Shiagra [Big Cats] - Malachite Idol

Shiagra, The Great Cats

“In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?
And what shoulder, and what art
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat
What dread hand? And what dread feet?
What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? What dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
When the stars threw down their spears
And watered heaven with their tears
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?”
-William Blake, “The Tyger”

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 Shiagra

The shiagra are massive humanoids that strongly resemble various types of great predatory cats. Some have tiger stripes, some have spots, and still others have tawny fur and dark, shaggy manes. Typically the differences correspond to the sort of homeland they hail from, but they are known to travel to each others’ territories on occasion and marriages between varieties are not unheard of.

Rumored Lords of Wild Places

Most shiagra live either in nomadic groups or in remote settlements. In both cases they prefer isolated regions of largely unspoiled wilderness that outsiders would find inhospitable, difficult to navigate, or both, such as deep within a jungle or in the middle of a vast savanna with few landmarks that would be easily recognized by someone unfamiliar with the area. In their terrain, they are almost always the unchallenged apex predator, but they do not attempt to disrupt the natural order or displace lesser predatory creatures. They prefer to coexist with nature, but are not averse to mining or harvesting rare or valuable resources within their domain.

Contemplative but Ferocious

The few rumors about shiagra mostly depict them as wild and brutal warriors, but in most regards they are actually quite serene and dignified. The confusion stems from their attitude towards combat, which holds that if battle must be had, it should be as decisive and overwhelming as possible. As with hunting, they will tend towards quiet stillness until the moment comes to attack, and then they strike with as much concentrated aggression as they can muster to finish the battle before it can drag on and cause unnecessary collateral damage. Furthermore, their tendency to give battle without weapons of any kind sometimes creates the misunderstanding that they are simple brutes.

Weaponless Warriors

The Shiagra have no dearth of skilled, proud craftsmen among their communities, and even their armor is made with intricate artistry. However, weapon crafting beyond the occasional sling or javelin for bird hunting is almost unheard of, as there are very few close combat weapons which can equal their most notable birthright—the wicked, retractable claws that tip their hands and feet. Pruning knives, axes, and other such tools are not foreign to them, but the idea of such things being useful as weapons will seem strange, as the only utility such tools have for them that their claws cannot achieve is from designing such objects expressly for a particular non-combat function.

Shiagra Names

Shiagra typically have only a single given name, but traditionally introduce themselves as “child of…” “daughter of…” or “son of…” a particular person, place, or organization that they are associated with, be it a literal parent, a religion, a home village, or the like. They may often have many such appellations, and will use the one most relevant to a particular circumstance or whichever they consider most personally important. For example, “Bontu, child of the Lodestone Crater Pride” or “Sanjaya, daughter of General Rajani”

Masculine Names: Ajay, Aniruddha, Balwinder, Ekundayo, Hari, Imani, Jayanta, Kgosi, Lakshmana, Mahavira, Mandlenkosi, Ndidi, Oyibo, Rintrah, Sanjaya, Sefu, Zuberi

Feminine Names: Adaeze, Anisha, Bontu, Chimwala, Darshana, Ganizani, Hema, Isha, Jayashri, Limbani, N’neka, Purnima, Rajani, Sauda, Wangari

New Species: Shiagra

Common Personality Traits: Serene, decisive, proud, territorial
Common Physical Traits: Tall, lean muscle, wicked claws
Type: Large (1×1) biped folk with a Reach of 1. Your maximum wounds equal your Constitution score x 1.5 (rounded down).

Attributes: +2 to the lower of Strength or Dexterity
Base Speed: 30 ft.
Darkvision I: You ignore the effects of dim and faint light.
Enlightened Athletics: Your maximum Athletics rank increases to your Career Level + 5. Only the highest bonus from any single enlightened ability may apply to each skill.
Fearless I: You gain a +4 bonus with Morale checks.
Natural Attack: You gain the claw III natural attack (see FC, page 235). If you gain a natural attack from multiple sources, the attack’s grade becomes equal to the highest single grade + 1 per additional benefit granting the same attack, to a maximum of V (e.g. Bite IV, Bite III, and Bite I become Bite V).
Aloof: Your error range increases by 2 when making Impress and Sense Motive checks targeting characters of other species.

Legal Appendix

NOTICE OF OPEN GAME CONTENT
This product includes Open Game Content that may only be used under and in terms of the Open Game License Version 1.0a

DESIGNATION OF PRODUCT IDENTITY
Product Identity in this document designated in accordance with section 1(e) of the Open Game License, version 1.0a includes but is not limited to: Any and all Malachite Idol logos and identifying marks and trade dress, including all Malachite Idol product and product line names including but not limited to Malachite Idol Presents, all Malachite Idol logos, and all artwork, logos, symbols, designs, depictions, illustrations, maps and cartography, likenesses, and poses. Designated Product Identity is not Open Game Content.

DESIGNATION OF OPEN GAME CONTENT
All material in this document following the Playtest Version sidebar and prior to the Legal Appendix that is not otherwise designated as Product Identity is Open Game Content.

LICENSE

OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a

The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved. 1. Definitions: (a)”Contributors” means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b)”Derivative Material” means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) “Distribute” means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d)”Open Game Content” means the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including translations and derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) “Product Identity” means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f) “Trademark” means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor (g) “Use”, “Used” or “Using” means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) “You” or “Your” means the licensee in terms of this agreement.

2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License.

3.Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this License.

4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, nonexclusive license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content.

5.Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your original creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License.

6.Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder’s name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Distribute.

7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity.

8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content.

9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License.

10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute.

11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so.

12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected.

13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License.

14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable.

Open Game License v1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. System Rules Document Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

END OF LICENSE