Ducateon Characters in the Steel Realms

Steel Realms

Approximately 1.4 – 1.6m tall, yellow eyes with thick lenses, pale-white skin, their entire body is covered in fur (stops growing at a specific length of about 5cm), and have large flat ears. Their voices are deep and sonorous, having subvocal bass elements carrying long distances in ranges outside of most humanoids. They do not talk a lot (underground their voices echo – they are used to going long times silent to avoid letting Orrish, Nurth, etc. know they are present); They talk with economy when it matters, and bluntly, judgmental of other races and their junkpiles. Ducateon are seen as quiet, secretive and mysterious, though known as fair and always honor their word. They are known for their insular culture, love of song (breaking into it at seemingly inappropriate time), rigid thinking, strict caste system, and notions of community, equality and justice. Lastly, their legendary ales are known across the realms.
@RP Impact: (Adaptive Grip) 10% more for weapons and armor; They will break into a dirge for sadness, an opera for gladness, a marching chant/cadence for travel and to drown out others, and a war chant/cadence in combat or when agitated. PCs of this species typically (or at least eventually) fall outside the normal Point of View of typical species members, and the Species Lore. As such, generally, they cannot be the target of Studied Adversary.

The [contentblock id=playlink1] is the defacto starting point for characters and races of the Steel Realms. The Ducateon of the Steel Realms correlate to the non-human half of the Dwarf of DnD. The Ducateon are dominant Dumastorian sub-species in the realms. This species is rare on the surface world, except around their Outholts. The Holts of their kind go deep into the earth, where the majority of the population lives and works. The Shaarmaas connects the Holts together – Ducateon, even Outkaste – do not speak of it to outsiders.

Point of View

Player Characters:

Reactions based on POV

This represents a general bias based on typical POV. Pcs and NPCs may be able to change the Reactions through hard work and example… but face a major battle to change people’s biased opinion.

Unwelcome:

Accepted:

Welcomed:

Common Character Elements

  • Community Perspective: Sharing money, goods, resources and goals is the best way to succeed.
  • Efficient Work: Use the least amount of effort needed for success.
  • Best Suited: Success is best accomplished by letting those who can, make best use of an item.

All Ducateons are required to participate in basic education. Near Sighted: Ranged weapons and effects have their ranges effectively halved. Ultraviolet Sight: Glands in their cheeks radiate ultraviolet light (15m distance x 10m wide in front of them, no hair grows over their cheeks), and their eye lens allows them to see in that spectrum 15m – though fine details are hazy. Clothing Sensitive: Clothes feel terrible to Ducateon , having fur/hair all over and usually wear a Ducateon work harness to attach stuff to. you dont care how it looks, just that its efficiently in reach and easy to use. Restricted Diet: the one drawback is diet. your body can only handle really bland food from an “upper world” perspective – your diet is normally provided for by the clan, uses spices, herbs, and fungus grown in the depths to get good taste to your taste buds. Mechanics wise, this translates to not being able to gain a healing bonus from excellent diet from human/elf, etc. food.

Hold to the Earth

A Ducateon may call upon their connection to Maðr who is all matter, all earth. When they do so, they can’t be knocked over, knocked prone, or moved. Drawing deeper upon their power, they can channel the force being used against them to turn it against the attacker. A few of the folk are “Earth Singers” – further using tremors against those seeking to destabilize or crash past them.

Incarna d20™ Character Options Details/Mechanics

This content is part of the i20™ Variant for the d20 System™.

d20 [specific] Requirements: In order to be an Earth Singer, the character must make a DC 15 Constitution check at the time of Character Inception. If they succeed, they survive the test to become one. This can only be done once. Earth Singers can use their abilities a number of times per Short Rest = Proficiency Bonus and as a Channel Divinity effect. All Ducateon also have Conviction of 2.

Hold to the Earth: As a Reaction, the character become immovable against a single effect. For each 5′ of movement the character would have been moved, the attacker takes 1 Force Damage. If the character uses their Earth Singer ability, the attacker may be moved themselves in the way they intended the target (no save), and they take d6/3 Force Damage per 5′ the target would have been moved.

  • Ability Bonuses: Strength +1
  • Ability Penalties: Charisma -1

Caste: Worker

  • Ability Bonuses: Dexterity +1, Constitution +1
  • Ability Penalties: Charisma -2
  • Starting Class: Rogue, Fighter (Protection or Interception fighting styles only at Inception), Cleric

Caste: Priest

  • Ability Bonuses: Wisdom +1
  • Ability Penalties:
  • Starting Class: Cleric, Paladin (very limited oaths of conquest and glory ONLY – your faith is set to Maðr/”Him” – the one god, all others are but aspects of him; Protection or Interception fighting styles only at Inception)

Caste: Noble

  • Ability Bonuses: Charisma +1
  • Ability Penalties: Sanity 12
  • Starting Class: Rogue, Cleric, Paladin (very limited oaths of conquest and glory ONLY – your faith is set to Maðr/”Him” – the one god, all others are but aspects of him; Protection or Interception fighting styles only at Inception)

Caste: Warrior

  • Ability Bonuses: Constitution +2
  • Ability Penalties: Charisma -2
  • Starting Class: Fighter (Protection or Interception fighting styles only at Inception), Paladin (very limited oaths of conquest and glory ONLY – your faith is set to Maðr/”Him” – the one god, all others are but aspects of him; Protection or Interception fighting styles only at Inception)

Outkaste: Characters may also

Renegade: All bets are off.
Because the Ducateon are knowledge collectors, and all Ducateon are encouraged to learn and are literate, there is often Primers, Codex’s, Grimoires and such that can be leveraged to develop counter to all Ducateon culture and caste provisions. To the council’s, it is one thing to be fully cultural Ducateon and choose to reject it – this is a prudent and educated process to find fulfillment. A Renegade is deceitful, cannot be trusted, for if they use resources to begin play outside of Ducateon Caste, then they were merely using the community for their own selfish ends. There is no debate, so Renegades know it is a one way trip. They will often leave without saying goodbye, by stealth. They will not get far though, before the Council pronounces sanction upon them and exiles them as a Renegade. They keep their racial abilities, including their “Hold to the Earth” unless they recant their faith completely. As long as they are one the ground, the proclamation will find them. It turns their torc to dust, and brands them on their forehead with the Rune of Exile.

Branded by Maðr: They may be killed by other Ducateon without fear of reprisal from any Council, and any nearby Council will intervene on the behalf of the killer in the judicial system to plead their case.

iCore Character Options Details/Mechanics

Combat

Typical Tactics:

Typical Weapons: Weapons and armaments useful in close quarters (underground). Heavy, smaller weapons.

Realm's Aptitude Powers: Divine, Occult, and Psychic