Shradi

Overview

• Shradi Visual Guide
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Physical Description

Resembling dark-skinned humanoids with tall, powerful frames. They have dark tan skin, brown hair, and dark brown or dark green eyes. Shradi tend to wear their hair and/or beards braided. Often living in hot, arid climates, they’re resistant to sizzling temperatures and strong rays, they also handle survive well in wastelands and other inhospitable locations. Many are nomads but form loyal communities and relations with other clans. The outside world respect their contributions towards keeping the wastelands safe for travellers and merchants. Shradi stand 30 feet tall on average, but have slender to medium builds, a fact that greatly contributes to their grace and speed. The giants favor loose robes with keffiyehs for protection from the scouring desert winds, as well as travelling leathers worn beneath the robes.

Culture & Social

Although they come from hot climates, Shradi are comfortable in almost any environment where resources are scarce. Some Shradi clans are very territorial and will intercept trespassers with scepticism, most good clans are reasonable and escort unwanted guests through and outside their territory as long as there are no altercations. Same can be applied to their goods and belongings, their friends and allies are as coveted to them as valuable gems and treasures. Shradi are well motivated by material possessions that they become excellent bodyguards and hired-hands for other races, if the price is right. Shradi roam the stark and majestic sands, rarely dwelling in permanent camps. They roam from oasis to oasis, sleeping beneath the stars or in easily dismantled yurts, breaking camp as whim strikes or when food sources grow scarce.

They require little water, and are able to survive for as long as 2 weeks on food alone. When such goods are available, they drink water, milk, and juices in prodigious amounts. The bulk of their diet comes from figs, olives, and similar bounty of the oases, supplemented by meat if required. Despite their nomadic ways, Shradi guard their territory fiercely, driving away all interlopers, whether intelligent or bestial. In times of battle or war, Shradi may don chainmail.

Race Meta

• Better known as: Desert Giants
• Height/Size: 24-36ft / 30ft (Huge, Size: 4)
• Genus: Giant
• Rarity: Uncommon in Saffron, Rare elsewhere
• Faction(s): Saffron Alliance

Shradi serve as the 'Desert Giants' of the setting however their traits and nomad culture gives them the advantage of being natural explorers and world guides. So while the Shradi come from the desert and are commonly known as Desert giants, they have the ability to go anywhere else in the world and adapt. They are also considered the natural counterparts to the Jin race, who both share a history together. Shradi are as similar to their closest relative, the Golians as much as Duergar are to the Humans, similar but different.

The Shradi make for a good giant race with strong fundamentals in exploring extreme terrain and with stronger emphasis on high Intelligence to build up memorizations and skill-focuses.

Gameplay

Shradi have a nice spread of attribute bonuses both physical and mental and self-reliant with the Survival skills. They also gain advantages depending on what terrain they've memorized: getting additional defence, stealth and skill checks related to environments they've selected, although they always get desert biomes by default. Being able to know where North is at all times including a bonus towards Survival and navigating makes it less likely for the average Shradi to get lost, magical misdirection aside.

As the Shradi are a Huge-sized race, environments built for smaller people can be more frustrating as most Shradi are used to wide-open spaces and environments. They do not have any special adjustments or impediments, so they can take advantage of squeezing as if they were a normal race.

Roleplay Suggestions

The first and most likely time an individual or group may encounter a Shradi or their caravans is when travelling through the deserts where they call home. If an individual or group appears mostly harmless a Shradi will usually be indifferent, keeping a watchful eye on newcomers. Ensuring the safety and comfort of their caravan/tribe is their top priority, as well as the sanctity of their desert home. If strangers start acting strangely, Shradi protectors may draw their weapons and warn the stranger to back away until they can be verified. Shradi traders and merchants are far more hospitable, to the point of calling out to travellers to check their wares and open negotiations for goods and services. Some Merchants genuinely offer good deals however others can easily lead foolish travellers into a trap to which their belongings and even their very life may be taken from them.

As Adventurers

Shradi adventurers are fairly common as their nomadic nature spurs them to travel around when the time is right. Although most Shradi travel in caravans, lone Shradi will go out on their own to find themselves and their destinies. Being self-sufficient, a Shradi can often find it easier to travel alone, and may hesitate at the thought of journeying with strangers at first, but as the bonds grow between part members, the Shradi may be inclined to treat their allies as if they were part of their tribe or camp; to fight for them just as hard. If their natural skills in navigation and survival are called upon, a Shradi can be an immensely useful guide in unknown territory as well as a strong force against other giants.

