Homan

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Overview

• Homan Visual Guide
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Physical Description

They resemble tiny human adults with squarish ears and egg-shaped heads. Their lightweight and agile frames allow them to be elusive, their lack of physical stature encourages more tactical manoeuvring of their environment. Though Homan communities tend to be situated far away from larger settlements, the Homan are open to communication and cooperation with other races they feel will not take advantage of their lack of stature. 

Culture & Social

Halflings prefer simple and modest clothing. Though willing and able to dress up if the situation demands it, their racial urge to remain quietly in the background makes them rather conservative dressers in most situations. Halfling entertainers, on the other hand, make their livings by drawing attention, and tend to go overboard with gaudy and flashy costumes.

Halflings rely on customs and traditions to maintain their own culture. They have an extensive oral history filled with important stories about folk heroes who exemplify particular halfling virtues, but otherwise see little purpose in studying history in and of itself. Given a choice between a pointless truth and a useful fable, halflings almost always opt for the fable. This tendency helps to explain at least something of the famous halfling adaptability. Halflings look to the future and find it very easy to cast off the weight of ancient grudges or obligations that drag down so many other races.

Rather than place their faith in empires or great causes, many halflings prefer to focus on the simpler and humbler virtues of their families and local communities. Halflings claim no cultural homeland and control no settlements larger than rural assemblies of free towns. Most often, they dwell at the knees of their human cousins in human cities, eking out livings as they can from the scraps of larger societies. Many halflings lead perfectly fulfilling lives in the shadow of their larger neighbors, while some prefer more nomadic lives, traveling the world and experiencing all it has to offer.

Race Meta

• Better known as: Halfling
• Height: 2'3" to 2'9" / 2'6" (Size: 0.7, Small)
• Genus: Humanoid
• Rarity: Common in Vermillion, Uncommon in Cerulean.
• Faction(s): Vermillion Freeholds, Cerulean Kingdom

Homans are the 'Halflings' of the setting, with a less diminishing name and a fresh take on the concept of a smaller humanoid type. They're the kind of race you can play where you don't want to play a Human, but you want something like a Human (and definitely not into giants). Perfect for stealthy types even with the size-advantage at play and something even other party members can pick up and carry around. Homans don't get ultimate customizability like Humans do, but they get a nice setup of attributes and skills that leave room to add on attributes and skills to fit your Homan's intended role in the group.

Homans are ideal all-rounders to get into the game as a Small-sized race in general.

Gameplay

Being Small-sized means having around 30% less health, damage/healing...etc but the Homan make up for it by being naturally stealthy, agile and efficient. Many mental and reflexive attributes are increased and a greater emphasis on Luck being useful due to their Luck of the Homan ability being able to let them dodge attacks or negate effects that should have landed, this can only be done a few times per rest else it would be overpowered.

Like most Small or smaller races, they gain a trait specifically to increase their Defence/Evasion towards those bigger than themselves, it needs only be more than 0.7 (if they're Small sized) for it to trigger and will make it at maximum 25% harder to land an attack upon them. This doesn't work against Area effects however (since they have to move outside the AoE), but the extra Agility can make up for their small-sized slowness.

Another Small-race trait: Bounce-Back is generally useful for handling the fact smaller creatures tend to be knocked around more easily by bigger ones. Only having to spend 25AP to get up outside their turn can help avoid situations where they could be grabbed or stepped on defencelessly. It also makes sure that intentional actions to fall from heights (or knock back that is recovered from) does much less damage on average. As they say, a mouse lands fine, a dog lands broken, a horse splatters.

Roleplay Suggestions

Homans tend to lean towards the extrovert side of the personality spectrum, as if they're performing for others. This doesn't mean they're not capable of being stern, quiet or reserved, it tends to be more of a way to endear others to them, especially the bigger races who they're better off befriending than making an enemy out of them. Homan adventurers look and actually are like small human adults but their quirks, interests and mannerisms can sometimes give the impression of childishness, this childishness can on occasion make them more difficult to work with and sometimes entreating them like a child can placate or remind them that they should be acting like an adult. This is something even the most serious Homan has to contend with, even if it happens less often and less obviously than the Happy-Go-Lucky type.

As a Small race, Homans are only on average 2'6" tall, that's about mid-thigh to a six-foot tall human adult, and they can only scrape a few inches taller if they're lucky. In the Vermillion Freeholds where small size is the norm, they have no problems navigating the environment and using the facilties. It's only when they start venturing around outside their lands that they realise just how small they really are. Some Homan may think it's all very new and exciting, however many underestimate how limited or how much more effort it takes to do simple things like climb stairs, open doors or carry objects designed for non-small creatures. They'll soon encounter bigger races who treat them either with great interest (good or bad) or with cold indifference; this unnatural, bipolar treatment can make some Homan a bit paranoid, making it harder to trust those who seem nice since they might have ultior motives.

