Nulyani
Nulyani 1st-level Aristocrat
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Size/Type | Medium Humanoid |
| Hit Dice | 1d8-1 (3 hp) |
| Initiative | -1 |
| Speed | 30 ft. (6 squares) |
| Armor Class | 13 (-1 Dex, +2 leather, +1 light steel shield, +1 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 13 |
| Base Attack/Grapple | +0/+1 |
| Attack | Scimitar +2 melee (1d6+1/18–20) or dagger -1 ranged (1d4+1/19–20) |
| Full Attack | Scimitar +2 melee (1d6+1/18–20) or dagger -1 ranged (1d4+1/19–20) |
| Space/Reach | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks | Mind daze |
| Special Qualities | Psi-like abilities, telepathy 100 ft. |
| Saves | Fort -1, Ref +1, Will +2 |
| Abilities | Str 12, Dex 9, Con 8, Int 13, Wis 8, Cha 13 |
| Skills | Bluff +3, Diplomacy +8, Gather Information +2, Handle Animal +3, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (psionics) +4, Sense Motive +4 |
| Feats | Weapon Focus (scimitar) |
| Environment | Temperate plains |
| Organization | Squad (2–4), company (5–8 plus 11-20 humans and 1 leader of 3rd-5th level), or band (20–31 plus 40–80 humans plus 1 3rd-level sergeant per 10 humans, 3 5th-level lieutenants, and 2 7th-level captains) |
| Challenge Rating | 1 |
| Treasure | Standard |
| Alignment | Usually lawful neutral |
| Advancement | By character class |
| Level Adjustment | +1 |
Description
This individual is human in appearance, with a noble bearing, pale, almost gray-hued flesh, and slender, delicate features. On the scalp is a mat of short, continually waving tendrils.
The nulyani are the product of a breeding experiment by an evil and monstrous race of psionic beings. Due to their exotic physiology and characteristics, it was all but impossible for these ancestral creatures to be able to successfully breed with humanoid creatures. However, the powerful psionic abilities of their elder brain mass can utilize a female humanoid as a vessel to form a bizarre cross-breed. Exactly how this is performed is a closely-held secret, and in most cases the resulting offspring is stillborn or infertile. Occasionally, however, the offspring survives and can breed true. The result is a humanoid creature with some psionic abilities, but less capable than its monstrous parent and so still fully subject to control by the ancestral race.
Nulyani closely resemble humans, and display only a few of the facial features of their ancestors. Instead of hair, their head is covered by a mat of thick, waving tendrils. Their flesh bears a hint of grayish hue, and lacks the pigmentation or ability to tan of normal humans. Unfortunately their abnormal origins has produced an unhealthy physiology that is more susceptible to disease and injury.
Combat
Nulyani are bred for command and prefer to use mundane creatures to perform their dirty work while they employ psionic abilities to weaken their foes. When attacking from ambush they will employ their mind daze attack, then command their underlings to charge forward.
Mind Daze (Sp): This attack is a cone 60 feet long. Anyone caught in this cone must succeed at a DC 13 Will save or lose their next action. The save DC is Charisma-based. This ability is equivalent to a 2nd-level spell.
Psi-Like Abilities: At will―psionic daze (DC 12), cloud mind (DC 13), far hand. 1/day―psionic charm (DC 12), psionic dimension door. Manifester level equals the nulyani's class levels. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
Skills: A nulyani has a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Intimidate checks.
Nulyani Society
These beings were deliberately bred as a tool to expand the influence of their psionic ancestors into surface settlements. Surprisingly, such a bizarre cross-breed can possess many of the tendencies of its humanoid parent, and it only rarely displays the evil and sadistic tendencies of their other ancestry.
When raised in a community of their creators, the nulyani is trained to abject obedience. Any tendencies toward rebellion are stamped out, and it becomes a tool for controlling large communities of slaves. If a nulyani is raised away from the influence of their creators, however, it can become a fully independent being with a will of its own.
The nulyani are naturally aristocratic in nature, and they employ their intuitive social and psionic talents to elevate their status in human society. Most maintain a loose connection with their own kind, using their psionic abilities to coordinate activities for their mutual benefit. Nulyani willingly mate with mundane humans, but they are still expected to produce offspring with a fellow nulyani through secret dalliances. These purebred offspring are provided with special benefits and privileges, and are typically given higher social status over mundane human cross-breeds.
Nulyani as Characters
Most higher rank nulyani leaders are psions or occasionally psychic warriors. A nulyani cleric has access to two of the following domains: Knowledge, Law, Travel, or Trickery.
Nulyani characters possess the following racial traits.
- +2 Charisma, -2 Constitution.
- Medium size.
- A nulyani's base land speed is 30 feet.
- Weapon Proficiency: nulyani are automatically proficient with scimitar.
- +1 natural armor.
- Special Attacks (see above): Mind daze, psi-like abilities.
- Special Qualities: Telepathy 100 ft.
- +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Intimidate checks.
- Favored Class: Psion.
- Level Adjustment: +1.
The nulyani aristocrat presented here had the following ability scores before racial adjustment: Str 12, Dex 9, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 8, Cha 11.
Challenge Rating: Nulyani with levels in NPC classes have a CR equal to their character level. Nulyani with levels in PC classes have a CR equal to their character level +1.