Some Shradi may take a more formal approach to adventuring, acting as mercenaries or sellswords that offer their arm in exchange for treasure or riches. Some may use adventuring as a means to move away from the troubles of their past, hoping it may not catch up to them some day. Otherwise Shradi are varied in their motivations for adventuring, even hearing the rumours surrounding the age of adventurers from urban lands far from their desert home.

Racial Adjustments & Archetypes

Shradi

Shradi are adept at reacting to danger and navigating difficult terrain. As they often live in inhospitable locations, all Shradi are good at basic survival skills.

♦ Shradi gain a +1 attribute bonus to Strength, Endurance, Perception and Intelligence.
♦ They also gain a Skill-Focus in all Survival skills.
♦ Shradi are considered Huge-sized: they have a size-rating of 4.

Archetype: Nomad

The Shradi are historically been nomadic people that never stay in the same place for long. These Shradi tend to take better notice from the places they have travelled to for future reference.

♦ This Shradi gains a +1 attribute bonus to Perception and Intelligence.
♦ They also gain a Skill-Focus in all Analysis skills.

Archetype: Warrior

Shradi are no novices in combat, often having to fight to protect their tribe or caravans from other tribes and monsters.

♦ This Shradi gains a +1 attribute bonus to Strength and Perception.
♦ They also gain a Skill-Focus in one [Combat]-oriented skill group, and all Defence skills.

Archetype: Marauder

Some Shradi will do whatever it takes to get by, even by break the law and some heads. The Desert is not an entirely lawless land, but it's much easier for these Shradi to get away with their misdeeds.

♦ This Shradi gains a +1 attribute bonus to Strength and Agility.
♦ They also gain a Skill-Focus in one [Combat]-oriented skill group, and all Larceny skills.

Archetype: Merchant

Some fortunate Shradi are able to acquire special goods or provide services to entice others to part with their valuables, these Shradi also tend to be the type other races like the most.

♦ This Shradi gains a +1 attribute bonus to Intelligence and Charisma.
♦ They also gain a Skill-Focus in all Social skills.

Archetype: Jin-Blooded

Due to the historical ties with their outsider counterparts, the Jin, some Shradi are descended from the offspring of Jin and Shradi descendants. These Shradi are often gifted in manipulating magic and the metaforce.

♦ This Shradi gains a +1 attribute bonus to Perception and Charisma.
♦ They also gain a Skill-Focus in one [Metaforce]-related skill group.

Archetype: Experienced

Older Shradi who have travelled many tours around the world have gained a wealth of experience, and yet as adventurers there is still plenty more to learn as well.

♦ This Shradi gains a +2 attribute bonus to Intelligence.
♦ They gain a skill-focus in all Defence skills.

Shradi Traits

Passive: Land-Strider

Shradi have powerful legs that have been honed through desert sands, not only do they move better in uneven terrain better than most two-legged beings, that extra strength boosts their mobility as well.

♦ Shradi ignore movement penalties across difficult terrain with a height less than waist high.
♦ When Shradi are not affected by difficult terrain: they gain a +1 movement speed bonus per size-rating.

Passive + Ability: Seasoned Traveller

The Shradi are born with an uncanny sense of direction and intuition about the world they live in. They’re adaptable to new terrain and essential guides for other travellers they group with.

♦ Ability: Shradi always know where north is.
♦ Shradi also gain a +20 bonus to all skill checks to do with survival and geography, as long as they have at least Novice (20) rank in those skills.

Passive: Weathered Traveller

Shradi have a deep connection to the desert but and have surprisingly high resilience to Heat, Cold and weather effects.

♦ Shradi RESIST Fire, Cold and Wind attacks by 20%.
♦ The severity of temperature effects are reduced by one stage. They are fine in Tier 2 (Hot Desert/Icy-Mountain) locations, but still suffer minor penalties for Tier 3 (Active Volcano/Raging Blizzard).

Ability: Land Master

Shradi have been capable of memorizing strange and familiar terrains for hundreds of years, even when out of their element, the seasoned Shradi traveller knows what to watch out in certain lands.

♦ Shradi can memorize a number of terrain types equal to their Intelligence. When their Intelligence increases, they get to select another terrain type to memorize.
♦ Shradi gain a +1.0 bonus to Defence and Evasion while fighting in a favoured terrain.
♦ They also gain a +10 bonus to Stealth and Analysis skills for checks related to their terrain for each rank they possess in that skill, while in their favoured terrain.

The types of Terrain a Shradi can memorize are listed below:
• Desert (Shradi have this terrain memorized by default)
• Forest
• Plains
• Marshland/Wetland
• Tropical/Island
• Arctic/Snowlands
• Mountainous
• Rural/Small-Settlement
• Urban/Large-Settlement
• Cave/Dungeon

(If a terrain consists of multiple types, the Shradi only gains the highest bonus. Terrains do not stack)