Loxodon

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Physical Description

Resembling large anthropomorphic elephants, with thick, leathery grey skin of an elephant and the bipedal stance of the more civilized races. They possess enormous trunks with a length half of their height and half the width of their head that can serve as a third arm. Their imposing presence is matched by their thunderous footfalls and loud ways of communicating.  Their Elephant-like heads are by far their most distinct feature, containing the same level of wisdom as their distant kin. Male Loxodon tend to have a more muscular build, as well as longer tusks. These beings tower over the tallest of humans. Some are covered in a coarse, brown hair, others have only faint tufts of black, while others still are completely bald, lacking any trace of covering. 

Culture & Social

Loxodon are not subtle people, they exaggerate their speech and gestures and often talk as if they were speaking to an audience rather than a close friend. Loxodon like to form friendships that last a lifetime and are fiercely loyal, they aren’t afraid to tell their friends this. Their slow and unsubtle nature does not indicate a lack of intelligence however, just a difficulty in grasping nuance and social cues that more reserved races learn inherently.

Gameplay

Loxodons start with a +3 to Strength and Endurance, which is insanely high for a baseline, it makes them incredibly good dealing damage with melee attacks, handling heavy equipment and also just tanking a lot of damage. Considering a trait Thick Hide actually grants natural armour-rating (AR) and a 20% physical resist, Loxodons make for incredible tanks. The one big downside is of course, the equally huge -2 penalty to Agility which will drop their movement speed and maximum AP rather sharply. Loxodon players may have to invest in Agility not for attribute bonuses but to erase the massive pullback the bonus causes. The Agility penalty affects their defence but since their Perception is unaffected, their accuracy isn't hindered at all.
The trait Enhanced Trample gives Loxodon a superior crowd-control tool and method of attack, by literally being able to run into foes while dealing damage and knockdown and being able to deliver heavy damage to those unfortunate enough to get stomped on. Foes may still be able to recover from effects like knockdown and move out of the way of AoEs but a Loxodon on the move is always dangerous and can trigger without using AP most of the time. The trait Loxodon Trunk is considered the Loxodon's key physical feature and offers a wide array of uses as a third limb. While by default it's less effective than the Loxodon's own arms and legs, increasing the Potential skill rank for skill perks can eventually upgrade it to a larger and more powerful limb that becomes just as good as the Loxodon's real arms. The Trunk's position on the Loxodon's face can be seen as a bit of a liability, considering frontal attacks that severe limbs could also disable the use of their Trunk, but the Loxodon's size often makes it's trunk safe from those less than half its size by being out of their reach.
Loxodon5.jpg

Roleplaying Suggestions

Loxodon tend to play as if they're normal-sized and everything they do is normal even though they really aren't. Not so much in the way of being intentionally obnoxious to smaller races who have to handle their loud personalities and stomping about, but because they're just being themselves and don't always see their words and actions being more excessive than the situation calls for. When Loxodon get together for entertainment and socializing it is often a high-spirited celebration. However, if a Loxodon were to sit in an audience for a play, they will more often than not exclaim their delight or awe more readily and with greater volume than other audience members present.

Loxodon tend to have a bipolar relationship with smaller races, it's 50/50 chance that a Loxodon will be really excited and happy to meet and work with smaller races, especially small and tiny-sized people; the other will have a degree of indifference where they'll still work with their contractors but not make a special effort to mind their step or keep quiet about their misgivings. Because Loxodon are always open about their feelings, they can often blurt out how much they love or hate some things or someone, even if they're in the same room as them. Most aren't stupid enough to say such things in front of authority or those that might make things worse for them or their pack, but they're often so loud that it's not unlikely that a Loxodon would yell out important information that an eavesdropper could take advantage of.

As Adventurers

Adventurers tend to be fairly common among the Loxodon, the thrill of adventure and travel is often the main reason for becoming one, though material motivations such making a fortune come as a runner-up. As Loxodon as social beings, the idea of making new friends and allies in a party is something even the most withdrawn Loxodon would be keen to look into. Loxodon adventurers favour combat where they get to use their muscle and aren't too afraid to get in close since they're tough and burly, with their Enhanced Trample trait, those with an inclination to charge into battle and smash anything in their way also help.

As with many giant races, Loxodons and smaller party members need to set up ground rules to ensure everybody around them is safe and that the Loxodon minds their actions. Loxodon adventurers who are new to journeying with smaller party members may not realize the volume of their communications, the weight of their stride or the strength of their actions. If accidents do happen, fortunately most do not end in tragedy and Loxodon adventurers are smart enough to learn from their mistakes. The more party members enjoy how outgoing and exuberant their Loxodon ally is, the less likely the Loxodon will change the way they interact with smaller races from how they do with other Loxodon, Golian and Samoan.

Race Meta

Loxodon

Loxodon are naturally powerful and tough creatures, one of the great heavyweights of the world. But their bulk comes at the cost of speed.

♦ Loxodon gain a +3 attribute bonus to Strength and Endurance, but suffer a -2 penalty to Agility.
♦ They are considered to be Huge sized, their size-rating is 4.
  • Loxodon stand between 24 to 36ft tall, averaging 30ft in height.
  • Genus: Creature
  • Faction(s): Saffron Alliance
Loxodon serve as a character race option to play as Elephant-people. Definitely leaning heavily to the power side of the Power vs. Agility. These Loxodon tend to tap into the more primal side of creature-based races in a more exuberant and outgoing way. They're a more fantasy-friendly counterpart to the Samoan race but also lean towards more power while they lean more towards skill.