Racial Adjustments & Archetypes

Homan

Homans are naturally alert and quick-footed to make up for their small size. Their small size and well-formed proportions make them attractive to other races. It's a natural part of their lives to be active and mobile, so they're quite athletic too.

♦ Homan gain a +1 attribute bonus to Perception, Agility, Charisma and Luck.
♦ Homan also gain a Skill-Focus in all Athletics skills.
♦ Homan are considered Small-sized, they have a size-rating of 0.7.

Archetype: Brave

While most Homan tend to stay away from places where they could be eaten or crushed, others have the bravery (or the foolishness) to take up arms to defend themselves and what they care about most.

♦ This Homan gains a +1 attribute bonus to Strength and Endurance. The penalty to Strength is negated.
♦ They also gain a Skill-Focus in one [Combat] skill group and all Defence skills.

Archetype: Opportunistic

It could almost be seen as a stereotype at this point that Homans tend to be around when things go missing. However, some Homan take advantage of being overlooked to get away with things bigger creatures couldn't without great skill.

♦ This Homan gains a +1 attribute bonus to Agility and Charisma.
♦ They also gain a Skill-Focus in all Larceny skills.

Archetype: Cautious

Even when Homans find a community that accepts and respects them, some Homan never get over that paranoia of something being out to get them. These Homan tend to be quick to notice abnormalities in their environment and be ready to act against threats.

♦ This Homan gains a +2 attribute bonus to Perception.
♦ They also gain a Skill-Focus in all Defense and Analysis skills.

Archetype: Experienced

After being around the block a few times, most Homan tend to know what is and isn't dangerous to them and are able to get on with their lives, learn some skills. Of course, they're never too complacent to have a trusty weapon for self-defence.

♦ This Homan gains a +2 attribute bonus to Intelligence.
♦ They also gain a Skill-Focus in one [Combat] skill group and all Social skills.

Archetype: Lucky

Some adventuring parties are asked why they bring a Homan along if they end up being a liability most of the time, the common reason given is usually: "They're a good friend, and good luck".

♦ This Homan gains a +2 attribute bonus to Luck.
♦ The trait effect of Luck of the Homan can now be used on any allies as if they were the beneficiary of the trait effect.
(The Homan user controls when and how the trait is activated for another ally, the other character's player may request assistance in the meta, but the Homan player decides whether to oblige or decline.)

Archetype: Cute & Dashing

It is undeniable that Homans tend to have a look to them that seems more endearing or appealing, especially to other Humanoids. But some can take this further and become charismatic head-turners to other races too.

♦ This Homan gains a +2 attribute bonus to Charisma.
♦ They also gain a Skill-Focus in all Social skills.

Traits

Passive:

Ability: Luck of the Homan

While Homans weren't lucky enough to be born a bigger race, the hardships and misfortunes they faced in life were often minimized or avoided completely by an unknown force, almost as if were an apology made to them by a higher power.

♦ The Homan may activate this ability (1 + Luck) times a day, after rest. This ability requires no AP or resources to use.
♦ Trigger: When a harmful effect targets the user and the ToHit/PROC is successful; Such as an attack roll, secondary effects, saves...ect
♦ Effect: The command/attack/action dealt to the Homan is treated as if it failed/missed.
(Actions/Commands/Attacks that lack a 'chance' component or cannot miss/fail cannot be affected by Luck of the Homan and no charges will be spent) 

Passive: Bounce-Back

Homans are easily knocked or pushed around by bigger foes, but they're small and light enough to bounce back onto their feet at a moment's notice. Their small size makes big falls less dangerous, even if some Homan tend to overthink the distance.

♦ When Homans are knocked down by physical effects, they are able to get up from being prone or downs for 50% less AP than normal outside their turn (25 AP)
♦ When Homans fall from a great height and are able to land on their feet or with a skill: The distance before taking falling damage is doubled and the damage taken for falling is halved.
(Homans can still die from falling too high a height)

Weapon Familiarity: Halflings are proficient with slings and treat any weapon with the word “halfling” in its name as a martial weapon.

Passive: Giant-Conscious

While most Homan tend to trust those from the Cerulean Kingdom, many know that getting caught by one of the bigguns is deadly. Therefore, all Homan tend to be more evasive towards those bigger than themselves.

♦ Homan gain a +0.5 bonus to Defence and Evasion against foes larger than they are.