 pounds. Your size is Medium.
    Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Athlete. You gain proficiency in the Athletics skill.
    Leap. Your jumping distances are doubled.
    Mighty Kick. Your feet are natural weapons that you can use to make an unarmed strike. If you hit with them, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to your 1d8 + your Strength modifier, and the target must make a DC 10 Strength save or be knocked prone. You can only make this kick attack as an action, and you cannot move during the same turn as you use your kick attack with the exception of a single jump made as part of the attack. This jump can take place before or after the attack and uses your running jump distance.
    Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Giant.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Base Weight	Height Modifier	Weight Modifier
5’6″	150 lbs	+2d8	x(2d4)

New Feat

Death From Above

You have a penchant for a reckless and unconventional mode of combat—throwing your entire body weight into your strikes…literally. You gain the following benefits:

When you are falling, flying, or jumping, and that movement brings you within 5 feet of another creature, you may use your reaction to make a melee attack against that creature.
When you succeed with a melee attack, grapple, or shove and you are not touching the ground, you may deal additional bludgeoning damage equal to 1d12 + your Constitution modifier. Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Legal Appendix

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DESIGNATION OF OPEN GAME CONTENT
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LICENSE

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System Reference Document 5.1 Copyright 2016, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Chris Perkins, Rodney Thompson, Peter Lee, James Wyatt, Robert J. Schwalb, Bruce R. Cordell, Chris Sims, and Steve Townshend, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

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