Loxodons offer a heavy-weight playstyle for those who enjoy playing as an elephant, personality suited towards being extrovert and outgoing, or creative uses for a third limb (Trunk).

Archetype: Girded

Loxodon that take up arms and armour are adept at carrying heavy weights, including supplies and equipment for allies. They can carry immense amounts of weight and still function normally.

♦ This Loxodon's maximum equipment limit is increased to 150 (from 100) for counting minimum load.
♦ They also gain an additional 4 slots of inventory space due to strength, this scales up due to size; so Loxodons gain 16 slots due to being Huge-sized.
♦ They also gain a Skill-Focus in one [Combat]-oriented skill group.

Archetype: Hustler

Loxodon don't tend to be very quick, but those that try to make up for their shortcomings do see some success. These Loxodon not only can hustle faster than their kin but they've also picked up a few tricks to being discreet as well.

♦ These Loxodon gain a +1 attribute bonus to Perception and Agility. Their Agility penalty is negated.
♦ They also gain a Skill-Focus in all Defence and Larceny skills.
♦ They are treated as being their normal size for the purpose of moving under a Stealth check.

Archetype: Mastadon-Blooded

Some Loxodon grow extraordinarily large and use this extra height and strength to hunt bigger and better game. There had been stories to suggest that Loxodon were descendants of a much larger ancestor known as the Mastadons, these gigantic Loxodon could be their resurgence.

♦ These Loxodon gain the Big perk, increasing their size to Huge+ (6) and average 50ft tall.
♦ When this Loxodon gains access to Tier 2 perks, they gain the Huge perk immediately (or gain a free perk), their size category becomes Gargantuan (8) and average 65ft tall.
♦ When this Loxodon gains access to Tier 3 perks, the gain the Gigantic perk immediately (or gain a free perk), their size category becomes Colossal (16) and average 135ft tall.
♦ They also gain a Skill-Focus in one [Combat] skill group.

Traits

Passive: Enhanced Trample

Loxodons are notoriously brutal when it comes to trampling their foes, either in the process of getting past them or purposefully crushing them beneath their feet. They're so good at it in fact that sometimes smaller allies end roughed up in the process. The size and bulk of a Loxodon can impede their mobility to some degree, this also contributes towards their reputation of being slow and lumbering.

♦ Benefit: Loxodons can cause foes of one size category smaller than themselves to be knocked away during movement,
           this inflicts damage equal to their unarmed strike and has a 50% chance to cause knockdown.
♦ Benefit: If the target is two size categories smaller or less: Their Stomp attack command gains a x2 bonus in damage and ignores AR, this can leave the target knocked prone and pinned.
♦ Drawback: During movement, Loxodons cannot safely discriminate between friend and foe, as such, movement through allied squares will be affected as if they were an enemy.
♦ Drawback: Loxodons are treated as being one size larger for Stealth checks while moving around quietly. (Stationary and disguise Stealth checks are unaffected.)

Passive: Thick Hide

Loxodon have thick, leathery hides that help dull the blow of impact. The burlier the user, the tougher they become.

♦ Loxodons gain 20% damage resistance against Physical: Blunt, Cut and Pierce attacks.
♦ Loxodon also gain +0.5 AR for each Endurance point above zero (rounded down). (This scales with size, 0.5 becomes 2 at Huge size).

Passive: Heat Resistance

Loxodons are used to living in hot, arid areas, they possess some degree of hot temperature resistance.

♦ Loxodons resist Fire attack damage by 20%. Effects that cause the 'Burn' effect are negated, 'Ignites effect is reduced by 20%.
♦ Loxodons resist one stage of hot-temperature effects and thus do not suffer negative effects for Tier 2 Hot temperatures (Desert Daylight), they still suffer reduced penalties for Tier 3 Hot temperatures (Active Volcano).

Ability: Loxodon Trunk

Loxodons have enormous, prehensile limbs growing out from their face called a Trunk, it serves as both a breathing apparatus and a third arm in some cases.

♦ A Loxodon’s trunk is an additional limb that can be used to grasp small, light objects with the tip using its three manipulators as well as using the entire length of the trunk to grasp larger, cylindrical shaped creatures and objects with about half the strength as one of its arms.

♦ A Loxodon’s trunk can be used to make an unarmed strike attack or use a simple weapon, but it lacks the range of its arms (it has half the reach of it's normal natural reach).

Loxodon Trunk: Skill Perks

When a Loxodon gains a new rank in their Potential skill, they may choose one skill to enhance the trait Loxodon Trunk. When Potential reaches Master (100) rank, the Loxodon can gain skill perks the same way as universal perks.

Elongate: The Loxodon's Trunk grows twice it's length, it now has the same reach as their arms and legs.

♦ Thicken: The Loxodon's Trunk grows twice its girth, it can now be treated as a limb with the Loxodon's full strength bonus applied.

♦ Ability: Liquid Spray: The Loxodon gains the ability to suck up a non-toxic liquid into their trunk and hold it for up to 2 rounds. The Loxodon can then use a standard action to spray the liquid stored in their trunk against a single foe or across a direction of their choosing.