Kreen

The Kreen are a race of insect-folk sometimes known as “mantis warriors.” They are inscrutable, alien creatures; those who do not know them well believe them to be bloodthirsty monsters. Most kreen are fierce hunters and faultless trackers, a nomadic folk who spend their brief lives roaming the vast distances of the deserts, scrublands, and savannas of the planes, kreen are near-perfect hunters. A few kreen have grown more civilized. Though they still enjoy the hunt, they have given up their nomadic life to build cities, though many find a place in the cities of other races.

Physical Description

A Kreen resembles a bipedal praying mantis. Its body’s exoskeleton is sandy yellow in color. Of the body’s six limbs, the lower two are used for walking, and the upper four end in four-fingered, claw-like hands. Kreen have large, dangerous mandibles and compound eyes. Two small antennae sprout from the tops of their heads. They wear little clothing beyond simple harnesses for carrying weapons and equipment, though more civilized kreen tend to wear a bit more to distinguish their positions within society. Kreen have no need for sleep and do not understand that other sentients need it, regarding it as a weakness or a bad habit. Kreen believe that sentients who sleep are simply lazy.

Base Age Age Mod Middle Age Old Venerable
6 +1d4 16 20 25
Gender Base Height Height Mod Base Weight Weight Mod
Male 5'2 +2d10 135 lb *2d6
Female 4'6 +2d10 100 lb *2d6

Personality

Each Kreen forms deep attachments with a handful of other individuals, regarding them as clutch-mates, companions to be defended with one’s own life if need be. All others outside this small group of companions are strangers and enemies, although Kreen are intelligent enough to recognize that one traveling alone in the lands of other folk would be wise to keep such observations to oneself. Tohr-kreen tend to regard all other Tohr-kreen as allies and potential clutch mates rather than automatically as enemies.

Society

Kreen like it hot. They favor warm, dry climates, especially arid grasslands and plains that most other folk consider uninhabitable. Since they are a nomadic race, they make no permanent settlements and travel light, carrying little more than tools and food from camp to camp.

Relations

Kreen view themselves as noble hunters and judge other folk on the simple relationship of predator to prey. They respect barbarians, rangers, and others who live off the land and treat the land with care. On the other hand, savage and evil races despoil the lands that should be hunted with respect, and thus they earn the Kreen’s enmity. The mantis warriors generally regard city folk and farmers of other races as not-hunters, and therefore not worth their attention, but also unworthy of their enmity. Civilized kreen do not farm nor do they give up their carnivorous nature. They will raise crops necessary to sustain enough prey to feed the populace, but they often prefer to trade for it.

Alignment

Kreen have virtually no social structure other than the clutches they form with their closest allies. The notion of sophisticated rules for social behavior is foreign to them. They are almost always chaotic in alignment, and often neutral with respect to good and evil. More civilized kreen remain neutral on the good and evil axis, but they tend towards neutral or lawful, as they recognize that certain social structures are necessary and beneficial to maintain their way of life.

Religion

Kreen strongly favor a shamanistic tradition instead of the myriad deities of other races. Civilized kreen avidly worship Klik'chak and Cliktith and honor the other deities of their pantheon. Klik'chak, the creator and knowledge bringer is affectionately called The Father. The Kreen also believe in certain local deities but generally believe non-Kreen deities are pretenders to godhood, with the exception of Pelor, the sun which lights Kreen life.

Language

Kreen speak their own language, Kreen, which is composed mostly of clicks, whistles, and snaps of their mandibles. They are unable to speak the languages of other races, but often learn them so that they can understand their companions.

Names

Kreen make no distinction between male and female names, and they do not use a surname.

Examples: Chak-tha, Drik-chkit, Kacht-ta, Kat’chka, Pak’cha, Pik-ik-cha, Ptekwe, Tak-tha, Tik-tik.

Adventurers

Most Kreen adventurers are barbarians, rangers, or druids - characters who do well in the wide-open spaces favored by the race. Civilized kreen are often also sorcerers or clerics of Klik'chak or one of the other Kreen deities. On rare occasions, a Kreen hunter falls in with an adventuring party and bonds with its new companions, taking them as clutch-mates in place of its own kind.

Notable Kreen

ChaskKreen Monk 1

head.jpgChask01.jpg

Kaara-IshisKreen Fighter 1

head.jpgKaara-Ishis01.jpg

Racial Traits

  • +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, –4 Charisma: Kreen are strong and quick, but they think differently from most humanoids and have a hard time relating to folk of other races.
  • Monstrous Humanoid: Kreen are not subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person.
  • Medium: As Medium creatures, kreen have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Normal Speed: Kreen have a base speed of 30 feet.
  • Darkvision: Kreen can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
  • Kreen Immunities: Kreen are immune to magic sleep effects
  • +2 Natural Armor: A kreen’s exoskeleton is tough and resistant to blows.
  • Multiple Limbs: Kreen have four arms, and thus can take the Multiweapon Fighting feat instead of the Two-Weapon Fighting feat. Kreen can also take the Multiattack feat. (These are not bonus feats.)
  • Natural Attacks: Kreen can attack with four claws and a bite. The claws deal 1d4 points of damage, and the bite is a secondary attack that also deals 1d4 points of damage. they can make this attack as a full-round action, and can only attack with claws that are empty.
  • Poison (Ex): Bite, initial damage 1d6 Dex, secondary damage paralysis 2d6 mins, DC 11 + Con modifier. A kreen produces sufficient poison for only one poisonous bite per day.
  • Leap (Ex): Kreen are natural jumpers and climbers. They have a +4 racial bonus on acrobatics and climb checks.
  • Weapon Familiarity: Kreen can treat gythkas and chatkchas as martial weapons rather than exotic weapons.
  • Kreen have a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks in sandy or arid settings.
  • Automatic Languages: Common, Kreen. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Elven. While they can only speak kreen, learning other languages can allow them to understand other races.
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